Holmes (3 page)

And it was all because of one man.

She scanned the growing crowd and spotted him. Even without his uniform, General Adam Holmes still had a straight bearing and an air of authority about him. He was talking with a teenage boy and his family, and whatever he said made them smile. The boy had gone missing in the spider attack but had thankfully been found alive and well.

The squads helped protect them, the medical team healed them, but Adam Holmes was the one who planned and strategized, and was always working to get them to safety.

He put an arm around an elderly lady and she leaned into him. He patted her shoulder. He let everyone lean on him.

But who did he lean on when things got tough?

And she knew things were tough nearly every day.

She shook her head. She liked buff soldiers with hard bodies and delicious tattoos. Men who wanted a good time, didn’t demand too much, and didn’t delve where they weren’t welcome. Uncomplicated men she could have fun with. Long before the aliens had invaded, she’d already survived her own version of hell, and when she’d pieced herself back together, she’d vowed to herself that she would enjoy the hell out of life. That every single day, she’d suck the marrow out of it and have fun—whether it was a long, luxurious bubble bath and beautiful lotions, or sexy men and delicious orgasms.

Even in the middle of this ugly apocalypse, she’d managed to hold on to that promise.

Her gaze was drawn back to the general…Adam. Something told her he didn’t know the first thing about enjoying anything. It was all responsibility and grave choices with him. She’d seen the lines bracketing his mouth, the strain he was under.

Without thinking, she headed in his direction.

As he was walking toward another group, she stepped in front of him.

He drew up straight. “How are you, Liberty?”

“Hanging in there. You?”

A single, decisive nod. “Fine.”

“You really need a haircut.”

His hand automatically went to his hair. “It’ll wait.”

She eyed him. The muscles in his neck were strained, and he looked like he was ready to buckle. “No, I don’t think it can. Come on.” She waved her hand for him to follow.

“Ms. Lawler…”

Ooh, that cold, autocratic edge to his voice had to be second nature to him when someone refused to follow his orders.

“Come on, Adam, in the middle of an alien apocalypse, you can’t call me Ms. Lawler.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw.

She smothered a smile. “You’re getting in your truck and getting a haircut.”

He just stood there, looking conflicted.

“For once, why don’t you let someone else make the decision?” she said. “Just for a little while.”

“You’re pretty stubborn.”

“One of my finest qualities.”

“I doubt that.” After another second, he nodded. “Fine. A haircut would be good.”

She walked beside him toward his truck. He had his own modified SUV. The area in the back had been raised and converted into a living space with a place to sleep. He opened the door and she peered inside.

It wasn’t large. A single bunk, neatly made, some built-in shelves and cupboards, which included a comp, and one small stool bolted to the floor.

She stepped in, turned and sat on the bed. “You sit on the stool. I have enough room to work.”

He pulled the door closed behind him and lights clicked on automatically.

He sat on the stool, his back to her and fidgeted a bit.

Liberty pulled her scissors from her pocket and set them on a small shelf. She was used to carrying them with her everywhere she went.

He glanced over at them. “They the ones you saved my life with?”

“Yes.” She touched his hair. She’d been the base’s unofficial hairdresser. It hadn’t been her profession before, just something she’d dabbled with, but she’d had enough practice lately to get pretty good at it.

Besides, no one was too fussy about their hairstyle in the middle of an alien invasion.

“Don’t worry. I cleaned them off really well.” She ran her hands through the dark strands of his hair. It was far softer and silkier than she’d imagined. He had a dash of gray at each temple that looked smart and distinguished. It suited him outrageously.

Liberty shook her head. Smart and distinguished had never been her thing. It had always been muscles, firm butts, and brawny arms. Even her bastard ex-husband—may his soul rot in hell—had been a personal trainer, and even though she hated him, the man had still looked good.

Adam Holmes was nothing like any man she’d ever been with before.

She got to work snipping his hair. She wasn’t going to cut it back to military short. It actually suited him a little longer. She’d just tidy him up a bit.

His head leaned forward a bit. Studying the length of his dark strands, she rested her hands on his shoulders.

