Project Terminal: End Game (4 page)

Why the hell did I make out with that man?
“Oh God.”

He’d made a good point—she had no real reasons to deny an attraction toward him. They were both consenting adults. Maybe she
should
have a little fun? But past heartache made her shy away from a casual fling.

She turned her face to the sky, closing her eyes as a chilled mountain breeze washed over her. It did little to temper the heated memory of Morris’s mouth, his heavy body pressing her to the ground, his hard cock…

“Jesus, get it together, Amelia,” she hissed, shaking herself loose of the memory’s hold.

The night wore on and she watched the constellations slowly shift with the earth’s rotation. Satellites passed between stars, and a few wispy clouds drifted over the crescent moon. Coyotes sang from time to time and a bull elk called out. A normal night in the mountains with no sign of a pending attack. Perhaps they were home free. Max could finish up her work, they could get the cure, and Amelia could return to her everyday life. Alone at home, working on lessons plans, and generally avoiding contact with the outside world. Psychologists would chastise her for avoiding other people, but her altered life didn’t invite intimate friendships. Something she hadn’t considered when allowing her genes to be manipulated by scientists.

She chose a direction and walked, not really paying attention to where it led, lost in thought about her lonely life.

“Amelia?”

The baritone voice brought her up short, and she spun toward its source. A massive silhouette appeared from the trees.

“Morris? What are you doing in my sector?”

“Actually, you’re well into mine.”

Her cheeks warmed and she cleared her throat. “Sorry, I didn’t realize.”

She turned and headed back in the direction she’d come from but Morris caught up to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Wait.”

His touch sent a sizzle straight between her thighs and she sucked in a breath. She froze. He stepped forward, his chest just touching her back. Hot tingles erupted over her flesh.

“We’re in the clear tonight.” The warmth of his breath caressed the back of her neck, and she closed her eyes. “Stay.”

She licked her lips and swallowed, trying to form a coherent thought. “Why?” she finally managed.

He let his hand slide to her upper arm, the other joined its mate on her opposite arm. He pressed forward and her eyelids popped open at the feel of his erection.

“Do I really need to answer that, darlin’?”

Chapter 6

For the love of God, leave!
But her feet had taken root to the ground. His hands slid down, finding hers and twining their fingers together.

“I know you don’t like me, Amelia, but give me this one night.” His voice had dropped to a raspy whisper that strummed her arousal into a peak. “I promise you won’t regret it.”

“I-I...” She licked her lips again, forcing her voice louder. “I won’t fuck you, Morris.”

His cheek brushed her ear, the rough stubble of beard growth making her knees knock.

“I don’t want to fuck you either. I told you I know how to make love to a woman. It’s slower, sweeter, and a hell of a lot more fun.”

His lips teased the outer curve of her ear, and her breath hitched.

“How…oh God.” His tongue replaced his lips. “How is it different for you?” Words swirled in her mind and she had to work to form them into a sentence. “I mean, how do you do it?”

He chuckled. “How do I make love to a woman? Mmm, are we opening this up to verbal foreplay, darlin’?” He released her hands and placed his palms on the flat expanse of her stomach, pulling her tight to his body. “Because I love dirty talk.”

That’s not what she meant. She wanted to know how would he make love to someone he had no emotion for outside of lust. The words refused to pass her lips, instead she could only moan as he rubbed his erection against her. He kissed the side of her neck before lightly nipping the flesh.

“First, I want to peel your clothing off piece by piece.” He caught her shirttail and bunched it up beneath her breasts. The cool night air made gooseflesh break out over her skin. “I want to savor the sight of your naked beauty in the starlight.”

He moved his feet apart, and the ridge of his cock dug into her ass. Her pussy clenched, she was wet, and beyond turning back. Her sex drive plowed into her like a train wreck and she reached behind her, cupping the bulge beneath his fly. If she was about to humiliate herself, she might as well make it quick as possible.

“Now, I want it now,” she said.

“I want to take time to enjoy this, darlin’.”

She growled in frustration. “Now, damn it.”
Before I come to my senses.

