Matt’s nostrils flared. Tension spiraled through the oxygen again, setting the hair on the back of Jory’s neck alive. Finally, Matt breathed out. “That’s a good point.”
“Sometimes I have one.” Jory tossed the glass into a mangled bucket serving as a garbage can perched in the corner.
Matt nodded and clapped him hard across the shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“We’re fine.” Jory grinned. “I missed you.”
Matt huffed out breath. “I haven’t slept more than an hour at a time since we lost track of you. Thanks for staying alive.”
Jory nodded. “I promised, didn’t I?”
Matt’s eyes darkened. “Yeah. Yeah, you did. Thanks.”
But he couldn’t stay alive for much longer, and that just sucked. He’d worry about telling them after they were safe, but he couldn’t tell them a lie because they’d all scent it. If they didn’t ask the right question, it wouldn’t be a problem. For now, they had to strategize. “I think Piper might help us. Since I let her go and she saw the commander in action. She’s smart enough to know he’s lying to her.”
Nate frowned. “Wait a minute. How did the commander find you today?”
Jory froze. “I don’t know.”
“The woman?” Shane growled.
“No, and her name is Piper.” Jory clicked through events in his head and then glanced down at his body. Where the hell was his brain, anyway? “Shit.”
Matt reached for the hem of Jory’s T-shirt and yanked it over his head. “Strip.”
What had he been thinking? He shucked out of his clothes and stood in the middle of the room, arms out, legs spread, as his brothers poked and prodded every inch.
“Got it,” Shane muttered, shoving at a scar covering one of the newest bullet holes in his sternum. “Knife.”
Nate handed him a knife and leaned in, his head next to Shane’s.
Pain lanced through Jory’s chest, and he caught a breath as Shane yanked out a tracker device to smash on the floor. The commander had tagged him like a dog at the vet’s. While Jory could sense devices in other people if he really concentrated, he couldn’t sense or feel anything within his own skin.
Unfortunate but ironic, really.
Shane grimaced. “Sorry, Jor.”
“It’s fine,” Jory muttered, knowing full well Shane had gone as easy as he could. “Doesn’t hurt a bit.”
“Tough guy.” Matt leaned around and poured beer onto Jory’s wound. “This might hurt.”
Jory coughed and breathed out to keep from biting Matt’s head off. They had to disinfect the wound. “We need to run, now,” Jory muttered, reaching for his jeans.
Matt nodded and tossed him the shirt. “Wait. You sure you’re okay?”
Jory nodded. “Yes—stop worrying.” Although it felt damn good to be around family again. People who cared. “We need to move and now.”
Matt rubbed his chin. “Our best bet is to take the commander’s daughter and bargain for exchange.”
“No.” Jory drew the cotton over his head. “The commander wants us more than her.” Yeah, it was the truth, and it sucked. But the green-eyed hacker had a soft heart, and no way would she allow three kids to remain in danger, once she comprehended the danger. “I have another idea. I think she’ll help the boys get free. She’ll help us.”
Nate shook his head. “We can’t get to her. The commander will have guards on her.”
Jory finally smiled. “That’s all right because we’ll use his own surveillance against him. I have an idea.”
Piper stepped gingerly around the damaged hydrangea, a glass of Chardonnay in her hand. Her third of the night. Her mind swirled with intrigue and doubt, and she wished she could get ahold of Jory just to ask some questions.
A bush scratched her leg. If she didn’t know better, she’d believe Earl was sabotaging his own computer in order to get some alone time with Piper’s mom. Well, at least somebody was getting romanced. Brian had called several times, and she’d ignored him. She’d meant it when she’d said they were over.
Her mind remained steadfast on one gray-eyed badass soldier who’d protected her from rocks and bullets before letting her go free.
While being buck-assed naked.
Even so, while she’d tried to pepper the commander with questions about Jory, he’d shut her down fast. They’d ridden in different rigs back to the facility, and he’d set a meeting with her for the next morning. A chill skittered down her spine at the thought. Just who was he?