She felt the hard knots and the tension radiating off him. How could he function like this? He had to be in agony.

She finished the cut and set her scissors down. Then she pressed her hands to his shoulders.

He groaned before he caught himself. “What are you doing?”

“How the hell do you get through the day with muscles tensed up harder than rock?”

“I do what I have to do.” But his head fell forward again, baring his neck to her.

She dug her fingers in, working the hard knots.

“God…that is so good.”

She smiled and kept working away the tension. She moved down a little, his shirt fabric slipping under her fingers and getting in the way. She could feel that his shoulder blades were tense as well.

“Take off the shirt. It’ll make it easier.”

He paused. “I’m not sure…”

She dug her fingers in hard. “Worried I’ll take advantage of you, General?”

He made a scoffing sound. “I’m hardly your type…and I’m too old for you.”

She laughed. “I’m thirty-five, Adam, and you’re hardly ancient. Now act like an adult and take your shirt off.”

He looked back over his shoulder, studied her, then stood. His head brushed the top of the truck. He quickly worked the buttons free. Then he shrugged and the shirt fell to the floor.

Liberty stilled, her breath catching in her chest.

He was…built.

She hadn’t expected the hard, firm, and sleek muscles. He wasn’t bulky like some of the soldiers, but there was definitely strength and a delicious hardness no woman could ignore.

“You’ve been holding out on me, General.”

Chapter Three

Adam sat very still, listening to Liberty’s quiet breathing behind him. He felt like her presence filled up the entire space.

He heard the interest in her voice, and temptation swirled around him like the scent of his favorite coffee. He hadn’t had a cup of double-shot, white-chocolate mocha since the invasion, and was unlikely to ever have it again.

He clamped his hands on the edge of the stool beneath him. “I don’t know what you mean.”

A smooth hand slid over his shoulder, reaching over to stroke one side of his chest.

“Oh, I think you do.” Her nails scratched over his pec. “Who knew you were hiding all this under your starched uniforms?”

Her touch felt so good and he closed his eyes. “Like I said, I’m hardly your type.”

“Oh?” Her hand stilled. “And what’s my type?” Her voice was low, silky, and just a little dangerous.

Adam swallowed to wet his dry throat. “Anyone you want. You’re young, confident, attractive.”

She stepped in front of him and against his better judgment, his gaze moved to her cleavage. She’d left a few buttons of her blue shirt undone and he got a nice hint of what lay beneath. The scent of her reached him—warm woman, something lush and feminine.

It had been so long since he’d touched a woman. So long since he’d been touched.

And he knew it was a slippery, addictive slope.

One stolen touch would never be enough. He released a long breath and tried to piece his vaunted control back together.

She reached out and touched his bare chest again. “This is not old or unattractive.” Her fingers drifted downward. “Quite the opposite.”

He grabbed her wrist. “I’m not playing games with you, Liberty.”

“I’m not playing.” There was a deep well of patience in her gaze…but also something else that made his stomach clench.

Heat. Desire. For him.

His control snapped.

He grabbed her hips and tugged her closer, pulling her to stand between his legs.

Her red lips parted and Adam’s cock went painfully hard. It was all too easy to imagine what he could do with those pretty lips.

“I don’t have relationships.” His voice was a growl.

“I never asked you for one.” Her hands rested on his shoulders, kneading again. “But we all need someone. Even just for a little while. Especially now.”

Her scent was swamping him, leaving him feeling like a stallion scenting a mare in heat.

Her nails gently scored the skin of his neck. “It’s hard being alone,” she murmured. “Trapped, with no one to reach out to.”

Adam blinked, could hear experience in her voice, drenched in something painful. He couldn’t imagine a woman like Liberty ever being alone.

“I don’t have friends.” As her hands drifted over his skin, every last ounce of his blood went south. “I…can’t have friends.”

“Bullshit.” She leaned down and nipped his ear. “You have friends, even if you won’t acknowledge them.”

He yanked her closer until she straddled his lap. As soon as she pressed up against his hard cock, they both groaned.

