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  She opened her eyes and looked at him with such satisfaction that he got, impossibly, harder. “Your next order, sir?”

  Chapter Five

  Max was staring at her like a tiger does when it has sighted prey.

  Total focus.

  Bottomless hunger.

  Sexiest thing ever.

  “I want you naked,” he ordered.

  She shimmied off him and slid her pajama pants off. Panties too.

  His gaze dropped to caress her skin. She’d thought he looked feral before, but that had just been the appetizer. If she didn’t feed him something quick, he was going to pounce.

  She was tempted to let him, but what she’d just learned about him told her it would be better if she made it completely clear she wanted sex.

  She didn’t want him castigating himself tomorrow. Or the day after that, or next week. If he decided he didn’t want to sleep with her again, so be it, but she wanted tonight more than she wanted to make general. She didn’t want him angry with himself for having sex with her. Hell, she wanted him to want it for a while.

  Alicia took two steps toward him, her hips swaying. He reached out and grabbed her, putting her flat on her back on the bed.

  He crawled over her, straddling her, and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “You can say no if you want.”

  Her hands came up to slide over his shoulders. “Impossible.”

  He leaned down and kissed her, coming over her, settling his chest against hers. She arched into him and he flicked her nipples.

  “I could kiss you for hours,” she whispered against his lips.

  “Maybe next time,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “I’m much too hungry to linger.”

  One of his hands slipped around to stroke her back, and down, down to the base of her spine where he circled a spot below her tailbone. Every movement, every touch sent shots of adrenaline mixed with need through her body. Her hips couldn’t hold still and she rocked herself against the long hard length of his erection.

  Something was in the way, damn it. “Take your underwear off.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked, nipping at her neck and pressing his finger a little harder against the spot he was using to drive her out of her mind.

  She barely recognized her own voice when she snarled, “Fuck me.”

  He lunged up and took over her mouth while he did something to remove the cloth between her and his cock.

  As soon as it was free, she palmed it, humming in delight at the thick length of him. “Do you have a license for this concealed weapon?”

  “Expired.” A slow smile lit up his face. “Do I need another one?”

  Oh, she liked this sexy side of Max.

  “How about I give your license—” she gave his cock a squeeze “—a little mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?”

  He kissed her, sliding his hands with slow deliberation over every dip and curve of her body, and said against her lips, “I think you’ve already revived it.”

  “Condom?”

  He leaned back to open the drawer on the small nightstand next to his bed and pulled out an unopened box of them.

  As soon as he got one out, she took it from him. “I want to put it on you.”

  He gave it to her and lay back to watch as she opened the packet, then rolled the condom over him.

  She watched his face from beneath her lashes as she sank down on him without warning.

  He groaned and gripped her hips, but didn’t do anything to slow her down.

  She hissed. He was big and she hadn’t had sex in a few months, but she didn’t stop rising and falling over him until he was all the way in. She rode him slow and easy, thinking to tease him, but one of his fingers found that spot at the top of her ass and she stopped thinking altogether.

  He was whispering something in her ear, but she couldn’t process the words, not when her entire existence depended on finding orgasm.

  It built inside her, wound tighter than anything she’d ever experienced before. She was afraid it had the power to disarm her completely, but she didn’t care. She needed it.

  She needed it now.

  He thrust up into her, hard and fast, and the crest broke, white-hot pleasure searing through her. She was still riding the high when he grabbed her hips and held her still so he could hammer in for one, two, three strokes.

  He grunted and his thrusts turned into short digs that stroked something needy deep inside her.

  Holy fuck. They’d just wrecked each other and she was ready to go again.

  He held her tight, her body plastered to his, while they both caught their breath.

  “Goddamn, Max,” she said, still out of breath. “That was unreal.”

  “Hmm.” He opened his mouth over her neck and sucked, his tongue flicking her skin.

  She wiggled and found his cock was half-hard already. “What did you do, take a Mr. Happy pill?”

  He chuckled. “No, I’m...hungry.” His fingers found that spot at the base of her spine and she jerked in his hold.

  “Oh God in heaven, please fuck me again.”

  “Need a new condom.” He pulled out, flipped her onto her back and dove down to suck one of her nipples in his mouth. “You’re so polite I hardly recognize you.”

  “I’ve wanted you for a long time,” she said as she clutched at his head and lifted her chest to beg for more. “I figured I’d better be on my best behavior.”

  He took the old condom off, threw it in a trash can in the corner and opened a new one. She watched, entranced, as the staid physician and colonel stroked himself a few times before rolling another condom on.

  So hot.

  He took his cock and teased the entrance to her body with it, rubbing the head around in tight circles. “What do you want again?”

  He was driving her crazy. “I want you inside me.”

  He thrust into her, fast and deep, and the shocking pleasure of it made her diaphragm stutter.