Enough with questions and with uncertainty. The wine wasn’t doing anything to answer anything, but it did leave her nice and mellow. Calm. Shoving open Earl’s back door, Piper wandered inside and to the computer desk tucked into an alcove off the kitchen.
A soft meow filtered up before a fur ball the size of an overgrown watermelon rubbed against her boot. “Hi, Payton Manning,” she said, reaching down to pet the tabby. He licked her fingers and rubbed some more. Earl had rescued the cat from under his car at the mall a year or so ago, according to Earl.
She began to type in Earl’s password when she stilled, her instincts on full alert. Silence. Heavy silence surrounded her.
Her fingers encircled a sharp letter opener, and she slowly turned around.
A lamp glowed on, and Jory sat on the side of a leather sofa, overwhelming the straight lines. “Piper.”
Something inside her shimmied. Danced, heated, and uncoiled. “Jory.”
His gaze flicked to the letter opener. “Drop the weapon, sweetheart.”
How had he found her so easily? “No.” She turned around more fully to face him. Her heart rate sped up, and her breathing increased—and not from danger. The man permeated every space, taking over, filling it.
He smiled.
She frowned. “What’s pleasing you?”
“You.” His gaze dropped to the chest she was desperately trying to calm. “You try so hard to be something you’re not, and the real you always shines through.” Satisfaction tilted his lip. “I like that about you.”
His voice. Jesus. Gravelly, hot, and masculine, wrapping around her with hoarse warmth. Her chest grew heavy.
She shivered. “Look who’s talking.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re all scary and big, kicking down doors and kidnapping women.” She focused absolutely on him. “Yet the only time I’ve seen you really happy, really engaged, is when you were MacGyvering that keypad back at the facility.” In her experience, geeks didn’t look like Jory, but geek he was. “Computer nerd.”
The smile widened, making him look like a predator who’d trapped prey and now wanted to play awhile before taking a bite. Nobody should be that good-looking. Damn fallen angel face—all sharp angles and hard lines. Set with a deadly intelligence. As if drawn, her gaze dropped to his full lips. Talented lips. She knew firsthand.
A low groan rumbled up from his chest. “The way you look at me.”
This was madness. She sucked in air, her body alive. So damn alive. “Why are you here?”
“Your place is being watched. Heat signature devices as well as listening devices.”
She glanced toward the sliding glass door. “You’re lying.”
“Nope. They’re on you and will remain so. Just in case you know too much or if I try to contact you.” He shrugged. “I warned you about them.”
“You’re crazy.” Although so far, he had given her the exact truth, as evidenced by his brothers hugging him in the rain. She shook her head to dispel the memory and concentrate on the matter at hand.
What exactly could the soldiers spying on her see? “With a heat image, they can’t, like, you know, see everything?” Holy crap. The things she’d done in the shower earlier… imagining Jory there touching her. Teasing her. Taking her.
Amusement creased his cheek. “Pretty much everything. Why? What have you been doing?”
“Clumsy yoga.” Heat rose in her face, which hopefully the soft light lost. Anybody deserved a goo
d fantasy life and a great shower experience. That didn’t make her bad, although the jury was still out on Jory. Was he a good guy or as bad as the commander claimed? In her fantasies, he was freakin’ awesome. Here in reality? Overwhelming and dangerous with a side of sexy. Make that a whole shit load of sexy. She had tried so hard to curb her penchant for jumping feet first into the fire, and yet here she stood, dancing with flames again.
Her hands fluttered out, tingling with the need to touch. “I’m getting confused.”
“I lured you here.”
She lifted her chin. Her heart beat faster, and her lungs compressed. So her brain focused. “You messed with Earl’s computer?”
“Yes.”
“Damn it, Jory. It’s taken me forever to get him to work with a computer, and now you’ve scared him off.” Good. If they could just keep talking normally, her body would relax.
Jory’s cheek creased. “I’m sorry.”
She stood, the letter opener cool in her palm. “And you made me run naked through soldiers and bullets.”
