Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Aaron's Honor (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Men of Mercy Book 8) (12 page)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Aaron stared at his kitchen and shook his head. She'd made him sandwiches alright, two heaping sandwiches over packed and falling apart. There were more crumbs on the counter than in the loaf of bread.

Maybe she was right and she just couldn't help it.

But she'd been thoughtful enough to make him supper in the first place. He grabbed the plate with a smile, enjoying the warm sensation in his chest.

The conversation with Merc had left him hungry to be back with his team, but every time he saw Celine he forgot that longing. She blew so hot and cold from one minute to the next he had no idea where he stood, but he intended to find out.

Aaron polished off the sandwiches, wiped down the counter, tossed the plates in the dishwasher and put the food back in the refrigerator. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he saw he'd only been down here about fifteen minutes. He stepped into the living room and called out, “Celine?”

“Be down in just a minute.”

He glanced at himself, cursing as he realized he'd forgot to put on a shirt. She wasn't one of his teammates who he could walk around in front of in only his shorts. Noni would have his ass for the lack of respect for a lady.

She deserved better.

He noticed his truck parked out front. Well, he could start off by doing his job and protecting her. If anyone figured out their location, the truck would be a beacon. He grabbed the keys and jogged outside. The sun had disappeared and in its place was a large pale moon, filling up the night sky.

He cranked the truck, keeping the lights off, and drove it around behind the shed. No one knew about this place except for him, and now Celine, but that didn't bother him so much, he kind of liked sharing his place with her.

They should be good, he'd called from a secure line to another secure line, making it nearly impossible to trace or track their location. He hadn't even told Mr. K where they were. There was no way Daniel or Eli could track them. But that didn't mean he wouldn't be prepared just in case.

Aaron ran inside. “You okay up there?”

“Fine.”

“I'm going to be outside for a few minutes checking on a couple of things. Just come to the front door and yell if you need me.”

“Okay.”

Aaron went to the shed, grabbed his lasers and headed into the woods. There was only one way into this place, and that was the same road he'd come up. Behind the cabin, past the crest, was a sheer rock wall that dropped nearly two hundred feet. Dense, heavy foliage packed in on the sides. Its defensive position was one of the reasons he’d chosen this place.

Aaron skirted the road for about half a mile and set up his first sensor, attaching it to a tree at chest level. He didn't want it low enough that animals would set off the alarm. He set the next detector at the beginning of his driveway, just past the wall of trees blocking it from sight. The last sensor he set at the back door.

The house was dark when he went inside, even upstairs. “Celine? You asleep?”

He was halfway up the stairs before she answered.

“Could you come up here for a minute, I tried to change my bandage but I think it's stuck.”

Aaron took the stairs two at a time. He knew he’d been gone too long. She could have re-opened her wounds. “I'm coming-”

He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him. Celine stood in the center of the room, she'd curled her hair into loose spirals that did nothing but make her look like some type of pixie fantasy out of his dreams.
Holy mother – how was he supposed to keep his hands off of her looking like that?

She offered him a crooked smile and gestured to her ankle. “I started to unwrap it but I didn't want to mess it up, and you said you were a medic right?”

Aaron scrubbed a hand over his mouth, his gaze locked on the dainty curve of her calf. “Yeah, that's right.”

“Will you help me?”

“Sure, I mean yes.” Damn he was tongue-tied. “Let me get my kit from the kitchen.” He bounded down the stairs, snatched his first aid kit from beneath the sink and was back by her side in ten seconds flat. Celine sat on the bed, her legs dangling just out of reach of the carpet. Moonlight spilled through the wall of windows, painting her platinum hair with a surreal sort of glow.

Concentrate, she asked you to change her bandage, not rip off her shirt
. Aaron dropped to his knees in front of her, opened his kit and cupped her heel in his palm, placing her foot on his thigh to steady her leg. She wiggled her toes, dainty and feminine like the rest of her. “I'm going to unwrap it first.”

He concentrated on unwinding the bandage, careful not to peel back any dried skin. Then he inspected her ankle. “There's no swelling, looks like no infection, and most of your wounds have closed.”

“Going to disinfect it with this, then I'll put some antibiotic cream on and re-wrap it, okay?” He opened the disinfectant and gently dabbed at her leg.

He didn't look up for her nod, instead he concentrated on the task, knowing the minute he met her eyes he'd be lost. He finished cleaning the wound, and applied the antibiotic ointment, then quickly dressed her ankle with a fresh bandage. “There, we'll change it again tomorrow.”

