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  The bedspread was cool against her bare back, but Chase’s skin was hot against her breasts. Dragging his mouth from hers, he worked his way unhurriedly down her throat and over her chest, nuzzling her breasts with his mouth. Elena watched him, spellbound by the sight of his dark head against her pale skin, and feeling the rush of heat and wetness between her legs. When he took a nipple into his mouth and drew deeply on the stiffened tip, she gasped and arched upward, clutching at his shoulders.

  He tormented first one breast and then the other, ignoring how Elena twisted beneath him, her hips shifting restlessly against his. He used his mouth to worship her body, moving from her breasts to her stomach, where he teased her navel with his tongue. His fingers moved to the waistband of her jeans and released the fastening in one easy flick of his fingers.

  “Yes,” she panted, as he slowly drew the zipper down. She lifted her hips, and Chase dragged the jeans down the length of her legs until she lay on the bed wearing nothing but her panties.

  “Oh, man,” he breathed, “you are so damned pretty.”

  If Elena had worried that she might not meet his expectations, those doubts vanished beneath the heat in his gaze. Reaching out, she caught him by the waistband of his jeans and tugged until he came over her on all fours, with her fingers still tucked into his pants.

  “Take these off,” she urged, needing to see him. “Hurry.”

  Dawn would be here before they knew it, and Elena felt a sudden urgency to meld with this man, to own him and belong to him before it was too late. Even now, her duffel bags lay on the floor by the far wall, packed and ready to go. She suspected that if she were to visit Chase’s room, she would see the same.

  “I’ll take them off,” Chase breathed, “but I want to go slow, okay?”

  “Okay,” she agreed, too eager to see him to tell him that she had no intention of going slow. She was past ready for him. Even now, her panties were soaked with desire, and her sex throbbed with need. She’d listened to her sisters describe lust often enough, but she’d never understood the meaning of the word until now.

  Leaning back, Chase unfastened the snap on his jeans, and Elena helped to push them down over his hips. Her breath caught as she saw his erection tenting the material of his cotton boxer shorts. As he stood and kicked his legs free, Elena sat up on the edge of the bed. Reaching out, she laid her hand over the hot ridge of flesh beneath the cotton, thrilling at how he jumped beneath her touch.

  “I want to see you,” she said, and slid her fingers beneath the stretchy waistband to take him in her hand. His breath hissed in through clenched teeth as she curled her fingers around him, and her body pulsed hotly in response.

  “You’re gorgeous,” she breathed, pushing his boxers down to stroke his length. Glancing upward, she saw Chase watching her through half-closed eyes, his face taut. “You know what I want to do.”

  “Yeah.” His voice came out on a raspy groan.

  Elena smiled. She’d never felt so sexy or powerful before in her life. This guy was the embodiment of masculine strength and beauty, and yet she literally held him trembling in the palm of her hand. The effect was an aphrodisiac.

  She cupped his weight from beneath with one hand as she trailed her fingers along the velvety shaft with her other. The head of his penis was like a ripe plum, and Elena’s mouth watered with the need to taste him. Leaning forward, she ran her tongue lightly over the blunt tip.

  “Mmm,” she murmured. “You taste delicious.” Then she took him fully into her mouth.

  Chase made a rough sound, a mixture of surprise and arousal. His hands came up to frame her face, his fingers massaging the tender skin behind her ears. Emboldened, Elena took him deeper, swirling her tongue around him as she used her hand to stroke and caress his length. She pressed her thighs together, squeezing against the sharp throb of arousal between them.

  “That’s enough,” he gasped and eased her away, his breath coming fast. “I won’t last if you keep that up, and I’m not ready for this to be over.”

  Reluctantly, Elena released him and let him push her back onto the mattress. Bending over her, he pressed his mouth against her abdomen. The faint stubble on his jaw abraded the tender skin in a way that made her squirm in delicious anticipation.

