Protecting Cassie (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) Read online

  Sliding down her body even farther, he lifted her legs and rested them on his shoulders, spreading her wide for his pleasure. And hers, too, he hoped.

  Pressing his face to her exposed sex he inhaled a deep breath, Oh god, she smelled like heaven, her scent driving him as wild as it had the first time they’d made love. Sliding his hands to the inside of her thighs, with his thumbs he pressed open the lips of her sex, running the tip of his tongue over her slick pink skin. So good. She tasted so damn good.

  Cassie dug her heels into his shoulders and lifted herself up to press against his marauding mouth. He took her swollen clit between his teeth, alternating gentle bites with drawing the swollen flesh into his mouth.

  “Oh! Oh! Oh!”

  God, those delicious sounds of pleasure she made spiked his need even more. He bit down hard on the throbbing nub, loving her tiny screams as she pushed herself up to his mouth as much as she could. He sucked and bit and tugged until she was begging for more. At last he shifted enough to slide one long finger into that very wet channel. Her inner muscles clamped down on it, and he felt the vibration of tiny spasms shivering through her. He added a second finger, curling them to scrape that oh so sweet spot each time he drew them back, and captured her clit again with his teeth. As he increased his rhythm, he bit down on that swollen nub of flesh, and she bucked up against him.

  He could feel the tremors in her wet channel increase so he added a third finger. One stroke. Two. Three, and she came apart, digging her heels into his back to lift her body to him, thrusting her hips, her body shaking with the force of her orgasm. Sam licked and sucked and stroked and nibbled, driving her to the peak then easing her down a little bit at a time.

  When she was reduced to a slight trembling of her body, he eased her legs down to the bed and slid up so he could capture her mouth, sharing her taste with her. She wrapped her tongue around his and sucked, blending them together and sending a shiver of some emotion down his spine.

  The pulse still throbbed with a light beat at the hollow of her throat, and hunger still flashed in her eyes.

  She licked her lips. “We aren’t done yet.”

  He gave a rough laugh, “Is that a question or an order?”

  A little laugh bubbled from her. “An order. Of course.”

  “Then what can I do but obey? After all, I’m a SEAL and used to taking orders.”

  And damn glad to be doing it, too. If he didn’t get inside her soon, he was going to self-destruct right there on the bed. Reaching into the nightstand drawer, he fished in the box of condoms he’d bought that first night and kept handy ever since.

  He rose to his knees, ripped the foil off, and rolled the condom onto his aching cock. Without any urging she spread her legs, bending them at the knees to ready herself for him. He cupped the cheeks of her ass to raise her, positioned himself at her opening, and drove into her with one swift, hard stroke.

  “Oh god!”

  He wasn’t sure which one of them said it, or if it came from both of them. He only knew that this felt like nine kinds of heaven, and he never wanted to be anyplace else for the rest of his life. He drew in a deep breath, let it out, and began the slow, hard ride to the top. He loved how tight she was, how her inner walls ripped him, milking him, how responsive she was to every little movement. He wanted to make it last as long as possible, but he was just too close to the edge.

  Gripping her hips he drove into her again and again, her slick flesh caressing his cock, her eyes lit with hunger as she matched him stroke for stroke. He adjusted his body so with every thrust and retreat he rubbed her swollen clit. Pressing her heels into the mattress, she lifted herself to him even more.

  He watched her carefully, knowing the exact moment that her climax began to rise. He drove faster, harder, and then…there they were, exploding together, bodies pulsing and shivering and shaking, hearts pounding like triphammers everything fading away except the two of them and this incredible orgasm. They pulsed together, his cock so hungry for her sex that it throbbed for a long time, until at last he had fully emptied himself inside her.