Her other foot landed on his thigh and he froze, his gaze following her slim calf muscle to her pale thighs. Celine shifted, her leg falling to the side. Aaron swallowed, his free hand going to her good ankle of its own volition. Unable to take it, he glanced up to see her staring down at him with molten emerald eyes, her lips parted.

“Celine?”

“Do you want me, Aaron?”

He didn't process her words at first, but when he finally got enough control to speak, he growled. “Of course I do. But you need to rest, you've been through a lot.”

She lifted her left leg and his hand moved up, unconsciously testing the soft smooth skin of the hollow behind her knee. Celine shivered and his grip reflexively tightened.

“I've had enough rest.” She licked her lips and let her legs fall apart another inch.

His already hard cock turned to steel. “You don't know what you're saying, you've been through an ordeal, kidnapping, almost killed.” His hand slid up to her mid-thigh as he relished every smooth inch, realizing she felt even better than he dreamed or imagined.

“Almost. But they didn't kill me and I need you.”

Her throaty whisper broke through his barriers. Aaron brought both hands to her thighs and pushed her legs wide, his mouthwatering when she offered no resistance. “You better be sure sweetheart, because if I get started, I don't think I can stop.”

In answer, Celine pulled her shirt over her head, leaving her naked beautiful breasts on display just for him.

He was a man undone. Reverently, giving her all the chances he could, he eased his hands up her legs, over the silky shorts to tug at the waistline. The tight shorts offered little resistance as he slid them down her legs. She was completely bare beneath. As if in a trance, he palmed her pussy, sucking in a breath when he found her hot and wet. Slowly he rotated his hand in a circle, massaging her there and savoring the soft pants coming from her lips.

“I've been thinking about how you taste, wondering if you are sweet down here. Knowing you are probably even sweeter.”

Celine moaned and fell back to her elbows as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the inside of her thigh, inching his way up.

“This is what I've needed Celine, what I needed all along.” Aaron slipped his hands beneath her butt and lifted her to his lips, savoring his first taste with a long slow lick.

“Oh my God.” Celine lifted her hips and he yanked her back down anchoring her in place.

“I told you to be ready.” He took her between his lips, suckling her sensitive clit until she bucked out of his hands. She didn't taste better, she tasted like heaven, like everything good he'd ever imagined rolled into one.

He wanted to stay here forever, savoring her sweet cries and whimpers, her fingers in his hair holding him to her. He licked her, alternating between fast and hard, slow and easy, restraining himself from testing her depths with his fingers. He knew he'd make her come, could sense she was on the edge. But he wanted to save that spot, to take her fully and make her his. He didn't understand this need to have her, but he knew it would never change.

“I'm so close, Aaron please,” she moaned and his cock jumped in response. Knowing it would push her over the edge, he sucked her clit between his lips, lapping up every drop of her juice as she fell apart and came in his arms.

She was his.

XXX

Celine floated down from the first orgasm she’d had in too long. Her body drenched with a fine sheen of sweat and her fingers still curled in Aaron's silky thick hair as he continued to lap at her already sensitive flesh. She tried to pull him back, to make him stop, but he just growled and pushed her hands out of the way as he slowly worked her back into a frenzy.

She'd never felt this on fire, or so connected. Aaron made his way up her belly, kissing a path as he went. “You're so fucking beautiful. You don't know how hard it's been for me to keep my hands off you this whole time.”

His words filled her with sensual power and she arched. “Too long.”

She stretched her arms over her head offering herself for his touch and he answered, kneading her breasts in his hands, thumbing her nipples, the rough calluses on his palms abrading her sensitive flesh, until she thought she’d scream. And then he took her into his mouth, suckling her nipple between his firm lips in a long hard pull that wrung all the oxygen from her body and left her breathless and gasping for more.

When he lavished the same attention on her other breast, she let go of the thin line of control that she’d been holding onto and buried her fingers in his hair, anchoring him to her. “Harder.”

“Damn I love your nipples. When you wore that shirt today, I could practically see them, been wondering what they taste like.” He took her again, his tongue lashing at her peak until she cried out.

Aaron rose over her, put his hands beneath her arms and lifted her up the bed until they were both lying flat with him nestled between her legs, his hard length pressed against her core through the thin material of his shorts. Aaron cupped her face between his hands, holding her prisoner with his liquid brown gaze. “This is your last chance, honey, I don't think I can wait much longer.”

