Of course, she was. How could she not be? He was risking his life to protect hers. This was a private military compound, not a hotel. She’d known their time together was temporary.
She willed herself to smile. “Don’t worry about me. I told Cookie I’d help with Thanksgiving dinner. I’ll find some way to stay busy.”
“Don’t overdo it.” He drew her close, kissed the top of her head. “Want to help me get out of this straight jacket?”
“I thought you didn’t have time for—”
He looked into her eyes. “I have time now.”
That was good enough for Jenna.
She stood, grabbed him by the tie, and drew him to his feet. Then she peeled off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt, sliding her hands beneath the fabric of his undershirt to find… pockets?
“For body armor.” Derek unbuttoned his cuffs, shed his shirt, then pulled the undershirt over his head and tossed it aside, offering himself to her. “Is that better?”
“Much better.” She ran her hands over his chest with its smooth skin and slabs of muscle, need for him kindling to life inside her. “You have such an amazing body.”
She leaned in, licked a flat brown nipple, and smiled when the muscles of his belly tensed. Then she unbuttoned the waistband of his trousers, pulled down his zipper, and helped herself, taking hold of his hard cock and stroking it, the feel of him such a turn-on. “I want to taste you.”
She sank to her knees—and took him into her mouth.
Breath hissed between his teeth as she explored him. She looked up, saw that he was watching, so she gave him a show. Drawing back, then taking all of him again. Flicking the underside of the swollen head with her tongue. Circling it like the tip of an ice cream cone. Sucking on it like a lollipop. Stroking the shaft with her hand from the base to her lips and back again.
His gaze had gone dark now, the intensity on his face making her pulse skip.
She stroked him now, her hand and mouth moving in tandem from base to tip. She tried to follow his cues—the thrust he tried to suppress that told her to go faster, the shudder in his breathing, the way his fists clenched in her hair.
“Stop.” He drew himself away from her, his brow furrowed, his cock glistening. “I want to be inside you.”
They both undressed her, clothes falling to the floor. Then Derek sat back on the sofa, his trousers still around his ankles and drew her onto his lap.
She held onto his shoulders for balance and straddled him, his hands gripping her hips, guiding her as she lowered herself onto him, taking every delicious inch of him inside her. Oh, he felt so good, his cock filling her, making her ache.
Slowly at first, she rode him, rocking her hips against him. When he didn’t thrust, she knew he was holding back, reining himself in for her sake.
He cupped her breasts, played with them, licking one nipple and then the other, making her moan. Then he reached between their bodies with one hand to stroke her clit.
“Derek.” In no time, she found herself hovering on the iridescent edge of an orgasm, pleasure drawing tight in her belly.
He must have known she was close because he started to thrust, bucking into her, riding her from below, stroking her inside and out.
She shattered, climax burning through her like molten gold, making her cry out, his powerful thrusts carrying them both home.
She sagged against his chest, his cock still inside her, and for a moment, they stayed as they were, heartbeats slowly returning to normal. Then he kicked off his shoes, socks, and trousers, lifted her into his arms, and carried her to the bed.
She snuggled against him, her head pillowed on his chest. “I don’t want you or anyone else getting hurt or killed trying to get me out of the country. I would rather turn myself over to Kazi.”
“Shh.” Derek stroked her hair, kissed her. “Everything is going to be okay.”
And because she wanted desperately to believe that, she closed her eyes and let sleep take her.
17
Derek woke early Friday morning and met Corbray and the team in the ops room. Everyone knew their jobs, but they ran through their strategy in detail, a diagram of the airport on the big screen. There was no such thing as too much planning.
“I don’t have to remind you that Kazi controls everything here—airport security, the police, Afghan security forces, private militias, merchants, random street vendors. Anyone and everyone could be on his payroll. In the past, we’ve relied on this fact to accomplish our missions. Today, it presents a threat.”
Heads nodded.