  “You smell great,” he murmured, and hooked his thumbs into the elastic waistband of her panties, pulling them down in one smooth movement. His lips drifted over the arch of her ribs and over the swell of her breasts until he reached a nipple and drew it into his mouth. Elena struggled for breath against the erotic sensations of his tongue and teeth, and she threaded her fingers through his hair, urging him closer.

  His warm hand skated over her stomach and lower, urging her legs apart so that he could cup her intimately. Elena’s thighs fell open and she pressed upward against his palm, wanting more of the delicious contact.

  “That’s it,” he rasped against her breast, and swirled a finger over her slick flesh, parting her folds and finding the small rise of flesh that thrummed with need. “Oh, man, you’re so wet.”

  He circled a finger over her clitoris, but it wasn’t enough. Elena’s skin went hot and her sex clenched hungrily. Someone moaned and she realized with a sense of shock that it was her. She needed more. Now.

  “Soon,” Chase promised, as if reading her mind, and knelt between her splayed knees. He stroked a hand along her inner thigh, urging her legs wider, before he bent down and covered her with his mouth.

  Elena gasped and her hips came off the mattress, but Chase held her firmly in place as he laved her with his tongue and lips, alternately sucking and licking until she writhed helplessly. When he began tormenting the tiny bud of her clit, she pushed weakly at his shoulders.

  “Please,” she finally managed in a strangled voice. “Stop. I can’t take any more.”

  Chase laughed softly, but reached down and grabbed his pants from the floor, fishing through the pockets until he produced a small foil packet. He covered himself quickly, but Elena noticed that his hands seemed unsteady.

  He came over her again, bracing himself with his hands on either side of her. “You’re sure about this?” he asked. His voice was level, but his breathing was shallow. He wanted her. “If you want me to stop, you have to tell me now, because once I’m inside you, I don’t think I can—”

  “I’m sure,” Elena breathed, and slid her hands along his back to cup his lean buttocks and urge him closer. She felt him nudging against her most private spot, and she opened her legs wider, arching upward to meet him.

  “I’m sorry,” he grunted. “I can’t go slowly—”

  He surged forward in one powerful movement, stretching and filling her until he was fully seated inside her. He didn’t move for a long moment, his head bent to hers, his breathing ragged.

  Elena squeezed experimentally, the walls of her channel tightening around his flesh. Pleasure lashed through her.

  Then he began to move, withdrawing slowly and then sinking back into her in a series of bone-melting strokes. His heated flesh dragged at hers, creating a delicious friction that made Elena arch upward to meet him. The muscles in his arms flexed as he dipped his head and covered her mouth with his, feasting slowly and sensuously on her lips. Elena heard herself whimper softly, and she drew her knees back and hooked her feet around his waist, meeting his thrusts eagerly.

  She wanted more.

  Chase complied, sliding one arm beneath her to press her more intimately against the hard drive of his body. Elena shivered and clutched at his back.

  “Oh, God,” she gasped. “You feel so good.”

  Which was a huge understatement. Had she really told her sister that sex was overrated? If this was what other women experienced with their partners, it was a wonder any of them ever left their beds.

  “Damn straight,” Chase said, his voice low and rough.

  Elena could feel the start of an orgasm building and pushed at his chest.

  “Wait,” she panted.

  Chase ra
ised himself up just enough to look into her face, his own expression taut. “Really? You really want to stop?”

  “No. Yes.” Elena struggled to think coherently. “I’m getting close, and I don’t want this to end yet. I want to try something else.”

  Chase gave a disbelieving laugh, but his movements slowed and he began to pull back. Elena gritted her teeth and her body followed his, reluctant to release him. She was so close, and she sensed that he was, too. If they continued, he could take her to heaven in a matter of seconds. But suddenly, she wanted to be the one to take him there, to do things that would make him lose control.

  She pushed at his shoulders and with a bemused smile he rolled away from her. But Elena didn’t give him a chance to question her, covering him swiftly with her own body.

