Desire Unmatched: 4 (Coded for Love) (12 page)

Watching the rest of the movie was difficult as his palm
made soft circles on her leg. It was dirty of her to want him to move his hand
higher, between her thighs. They were in the dark, and Xander would kill anyone
who dared to stare.

Unfortunately, he seemed to know that heavy petting in a
public movie theater was verboten and kept his hand high enough to keep her on
edge but low enough to be appropriate.

She must have changed her position a zillion times, trying
to get comfortable, but her body remained needy and jittery, wanting what it
couldn’t have. She’d have to wait.

Finally the movie was over and they joined the crowd
shuffling out up the long aisle. Xander kept his large body slightly in front
of hers, and this time he didn’t hold her hand. She guessed he wanted his hands
free in case he had to reach for the weapon she knew he had hidden somewhere on
his body. She also noticed he wasn’t walking with his usual graceful gait. As
they emerged out of the dark theater into the bright lobby, she noted lines
bracketed his mouth. His feet had to be paining him. One night of medicine and
bed rest wasn’t enough to heal him entirely. She wanted to get him home as soon
as possible.

Unfortunately, she had to hit the bathroom before they left.
The Diet Coke wasn’t going to wait. Her group of friends was huddled in the
theater animatedly discussing the movie. Eric wasn’t among the group. He must
have bolted as soon as the movie ended. She didn’t feel too badly, it wasn’t as
if they’d had any sort of relationship before yesterday.

“I have to use the loo,” she announced and turned away from
her classmates in search of the restroom.

“I’ll go too.” Kayla grabbed her elbow, steering her toward
the bathroom.

“Hold up,” Xander said. His large body was suddenly in front
of them, blocking their way. “Is it safe?”

She and Kayla goggled at him.

“It’s a bathroom,” Kayla said. “Unless a toilet explodes,
we’ll be fine.” They took another step forward. Xander backed up a step.

“What if someone is waiting in there?”

“Then there’s two of us and one of them,” Kayla replied
calmly.

“And I’ll scream your name at the first sign of trouble,”
Emma promised. It was endearing that he was being precautious to the point of
paranoia, but if they were going to make it as a couple, she refused to live
her life in fear. She’d had enough of living in fear during her months with
Paulson. Giving in to it meant he’d won.

Xander scowled, but stepped aside to let them pass. As they
walked away, she looked over her shoulder to see he was walking behind, giving
them some space, but still close enough to be there in case of trouble.

The second the bathroom door closed behind them, Kayla
grabbed her and practically squealed her ear off. “Ohmigod, he is
so
hot. Like smoking hot. I can’t believe you slept with a man that gorgeous.”

Emma’s grin faltered.

Kayla immediately picked up on it. “I don’t mean he’s out of
your league. You’re gorgeous too. But he’s in a league of his own. I didn’t
even think they had a league for men like Xander.”

They both laughed and Emma released her friend to dash into
a stall and take care of business. When she emerged to wash her hands, Kayla
was at the mirror, applying lipstick.

“Are the other soldiers as hot?” she asked.

Emma scanned the floor of the bathroom stalls, making sure
they were empty before answering. The hotness quotient of the Program soldiers
wasn’t exactly a state secret, but she felt a little uncomfortable discussing
it. “I guess. I think Xander’s the most gorgeous, but then, I’m meant to. It’s
in my DNA.”

Kayla’s eyes met hers in the mirror. “It’s romantic. I wish
I was a match for one of the soldiers.”

She frowned. “Do you? I guess you could apply. I’ve heard
there’s a huge list of women applying. If I hadn’t fallen in with them, I don’t
think I would. It’s not an easy life.”

Kayla turned and leaned against the pink Formica counter.
“What do you mean you didn’t apply? How did you get picked, then?”

She realized her mistake at her friend’s question. She’d
never told anyone outside of the Program about her days of captivity in
Paulson’s fake fertility clinic. “I just did. It’s something I’d prefer not to
talk about.” Without waiting for Kayla’s response she walked out of the
bathroom and found Xander waiting for her, leaning against the wall opposite
the bathroom door.