  It took a moment for him to catch his breath but when he did he leaned his head down and captured her mouth in a slow, sweet kiss. Their tongues did an unhurried dance together, sliding over each other, tasting each other. Then, when he was sure he could move, and with great reluctance, he eased his cock from the grip of her muscles and headed for the bathroom to dispose of the condom. When he returned she was still lying spread-eagled on the bed, her face flushed and glowing, her skin in places still slightly pink from where the scruff beard had rubbed against it.

  Lying down beside her, he took a moment to trace those areas.

  “My beard isn’t too kind to you. Maybe I ought to shave it off.”

  Her eyes widened. “Don’t you dare. I love that beard.”

  “But your skin—”

  “Will be just fine after I put some lotion on it. Don’t you dare shave that off.”

  He chuckled. “Okay. I sure don’t want to make you unhappy.” He pulled her against his body and tugged the covers up over both of them. Then he asked her a question he probably should have just shoved to the back of his mind. “Cassie, what are we doing here?”

  “Well.” Her laugh was light on a puff of air. “I think we just had sex, or did I get it wrong?”

  “Not by a longshot, but that’s not what I meant.” He closed his eyes and touched his forehead to hers. “Cassie, I’ve never been with any woman in my life more than twice. Didn’t want to. And it was more than enough for me. The SEAL Teams were my life.”

  “I know that.” She traced the line of his jaw with her fingertips. “We talked about that. Remember? You didn’t want me to have unrealistic expectations. I understand. I do.”

  “Yes, but maybe things have changed. Maybe I want more. I know it hasn’t been long, but you’ve made me look at my life in a whole different way.” He closed his eyes. “For the first time since that IED exploded, I feel like I might be able to build a future for myself.”

  She kissed the side of his neck. “You can do anything you want, Sam. Your left arm might still need some work, but your brain still functions. The whole world is open to you.”

  “Yeah, right.” He snorted. “I just have to figure out my place in it now.” He ran his fingers lightly up and down her side. “But that’s not what I meant. I’m talking about us. Am I getting my hopes up when I think we might have more than just great sex going for us? Like I said, I’ve never done this before, so I can’t read the signals. Am I just hanging onto you because you’re here? Because you’re helping me get better? What?”

  She took so long to answer that a bad feeling began to grow inside him.

  “No,” she said at last. “You’re not wrong. There is something more here.”

  “Good to know.” Relief swept over him. “I mean, I know I’ve still got a long ways to go, but I’m sure hoping you’ll be making the trip with me.”

  “Baby steps, okay?” she said. “Just so we don’t make any mistakes. And so we can be sure it’s not just because I’m helping you heal here.”

  “It’s not that.” He put as much strength into the answer as he could. “I may not know much about relationships, but I do know that.

  “Fine. As long as we can take it slow. Three weeks is not a long time, you know.”

  “I do. But the leader of our SEAL team told us he met his wife on a leave, married her after less than a month, and they’ve been together for fifteen years. And I know,” he said, when she opened her mouth to speak. “That’s out of the ordinary, but it does happen. And no”— he touched his fingertip to her mouth—“I’m not saying we need to jump into something right away, But I’d like to think this is some kind of something, since it’s the first something that’s made me feel good in a long time.” Then he burst out laughing. “Sorry, I’m not sure that came out quite right.”

  She grinned. “It came out just fine. How about we just say let’s see whe
re this goes and take it from there.”

  He winked, something else he hadn’t done much of lately. “I’d say that’s just about perfect.”

  “Good. That’s good.” Then her face sobered and she got a panicked look in her eyes.

  “What?” A tiny thread of panic wriggled its way through him and lodged in his stomach. “What’s wrong?”

  She pushed herself up to a sitting position, catching her lower lip between her teeth.

  “Cassie, as a SEAL I learned to develop all my hidden senses and to be able to tell when there was some kind of trouble on the horizon. I can spot tangoes in the blackest of nights, and I know fifteen different ways to kill a man.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “Even with a broken wing. So, seriously, I’ve sensed something’s got you all tied up in knots since the day we met. How about telling your own personal bodyguard what it is?”