  “What? Hey—” He laughed uncertainly, but when Elena dipped her head and traced the whorl of his ear with her tongue, he groaned and collapsed back against the pillows. She pushed his hands up above his head, and slid her own hands down the sensitive undersides of his arms, admiring the impressive bulge of his muscles. Her fingers continued downward, and she scooted backward until she straddled his thighs.

  Sitting up, she looked down at him. Her breath caught at the sight he made. He was the embodiment of every fantasy she’d ever had. He lay prone beneath her, but there was nothing remotely relaxed about him. His entire body was rigid and his eyes glittered as he watched her through half-closed lids.

  “Now it’s my turn,” she whispered. “I’ve always wanted to do this.”

  She leaned forward until her breasts brushed against his chest, and her angel charm necklace pooled in the depression between his pecs. She traced her lips across his. He cupped the back of her head and drew her down for a more thorough, satisfying kiss. Elena had intended to tease him, to maintain control of their love play until he begged her to release him. But when he smoothed his free hand along her flank and then reached between them to touch her intimately, she knew she was lost.

  She gasped into his mouth, and settled more fully against him. He used his hands to splay her thighs even wider where she straddled him. Then there he was, hot and thick, moving into her bit by little bit, until Elena made an incoherent sound of need and pushed back, thrusting him fully into her.

  “Ah,” he groaned. “That almost feels too good.”

  Elena silently agreed, and slowly raised herself up until he was nearly free of her body, before pushing herself down once more, burying him to the hilt. The hot, throbbing sensation increased as she moved on top of him, gripping him tightly. His fingers were on her hips, guiding her, and he watched her face through pleasure-glazed eyes. When he slid his hands upward to cup and knead her breasts, Elena closed her eyes in mindless bliss.

  “Yes,” she breathed. “Oh, yes.”

  “Look at me.”

  The words were soft but insistent. She opened her eyes and stared down at Chase, seeing the raw, masculine need and pleasure on his face.

  “I want you to look at me when you come,” he rasped. His expression had tightened, and the tautness of his body told her he was close to losing control. Seeing his desire mount only served to fuel her own. and his words were enough to send her over the brink. Her orgasm slammed into her, and the only thing anchoring her to Earth were Chase’s hands, holding her. She might have closed her eyes but for his soft command.

  “Look at me.”

  As he reached his own climax, their gazes were locked on one another, until with a last shudder of pleasure, he smiled into her eyes and tugged her down until she lay replete against his chest.

  He pressed his lips against her hair, and his hands stroked soothingly down her body. When she turned her face up to his, he kissed her sweetly, and even in the faint light, she could see the softness of his expression. He tucked her closer against his side, and one hand traced lazy patterns on her shoulder and arm. “Hey, you okay?”

  A reluctant smile tugged at her lips. “More than okay. I’m great.”

  “No regrets, then?”

  Elena raised herself on her elbow to look at him. He lay against the pillows like a big, sleek cat. “Absolutely no regrets. You’ve actually fulfilled a lifelong fantasy of mine.”

  Chase chuckled. “Do you have any other fantasies you’d like to fulfill? Like I said, I’m here to serve.”

  “As a matter of fact,” she murmured, tracing his lower lip with her thumb, “there are a few I’d like to explore.”

  Chase’s eyes sharpened on her with interest. “Oh, yeah? Tell me.”

  Elena bit her lip, and then leaned forward and whispered softly in his ear. When she drew back, she looked at him with apprehension in her eyes.

  “Oh, man,” Chase said with a soft groan, pulling her down so that she lay sprawled across him, her breasts flattened against his chest. “We have about five hours before dawn. I may just die trying to do all those things, but I promise you I’m going to go out a happy man.”

  4

  MAJOR DUMFRIES had been right about one thing—flying in a helicopter while nursing a hangover was no fun. At least, not after the first ten minutes, when the initial thrill had faded and Elena found herself painfully conscious of the cold. Before long, her bottom started to ache from the weight of the armored vest that she was required to wear. The constant whir of the rotor blades was deafening, until she was no longer sure if they were coming from the helicopter or inside her head.

