Blind Ambition (17 page)

Alexa hooked her ankles around his hips, pulling him against her body with a lusty moan as she caressed his back. “Dan…”

The sound of his name on her lips whipped a shot of satisfaction through his blood. This was how he remembered her. Hot and passionate and willing. From full stop to full throttle in half a breath.

He was the same, already hard and aching to fill her. “Yeah, baby?” he whispered, rising up to kiss her mouth again. “What do you want?” He was pretty sure he knew and he stroked his palms down her sides in anticipation.

“Lower,” she murmured against his lips, caressing his buttocks and driving him wild.

Heat zinged through him at her request, and he grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.” He gave her one last, thorough kiss and started a path down her body, pressing her back onto the mattress.

How many times had he dreamed of being with her again, exactly like this? Too many to count.

She smelled like soap and the sea and Lys, and he took a deep breath as emotion swamped him. Jesus, he was in so far over his head with this woman. And he suddenly knew without a doubt that watching her walk away a second time was going to destroy him.

But he was half destroyed already, so he might as well enjoy the death spiral.

He rode a hard edge as he yanked her jeans and panties to the floor, spread her legs, and propped her feet on his shoulders. He gave her no quarter, no playing around, before he put his mouth where they both wanted it. And licked.

She gasped and jerked, raising her arms above her head to clutch the bedspread. Her hips undulated beneath him and he gripped her thighs, holding her down as he played, intoxicated by her familiar scent and taste.

He hummed against her skin and she sucked in a breath, her hands moving to grasp his head.

“
Dan
,” she pleaded.

“Mmm hmmm.” He released her hips, freeing his hands to roam up to her breasts. Then down her silky stomach. Then around her hips. Then along her inner thighs.

A yearning, pleading kind of moan escaped her lips on a long breath.

He’d been waiting for it. Concentrating his tongue on the magic spot that made her writhe, he slid his fingers into her hot core.

Her breath came harder and faster and she trembled from head to toe.

He kept his eyes open so he wouldn’t miss a minute of the show. A few more strokes and she arched off the bed and froze, no longer breathing.
So close.

And then she broke, crashing back to the bed with a shuddering cry as he slowed his pace and eased her down with gentle caresses.

He’d never seen a more beautiful sight, and thank God she was still lost in her orgasm because he didn’t want her to see the tears in his eyes. Fucking
tears.
Christ.

Reaching with his foot, he snagged his duffle bag and pulled it toward him. He crouched down and placed a kiss on Alexa’s inner thigh, then found his toiletry kit and grabbed a condom. He hadn’t been expecting to use any on this trip, but he was always prepared.

He stood and set the small package on the bedspread and toed off his shoes with an urgency that made him clumsy.

Alexa sat up with a gleam in her eye, her face flushed and damp. “Need some help, airman?”

“I wouldn’t turn it down.” He smiled and kissed her, unable to resist.

She removed his belt and slid her warm fingers into his waistband to undo the button, brushing his erection. His heart jackhammered and he gripped the back of her neck, bringing her in for another kiss as she relieved him of his pants and skivvies, her soft hands caressing the length of him until he nearly lost his mind.

“Now, Lys,” he rasped, reaching for protection.

She got there first, ripping open the wrapper and tossing it aside before rolling on the condom with gentle fingers. He surged forward, placing one knee on the bed as she scooted toward the headboard and lay down.

She lifted her hips and he slid inside her, groaning at the feel of her soft, hot grip. He’d missed this so damn much. Missed
her
. Her scent, her soft skin, the little noises she made as he thrust deep.

Holding her tight, he rolled to his back. “Sit up,” he said, punctuating his words with a thorough kiss.

She obliged, straddling him, and he just lay there for a second, not moving, drinking in her beauty and this moment, connected in the most intimate way. Then he rose and swung his legs over the side of the bed, placing his feet on the platform.

Alexa threw her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his hips with a lusty smile. “I love this one.”

