Chapter Thirty-One
“Y our request?” Grace stared at Max.
“Yes. General Stone and I decided to try to hunt down Akbar’s lab. Given the sophistication of the grenades he attempted to use, we were concerned about other possible weapons he might have adapted to deliver a bio-weapon.”
“Did you have any success?”
“Some. We’ve uncovered several supply dumps or stashes, but nothing that says we’ve hurt his ability to create more trouble. I sent Sharp on the hunt because he’s seen Akbar’s work area up close, but no one has found him yet.”
“How long is this assignment?”
“It doesn’t have a hard end date.”
Grace opened her mouth, then closed it before asking carefully, “So, you’re saying you don’t know when he’ll be back?”
Max studied her with an astute gaze. “You want him with you? You can work with him?”
“Yes.”
“Even though you’re romantically involved?”
“Yes, we’ve gone through a lot together. We trust each other.”
A half smile lifted one corner of Max’s mouth. “That’s good, because Sharp made it clear you and he were in a relationship, and he wasn’t willing to pretend you’re not.”
“Oh.”
“In fact, he told anyone who would listen, loudly, that you were his.”
Wait a second. He left, and on the way out the door, he warned everyone away from her? They’d made no promises to each other, other than the kind one lover makes to another. “His what? Doctor? Girl Friday?”
“My everything.”
Grace turned.
Sharp stood ten feet away, dressed in his dusty body armor over a clean uniform of the Biological Rapid Response Team. He had a full duffel bag slung over one shoulder and a shiny new sniper rifle in one hand. “Hey, Max. Everything squared away?”
“More or less.” He nodded to Grace. “He’s all yours. I’ll leave you two to get yourselves sorted out. We’re heading back to Bostick in about six hours to continue the investigation into Akbar and his anthrax strain. Be packed and ready to leave thirty minutes prior.” He walked away, leaving Grace staring at Sharp.
What the hell just happened?
Sharp gestured with his rifle toward her. “Where are your quarters?”
“What?”
“We need to have a conversation.”
He was right, they did need to have a talk. Though she might yell more than speak. She spun on her heel and led the way to her private quarters, which was a prefab room about eight by twelve feet. She’d had zero time to do more than to sleep there. As a result, it looked more like the inside of a deep freeze than a bedroom.
As soon as he was inside and the door closed, she started with the list of questions getting longer and longer in her head. “What happened? Where did you—”
Sharp dropped his bag and rifle on the floor, all while staring at her with eyes that damn near lit her on fire. The words coming out of her mouth halted as the intense need on his face ripped the power of speech from her.
Her diaphragm rose and fell like the bellows of a blacksmith while working steel.
He stepped back, and without taking his eyes from her, locked the door.
A sound escaped her throat, lost and mournful. “I thought you left me.”
A smile promising sin and sex, enough to feed her addiction for his touch, changed him from a stoic soldier into a man who was made to give pleasure. “You’re mine. I’m yours. Not negotiable.”
His words spoke to the primitive part of her, the part who wanted to scream to the world that he was hers as much as she was his. Never negotiable. “Good.”
They launched themselves at each other and somehow ended up on her narrow bed with him on top of her, his hands trying to pull her body armor off, while she attempted the same.
After a couple of seconds, he tore himself away from her and attacked his own body armor. “Take it off,” he ordered her in voice so guttural she barely understood him.
She understood what he wanted, though. What she wanted.
Skin, warm and smooth, over hard muscles.
She got her body armor off and tossed it to one side. Her shirt and bra went next. By the time she got to her pants, Sharp was back, naked, with shaking hands as he took over from her, yanking her pants down and off so hard they tore.
He kissed her everywhere, his mouth seemingly never satisfied, like hers.
She wanted to taste him everywhere, touch him everywhere, all at the same time.
He put his mouth on one breast, sucked in the nipple and lashed it with his tongue. It sent her into overdrive, a deep groan of need rising from her chest. “Sharp, I need...” She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think while his mouth worked her nipple, while his fingers found and circled the sensitive entrance to her body.
“What do you need, sweetheart?” he whispered, kissing his way over to her neglected breast. “Say the word and it’s yours.” His clever fingers dipped inside, then flicked her clit. Back and forth, back and forth, driving her need higher and higher until she felt like she was going to fly apart.
He sucked the nipple in and nipped it lightly with his teeth.
“You!” Good God, she was going to lose her mind. “I need you to fuck me.”
His fingers plunged deep, robbing her of words. She was on the precipice, on the very edge, and if he didn’t shove her over soon, she was going to die.
“Holy fuck,” he whispered, pulling his hand away, pushing her onto her back and making room for himself between her thighs. “I can’t wait, you’re so wet. Tell me it’s okay, Grace.” He put his forehead against her chest and moaned, “Jesus, tell me to stop.”
“No!” If he stopped, she’d fly apart and never find her way home again. “I want you. Please, I need you. I’m yours and you’re mine.” She wrapped her hand around his cock. Christ, it really was as big as she remembered.
He growled something she didn’t understand and let her guide him to her.
He pushed in and her eyes damn near rolled back in her head. He pulled out and pushed in a little further.
Too slow. Too careful.
“Harder,” she begged. “Please!”
He lunged into her as far as he could go, pulled out, and did it again, and again. Every stroke fed the fire inside her. Fed her need.
Her orgasm blasted her from the inside out with a heated pleasure she’d never experienced before. He powered through it, drawing it out until tears of pleasure rolled down her face.
She came back to reality to discover Sharp pistoning into her while he chanted in her ear, “Love you. Love you.” Over and over again. He groaned, stiffened, and shivered over her.
Finally, his body relaxed against hers, though his breathing was still deep and fast. His hands stole around her as he rolled onto his side and he pulled her until she was pressed against him.
“Engaged?” she asked.
He grunted.
“Do I get a ring?”
He pushed himself up on one elbow and leaned over her. He brought her left hand to his lips and kissed her ring finger. “It’s in my pants.”
She watched him nibble her fingers with all the patience he’d lacked only minutes before. “I’m still...damaged,” she told him.
“So am I,” he replied. “I’m not scared of your scars, nightmares, or your need for touch.”
He loved her. She could see it on his face, in his deep eyes, and in the way he held her like she was precious.
He loved her.
Their next game of chess was going to be very interesting indeed.
She kissed his ring finger. “I’m not scared of your scars, nightmares, or your need to protect.” She kissed him again. “I love you.”
His smile was happy . “Do you know when I knew I loved you?”
She shook her head.
“It was in the cave with Max and all those Berets. You were making decisions and planning your strategy to deal with Marshall and the anthrax design like a two-star. Your determination to see the job done and willingness to take the lead. So much compassion and smarts. All I could think was...hot damn, she’s the perfect woman.”
She remembered. She’d been so scared he was going to try to make her stay behind. “I knew I loved you when I had that grenade in my hand and if I told you I had it, you’d have sacrificed yourself for me. I couldn’t let you do it. I couldn’t imagine you dead and didn’t want to. It was my turn to save you.”
“You were pissed when Smoke and I turned up to ruin your plans.” His smile made her think wicked, wicked thoughts. “You’re sexy when you’re all growly and doing the don’t fuck with me thing.”
Her hands skated over his chest and up around his neck. “Love me again?”
“Always, Grace,” he whispered against her lips.