He seemed hesitant and she couldn’t imagine why. Her fingers worked the snap on her jeans and she yanked the zipper down. He blew out a breath and his hands left her torso. She wiggled her jeans and underwear down her hips to her knees and braced her hands on a nearby tree, waiting. His length pressed between her thighs, stroking her pussy, before testing her tightness. She sucked in a breath, unable to take him inside.

“You’re too tight, relax for me.”

His hand slipped down, his fingers finding her clit. She gasped, digging her nails into the tree’s bark. Sensations spiraled tight inside her core, wrenching a choked sob from her throat.

He teased his tip around her entrance. “Say my name,” he whispered against her ear.

“Morris.”

“No, my given name, Amelia. I want to hear you say it.”

She gritted her teeth, knowing in that moment she’d give him anything he wanted. And the knowledge was unnerving. “Gabe, please,” she said on a ragged breath.

“Good girl.”

He plunged inside her walls, a shock of pain making her cry out. She trembled, her minimal experience left her nearly a virgin and she’d never had a man with Morris’s girth.

“Oh God, darlin’, you have to relax, you’re squeezing my cock like a vise. I’m going to lose it.”

He cupped her breast with one hand, his thumb stroking her budded nipple through her shirt before pinching it lightly. Desire rocketed through her, and when he found her clit again she wanted to fly apart.

“Ah, Amelia, that’s better. Perfect.”

He started languid strokes, stoking a fire deep inside her until it engulfed her entire being. He grasped her hips, thrusting harder and deeper. She rode the waves of pleasure higher and higher until the world spun out of control.

“I can’t take this,” she sobbed, gripping the tree trunk. Digging her fingers in until splinters buried beneath her nails.

“Yes, you can.”

“No, I…” It was upon her, and it felt like every one of her nerve endings fired at once. The earth shattered. Morris cupped a hand over her mouth just as she screamed, muffling the sound of her incredible orgasm so no others on watch could hear. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his body seizing, his guttural cry following as he spilled his cum inside her walls. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, pinning her between him and the tree trunk. Her legs shook so hard if not for his support she would’ve collapsed.

The shadow of predawn had fallen, challenging even her enhanced vision. Morris held her tight, his cock still buried inside her, not making to move away. Amelia needed to put space between them, erect an emotional barrier for when she realized the horrible mistake she’d just made.

Instead, she enjoyed the other soldier’s embrace. Come the full light of morning, Gabe Morris would turn a cold shoulder to her. Pretend nothing had transpired between them, and she’d do the same. She knew the drill; she’d been down this road with a man before.

* * * *

Gabe paced the length of the cabin and back again. Inside it Max worked, and he heard the murmur of conversation between Gonsalves, Reed, and Laura. Outside it, Gabe felt stir-crazy. After last night’s tryst, Amelia had retreated, keeping away from him. She now walked the perimeter after volunteering for watch. It shouldn’t bother him, but it sure as hell did anyway. What he’d wanted was hours to enjoy her body, work her out of his system. He’d spent the last couple of years fantasizing about just that only to get a fast five minute fuck. Not that it hadn’t been intense—his balls ached with the memory—but it hadn’t been enough. There’d been no foreplay, hell they hadn’t even kissed. It felt…cheap.

When he’d tried to talk with her, she’d given him the cold shoulder, letting him know she didn’t expect anything else. Rejection didn’t sit well in his gut. He honestly hadn’t seen her as a woman who’d have sex and move on without a second thought.

Maybe he’d been played? He rubbed his hand over his jaw, the beard growth reminding him he needed to shave, although it didn’t really matter as he had no one to impress. He scowled, his mood growing darker, annoyed he was letting a good fuck ruin his day. What he needed to do was keep his mind on his job. If he did that, his time spent in the mountains wouldn’t be a bad memory to take home.

“Morris.”

Amelia’s voice cut through his inner tirade. His heart rate jumped and he turned to face her.

“Your turn for watch, it’s my day to sleep.”

With that she walked to the shade of an aspen where a rolled up sleeping bag lay beneath. He watched her unroll it and crawl inside. More than anything he wanted to join her, and spend the afternoon learning all the parts he’d missed last night. He clenched his hands into fists and marched off into the surrounding forest, determined to leave her and his desire behind.