“I love any position where I’m inside you,” he said, his voice like gravel. He could live here, right here, for the rest of his life. He’d happily die here, intimately entwined with this fantastic woman.

Her lighthearted laughter—hell, everything about this moment—made his heart stammer. Bodies pressed close, he held her waist as he rolled his hips up, getting a deeper connection. She gasped and tightened her hold, kneading the muscles in his back as she gazed at him with those mesmerizing blue eyes.

He lost himself in her body as his own took charge and he drove into her over and over, never wanting to stop. He suckled at her breast, nipping and teasing until she cried out, her breath coming fast and hard as she crested her peak.

His own orgasm raced closer, like a freight train without brakes, slamming into him before he could slow it down. He tried to fight it, tried to hold onto the moment for a little longer, but he went flying over the edge, stars lighting behind his eyes as pleasure streaked along his limbs.

Wrapping Alexa in his arms, he hugged her close, reveling in the feel of her skin everywhere they touched.

Their mingled breaths slowed as they both cooled, but he wasn’t ready to let go. Didn’t ever want to let go.

Finally, Dan pulled away to look into her eyes. A jolt kicked his heart as their gazes locked. The truth gutted him, but he couldn’t deny it any longer.

Somehow he had to find a way to keep her this time.

Alexa was lost in Dan’s gaze, her body still humming from their lovemaking, still connected to him, still wrapped around him. Over time she’d convinced herself that the memories were better than the real thing.

Oh boy, had she been wrong.

She kissed him. “I don’t want to move.”

He grinned. “Not even like this?” He pumped his hips once.

Closing her eyes, she focused on the sensations running through her body instead of his intense gaze. Something in his eyes made her heart flip over and she couldn’t bear it.

He lifted her hips as he slid from her body, and then lay back, pulling her down next to him. She snuggled against his chest, already bereft at the loss of him inside her. But he held her tight, stroking her hair, her arm, her hip. He knew her so well. Knew how to turn her on, how to send her to the stars, and how to ease her down without abandoning her cold and naked to an empty bed.

He was honorable and caring, and everything she could ever want. And she didn’t know how to explain to him why that made her feel so guilty. Why she couldn’t let herself get serious about him or any other man, no matter how fabulous.

Not when Despina had never experienced this kind of incredible connection. The ecstasy of a man’s loving touch. The joy of being held in a strong, loving embrace. All because Alexa had been infatuated with a boy in her English class.
My fault.

“Hey,” Dan said. He waited until she opened her eyes. “What just happened?”

Forcing a playful smile, she said, “We just had incredible sex. Did you miss it?”

He frowned at her intentional misunderstanding and tugged gently on her ponytail. “I miss it already.”

She swallowed hard and scooted to the edge of the bed until her feet found the platform. Dan rose to a seated position, the crease between his brows deepening as he watched her back away.

She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “I’m going to get cleaned up.” Another minute of his probing hazel-eyed gaze and she might do something foolish. “How long until your team arrives?” she asked, hoping to distract him.

He studied her for a several seconds, sending her pulse into overdrive before he sighed and covered his lap with the duvet, leaving his magnificent torso on display. After a quick glance at his watch, he said, “Less than an hour.”

“Okay.” She snagged her clothes from the floor, palmed her locket, and made a beeline to the head without looking back. Inside, she twisted her hair into a bun and turned on the shower, letting her tears mingle with the water as she soaped the scent of Dan and sex from her body.

For just a minute she pressed her palms to the slick wall and let herself imagine what it would be like to have him in her life permanently. To sleep with him every night and wake up next to him every morning. To share the joys and sorrows of each day with him. To love him freely without holding back. To start a family together…

Absolute heaven.

She pictured her sister as she’d found her during the assault, broken and crying in the basement of a stranger’s house while drunk teenagers partied in complete ignorance upstairs. All but the three responsible.

Alexa’s hands balled into fists. Imagining a life with Dan would only lead to heartbreak.

She washed her face, turned off the water, and toweled dry. Five minutes later she found him on deck, studying his maps again. “Is there anything we need to go over?” she asked.

