Soldier With Benefits (Military Men Book 2) (3 page)

“Jeez, Garrett,” Mac said with a groan.

“Garrett telling his lame jokes again?” Simon asked, his voice crackling through the radio.

“Yup,” Louie replied. “You really don’t want to know.”

“I’ve got one,” Simon said, continuing before anyone could protest. “Why are four-legged animals bad dancers?” He paused then said, “Because they have two left feet.”

Louie snorted. “That was worse than Garrett’s.” But it had done the job and broke some of the lingering tension.

They recommenced their drive to the site of the bombing the CBS reporters wanted to film. Louie didn’t relax. Neither did his men. They continued their careful scrutiny of the men, women and children and scanned other vehicles. Up ahead, vehicles came to a halt.

Louie narrowed his eyes against the glare. “Hell, not again.”

“US Army is here,” Simon said tersely.

Louie watched the soldiers scurry around, took in the equipment they carried. “Could be a bomb.”

“Should we go back? Try a detour?”

“Might be quicker.” Call him antsy, but he didn’t like cooling his heels in a line of traffic. They were stationary targets. Louie turned to the driver. “Can we take an alternative route?”

“We can try,” the driver said.

Louie nodded. “It won’t hurt to do a reconnaissance of an alternative route.” He and Simon discussed tactics. “Let’s do it,” Louie said finally.

Their driver backed up, retreating in the direction they’d come from. The streets were eerily quiet until a blast rocked their vehicle. The sound followed seconds later, vehicle debris flying through the air. A hunk of metal struck the window on Louie’s side of the vehicle. He flinched, cursing as the reinforced glass cracked under the impact. Luckily it held.
A bloody bomb
.

Simon’s voice crackled through the radio. “Everyone okay?”

“Yeah. You?”

“No need to visit the shithouse in a hurry,” Simon said.

Behind him, Mac, Tai and Garrett chuckled, and Louie felt the grin stretch his lips. “Thanks for sharing,” he said dryly.

Their driver proceeded cautiously down the road, dodging a pothole and driving around a burned-out vehicle waiting for removal. Its tires were flat, the spots of olive paint on the rear telling him it was an army vehicle. “Go slow,” he cautioned. “Looks like this vehicle was attacked recently.”

“Vehicle wasn’t there yesterday,” Simon said.

“Copy that.” Which meant they could face problems along this road.

Their driver slowed. “Dead-end,” he said, indicating the building that had come under fire from a bomb strike, the debris blocking the road.

“Did you see that?” Garrett demanded. “Nine o’clock. The sun glinted off something.”

They all stared intently at the area the medic indicated. Tension radiated within the vehicle.

“There. I saw it again,” Garrett said. “It’s another ambush.”

“Back up.” Louie had barely spoken when an RPG fired, gouging a hole where their vehicle had stood mere seconds before. “Get us out of here.”

Another shot fired, the rocket-propelled grenade rocking their vehicle before they turned the corner onto another street.

“Is it always like this?” Mac asked in a faint voice.

Garrett laughed. “This is more action than we’ve seen in the last month.”

“Right.” Mac didn’t sound as if she believed him.

“It’s true,” Louie said. “It’s always like this. Periods of quiet followed by frantic activity.”

The driver tried another route, and although someone fired at them and they had to wait at another checkpoint for over an hour, they managed to get to the building CBS wanted to visit and work out a safe route for the trip the following day.

They arrived back at base with a sense of relief.

“Good job, men.” It took Louie an instant to realize he’d lumped Joanna in with the rest of the men. She’d done her job calmly. Professionally. This might work after all. Yeah, as long as he pictured her in dusty khaki for the next six months.

Mac climbed out of the vehicle both jazzed and jittery after the long recon. It was always the same for her—she needed to wind down after seeing action. Some chose alcohol, available in Iraq if a person had contacts. She preferred a clear head and physical exercise. Usually she’d go for a run. Not an option here, although she’d heard they had a gym with weights. That would do.

“Are we free now?” she asked.

“Yeah, unless we have something else come up,” Louie said. “Great job today.”

“Thanks.” Mac hurried through the mess, heading for her room. Once inside, she double-checked the safety on her weapon and set it aside. The bedroom door opened and closed while she was shrugging out of her protective vest.

