Special Ops Exclusive

chapter 14



Rebecca launched herself at Nick the second he strode into the motel room. Their chests collided with a loud thump, and her panicked brain registered the sound of husky laughter and crinkling plastic.

Nick had barely been gone two hours, but she felt like she’d been waiting for an eternity.

She pulled back and searched his face, which revealed nothing. “What happened? Are you all right? Did you take care of the mercenaries? Was it—”

“How about one question at a time?” he cut in with a grin.

“Sorry. I was just worried.”

“No need for that, Red. I’m perfectly fine.”

“And the mercenaries?”

“Taken care of,” was all he said.

“I see,” she said warily.

“Oh, don’t give me that look. I told you exactly what I planned on doing, Rebecca. It was necessary.”

She released a sigh. “I know. Kill or be killed, right?”

Nick blinked in surprise. “And you’re okay with that?”

“I have to be.” Her jaw tightened. “Those men killed Jesse and Dave, and one of them probably slipped Harry some kind of drug that stopped his heart.” She frowned. “I should really get my hands on Harry’s tox screens. Shoot. I bet the hospital didn’t even run any if Mr. X had anything to say about it.”

Nick shrugged his holster off, then held out a brown paper bag she hadn’t noticed him holding until now.

“What’s that?” she asked suspiciously. “One of the soldier’s heads?”

He burst out laughing. “This isn’t the medieval times, darling. Jeez. I stopped at an all-hours deli and grabbed us some sandwiches. I know how much you hate those MREs, and I was worried that if I didn’t put something tasty in your belly, you’d starve.”

Warmth trickled through her. He’d actually stopped to buy her food? At four-thirty in the morning? God, this man was too thoughtful for words.

As if on cue, her stomach grumbled, officially betraying the fact that she had indeed forgone that MRE.

Rolling his eyes, Nick reached into the bag and said, “Ham, turkey or tuna?”

“Turkey,” she said, holding out her hand.

He slapped a foil-wrapped sandwich in her palm.

Rebecca sank on the edge of the second twin bed and hurriedly unwrapped the food, then brought the sandwich to her mouth and took a big bite. The flavors instantly suffused her taste buds—lettuce, tomato, honey mustard, mayo. She chewed fast and swallowed faster, enjoying the first yummy meal she’d eaten in days.

On the other bed, Nick tackled his own sandwich. He finished it in no more than five or six bites, making Rebecca grin even as she chewed on a mouthful of turkey.

Nick stood up and grabbed two bottles of water, chugged one and handed her the other. She accepted it gratefully and took a long sip.

“I’m going to take a quick shower,” he told her.

“Go for it.”

He bent down and grabbed a fresh shirt, boxers and a pair of pants from his duffel bag, and he’d nearly made it to the bathroom door when Rebecca noticed the white first aid kit he’d tried tucking inside the pile of clothes.

“Stop right there, Nicholas!”

He glanced over, his lips twitching. “Did you really just call me that?”

Scowling, she hopped off the bed and marched up to him. “Did you really think you could hide the fact that you’re injured?”

“I’m not injured,” he protested.

“Yeah, right.” Her gaze swept over him, up and down and side to side. She gasped when she noticed the wet spot on his shirt right over his left shoulder and the flash of red skin where the material had been torn away.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake! Take off your shirt.”

He looked extremely reluctant, but he must have seen the flames of anger in her eyes because he peeled off his long-sleeved black shirt without a word.

Rebecca paled when she saw the nasty red burn mark on his shoulder.

“Just a graze,” he said gruffly. “It’s no biggie.”

She grumbled under her breath. “Why do men always have to act all macho?” She pointed to the bed. “Sit. Let me clean this up.”

“Let me take that shower first.”

“No. Because once you’re in the bathroom, you’ll lock the door and try to patch yourself up alone.”

His tiny shrug told her she’d hit the mark.

“Fine, you want a shower so badly? I’ll sit there until you’re done.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yep.”

She grabbed hold of his uninjured arm and ushered him into the washroom. His tall, muscular body dominated the small space, and when she looked at their reflections in the mirror, she almost laughed at the difference in their sizes.

