Taming GI Jane (6 page)

Tom reached across the table, but hesitated just short of touching her. “You have…” His fingers brushed at something on her cheek then. Tendrils of heat slid through her at the contact. “…mud on your cheek.”
He smiled, and Jane’s heart squeezed.

“Thank you,” she said, then looked away from his hopeful gaze. How could she deal with this? Why didn’t he just stop looking at her that way? As if he wanted her more than he wanted to take his next breath.

“What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. “Mountain climbing?”

Jane
stilled. She could feel his long legs on either side of hers. If she shifted even slightly either way, they would touch. She shivered at the thought of feeling his muscled thighs on either side of hers, his full body weight on hers. She could even imagine the sensation of his firm lips, ready for a kiss. Electricity sizzled along her nerve endings at the thought of his wicked tongue invading her mouth. Her feminine muscles tightened when her wild imagination played out what would happen next. Jane jerked herself from the forbidden fantasy and focused on the question he had asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” she admitted woodenly
. “I don’t know what Reg has on his schedule for tomorrow.”

Reg was conspicuously absent this evening.
Jane wondered if that was a bad sign. Maybe he was afraid to show his face after the outrageous hairdos he had given the ladies. Maybe lynching hadn’t gone out of style in Alabama. She touched her throat and swallowed.

“You know there’s a ne
w movie playing at the theater tomorrow night. I hear it’s gotten great reviews.” Tom paused for a significant second. “Maybe we could take a little time off and go see it. That is,” he amended with a little shrug, “if you’d like to.” He tried hard to act as if her answer didn’t matter much one way or another.

Jane
smiled sadly. His persistence, not to mention his sincerity, touched her deeply. Too deeply. Why didn’t he just forget about her? That way maybe she could forget about him. She looked away and cleared her throat. “That’s not a good idea, Tom.”

His powerful thighs closed in on
Jane’s knees. Desire shuddered through her like an earthquake. She turned back to him. He nailed her with a look that told her just how determined he was.

“I knew I didn’t misread you,” he told her knowingly
. “I saw the little hitch in your breathing just then.”

“Tom—”

“And you’re wrong,” he continued. “It is a good idea.” He studied her with those amazing blue eyes. “In fact, it’s a great idea.”

A scream that rattled
Jane’s teeth halted the argument she was prepared to launch. Dead silence settled over the dining room. Nobody moved.

“The kitchen,” Tom suggested, already pushing back from the table.

“Right,” Jane muttered as she shot to her feet and raced after Tom who was halfway across the dining room now.

Jane
skidded to a halt in the rear of the big kitchen. Tom was kneeling next to a seriously shaken Hattie who lay flat on her back in the tiled floor.

“What happened, Hattie?”
Tom asked as he visually inspected her for injury.

Jane
knelt on the other side of the pale-as-a-ghost cook. “Are you all right?”

Hattie looked from
Jane to Tom as if she were confused. She lifted her head slightly, then screamed at the top of her lungs again.

“What is it, Hattie?” Tom demanded, concern etched across his handsome face.

Hattie pointed to a shelf beneath a long stainless steel worktable. Jane and Tom followed her gesture. Both jumped at what they saw. A snake peeked from between two large bowls. Tom swore. Hattie half-scooted, half-crawled away until the wall stopped her.

“Get that thing out of my kitchen,” she screeched.

“How the hell did it get in here?” Tom cautiously eased a little closer to the table.

Jane
squinted to get a better look. She shook her head from side to side when recognition dawned. “It’s okay,” she told Tom. She leaned forward and pushed aside one of the bowls.

“Wait.” Tom jerked her back.
Jane lost her balance and fell right in his lap. He held on to her when she would have scrambled away. “It’s poisonous,” he warned curtly, as if she were dense.

“Don’t worry,”
Jane told him in spite of the sudden tightness in her throat. The feel of his strong thighs beneath her butt made her heart skip a beat. She moistened her lips and forced her gaze back to the snake. “We’ve met before. It’s dead.” Jane hurried from Tom’s arms before she changed her mind and snuggled into that inviting embrace. She leaned down and pulled the dead snake from its hiding place and dropped it onto the floor.