“You okay?” Louie asked, placing his gun on top of the lockers.

“Yeah.”

He studied her closely, an enigmatic expression in place. “Yeah?”

Mac tried to cover her jitters. Didn’t happen. A huge shudder gave her away. Her groan of dismay squeezed past tight lips. Breathless, she sucked in a lungful of air and immediately wished she hadn’t. Louie. His large presence filled the room. The urge to jump him brought another shudder. “Gotta go to the gym,” she muttered, glancing away to grab a T-shirt.

“Joanna.”

Her head jerked up. Hell, she hadn’t heard him move, didn’t realize he was so close. Her skin crawled, but it was different this time. Arousal colored her body’s reaction and she knew she was hip deep in trouble. She sucked in a deep breath, struggling for equilibrium. Louie’s scent hit her first, along with a hint of gun and dust, the tang of sweat.

“I can give you what you need.” His dark whisper blasted warm, moist air over her cheek.
Sweet, sweet temptation
.

“We shouldn’t.” She understood exactly what he meant. Pictured it clearly. Her body hummed with approval.
God, she was so weak
. “We won’t.”
Yeah, that was better
.

“No one needs to know apart from us.” His husky voice held temptation.

She trembled, her nipples so tight with need they ached. She wanted him so bad. No, not him. The physical act of sex. That’s what she wanted.

“Do you think you’re the only one who needs to burn off adrenaline? We can help each other.”

“You scratch my back, I scratch yours?” And what would happen if he blabbed to everyone here at their base?

“Basically.” He cupped her cheek, and she noticed the fine tremor of his hand. The sight reassured her, told her this wasn’t just a line and a means to get his rocks off. He needed the same release, the same basic physical activity to rid his body of stress.

Mac relaxed against his hard chest, quivering with tension of a different sort now. She couldn’t do this, could she?

But it had been so long. She’d slept with one man since her holiday in Fiji—a one-night stand that had left her feeling empty and dirty. She slid a furtive glance at Louie. Another crime to throw at his feet. He’d spoiled her for other men, not that she’d ever admit it. That would give him ideas when she had no intention of anything more than casual. As long as neither of them gossiped to others, it might work. Hell, she was really considering agreeing to his proposition.

“Are you up for this?”

Mac swallowed at Louie’s husky words, glanced at the bulge in his trousers. He was. Concealing a smirk, she lifted her head to meet his direct gaze with one of her own. He wanted her to agree verbally, so there would be no misunderstanding later. Fair enough. No problem.

“This is our secret? None of the others will know?”

“Not from me.” His steady demeanor and the sincerity in his brown eyes convinced her he spoke the truth. She could trust him.

She nodded, reassured by what she knew of him from personal experience. “Okay. No strings or promises. Just sex.” Mac held her breath, waited for his reply.

Just sex. Yeah, she could do that. Shove it in the casual slot and pretend that’s where it went. Mac thought about David and scowled. She didn’t do romances with military men these days.
Never
. Sex, but not love and romance.

“I agree. Can we start now?” Despite his military experience and his seniority, the naughty-boy twinkle in his eyes made her want to laugh. He’d made her laugh in Fiji. They’d had so much fun, swimming, snorkeling, walking hand in hand on the white sandy beach. And the nights. They’d danced, dined and made love. Mac sighed, her body tingling from the memories.

“Yeah,” she said, striving for honesty and ignoring the little voice in her head telling her this wasn’t a good idea. “I need to work off the buzz.”

“That we can do,” he said, reaching for her. His strong arms and familiar scent surrounded her. She felt the steady throb of his heart, smelled the dusty cotton of his shirt and relaxed against his hard chest, slipping into the comfort he offered.

“You ready to fuck?” he whispered against her ear. The blunt words sent a dark thrill sizzling through her veins.

Mac tipped back her head. “Bring it on.” She unbuttoned his shirt with deft fingers, the fiery-hot flesh beneath sending an urgent message to her brain.
Hers
.

Before she could touch, he kissed her. Hard. Urgent. Full of need and tinged with desperation. Blood roared through her veins. She tunneled her hands into his hair and fought for sensual control. Nothing gentle. All rough demand. They nipped, ate at each other’s lips. Warm, sleek tongues stroked and danced while urgent hands explored.

