Page 22

K age

We were fucking alive.

Miracles never ceased.

“She’s sleeping,” I said absently as I pushed my way into the cockpit.

Stone threw me a look then immediately checked the gauges. “You got any cash on you? You owe me a spackle and paint job.”

I snickered. “I’m good for it.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Stone shifted in his seat.

I was fucking grateful he’d been the one I’d called. Anyone else and we’d likely be dead by now.

A few seconds later, he motioned to the back. “She’s beautiful.”

“I hadn’t noticed.” I purposely glanced out the side window, staring down at the ocean water.

“Yeah, I call bullshit. Something you were always good at.”

This time, I shook my head. Stone had always enjoyed pissing me off, but he wasn’t the only man capable of doing so. “She’s an extraction unit.”

“You’re still using that shit?” He laughed and scratched the ugly beard he’d grown since I’d last seen him.

“That’s the way I need to think about her.” I’d been reminding myself of that time and time again. Maybe at some point, I’d start to believe it.

A few awkward minutes passed, something we’d never had before.

“Cool dog. Surprised you brought him along.”

Exhaling, I glanced back into the small plane, half snorting seeing how Juliette’s body was curled around Tank’s. I’d thought she was terrified of dogs. Funny how things changed. “He’s a good boy. Trained for search and rescue.”

“By you?”

“Fuck, no. A Marine who died.”

“Well, fuck, man,” Stone huffed. “Heavy shit. Good for you.”

I knew he was continuously darting looks at me. Everyone who knew me had glued kid gloves onto their hands for months when dealing with me.

“Headed to New York?” he asked.

“Change in plans. She’s coming with me.”

“Oh, wow. Your choice?” Now he was teasing me.

I gave him my middle finger. “A favor to Gray.”

He nodded several times. “Then good for you.”

Another awkward silence.

“I know what you’re thinking.” I had no idea why I was attempting to justify what I was doing with her at all. It was none of his or anyone else’s goddamn business what I did with my life.

“Okay, brainiac. What am I thinking?”

“That I like being around this girl. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“What the fuck do you know?”

Stone made some adjustments, the slow turn meaning we were nearing the first destination point. “Enough. I ain’t no rocket scientist, but in two minutes, I saw the way you two were looking at each other. It’s funny how relationships spring up when danger is involved.”

“This isn’t a relationship!” Growling, I realized too late he’d baited me.

“See. There it is. That possessive nature I’ve seen before.”

“Yeah, well, only once. Never again. And stop thinking you know shit about my life.” Yeah, I was a little too vehement and way too angry, but he knew how to get under my skin.

Just like Juliette had managed.

“I’ll leave it alone. I just know what I see. Anyway, what’s the harm in caring about someone?”

I turned my head toward him so slowly I could tell I’d made him uncomfortable. “There’s no need to answer that.”

“Right. I forgot. The brooding man suits you.”

The fucker actually rolled his eyes at what I’d said. Well, fuck him. “How long until we land?”

“Twenty minutes. Only on the ground for thirty unless the storm rolls in.”

He pointed toward the weather radar. I wasn’t a pilot, but I could clearly decipher the imagery. “Fuck.”

“You’re worried her captors will head to the US.”

“Maybe.”

“Gray didn’t tell you everything.”

“Nope.”

“Still a talkative man,” Stone chortled.

A slight whimper drew my attention to the back of the plane once again. Juliette’s body was twitching as if in the middle of REM sleep. Only I knew a nightmare when I saw one.

I leaned my head against the seat, taking several breaths. The fact the soldiers had openly shot at us was worth looking into. At least I had my answer about if the cops had been bought and sold.

Even in the dead of night, men working for cartels or other criminal organizations did what they could to avoid turmoil with the local police. They maintained some sense of anonymity by controlling their battles.

Especially in the middle of the day in a commercial setting.

That could also mean they were an adjunct member of the Bermudan police force. Many countries still utilized vigilantes to do their dirty work, the kind that would never make national news.