  He didn’t stop, kept up the insane pace and penetration and shoved her into another orgasm that caught her completely unaware.

  It was blinding, even stronger than the last, and she thought she might pass out.

  A couple of minutes later, Max pulled out and got off the bed. He disappeared into the bathroom and came back with a warm cloth. He cleaned her, and she didn’t bother putting up even a token resistance.

  She drifted off into sleep as he came back to bed, gathered her up and pulled a blanket over them both.

  * * *

  Alicia woke wrapped in warm, muscular arms.

  Max.

  Had she known he was going to burn her up between the sheets, she’d have attacked him in the dark months ago. The man blew her mind.

  She slid her hands over his chest and down over his abs, loving the dip and flow of his skin and muscles. Her fingers encountered a rough puckered area over his ribs and she stopped to explore it more completely. A bullet wound?

  Max stirred and she pulled her hand away. The scar was old, probably some scrap he’d gotten into when he was a kid.

  On the nightstand a small digital clock told her it was 0400. A good time to get back to her room—this part of the base should be deserted.

  A few months ago, the Navy Hotel had housed many American personnel, but it had been burned to the ground by extremists trying to kidnap one of Max’s people, Sophia Perry. Compact trailers had been moved in to form temporary camp-style accommodations within the base proper.

  Which is where it should have been in the first place. She’d never liked the base’s use of the off-site hotel and had said so on more than one occasion. She was careful, however, not to say I told you so to her father.

  Being a general’s daughter only got you headaches, not leeway.
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br />   Alicia slipped out of bed with the stealth of a ninja, but Max woke despite her smooth moves.

  “What’s wrong?” He looked like a sleepy bear, all growly and ready for action, and she almost said fuck it to propriety and got back into bed with him.

  Another woman probably would have gotten away with it.

  She could never forget, not for one moment, no matter how sexy or how into her a man seemed, she was General Stone’s daughter. She was held to a higher standard, and could never let her guard down.

  “Bathroom,” she whispered to him, and headed in that direction. When she glanced over her shoulder as she reached the bathroom door, he’d gone back to sleep.

  She pulled on her clothes and left Max’s room. This time, he didn’t wake up.

  * * *

  Max’s alarm went off at the same time it always did, 0600.

  He lifted his head and came face to face with a pair of thong panties, ruby red in color.

  That was different.

  The memory of his unexpected guest flooded his brain.

  A shadow picking his lock and sneaking into his room. Grabbing the intruder and slamming them down on the bed. Alicia, wearing a soft pair of pajamas and an I got you smile. The feel of her lips on his as she kissed him. Her breasts in his mouth, his cock in her as deep as he could go. He still wasn’t satisfied.

  He wanted her again, hot, wet and demanding, but she wasn’t here.

  He was naked in bed and alone. Not a good combination.

  What if he’d hurt her?

  What if she’d left so she didn’t have to deal with a morning-after moment?

  He snorted at his own ridiculousness. This was Sergeant Stone, combatives program instructor for the Special Forces. She didn’t do awkward morning-after shit.

  So, why had she left before they could have a conversation about what happened? Most women like to talk about their feelings, and sex was important. His ex-wife had used the after-sex high to ask for things he’d already refused.

  Can I go to Mexico for the weekend?

  It’s a girls’ only shopping trip.

  How about for a couple of days in Vegas?

  Stone had just disappeared, and he found he didn’t like it. He felt awkward and uncomfortable, and he didn’t know if last night would affect their working relationship or not. He needed to talk to her, get her feelings on it, before he could decide what to do next.

  Max showered, dressed and grabbed a coffee and a quick breakfast at the food court before heading to his office.

  Eugene was already there, glaring at his double screen computer.

  “Trouble?” Max asked him.

  “Yes, sir. There’s a cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone. It seems to be the worst in the areas hit hardest by Ebola.”

  “Have they requested assistance?”

  “No, but they lost so many of their infectious disease leadership that whoever is in charge might not know when or how to call for help in a situation like this.”

  “I know a couple of doctors who might be able to give us a clearer picture of the situation. Next?”

  Eugene glanced over Max’s shoulder, and since Max hadn’t heard anyone walk in, it had to be Stone.

  “A hospital pharmacy in Kabul was broken into last night and most of the contents stolen. It looks like whoever did it took everything they could get their hands on.”

  Son of a bitch. “That’s the second one this week. Someone is stocking up.”

  Eugene nodded, but continued on with his report. “Four people reported to the medical clinic here on base with flu-like symptoms last night.” He clicked something on his screen. “Fever, nausea and vomiting.”

  “Keep an eye on that, Eugene. What departments did those people work in?”

  “All four were in the receiving department.”

  “Have the cleaning staff disinfect every surface in the department. The last thing we need is the flu making the rounds on base.”

  “Yes, sir.” He gave Max’s shadow another glance, then went to work, typing impossibly fast.