  She looked down at her hands, which were plucking nervously at the sheet.

  “First of all, this could be dangerous.”

  He chuckled. “Honey, danger is my middle name. I’m a SEAL, remember?”

  “Former SEAL,” she corrected, “although I hate that term.”

  “Once a SEAL, always a SEAL. And, thanks to you, both my arm and my head are in much better shape. So let’s have it.”

  She swallowed, as if she had a bitter pull of some kind in her mouth. “You’re going to think I’m as stupid as my friends do.”

  “Hey, hey, hey!” He tilted her face up and looked staight into her eyes. “If anyone thinks you’re stupid, they aren’t your friend. So let’s have it.”

  Cassie inhaled a deep breath, let it out slowly, and launched into her story. Even to her own ears she sounded like an idiot, being mesmerized by Patrick’s charm and solicitousness and the exciting things they did together. She hated telling him how she’d ignored her friends’ warnings, but when she got to the part about the conversation she overheard, she saw the muscles in his face tighten.

  “See?” she cried. “You do think I’m an idiot.”

  “No.” He spit out the word. “Far from it. I’ve met guys like that asshole. They have no respect for anyone but themselves, but they’re very good at baiting the hook and reeling people in. They can be so charming, you’d never think of them doing anything like this. You sure he has no idea where you are?”

  “As sure as I can be. Like I told you, I’ve been using only cash. I had a good cushion with the money I withdrew when I thought we were going to Vegas. And I was lucky to fall into this job, so I have a steady income.”

  “What about the cottage? Is it in your name? Can he trace it through county records?”

  She shook her head. “It’s still in my aunt’s name. She was my mother’s sister, so the last name is different. She had no other relatives, and her will consisted of a letter to a friend of hers who is an attorney. He said since there was only one heir there was no need to probate an estate this small.”

  “What about real estate taxes?” Sam prodded.

  “Following her instructions, the attorney paid them out of the small amount of cash Aunt Jennie had.” Nausea bubbled up in her throat. “Thank god for that. They aren’t due yet for another month. I hope Patrick has forgotten all about me by then.”

  “What about your license?” he asked. “Didn’t you have to switch it to the Maine registry in order to get your job?”

  She nodded. But I did it a little more than two weeks after I got here. I’ve been praying he’d done all that kind of checking before that.”

  “I’d say if he didn’t locate you right away, then I’d say you’re correct in that.”

  “I haven’t gotten any traffic tickets,” she added, “so if he’s digging around for police reports there’s no record of my car anywhere. Besides, wouldn’t he have to have some kind of access to those records?”

  Sam shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. In small towns they usually print that stuff in the local newspaper.”

  “Then thank the lord I’ve been squeaky clean in that area. And I’ve got a few months before I have to renew the plates.”

  “I’d say you covered all your bases. That makes you pretty damn smart, especially the way you had to just disappear without any warning or time to plan at all.”

  He, in fact, was amazed that she’d been able to do this in such a short time . Most of the women he knew would have melted into a puddle and ended up putting themselves in even bigger danger. Yet she not only created a somewhat plausible story, she made herself disappear off the radar. He definitely was not letting her go. He might not be the prize package most women were looking for, but he was going to hang onto her if she’d let him. He could hardly believe that less than a month ago he’d thought his life was in the crapper and now? He might actually have a future, if he didn’t do anything to fuck it up.

  He put his arm around her and tugged her against him.

  “We need to approach this like a mission,” he said. “The first thing to do is gather as much information as we can.”

  “And just how do we do that? Call up Drug-Dealers-R-Us and ask if he’s a member?”

  Sam burst out laughing. In the midst of it all, she hadn’t lost her sense of humor. Yes, he was definitely hanging onto this one.

  “I guess we could try that. However…” He thought for a minute. Scooter! Of course. He had contacts everywhere. “I think a better idea is to call my friend Scooter who, it so happens, has a cousin who is with the DEA. The Drug Enforcement Agency. And if Scooter vouches for him, we can trust him.”