The thought troubled the fuck out of me, but potentially gave a solid reason for why Gray wanted me to keep her hidden.

“So, you ever talk to Maddox?”

As soon as I snapped my head in Stone’s direction, he threw up one hand. “Why don’t you just fly the goddamn plane?”

“Hey, I was just curious.”

“And you already knew the answer.”

“I’m just suggesting that you need to talk to him. It’s way past time to be holding a grudge. He was your bud, your main guy, your confidant. Your friend.”

“You make it sound like we were dating,” I retorted. “We were just teammates until we weren’t. And we were never friends because friends don’t betray friends.”

“You’re such a hardheaded dick. He didn’t betray you.”

“Bullshit. Just fly the plane.” I jerked up from the seat, returning to the back. Stone had no idea how many nightmares I’d had, the rage so significant at times I couldn’t breathe. Maddox had fucked us all over and that was something I’d never forgive him for.

I stood hunkered over, staring out the window at the blue sky. Too many ugly thoughts were clouding my mind, something that could ultimately be dangerous if I couldn’t manage to stop it.

My mind wanted to replay the dream from the night before, but I refused.

Just hearing Maddox’s name had pushed me to an edge I’d fought long and hard to avoid.

I hated the man with a passion. And to think Stone had been right.

We’d been close for a few years, so much so Gray had called us twins. Not that we looked anything alike.

Exhaling, I realized just how stiff my neck had become. I fisted my hand, pushing it against the air and wishing I was in the gym with my boxing bag in front of me. Physical activity usually kept me from succumbing to the demons.

If left unchecked, the nightmares could take me to a dark and nasty place.

A slight moan drew my attention and I turned my head.

Juliette was beautiful when she was sleeping.

Hell, she was gorgeous doing anything and nothing.

I laughed softly to myself. Being able to admit it should shock the hell out of me.

Maybe enough time had passed that I was floating to the surface of the thick cesspool.

Nah, I wouldn’t count on it.

Her slight shift in position allowed me an even better view of her long legs.

With the way she was lying on the floor, the cheap shorts had ridden up her thighs, exposing a section of her butt cheeks.

Rounded perfectly. I wanted to wrap my hands around them, squeezing as I drove my cock into her tight little pussy.

Fuck me. There I went again thinking with my dick.

I sensed Tank was watching me, curious about what the hell I was doing. Leering at her, buddy. Another smirk rolled across my face. At least leering didn’t harm anyone and certainly there was no indication of any kind of commitment.

Yet after another look at those legs, my cock was hard as a rock. I purposely turned away, finally noticing land. At least we were coming into Charlotte. With any luck, even with renting a car in Dallas, we’d be home by dark.

Then what?

Hell if I knew.

As soon as I slumped down on the floor, Tank lifted his head but stayed right where he was.

I snarled at him, he thumped his tail once in response, and I had to laugh. “Traitor.”

He whined, but only once and I turned my head away to avoid staring at Juliette. Yet even after a full minute had passed, I couldn’t seem to get her out of my mind.

I could lose it if this continued.

Fucking her had been a huge mistake. When was the last time I’d lost control?

I shoved my hand behind my neck, rubbing it with my fingers. On top of everything, what little I’d slept had been in an awkward position, and now my neck was out of whack.

Also, because I hadn’t been to a chiropractor since moving to Colorado.

“Why don’t you let me do that?” Her voice was suddenly right beside me, the soft lilt the reason I currently felt like shit. Because I’d heard it over and over again when drifting off to sleep.

Every murmur when I’d tasted her.

The husky moans filtering into my mouth.

Her sensual exclamations when she’d erupted into a powerful orgasm.

Fuck me. This woman would be the goddamn death of me.

I lowered my head, my eyes immediately drifting to the tight tee shirt and what the material was doing to her full breasts. “Do what?”

She slid on her butt closer. “Rub your neck. It’s hurting. Right? I used to give my dad massages all the time. It was one of the few things he enjoyed me doing.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re hardheaded. Aren’t you? You don’t like anyone doing anything for you. Here’s a hint. All people aren’t bad.”

