Tactical Strike (9 page)

Partly due to the aftereffects of the adrenaline rush from
earlier and partly because he was living out a piece of his fantasy, he was so
hard he hurt with the need for relief. More than anything he wanted to get her
naked and stretch out on top of her while he pinned her to a bed, loosening her
resistance inch by inch until she came all the way undone. He wanted to watch
that glow of arousal fill her eyes until they were hazy with desire as he made
her body surrender to the sensual need he could feel burning inside her.

Oh, hell yeah, that’s what he wanted from her. Total surrender.
Man, he could picture the heavy-lidded expression on her face as he took her,
could imagine the way her fingers would dig into his shoulders and the husky
cries she’d make when she came for him.

More
.

Candace gave a quiet moan and pressed her lush curves against
him. At the feel of her breasts cushioned against his chest, his brain stopped
functioning. Instantly the kiss turned hot and sexual. Her tongue caressed his
greedily, her whole body vibrating with suppressed need.

Ryan threaded his hands through the luxurious softness of her
hair and squeezed, tugging her head back and holding her there as he stroked the
smooth inside of her mouth with his tongue. She made a hungry little sound that
made him desperate to back her up against the wall and lift her long legs around
his hips so he could rub his aching cock between her thighs. Could he make her
come like that? He was willing to try. God, he could see them like that, him
pressing her into the wall, his hips wedged tight between her open thighs as her
legs gripped his waist. He’d kiss her deep and slow while he slid his cock
against her in slow circles until she shook and cried out into his mouth. Oh,
fuck, he wanted that. How far did she want him to take this?

The door handle jostled, breaking the spell.

Candace sprang away with a gasp. Putting a chokehold on the
lust roaring through his bloodstream, Ryan waited a second to make sure she had
her composure, then unlocked the deadbolt. As the door swung open, Candace
brought her fingers to her swollen lips, her expression guilty as hell.

A brunette Ryan recognized as one of her roommates stood in the
doorway, stopping short when she saw them. “Uh...sorry.”

“Hey, Erin,” Candace said to the dark-haired nurse, trying to
act like nothing had happened and doing a piss-poor job of it. Good thing she
couldn’t see how red her face was or how rosy and shiny her lips were. She
looked like a woman who’d been thoroughly kissed. The most primal part of him
purred in satisfaction at the evidence, liking that his possession showed.

Erin’s green eyes bounced back and forth between them
questioningly. “I can come back.”

“No, it’s fine,” Candace insisted, having recovered her
professional demeanor. Back in control despite the color riding her cheekbones.
“Did you need to talk to me?”

Erin glanced at him uncertainly, but Ryan merely folded his
arms and gave her a polite smile, letting her know he had no intention of
leaving. She turned her attention back to Candace. “I just wanted to let you
know that Bill’s in recovery and doing okay. He’ll be going up to his room in
another hour if you want to come back and see him.”

“Thanks, but I’ll be in a mission brief by then.” Candace
dragged a hand through her hair, now a bit more mussed from his hands being
bunched in it. He wasn’t sorry. “Does he know...?”

“Yes,” Erin answered. “But it’s going to take a while for it to
sink in. Someone’s contacted his wife and she’ll be meeting him in Germany once
he arrives at the hospital in Landstuhl.”

Candace nodded. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“No problem.” Her gaze dropped to Candace’s scraped palms and
elbows. “Need anything for those cuts?”

“No, I’ll scrub them out in the shower.”

“You need to eat and get some sleep,” Ryan interjected. And he
needed an ice-cold shower.

Candace fixed her dark eyes on him. A spark of irritation lit
their depths. “I was planning on it, Sergeant, thanks.”

Her cool tone grated on his nerves more than the mention of his
rank did. It pissed him off that she could revert back to being aloof so quickly
after she’d all but melted in his arms a minute earlier. Did she seriously think
her friend didn’t know they’d just been making out? Because if her flushed mouth
and face didn’t give it away, the bulge at the front of his pants definitely
would.

