Читать книгу By Request Collection April-June 2016 - Оливия Гейтс - Страница 75

“DARLIN,” HE GROANED, “I don’t know how you could think you could ever disappoint me. I mean, look at you.”

They had reached Captain Larson’s housing unit, and Chase had gotten them both inside without anyone seeing them. He turned on a small light next to the bed, and then took his bandana and laid it across the top of the lampshade to create a soft, muted glow.

As soon as he’d finished that, he’d turned to Kate and caught her hands in his, spreading her arms wide so that he could look his fill. Kate tried not to feel self-conscious, but couldn’t help wishing that she had something more feminine and attractive to wear instead of her cargo pants and soft jersey top.

But Chase didn’t seem to notice or care.

“Come here,” he said roughly, and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly against his hard body. “You have no idea the hell I went through this morning when you gave me the frost treatment.”

Kate tipped her head back and let her gaze drift over his features, committing them to memory. She traced the contours of his lean cheeks and square jaw, before she bracketed his face in both hands and drew his head down for a kiss.

“You don’t know the hell I went through when I thought you had spent the night with Captain Larson,” she murmured against his mouth. “I hope I never have to go through anything like that again.”

With a groan, Chase deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue against hers and feasting on her mouth. Kate’s blood began to hum through her veins, and she wove her fingers through his hair, loving the velvet-rough sensation against her palms. He smoothed his hand down over her hips and cupped her rear, pulling her up against his arousal.

When he released her and stepped back, Kate blinked. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Absolutely nothing. But I want tonight to be special. And I’ve dreamed of undressing you, slowly, revealing you inch by inch.” So saying, he reached out and unfastened the top button of her blouse, and then the next one, folding the fabric back and bending his head to press a kiss against the exposed skin. By the time he got to the last button, he was crouched in front of her, holding her hips in his big palms as he dragged his lips over her stomach. Kate ran her hands over his head, encouraging him.

“You’re so soft,” he muttered, and his fingers went to the fastening of her jeans. He drew the zipper down slowly, pushing the material aside and pressing his face into the open V, breathing deeply before kissing her through the silky fabric of her panties. “You smell good enough to eat.”

True to his word, he undressed her slowly, pulling her pants free of her legs, and easing her blouse off until she stood in front of him wearing nothing more than her bra and panties. Standing up, he held her arms out and the heat and masculine appreciation in his eyes gave Kate a sense of feminine power.

Smoothing her hands over her stomach, she reached up and skated her fingers over her breasts before reaching behind her to unfasten her bra. Chase swallowed hard and she saw a muscle flex in his lean cheek.

“Do you want me to take this off, or would you rather do it?” she asked, tipping her head and giving him a sultry smile.

“No. I mean, I want to watch you take it off,” he said, his voice husky.

Kate was amazed at how quickly and easily the tables had turned. She’d thought that he would pounce on her the second the door was shut; that he would consume her and possess her before she even knew what had happened. But he’d taken his time, and he’d made the mistake of letting her wield her power over him. She liked that feeling, and she wanted to keep it going.

Slowly, without taking her eyes from him, she slid the straps of her bra down her arms, letting the cups catch on the tips of her breasts until, finally, she let the garment drop to the floor. Chase released his breath on a soft groan, but when he would have reached for her, she held up a hand to forestall him.

“Not yet.” She smiled. “You wanted to take this slow, so that’s what we’re going to do. Right now, all you get to do is watch.”

Hooking her thumbs in the lacy waistband of her panties, she shimmied them over her hips and let them slide down the length of her legs until she was able to kick them free. She watched as Chase’s eyes darkened with desire, and she could see the evidence of his arousal beneath his camo pants. Emboldened, she skimmed her fingertips over her breasts and stomach, and down to the apex of her thighs, wanting to tease him just a little.

“Kate,” he warned in a soft growl. “You’re killing me.”