Tom, who was standing right beside her now, kicked the snake with the toe of his running shoe. He released a big breath. “It’s dead all right.”

“And I’ll bet I can tell you just who did this, too,” Jane said disgustedly. “We ran into this critter this afternoon,” she explained.

“You think somebody went back and got him to scare Hattie?” Tom asked warily. “One of the ladies?”

“That’s exactly what I think.”

Hattie sidled between
Jane and Tom. She bent down and peered at the dead reptile. She straightened, hands on hips. She looked from Tom to Jane, outrage in her gaze. “You do know,” she began, “this means war.”

Chapter Six

Tom paced the length of his cabin once more. He paused at the front window and stared out at the dark July night. Frustration welled in his chest until he finally shook his head and turned back to the woman standing quietly in the middle of his room. She wasn’t helping his frustration level. But there was nothing he could do about that. The next move had to be hers. And
Jane held staunchly to her all-work-and-no-play motto. Tom blew out another exasperated breath. Right now he had bigger problems than his sex life, or lack thereof, to resolve.

“I still can’t believe they trudged back into the woods and dragged that dead snake back to the kitchen.” He raked his fingers though his hair and leaned against the window frame.

Jane folded her arms over her middle and shrugged. “You were the one who thought they were too old for that kind of stuff,” she reminded.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Tom pushed away from the window and walked in
her direction. “It won’t be the first time I was wrong,” he said pointedly, then dropped into his favorite chair. He had been mistaken about Jane, it seemed. He thought she wanted last night’s kiss as much as he did. Could he have really been that wrong?

He
stared down at her. “You could sit down,” he offered a little curtly. “It’s not like I’m going to attack you or anything.”

Huffing a breath of her own frustration,
Jane made herself comfortable on the couch directly across the coffee table from him. Tom hadn’t seen her in anything other than her uniform and the camp’s sweatpants and T-shirts. And she looked damned fine in those. But Jane Passerella molded into a faded pair of ragged Levi’s was breathtaking. The olive drab T-shirt she wore had seen better days as well, but it sculpted to her small, firm breasts like a second skin. He was pretty damned sure she wasn’t wearing a bra. He squinted. Was that a tattoo on her upper arm? The short sleeve of her tee mostly covered it.

He shook off his distraction. That alone
made this meeting as frustrating as hell. Why couldn’t he simply have a conversation with the woman without noticing…all of her?

Tom swallowed hard. Her hair was down, too. Really down—no braid, no bun. It draped her shoulders just as he had imagined it would.
The long, silky stuff still looked damp here and there. Tom had been furious when he had stormed over to her cabin and demanded an immediate meeting. Jane informed him that she had just returned from the shower and that she would come to his cabin as soon as possible.

Five minutes later, she knocked on his door. Tom felt like a complete heel now for allowing his
anger to get the better of him. He wasn’t mad at Jane. Hell, he wasn’t mad at anybody really. All he could think about at the moment, with those big brown eyes staring at him, was how he would like to make love to this little sergeant. Right now. Right here.

“You said you wanted to talk,” she reminded when he continued to stare at her without speaking.

“Look.” He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his spread knees. “I know the ladies have apologized profusely to Hattie. And I know they didn’t mean any real harm, but what if Hattie had hurt herself when she fell?” He frowned, thinking about what might’ve happened. “Or worse, she could have had a heart attack. Hattie isn’t a young woman.”

Jane
shrugged. “I don’t know what else to do. No one will admit who actually did it. They’re taking the blame as a group. I do have my suspicions.” She thought for a minute. “I can’t, in good conscience, work them any harder than I already am. If we complain to the general, it’ll look as if we can’t handle the job.”

Tom spotted something in
Jane’s eyes that made his gut clench. She was seriously worried. “Wait a minute, Jane,” he said cautiously. “You don’t think I’d complain to the general without talking to you first, do you?”

