there. The mission was unlike most, as they were looking for their own, and there were still unanswered questions that may or may not haunt both of us for life.
“You deserve better than…”
“What?” My mouth dropped open at his sudden turn in conversation. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Black.”
He grabbed my hand and held it up, and the white gold three-carat pear-shaped halo engagement ring glinted its promise.
“You deserve a better engagement story to tell our kids than me calling you over the radio from the armpit of hell.”
Kids…and there went my stomach.
“How deep is that cut?” I joked as beads of sweat broke out across my neck.
He bent down on the bottom step and hiked me over his shoulder. “I’ll make it up to you, but first,” he slapped my ass, “we need to practice makin’ some kids.”
“Practice is the key word here.”
I was swung around and tossed onto the mattress, and I waited for his body to cover mine, but it never came. When my eyes opened, the room was black, and the click of a remote brought my attention to the opposite side of the room.
Stone Temple Pilots poured through the surround speakers. A strike of a match gave up his location as he lit a candle and set it on the dresser. As the flame moved down the wick, the light became brighter, leaving a perfect circle on the ceiling and casting shadows in all the right places on John’s lean body as he slowly removed his shirt.
In a smooth motion, I unclipped my bra and tossed it to the floor and shimmied out of my pants.
He stood at the edge of the bed and crooked his finger at me to come to him. I raised myself up to my hands and knees and slowly crawled along the mattress, looking up at him with hungry eyes. As soon as I was within reach, I stopped and devoured him as the flickering candlelight played with his muscles.
His hands were suddenly in my hair, and he pulled me up to him and took over my mouth. I could tell he was in the mood for control, and I found I wanted to give it to him, but I also wanted to play a little.
I moved my fingers to his stomach and fiddled with the clip on his Army pants. Once they were open, I pushed them down past his hips and leaned back on my hands, arching my back, my nipples erect in an invitation to show him how much I missed him too. He leaned forward and reached around and pulled my wrists outward to release my weight, and I lay flat, my breasts screaming for his touch.
Bending down, he hooked his arms under my legs and slid them out from under me as he pulled me tightly to him. I didn’t get a chance to think before he dove straight in.
“Jesus.” His neck contracted, and his stomach muscles flexed, granting me a show as I adjusted to the invasion. “I will never tire of this feeling right here.”
I wiggled to make more room, and he slipped in farther. My back bowed, and his hands were all over me again.
He rocked back and forth and took his time dragging in and out. His mouth moved like he was talking, but the music drowned out his words. He was thoroughly enjoying his moment…while I, on the other hand, needed some kind of release before my blood got any hotter and my heart beat right out of my chest. It had been a long, stressful time since he’d left, and all that pent-up emotion needed to be torn from my core.
He changed angles and hooked my left leg over his shoulder and picked up the pace. My head whipped back and forth, and my hands clawed at the sheets. I wanted to cry and scream at the same time. Finally, when the buildup became too much, I pushed on his shoulders, making him fall backward with my sudden show of strength.
“No.” I batted his hands away as I crawled onto his erection.
“What?” He smirked.
“No more touching unless you’re making me come.”
“Aww.” His smirk became wider, and I wanted to smack him. A woman in need was not someone to mess with.
I slid up and down and started my build-up again, but my way. I rode his tip and used his arousal to coat my already slick opening.
“Sloane,” John’s neck strained again as I relished the control, “let me