Hot-Blooded (6 page)

“That’s it,” he rasped against her breast, and swirled a finger over her slick flesh, parting her folds and finding the small rise of flesh that thrummed with need. “Oh, man, you’re so wet.”

He circled a finger over her clitoris, but it wasn’t enough. Elena’s skin went hot and her sex clenched hungrily. Someone moaned and she realized with a sense of shock that it was her. She needed more. Now.

“Soon,” Chase promised, as if reading her mind, and knelt between her splayed knees. He stroked a hand along her inner thigh, urging her legs wider, before he bent down and covered her with his mouth.

Elena gasped and her hips came off the mattress, but Chase held her firmly in place as he laved her with his tongue and lips, alternately sucking and licking until she writhed helplessly. When he began tormenting the tiny bud of her clit, she pushed weakly at his shoulders.

“Please,” she finally managed in a strangled voice. “Stop. I can’t take any more.”

Chase laughed softly, but reached down and grabbed his pants from the floor, fishing through the pockets until he produced a small foil packet. He covered himself quickly, but Elena noticed that his hands seemed unsteady.

He came over her again, bracing himself with his hands on either side of her. “You’re sure about this?” he asked. His voice was level, but his breathing was shallow. He wanted her. “If you want me to stop, you have to tell me now, because once I’m inside you, I don’t think I can—”

“I’m sure,” Elena breathed, and slid her hands along his back to cup his lean buttocks and urge him closer. She felt him nudging against her most private spot, and she opened her legs wider, arching upward to meet him.

“I’m sorry,” he grunted. “I can’t go slowly—”

He surged forward in one powerful movement, stretching and filling her until he was fully seated inside her. He didn’t move for a long moment, his head bent to hers, his breathing ragged.

Elena squeezed experimentally, the walls of her channel tightening around his flesh. Pleasure lashed through her.

Then he began to move, withdrawing slowly and then sinking back into her in a series of bone-melting strokes. His heated flesh dragged at hers, creating a delicious friction that made Elena arch upward to meet him. The muscles in his arms flexed as he dipped his head and covered her mouth with his, feasting slowly and sensuously on her lips. Elena heard herself whimper softly, and she drew her knees back and hooked her feet around his waist, meeting his thrusts eagerly.

She wanted more.

Chase complied, sliding one arm beneath her to press her more intimately against the hard drive of his body. Elena shivered and clutched at his back.

“Oh, God,” she gasped. “You feel so good.”

Which was a huge understatement. Had she really told her sister that sex was overrated? If this was what other women experienced with their partners, it was a wonder any of them ever left their beds.

“Damn straight,” Chase said, his voice low and rough.

Elena could feel the start of an orgasm building and pushed at his chest.

“Wait,” she panted.

Chase raised himself up just enough to look into her face, his own expression taut. “Really? You really want to stop?”

“No. Yes.” Elena struggled to think coherently. “I’m getting close, and I don’t want this to end yet. I want to try something else.”

Chase gave a disbelieving laugh, but his movements slowed and he began to pull back. Elena gritted her teeth and her body followed his, reluctant to release him. She was so close, and she sensed that he was, too. If they continued, he could take her to heaven in a matter of seconds. But suddenly, she wanted to be the one to take him there, to do things that would make him lose control.

She pushed at his shoulders and with a bemused smile he rolled away from her. But Elena didn’t give him a chance to question her, covering him swiftly with her own body.

“What? Hey—” He laughed uncertainly, but when Elena dipped her head and traced the whorl of his ear with her tongue, he groaned and collapsed back against the pillows. She pushed his hands up above his head, and slid her own hands down the sensitive undersides of his arms, admiring the impressive bulge of his muscles. Her fingers continued downward, and she scooted backward until she straddled his thighs.

Sitting up, she looked down at him. Her breath caught at the sight he made. He was the embodiment of every fantasy she’d ever had. He lay prone beneath her, but there was nothing remotely relaxed about him. His entire body was rigid and his eyes glittered as he watched her through half-closed lids.

“Now it’s my turn,” she whispered. “I’ve always wanted to do this.”

She leaned forward until her breasts brushed against his chest, and her angel charm necklace pooled in the depression between his pecs. She traced her lips across his. He cupped the back of her head and drew her down for a more thorough, satisfying kiss. Elena had intended to tease him, to maintain control of their love play until he begged her to release him. But when he smoothed his free hand along her flank and then reached between them to touch her intimately, she knew she was lost.

She gasped into his mouth, and settled more fully against him. He used his hands to splay her thighs even wider where she straddled him. Then there he was, hot and thick, moving into her bit by little bit, until Elena made an incoherent sound of need and pushed back, thrusting him fully into her.

