Page 42 of Silent Comrade
Safe.
She turned her head to study him. He hadn’tmoved. He’d been there all night. Studying his earnest, openexpression, she couldn’t reconcile the image of this quiet, gentleman camped out next to her bed with the lethal professional whoraged at the attackers last night.
“I’ll give you a moment,” he said, notbreaking eye contact as he planted a foot under him to stand.
“Al.”
He froze. Fatigue shadowed his hazel eyes. Amuscle in his hard jaw jumped. “Yes.”
Couldn’t help herself. She reached out andhe leaned toward her. Britt brushed his stubbled cheek with herfingertips, the sensation shooting zaps into her belly. “I don’tunderstand everything that’s going on here, but … thank you.”
That muscle popped again under her fingers.“Of course.” His voice vibrated up her arm. “It’s what I do.”
The revelation punched her in the gut. “Thisis a job to you.”
He opened his mouth. Nothing came out.Finally, he answered, “It’s supposed to be.”
His brows drew together as his expressionwent from lost and empty to detached and determined. His tightlypressed lips turned pale.
Not giving two damns about how crazy thissituation was, Britt leaned over, closing the few inches betweentheir faces. After one experimental brush of her lips over hishard, unyielding ones, she pulled away, studying him. His stonyface tightened up even further, like a powder keg primed for aspark.
His eyes narrowed. He gave a nearlyimperceptible nod and bent toward her.
When she propped herself on an elbow andkissed him again, the powder keg exploded.
In a blur of motion, he snaked a hand out tocup the back of her head. A growl preceded the onslaught of hiskisses. His lips became all changing angles and varying pressure.Hot breaths were followed by low moans. With his other hand, hepressed her jaw until she opened for him.
At first she tried to keep up with his deepkisses, but his relentless probing and unstoppable movementoverloaded her senses, like multiple movies running at the sametime. Too much. Not enough. Every cell in her body became attunedto Al. His light pine soap scent along with his deep, possessivegrowls made her breasts tighten.
Then the world tilted as he went fromkneeling on the floor to crouching over her, one knee on the bed,arms braced on either side of her shoulders. The mattress dippedunder his weight. The light in the room receded as Al filled herfield of vision, his big frame dwarfing hers, even as he heldhimself off her.
Had Britt known a simplethank youwould yield these types of results, she would have expressed waymore appreciation before now.Wow.
Even as he locked his mouth onto hers again,stroking her tongue with his, nipping, and sweeping his lips overhers … he held back. His corded arms locked out, rigid, suspendinghim over her. He didn’t press against her. Didn’t trap her. She wasin a muscled cage that she could easily escape.
No, Britt wanted those arms wrapped aroundher, holding her so tightly that the only reality she knew was thatof the possessive strokes of his lips and tongue. She wanted him tocreate a human barrier between the outside world and Britt.
Her universe was filled with uncertaintyright now, but the one thing she knew for certain? She wanted moreof Al. She wanted to forget the mind-locking fear of who or whatstalked her. Forget about her chronic anxiety that was driven by adeep-seated fear of getting close to someone and then having thatperson snatched away.
Right this minute, Britt only wanted Al.
Latching onto his neck, she pulled her torsoup until she brushed against his chest. Better. His answering groanas he slowly lowered himself onto her made her heart leap. The heatseeping from where their bodies touched, flowed through her,loosening her joints.
With his forearms resting on the bed, hesteepled his hands around her head, threading fingers through herhair. He still held most of his weight off her, but now theytouched, chest to hip to thigh.
Beautiful, safe confinement. Perfectpressure.
He drew his head back and stared at her.Stark, wild hunger swirled in the depths of his eyes. He licked hislips. Was he waiting? No waiting. Not today.
“What?” she whispered.
He flinched, like her whisper physicallyaffected him. He shook his head. Then he dropped a light kiss onher lips and rested his forehead on hers, his heated breathsoothing and tickling the skin on her neck. He pulled back. “Weshouldn’t—”
The passion drained away by degrees.“Because of your mission?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Much more thanthat. Damn it. Way more.”
“Tell me.”
