Black Smoke (25 page)

Kong smiled. “That won’t be necessary Sir. We’re gonna grab a hotel room in town for a few days.” Satisfaction filled Kong’s chest as he watched Cannon’s face. There was no mistake he didn’t like the idea of them hanging around.

Sam saw the look her uncle gave Kong. She grabbed his hand and started pulling him toward the building that housed his office. “We need to talk Uncle Walt. You guys can use the jeep while you’re here. There’s a hotel about five miles out on the main road. It’s called the Regal Inn. I’ll call you there later.”

The three men watched as she pulled her uncle away from them. “He don’t like you man,” Ricochet chuckled. “He thinks you’re bangin’ his niece.”

“No skin off my nose. It’s not him I’m interested in. You guys go ahead, I’m gonna wait for Sam,” he said walking toward her little red Mustang.

When Sam got Walt inside the building, she pointed her finger at him and started lecturing. “You promised to stay out of my private life if I stayed out of yours. No comments, no snide remarks, nothing. I love you Uncle Walt, but my life is my life.”

Walt walked to his desk, opened a drawer and pulled out a bottle. He didn’t even bother to pour the clear liquid into a glass—he just drank straight from the bottle. He waited for the fire in his throat to pass before he spoke. “I thought you were seriously hurt. Lowe called and said you were shot, that you walked right in and confronted two of the Taliban. My God Sam. I was scared to death. I was sure I was going to lose you,” he said slamming the bottle on the desk. “I was ready to kill Lowe for allowing you to walk in there. Why didn’t he stop you?”

“In the first place, no one allows me to do anything. I do what needs to be done. I don’t answer to anyone. Not when I’m working. They couldn’t have stopped me without shooting me themselves.” Sam saw the distress in his face and hated herself for putting it there. “Look, I don’t expect you to understand how I work. I heard nothing inside my head. I couldn’t be reached. I was so far gone that all I saw was mom on the floor. The man I killed wasn’t part of the Taliban. He was one of the murderers.” Sam’s voice broke. “Don’t you see? I wasn’t rescuing a kidnap victim, I was rescuing mom.”

Walt walked to her and slipped his arms around her. “I’m sorry Sam. If I had known there was a woman there, I wouldn’t have told you about the job.” The kiss he placed on the top of her head made her smile.

“Let’s just agree that the job was successful and leave it at that. I’m healing nicely, see?” she said jumping up and down. “No pain.”

Walt was still shocked about that, he made a mental note to call the base and get her medical records. “Okay. But what about them staying for a few days? And how did Lowe know that you were my niece?”

“Yeah, well. I was being urged to tell him about myself,” Sam told him. “So I did. Turns out he’s more understanding than I thought. He stuck with me the whole time Uncle Walt. Hardly ever leaving my side.” Except for when he met with Rebecca, but that was something she would keep to herself.

“I like him, a lot. I like all of them.” When Walt rolled his eyes, Sam went on. “I don’t have any friends Uncle Walt. No one I can relate to. These guys are different. Each one is different in his own way. We laugh together, play poker together and get along great. Don’t begrudge me that.”

He knew she was right. She didn’t have any friends and if these guys filled some void in her life, then that was fine with him. “You played poker with them?” he asked curiously. Sam gave him a big smile for her answer.

“I take it you won?”

“They owe me dinner at Petrie’s, an explosives lesson and a day at Hershey Park. Not to mention a list of IOUs as long as my arm,” she told him proudly.

Walt chucked her chin. “That’s my girl.”

“I’m going home and getting a bubble bath. I’ll call you later,” she said and kissed him on the cheek.

As she moved toward the door, Walt stopped her. “Sam, are you sure it’s safe for him to know about you?”

“I wouldn’t have been told to tell him if it wasn’t.” She smiled and left.

When she reached her car, Kong was leaning against it with his arms and feet crossed. “Still in one piece I see.”

“He means well Mark. We only have each other. So, ah, where are the other two?” she asked looking around.

“They went to the hotel,” he said watching her face.

Excitement exploded inside her stomach. “Does that mean you’re coming home with me?”

“If I’m welcome.”