“Well?” She flopped down on the closed toilet seat and pointed to the shower stall. “Get in.”

Heat flared in his brown eyes. “And what, you’re going to sit there and watch?”

She lifted a defiant brow. “Sure am. Got a problem with that?”

“Nope.”

He unzipped his pants and let them drop to the tiled floor.

His boxer briefs were next, and Rebecca sucked in a breath when his erection sprang up and bobbed against his navel.

He was incredible. So hard, so male, so virile.

He spun around to turn on the water, providing her with the most mouthwatering view of his spectacular ass. She went on sensory overload, unable to focus on any one detail for too long. Golden skin, roped muscles, heavy chest, muscular legs.

Nick Barrett was the sexiest man on the planet.

Rebecca was suddenly hungry again. God, she wanted him. Wanted to feel his hot mouth on hers. His rough hands on her breasts. His male hardness filling her.

“What are you waiting for?” Nick said mockingly, tossing her a knowing look over his shoulder.

He stepped into the shower stall, but didn’t close the pink plastic curtain. Instead, he just stood there, his eyes locked with hers as water streamed down his naked body and clung to the defined ridges of his chest.

Rebecca knew she was supposed to be doing something important. What was it again? Um...letting him take a quick rinse so she could bandage up his shoulder. Right. That was it.

So why was she unbuttoning her jeans?

While her gaze stayed glued to Nick’s naked, soaking-wet body, her hands continued to do their own thing. Taking her jeans off. Pulling her shirt over her head. Unsnapping her bra. Wiggling out of her panties.

Throughout her striptease, Nick watched in silence, the fire in his eyes burning hotter and hotter as each piece of clothing exposed a new body part.

“Get in here,” he growled.

He didn’t have to ask her twice. Rebecca slid into the stall and into his arms, tipping her head to welcome his blistering kiss. Their tongues tangled, breaths mingled with the steam that was beginning to fill the stall.

As the hot water rushed over their heads, their bodies became slick, plastering to each other as Nick brought her flush up against him and cupped her bottom. The position caused his erection to slide over her mound, bringing a moan to her lips.

Everything about this man drove her wild with desire. The bad boys she’d dated in the past didn’t even compare to Nick Barrett—she’d thought those lovers were passionate, but she’d been wrong.

This was passion. Nick’s heavy-lidded eyes. His features, taut with arousal. His deft fingers and talented tongue teasing her lips and breasts.

“Oh, that’s good,” she whimpered when he rolled her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, getting them stiff, making them tingle.

Rebecca’s head lolled to the side, the pleasure so intense she could barely stay upright. Her breasts had always been particularly sensitive, and it thrilled her that Nick enjoyed focusing so much of his attention on them.

“You like that, huh?” he rasped, his warm breath heating her lips as he bent down to kiss her again.

He squeezed her breasts, sweeping his thumbs over those puckered buds until she was moaning in impatience.

“What is it? What do you need, darling?” he said roughly.

“Your mouth,” she squeezed out.

He gave her what she wanted without delay, dipping his head and capturing one nipple between his lips.

A jolt of hot pleasure seized her core.

Nick licked the distended nipple, then suckled gently. His tongue teased and explored, summoning moan after moan from her deep in her throat.

It wasn’t long before she was shifting in agitation, desperate for more. She reached between their bodies and encircled his shaft, giving it a long, languid pump.

Nick’s groan vibrated against her breasts. “Oh, that’s good, darling. Tease me a little.”

As she stroked him lazily, he brought one hand to the juncture of her thighs and did some teasing of his own. Rebecca’s entire body hummed with pleasure as he stroked her hypersensitive folds, teasing that swollen bud. When he slid one long finger inside her, she gasped with delight and rocked into his hand, all the while quickening the tempo with which she stroked him.

“I need to be in you,” he muttered, backing her into the wall.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, opening herself up to him, waiting for him to plunge inside. But he didn’t. Instead, he made a frustrated sound and met her eyes. “No condom.”

“I’m clean and on the pill.” She blushed. Sometimes sex was so darn awkward, yet she still had to ask, “Have you been tested?”