“Ready?” he asked, standing straight. He stepped toward her.

“Yes, let’s say goodbye to everyone.” She knew Kayla was
right behind her, heading over to their group of friends who’d waited for them
to exit the bathroom. She and Xander walked to the group, where she hugged
Kayla and smiled at everyone else.

“Bye. See you in class.” Xander didn’t say anything, but he
did give a brusque nod. They exited to the parking lot where she realized they
had two cars.

“I’ll follow you.” Xander escorted her to her car and waited
until she got in and started it up. She then waited for him to hop into his
black SUV. The whole fifteen-minute ride back to campus she tried to
concentrate on the road, but kept peeking into the rearview mirror for glimpses
of him. She couldn’t see much. His windows were tinted to the point of illegal.

Soon they were back on campus, pulling into adjacent parking
spots in the underground garage. The second she got out of the car, she heard
Shep’s shouts. The head of the Program had obviously been lying in wait for
Xander to return to campus so he could yell at him.

“What the hell were you thinking, Bristack? Doctor Wise lost
her shit when she saw you were gone.”

Emma stayed in one spot outside her car and watched Xander
try to calm his commander down. She knew he hadn’t broken any specific rules by
going to the movies with her. Program soldiers were allowed off campus whenever
they had downtime.

Xander spoke a few words she couldn’t hear to Shep. The
older commander nodded then left the garage. He turned to her. “Ready?”

She smiled and stepped to him.

“Can I stay at your apartment tonight? Shep told me it’s
there or the hospital room. I choose your place.” He didn’t sound angry, only
hopeful.

She slipped her hand into his. “Of course.”

He held on to her hand, obviously feeling more secure on
campus. She smiled up at him. “You haven’t told me what you thought of the
movie. Did you like it?”

He didn’t answer right away. She liked that about him. He
lacked certain social graces, but it meant he didn’t prevaricate. He was honest
and told you how he saw things.

“It was okay. The actor playing the cop needs to learn how
to throw a punch. Can’t believe he didn’t break his hand.”

She laughed, remembering something in a gossip magazine
about the very hot actor playing the cop accidentally hitting his co-actor and
injuring his hand during the filming of the movie. “You could consult for the
movie industry.”

“Do people do stuff like that?” He looked surprised.

“Xander, sometimes I think you live in a cave. Of course the
movie industry hires military folks to consult. There was an article about it
in
People
the other week. I’ll show you.”

“Nah, I have a job. I don’t want to work in Hollywood.”

They crossed the doorway between the garage and the main
office building of the campus. Emma’s apartment was down the hallway. “Do you
like your job?” she asked curiously. “I know you didn’t have a choice, but if
you had, would you still want to do what you do?”

He stopped in front of the door to her apartment and paused
with his hand on the knob. She never bothered locking it around here unless she
was inside sleeping. She had nothing to steal, and it was laughable to assume
any soldier on campus couldn’t get in if he wanted.

“I’ve never thought about it,” he said. “I guess I like it.
What else would I do?” He pushed open the door and she followed him inside.

“You’re smart enough to do anything. You could be the
president of a big company, you’d be a millionaire.” She laughed.

He sat on the futon and started unlacing his combat boots.
“Would you like it if I were rich?”

She dropped her purse onto the table. “Sure.” When his
expression shuttered, she hurried to amend her statement. “Xander, I like you
now and you’re not rich. I’d like you just as much if you were rich. That’s
what I meant. I didn’t mean I’d like you
more
if you had wealth. Though
I wouldn’t mind shopping sprees and first-class holidays to remote islands.”

He stretched his legs out in front of him. “I’m not rich but
I can afford to take you on a beach vacation. Remember, my housing and food is
covered, and all my salary goes into the bank. I’ve never had anything to spend
it on before.”

She kicked off her own shoes and curled on the futon next to
him. “Good point. Now you can spend it all on me.” She pounced on him to
straddle his lap and laugh in his face. His arms wrapped around her. “I’m
taking the piss. Laugh, Xander. I’m not a gold-digging whore.”