She felt no embarrassment at standing nude in front of Chase; the expression on his face told her clearly that he more than liked what he saw. But she wanted to do more than just arouse him; she wanted to completely rock his world and give him something to remember long after she was gone. Keeping that in mind, she walked slowly toward him.

“I don’t want to do that,” she assured him. “But I do want to kiss you.”

Looping her arms around his neck, she allowed her breasts to brush against his chest, before she cupped his head in her hands and angled her mouth across his, licking along the seam of his lips until he gave an audible groan and opened beneath her onslaught. He tasted faintly of mint, and the sensation of his tongue sliding hotly against hers caused heat to slip beneath her skin until her entire body felt overheated and achy with need.

As she kissed him, her fingers worked the buttons of his camo shirt, and she tugged the hem free from his waistband. She slid her hands under the fabric, over the smooth, hard ridges of his abdomen. His skin was like hot silk, and dragging her mouth from his, she forged a path of moist kisses down his neck and over his chest, flicking her tongue against the small, flat nubs of his nipples.

He groaned, and when her fingers dropped to his belt and fumbled with the buckle, he brushed her hands away and unfastened it for her. Kate popped the button of his pants and slowly drew the zipper down. Chase’s breathing was uneven now, but when Kate would have dropped to her knees, he caught her by the elbows and pulled her back up.

“What?” she asked. “I want to touch you.”

“Ah, darlin’, I want the same thing, but I don’t want you on your knees.” So saying, he backed her up until her legs encountered the edge of the bed and she sat down.

“Hmm,” she said approvingly, now that his hips were at eye-level, “I like the way you think.”

He looked incredibly sexy, with his camo shirt unbuttoned, revealing the corrugated muscles of abdomen, and Kate’s mouth began to water. Chase’s expression was taut as he watched her through heated eyes. Swallowing hard, she put her hand against him, feeling his hard length thrusting against her palm beneath the fabric of his pants.

“You’re so hard,” she breathed, glancing up at him.

A dimple appeared in one cheek. “You bet.”

Kate pushed his pants over his hips, and slid her hand inside the waistband of his underwear. His breathing hitched as her fingers curled around him. Pushing his briefs down over his hips, she released him. He was long and thick, and the blunted head of his penis reminded her of a ripe plum. She wanted badly to taste him.

His hands stroked her hair as she bent forward and ran her tongue over him. He gave a loud groan, and his fingers traced the curve of her ears, but he didn’t apply any pressure. Emboldened by his response, Kate took him in her mouth and swirled her tongue over his length, while she curled her fingers around the base and gently squeezed.

He tasted delicious, and she wanted more. With her free hand, she stroked his hip and buttock, and then cupped his balls, teasing him as she slid her mouth over him. His breathing was ragged now, and looking up at him, she saw he had put his head back. His eyes were closed and he looked like every decadent fantasy she had ever had, and her body responded instantly.

She increased the pressure and tempo of her mouth, until he began to thrust helplessly against her, and then pulled completely free.

“I can’t last if you do that,” he admitted raggedly, and bent down to unlace his boots and kick them off, and then push his underwear and pants free. Kate sat back and just stared. The guy was in amazing condition, and her fingers itched to explore the deep grooves of muscle that ran diagonally from his waist to his groin. Even his thighs were hard and muscled.

Peeling his shirt off, he bent down and slanted his mouth against Kate’s as he pushed her back on the bed, licking and sucking at her tongue. His fingers kneaded her breasts as he kissed her. Sliding a hand behind one leg, he dragged it up and around his waist, and settled himself against the entrance to her body.

“I’ve been dying to do this,” he muttered against her mouth. Easing himself to her side, he smoothed a hand over her stomach and dipped his fingers between her legs. Bending his head, he took a nipple into his mouth, sucking on it as he stroked her inner thighs, and then slid his fingers along her cleft until he found her center.

“Oh, man, you are so wet,” he said against her skin. Kate cried out as his fingers tormented her clitoris, before he thrust a finger into her. “I want to watch you come.”

