The Soldier's Baby Surprise (For the Baby's Sake, Book 1) (4 page)

Chapter Five

             
Willow frowned as Chase straightened then helped her down from the counter. Did that mean he regretted what they’d just done?

              “Didn’t you like it?”

              An incredulous look appeared on his face. “The fact that you have to ask that worries me.” He pulled her into his embrace. “If I’d enjoyed myself any more than I did, I’d probably have expired of a heart attack.”
              She smiled, a sense of relief flooding her.

              “I meant that I didn’t want our first time to be in your kitchen on the counter.”

              She laughed. “Would it make you feel better if I told you I really liked it?”

              The desire in his eyes flared again. “Yes, but what I want to do is take you to your bedroom and make it up to you.”

              A full body quiver traveled through her. Chase responded by pulling her shirt over her head. The cool air of the apartment caressed her skin, making her nipples harden even more. The material of her bra was still wet from the attention he’d lavished upon it earlier. Her soft moan was in perfect time with his groan as he removed the bra. He slid his fingers over her skin.

              “You're so soft,” he stated, running his hand up her stomach, lingering over the curve of her waist, and filling his hand with the weight of her full breast.

              Arousal thrummed within her. When he rolled her nipple between his fingers, she cried out at the intensity, cried out against his mouth.

              Suddenly, she was desperate to have him against her. She reached out to undo the buttons on his shirt before pushing it off of his shoulders. His body took her breath away, all taut muscle and smooth power. Clothing gave him a deceptive leanness, she realized, slipping out of her shoes as she ran her hands over his shoulders. His abs quivered under her fingers as she traced the lines of muscle and the thin trail of hair that formed at his navel and led down to his groin.

              No second thoughts Willow ordered herself, and reached for his tempting erection.

              With a growl, Chase reached down to pick her up.

              “Put me down,” she said in sudden alarm. “I'm too heavy.”

              “I'll put you down all right,” he said, lifting her with ease. “Which way to your bedroom?”

“Down the hall, first door on the left,” she replied.

The second door led to her guest room which also doubled as a mini office. She held on tight as he followed her directions. The instant they entered her room, she was grateful she’d cleaned up the room. A heartbeat later, he laid her on the bed and leaned over her before she could react.

She gave a gasping laugh. “That feels amazing,” she managed, as she reached for the nightstand next to the bed to turn on the lamp so that her room wasn’t so dark. One click and it gave off the perfect amount of light.

              “You think that's nice, just wait.”

              Every touch, every brush, tantalized her. His tongue tracing over her collarbones, the slide of his hand over the curve of her hip. And then his mouth and hand met at the soft swell of her breast and her body bucked against him. “Careful,” Chase murmured, setting his hand over her wrists to pin them in place. Suction, liquid warmth, the scrape of teeth against her excruciatingly sensitive flesh—the arousing constraint made her focus on sensation and sensation alone. Willow could feel the hot coil of tension tightening down low, down where she was still crying out to be touched.

              Chase shifted to her other breast, lingering until she was moaning. Her body arched like a bow against his mouth. He raised his head to look at her, his eyes dark with passion. She could see just how much he wanted her. Letting go of her wrists, he licked his way down her belly, then lower still. He put his mouth on her, inhaling her scent, and she cried out.

              If there was a next time she’d make him slow down, but not this time, she thought feverishly. This time she had no patience for finesse. She clutched at his shoulders as if to increase the slick, soft friction. He moved one hand up to her breast, rolling the nipple between his fingers, and still drove her wild with lips and tongue. Any whisper of shyness was over. She couldn't stop moving her hips, moaning out her pleasure at each new sensation.

              When he pushed a finger inside her, pleasure fired out to every nerve in her body. Dimly, she heard herself crying out, felt her hips bucking, and still it continued tightening in intensity until she felt she couldn't bear any more. Finally, it faded enough so that she could breathe.

              Chase moved up the bed to fasten his mouth over hers, and that quick, demanding arousal returned. But it wasn't about her now, it was about him. She knew what to do.

              Willow searched for courage and dropped her hand down to find him hard and pulsing. Her touch tore a ragged sound from him and she felt an immediate thrill. She could arouse him. She could make him lose control. Reaching between her thighs, she found slickness and spread it over the head of his erection. Then she returned to stroking him up and down, noticing when he quivered, when he groaned.

              Chase's breath hissed in and he kissed her, hard. Willow felt a surge of adrenaline as he positioned himself between her thighs. Her breath caught in her chest.

              Chase looked down at her, his eyes almost luminous in their color. A moment later something smooth and hard and warm rubbed against her clitoris, making her gasp, then traced the cleft below it. And then, with a push of his hips, he slid in to fill her.

              A heartbeat later he froze.

              “Damn it! Woman, you make it hard for me to think rationally.”

              Before she could ask what was wrong, he withdrew from her, climb out of bed and left the room. She lay there stunned, trying to figure out what had just happened. As she went up on her elbows, he returned to the room. He stopped at the foot of the bed, opened a condom and put it on.

              Then it dawned on her what he’d forgotten.

              Again.

              “You aren’t the only one,” she stated. “I didn’t think about that either.”