“I don't want you to,” she breathed out. Impatient, Celine wrapped her hand behind his neck and pulled herself up to take his mouth. He let her go at her own pace, gently licking his lower lip and enjoying the way he pulsed between her thighs. Soft as a whisper, she brushed her lips across his, until he buried his hand in her hair and took possession of her mouth, completely destroying her will to tease him. He didn't just kiss her, he owned her, made her want more and then gave it to her. His tongue taking control of her mouth with powerful thrusts in a way she'd never dreamed.

He pushed her beyond need to frantic desperation and she dug her nails into his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing herself as tight as she could against his erection.

When he broke the kiss, they were both breathing hard.

“You're fucking perfect.”

Aaron yanked his shorts off, his long hard length springing free. His hand slipped between them, his fingers finding her only to tease and circle her entrance, barely tipping inside. 

“You're ready for me aren't you? You're ready for me to take you.”

Celine whimpered and arched her hips, trying to impale herself on his finger but he pulled back. “No, sweetheart, the first time I take you it's not going to be with my fingers.” He reached down and lined himself up against her entrance, the broad flat head pushing against her walls. “I'm going to take you and make you mine.” He growled and buried one hand in her hair, holding her head in place, the other anchored her hip as he inched inside her. Gritting his teeth against the exquisite pleasure, he forced himself to go slow. Give her time to adjust to his size.

“Aaron, please.” She arched, taking more than he’d given.

“Be still.”

“I can’t,” she moaned.

“Celine…”

“Please, I need you.”

Her words broke his resistance and he drove forward, stretching her wide and filling her completely.

Aaron paused, dropped his head to hers and took a trembling breath. He placed a soft kiss to her lips and then pulled out, plowing inside once more. He took her like that, with long hard thrusts, stretching her to the limit.

“So close, don't stop.”

He increased his pace, slamming into her with hard thrusts that drove her to the headboard. She clawed at his back, urging him on as her orgasm built and built.

“Come for me, sweetheart. Now.”

His words sent her over the edge and she tumbled headlong into another orgasm, this one blinding in its intensity. Aaron thrust in to the hilt as he shouted his own release right along with her.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Aaron rolled to his side, pulling Celine with him so that her head laid against his chest, as they both tried to catch their breath. “That was amazing. Are you okay? Was I too rough?”

She hadn’t acted like he’d hurt her, but he’d gotten so lost in her sweet body that a bomb could've gone off and he would've missed it.

“Not even close.” She threaded her fingers through his, her breath fanning against the hollow of his neck. “I was thinking maybe I hurt you.”

Aaron chuckled and squeezed her tighter. “Honey, I’ll take that kind of hurt any day.”

Aaron rolled out of bed, went to the sink and quickly washed himself off. Then he returned, slipping back into the same position as before with her head lying on his chest.

Celine shifted against him, her leg sliding slowly up his thigh to nudge his already growing erection.

“Be careful, you need to rest,” Aaron said.

Celine leaned up on an elbow, her chin length blonde hair fanning around her face, and he couldn't resist sifting his fingers through the silky links. “I'm not going to break, Aaron.”

              The moonlight highlighted her delicate bone structure. She had high cheekbones and the cutest curvy little nose. Everything about her screamed dainty. He would crush her with one hand if he wasn't careful. “You don't understand what your body's been through. You were starved and abused, your body hasn't gotten its strength back yet.”

“Seriously?” Celine went to her knees next to him, her eyes wide. “You really think I can't handle a little screwing?”             

Aaron growled and shot up straight so that he was eye level with Celine. “You really think what we just did was just sex? It was more than that and you know it.”

“No, it meant more than that to me. I was teasing you. Trying to get you to see I'm not weak.”

Aaron pushed her down and pulled her onto his chest so that she draped across his body once more. “No, you're one of the strongest women I know. You know what I do, I've seen women break under less strain. I just want you to be safe and healthy.”

Celine stared up at him with her big emerald eyes. “I am safe. I'm with you.”

Overwhelming protectiveness surged. “Damn right, you are. I'll protect you with my life.”

Tears sprang to her eyes, taking his wave of power and crushed it, leaving him with an aching coldness in his chest. He released her hands and cradled her face between his palms. “What's wrong, sweetheart?”

Her hands went to his, holding him to her. “It just feels good to hear you say it.”

Aaron held her gaze, leaving his open so she could see his sincerity. “It's my job to protect you.”

The hope shining in her eyes faded and he did a mad scramble to try to figure out how he could heal the hurt.