“Ah,” he groaned. “That almost feels too good.”

Elena silently agreed, and slowly raised herself up until he was nearly free of her body, before pushing herself down once more, burying him to the hilt. The hot, throbbing sensation increased as she moved on top of him, gripping him tightly. His fingers were on her hips, guiding her, and he watched her face through pleasure-glazed eyes. When he slid his hands upward to cup and knead her breasts, Elena closed her eyes in mindless bliss.

“Yes,” she breathed. “Oh, yes.”

“Look at me.”

The words were soft but insistent. She opened her eyes and stared down at Chase, seeing the raw, masculine need and pleasure on his face.

“I want you to look at me when you come,” he rasped. His expression had tightened, and the tautness of his body told her he was close to losing control. Seeing his desire mount only served to fuel her own. and his words were enough to send her over the brink. Her orgasm slammed into her, and the only thing anchoring her to Earth were Chase’s hands, holding her. She might have closed her eyes but for his soft command.

“Look at me.”

As he reached his own climax, their gazes were locked on one another, until with a last shudder of pleasure, he smiled into her eyes and tugged her down until she lay replete against his chest.

He pressed his lips against her hair, and his hands stroked soothingly down her body. When she turned her face up to his, he kissed her sweetly, and even in the faint light, she could see the softness of his expression. He tucked her closer against his side, and one hand traced lazy patterns on her shoulder and arm. “Hey, you okay?”

A reluctant smile tugged at her lips. “More than okay. I’m great.”

“No regrets, then?”

Elena raised herself on her elbow to look at him. He lay against the pillows like a big, sleek cat. “Absolutely no regrets. You’ve actually fulfilled a lifelong fantasy of mine.”

Chase chuckled. “Do you have any other fantasies you’d like to fulfill? Like I said, I’m here to serve.”

“As a matter of fact,” she murmured, tracing his lower lip with her thumb, “there are a few I’d like to explore.”

Chase’s eyes sharpened on her with interest. “Oh, yeah? Tell me.”

Elena bit her lip, and then leaned forward and whispered softly in his ear. When she drew back, she looked at him with apprehension in her eyes.

“Oh, man,” Chase said with a soft groan, pulling her down so that she lay sprawled across him, her breasts flattened against his chest. “We have about five hours before dawn. I may just die trying to do all those things, but I promise you I’m going to go out a happy man.”

She couldn’t stop thinking about him, or about what they’d done together. Last night had been an anomaly. She’d acted completely out of character, but then again, she’d never met a man like Chase McCormick before. With Larry, she’d always tamped down her own desires and contented herself with their standard missionary-style sex. At least, she’d thought she was content with the routine coitus, but now she knew differently. She’d been going through the motions, and while she’d had some pleasant orgasms with Larry, none of it could compare to what she’d experienced with Chase.

The man was a master, and Elena had come alive under his expert touch. She hadn’t known she was capable of such uninhibited passion. After that first amazing hour, they’d slept briefly. Elena had woken to find Chase propped with his head on his hand, watching her. The heat in his expression had made it impossible for Elena to feel embarrassed. Instead, an answering warmth had bloomed low in her abdomen. Without a word, he’d circled his thumb over her nipple and they’d both watched the small bud tighten beneath his touch. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, she had rubbed herself against him, sliding her leg over his hips and letting him know she was more than ready for him again.

Afterward, Chase had pulled her into his arms and she’d again drifted into sleep to the sound of his heartbeat thumping steadily beneath her ear. But when her alarm clock had finally gone off, she had found herself alone. While she’d told herself it was for the best, she couldn’t deny feeling bereft at Chase’s absence. He’d told her he’d have to leave before dawn, but even knowing that he had his own flight to catch hadn’t been enough to keep her from feeling abandoned. She’d wanted to savor every bit of their short time together. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel Chase’s warm body and his lips against her temple. Being with him was the closest to heaven that she would ever get.

And now she’d never see him again.

Elena looked around at the other occupants of the helicopter. They were a group of fifteen civilians, with just one other woman besides herself. The woman was quite a bit older than Elena, in her early fifties at least. Dressed in the DPA uniform of black cargo pants and fleece jacket, she seemed frail and nervous. Her gray hair stuck out at odd angles beneath her baseball cap, and she continually smoothed it with her fingers, tucking the strands back in. Elena felt a rush of sympathy for the woman, wondering what had prompted her to volunteer for this deployment and if she had also been destined for a different location.

When Elena had arrived at the military airstrip, she’d been surprised to learn they wouldn’t be flying on one of the military helicopters, but on a commercially chartered one. But they’d had to wait awhile before the helicopter had been ready to depart, giving Elena plenty of time to think about the previous night.