“I guess I couldn’t blame you if you did. The ladies have been truly obnoxious. And I feel responsible.” She averted her gaze so he wouldn’t read the rest of what was likely running through her mind.

If anything went wrong, Jane would take the heat. She would be held responsible, Tom realized with profound clarity. No way would he let that happen. He stood, took the three steps that separated them, and sat down on the edge of the coffee table. He rested his elbows on his knees once more and settled his gaze firmly onto hers, whether she liked it or not.

“
Jane, we’re in this together. I hope you understand that,” he said quietly. “I asked to have a drill sergeant assigned here and I’m not going to let you take the blame for anything alone.”

Staring at her hands, she
twisted and untwisted her fingers. “Thank you, but those women are my responsibility. I—”

Tom covered her fidgeting hands with his. She watched as his fingers closed around hers. Her hands felt so small and delicate within in his big, rough ones. A protective feeling that overwhelm
ed all else bloomed in his chest. “I’m the director of this camp. They’re my responsibility, too. And Reg’s and Hattie’s.”

Jane
finally met his gaze again. She looked at him for a long time before she spoke. He saw the uncertainty, the worry that she tried to hide. But it was the desire that made his heart stumble. He hadn’t been wrong about her response to his kiss. He had the sudden urge to do a little end-zone victory dance, but he held himself in check. Jane had more to say. And he was far from getting her to admit her feelings to herself, much less to him.

“Tom, I appreciate
what you’re saying. But that’s not the way the Army does things. I cannot fail in this mission.” She pressed him with her gaze, trying to make him understand. “It’s just not an option. I’ve probably already offended the general’s wife.”

Tom wanted to reassure her, he really did. But he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t even breathe. There was something about the way her hair fell across her cheek when she lifted her head,
the way her eyes turned an even darker shade of brown when she looked deeply into his eyes. And the way her fingers clasped his…there was just something about Jane that made him ache for some…
thing
he couldn’t name.

“We won’t fail,” he managed past the lump in his throat. “I promise.”

She smiled. And his heart rejoiced. The smile was completely unguarded and totally beautiful.

“You can’t promise that,” she argued, her voice trembling with the emotion now shining in her eyes. She wasn’t smiling anymore. Her expression was as fiercely intent
as his must be.

“I just did,” he murmured. Hi
s gaze moved down to her lips, which were full, lush, and tempting beyond what any man could bear. But he couldn’t kiss her.

“Tom.” One small hand pulled free of his and came up to touch his jaw.

He closed his eyes and savored the feel of her fingers on his skin.

“Why do you do this to me?” she murmured.

The ache he heard in her voice mirrored his own. He opened his eyes and connected with the desperation in those dark mesmerizing depths. “I just can’t help myself…”

He
knew the moment she surrendered. The need, the desire, the tenderness—it was all right there in her eyes. Somehow her lips found his. The kiss was slow, easy, and sweet. But when her fingers threaded into his hair, Tom had to have more…had to be closer. He dropped to his knees on the floor and pushed between her thighs.

Sh
e took full control of the kiss then. Pulling him closer, thrusting her soft tongue inside his mouth. Tom touched her hair first, stroking the silky stuff down over her firm breasts. His groin tightened unmercifully when his fingertips touched her nipples. Jane moaned into his mouth and the sound twisted his insides, made him crazy with need. He flattened his palms against her slender ribcage and concentrated on the feel of her sweet lips against his.

She leaned back, pulling him
with her, kissing him passionately. The heat between her thighs burned into him. He wanted to touch her there, but it was too soon. His hands slipped down to the bottom of her T-shirt and pushed the fabric upward. She arched toward him, urging him on. He pressed his erection against her, grinding their bodies together. The feel of her satiny skin beneath his palms undid him completely.

Tom pulled free of the kiss and lowered his mouth
to the soft skin of her throat. She encouraged him with soft sounds. He rained kisses over her breasts, enjoying the womanly taste of her. He teased her nipples, tugging gently until she cried in pleasurable agony, then he took one into his mouth and sucked long and hard.

“Tom…oh, God, Tom.”