  “Okay.” She heaved a sigh and cuddled against him. “It’s better than hiding and hoping he never finds me. I trust you, so I trust your friend.” She paused. “One other thing. We haven’t discussed this, but I know you check it out when you run in the morning. There’s something weird about that old lobster boat.”

  “Yes, there is, although it may just be an old man running at a different time. But you stay out of it. Let me do some nosing around while you’re at work tomorrow.”

  “Ask Margie,” she suggested. “She and Bruce know everything.”

  “Okay, but I don’t want to discuss it at the bakery where anyone can hear us.”

  “We’ll figure it out in the morning.”

  “Good idea. Right now it’s time to get some sleep.”

  But even as he lay there with her in his arms, the soft even sound of her breathing like music to him, he knew it would take more than a couple of phone calls to resolve this situation.

  Chapter 7

  Cassie filled everyone’s mug with coffee, emptying the pot, and put a fresh one on to brew. One of these days she’d have to get a single-serving machine like she and Maxine had had in Boston. They were all seated around the small kitchen table, a platter of fresh baked goods in the middle, courtesy of Margie who insisted they’d need brain food, and this was her version.

  She was aware that two days ago, Sam had called Scooter Winslow at Naval Air Base in Little Neck, Virginia, where the team was currently training between missions. He had explained Cassie’s situation and asked if Scooter could check with his cousin in the DEA. Scooter said he;d get back to him ASAP. At seven the next morning, Sam and Cassie had been awakened by a deafening noise on the road outside the cabin.

  “Holy shit.” Sam stood at the window, staring out.

  “What is it?” Cassie scrambled out of bed to see what he was looking at. A helicopter with its blades still turning was sitting in the middle of the road. A tall, red-headed man in jeans and a leather jacket was waving at the pilot as he headed for their front door.

  Sam turned toward her, grinning. “Better put some clothes on, babe. It seems Scooter decided to deliver his information in person. And ASAP turns out to be in person ferried up here by a chopper.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope. Come on. Put a hustle in your bustle. I’ll let him in and get coffee started,”

  As she headed for the bathroom, she noticed Sam had already pulled on jeans and
a sweatshirt and shoved his feet into a pair of running shoes. She wished she had time to slap on a little makeup, but the best she could do was wash her face, brush her teeth, and yank her hair into a ponytail. Jeans and a sweatshirt, and she was ready.

  Scooter and Sam were sitting at the kitchen table when she walked in, and the tall redhead pulled her into his arms for a hug.

  “I hear you’re humanizing our warrior here,” he teased.

  “Doing my best,” she told him.

  He was lean and muscular, just like Sam, with the same attitude of self-confidence that he could handle any crisis no matter what it was. Whatever he had come here to tell them, she was sure it would be taken care of.

  Now they sat with coffee and pastry, waiting to hear whatever information Scooter’s cousin had given him that prompted the early morning helicopter ride. As she listened to the SEAL, Cassie marveled again at how little you could know about someone and how easily she’d been fooled about Patrick.

  Sam studied his former teammate. “I’m guessing since you hitched an early morning ride up here that what you found out isn’t what we want to hear.”

  “Not even close. I spoke with my cousin, Al Fournette, at the DEA. He says yes, Patrick Shore is definitely on the agency radar. Has been for a while. They’ve been slowly building a case against him, but the fucker is clever and covers his tracks well.”

  “But I heard him—” Cassie began.

  Scooter held up his hand. “He and his partners have flown pretty much under the radar. They plan well and pay people off with enough money to grease the skids. The DEA has been trying to get proof on them for some time, but they’re slippery little bastards. Smart, and sharp and with enough money to hire whoever to cover their tracks. My cousin says the three men running the operation are top-of-the-line businessmen with big brains and no conscience.”