He set his jaw, reminding himself of the reality here. She was
an officer, and her friend had just interrupted something that could get them
both into trouble. “Good, because it’s going to be a really late night for you.”
She had to know she’d be out there hunting on another sortie tonight in the
darkness, following up on the latest intel about the attacks and any leads
garnered from the prisoners they’d captured. Same as she had to know he’d be out
there somewhere on the ground. Maybe for days.

The sharp edge to her posture softened at his words. “Yes.
Looks like a late one for both of us.” Did he imagine that flicker of worry in
her expression? She ran so hot and cold he couldn’t be sure. He’d had
enough.

Screw
this
. He was done tormenting himself, seesawing back
and forth between hope and frustration, trying to figure out where he actually
stood with her. Message received loud and fucking clear.

He gave a curt nod. “Be safe up there.” Before she could say
something dismissive in that superior tone that made him want to shake her until
her perfect teeth rattled, he brushed past her and Erin into the hallway.
Candace might be a couple of rungs above him on the Air Force ladder, but he was
sick and tired of her treating him like a peon in front of everyone else.
Especially after the way she’d just kissed him.

“Sergeant Wentworth.”

He clenched his jaw but stopped and looked at her over his
shoulder. Erin was walking down the hall away from them, and Candace stood by
the closed door. Her deep brown eyes were full of concern and a hint of regret
he’d never seen in her before. She stared at him for a moment, a troubled frown
creasing her brow. Then she wrapped her arms around her waist in a gesture of
self-comfort as she faced him, and he had to stop himself from striding back
over there and taking her into his arms again.

“Wait.” She took a few steps toward him.

Though he probably should have walked away, he couldn’t make
himself do it. That unguarded expression on her face made him want to tell her
everything would be fine, that he understood and wasn’t angry, then kiss her
until she couldn’t see straight. Instead, he stayed put and raised a questioning
brow.

She paused a few feet from him and licked her lips. “I...How
long do you think you’ll be gone this time?”

The way she looked at him made him believe she truly liked,
maybe even cared about him, despite her repeated brush-offs. And not just
because of the kiss. Something in her eyes told him she was concerned for his
welfare, that part of her was afraid he might not come back. That she might even
miss him if he didn’t.

Or maybe he needed his head examined.

He shrugged. “All night for sure. Could be a couple of days,
though.” Or more. It just depended on what happened when they were out there.
New intel was trickling in every hour.

“Yeah.” She chewed on her bottom lip and kept staring at him,
as though she didn’t want him to leave but was uncertain how much to reveal out
here in the hallway. And now there was something more than simple regret in her
eyes, something so raw and vulnerable it felt like an invisible hand punched
through his ribcage and squashed his heart.

Yearning, he realized with a start. Like she wanted so much
more than the kisses they’d shared and needed him more than she’d ever say.

Held in thrall of that stare, he couldn’t make himself look
away. She made him ache in ways he didn’t understand and sure as hell had never
experienced before. What the hell was he supposed to do?

When he didn’t say anything to fill the pause, however, the
corners of her lips tilted up in a polite smile. It was stiff, forced. “Well.
Take care of yourself out there.”

No
Sergeant
tag, and the concern
behind the words was real. But she wasn’t going to approach him again. Not with
potential spectators around. He could understand that.

Seeing that she cared and knowing she wanted him despite the
obstacle of rank went a long way toward soothing his bruised pride. “Thanks. I
will.” There was so much more he wanted to say. He wished they were still locked
behind the safety of the waiting room door so he could. Since they weren’t, he
settled for politely inclining his head. “Bye, ma’am.”

Her eyes flinched, but she nodded back.

Ryan forced himself to turn around and walk away without a
backward glance. With every step he felt her eyes following him, and a strange
hollow sensation expanded in the center of his chest. Stepping out into the
chilly afternoon air, he was already formulating a plan. If he wanted her, he
was going to have to take matters into his own hands. And he was just fine with
that.