Desire spiraled sharply through her, and her sex pulsed strongly around his finger. She felt hot and swollen and ached for release. Reaching for him, she wrapped her fingers around him and stroked his hard length, loving his grunts of pleasure. The torment of his fingers, combined with his sexy words, was too much.

“Oh,” she gasped, feeling an orgasm building, “I’m going to …”

“Look at me,” Chase demanded, slicking his fingers over her swollen flesh.

Kate did. His breathing was ragged, but his fingers never stopped working their magic. His green eyes were slumberous and seemed to glow with his arousal. Dipping his head, he licked her breast and then flicked his tongue against her nipple.

“C’mon, darlin’,” he said hoarsely. “Come for me.”

Kate did, and Chase caught her frantic cries with his mouth as her hips bucked against his hand, flooding his fingers with her moisture. He didn’t stop until he’d wrung every last shudder from her body, and she pushed weakly at his hand.

“Stop, please,” she gasped, “I can’t take any more.”

Chase did, withdrawing his hand and pulling her against his chest. “That was amazing,” he rasped against her temple. “Your entire body flushes when you have an orgasm. I could feel you tightening around my fingers, and you were so slippery.”

Kate smiled and turned her face into his neck, embarrassed by his graphic description of her orgasm. Her muscles still thrummed with pleasure, and she reveled in the feel of Chase’s warm body against hers. Reaching down, she ran the back of her fingers along his erection. He jerked against her, and when she stroked her thumb across the small slit, it came away slick with moisture.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m still aroused,” she admitted, pressing a soft, moist kiss against his mouth. “I want to feel you inside me.”

“Ah, babe,” he growled softly. “You are so freaking sexy. Here, turn onto your stomach.”

Kate did as he asked, bending her arms over her head. He straddled her legs and for a moment he just stood looking at her.

“You have a gorgeous back,” he said, stroking his hands down the length of her spine. “And this, right here, where your hips flare out, is amazing.” He cupped her buttocks and squeezed them, pulling them up and apart until she felt a sharp tug of arousal in her sex. He smoothed his hands over her buttocks, and then slid a hand between them to stroke her intimately from behind. “Oh, yeah, so wet … here, bend your knees.”

He raised her hips up until her knees were bent and splayed, and Kate knew he could see everything. Instead of feeling embarrassed, she grew even more aroused, knowing that this incredible man wanted her, and would soon take her with his own body.

He slid his hand over her, using a finger to part her. “Oh, man, if you could see what I’m seeing,” he groaned. “You look amazing.”

“I want you inside me,” she said, sliding her hands beneath the pillow and arching her back even more. Turning her head, she watched as he looked at her. He had his thick cock in his hand and he gave it two quick strokes before he fitted himself against her entrance. His face was dark and flushed with arousal, his attention sharply focused on the spot where he entered her. Grasping her hip with one hand, he eased himself into her.

“You’re so snug,” he muttered. “Don’t move.”

He pushed further, and Kate moaned softly at the sensation of being stretched and filled. When he was finally fully inside her, he began to move, and Kate gasped with pleasure. The position and angle made him feel huge, and she welcomed how he grasped her hips and thrust strongly into her. He was long and hot, and the friction of his movement caused an answering heat to build inside her. She began to move against him, rotating her hips as he ground against her.

He moved completely over her, bracing his weight on one hand as he slid the other hand over her breasts, kneading them and tugging at her sensitized nipples. But when he slid his hand over her stomach and between her legs, lust exploded inside her. He stroked her clitoris as he filled her, and Kate cried out softly, feeling another orgasm begin to build.

“Oh, my God,” she gasped, “you feel so good.”

He grunted and swept her hair aside, kissing her neck and then swirling his tongue over her ear. “I want you to come again,” he growled, and punctuated his words with another bone-melting thrust.