              Which was strange for her. She was a stickler for protection. When she was dating she believed in sharing the responsibility for it. She always kept condoms on hand herself when she was involved with someone. That was part of the problem. She hadn’t been involved with anyone for a while so there hadn’t been a need for any. The last three condoms she had, she’d give to Geneva months ago.

              “Well, it won’t happen again,” he stated as he tossed another condom package on the bed next to her.

              Desire filled her again. It was nice to know that he was already planning another round. He pulled her from her thoughts as he rejoined her on the bed. A moment later, he filled her with a slow, smooth thrust. She moaned as sensations swamped her. He held still a moment, as if he needed to gather himself, before he began to move.

              She let go with the shock and the pleasure and the glory of it all. She'd never known this: this urgent heat, this driving hardness, and this jolting sensation. It hadn't been this way with anyone before now. There was had never been this amazing surge that left her reeling. That drove her to wrap her legs around Chase's waist and grab him and tell him now.
Now.

              And then she was shuddering, gasping, arching even as Chase groaned and spilled himself inside of her.

* * * *

              Chase bit back a groan of agony as his cell phone alarm went off. He’d set it after making love to Willow for the third time. While it’d been difficult to decide if he wanted to reach for her again that third time in a row or wake her early again, before he left, he’d gone with the first choice. He didn’t regret it either. He’d made unhurried, passionate love to her before pulling her into his embrace and falling asleep.

              Still, he wished he did have another condom. He’d love to take her again before he walked out the door. But three times should get him through the next six months, until he saw her again—and he did plan to. He’d decided that after the first time he’d been intimate with Willow. No way could he just accept one night with her then walk away. There was a lot of chemistry between them and for once he wanted to explore it.

              Now he just had to see if it was something she wanted.

              Brushing his lips against her temple, he called her name.

              “Willow, I have to leave now. I need to run by my place, shower, change and then report.”

              “Hmm,” she murmured, around a stretch. “Is it time already?”

              “Unfortunately,” he stated, as he pressed a quick kiss against her lips and moved away. It was too tempting to stay next to her while naked. Willow wasn’t a small woman, nor could she be categorized as voluptuous. She was one of those women, who had curves in all the right places.

                He slipped out of bed and went in search of his clothes, to give himself some breathing room. Time was of the essence this morning. Just as he finished buttoning up his pants, Willow entered the kitchen wearing a robe. She still looked half asleep and absolutely gorgeous.

              He pulled his shirt on and began to button it up, smiling as she hid a yawn behind her hand. Once he was completely dressed, he approached her. Happiness surged through him when she accepted his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her.

              “I have something to ask you, Willow.”

              She leaned back and peered up at him. “What is it?”

              “What would you say if I told you that I want to stay in contact while I’m over in Afghanistan?”

              Surprise appeared on her face. “Really?”

              “Yes. Last night was indescribable. I want to see how this goes. I know six months apart will be a true test for two people who’ve just met, but there is something about you that leaves me incapable of walking away without seeing you again.”

              “So it wouldn’t frighten you if I said I feel the same?”

              “Not at all.”

              “So how do we do this?” she asked.

              “One day at a time. First, I’ll leave you with my cell phone number and my email address.”

              She frowned. “You’ll have access to a phone?”

              “Yes. Because of my rank, I’m allowed a few extra liberties. Some I’ve never wanted to take advantage of until now.”

              “Which is?”

              “Major,” he retorted.

              Her eyes widened slightly as recognition of his title dawned upon her. “So, I’ll be able to talk to you?”

              He chuckled at the fact that she didn’t mention his rank. She was definitely a good choice. “On occasion, but the best method of contact is going to be to text me.”

              He watched as some of the tension seeped from her. She appeared willing to try what he’d suggested.

              “Let me get a pen and some paper. We can exchange contact info and go from there.”

              He reached for one of the abandoned bottles of water that had been left on the counter and was halfway through it before she returned. She took the piece of paper she had and tore it in half. He gestured for her to write first, waiting patiently as she scribbled her information on it. Then he did the same on the second piece. A moment later they exchanged information.

              Chase folded the torn piece of paper carefully, then stuck it in his wallet. As soon as he could, he would program it into his phone send an email to himself with her info. He didn’t want to take a chance of losing her info.

              “I won’t arrive until tomorrow according to the flight plans. There is about a eight hour and thirty minute time difference between here and where I will be stationed. It’s going to take me a while to get settled after I land. I’ll text you to let you know I landed safely with each stop, but I can’t promise you more than that for the first week.”

              Willow nodded. “I understand. You have a job to do. Just make sure you do it right the first time and come back safe.”

              An unfamiliar emotion swamped him. That was the first time someone besides his parents had made that request of him. But it felt different coming from Willow. Now there was just one last thing he had to do before he left. 

              Chase pulled her into his embrace as he leaned in. He had to taste her one more time, it would have to last him for six months. There was no hesitation from her as he pressed his mouth against hers. She kissed him back, her mouth warm and soft and welcoming. Then she slid her hand around his neck and it was all he could do not to strip the robe off of her and take her back to bed. But he didn’t have time and he didn’t have any condoms.

              He cursed that his time with her was so limited because all he wanted was to bring her against him, to feel that gorgeous supple body. Only being able to touch her with his mouth was torture. But time was of the essence so he dragged himself back, ending the kiss.