Rescuing Emily (Delta Force Heroes Book 2) (15 page)

“Even though you’d been starving yourself, I liked what I saw. But it definitely wasn’t the time or place. You’re perfect for me, Em.”

“I’m too skinny,” she protested.

“Maybe, but I’m doing my best to fix that.”

Emily looked at him for the first time and wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, I noticed. You’re constantly making me food. Delicious food that I can’t turn down.”

Fletch brought the conversation back around to what he wanted her to understand. “I like your body, Em. Every inch. I love how you’re so much smaller than I am, it makes me feel good to be so much bigger and stronger than you. That might make me a Neanderthal, but I can’t help it.”

“What if I gain a hundred pounds?” Emily asked with a hint of sass.

“I’ll still be bigger than you, won’t matter.” When she opened her mouth to say something asinine again, Fletch pulled her hips against his. She gasped and he made his point. “Feel that? That’s me loving what I see each night as we eat dinner. As we sit here and watch TV. As I see you tucking Annie into bed. I can’t control it, my dick has a mind of its own, and it wants to be right here. In you. And starting this weekend, I’ll make it my mission for you to love your body as much as I do.”

He felt it as Emily relaxed in his hold, squirming until his hard cock nestled into the sweet spot between her legs. He knew it was his imagination, but Fletch swore he could feel her heat through both of their jeans.

“Are you going to kiss me?”

Fletch smiled up at her. “Nope.”

“But don’t you think this has gone well past the kissing stage?”

“Maybe so, but I told you the other night that I wouldn’t kiss you again until I could take you immediately to my bed, and I’m holding to that.”

“Bummer,” Emily pouted.

“Thank you for giving me Saturday,” Fletch told her seriously.

“Thank you for giving
Annie
Saturday,” Emily returned. “She’s going to be in heaven. Not only will she get to spend some time on base where there will be ‘real live soldiers,’ but she’ll get to be with your friends.”

“They’re taking her to the obstacle course,” Fletch informed Emily with a smile.

She dropped her head onto his chest and groaned. “Great. She talked about the course her gym teacher set up for weeks, that’s how much she loved it. If they take her to a real one, she’ll never shut up about it. They’re gonna make her GI Jane.”

Fletch heard the smile in her voice. Even though she was complaining, she wasn’t really. “She’ll love it.”

“I know.” Emily picked up her head and licked her lips, unknowingly taunting him to break his promise about kissing her. “Am I going to have to worry about you jumping me the second the door closes behind her?”

“Probably,” Fletch asserted in a completely serious tone.

“Good.”

Fletch sat up suddenly, holding onto Emily so she didn’t pitch off him and onto the floor. “And on that note, it’s time for you to go to your room.”

“Reached your limit?”

“You have no idea, Em. Please, have pity on a poor soldier man, would ya?”

Emily laughed and got up off the couch and took a step away from him, blowing him a kiss and turning to the hallway. “See you in the morning.”

“Yes you will, Emily. Yes you will.”

Fletch groaned and reached down to adjust himself as soon as Emily was out of sight, flopping back onto the couch. He wasn’t sure he would make it another few days, but what sweet agony it was. He smiled as he settled back to watch the end of the show. Somehow he knew the rest of his life would start on Saturday, and he couldn’t wait.

“
I
’m
gonna ride the ferry-go-round and the merry wheel and eat cotton candy and see myself in the mirrors and then I get to be an Army man and crawl in the dirt and run through tires!”

Emily smiled at Annie as she sat not-so-patiently at the kitchen counter waiting for Beatle, Blade, and Truck to arrive and take her to the carnival. The little girl was oblivious to the looks Fletch had been giving Emily all morning. They were carnal and impatient at the same time.

Emily had taken her time in the bathroom that morning, primping and getting ready for her “date” with Fletch. She’d shaved her legs carefully and even trimmed up her pubic area. She’d put on a hint of makeup and some of the perfumed lotion she rarely used as well.