“I’m clean, too. Do you... Are you sure I should...”

His awkwardness was adorable, and for some weird reason, it succeeded in turning her on again. He was such a good guy. So very thoughtful all the time. Which made the times when he lost control so much more satisfying.

Like now, as he drove into her and filled her to the hilt, his hips moving fast and furious. A thrill shot through her, followed by a rush of excitement as he pounded into her in a relentless rhythm that made her breathing go shallow.

She watched Nick’s face through the haze of steam, loving the way his amber-colored eyes slitted with passion, the way the tendons in his neck strained, the way he muttered her name under his breath.

His mouth found hers again, his tongue sliding in with one greedy thrust and stealing the breath from her lungs. She clung to his strong shoulders, dug her heels into his firm buttocks and closed her eyes as a rush of pleasure consumed her body and sent her mind soaring. She felt Nick tense, heard him groan and knew he’d reached that same explosive pinnacle.

With a groan, he slipped out, then eased aside so she could duck under the spray, which had gone lukewarm. They quickly washed up before the water turned freezing, and then Nick shut off the water and pulled back the curtain.

Rebecca stepped out of the shower first, turning to shoot him a sheepish look. “FYI, when I followed you in here, that wasn’t a seduction attempt either. I really wanted to take care of that wound.”

“Sure. You keep saying that, but I don’t think I believe you anymore.” He slanted his head thoughtfully. “I think you’re in seduction mode 24/7, Red.”

“Well, it would be a lot easier to snap out of it if you weren’t so darn tempting,” she grumbled.

“You want to talk tempting?” He gestured to her naked body. “Because I’m pretty sure you’re the most tempting woman on the planet.”

She offered an impish smile. “I’m sorry?”

Nick offered a grave look in return. “Never apologize for your hotness. Ever.”

Rebecca laughed, then grabbed two towels from the rack and handed Nick one. They dried off in silence, and the air in the bathroom went from comfortable to uneasy, echoing with questions that neither of them voiced.

What are we doing here? she wanted to ask. Where will it lead?

Nick had insisted he didn’t do casual, and yet he’d stopped putting up resistance a long time ago. He’d pretty much commanded her to get into the shower with him just now, which told her he wasn’t trying to keep her at arm’s length anymore.

But where was his head at? She wished he would be more forthcoming about the way he felt, about what he wanted from this, but it was clear that Nick Barrett, as sweet and gentlemanly as he was, did not like discussing his feelings.

On the other hand, maybe that was a good thing. Because she had the sinking suspicion that if she asked him about the future, she wouldn’t like what he had to say.

So rather than force a serious discussion—at five in the morning to boot—she stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips over his in a casual little kiss. “Come on, Watson. Let’s bandage up this ‘graze’ of yours and get some much-needed sleep.”

* * *

“We’ve got a problem. A very big problem.”

What else was new?

With a sigh, he rose from his desk chair and walked over to the redbrick fireplace across the room. It was six in the morning, but he hadn’t been in bed. After another night of elusive sleep, he’d finally given up and gone into his study with a tumbler of whiskey and a pack of cigarettes that his wife, God bless her soul, would have been horrified to see. She’d forced him to quit years ago, insisting she wanted him to live a long, healthy life.

How ironic that he, the one who’d been smoking for twenty years, was still alive while the love of his life was buried under six feet of dirt in a New York cemetery.

And now he had to listen to Carraway inform him of yet another problem. Another mess he’d no doubt be forced to clean up.

“What is it?” He could barely muster up interest; it was too early in the morning to dwell on how out of control this situation had gotten.

“Six of my men are dead. Barrett took them out.”

Shock slackened his jaw. “Are you sure it was him?”

“Positive, sir. He passed along a message to one of the soldiers he left alive. He wanted us to know that he’ll kill any hit squad we dispatch to take him out.” Carraway paused. “And he had a specific message for you.”

“What is it?” he said warily.

Carraway sounded awkward. “For you to stop being a coward. If you want him, stop sending soldiers and come after him yourself.”

His lips curled in a sneer. Coward? Who did that young punk think he was, accusing him of cowardice?