Jory winced. “I know, and believe me, I would’ve liked to have seen you from the other side. But I have to tell you, darlin’. You have a great ass.”
Heat flushed into her face and a completely unladylike snarl curled her lip.
He waited, all male patience. “I’m not going to ask again about the weapon.”
She glanced down at her hand and then back up at him, fire all but burning her from inside. Too much. Want, need, fear, uncertainty… way too much all around. So she let her glorious temper loose. “Fuck you, Jory.”
She had the briefest of seconds to appreciate the quick smile he flashed before she found herself flat on her back on the Persian rug, hands over her head, her body covered by an impossibly hard man. His knees nudged hers apart, and he settled against her.
Only a vicious bite from her own teeth to her own lip kept her eyes from rolling back in her head. This was so much better than her shower fantasy. Her lids half-closed as she studied his hard gaze. How could gray be warm? It should be a cold color. This close, heat spiraled through the gray like fire in a storm.
“Your move, green eyes.”
Oh yeah? Her mind blanked. “Jory.”
His gaze softened while his powerful body pressed her to the floor. Masculine knowledge lifted his lip. Arrogance and something indefinably Jory. Pure male.
Challenge rose up so quickly in her she stiffened. He wanted to play? Yeah. So did she. She wriggled her butt, allowing his groin closer to hers. Hard. Definitely hard.
With a smile that even felt dangerous, she levered up and captured his lower lip between hers. Someday she might wonder what in the hell possessed her to push a guy like Jory, but not right now. Now? She wanted to feel, and she wanted to take his control. She’d fucking earned it. So she swept her tongue between his lips.
A low, rumbling growl vibrated against her mouth—a sound of warning. The echo shot right down to where his cock pulsed between her legs.
Too bad she liked playing with fire. Heated her right up. So she nipped. Hard.
He levered back, slowly and in perfect control. “What was that?” His voice whispered along her skin, winding down to heat her clit.
She shivered. “My move. Remember?”
He licked his lips with a soft hum. “That wasn’t a move.”
“No?” Why in the hell was she still pushing him? “So show me a move.”
If her dare had taken him by surprise, he didn’t show it.
“Gladly.” His hold tightened around her wrists, keeping her in place. Not hurting, but definitely tethering. He was stronger than she, by a lot, and he seemed happy to let her know it. His gaze dropped to her lips, and his groin pressed her cleft. Hot and rigid, he slid against her. Her thighs trembled, and she ached deep inside. She gasped.
He nuzzled her neck and pressed harder against her core. He bucked his hips, pressing unerringly against her clit, and lava shot through her body. Her thighs widened naturally, and her body trembled with a need so great it couldn’t be real.
She tried to breathe, wondering why she’d thought he’d kiss her instead of playing her body like a musical master. “Always do the unexpected, don’t you?” she gasped, fighting every urge to rub against him.
“Yes.” He lowered his chest to hers, and her nipples peaked into diamond-hard points. “I like the feel of you. Tight and needy. Fighting so damn hard.”
“You don’t know me,” she bit out, her body crying for relief.
He leaned in, his breath hot on her ear. “Spread your legs wider, Piper.” A slight Southern twang lifted his consonants.
Her legs moved before she could think, and she arched up into pure masculine perfection. Vulnerability caught her breath as her body took over. She was way out of her element, without question. “Stop playing games.”
He licked her earlobe before tracing her jaw with his mouth, sure and warm. “Don’t have time for games.” He lifted up, his lips right above hers.
Her mouth tingled, needy and desperate. More than anything, she wanted his on hers. “Kiss me, Jory.”
His head lowered a bit more, leaving barely a breath between them. “My way only.”
“Okay.” Any way would work. She closed her eyes.
“Open.” He waited until she opened her eyes to focus on him. Then his mouth covered hers.
She’d expected hot and deep. Had prepared for it, prepared herself to handle him with delight. Instead, he moved softly, at his leisure, enjoyment on his hum. He licked the corners of her mouth, tracing her lips with his.
“So sweet,” he murmured. “So soft.”