Said by someone who’d only recently been freed from imprisonment. Unbelievable. I glared at her, uncertain what to say, but allowing her to touch me wasn’t in my best interest.

Or hers.

“Come on, tough guy. Let me rub your neck and shoulders. Like I said before, I won’t bite.”

My eyes were hooded they were so heavy but just watching the way she tucked hair behind her ear with one hand, stroking Tank’s back with the other yanked at whatever decency I had inside of me.

I scooted forward as she’d done, shifting so my back was to her. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had anyone massage a single part of my body. The abstinence wasn’t necessarily by choice. I’d simply refused to become that intimate with anyone.

For some women, kissing was too intimate until several dates in with the same guy. For me, it was body massages. But I’d sensed she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. What the hell? One week.

I continued to repeat that to myself. One week and she’d be out of my hair.

With everything she’d been through and with her size, I’d thought her touch would be light. Pleasant, but unable to remove any kinks.

As usual with her, I thought wrong.

Her touch seared my skin, but the way she pulsed and rubbed her fingers along my spine and on both sides of my neck immediately released a few kinks.

“Tilt your head to the side.” She was gently pushing on my jaw, guiding me with her hand as if a professional. I allowed her to continue, enjoying the touch more than I should be.

A sound suddenly caught my attention. She was humming.

The woman never ceased to amaze me. Close to a week of her life had been fraught with danger, bullets flying at her head and men beating her just for the sake of being assholes.

She’d almost been gunned down while being chased to a plane and forced to hide out with me, a general asshole, and a dog she’d initially said terrified her.

Now she was humming and from the sound of it, a happy tune.

Not that I would know. Music had little effect on me.

She continued rubbing, every couple of minutes pressing the heel of her palm against either side of my spine before returning her concentration to my neck.

My eyes were barely open, the pleasure tingling every muscle in my upper torso.

“You are so tight. That’s stress,” she murmured. “I need you to lie down so I can crawl on top of you.”

“What?” I snapped my head to the side noticing her instant frown.

“Not like that, tough guy. I can’t put too much weight on my knee and I need more traction with you. The only way I can work out most of the kinks is by straddling your waist.”

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

“Oh, come on. You’re a big boy. I’m a woman. We slept in the same room. You’ve seen me at my worst, including caked in mud and God knows what else. And you’ve seen me without makeup, oh, the horror. I think we can do this.”

Snorting, I debated for just long enough she popped me in the arm.

“How about trusting me, SEAL?”

Hearing the word on her lips made me smile. “Fine, I’ll lie down.”

“Maybe we should announce it to the air traffic controllers in the tower wherever we’re going.”

“Funny.” I eased down, rolling over and she deftly swung one leg over my hips, pressing down.

The bad man I was allowed filthy thoughts to roam my mind. If only she was straddling the front of me, and I was able to rub my fingers just underneath the material of her shorts.

Yeah, I needed to find a way to get her out of my mind before I completely lost it.

With the shift, she was able to rub harder, kneading my back and using near brutal force to manipulate my neck muscles. With the hum of the plane’s two engines, I could easily fall asleep.

The weight of her felt far too damn good, the scent from her morning shower filling my nostrils and spilling into every cell and muscle.

Fuck, I was even harder than before, the unwanted thoughts ripping through my mind creating an unwanted fog.

Hunger.

Need.

Desire.

I could easily rip off her clothes and fuck her right here, right on the hard, cold steel of the plane’s belly, refusing to let her go until she cried out my name.

That’s exactly what she deserved.

Right after I paddled her rounded bottom for driving me absolutely nuts.

A grin spread across my face as she rubbed more vigorously, the action shifting her body weight up and down. My guess was she was creating friction in her sweet pussy. How did I know?

Because I gathered an incredible whiff of her raging desire.

“We’re coming in for a landing, kids. Best you strap yourself in since we’re rolling into a storm.”

As usual, Stone’s timing sucked.

I turned my head, glaring at him.

The man was smiling as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.

Damn him for always being right.