She’d had a one-night stand with a complete stranger.

She’d thought she’d feel cheapened and used. Guilty. But she felt none of those things. Instead, she found her self smiling each time she recalled the previous night. Chase had made her feel incredibly sexy, and she couldn’t bring herself to regret the pleasure she’d shared with him. He’d been so attuned to her, anticipating the needs of her body before she did. He’d been tender and masterful, and they’d fitted together as if they’d been made for each other.

Casual conversation was almost impossible on board the helicopter, given the noise of the engine and the rotors, so Elena contented herself with looking out the window at the changing view. They flew high for several hours, the land beneath them turning harsh and rugged. As they began to descend, Elena could just make out a compound in the distance. The base looked small and vulnerable in the vast openness that surrounded it, and only the distant mountains gave any relief to the stark landscape.

As the helicopter drew closer, Elena couldn’t help but stare openmouthed as the base came fully into view. Even by military standards it was heavily fortified, surrounded by walls of sandbags and razor-wire fencing. She could see row after row of small huts, and then an area of hangars. More than half of the base was occupied by military vehicles of all sizes.

They landed on a helicopter pad on the far side of the base, and when the doors finally swung open, Elena was greeted by a blast of hot, dry air. A soldier, dressed in full battle gear and helmet poked his head into the passenger compartment where Elena sat with the others. His mouth creased into a smile, revealing white teeth in his tanned face.

“Welcome to Forward Operating Base Sharlana!” He had to shout to be heard over the engines as they wound down. “I’m Staff Sergeant Mike Corrente. I hope you had a pleasant flight. If you’ll disembark and grab your gear, I’ll show you to your quarters.”

He spoke rapidly, and with such a strong Boston accent that Elena had a difficult time understanding him. She struggled into her backpack and climbed down, clapping a hand over her head to keep her hat from flying off from the downward wash of the rotors. She refused the sergeant’s proffered hand, but she didn’t miss how his blue eyes sharpened on her with interest as she stepped past him. She waited with the others while he and a second soldier began unceremoniously tossing their duffel bags out of the helicopter and onto the dusty ground.

Elena took the opportunity to survey their surroundings. Everything—from the helicopter and the nearby fleet of military vehicles, to the surrounding plains and distant mountains—was a uniform shade of dull brown.

After several moments of searching for her bags, Elena grunted with effort as she slung her first duffel over her shoulder and then hefted her second with her free hand.

“Okay, folks, listen up,” Corrente called. He spoke with authority and Elena found herself wondering what position he held on the base. “I’ll show you where you’ll be staying, and you’ll each have a couple of hours to rest before dinner. After that, we’ll head over the rec center for orientation and a quick tour of the facility. The sooner you understand the battle rhythm here at Sharlana, the quicker you’ll be able to adapt to life on a forward operating base, but don’t expect any preferential treatment. Everyone on this base is responsible for their own quality of life. So grab your gear and follow me.”

“How far is it to our quarters?” asked the older woman, looking across the expanse of tarmac to the hangars and tiny, plywood huts. There wasn’t a single building in sight that resembled a dormitory or other living quarters.

“Not far,” the sergeant said cheerfully. “See those buildings over there? Your quarters are just on the other side.”

Elena saw the other woman’s face blanch and felt sympathy for her. Her own head was pounding and the helicopter trip had left her feeling slightly queasy. That, combined with the oppressive heat, made even the slightest physical exertion a supreme effort. Under different conditions, she would have offered to carry the other woman’s baggage for her, but it was all she could do to manage her own.

“I can carry that duffel bag for you, ma’am,” Corrente said to the older woman, correctly interpreting her expression of dismay.

“Well, I don’t know,” the woman demurred. “If you’re sure…”

“Absolutely, ma’am,” he said with a grin. “It keeps me in shape.”

She relinquished her bag to the younger man with a grateful smile. “Thank you so much. Maybe it’s the flight, but I’m feeling a little peaked.”

“Probably the altitude,” the sergeant replied. “You’ll get used to it.”

Elena doubted it. She walked behind the two soldiers and the other civilians, hoping she didn’t embarrass herself by passing out. She hadn’t eaten anything all day, and she was starting to feel a little shaky. Sweat popped out along her brow and her shirt clung damply to her skin. The helicopter churned up clouds of dust, and her mouth felt thick and dry.

“Ma’am, can I take those bags for you?”

Elena looked around in surprise to see the second soldier speaking to her. He had reddish hair and a good-natured expression, and Elena found herself smiling back at him. He indicated her duffel bags. “Those look heavy.”