She fought to stay sane and in control. Yet he continued to caress her, his mouth on fire as he wandered across her cheek, down to her jaw, and up again to her earlobe, where he nipped.
Not enough. Not nearly enough. She ground against him, and he clamped a hand on her hip, holding her still.
Then he continued to play. So gently, so intently.
Sparklers spiraled around in her mind, and her vision clouded. “Jory,” she breathed. She couldn’t control him, and she didn’t really want to. Making the realization, her body softened under his. To just feel.
“There it is,” he whispered. Then his mouth covered hers again, this time with force. He rocked her back into the rug, his mouth moving, his tongue tasting her. Moving where he wanted, how he wanted. He definitely took, but oh. How he gave. Hard and deep and fierce… so much in a kiss.
She could barely breathe, wasn’t sure she cared, when he lifted his head. “Wow.” For a deadly badass computer geek, Jory could really kiss.
“Yeah,” he said softly, his eyes glittering.
There was a demand in the way he touched her, in the way he kissed. One she should run the hell away from, if she had any sense of self-preservation. The sexy soldier wanted everything she had to give, and she knew better. She had yet to meet a man she could trust, and the soldier on the run was a seriously bad bet.
“Why did you come here tonight?” she asked, trying to focus.
His nostrils flared. “To talk.” He pressed down against her.
Electrical sparks shot through her erogenous zones, catching her breath. She was so damn close. A tingling started deep in her abdomen, and her clit started to pound. “We’re not talking.” If she moved against him just right, if she just found the right friction, she might actually orgasm. That quickly and that easily. Her eyes widened, and she held very still. She couldn’t let go like that. Couldn’t let him know how close he’d brought her so easily.
His eyes darkened. Too late. He’d caught her, and he knew. Somehow, he knew.
His slight smile cascaded shivers along her skin. “Now I’m here for another reason.” That Southern twang increased in force.
“What?” she gasped.
“One taste, Piper. Before I die, one taste of you. I’m not going to heaven, but maybe I could have a taste before I go.”
CHAPTER
13<
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JORY KEPT THE advantage, grinding his cock into her softness. Piper’s eyes, clouded with need, widened.
Yeah, she wanted him. And even though he was a class-A asshole, he wanted one good memory with her to take to his grave. There wasn’t a way to save him, and he figured they both knew it.
For now, he wanted one taste.
He smoothed his hands down her arms, encircling them, not feeling any ridges. Good. On to her shoulders, while she watched him with that wide-eyed stare as she tried to control her body.
So amazingly sweet.
Regret gripped him. He wouldn’t be on earth much longer, and he wouldn’t see her through the pain to come. The commander would hurt her, and she’d have to be strong enough to walk away. “I wish we had more time,” he said softly.
She blinked. “I’ll figure out the chips.” Then she gasped. “You only have three days—we don’t have time for this.”
“There’s time for this.” If he had to go, he needed to take something good with him. Then she shifted against him, heat from her core tempting his dick, and he forgot all about the chips. Instead, he ran his hands along her shoulders and down her chest, unbuttoning and removing her blouse.
A strangled groan rippled up his throat.
Fucking beautiful. She hadn’t worn a bra, and her nipples were a light pink against her mocha skin, pert and ready to play. Never one to deny himself, he lowered his head and flicked one.
Her hands dug into his hair and clenched. Erotic pain lanced along his scalp, so he hovered over the other breast, letting his breath heat her. He licked and sucked, moving his way down her torso. Abdomen muscles undulated under his mouth, and he took careful pains to touch her everywhere, to feel for anything out of place, even as he enjoyed himself.
She had on a tiny skirt that he smoothly flipped out of his way. Her strangled moan flooded him with pleasure as he snapped the sides of her panties. Then he tasted her.
Holy heaven on a stick. She tasted like cinnamon, spice, and all fucking woman. At the contact, the beast at his core, the one he shoved down at every opportunity, roared. Barely keeping a hold on himself, Jory took a deep breath and looked up at her flushed face.