Dressing carefully for seduction, Emily had put on a pair of jeans and a shirt that buttoned down the front. The thought of Fletch slowly undoing each button had made her bite her lip in anticipation.

She’d picked a pair of bright red bikini panties and a matching lace bra. It was a push-up jobby that did what it was supposed to. She looked at least a size bigger. Emily worried for a moment about false advertising, but then decided that Fletch had seen her with very little on before, so he knew what he was getting. She was just prettying up the package for him. She might still need to put on some weight, but that was the last thing she wanted Fletch thinking about when she was standing in front of him.

The bottom line was that when she entered the kitchen about an hour after the time she usually did, she felt good. Pretty. And the look in Fletch’s eyes only reaffirmed those feelings. He’d been leaning against the counter, listening to Annie talk about something, but after seeing Emily, he’d immediately gone to her, leaning in. He’d brushed his lips against her cheek and moved to her ear.

“Fuck, is it eleven yet?” he whispered.

“You look nice, Mommy. Do you have a date?” Annie asked innocently.

Emily glanced at Fletch, who’d put his hands in his pockets, trying to hide his erection, and smiled at her daughter. “Yes, baby. Fletch and I are hanging out today.”

“Good. That’s two.”

“Two?” Fletch asked Emily in a soft voice, confused.

“Don’t ask,” Emily told him as an aside. “Good?” Emily queried to her daughter, settling on the stool next to hers.

“Yup. I like Fletch. I want him to be my daddy,” Annie stated without missing a beat.

Emily froze in her seat and glanced over at Fletch. She wasn’t sure what she expected to see, shock, maybe a bit of terror, but the look on his face as he gazed at her daughter was an endearing mix of longing and tenderness mixed with humor at Annie’s straight talk. The thought of her daughter calling Fletch “daddy” didn’t strike fear into Emily’s heart as it had with other men she’d dated on and off over the years.

She cleared her throat and managed to croak out, “I like Fletch too,” she told Annie, ignoring the daddy thing for now.

“When I grow up, I’m going to be a soldier, just like Fletch and his friends. They’re gonna show me all I need to know today to be just like them, then I’m going to—”

For once in her life, Emily tuned out her daughter’s ramblings and stared at Fletch. He was beautiful. He was wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, but he was so rocking them. All Emily could think of was ripping the shirt over his head and putting her hands on his chest for the first time. She’d wanted to check out his tattoos for a while, but hadn’t really had the opportunity. She hoped that today she’d get that chance.

His feet were bare, and the raised eyebrow he cocked her way when he saw her looking at his feet seemed to say, “Why put on shoes when we’re going to be in bed the second Annie leaves?”

“What do you want for breakfast, Em?” Fletch asked, sounding completely normal, which was annoying since she was all jittery and excited.

“I had cereal,” Annie piped in. “Fletch said that I probably shouldn’t eat too much so I could save room for all the crap I’m gonna eat at the carnival today.”

“Smart. But remember, baby, if you’re going to go and run an obstacle course, if you eat too much junk beforehand you’ll probably barf it up,” Emily told the little girl honestly.

Annie seemed to think about that for a moment, then told her mom seriously, “Yeah, but if I puke it up, that’ll mean I worked really hard. I’ve seen some cartoons where soldiers do that.”

Emily only laughed and shook her head. Annie could out-talk her mom more and more, but she didn’t mind. “True, but it’s still gross.”

“Yeah…”

Emily looked up at Fletch and saw the grin on his face as he looked affectionately at Annie. The thought that he cared as much for her daughter as she did, did funny things to her insides. He seemed to be the total package, even with his flaws…which honestly didn’t seem too bad when compared with all the good things. Yes, he was a neat freak, he was bossy, and he wanted to always get his way. He didn’t ask her what she thought about a lot of things, just did whatever
he
thought was the right thing. But he also never seemed to tire of listening to Annie talk, and he’d spent hours reading to her. Gorgeous, loyal and, hopefully, a master in bed. She’d find out soon enough. Yeah, she’d take him as he was.

