Saving Zola (Sleeper SEALs Book 4) Read online

  He stared into her eyes, his brows furrowed. “Are you saying you regret what we just did, you don’t want to do it again, or it wasn’t casual for you?”

  “The last one.” She swallowed. “I’d be lying if I didn’t admit it meant something to me.”

  He set his forehead against hers again. “I know that, baby.”

  She wiped the corners of her eyes as he eased her into his arms, turned off the light once more, and dragged her into the same position they’d been in before.

  It felt so right.

  But she could not trust this feeling to last.

  Chapter Eight

  Mike held her sweet body against his. He was still in a state of shock. She hadn’t slept with any other man?

  Why why why why why did she send him that email telling him she’d moved on? If he meant that much to her, why didn’t she fight for him? For them?

  Because you didn’t contact her, asshole. Not one time. You shook her very foundation with your silence. You destroyed her faith.

  He felt like a total dick. As well he should.

  She remained awake for a long time, though neither of them spoke. Finally, her breathing evened out and her body relaxed into his embrace. If he had his way, they would stay intertwined forever. Until they died of starvation or something.

  He didn’t ever want to let her go.

  But he also needed to shake some sense into himself. Terrorists were after her. They were also after her father. He needed to come up with a plan and get them on the road tomorrow.

  They needed clothes.

  They were going to look strange walking into a department store in the morning dressed in last night’s rumpled mess. But no way was he going to leave her anywhere to go do the task himself.

  They might look like they were taking a simultaneous walk of shame buying clothes together, but it couldn’t be avoided.

  He breathed in her scent. Damn, he had missed her. What would she say if she found out he had pined for her for twelve years? Granted, he hadn’t been nearly as saintly about it. He’d slept with other women. He’d had several short relationships.

  But he hadn’t come close to making a commitment to another human being for the same reasons she’d listed. No one lit a spark like she had. It didn’t matter that they’d been so young. He had loved her. He’d known it then, and he’d never doubted it.

  Could he dare to hope he could have her now?

  No. Not a chance. He was playing with fire.

  It didn’t matter how well they connected. How deep into her eyes he looked. How great the sex was. He’d betrayed her. She would not be able to forgive him, and he was a dick for fucking her even now without showing her all the cards.

  He groaned inwardly.

  Every inch of him was wrapped around her, touching as much of her skin as he could. It might have to last him a lifetime.

  It took several hours before he fell asleep and it seemed like only moments before he jerked awake.

  Something had woken him. A sound.

  “Mike, it’s your phone.” Her voice was scratchy from sleep. Deep. Sexy.

  His cock jumped to attention as he squeezed her tight, kissed her shoulder, and then rolled away to grab his phone off the bedside table.

  The screen showed Greg Lambert, and a shocking time of eight o’clock. The room was pitch dark behind the curtains.

  “Dorsen here,” he answered.

  “You safe?”

  “Yep. We stopped at a hotel in between cities.”

  “Good. Update: My men didn’t make it to the house before the guys took off. Can you get me video of them?”

  “Yes. There were cameras, but I think they were smart. Not likely to see much. I’ll get them though.”

  “Okay. What’s your plan?”

  “Don’t have one. We have nothing with us. Need to get supplies.”

  “Money? Weapons?”

  “No. Got that covered. We don’t have clothes. Shoes.”

  “Ah. Okay. I couldn’t imagine you ever unprepared.” Lambert chuckled.

  “I’m a dude. I don’t need more than the pack that was with me. But I don’t think Zola’s going to want to spend days on end in a dress and spike heels.” He twisted to grin at her, setting a hand on her belly. She’d rolled to her back and stared up at him, worrying her lip. Unable to stop himself, he pulled the offended lip from her teeth with his thumb.

  Now that they were awake, he realized the room wasn’t as dark as he thought. Enough light was leaking around the edge of the curtains to cast the room in a soft glow.

  “How’s Ms. Carver?” Lambert pointedly asked, his tone and the way he drawled out the words indicating he was curious about how close Mike and Zola were.

  “She’s alive. Pissed. Stressed. Angry.”

  “Good. Those qualities will keep her from getting killed. You got this?”

  “Of course.”

  “Okay. I’m trying to track down anything we can to find the people hunting her. Gonna assume the guys from last night were hired.”

  “Undoubtedly.”

  “You keep low. I’ll catch up with you soon.”

  “On it.” Mike ended the call, set the phone back on the end table, and rolled back toward Zola. He tossed one leg over her, straddling her sexy body, and tugged the sheet down so he could see her chest.

  She squirmed.

  He threaded his fingers with hers and lifted their combined hands over her head, pressing them into the mattress as he leaned forward to kiss her. “Best night of sleep I’ve ever had.”

  She grinned. “Me too. I wasn’t sure I could relax with you touching me…everywhere, but somehow I felt…safe.”

  “Good.” He kissed her again. And again. They needed to shower, check out, and get on the road. Or maybe he needed to kiss her some more.

  She was addictive.

