Saving Zola (Sleeper SEALs Book 4) Read online

  He shook his head, continuing to gaze at her body as if he needed to memorize it. He reached tentatively with shaky fingers to stroke them up her arm and then down between her breasts. He danced the tips over her stomach until it hallowed.

  He smiled, not looking at her face but watching her reaction to his touch. Without warning, he lifted his fingers to graze over her nipple. First one and then the other.

  She arched her chest upward, squeezing her lips together to keep from moaning and breaking the spell.

  When he lightly pinched her swollen bud, she let out a sharp squeal and grabbed his wrist. It hadn’t hurt. It simply shocked her.

  Wetness pooled between her legs.

  Without a word, he grabbed her wrist with his free hand and hauled it over her head. Much the same as she’d done to him. He pressed her palm into the mattress and released, a silent command to leave her hand there. Her other arm was trapped at her side between her hip and his knees.

  He teased her nipple again, pinching it harder, twisting it slightly, and then tugging.

  So many sensations. So much pleasure. She was overloaded. She couldn’t find the words to speak. And what would she say? Stop? More?

  For long minutes he switched back and forth, tormenting her nipples until she thought she might come. She began to squirm.

  “Spread your legs, baby.” His voice was hoarse. Ragged.

  She separated her knees.

  “Wider, Zola. Let me get between them.” He lifted one knee to set it between hers and then waited for her to comply so he could set his other in between her thighs also.

  He’d been in that position last night. He’d been there the first time they had sex also. But this…this was more. There was no rush. No demanding need to…fuck. He had all the time in the world. And he obviously intended to take advantage of it.

  He pressed her thighs farther apart and then set his hands flat on her legs at the apex and pulled her labia apart with his thumbs.

  She’d never felt so exposed. The wetness gathered at her entrance was embarrassing. Perhaps that was irrational, but she couldn’t help it.

  “So pink. Swollen. Sexy. Ready. For me.”

  His words made her hotter. His stare brought unimaginable arousal to the surface. And she wanted more. She wanted everything. She wanted to feel this tight ball of need for as long as she could. If he made her wait, she would endure it, because it was so precious. That edge. That feeling of need so intense it almost shattered. Almost. But not quite.

  “Love the noises you make, baby.”

  She was making a noise? How was that possible with her lips pursed shut? A low hum vibrated through her. Wow.

  He flicked his gaze to hers, slowly smiled, and then resumed his study of her pussy. When he pulled the hood back from her clit, she shivered.

  He set a hand on her lower belly inches above her clit to hold her steady. With his other hand, he dragged a finger through her wetness and circled her nub.

  It wasn’t enough. And it was too much. Could someone actually die from sensation overload?

  Her head lolled to the side and she gasped for air as if there wasn’t enough oxygen in the room. How did he manage to drive her so insane with not much more than his gaze and the slightest touch of his fingers in all the wrong places?

  Perhaps she was a fool for holding back all these years when she could have been enjoying sex like this with any number of men. Right?

  She knew the answer to that was no. It wasn’t about just sex. It had to be with the right person for it to feel like this. Like the Earth stopped spinning and waited for her to experience total nirvana.

  Only Mike could bring this out of her.

  Only Mike…

  He reached inside her with one finger, making her mouth open wider. She wanted to scream or say something, but no sound came out.

  And then her entire body electrified when he spun his hand around and dragged that finger back out of her, crossing over some elusive spot that did indeed stop time.

  Holy mother of God. What the…

  Again. And again.

  She drew her knees up, grasping his thighs. He had to stop. Whatever he was doing, he had to stop. It was too much. She was losing control. She grabbed his wrist with both hands. “Mike…”

  He used his other hand to tug her free, one fist at a time. “Baby, let it go. Just feel. Don’t try to stop it.” He did it again, adding another finger. Some spot inside her made her head spin. Her G-spot? Was that a real thing?

  She panted.