“I think cereal for me too, please,” Emily told Fletch.

His eyes came back to hers. “Are you sure? You might need something to keep your energy up today.”

Lord love a duck, he was lethal.

Emily ate her cereal and watched Annie as she pulled out her precious Army men, still in their packages, and acted out a whole awkward war scene with them. Fletch stood next to Emily with his hand on her lower back. He caressed and rubbed her the entire time Annie babbled at them. If Fletch’s touch over her shirt made goosebumps pop out all over her legs, Emily knew she was in for one hell of a day when her daughter left.

Finally, Annie heard a truck pull up outside the house. Fletch looked up at the security camera monitor and acknowledged that it was indeed Annie’s dates for the day. He nodded at her, giving her permission to open the front door, and the little girl raced away. Fletch took the opportunity of being alone with Emily to lean down and suck on her earlobe for a moment.

Emily groaned and tilted her head to the side, giving him more room.

“Hold that thought, Em. Five more minutes and you’re mine.”

Emily didn’t know how her legs held her, but she managed to get off the stool and make her way outside. She greeted Fletch’s teammates as if she wasn’t thinking about tearing her clothes off and attacking their friend. She hugged Annie tightly.

“Be good today, baby.”

“I will.”

“I love you. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Have fun on date number two with Fletch,” Annie sang out innocently before hugging Fletch quickly, then climbing up into the backseat of the truck.

“Yeah, have fun on your
date
,” Truck teased.

Emily blushed, but didn’t say anything, simply waved at Annie again as Beatle got into the driver’s side and Blade climbed into the front seat. Truck settled himself into the back with Annie, and Emily waved at the truck until it turned out of Fletch’s driveway and disappeared.

Emily felt Fletch’s arms go around her from behind and his lips brushed her ear. “Two, huh?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Hmmmm, I want to hear it, but at the moment I’ve got other things on my mind. I’m trying really hard to be good. I’m so hard, I hurt. I want to do a million things to you at once, but don’t know where to start.”

She turned in his arms. “How about a kiss? I’ve been dying to feel your lips on mine since the last time on your front porch.”

She didn’t need to ask twice. Fletch’s mouth came down on hers and they kissed as if it was their first time…and their last. By the time Fletch pulled back, they were both breathing hard.

“Wow.”

Fletch didn’t say a word, simply leaned down and picked Emily up. She threw her arms around his neck and held on as he started for the house.

“This feels familiar,” Emily told him seriously.

“I carried you this way from your apartment when you were sick.”

“Huh, I didn’t remember it until just now.”

“I’m not surprised; you were out of it.”

“I just…” Emily paused, then continued. “It feels nice. I’m sorry I forgot it. No one’s ever carried me like this before.”

Fletch put her down on her feet just inside the door, keeping his hand on her back as he leaned over and punched in the alarm code. When he was done, he turned to her. “I like carrying you. Shirt. Off.”

“What?” The change in topic was abrupt and Emily wasn’t ready for it.

“Take your shirt off.”

“But—”

Fletch was obviously done asking because he reached for the first button and undid it. Then the second. And the third. Emily smiled. Okay then. She helped and started from the bottom, working her way up until their hands met.

Fletch didn’t take his eyes away from her chest as he parted the shirt and pushed it off her shoulders. Emily shrugged, letting it drop to the floor, and waited for Fletch to say something.

He didn’t. He reached for the button to her jeans, and undid that as well. Emily wriggled her hips and helped him get them off. She kicked them to the side and waited for whatever Fletch was going to do next.

She’d obviously chosen the right underthings, because his breathing visibly sped up and she watched as his pupils dilated so much she could barely see the blue of his eyes. His hands came up and he lightly skimmed her breasts with his palms. Emily could feel the warmth of his hands against her sensitive peaks. Her nipples swelled in their cups as if reaching for him.