  He owned so many of her firsts. She was thirty years old, and he owned her virginity, twice in a way, and from her reaction, he gathered he was the first man to go down on her. He also owned her first night sleeping with a man and possibly her love. No way would he say anything like that out loud. It was too soon. She wouldn’t say it either, but she had once loved him. He cringed inwardly, knowing she would never let him have that love again after she found out everything that had transpired all those years ago.

  Shit. One day. Two nights. Best sex of his life.

  “Where are we going to go?” she asked between his kisses.

  “No place particular. I just want to keep us moving. We’ll meander north I think. I don’t want to be too far away from Connecticut in case something happens, but I do want to keep a safe distance.”

  She nodded and then inhaled long and slow. “I think I need to speak to my father soon.” The way she chewed her lip again told him she thought he might not agree.

  He knew this moment was coming. He couldn’t keep her all to himself forever. He’d never agreed with her father. And he still probably wouldn’t when it came to Zola, but the man was her dad. And Mike intended to respect him. “Of course. Why don’t you call him?” He held his breath, knowing full well that a conversation with her dad would change everything.

  She nodded, sighing, but she didn’t seem ready to jump out of bed and grab the phone.

  Somehow he didn’t think she meant to speak to Richard about this terrorist situation. She intended to let him know she was with Mike. Perhaps she was concerned her father still wouldn’t approve of him.

  Or was there more to it? Maybe she hadn’t divulged everything about the circumstances surrounding that email. He couldn’t blame her. He certainly hadn’t been forthcoming about his role.

  Mike had a lot to atone for. No way in hell was he going to make things worse by attempting to alienate Zola from her father. It would bite him in the ass in the long run. There was a good chance she would cut off his balls anyway when she found out what he’d done. At the very least, he wanted to take the moral high ground from this moment forward. Even if it de
stroyed his tenuous relationship with Zola.

  After her admission last night about this not being casual for her, it was even more imperative that he tell her what a dick move he’d made that first semester in college.

  She interrupted his thinking. “It’s early still. I’ll call him later.”

  “My phone is secure. You can call him from it anytime.” He released her wrists and propped himself on his side next to her.

  She rolled onto her side to face him. “Why? I would think you would be unenthusiastic about me talking to my dad.” Her voice was sarcastic. “A man who worked his ass off to keep us from dating. A man who did his best to make sure we split up. That dad?”

  He nodded. She only knew the half of it. “He’s still your father. If you want to speak to him, I will never stop you. Never.” He punctuated that last word with another kiss. “We’re adults now. We were kids before. Adults influenced us then. But we make our own choices now. I’m not going to cower to your father. Nor will I avoid him. No matter what happens between us—and I hope to God we can mend our relationship—Richard Carver will still be your father. I will show respect toward him under any circumstances. For you.”

  She was breathing heavier when he finished speaking. A tear leaked from her eye also.

  He leaned down to kiss it away, the salty drop reminding him what an ass he’d been and how many years he’d lost.

  And the irony? The shit of the whole thing? He’d lost this perfect woman because he’d had way too much respect for her father. Was it worth it?

  He definitely needed to grow some balls and fill her in on some more of the details about the events from that fall twelve years ago. There was a risk that her father might reveal details when she spoke to him, details Mike himself should unveil before then.

  On the other hand, it would be difficult to continue to keep her safe if she was pissed. Any number of things could happen. She might even insist on separating herself from Mike, and he wouldn’t take that risk. Maybe he was a coward, but her safety was also forefront in his mind.

  He needed to tell her, but not now. Later. He could talk when they stopped next. Chicken. “Let’s shower. Get on the road. Keep moving. We’ll stop and pick up supplies.”

  She shook her head, surprising him. What now?

  “Let’s have sex again. Then we can start on that list of yours.”

  His cock jumped to attention. The one currently bobbing between them half-erect. It switched to fully erect in a heartbeat. Her plan was better.

  She shocked him further by setting her palms on his chest and shoving him to his back. As if she were truly controlling the situation, she rose beside him.

  He landed hard, laughing. “Feisty.”

  “Mmm.” She scrambled from the bed, yanked the curtains a few inches apart, and bounded back to kneel next to him. “I wanted to see better.”

  He reached for her.

  She batted at his hands. “We’ve had sex two times and you controlled everything both times.” She grabbed his wrist and set it above his head, making his dick even harder. “Let me rephrase. I’ve had sex only twice in my life. Yours is the only…member I’ve seen. I have never touched it. I haven’t tasted it. You owe me.”

  The laughter that erupted from deep in his belly made her frown.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Member?” He grasped his erection with the hand she hadn’t manipulated and stroked it from the base to the tip. “My dick doesn’t really like that term. Cock. Dick. You pick.”

  She flushed a gorgeous shade of red. “Right. Well, forgive me.”

  He still chuckled. “Always. And I’ll let you explore all you want as long as you let me return the favor.”

  “You’ve already seen your fill…down there. And, and, tasted too.” She shuddered.

  He tried not to laugh harder. He truly did.

  She swatted at his chest playfully. “Stop it. I’m not used to your crass words.”

  “Pussy?” he teased. “Your down there?”