Chapter 7

General stood back, watching Carlton disappear into the mountains. The soldier had tracked down the hideout using skills General didn’t personally possess. But he couldn’t be expected to know everything. His smarts lay in getting the job done no matter the cost.

He’d give the super soldier time to get a good head start then order in the trailer. Inside it were four dozen undead consisting of filth he’d picked up off the streets in surrounding cities. Hobos, addicts, and hookers, all a waste of space and humanity. He’d tried turning loose sixteen on Reed and Max back in Mississippi, but Reed had managed to kill them all. Four dozen swarming in by surprise should do the trick. The undead would follow the scent of the super soldier straight to the cabin.

He smiled to himself, satisfied on a job well done. Doc would be pissed when she found out, but fuck her. If she didn’t watch it, she’d end up in his next hoard.

* * * *

The day grew warm despite a brisk stirring breeze. Amelia tossed and turned, catching sleep only in fits. When a dull throbbing settled in her temples, she finally gave up the fight and got up. She could easily go another day without sleep, four days were the max for a super soldier.

Reed stood outside the cabin’s door, he seemed edgy. She frowned and went to join him.

“Something’s up,” he said, shouldering his rifle.

Amelia felt it too, a tension in the air making the hair on her arms stand on end.

“Think they’ve found us?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yes.”

“Morris is out there, he’ll give the alarm.” She didn’t like the idea of Morris being alone. “I’m going to take watch with him.”

“No, I’ll go. We need a fresh set of eyes.”

With that Reed marched into the trees, leaving Amelia to her thoughts. She looked through the door. Max seemed to have fallen asleep, her head resting on her forearms, microscopes and other lab equipment taking most of the tabletop. Gonsalves sat in a chair next to the bed holding Laura’s hand. He glanced her way and his expression darkened. He left the woman and joined Amelia outside.

“I didn’t think we could stay in the clear,” he said, keeping his voice low.

“Any idea what they have planned?” Amelia nibbled her top lip.

“God knows what fucked up ideas they’ll come up with.” He looked inside to the two women counting on four soldiers to keep them alive.

Amelia didn’t doubt her abilities—outside of men and relationships anyway.

“They’ll be okay, Gonsalves. We’re good at our jobs.”

“I’ll die before I let someone get to Laura. The bullet she took was for me.” His dark gaze looked fierce, deadly, and she didn’t doubt him for a moment.

“We all dedicated our lives to protecting our country and its civilians.” Amelia turned her attention back to the surrounding tree line. “Any one of us will do the same for those two.”

Gonsalves didn’t respond. He walked away from the cabin and looked down the trail beyond where the car he’d brought sat. She wasn’t nervous, but her heart beat faster, her senses peaked for any unnatural source of sound or sight. She scented the air like a dog, finding only the odor of moist soil and conifers. While the other women slept she decided to do a little recon and set out on her own.

She avoided the direction she believed Reed and Morris had headed and took off west. It wasn’t long before she was within the solitude of the forest. Birds chirped, a squirrel chattered, and she caught a glimpse of mule deer darting between the trees. It was pleasant, quiet, a time for reflection
if
something didn’t stalk them.

Amelia stopped walking, getting caught up in the memory of her and Morris’s brief time together the night before. Maybe not a brag worthy marathon, but it’d been intense and the best orgasm of her life. Today he’d behaved as she’d expected, somewhat distant, watching her closely. Though he’d tried to pull her into conversation she hadn’t been in the mood, wanting to curtail any uncomfortable discussions about them keeping a professional relationship.

While in the Air Force academy she’d made the mistake of falling for an officer. After a one-night fling he’d made it clear they couldn’t continue seeing one another. Later she’d found out he was engaged with his wedding date only days away. She’d been nothing more than his cold feet affair. Amelia had been crushed. Over the following years she hadn’t had much better luck—men always had one reason or another for not wanting a long-term relationship.

Not that it mattered, independence was important to her. Being tied down frightened her, that’s why she’d been willing to go through Project Terminal’s requirement of sterilization. She didn’t dislike children or lack respect for those who had them, but she’d never seen herself as a maternal figure. She’d never even played with dolls as a little girl.