Would a coward have put his neck on the line for the sake of his country?

No, he didn’t think so.

“So what’s the order, sir? Do you want me to assemble another team?”

He mulled it over. “You might as well. Maybe the next crew will have better luck.”

“Or maybe they’ll die at Barrett’s hands, too,” was the bitter reply.

“Find better men.”

“This crew was my best.”

“This crew was garbage,” he snapped. “Otherwise they’d have taken care of our little problem. So hire some soldiers who are more skilled, and get the job done.”

He hung up without a word, angrily slamming the phone on the fireplace mantel. It required several deep breaths to ease the volatile emotions swirling in his gut.

Setting down his tumbler, he headed for the desk and peered at his calendar. Thursday’s entry caught his eye, inspiring a nod of satisfaction. Good. McAvoy would be back from Beijing. His gaze shifted to the following day where the words Veterans Gala were penciled in.

Christ, the last thing he was in the mood for was a highly publicized event.

He shoved the annoying reminder aside and glanced at McAvoy’s name again.

It might be time. As unhappy as the idea made him, he knew they’d officially reached a critical point here.

It was time to start distancing himself from this Meridian virus fiasco. Time to transfer the burden of blame onto someone else’s shoulders.

Time to save himself.

* * *

Nick woke up to the feel of a warm, wet mouth encircling his shaft.

As wicked reality settled in, he nearly jerked three feet in the air, eliciting a soft laugh from the woman who’d decided to bestow him with a wake-up call never to be forgotten.

“What are you doing?” he croaked, even as his hips lifted and his arousal sought out that incredible mouth again.

“Seducing you.” Her soft laughter tickled his engorged head. “Officially.”

Then she took him deep in her mouth and sucked.

A wild groan burst out of his chest. She was trying to kill him.

Well, then you’ll die happy. Now, shut up and enjoy this.

He decided to listen to that impatient voice. Closing his eyes, he thrust his hands in Rebecca’s hair, loving the way those silky red strands slipped through his fingers.

Her enthusiasm was a major turn-on. She took the time to discover what he liked, though in all honesty, he couldn’t imagine her doing anything he didn’t like.

With featherlight licks, she dragged her tongue along the length of him and teased his tip, making him groan again. Then she brought her hand into play, wrapping it around his base and stroking firmly. She created a steady tempo with her hand and mouth, driving him to a level of arousal that had him clawing at the sheets.

When his body started tingling, an indication that he was perilously close to losing control, he shoved a hand in her hair again and stilled her eager movements.

Rebecca lifted her head and gave him a questioning look. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. But it’s my turn.”

“What are you—”

He flipped her over before she could finish, bringing a startled squeak to her lips. He swallowed that adorable sound with his kiss, then pulled back and met her pleasure-hazy eyes.

“Mind if I do a little seducing of my own?” he murmured.

“Not at all,” she said breathlessly.

“Good, because I’ve been dying to have my way with you since the moment we met.”

And he proceeded to do just that. He kissed every inch of her hot, silky flesh. Nuzzled her neck, sucked on her ear. Her soft whimpers and husky moans told him exactly what she liked and he paid attention to the signs her body gave him—the way her nipples went impossibly harder when he flicked them sharply with his tongue. The shiver that rolled through her when he kissed that sensitive spot right above her hip bone. The way she shuddered when his fingers grazed her warm mound.

He inched his way south, and when his mouth found her core, she cried out in delight.

As a spark of male satisfaction lit his gut, he focused on pleasing her. He licked her, slowly, lovingly, enjoying the way she sighed, the way she murmured his name. Her hips began to move and he followed her rhythm, bringing her closer and closer to the edge, refusing to stop until she toppled right over it.

“Nick.” She said his name on a groan and clawed at his shoulders, urging. “I need more. I need you.”

She didn’t have to ask him twice. He swiftly covered her petite body, no longer fearful that he was crushing her. Whenever he tried to give her room to breathe, to raise himself over her on his forearms, she always pulled him down so that her breasts were crushed against his chest and held him in place. Truth was, he absolutely loved the way her body constantly strained to get closer to his.