Kate was so close, but when he rubbed her hard, she came apart, crying out as she convulsed around him. She heard him give a deep, guttural groan, and then he surged into her one last time. He pulsed hotly inside her for several long seconds, holding her tightly, until finally, they both collapsed against the mattress.

“Oh, man,” he said, withdrawing from her body and pulling her with him as he eased himself onto his side. “I think you killed me.”

Trying to control her uneven breathing, Kate put her head on his shoulder and curled herself around him. Her body gave one last, convulsive shiver and Chase slid his arms around her, hugging her tight.

“That was … unbelievable,” she said softly, and tipped her face up for his kiss.

Chase cupped her face in his hand and explored her mouth in a long, slow kiss that Kate felt all the way to her toes. When he finally pulled away, she thought he looked more content than she had ever seen him before. A smile played around his mouth and the lines of stress and fatigue were gone from around his eyes.

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” she said, before she could stop herself.

He looked at her, sobering. “Yeah, me, too.”

“I guess the military is going to want you back to do real work sooner or later.”

“I guess so.”

Kate raised herself on her elbow, propping her head on her hand as she studied him. She traced a finger around one of his nipples, and down the groove that bisected his body. “So why would they send someone like you to escort me around?”

“I’m with Special Ops, and the Pentagon issued a stand-down order the same day that you flew in. I was on a mission in northern Afghanistan when we got the order to return to base immediately.” He gave a huff of laughter. “I was pretty irritated when I found out I was going to have to babysit a couple of entitled celebrities.” He slanted her an apologetic look. “At least that’s what I thought I was getting. Little did I know.”

“And what did you get?” she asked, smiling.

“I got the sexiest woman I’ve ever known, and I think you care very much about your sister.”

“Hmm. So if I’m hearing you correctly, you’re not all that irritated anymore?”

Chase rolled over and pinned her beneath him, easily capturing her hands and holding them over her head. “No,” he said, his eyes gleaming. “I trust my team to do their job until I return. In fact, I’ll take great pleasure in showing you just how happy I am to be assigned to you … day and night.”

He lowered his head and covered her mouth with his own, and Kate sighed in happy submission.

WHEN CHASE FINALLY walked Kate back to her own housing unit, it was almost 3:00 a.m. The roads were dark, and Chase used a small flashlight to illuminate their way. They didn’t pass anyone, and when they reached the door to her unit, Chase took her in his arms and kissed her. After a long moment, he raised his head and gave her a rueful smile.

“I don’t want to let you go, but you need to get some sleep. I’ll come get you both for breakfast in about five hours, okay?”

Kate nodded, pressing her fingers against her lips as if she could still feel him there. She let herself quietly into her room and undressed without turning on the light. On the lower bunk next to hers, she could just make out the shapeless lump of her sister, sleeping soundly. Easing herself into her own cot, she winced as the springs made a loud squeaking sound. But Tenley didn’t move or make a noise, so Kate lay down and pulled the blankets over her shoulder.

She lay on her side for a long time, thinking about her time with Chase. She had no regrets. In fact, she couldn’t remember when she’d last felt so happy. They hadn’t talked about what would happen when she returned to the States, but Kate knew they could keep their relationship alive. Tennessee wasn’t so far from North Carolina that they couldn’t make it work.

Rolling onto her back, she looked over at Tenley’s bed. She was brimming with so much inner excitement that she knew sleep would be an impossibility, and she wanted to share it with someone.

“Tenley!” she whispered. “Wake up.” There was no sound from the other bunk, so she leaned over and shook the mattress. “Tenley!”

When there was still no response, Kate frowned and flipped on the small light. She stared in dismay at Tenley’s empty bed. What she had thought was her sister was just the rumpled blankets and Tenley’s backpack. Leaping out of her own bed, she quickly checked the top bunks, which were also empty. Her first panicked thought was that Tenley had been abducted. She recalled the young soldier who had jumped onto the stage. Had he somehow found out where Tenley slept? Checking the small side table, she found Chase’s beeper exactly where she had left it earlier. Picking it up, she prepared to press the button when the doorknob of the housing unit opened, and Tenley entered.