She sucked in a breath, her lips trembling and said, “I know you'd rather be with your team. I understand. Who could blame you for wanting revenge against that horrible monster.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your job.”

Aaron waited for her to continue, but after a few seconds it became obvious she was done. “What about my job?”

She looked away and he gently tipped her chin back to face him. A fresh tear tracked out of the corner of her eye and something inside him broke. He gently wiped the drop from her temple, and waited.

“I know that I’m just a job for you. That when it's safe, this will all be over and I'll probably never see you again. And I know you'd rather be back in Afghanistan right now, tracking down the man that killed your teammate.”

Her words doused his desire. “You really think I could just leave you?”

She nodded another tear falling. “They always do.”

Aaron slammed his eyes shut and tilted his head back to hide the expression on his face. How could she think that he could just walk away after what they've shared? Yes, he’d been attracted to her before, but now, after he’d spent a whole week learning about her quirks and caring for her…and then tonight, the most fucking perfect sex he'd ever had…he knew she was the one. She was his everything.

Aaron wrangled his control and faced her. “Let's get a few things straight. I'm not leaving you, not now, not in a week, not in two weeks. Mr. J can eat a bullet for all I care. I'd like to see him die, but the man who tried to destroy my life isn't nearly as important to me as the woman that restored it.”

He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, his heart beating almost painfully in his chest. “I will never leave you. Ever. Yeah, with my job I'll be deployed. I won't be able to tell you where I'm going or what I'm doing, but I'll come home and when I do, you better be there waiting for me.”

Her gaze searched his and it was all he could do not to grab her and kiss the truth into her. If anyone should be worried it was him. Not many women could handle being with a special forces operative. The constant worry and secrets that came along with his job had destroyed plenty of relationships, that’s why he’d never sought a serious girlfriend in the past. But he’d never felt like he did right now either – like he couldn’t breathe without her.

She gave him a trembling smile, twisting his insides.

“I believe you, and I don't want you to leave either. But I don't want you to miss your chance for revenge.”

“Before I had you, I wouldn't have missed it for the world. But my world’s changed and I wouldn't leave you for a second.”

Celine snuggled closer to him, inhaling his earthy male scent and reveling in the way his chest rumbled against her cheek. “So what do you think will happen with Mr. J?”

“I think my team will catch him and I think we’ll find Caroline,” Aaron answered quickly.

“You seem so sure.”

“The information you were able to give us on Mr. J, who you knew as Jack Mankel, is going to help a lot. Up until now we didn’t know his current alias.” Aaron stroked her hair, sending delicious shivers down her spine.

Jack Mankel had seemed so smooth and charming, but when Celine really thought about it, she’d had a feeling about him in the beginning. Her instinct had been not to trust him. And then his daughter…She kept having dreams about her and Caroline.

“Aaron, has anyone been able to dig up any information on his daughter?”

“Not yet, honey, but Agent K and my whole team are looking into it.”

“It’s just that I keep seeing her in my mind and for some reason I think she looks like Caroline. Maybe I’m losing it.” There really wasn’t any other explanation. The worst nightmare that held her was of his daughter actually turning into Caroline, which was just insane.

“You went through a lot of trauma, both physically and mentally. Give yourself some more time to recover,” Aaron said.

But what if she could remember more – it would help their mission. Maybe even be what helped them find Caroline and safely return her home.

Aaron’s stomach grumbled, the loud sound taking over the room and her thoughts. “You know what would make this night even more perfect?”

“Hmmm…”

“Food.”

“Hungry?”

“I think I’ll be hungry for the rest of my life,” she answered honestly.

He laughed, a deep and rich sound that made her own lips curl in response.

“I aim to please. Stay put, I’ll be right back.” Aaron eased her onto his pillow and went downstairs. She lay there, half on the verge of sleep and consciousness, listening to him move about in the kitchen.

She’d completely fallen for Aaron Speirs. A warm feeling that had nothing to do with the hot bath stole across her chest and left her fuzzy.

She’d known it would happen, known with every fiber in her being, and yet she'd been helpless to stop. Even knowing from firsthand experience how dangerous his job was and that she’d chew her nails off with worry when he deployed – he was worth the pain.

Every single bit of it.

A bright red light flashed on the bed stand by her head. She tried to ignore it, but it kept flashing. No way she could nap with that and what if it was Mr. K? Or Merc?

Celine eased up, blinking, and reached for the small black box, turning it in her hand as she tried to figure out what the heck it was. Definitely not a cell phone or a clock. In fact, it was nothing but a flashing light.