And he loved the feeling of sheer completion that overtook him when he pushed into her welcoming heat. As usual, the need to take her hard and fast was ever present, but he forced himself to slow the pace and make it last.

“Oh, that’s nice,” Rebecca whispered as he began to move in slow, deep strokes.

“Very nice,” he said hoarsely.

The mattress squeaked as they moved together, neither one of them racing to reach that finish line. Nick cradled Rebecca’s head with his hands and kissed her deeply, his tongue matching the movements of his cock.

When release finally seized his body, it wasn’t so much an explosion as little sparks of heat that danced through his nerve endings and shivered along every inch of his flesh. He knew Rebecca was feeling that same rush of bliss because her eyes had glazed over and she was rocking her hips with abandon.

Eventually they both went still, and a comfortable silence fell over the room. Nick rolled onto his back and twisted his head to look at her while a feeling of pure and utter content washed over him.

“Wanna go back to sleep?” he suggested.

“Kinda.” She laughed. “Is that too decadent of us?”

“Well, McAvoy isn’t back until tomorrow. What else are we going to do until then?”

She wiggled her eyebrows in an overly lewd way that made him smile. “How about more of what we did just now?”

“Well, duh, Rebecca. Of course we’ll be doing that.”

“A lot?”

“A lot,” he confirmed. “In fact, we should definitely go to sleep. That way I can be the one giving you the wake-up surprise this time.”

“Deal.” She abruptly slid off the bed. “Gotta pee. BRB.”

A laugh tickled his throat. Lord, he liked this woman. She was so full of life, so fun and sassy and entertaining—yet at the same time, focused and intelligent. It was an odd combination, but he liked it.

What he wasn’t crazy about was the way his heart skipped a beat when Rebecca stepped out of the bathroom, or how his pulse sped up when she hopped back into bed and cuddled against him like it was something they’d been doing for years. Cuddling, having sex, laughing together.

Not that there was anything wrong with any of those things. He liked doing them with her, but...

But what? the voice in his head mocked.

After a moment, he gave up on trying to finish the rest of that thought. It was too early in the morning to be thinking about stuff like this.

Which was why he promptly rolled over again, spooned behind Rebecca and went back to sleep.

* * *

Nick wasn’t kidding—three hours later, Rebecca was coaxed out of slumber by the feel of his tongue between her legs, which led to another round of incredible sex that left them both breathless. Afterward, they devoured the two remaining sandwiches that Nick had stashed in the fridge the night before, then returned to bed.

“I can’t remember the last time I was this lazy,” she confessed as she idly dragged a finger over Nick’s bare chest.

“Me neither,” he said in a contented voice. “I think I like it.”

“I don’t know. It feels wrong. I feel like we should be investigating, following up on a lead, looking for a clue. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah. But our only lead is still out of town. McAvoy’s the one who dealt with Waverly, and chances are, he’s Mr. X.”

“And if he is?” she asked carefully. “You’re not going to go all Rambo again and kill him, are you?”

Nick’s pecs vibrated with his laughter, tickling her ear. “Relax, I’m not pulling a Rambo again. I promised my dad we’d handle the fallout properly, remember? McAvoy will be going to jail, not the grave.”

“Good, because it would be better for my career if he was alive,” she teased. “That way I can score an exclusive with the good old dep sec def.”

She could swear Nick’s abdomen tensed, but when she ran her fingers over his tight six-pack, his muscles were relaxed.

“I don’t know how you have the stomach to interview people like that,” he admitted. “I remember that segment you ran last year about America’s child predators. I wanted to throw up listening to some of those sick bastards.”

“Me, too,” she said frankly. “Believe me, being in all those prison visitation rooms and hearing those men try to excuse their crimes was pure torture. Jesse almost had to pull me off one of them. I was two seconds from strangling the life out of him after he made an appalling comment about redheaded girls.”

Now Nick definitely stiffened. “I probably would have killed the son of a bitch.” He paused, hesitated. “Yet you still put yourself through that. Why?”

