Page 49 of Under Fire

He quickly countered, laying down the law, “There‘s not a chance in hell that this can work. We both knew this.”

“But—”

“This was never going to be anything more.”

His words were met by a red flush flowing up her neck. A tear rolled down her cheek, as she shook her head in pure loathing. He took another step back, creating space between them, grumbling to himself.

“I should have trusted my instincts.”

“And what instincts were those?” She lashed out as he backed off.

“To stay away.”

As his words hit, he spun and marched away, knowing he couldn’t watch her fall apart. He couldn’t—because he couldn’t do anything about it. Shouldn’t. Wouldn’t. That was the way it had to be. There was no other option. She had to accept that.

He had.

“Warren,stop,” her increasingly incensed tone trailed behind him as he turned. The way she said his name was nearly his undoing. “I need you to listen.”

“I can’t,” Warren called over his shoulder, motioning back to the gate.

The only thing worse than hearing her cry was hearing nothing at all. Silence hit him hard as he marched away, moving through to the motor pool to the HMMWV, where his makeshift tent was. He shook his head—willing to hear her get in her car and drive away, willing her to listen to him one last time, willing the idea of Alisa wiped clean from his head.

But his engorging cock had other ideas.

As he got to the HMMWV, adjusting the straps on the side of the bed to secure the tent, he heard the telltale patter of female steps behind him. A rage rushed through his body. She didn’t know what she was doing to him, what she was putting him through. He was seconds from detonating.

“I told you to fucking leave,” he snapped, turning to face her.

“I need help.”

“Help?” he drilled. “What kind of help?”

She blinked her big dark eyes up at him and slid her tongue across her shaking lip, searching for words. He knew she had run out of them. He knew…because it was the same for him. The anger in her face was palpable—something he felt deeply. She pursed her lips as if to say something, but he found himself sliding his hand up her neck once again.

“You’re asking for trouble,” he growled at her, deep and threatening, gripping her jaw.

“I’m already in trouble,” she said.

“And you want more?”

“Let me have it.”

With a dark groan, he grabbed her body, drawing her fast and hard against his frame. He wasted no time claiming her mouth again with his, reminding her that he set the tone and pace…not her. Dancing his tongue with hers, he tasted her broken dreams, her spent wishes.

“I’m not the guy for you,” he grunted as his pulled her neck up to his mouth, letting his teeth trace down the sensitive flesh. “I have nothing to give you.”

“Then just give methis,” Alisa pleaded, losing herself in his grasp, sinking into his mouth.

It was a bargain he couldn’t refuse, not with her sexy, lithe body pressed up against his, and his cock angrily thumping in his pants.

Damn, he had to have her.

Chapter Eighteen

Alisa

With the desert breeze catching in her hair, Alisa felt Warren’s grip on her. He kissed her so deep and thoroughly that she started feeling dizzy. They’d been there before. She knew how it went.

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