Chapter Five

Seated beside Dover and her navigator, Bertoni, waiting
for the briefing to begin, Candace rolled her head around to relieve the tension
in her neck and shoulders. It had already been a bitch of a long day and it
wasn’t nearly over. The entire base was still on alert, with everyone
maintaining increased vigilance. The brazen attack had left three dead and
twelve wounded, including Bill.

She drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. Visiting him
after he’d been taken up to his room from recovery had been one of the most
difficult things she’d ever had to do, but as an officer she considered it her
duty to take care of her crew. Unfortunately she’d been helpless to do anything
other than offer her support and encouragement.

On top of that, the whole complication with Ryan wasn’t helping
her feel any less distracted at the moment.

The man could be arrogant. And infuriating.

But he’d also shielded her with his body in the middle of that
firefight. Without hesitation or regard for his own safety. Then he’d held her
the way she’d seen him hold Devon in the hospital, cradling her in his arms and
making her feel safe and protected for the first time in weeks, despite the
current threat to the base and everyone on it.

When he’d kissed her, he’d brought every feminine, needy cell
in her body to screaming life. Heat spread through her lower abdomen as she
recalled how skilfully he’d teased her mouth and how it had felt to be pressed
up against his hard, powerful frame. That whole encounter had been anything but
casual, at least on her part. There’d been more intimacy and passion in that
single kiss than she’d had with her previous three boyfriends. Ryan might have a
reputation as a player, but he’d cupped her face between his hands almost
reverently as he held her in that controlled embrace. She’d never known anyone
that strong. In his arms she’d felt practically dainty, and she couldn’t
remember the last time that had happened to her.

“Show time,” Dover muttered when the door opened.

Everyone shifted in their seats as the colonel walked into the
room to begin the briefing. It was a big one, full of air crews and Spec Ops
types, distinguished by their extremely relaxed grooming standards. Among all
the clean-cut crews present, they stuck out noticeably.

The colonel began outlining some of the new intel they’d
received over the last eight hours. “The group claiming responsibility is
connected to Nasrallah,” he continued, “but that’s as high up the chain as we’ve
been able to go so far. There’s another player involved here we haven’t been
able to pinpoint yet, and he’s the key. In the meantime, we’re focusing our
assets in this area.” With a laser he pointed at the large flat screen at the
front of the room and indicated an area south of the Khyber Pass up in the Hindu
Kush Mountains.

He paused a moment to scan the room. “We hit these guys hard a
couple weeks ago, but intel says they’re still going strong and may have tapped
into other groups throughout the tribal region and into Pakistan. Nobody knows
how many commanders he has left or who they might be. Estimates put the total
number at around three hundred, scattered throughout this whole region. SF
elements are currently conducting recon ops in the area with the aim of finding
the main body and Nasrallah.” A picture of a sixty-ish man with a long salt and
pepper beard came on screen. “For those of you who are unfamiliar with
Nasrallah, this guy is a former member of the Northern Alliance and a celebrated
veteran of the Russian-Afghan war.”

So he’d been an American ally at the start of the War on
Terror, and now he’d decided it no longer served his purpose. Another lovely
example of how fast allegiances changed in this part of the world.

The colonel clicked to the next photo, showing Nasrallah
surrounded by a large group of villagers all smiling and reaching for his hand.
He looked like a kindly grandfather, even had the smile lines around his eyes.
“People in the mountains love him and won’t give him up easily. He’s our HVT
right now. Air crews will be assigned recon sorties and must be ready to provide
both interdiction and armed recon to the ground teams. Far as we know, he
doesn’t have triple-A capability, and any weapons he still has will be small
arms. Having said that, we can’t guarantee he doesn’t have something bigger up
his sleeve from someone higher up the food chain. He gets a lot of support and
funding from sympathizers all over the world.” He faced the audience again. “Any
questions so far?”