  “Come along, Stone,” Max said without looking behind him as he strode into his office.

  “Eugene gave it away?” she asked as he sat down behind his desk and she took the chair in front of it.

  “Partially. I don’t know any other soundless soldiers besides you.” He gave her a bland look and turned on his computer.

  She angled her head back at Eugene. “He looks for anything that might be an infectious disease?”

  “We try to track everything we can. Africa has been particularly difficult to get timely information from since Ebola wiped out so many of their top infectious disease people. It could easily take off again.” He continued with his boring lecture voice, “Would you mind closing the door? I have a couple of delicate issues to discuss.”

  “Yes, sir.” She closed the door, then stood at parade rest, her gaze riveted to a spot on the wall behind him.

  Like that was it.

  He got up and came around the desk so he could talk to her without anything between them. “Was there something wrong with my bed?” he asked her in what he hoped was an even tone.

  “No.”

  Her face told him nothing. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No.”

  “Did I do or say something to make you angry?”

  “No.”

  “Then why,” he demanded, “did you leave in the middle of the night?”

  She kept her eyes on the wall. “My apologies, sir. I woke at zero four hundred and thought I’d let you sleep. It was a good time to return to my room unseen.”

  He stared at her for a moment, irritation chafing at him like sandpaper. It sounded reasonable, considerate even, but her saying it while addressing him as a superior officer and not meeting his gaze was intolerable.

  “Alicia, look at me.”

  She glanced at him, but didn’t hold his gaze.

  “What,” he asked, enunciating each word carefully, “did I do wrong?”

  Her head jerked up and she looked at him with wide eyes. “Nothing.”

  “Bullshit.” He took another step closer to her and had to clench his fists to stop himself from taking her by the shoulders. She’d have him on his back in two seconds flat. “You snuck out of my room without a word and now you’re standing here treating me like a stranger.”

  Halfway through his sentence her jaw had fallen open. She snapped it closed, took in a deep breath and smiled. A real smile, one that caused the tight tangle of emotion deep in his gut to loosen.

  “I didn’t wake you,” she said, her voice the husky tone she’d used while she straddled him in the dark, “because you looked so damn sexy and cuddly I wanted to stay, but I knew if I didn’t go back to my room then, it would be hard to go there without being seen by some big-mouth grunt.” She smiled and tilted her head. “I knew if I woke you, you’d have no trouble convincing me to stay, and I like this assignment.”

  “Oh.” Jesus, it’s hot in here. He swallowed and watched that smile of hers turn naughty. “Your precipitous departure robbed me of something.”

  “What?”

  “A good-morning kiss.” He took the final step to reach her, slipped a hand behind her head and claimed her mouth. He took his time tasting her, showing her what she could have had before she’d tiptoed back to her room.

  Her arms wound around his neck and she moaned low in her throat.

  He ended the kiss very, very slowly, waiting for her eyes to open while he stared down into her flushed face.

  “I,” she said, opening her eyes to treat him to a heated look, “will never sneak out of your room while you’re sleeping again.”

  No regrets, plans for more. Mission accomplished. He released her and went t
o sit down behind his desk, because if he didn’t, he would have her on his desk. “Excellent.”

  Her relaxed posture went back to military straight. “I will continue to treat you with the respect your rank demands in public, Max.”

  “Just now, you treated me like you’d never met me before, when you’ve beaten me up numerous times and have a habit of needling me with it. In public. If you stop, people are going to wonder about that too.”

  She nodded. “I overcompensated. I’m sorry. Speaking of hand-to-hand, we need to talk about how well you took me down last night and why you otherwise can’t.”

  He froze, ice spreading through his chest like a deep, hard frost. “We’ve already discussed it, and I agreed to continue practicing with you.”

  “That’s not what I mean.” She leaned forward, studying his face with eyes he feared saw too much. “You look like a deer caught in headlights. What happened to you?”

  Faces flashed through his head. He locked the memories down. To give them a voice would be the same as issuing an invitation to anarchy to take over the world. It was a lie he’d spoken a hundred times to as many people. He took a deep breath, then looked into Alicia’s eyes and told it one more time.

  “Nothing.”

  Chapter Six

  Alicia watched Max’s expression change from a reflection of old hurts, to a closed book. He wasn’t going to tell her anything.

  Stubborn fool.

  She was stubborn too, but she’d let it go...for now. Let him think she’d retreated, when all she was doing was holding her advance until the right moment. She’d just found a man who accepted all of her without hesitation. She wanted the chance to explore what was between them.

  “Fine.” She sighed. “I’d like to talk about that report Eugene just gave you.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “What about it?”

  “I had no idea you kept track of outbreaks in such a wide area.”

  “Wide area? We track them worldwide.”

  “Why?”

  “Because they’re so damned dangerous. If people knew how easy it is to create and spread a biological weapon in a populated area, they’d be afraid to leave their homes.”