  He thrust faster, his palm slapping into her clit with every pass.

  She gasped, grabbing the sheets at her sides to hold on to something tangible while the world spun off its axis. She arched her chest upward, her knees grasping his thighs, her heels digging into the mattress, her head tipped back. She’d never felt so totally out of control. Bliss was a breath away. She could feel it.

  It scared her. To death.

  Too much sensation. She felt exposed. Raw. Like her skin had disappeared and he could see inside her.

  And she would give this to him. Because she couldn’t not.

  He fucked her with those fingers, adding a third. “That’s it, baby. Let it go. Give it to me.” He held her torso firmly to the bed, and he watched her unravel.

  And she let go. She screamed as the most powerful orgasm burst free. She gripped the bedding tighter, squeezed his thighs so hard it hurt, and she cried out her release. Fluid rushed from her pussy to coat his hand. God, she hoped it was normal.

  He slowed his movements gradually as she came down from heaven.

  She licked her lips, lowered her chin, and met his gaze.

  He released her belly to cup her face, his other hand still moving languidly inside her. “Zola…”

  She flushed. He’d watched her come completely undone.

  “Such a gift. I’m humbled.”

  “Was that? Do women?” she stammered.

  He smiled. “Totally normal. Yes. But not all women can do that. Most can’t let themselves relax enough to give it up. It takes incredible trust. And Jesus, you have no experience. And…I’m just so very humbled, baby. Thank you.”

  “Thank me?” She squirmed. “Shouldn’t I thank you?”

  He smiled wider. “My pleasure.”

  Suddenly she knew something with incredible certainty. She needed him inside her. The fullness of his cock filling her. It didn’t matter that she’d come hard. She needed him to fill her completely.

  She pulled his hand from her pussy and reached for his cock. “Fuck me.” The word was unnatural coming off her tongue, but she didn’t care. She spread her legs wider, wiggling down the mattress to get better contact. Closer. “Mike, fuck me. Now. Hard.”

  He tipped his head to one side. “Baby, you have to be sore. And—”

  She almost cried or screamed in frustration. “Mike,” she shouted. “Stop fucking arguing with me. I want you inside me now.”

  He fell forward, landing on his elbows at her sides. Immediately he thrust into her on a moan. “Zola…”

  “God, yes.” She grabbed at his back, her fingers digging into him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held him tight, only giving him enough space to pull out a few inches and slam back in. “Don’t be careful with me. Please. Mike. Harder. I need you.”

  He gave her what she wanted, his lips slamming on hers to devour her while he thrust in and out. She climbed to the top again fast, her body needing another release. It didn’t matter that she’d just had her first deep internal orgasm. She wanted more. Insatiable. A driving need.

  He fucked her. Just as she imagined it would be. Rough. Fast. Hard.

  Yes.

  Soft and gentle was good. It was amazing. But now she wanted to experience something else. And he gave it to her.

  When she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer, she went into her head, visions of him hovering over her filling her mind’s eye to match the reality. And then she was coming again, her pussy gra
sping at his cock.

  And Mike followed her, groaning around his release, still pumping hard, slamming his cock deep, the base hitting her clit with every movement.

  When he was spent, he set his forehead on the mattress next to her, gasping for oxygen just as she was. She smoothed her hands up his back and threaded her fingers in his thick hair.

  Suddenly, prematurely, he bolted upright, sitting over her, jerking his cock from her. “Shit. Condom.”

  “Relax,” she soothed. “Birth control.”

  His shoulders slumped as he searched her face. “Thank fuck.” He took a deep breath and ran a hand over his head. And then he jerked his gaze to hers again. “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why the hell are you taking birth control?”

  She smirked. “Don’t get your panties in a wad, big guy.” She grabbed his thighs and rubbed her palms over his skin. “I’m not a liar. Lots of women take birth control these days. Regulate. Cramps. Headaches. The list is long. Welcome to the twenty-first century.”