Though no one said anything, the tension in the room had gone
up palpably. Having a name and a face to focus on in retaliation for today’s
attack made every single person in the briefing antsy to roll outside the wire
and hunt the mastermind down. Her included. At the controls, she was in her
element. She couldn’t wait to get up in the air to help the mission.

Command divvied up the OA and reviewed target locations using
GPS and satellite images. When the briefing finished, Candace checked her watch.
Forty-five minutes before she had to be on the aircraft. “Have you eaten?” she
asked Dover after Bertoni left.

“Yeah. I’m gonna see if I can catch Liz before she leaves to
take Matty to school. He’s playing a turkey in his Thanksgiving pageant
tonight.”

“I’m sure he’ll be an outstanding turkey. Just like his old
man.”

Dover chuckled as he stood and walked out. Outside the room she
turned the corner into a hallway heading for the exit and stopped dead. Ryan was
leaning against the wall near the door, talking with another soldier, defined
arms folded across his chest. She was surprised to see him there, since she’d
assumed he and his team would already be out hunting for Nasrallah.

He hadn’t seen her yet. She hesitated in the hallway a moment,
trying to decide between walking right past him or turning around and pretending
she’d never seen him. After kissing him earlier, she didn’t want to have to face
him so soon. Without a doubt he now knew how much she wanted him. Walking away
seemed too much like a retreat, however. She strode past him, prepared to nod or
say hello, but he didn’t even notice her, still deep in conversation with the
other soldier. It was probably for the best, she told herself as she reached the
end of the hall, trying to ignore the pang of disappointment.

“Captain Bradford.”

His deep voice calling after her put a hitch in her stride,
though she didn’t quite stop, only slowed. The thud of jogging boots gave her
just enough time to brace herself for when he caught up to her.

“Hey.”

“Hello,” she answered, sparing him a quick glance. Her body
tingled at having him this close again.

“Just out of a briefing?” he asked in a casual tone, offering
her a warm smile that felt uncomfortably intimate in light of what they’d
done.

Much to her chagrin, her cheeks grew hot. “Yep, got my marching
orders.”

“So you’re heading to the flight line?”

“Yeah.” Even to her, her tone sounded curt, though she didn’t
mean it to be. But what was she supposed to say to him?
I
want
you
,
but
it
can
never
happen
? The clean scent of his soap drifted on the
wind, threatening to distract her. “Shouldn’t you be in isolation by now?”

“Soon enough.”

Reaching the exit, she threw out a hand to shove the door open,
but he beat her to it and she got an eyeful of the roped muscles in his forearm
beneath the rolled-up sleeve of his ACUs as he held the door for her. “Thank
you,” she murmured, hating that her cheeks were burning at the simple show of
courtesy. “You should put on a jacket.”

“Nah, I’m hot-blooded.” He all but purred the words.

Her eyes jerked to his, and when she saw the teasing glint
there, she had to fight back a smile. “I don’t doubt that.” He’d all but singed
her with the heat in that kiss. She tugged her zipper up higher against the cold
wind, relieved he wasn’t trying to touch her or doing anything to draw attention
to them. Was this how it was going to be from now on? Her pining for him, never
able to have him? And him never letting her forget that?

“I’ll walk you over.”

She firmed her jaw, knowing she had to re-establish the
boundary line between them again. It was her fault it had been blurred—okay,
broken—in the first place. This was a difficult but necessary step. “It’s okay,
I know my way there.”

She’d said it with a teasing note to soften the words, but he
threw her an annoyed look. “What, we can’t even be seen walking together
now?”

“Technically we shouldn’t be seen doing
anything
together, and you know it.” They definitely shouldn’t have
kissed. Why had she given into that moment of weakness? Her behavior was an
embarrassment. And no doubt it had confused him. She should probably apologize,
though she had a feeling he’d laugh. The sooner she got away from him, the
better.

Despite her abrupt demeanor, Ryan kept pace beside her, his
long legs easily keeping up with her hurried strides. “I still think you’re
carrying this non-fraternization thing too far.”

