Cinderella Undercover (9 page)

First morning light shimmered off the water and sparkled in her eyes. Soft peach color tinted her cheeks. They were dirty, tired, and starving. But they were alive and together.

Jaron knelt in front of her. With a gentle touch, he trailed his finger over the satin skin of her calf. He lifted her foot and positioned her leg over his shoulder. Juices saturated her drenched folds. His hands trembled as he cupped her buttocks. Jaron kissed her flesh, tasting the essence of her arousal. She was his. Whether she wanted to admit her feelings or not, she couldn’t hide the truth. He burrowed his nose into her blonde strip of curls and breathed deeply.

Victoria sighed and relaxed her legs. Her thighs fell open, and Jaron speared his tongue between her hot folds. Wild spicy flavors exploded on his tongue. He delved into her cream, licking, sucking, and reveling in the exotic tastes.

Jaron made the moments count. Sailing to nowhere, they were stealing a few precious hours to reaffirm what he’d almost lost—what he’d been sure he’d never have again. He feasted like a starving man, curling his tongue around her swollen clit and nibbling until she bucked against his mouth.

Her head thrashed on the seat, eyes tightly closed. Her breathy pants told him she was close. Reaching an arm around each of her thighs, he yanked her to the edge of the seat. Then he spread her pussy open, rasping his tongue from rosette to clit.

“Jaron, please.”

“Talk to me.”

“Don’t want to talk, want to come.”

He chuckled and pleasured her clit with his tongue in quick, fluttering flicks. “Tell me I’m forgiven.”

Her eyes snapped open. She leaned up and stared hard at him. “Forgiven for what?”

“For leaving.” He slid two fingers into her channel, searching out the sweet spot to make her come apart. Quivering hot flesh tightened on his fingers.

Victoria cried out as violent spasms rocked her walls. “Just don’t leave me now.”

Jaron gripped her shoulders, lifted, and turned her around. Bending forward, she braced her hands on the seat. Jaron grasped his cock, lubricated the tip with her juices, and then thrust into her from behind.

She moaned as his cock banged against the top of her channel. Hot, wet heat surrounded his shaft in a vise-like grip. Each deep slide sent a rippling wave of pleasure into his sac. Terrifying intensity propelled his powerful movements, terrifying because of his primal and complete feelings for her.

Victoria straightened, bumping her back to his chest. Jaron wrapped his fingers around the front of her warm neck and opened his mouth over her pulse point, sucking, tasting the spicy dampness of sweat and woman.

“Right here, right now,” he whispered. “We leave the past behind.” His thrusts became less frenzied, building to a slow crescendo. “We forget everything but right now.”

“Jaron, we can’t.” She angled her head, giving him better access to kiss her neck. “We have too much history.” She bit into her bottom lip and whimpered. He pressed deep and gyrated his hips. “We both have scars.”

He agreed, but in his entire life, she’d been the only one he’d let close enough to see his. He dropped his palm from her neck, trailing his fingertips across her collarbone until he cupped her full, smooth breast. Her chest heaved as she drew in a breath. He curved his other arm around her hip, brushing his fingers against her curls, then lower. He reached between her legs where their bodies joined. Cream soaked his hand, and he touched his cock as he slid between her pussy lips, feeling them stretch to accommodate his girth.

She sobbed, breaking into shivering convulsions, and crumpled in his arms.

“Hold on, princess.” Sliding his middle finger between her folds, he grazed her clitoris. “We’ll come together.”

“Can’t stop,” she panted. “Oh god, I’m coming again. Yes! Together.” Her pelvis tilted, and she rose onto her tiptoes. She trembled for him.

Wet sounds of their slapping bodies matched the rhythm of his pounding heart. Faster, short strokes kept him inside of her. He circled her clit, keeping her upright with his arm, and held her close. His balls tightened. His mind numbed to everything but the incredible sensations surrounding his dick and traveling through his body. Muscles flexed, and he ground his teeth.

A string of curses flew from her mouth. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped his forearm, her nails digging into his flesh. Convulsions clamped his cock in her quivering core. He locked his jaw and came. He felt each hot spurt of shooting cum. He groaned, pulled her tighter, and showed her with his body, his kiss, and his cock how much he wanted back into her life.

Chapter Five

Victoria pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her shins and simmered in the warm afterglow of sex. She listened to Jaron speak into the satellite phone he’d found below deck. He’d planned to use the radio, but the phone was faster and easier. After dialing into a secure relay, he’d finally contacted ES headquarters.

“ETA?” he asked. He gave her a reassuring smile, but she wasn’t at all reassured. She didn’t like the somber tone of voice.

“Yes, we’ll be ready,” he continued. “You can tell him she’s fine, if not a bit cranky.”

Victoria furrowed her brows. Under present conditions and the events of the last twenty-four hours, he was lucky to get cranky. She’d come into headquarters after a three-week rest. After a day with Jaron, she’d need six months. Her thoughts sobered. She’d just had six months away from him and here she was getting involved again.

He disconnected and wiped down the phone. “HQ was able to pinpoint our location through the satellite connection. We need to drop anchor.”