“Oh, my God,” she said, sagging in relief. “Where were you? I’ve been frantic!”

Tenley avoided her gaze. “Nowhere. I mean, I went to the bathroom.”

“By yourself? I thought we talked about this. You aren’t supposed to go anywhere without an escort.”

Tenley gave Kate a helpless look. “Well, it wasn’t like you were around to go with me. Where were you, anyway? And don’t tell me the bathroom, because then I’d know you were lying.”

“It doesn’t matter where I was,” Kate hedged. “You should have used the beeper like we agreed.”

“I’m sorry,” her sister said, sounding sincere. “I was tired and I really had to pee and I guess I forgot.”

Kate drew in a deep breath and struggled for patience. “Okay. The important thing is that you’re safe. Get some sleep.”

She didn’t miss how Tenley avoided her eyes as she sat on the edge of the bunk and kicked her shoes off. But as Kate waited for her sister to climb under the covers, Tenley flipped her hair back, inadvertently revealing a purplish bruise on her neck. Kate’s fingers paused on the light switch.

“What the hell is that on your neck?”

Tenley at least had the grace to look embarrassed, and put a hand to the spot in an attempt to cover it. “It’s nothing,” she mumbled. “I’ve had it for a while.”

“You have, my ass,” Kate said, and reached over to pull Tenley’s hair aside and inspect what was clearly a very large, very recent hickey. “How did you get this?”

“Stop it,” Tenley said, pushing her hand away. “It’s nothing.”

“You didn’t go to the bathroom,” Kate accused. “You were with someone, and I want to know who it was.”

“Yeah, right,” Tenley retorted with uncharacteristic bitterness. “Like I’m going to tell you. Why don’t we just share all our secrets? You can start by telling me who you were with tonight, as if I couldn’t guess.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about your watchdog, Major Rawlins. The guy can’t keep his eyes off you, and anyone can see he couldn’t wait to get you alone. So I’m guessing that he succeeded, and that’s where you’ve been all night. So leave me alone, okay?”

Kate felt herself go warm beneath Tenley’s knowing regard. “The difference is that I’m an adult, Tenley, and I’ve at least had a chance to get to know Major Rawlins. You’ve been here for less than twenty-four hours and you’ve already hooked up with some stranger!”

Tenley climbed into her bunk and deliberately turned her back to Kate. “I don’t want to talk to you about it,” she said over her shoulder.

Kate tried one more time. “Tenley, you’re a beautiful girl, but your status as a celebrity singer makes you a target. What do you really know about this guy?”

“I said,” Tenley bit out, “that I don’t want to talk about it.”

Kate sighed, feeling more frustrated and confused than she had in a long time. She was losing Tenley, she could feel it. As she turned out the light and laid down, she recalled all the times Tenley had turned to her for advice. She’d been such a sweet, adorable little girl and Kate had loved looking after her. When had her baby sister become so grown up? When had she become capable of sneaking around behind her back?

Kate thought it had all started in Las Vegas, when Tenley had run off and gotten married to that soldier, Corporal Doug Armstrong. Believing him to be a gold-digger, Kate had moved quickly to have the marriage annulled. Then she’d made a few phone calls and had registered a complaint with his commanding officer. Within twenty-four hours, he had been shipped overseas.

Looking back, Kate knew she could have handled the entire situation differently, but she’d felt an enormous sense of responsibility toward Tenley. She couldn’t let her sister ruin her life by getting married so young, and to a boy she barely knew. Thank goodness she’d been able to keep it a secret from the press, and even if Tenley’s attitude had changed toward her, she had no regrets about what she’d done.

Curling on her side, she acknowledged that a chapter in her life was coming to an end. She would hang on to Tenley for as long as she could, but she knew, eventually, she would need to let her go. She only hoped she could.