“You are so fucking beautiful, I’m almost afraid to touch you,” Fletch whispered.

“I’m small.”

“You’re perfect.” Fletch didn’t waste any more time with words, he leaned down and kissed the peak of each breast with a chaste kiss. Emily thought her legs would give out when he plumped both breasts with his hands and buried his face into her cleavage and inhaled.

Lifting his head, he declared, “You smell delicious.”

“It’s my lotion.”

“It is,” Fletch agreed, “but it’s also you.”

Emily reached behind her for the hook to her bra, ready to get the show on the road, but Fletch stopped her.

“No, that’s my job. And if we don’t get to my bed now, we might not make it there.”

“I’m okay with that.”

“Nope, I’ve wanted to see you in my bed again ever since that first night. Come on,” Fletch leaned down and picked her up again and Emily shrieked in laughter. She wound her arms around him as he walked them to his room, leaning in and sucking on his earlobe as they went.

Emily had never thought of herself as sexy, but being held in Fletch’s arms as he carried her to his bed, and feeling him shudder as she caressed and teased his earlobe, was heady stuff. She was slick and more than ready for him.

The mattress bounced as Fletch dropped her onto it. Emily laughed as Fletch stripped off his clothes. He didn’t break eye contact with her as he undid and dropped his jeans and boxers. His shirt came off just as quickly and the next thing she knew, he was crouched over her before she could get a good look at him.

“Here’s the thing—I can’t go slow.” Emily felt his hand caress her side, then move to her belly as he spoke. “I feel like I’ve waited forever for you. For this moment.”

Her back arched as his fingers dipped under the waistband of her undies and brushed against the hair there.

“Are you wet for me?”

“Yes,” Emily moaned, wrapping her arms around Fletch’s neck as his fingers continued to flex and tease, but never touch her where she needed him most.

“Are you sure? Because I’d sooner face a hundred Taliban soldiers with no weapon than hurt you.”

“I’m sure. Touch me and I’ll prove it.”

The words were barely out of her mouth before his fingers were there. They slid between her wet folds as confidently as if he’d been doing it every day of his life.

“Lord, Em. You’re soaked.”

“Told you.”

“All for me.” It wasn’t a question.

Emily answered him anyway. “Yes.” She bucked her hips up when one of his fingertips entered her hot cavern. The action pushed his finger deeper and they both groaned at the sensation.

“It’s been months for me,” Fletch told her, easing another finger inside. “I’ve been busy with work and interested in a hot neighbor. After I met her, I had no desire to be with anyone else.”

Emily groaned in ecstasy. He felt great. Awesome—but she needed more. Her panties were restricting his movements, and she wanted him as out of control as she currently felt. She sat up, pushing him back, and dislodging his fingers in the process.

Talking as she pushed her panties down her hips and off, she told him, “I’m on the pill. I have heavy periods and horrible cramps if I’m not on it. But that being said, I also haven’t slept with anyone in at least two years. I’ve been too busy myself, and honestly, as much as I love my daughter, she’s not conducive to having any kind of sex life. After today, we’ll have to get creative. I’m not an exhibitionist, but I swear if we have to sneak out back while she’s watching GI Joe, I’ll do it.”

Emily reached to undo her bra, and once again Fletch stopped her.

“Leave it. Lie back.”

Emily did as he asked and looked up into his eyes. He was once again crouched over her, and his hand went back between her legs and was caressing her harder now that he had more room to work, spreading her wetness up to her clit, making her squirm under him.

“I’m clean, Em. I wouldn’t hurt you in that way.”

“Me too.”

“I have a condom. I’ll use it if you want.”

“You swear you’re clean? I can imagine you’ve been with lots of women.”

“I swear on the life of my teammates, I don’t have anything. And I can’t remember any of the women I’ve been with before now. Ever since a certain woman and her little girl crashed into my life, my only thoughts have been for them.” He smiled down at her, all the while lazily caressing her, stretching out her enjoyment.

“Fuck me, Cormac. I need you.”