Skin. She needed skin.

Mac ran her hands over tanned pectorals, dug in her fingernails, reveled in his hiss. Roughly, she yanked his belt to gain access to the rest of his luscious body. Mac ripped open the fly of his trousers, tearing at the zipper.

“God, let me,” he said. “Don’t want an unexplained injury.”

Mac laughed and stepped back to shuck her clothes. Louie did the same and she stared in unabashed curiosity. Her memory hadn’t done the man justice. Not an ounce of extra fat, he was all lean muscle. Sexy ink on his biceps and shoulder. Enticing.

“Now,” she said in a hard voice.

“You’re not ready.”

“Now,” she insisted. “I need you now.”

Louie scooped her up and dropped her on his narrow bunk. It smelled of him with the faint tang of soap. She didn’t have much time to take in anything else. He covered her, taking a nipple in his mouth. One of his hands parted her legs, stroked along her slit. He grunted.

“You on the Pill?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve been over here since Fiji.”

In other words, he hadn’t slept with anyone since her. In Fiji they’d used condoms.

“You don’t need a condom.”

“Good.” The word hissed from between his lips as he pushed into her tight pussy.

Mac groaned and he stilled. She didn’t want talk. Action. That’s what she needed. Mac arched up, impaling herself fully. Good.
So good
.

Louie pulled back and started thrusting in deep, even strokes. In. Out. Mac trembled, loving the hard feel of his body, the maleness of him, and his scent. God, she’d dreamed about his scent for months. It was something uniquely him with just a hint of lemon and spice. She gripped his shoulders, digging in her fingernails, silently urging him on. Harder. Faster.

His mouth latched on to a nipple while his blunt fingers roughly stroked her other breast. The nip of pain hurtled her toward climax. She clenched her inner muscles, clamping down on his cock. Louie groaned, stroked her again. Once. Twice. A third time and she flew apart, clit and channel jumping with spasms of acute pleasure.

She was vaguely aware of Louie coming. He stilled, his lungs working like bellows. Louie rolled, taking her with him until they both lay on their sides. He pushed her head against his chest, cuddling while they drifted down from the high. Not exactly the way
just sex
went, but Mac went with the flow, savoring the warmth and the closeness of another body.

Mac had good friends in the military and kept in contact with them. All of them were still in active service. Ties forged under fire were strong but completely different from what Louie made her feel. Cuddling was dangerous, more treacherous than facing insurgents. She knew it, accepted it but still didn’t move. Her eyes drifted shut. Just a little longer…

Chapter Two

Louie listened to the whistling breaths of the woman in his arms and knew he was toast. He’d wondered if his memories were faulty, if he’d built Joanna up into a goddess. Then he recalled her calmness out on recon, her steady participation and snorted inwardly. The woman was a warrior.

His warrior
.

She might fight it, but she was his. He’d prove it to her, given time, but knew it wouldn’t be easy to muscle past her defenses. First, they both had to stay alive. His heart twisted, acknowledging the flutter of fear for her safety. Instinctively he knew the worst thing he could do was treat her like a woman and try to protect her. Take the safe road.
Fuck, that would make the game dangerous
. He couldn’t allow himself to think of anything apart from the job. Stay focused. Soldiers who allowed their concentration to wander died. And suddenly he wanted to live very badly.

Louie stroked his fingers down Joanna’s warm, naked back and wondered what would drive a woman to seek out big money in the private sector. With him it was the only way to forge a future. The army and now private security was all he knew. He thought he might buy a small hotel, somewhere warm where the pace moved leisurely. Laid back and easy. But what did Joanna want? Her needs would dictate their future too.

“Mac. Mac.” He shook her awake before easing from their embrace. He missed her warmth immediately and fought her allure. Softly, softly.

She blinked at him, her large startled eyes reminding him of an owl. “Did I fall asleep?”

“Yeah.” Louie stood and started dressing, going against every instinct screeching through his mind. “You want to hit the gym?”

A faint frown creasing her brow. “The gym?”

“Yeah. Most of the others will be there.” He let the words sink in while he grabbed a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.

Joanna. Mac—he had to think of her as Mac—sat up, her mouth cracking open in a yawn. “The gym. Okay.”