“How does a grilled cheese sound?” Aaron stood at the top of the stairs, his smile fading as he stared at the box.

“I’m sorry. It woke me up. I didn’t mean to mess anything up.” Celine nibbled her lip, hoping she hadn’t done any damage.

“How long has that been blinking?”

“Maybe a minute, why?” Her heart started to pick up pace.

Aaron dropped the tray on the foot of the bed and snatched her up. “Get dressed, now.”

He left her standing by the bed to filter through his bag. When he came up with a pistol, she swallowed. “Aaron, you’re scaring me.”

“Someone’s breached my first tripwire. I need to check downstairs. Get dressed and wait for me here.” The sweet, kind expression was gone from his face, instead she saw the soldier coming out in him, the one that could kill with ease if needed. She nodded and watched him run downstairs as she hurried to yank on her t-shirt and shorts. The moonlight cast long shadows that seemed to shift and move across the dark room.

The men were back, the ones that had tried to have her killed. Fear turned her legs to ice and she wavered as nausea rolled through her stomach. Aaron reappeared in the room and pulled her to the bedside, shoving her down into a crouch. He’d acquired a rifle and an extra pistol which he checked and then handed over to her. “You remember how to use this?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“Just keep your finger off the trigger unless someone makes it past me. If you see someone you don’t recognize, do not hesitate, aim for his chest and empty your gun. Got it?”

“I, I think so. How did they find us?”

“I don’t know. No one knows about this place, not even my team mates. Everything was secure.” Aaron said.

She trembled, her hand sneaking up around her neck. The gun felt cold and heavy in her hand.

Aaron pinned her with a hard stare, his gaze morphing from unreadable to understanding. He eased closer and cupped her chin in his hand. “It’ll be okay. We’ve got the tactical advantage here. I can pick them off as they come through the door. Besides, if they hadn’t found us, we would have had to leave this place sometime, and they would’ve still been waiting. At least this way I don’t have to wait on someone else to do the job that should have been done in D.C.”

She saw a shadow move across the front window and her trembling turned into a full out earthquake. Aaron held a finger to his lips and gestured for her to get down. She squeezed closer to the bed, her knees curled to her chest, as Aaron belly crawled to the railing and settled his rifle against his shoulder. He moved like he was born to do this. She sensed the steady hum of energy building in him, watched how fluid he sighted his weapon on the front door. His hand caressed the rifle, held it almost as close as he’d held her.

Celine felt the tiniest bit of tension ease from her shoulders and she concentrated on the man guarding her. From this vantage they could both clearly see the front door and window, leaving whoever was dumb enough to break in a sitting duck.

When she heard the door knob rattle she almost didn’t believe it. Weren’t these guys pro’s? They’d penetrated a top secret layer of the pentagon.

Aaron didn’t tense, didn’t change his breathing, just slow and steady and patient. Just like him.

She heard another click and then the door swung open, a large man filling up the doorway. Her recognition was instant. It was Daniel, from the airport, his big burly frame practically rolling with menace.

So why was he just standing there?

She wanted to nudge Aaron and tell him to shoot the bastard, but she didn’t dare break his concentration. If Daniel got past Aaron, the false calm she’d achieved would crumble.

Daniel eased inside, pistol raised, and did a slow sweep of the living room, and then disappeared to the right. He was in the kitchen. After that, there would be nowhere else for him to go but upstairs.

She tightened her grip on the pistol and focused. Just breathe. Why the hell didn’t Aaron shoot him?

A stair step creaked and she froze. Aaron had tucked her close to the bed and wall, she couldn’t see straight down to the steps.

Aaron shifted his gun left and down. She watched as his finger fell from the rifle stock to the trigger. He breathed out and squeezed. The bullet zipped through the room and she realized he had a silencer on his gun. Then there was a thunk, like Daniel falling to the floor.

Celine eased up onto her knees. Aaron was still facing the ground floor, focused on the open door.

She sensed a presence behind her a second before a hand closed over her mouth and a sharp tip nicked her throat. She needed to scream, to fight. She jerked, but that just drove the knife deeper into her skin. He shifted on the bed behind her, the mattress creaked.

Aaron jumped up and spun around, his pistol at the ready. The man behind her jerked, yanking her to the other side of the bed in one violent pull that felt like it crushed her windpipe. Celine slapped at his arm with her free hand, digging her nails into his skin, holding tight to the gun in her other.