“People needed to be aware that predators like that existed. Sometimes when I run with a story, it’s to shed light on an injustice, or to inspire others to act, or change, or contribute.” She shrugged. “Other times, I just want to warn citizens that there are some messed-up people in this world. Those prisoners probably thought they were getting to defend their actions, but that’s not why I put them on the air. I wanted to warn parents that predators are everywhere—in the playground, in schools, in grocery stores. And I wanted those parents to take better precautions when it came to their kids.”

Nick dragged his hand over her bare back in a fleeting caress. “Do you want kids of your own?” he asked, curious.

“Definitely.” She propped herself up on her elbow. “A boy and a girl.”

He grinned. “Have it all planned out, huh?”

“Yep. I love kids.” She grinned back. “I think I’d be a really fun mom.”

“Will you quit your job once you have kids?”

She wrinkled her brow. “Of course not.”

“So you plan on taking off and leaving your children at home with your husband or a nanny when you’re on assignment?”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Taking off? It’s not like I’m gone for years at a time. Other parents travel a lot more for their jobs. I’m gone for only a few days usually. Sometimes a few months, but only if I’m covering a war zone or something huge. I plan on being there for my children, don’t you worry.”

When he grew silent, she studied his troubled expression and smiled again. “By the way, I think you’d be a good father.”

That grave look in his eyes faded. “A good one. Not a fun one?” he teased.

“No, you’ll be fun, too, when you’re not in father-hen mode.”

Not that she was complaining about that particular quality of his. She was actually beginning to enjoy the way he fussed over her and how attuned he was to her needs. Bringing her sandwiches because he knew she hated those prepackaged meals. Surprising her with a pen and notebook he’d swiped from the deli—he’d stolen them right off the counter just so she’d be able to jot down her thoughts. Nick Barrett, committing theft to make her happy.

She’d never been with anyone like him, and she had to admit, she was finding her time with Nick a lot more rewarding than all her past relationships combined.

“What was your father like when you were growing up?” she asked, suddenly curious to learn more about the man in her bed. “Was he fun?”

“Not really. He was strict. Very big on rules, and right and wrong, and taking responsibility for your actions. It’s a military thing—he came from a long line of army generals. The drill-sergeant attitude is in his DNA.”

“And your mom?”

“She followed my dad’s lead when it came to discipline,” Nick replied, absently running his fingers through her hair.

“Did she work?”

“Nah, she stayed home and took care of me and Viv. She was really into the domestic stuff—cooking and gardening and doing these dorky crafts. She’d always sucker me into helping her, too. My friends would be out riding their bikes and I’d be helping my mom paint a bird feeder, or making a collage out of found items in the woods behind our house.”

Rebecca snickered. “I think you loved every second of it.”

After a beat, he sighed. “You’re right. I did. My mom was just so easy to be around, whereas my dad was so stern and composed, you know? She was like a ray of sunshine that lit up our house.”

Hearing the pain in his voice, Rebecca stroked his chest in a soothing motion. “When did she die?”

“When I was fifteen, and my sister was seventeen. My dad never really got over it. He hasn’t dated another woman in the thirteen years since Mom died. Whenever Viv and I bug him about it, he says he’s not ready. Sometimes I wonder if he ever will be.”

“He must have really loved her.”

“He did. They had the kind of marriage you see in those cheesy family sitcoms. So in love, decades later.”

And that was what Nick wanted—Rebecca suddenly knew it without a shred of doubt. Nick aspired for what his parents had shared. That everlasting love, the sunny housewife who spent time at home with her kids while her husband brought home the bacon.

Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach as she realized something else. She could never be the docile housewife that Nick wanted. She craved excitement, adventure, new experiences. Her genetic makeup didn’t allow her to sit idle. She didn’t want to experience the world looking out the window of her kitchen while she slid a fresh tray of cookies into the oven—she’d never wanted that.

But Nick did.

Question was, what did that mean for them?

Or better yet, what did she want it to mean? Did she want a future with this man?

Yes.

The answer breached her consciousness so swiftly she didn’t know why she’d bothered asking herself the question.

She totally wanted to be with Nick Barrett. She was more than ready to say goodbye to the bad boys of the past and focus on the good guy in her future.

Now she simply had to convince him they could have one.