  She pursed her lips, refusing to meet his gaze, and turned her attention to his member and then the rest of his body. Her heated stare burned through him. When she perched over his legs, stroked her fingers over his mangled knee, and then leaned forward to kiss the scars above his kneecap, he swallowed hard, his laughter dying immediately.

  Next, her small hand wrapped around his cock and stroked it almost imperceptibly. “Tell me what you like,” she whispered, completely serious.

  God, he adored her. “Baby, if you’re touching my cock, you can virtually do no wrong.”

  “It’s smoother than I expected.”

  “Mmm.” It was going to be tough keeping up a running commentary about his junk with her stroking it.

  She ran her finger through the slit, spreading his precome. And then he nearly died when she lifted it to her lips and sucked it clean. “Salty,” she announced.

  His eyes were wide, but he couldn’t speak.

  She resumed her inspection, teasing him mercilessly while he mostly held his breath to avoid shooting his load prematurely.

  When she reached lower to cup his balls, he flinched.

  She yanked her hand away. “Sorry. Not there?”

  He grabbed her wrist and set her hand back on his nuts. “Oh, baby. Definitely there. Just be gentle. You can hold my cock fairly tight, but my balls are sensitive. Your touch draws them inward. I’m going to come if you do this much longer.” He let go of her wrist and flattened his palm on the bed. His other hand above his head curled into a fist in the sheet.

  She resumed.

  He watched. Best show of his life. And another first gifted to him from Zola. She stopped his breath with her raw beauty. Her hair hung in messy curls around her face, the strawberry-blond creating a halo from the shaft of light behind her.

  Her tits swayed next to him. He longed to hold them, clasp them, weigh them, suckle them… So many plans. But not now. Now was her turn. He wouldn’t deny her this.

  Even if it killed him.

  And it almost did when she leaned forward and licked the tip of his cock. She held the shaft in her hand, her fingers not quite reaching all the way around, and she guided him to her mouth.

  His heart skipped a beat just watching. It was hard to focus, but he didn’t want to miss a moment of her blossoming.

  She didn’t look to him for confirmation before she boldly sucked him into her mouth.

  He held very still. Do not come. Do not come. He forced himself to think of anything not sexy while she let him slide deeper between her lips. Road kill. Cockroaches on the counter. Mosquitoes nipping at him.

  Nothing worked.

  He groaned into the silence.

  She didn’t remove him from her mouth, but she did lift her gaze and her eyelids in question.

  He released the sheet above his head and let his hand fly forward to grasp her thigh. “That’s so good, baby. Perfect.” He wasn’t humoring her. She truly could do no wrong.

  She sucked harder. Deeper. When her little tongue dragged up the side of his shaft, he bit his tongue. When her cheeks hollowed as she sucked him back in deeper, he squeezed her thigh. He cupped the back of her head with his other hand, not pushing her, but encouraging her.

  When he knew he couldn’t keep from coming another moment, he squeezed her neck. “You gotta stop, baby. I’m gonna come.”

  Instead of heeding his advice, she flicked her tongue through the slit at the top and then sucked him faster.

  He lost control, his hands no longer gripping her. Instead, they loosened but wouldn’t accept commands from his brain. He closed his eyes, bucked toward her mouth, and moaned loudly as his come shot into her.

  Damn it if she didn’t swallow him also.

  He pulsed for longer than ever, copious amounts of his come hitting the back of her throat. And his gorgeous, sexy, vixen swallowed every drop.

  When she finally lifted off, she licked her lips and smiled. “I did that to you,” she declared tr
iumphantly.

  He released a chuckle. “You definitely did.” It took several moments for him to regain full control of his arms and legs, and then he lurched forward and flipped her onto her back.

  She giggled. The sound was musical. She hadn’t laughed much in the two days they’d been together. The tone vibrated through the air, reminding him of years ago. She’d laughed a lot back then. He’d lived for that sound. It had kept him going during any dark moment.

  And here she was. Not an apparition but the real deal. His again. In his arms. In his bed. Her mouth still slick from his come.

  God, he wanted her. He’d just come hard, and already he was stiff again.

  Suddenly, a new realization jolted Mike so hard he flinched. This woman, the love of his life, wasn’t some sweet, innocent girl out of a desire to remain celibate. It wasn’t an act she put on because she was too much of a goody two shoes to sleep around. It was him. He was it for her.

  She hadn’t saved herself from men because she was a prude. On the contrary, she was eager and willing and even demanding in bed. She’d saved herself because she wanted to be those things with Mike.

  Damn. If he’d been standing, he would have sunk to his knees. How would he ever be worthy of her devotion?

  At the moment, he needed to worship her body the way she deserved. The way he’d always dreamed of.

  He wanted her to experience everything. He wanted her to feel the same loss of control she’d just given him.

  He wanted everything.

  Chapter Nine

  The wind knocked out of her as she landed on her back.

  The intense look on his face made her shudder. He would never know how much it meant to her that he’d let her do that without interruption. Sure, he teased her at the beginning, but not in a malicious way.

  Now he stared down at her like she was a feast he intended to devour. And she was already aroused just from swallowing his…cock.

  Her sex—pussy—was wet. She felt restless. She reached for him, needing contact. A kiss. His hands. Anything.