He pulled back far enough to haul the shirt over her head. He watched as her long, hair tumbled over her shoulders, then over her swollen breasts. She reached for his shirt next, tugging it up and off. She tossed it to the floor with her own. Her soft fingers caressed his chest, touching, learning.

He closed his eyes and stifled the groan that
rose in his throat. When her mouth closed over his left nipple, he roared with need. His hands fisted in her hair, urging her closer, telegraphing his need for more. He reached for her breasts, squeezed them, stimulating the pebbled peaks with his thumbs. She teased him with her teeth, her tongue, then sucked until sweat broke out across his forehead. He wasn’t sure how much more he could take. She was driving him mad. It had been too long since he had allowed himself this kind of pleasure…he wanted her too much.

He closed his fingers around her tiny waist and urged
her to her feet. She moaned a slight protest, but obeyed. As she watched him, he unbuttoned her jeans, then lowered the zipper. Her breath caught when he slipped his hands inside and pushed the soft denim and satin panties from her hips. He took a long moment to admire the beauty of Jane’s utterly feminine body. She shivered when his ragged breath fanned against her sensitized skin. He restrained the need to take her now…this had to be special. He had to move slowly. Very, very slowly.

Lifting first
one foot and then the other, he removed her shoes. With the shoes gone, he took off her jeans and panties in the same manner. Then he sat back on his heels and took in all of her.

Jane
was beautiful. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted slightly. Her breasts rose and fell with her rapid intake of breath. Unable to hold back a moment longer, he pressed a kiss between her breasts. Slowly, taking great pains, he kissed each rib on his journey downward. His tongue dipped inside her naval, then lower, and lower. He nuzzled her intimately until she groaned with pleasure.

Tom wrapped his arms around
her then and lowered her to the floor. Her heart felt as if it might burst from her chest at any moment. He brushed a fleeting kiss across her lips, then left her. Jane opened her eyes to see where he had gone. In one fluid motion he removed his sweatpants and briefs. She watched the smooth flex and contraction of his muscles as he moved. His body was every bit as perfect as she remembered. She held her breath as he knelt between her thighs.

His gaze lingered on hers for the briefest moment, his expression fierce. He leaned forward then, braced his hands on either side of her waist and dipped his head down to take her breast again.
Jane clutched at the soft rug beneath her. He gave equal attention to her other breast, heightening her erotic tension.

He moved over her then, his lips on her shoulder, her throat, then sealing completely over hers.
Jane pushed her arms around his lean waist and pulled him closer. His tongue thrust into her mouth. Her legs entwined with his. His hand moved between them, and his fingers stroked flesh so sensitive that she lost her breath completely. He guided himself to her delicate folds, and his first nudge sent fire rushing through her veins. He thrust fully, then he held absolutely still for two long beats. Jane climaxed on his next thrust.

But that wasn’t enough for Tom. He lifted her bottom, pushing more deeply inside her. The building tension started anew. Each powerful thrust, each kiss of his lips pushed her closer and closer to another peak.
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to hold back—to wait for him. But she couldn’t. Her body responded to him on a level that was beyond all control. Climax crashed down around her once more, and this time the rhythmic throbbing and clenching went on and on until his body jerked with the first throes of release.

Tom rolled onto his
side, pulling her against him. For a long time they could only struggle for breath. There was no strength to speak. She closed her eyes and replayed every perfect moment. She had only made love twice before and neither occasion had come close to this. Tom was a skilled lover, that was clear. A twinge of inadequacy skittered through her. Could she have possibly pleased him half as much as he had pleased her?

“
Jane.” He murmured against her hair, then pressed a tender kiss there. “You are so beautiful…so perfect. No one has ever made me feel this way before.”

A delicious glow replaced all her doubts. She had
pleased Tom. At the moment that was the most important thing in the world to her.

~*~

After PT the next morning, Jane dismissed the decidedly reserved ladies. No one whined or complained about anything, not even the three-mile walk, which was accomplished in record time. Jane wasn’t sure she should be relieved or suspicious. Whatever the case, the ladies would be Reg’s problem for the next two hours.