He didn’t laugh. Instead his arms held her tighter. “You
could have it, though. I’d give everything I have to you.” He leaned forward to
kiss her, but she turned her face away. She couldn’t let him talk like that.
Her poor soldier had never known unconditional love before. At the first sign of
affection, he was ready to give her the world. Lucky for him she was a good
person, or he’d be screwed.

“Xander, don’t say things like that.”

“Why not? It’s true. We’re a match. Isn’t that what couples
do? Share everything?”

“Yes, but…” How to explain? He had no model for a normal
relationship. “A relationship is equal.”

“You’re a student. I have a job, so I have more money.”

Was he being deliberately obtuse? She shook her head and
rocked back on his lap. “It’s about more than money. I love that you want to
share everything with me, but don’t put yourself at risk.”

His hips shifted under hers, and she could feel the tease of
his cock hardening under her thighs. Xander had a lot to learn about
relationships. It was nothing that could be done overnight. It would be better
to change the subject. He was darn lucky he had her to teach him. Not that she
was an expert in relationships. She’d had a good number of them back home, but
nothing long term or serious. Nothing like this that spoke of forever.

“Xander,” she said, and ground her hips into his, giving a
little swivel. His breathing sped up and his fingers tightened on her body. “I
told you I’d teach you anything you wanted to learn about pleasure. Are you too
tired for another lesson?”

He groaned. “Hell no.”

“What do you want to learn?”

“I’ve never…gone down on a woman.” His gaze met hers
directly.

He’d been about to say something else, she’d bet on it, but
she was open to his alternate plan also. “I think we can work on that. Help me
open the futon.”

He stood and went to one end of the sofa while she went to
the other. Quickly, they lay the bed flat and she hustled to the cabinet for
sheets and blankets.

“You need a real bed,” he said, glaring down at her futon.
“I don’t like you sleeping on a couch.”

“Probably,” she said, “but this was what was available
without me moving into the bachelor dorm.”

“That’s an unacceptable option.” His glare grew more
pronounced.

“I know.”

“I’ll put in a request for a couple’s house,” he said. “May
take a little while since Adam and Chase got ahead. And we don’t have kids.”

“Maybe we can take Samara’s old apartment. It’s not a full
apartment with kitchen, but I think it had two bedrooms.”

He frowned at her from where he stood across the wide
mattress. “Do we need two bedrooms? Won’t we share one?”

She hid her smile. “Yes, but it’s nice to have the extra
space. We could use it as a den.” She started to unbutton her jeans and shimmy
out of them. If Xander had a response to her domestic suggestions, they were
lost as her body heated under his intent stare. She slowed her movements and
made a little show of getting naked. She knew he wasn’t missing a single thing
her body did.

She didn’t feel self-conscious, only unbelievably sexy as he
watched her. When she was nude, she climbed into bed and relaxed against a
pillow. “Your turn.”

Xander didn’t make a show. In quick, economical movements,
he tore his shirt and cargos off and kneeled on the bed, still in his boxers,
watching her. “What do I do now?”

She straightened her legs out in front of her and reached
for him. “Come kiss me on the mouth, and when I’m ready, kiss your way down my
body.”

“How will I know when you’re ready?”

“You’ll know.”

He frowned, but didn’t argue. His lips met hers and his body
pushed her into the mattress. He was giving her his full weight and she loved
it. Her legs curled around his back and her fingernails dug into his shoulder
blades.

They gave each other everything in a hot, wet kiss. Her
breasts felt sensitive and needy, but not as needy as what was going on between
her legs. Her pussy was getting wet and achy. For a second she thought she’d
been wrong about Xander instinctively knowing when it was time to move. She was
about to press down on his shoulders as a hint, but he kissed her chin and kept
going lower until he reached her breasts.

His tongue circled one nipple, then the other. She watched
as his tongue flicked then laved her breasts. The air of the room was cool
against her damp skin when he abandoned one breast for the other. “Your hands,”
she whispered. “Touch me. Cover my breasts and go lower.”

His response was to follow orders. His large hands covered a
breast each as his mouth lowered to kiss her belly and circle her navel. It
tickled.

“Sorry,” he muttered, lifting his head to grin at her.
“Lower?”