“Liberty…I can’t do this.”

She wiggled her hips, rubbing against him and Adam gritted his teeth.

“Seems like you can do it just fine.”

“Fine. I shouldn’t do this.” Damn, his control had all but crumbled to dust.

“Adam…I’m not asking for more than you can give. I try to live my life by a few simple rules. Be nice to others, and do whatever the hell I want. Enjoy the hell out of life.” She moved against him, starting a rocking motion that almost made his head explode. “This feels good, and I think you like it, too, and I’ll be honest with you. I like sex. And I usually try to find men who don’t mind the fact that I like it.”

“God, Liberty, you’re driving me out of my mind.” He clamped his hands on the curves of her ass.

She smiled, and it was a wide, feminine smile that was designed to make a man think of sex. “How about you just stop thinking?”

“I can’t…ever. We are in a precarious position with the convoy, I have to be ready—”

She leaned forward and pressed her mouth against his.

***

God, she wanted him. She wanted General Adam Holmes.

She moved her lips over his. He tasted good and for a second, he sat there, letting her take the lead.

Then something in him…snapped.

He cupped her head, his tongue sliding into her mouth. He kissed her like a drowning man searching for air. Soon, Liberty was shocked to hear little choked moans coming from…her. He was like a man possessed…and she was his obsession.

His hands were clamped hard on her skin, but Liberty had plenty of experience of judging a man’s rough touch. This wasn’t anger, evil or meanness.

It was raw, primal need. Hot, molten desire.

With a moan, she broke free, panting. His newly cut hair was mussed, and color rode along his cheekbones. His bare chest was heaving as well.

She slid off his lap and stood. She watched his face shutter, going from aroused man to controlled general.

Oh no, you don’t.
She undid the buttons on her shirt and dropped it on the floor. It took her a few seconds to shimmy out of her jeans and underwear. She stood before him, naked.

His hot gaze traveled over her. The look on his face…it made her insides warm. Reverent. She’d never, ever had a man look at her in quite that way before. She’d never felt more beautiful.

He pulled her closer and, with a growl, his mouth closed over her nipple.

“Yes.” She sank her hands into his hair, urging him on.

He sucked, licked and lapped. He switched to the other side, pulling hard, the sensation arrowing down her middle to between her legs, where she was already damp.

She felt his hand slide over her hip, then between their bodies, even as he kept worshipping her breast. His strong fingers brushed over her belly and then delved between her thighs.

He groaned against her skin and she felt him caress her.

He lifted his mouth off her. “God, you are so soft here, so hot.”

His fingers brushed through her folds. He explored her and she moved against his hand. Then he sank a finger inside her.

“Yes.” The word ended on a hiss. Liberty gave herself up to the glorious feeling of Adam exploring her, pleasuring her. He was focused on uncovering every inch of her.

He pulled out, then sank two fingers back inside her. “Tight.”

She was riding his hand now, desperate for more. She felt the brush of his thumb, and he found her clit. She jerked.

“There it is,” he murmured.

She looked down blindly and saw his gaze glued to her face with an intensity that was almost frightening.

She’d known he was a dedicated man with a strong work ethic. Luckily for her, he appeared to apply both those traits to sex as well.

He pressed down on her clit, rubbing her in short, slippery circles. She was rising and falling on his hand, letting the sensations build inside her.

“Yes. Please. Adam.” She couldn’t make a coherent sentence.

“Come, Liberty. Come on my hand and let me feel it.”

She leaned down and bit his shoulder. It muffled her scream as she came. Hard.

They stayed there for a minute while she caught her breath. His fingers were still lodged deep inside her and her body felt electric but relaxed at the same time. His cock was rock hard beneath her, his breathing harsh.

And Liberty knew one thing.

She wanted more.

She slid off him, groaning as his fingers slipped free of her body. His face was set in stark lines, desire riding him hard. His gaze moved down her body, slowly, deliberately, drinking her all in.

Then, Adam Holmes, a man she’d pegged as conservative and controlled, lifted his hand and licked his fingers. Sucking the taste of her into his mouth.