“Is that right.”

He shrugged those wide shoulders that she’d clung to only hours
ago. She could still feel the way his muscles had shifted beneath her hands. “In
case you haven’t noticed, this isn’t the Marine Corps. You won’t be written up
for talking to or having a meal with me. We’re not part of each other’s chain of
command, so no worries there. NCOs eat with enlisteds all the time here. There
won’t be a problem as long as we’re discreet.”

Yeah, but other officers didn’t have to worry about their image
and reputation the way she did, either. She didn’t bother explaining her
situation to him, because she knew what his response would be, and things were
awkward enough between them without adding yet another complication. Still, it
made her feel outright rude to rebuff him after what had happened earlier.
Telling him to get lost now would make her the worst kind of hypocrite. For
God’s sake, she’d had her tongue in the man’s mouth, ready to climb his body
just to get more of him. Kind of tough to deny she’d been a willing participant
or hide that she’d wanted him. And still did.

Already tingling from the cool air, her cheeks heated at the
thought. God, why was this walk taking so long? The man made her want things she
could never have. “We should never have crossed that line. It was my fault, and
I take full resp—”

“Sorry, but no. I kissed you. Then you kissed me back.”

Frowning, she nodded, glad there was no one nearby to overhear
the conversation. “I did. It was wrong of me.”

“You mean you regret it?” He sounded almost offended.

“Not for the reasons I should, no,” she confessed, figuring she
owed him that much.

He seemed to relax at that. “Me neither.”

At least she wasn’t alone in her misery. “Okay then,” she
muttered. “I guess the damage is already done. Just...please be discreet, okay?
I’ve got a lot on the line here, things you don’t know about.”

He shot her a hard look that told her just how little he
thought of her lack of trust in him when it came to protecting her reputation.
“Anything else?”

A pang of regret sliced through her at the reproach in his
tone. “No.”
Only
that
I
wish
things
could
have
been
different
between
us
.

“Okay.”

She didn’t look at him to check his expression, but she sensed
she might have insulted him. He didn’t say a word the rest of the way to the
flight line. The whole way there she flopped back and forth about whether she
should stay silent or engage him in civil conversation. It wasn’t like anyone
was staring at them. There was nothing in their body language to suggest
intimacy of any kind. He wasn’t trying to touch her or flirt with her. Maybe
they’d finally turned the corner in their...association? Damn, but she found
this respectful side of him incredibly sweet.

The lengthy silence between them wasn’t at all awkward, though
it surprised her he wasn’t still trying to carry on a conversation. Why else
would he follow her across the base for no reason? He was staying right next to
her like her own personal escort.

Or a bodyguard.

Startled by that possibility, she angled a suspicious look at
him. “Wait. Are you...
guarding
me?”

He flicked her a sidelong glance. “Nope. Just making sure you
get where you need to go safely.”

Despite herself, what must have been a sappy smile spread
across her face and her heart squeezed. The man was totally guarding her.
Because he truly cared. “Is it because of this morning?”

A casual shrug. “No, I just felt like walking with you. Wasn’t
sure when I’d get to see you again after tonight.”

She sobered instantly, a jolt of alarm running through her. “I
guess you’ll be gone for a while.”

“Yeah. Just waiting for command to pull the trigger.” He stayed
right at her shoulder, his gaze never staying still, on the watch for anything
suspicious. To keep her safe, or at least make her feel that way.

She was totally on to him now. If he wasn’t in isolation now,
it probably meant his unit wouldn’t be going out tonight unless something urgent
came in. And if he wasn’t going out and hadn’t been in a briefing, there was no
reason for him to be standing in the hallway when she’d come out of that
room.

And that meant he’d been waiting out there just so he could see
her.

Ah, damn, now she had a lump in her throat. His thoughtfulness
touched her, and the show of protectiveness—unnecessary though it was—made her
feel cherished. A dangerous and seductive combination.