“How long?” She still wore the silk robe and would need to change back into her grubby dress before the extraction team arrived.

“ETA thirty minutes.” He sat next to her and rubbed a smudge of dirt from her cheek. “I couldn’t get details, but something is wrong.”

“Do you think it’s the assignment? Maybe the computer feed isn’t working the way you had hoped.”

He shrugged, stood, and began to lower the sails. “That would be my guess. Someone will have to go back in. But it won’t be us.”

She chuckled. “I think that’s a given.”

“Maybe, but I’m not talking about the assignment. I’m talking about you and me.”

You and me.
Her pulse jumped, and her chest hurt. Twenty-four hours couldn’t erase the pain and betrayal of his leaving. However, she also knew she loved the stupid jerk. As long as they both stayed busy within Echelon Shield, perhaps they could find time to explore whether they had anything more than great sex. ES could tear them apart, but they’d just proven they could also work together.

Assignments could take from a day to several months. During downtime, if they agreed to give each other space, with no expectations, she’d be willing to give them another chance. This time, she’d be the one to set the terms. He’d have just as much to lose, because she never wanted to wake, thinking she was safe in his arms, and find him gone again.

“I’ll get ready.”

“Great,” he said. “I’ll keep watch.”

A few minutes later, she’d changed and was back on deck. She spotted a ship off the stern. “Jaron.”

He shielded his eyes with his hand. “They’re coming fast. It’s got to be our contact.”

“Good. I want a hot bath and a cinnamon latte.”

He turned toward her and smiled. “That’s my princess.”

His princess.
The words both thrilled and terrified her. Choking on her emotions, she swallowed hard and pushed her happily-ever-after thoughts from her mind. Jaron’s idea of a relationship and hers differed greatly. Until they were safely ensconced in the privacy of her house or his apartment, she wouldn’t attach flowery words to the riot of uncertainties she faced with Jaron.

The large yacht dwarfed the small sloop. Jaron waved to ES operative Simon Steel, waiting on deck.

A ladder dropped over the rail, and Victoria climbed to the edge of the bobbing sailboat and reached for the rung. Jaron put his hand on her ass as she leapt to the ladder and climbed to the deck.

“Welcome aboard,” Simon said with a laugh.

She breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe.

Jaron followed her up. “Glad you were in the neighborhood,” he said, pumping Simon’s hand.

“Happy to be of service.” He grinned at Victoria. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you this dirty.”

“And, if I have my way, you never will again.”

“We don’t have much time, but I can at least offer you a shower. You should be able to find a change of clothes below deck, as well.”

“I could kiss you.”

Jaron stepped close behind her.

“I think I’ll save this pretty face,” he scratched his stubble, “and settle for a thanks.”

Victoria jabbed her elbow back, catching Jaron in the gut. He groaned, but she doubted she caused any discomfort. The man had abs chiseled from granite.

“Kent Reynolds is going to sail the sloop back to the shore.” This was standard in situations where the operative risked recognition. An anonymous tipster would alert the authorities, and the owners would get back their stolen property in the same condition it was taken.

* * * *

As soon as Victoria went below deck to the cabins, Jaron turned to Simon. “What’s up?” he asked. “I couldn’t get details on the satellite phone.”

“Shit hit the fan, and you’re at the center of it.”

Jaron rolled his shoulders and tried not to think about the worst-case scenario. “Is the computer program bunk?”

“I wish it were that simple.” Simon gave a nod to Kent as he took possession of the little sloop. Simon and Jaron walked to the bow of the yacht. “Amine wants you at HQ ASAP. He’s sent a helicopter to pick up you and Victoria.” Simon cocked an eyebrow. “Speaking of our resident princess, last I heard, you two weren’t speaking.”

“In the past twenty-four hours, we still haven’t had much verbal communication.” He didn’t intend to fill Simon in on the erotic details. But keeping their association a secret in a close-knit organization like Echelon would be impossible.

“So it’s like that, my friend.”

“Yeah, something like that. I just need to convince Victoria. You know how opinionated and stubborn she can be.”

“Tenacious.”

“Exactly.”

“She’s going to make sure you know you fucked up before she forgives you.” Simon laughed and put his hand on Jaron’s shoulder. “You’re going to need back up when Amine finds out.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Whether Frank agreed mattered little. Jaron went after what he wanted. A small thing like the toughest, bravest, scariest Green Beret he’d ever had the good fortune of meeting wasn’t going to stop him. Jaron owed Frank Amine his life—a life he wanted to share with Victoria.

“We have about an hour. Are you hungry? There’s lunch in the galley.”

“Don’t fuck with me. Lead the way.”

“As soon as Victoria’s done with the shower, you could use one, too.” Simon laughed.

* * * *

An hour later, Victoria sat next to him as the helicopter lifted off a stretch of remote beach and took them to an airstrip. Then they boarded a private jet.

“We’ll be in D.C. in a few hours.” He slid his hand into hers. She’d been quiet since she’d taken her shower. Her somber expression made him nervous. Simon was right. Victoria had pride, and she had her limits. His upbringing and then his military training kept him from showing fear or emotion. Doing so revealed weakness and left a soldier vulnerable.