  Elena wasn’t even sure if the total exhaustion she felt was a result of the absinthe she’d consumed, or a combination of too little sleep and too much unaccustomed physical activity. Her body felt deliciously tender from her night with Chase, and each small movement brought back memories.

  She couldn’t stop thinking about him, or about what they’d done together. Last night had been an anomaly. She’d acted completely out of character, but then again, she’d never met a man like Chase McCormick before. With Larry, she’d always tamped down her own desires and contented herself with their standard missionary-style sex. At least, she’d thought she was content with the routine coitus, but now she knew differently. She’d been going through the motions, and while she’d had some pleasant orgasms with Larry, none of it could compare to what she’d experienced with Chase.

  The man was a master, and Elena had come alive under his expert touch. She hadn’t known she was capable of such uninhibited passion. After that first amazing hour, they’d slept briefly. Elena had woken to find Chase propped with his head on his hand, watching her. The heat in his expression had made it impossible for Elena to feel embarrassed. Instead, an answering warmth had bloomed low in her abdomen. Without a word, he’d circled his thumb over her nipple and they’d both watched the small bud tighten beneath his touch. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, she had rubbed herself against him, sliding her leg over his hips and letting him know she was more than ready for him again.

  Afterward, Chase had pulled her into his arms and she’d again drifted into sleep to the sound of his heartbeat thumping steadily beneath her ear. But when her alarm clock had finally gone off, she had found herself alone. While she’d told herself it was for the best, she couldn’t deny feeling bereft at Chase’s absence. He’d told her he’d have to leave before dawn, but even knowing that he had his own flight to catch hadn’t been enough to keep her from feeling abandoned. She’d wanted to savor every bit of their short time together. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel Chase’s warm body and his lips against her temple. Being with him was the closest to heaven that she would ever get.

  And now she’d never see him again.

  Elena looked around at the other occupants of the helicopter. They were a group of fifteen civilians, with just one other woman besides herself. The woman was quite a bit older than Elena, in her early fifties at least. Dressed in the DPA uniform of black cargo pants and fleece jacket, she seemed frail and nervous. Her gray hair stuck out at odd angles beneath her baseball cap, and she continually smoothed it with her fingers, tuc
king the strands back in. Elena felt a rush of sympathy for the woman, wondering what had prompted her to volunteer for this deployment and if she had also been destined for a different location.

  When Elena had arrived at the military airstrip, she’d been surprised to learn they wouldn’t be flying on one of the military helicopters, but on a commercially chartered one. But they’d had to wait awhile before the helicopter had been ready to depart, giving Elena plenty of time to think about the previous night.

  She’d had a one-night stand with a complete stranger.

  She’d thought she’d feel cheapened and used. Guilty. But she felt none of those things. Instead, she found her self smiling each time she recalled the previous night. Chase had made her feel incredibly sexy, and she couldn’t bring herself to regret the pleasure she’d shared with him. He’d been so attuned to her, anticipating the needs of her body before she did. He’d been tender and masterful, and they’d fitted together as if they’d been made for each other.

  Casual conversation was almost impossible on board the helicopter, given the noise of the engine and the rotors, so Elena contented herself with looking out the window at the changing view. They flew high for several hours, the land beneath them turning harsh and rugged. As they began to descend, Elena could just make out a compound in the distance. The base looked small and vulnerable in the vast openness that surrounded it, and only the distant mountains gave any relief to the stark landscape.

  As the helicopter drew closer, Elena couldn’t help but stare openmouthed as the base came fully into view. Even by military standards it was heavily fortified, surrounded by walls of sandbags and razor-wire fencing. She could see row after row of small huts, and then an area of hangars. More than half of the base was occupied by military vehicles of all sizes.

  They landed on a helicopter pad on the far side of the base, and when the doors finally swung open, Elena was greeted by a blast of hot, dry air. A soldier, dressed in full battle gear and helmet poked his head into the passenger compartment where Elena sat with the others. His mouth creased into a smile, revealing white teeth in his tanned face.