  He breathed out a long sigh. “Of course. Sorry. Didn’t mean to accuse you. That came out wrong.” He glanced at the spot where his cock was still nestled against her opening. “And I’ve never once in my life had unprotected sex. Swear. I’m clean.”

  “Okay.” She rubbed his legs again. “I trust you.”

  “But, now that I have, and with you…” He leaned forward, his hands at the sides of her face. “Gotta say, babe, that was fucking incredible. I’m not going to want to roll another condom on my cock again in this lifetime if I can help it.”

  She swallowed around his mention of a lifetime, as if he thought they could stay together. She wasn’t anywhere near ready to face that possibility. Too many unanswered questions. Too many holes. Too much history.

  He ignored her lack of response. “You’re so perfect.” He gazed down at her until she squirmed under his stare.

  “We should get going before they bang on the door and kick us out.”

  “Yeah.” He didn’t move.

  “Mike?”

  “Give me a second.”

  “’Kay.” She felt his intensity in every part of her body.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” She was confused.

  “For ever letting you go.”

  She nodded. “Why did you?”

  He stared at her, his gaze roaming over her body before he said, “It won’t happen again.”

  “Okay.” She wasn’t sure she could trust him yet. Not with her future. The sex was fantastic. No denying that. But relationships were based on way more than sex.

  “We should go,” he stated.

  “I mentioned that.” She smiled again. “You’ll need to get off me.”

  “Yeah…” He lifted one hand and traced it across her forehead and around her face. And then he touched her lips. He drew the bottom one down.

  She stuck her tongue out far enough to lick the pad of his finger.

  Seconds ticked by again. Did he need to say something else?

  If he did, he reined it back in, finally rolling off her to collapse next to her on his back. “Who’s going to get up first?” he asked, out of breath.

  “Mmm. The shower might be big enough for two.”

  Chapter Ten

  Mike held her hand tight as they entered the closest department store. Too tight. His demeanor had totally switched to serious work mode the moment they left the hotel room. He was all business. And he was stressed.

  Was she in any more danger than yesterday? She didn’t think so. She suspected his mood was due to how he felt about her today.

  Not that he hadn’t made it clear he adored her yesterday, but something between them had shifted, and now nothing would ever be the same.

  She felt it too. A change in the air.

  She felt freer, while at the same time no longer her own person. They were connected in a way that bound them together without papers or permission or judges or ministers. They had forged a bond that joined them on its own. And it scared her to death. She wasn’t sure she was ready for anything as serious as what was unspoken between them, especially since there were still unanswered questions between them. Mike was holding something back, something important, something about why he’d let her go all those years ago.

  Should she pressure him into telling her? So far, he’d seemed reluctant. Or hesitant. Or…scared. To be honest, she was a bit afraid to hear his answer too. Maybe that was what kept her from pressing the issue.

  They were moving through the store at warp speed.

  “Mike.” She tried to get his attention, tugging on her hand.

  He glanced down at her. “What?”

  “You’re going too fast. I can’t keep up. We’re safe. No one’s following us. Slow down. I need you to let me go so I can grab some clothes.” She wanted a little privacy. No matter how much had transpired between them in the last twelve hours, she didn’t enjoy the idea of him watching her pick out panties, bras, and whatever other personal items she might grab.

  “Not going to let you go, Zola.” He slowed his pace, but he still directed them toward the women’s department. “I want to get this done.” He glanced at her and then looked around.

  Suddenly she realized he wasn’t simply worked up over the terrorist threat; he was jealous about other people seeing her in this dress. She jerked her hand free and narrowed her gaze when he spun around. “Stop.”

  “Stop what?” He closed the distance between them until they were standing so close she had to glance back and forth to see both his eyes.

  “Mike. I’m not naked. Yes, it’s not exactly what most people wear first thing in the morning to go shopping, but I’m covered. Get a grip. Let me shop. Go get what you need.”