He glanced up, his face blank. Gone was the passion, the desire—and maybe more—he’d shown her below decks. He rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath. “I’d like you to stay here when the guys and I return to St. Isidore.”

“Dan, no.”

“My original mission was to get you home safely,” he said, his voice hard. “Putting you within striking distance of SIR’s rebels again is the exact opposite of that.”

She understood, and she didn’t want to get in the way, but what if—God forbid—someone needed medical attention? What if Dan and his teammates decked out like soldiers scared the kids? “Your
new
mission is to rescue the children. That’s what I’m paying for.” She leaned forward and pleaded with her hands. “And I can help. There are eight of them and only three of you, right? Seems like you need all the hands you can get.”

“It’s too dangerous for you to be involved.” His face reddened in the glow from the helm light and his hand fisted at his side. “And I don’t want your goddamned money.”

“That’s not what you said earlier.”

“Yeah?” he asked, his voice rising with anger. “Well, that was before we fucked.”

Alexa inhaled sharply. Her body flushed, but her ire quickly cooled to sorrow.
I’m so sorry.
 

The sound of someone clearing his throat cut through the thick silence and she spun toward the dock. Two tall, solidly built men stood in a circle of lamplight wearing matching expressions of chagrin.

Heat rushed to her cheeks, but she held her chin high.

The light-skinned black man stepped onto the boat and gave them an exaggerated grin and a wave. “Hey, so, we’re here.” He was movie-star handsome with high cheekbones, a square jaw, and a strong chin. And he looked somehow familiar, though she was sure she’d never met him.

Dan regained his composure and moved from the deck onto the diving platform, then grabbed the man’s hand and did that back-slap-handshake thing guys did. “Jason. I should have known you’d be fashionably early.” Then he turned to the redhead, who jumped onboard, and he repeated the process before leading the two men up to the cockpit.

“Guys, Alexa.”

“Ma’am,” they said in unison.

Dan gestured to his teammates. “This is Jason Chin and Todd Brennan,” he said in a clipped voice as the men stepped forward in turn to shake her hand.

She suddenly felt very small and vulnerable, and very alone. Dan was freezing her out, rebuilding the emotional walls that had surrounded him when he first rescued her. His reaction was nothing less than she deserved, but it hurt anyway. And she’d find no refuge with his friends.

How could she have been so selfish? She had wanted comfort and sanctuary and one more night with him, but what had he wanted? More than she could give.

Still ruminating, she followed all three men to the helm, where Dan explained the situation and they reviewed maps of the compound where the children were being held, the airfield nearby, and the runway where they intended to land on the south side of the island. Apparently Jason knew the owner somehow and had secured his permission. Dan showed them egress routes and known guard positions, and fielded questions from the guys, his demeanor all business now.

Occasionally the other two men glanced her way, but she did her best to ignore their looks.

“Our chief concern is that they’ll move the kids before we get there,” Dan said.

Alexa crossed her arms, resting her right thumb against the locket tucked into her new bra. “Either to another camp, or just another building.”

All eyes turned her way, then Jason and Todd glanced at Dan for his reaction. “Yeah,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I never said this was going to be easy. A lot of it depends on how many rebels we have to deal with and how cooperative the children are.”

Which was why they needed her there.

“How are we going to get them to our plane?” Jason asked.

“Most of them are under age four, so we’ll have to carry them.”

She shook her head. “Which is why you need me to go with you. There’s no way can you each carry a wiggling, crying baby or toddler and keep them safe at the same time.”

Todd blanched. “She’s right.”

Dan’s jaw jumped. “No way. She’s the fucking client.” He looked at her for the first time in almost thirty minutes and her heart took a dive. “I’m not letting you anywhere near those pricks again.”

The anxiety and pain in his eyes almost convinced her to back down, but she couldn’t let his concern for her safety endanger Flore and the others. “You need me. Those children know me. If I’m there, they’ll cooperate. Who knows what they’ll do if you show up without me, looking all scary in your commando clothes and face paint?”