“Oh, no,” she said quickly, recalling the sergeant’s remark about not receiving preferential treatment. “I can manage.”

His quick grin and raised eyebrows clearly said, “Yeah, right.” But instead of voicing his skepticism, he reached out firmly and took one duffel bag from her.

“I insist,” he said. “I’ll catch hell from my C.O. if I let you pass out before you’ve even checked in. Besides, it’s easier to carry your gear than to have to carry you
and
your gear if you collapse.”

Elena knew enough military jargon to know that C.O. stood for Commanding Officer, so she gave him another smile and let him take her other bag.

“Thank you so much,” she said, falling into step beside him. “It must be the heat that makes me feel so tired. I’m Elena de la Vega, by the way.”

“I’m Corporal Cleary, but you can call me Pete. Where’re you from?”

“Virginia. I work for the Defense Procurement Agency.”

He nodded. “We have a bunch of DPA folks on the base. What kind of work will you be doing?”

“I’ll be working at the contracting center. I’ll be overseeing the construction projects you have on base, as well as working with the contractors to ensure everything gets done on time.” A breeze wafted across her face, bringing with it a putrid stench that made Elena recoil and clap a hand over her nose and mouth. “Oh, my god,” she gasped. “What is that smell?”

Pete grinned. “I’d say that’s your first project. We’ve been trying to install a waste water treatment facility on the base, but without too much success. We’re having trouble getting the parts needed for the plant. What you’re smelling is the cesspool at the back of the base. Nice, huh?”

Elena looked at him in disbelief and horror. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope,” he said cheerfully. “You get used to the smell. Well, mostly you get used to it. Sometimes it’s so bad that it wakes me up from a sound sleep. We’re almost there.”

They passed a group of four men wearing ragged clothing and traditional Middle Eastern headgear. They sported beards and shaggy hair and as they drew alongside Elena and her companions, they deliberately averted their gazes.

“Who are they?” she asked, keeping her voice low. Because really, they looked a lot like the pictures of terrorists she’d seen so many times on the six o’clock news. And while she’d known she would have contact with the local people on some level, she hadn’t been prepared for her own reaction of mistrust.

“Those are some of the locals. We have a dozen or so who come to work on the base each day. Task force Peacemaker also runs construction workshops for local men. Each man learns basic wood, concrete and masonry construction techniques, and at the end of the workshop we provide them with tools that they can bring back to their villages. The men we just passed are all graduates of the workshops.”

Elena glanced over her shoulder at the retreating men. “How do you know if they’re…you know…”

“Trustworthy? We do a background check on everyone who comes onto the base. Those are the good guys. But they’re still funny about interacting with women, so don’t take it personally if they steer clear of you.”

So he had noticed how the men had studiously avoided acknowledging either Elena or the other woman.

“Trust me,” she assured him. “No offense taken. I’d be freaked out if any of them looked twice at me. Should I cover my hair or something?”

She was half joking, but Pete didn’t laugh. He looked deadly serious. “Not here on the base, but if you go outside the fence I’d recommend you wear a head covering under your helmet. Just to keep from offending anyone.”

Elena digested this information, wondering how often she would be required to leave the base. She’d be just as happy if she never ventured beyond the fence.

They were walking between rows of the huts that she had glimpsed from the helicopter. There were dozens of them, side by side. Constructed of simple plywood, each had a door and two tiny windows, and were identical in appearance.

“What are these used for?” she asked. “Storage?”

Pete glanced at her with a quizzical smile. “Kinda. They’re called
chews
.”

Elena laughed. “Okay, I give up. Why are they called chews?”

“It’s an acronym for containerized housing unit. You know…CHU…
chew
. One of these will be your home while you’re at Sharlana. We bunk eight to a CHU. Under ideal conditions, civilians get to bunk with other civilians, but we just had a special ops team and two light-infantry units arrive this morning, so we’re tight on housing. You’ll have one other civilian and six military females in your CHU.”

Elena stared at him in disbelief. “I thought I’d have my own housing unit.”

Pete laughed. “Sorry, but that’s a luxury we can’t afford around here. Maybe that’s the case in Baghdad, but out here only the big guns get their own units. We’re building more, but it’s doubtful that civilians will ever have their own private quarters, and the showers will always be open bay. But it’s a hell of a sight better than the tents we used to live in.”

They were walking past an area that was cordoned off from the rest of the base. A wire fence had been draped with camouflage netting, effectively preventing anyone from seeing what lay on the other side. As they walked past, Elena thought she could glimpse buildings and movement through the netting. She eyed the signs that hung from the fence that read No Admittance.