  He shook his head and leaned down to take her lips in a quick kiss, his hand snaking around to her back. Heck, she even had a coat on. No one would ever know her back was bare under the thick layer of warmth.

  Her shoulders sagged as she determined she wasn’t going to win this battle. “Fine. Follow me. I’ll get what I need. And then I’ll go with you.”

  “That was the plan.” At least he broke a half smile.

  She rolled her eyes and led them deeper into the clothing section. She quickly grabbed jeans in her size, two shirts, and then decided to get a long sweater and a pair of leggings.

  He lifted a brow, but didn’t say a word.

  She headed for lingerie next, her hands shaking as she chose panties and a bra. She’d never bought anything incredibly sexy before. And she didn’t intend to start now. Silk. Lace. Functional. When she finished, she glanced up at him to suggest they move to the shoe department.

  But his face made her change her mind. She blew out a long breath at the tight frown he held, dropped all four pairs of panties and the bra in the nearest bin, and started over.

  What the hell was she doing? It took determination to make her way to a far sexier section where she picked out two skimpy bikini briefs and two thongs. The bra she grabbed had less material than lace and she prayed it would support her.

  Mike looked far more pleased, and it unnerved her how he’d manipulated the entire thing without a word.

  She scowled and marched them to the men’s section.

  Fifteen minutes later, they were back in the SUV.

  Zola was still laughing at the look on the clerk’s face when she told the woman she was going to change in the fitting room after the purchase.

  Good thing the fitting rooms were for both sexes because the closest Mike was willing to go with permitting this plan was to stand outside hers while she changed and then swapping places. He took less than fifteen seconds and looked a bit pale and panicked when he opened the door.

  His idea had been for them to get naked in the car. Right…

  Back on the road, she pleaded with him to stop for coffee and won. Not that it was difficult.

  “We had two cups before we left the hotel.”

  “And
I want another one,” she argued.

  He turned left at the next light, and five minutes later, she was sipping a third cup of coffee and munching on a muffin.

  “Have you spoken to your father?” he asked.

  She lifted a brow, licking a crumb from her lip. “When would I have done that without your knowledge? I haven’t even gone to the bathroom alone.”

  He shot her a glance. “That’s an exaggeration. I left you in the bathroom before we checked out.”

  “Uh-huh. After washing me with your own hands and then drying me off.”

  “Hey,” he shot back. “The idea to shower at the same time was yours.” He grabbed her hand and held it in his lap. “I was just trying to speed up the process while I had the bar of soap already in my hands.” At least he lost the ability to continue to look so severe and started chuckling. For a moment she was worried he was dead serious.

  “And the shampoo?” she teased.

  “I squirted too much in my palm. No sense wasting it.”

  She giggled silently and hid her expression behind her cup of coffee.

  Mike’s phone rang, making her flinch.

  He let go of her hand to connect the Bluetooth. “Dorsen speaking.”

  “Mike.”

  “Hey. Anything new to report?”

  “Yeah. Ditch the car.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Yep. Do it now.”

  “On it.” He disconnected, hit the gas, and sped off at the next exit.

  Zola stiffened and set her nearly empty cup in a cup holder. She held on to the dash with one hand and the door with her other. The car? How was the car compromised? “What are you going to do?”

  “Not sure yet. Thinking.”

  She left him alone. It may have been twelve years since she spent any time with him, but assuming he hadn’t had a total personality switch, he needed her to be quiet so he could concentrate. He’d been that way every time they studied. He wasn’t the watch-TV-while-eating-a-snack-while-making-out-with-his-girlfriend sort of studier.

  And apparently that hadn’t changed.

  He tapped the steering wheel rapidly with his fingers while he turned several times. Finally, he pulled into a busy section of whatever town they were in and scanned the entire area, dipping his head to see better. His gaze shot back and forth multiple times until he sat upright and pulled into a small parking garage.