Sam walked over and stood right in front of him. “Ever take a bubble bath?” When he smiled she stepped to the driver’s door and climbed in. She was determined to make the most of the next couple of days.

On the ride home, Sam showed him the highlights of the small town she called home. The closer to her house they got, the more she talked. For the first time in her life she felt like a schoolgirl on her first date. At least she thought that’s what it felt like. Her stomach was full of fluttering butterflies, her palms were sweaty and she had to continually lick her lips to keep them from drying out.

Kong swore he was more nervous than Sam although he hid it better. The way she was rambling made him laugh. He watched as her hair blew in the wind and every time her tongue darted out and licked her lips, an ache spread through him. If they didn’t get to her place soon, he was going to make her pull over so he could drag her into the woods.

When they turned onto a tree-lined street, he figured she was trying to kill time. But when she pulled into the driveway of a pretty ranch-style house, he was dumbfounded. Sam left the car, grabbed her pack from the backseat and headed for the house.

“Did you change your mind?” she asked when she got to the door.

“This is your place?” he asked getting out of the car.

When she opened the door and walked in he was amazed. It looked like an actual home. Not a sparse, barren space. She had pictures hanging on the walls and matching furniture with pillows. Kickknacks hung on the walls in a perfect design.

“You live here, alone?” He wandered around the living room studying the pictures and trinkets she had collected.

“Yes, I live here alone. Why?”

“I don’t know.” Once again she surprised him. It was truly homey. A lovely nest that she had created for herself. “Most people in our line of work don’t bother to create such a comfortable environment for themselves.”

“I’m not most people.” He was impressed with her home and for some reason she felt relieved and happy.

Kong turned and walked toward her. When he was within arm’s length, he reached out and pulled her against him. “No, you’re not. You’re special.” He lowered his mouth and brushed his lips across hers. He wanted to take it slowly, to savor her. But her taste made him wild. He crushed his mouth down on hers and began running his tongue across her lips.

If he hadn’t been holding her up, Sam would have melted right to the floor. The man was fire. He made her burn from the inside out, a heat that was addictive. Sam’s breasts hardened, she felt her nipples push against her shirt. When he slid his tongue between her teeth, she made a noise that she didn’t know she could make.

An ache began between her legs and spread into her thighs. Without knowing it, she pressed her pelvis against his groin. He was already hard and pushing against his pants. Her hands roamed down his chest and slid between them, cupping the hard shaft pushing toward her. He felt so big, her brain whirled. Would she be able to take him? Would it hurt?

As soon as Sam’s hand cupped him, his muscles tightened. He wanted to take her slowly, to make her feel every emotion he had buried deep inside himself. When he felt her hand run the length of him, he almost lost control. Her body went rigid as she moved her hand up and down him.

Pulling his mouth away from hers, he buried his face in her hair. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you, I promise. We’ll go slowly.” Immediately he felt her relax. It took all his willpower, but he managed to slow himself. “What about that bubble bath?”

“We’ll save that for later. Right now I just want you to touch me.” Her hands pulled his face down to hers. When his lips were nearly touching hers she said. “Make love to me Mark.”

In one fluid motion, he scooped her up in his arms. “Where’s the bed?”

“Down the hall. First door on the right.” Their eyes never left each other as he carried her down the short hall. Sam’s heart beat hard against her chest, making her breath come in short gasps.

Kong laid her down on the bed then knelt over her. “I want to undress you. I want to explore every inch of your glorious body.” He started with her boots, untying them with speed and pulling them from her feet. Next came her socks. After he pulled them off, he ran his fingers over her toes, across the tops of her feet, then to the soles.

“You have such dainty feet. Pretty toes,” he whispered. When he was done lavishing his attention on her feet, he moved to her upper body. “I didn’t tell you this before,” he said as he unbuttoned her shirt. “I saw you at the stream the first night in the desert. You had your top off.

“I got so hard just looking at your back.” Instead of wasting time pulling the black turtleneck over her head, he grasped the material and pulled, ripping it right up the middle. He slid the material down her arms, feeling a hundred butterflies take flight in his stomach when she shivered. Her bra was simple black cotton with no frills. He reached behind her and released the hooks that held it close to her body.

Sam held her breath as he gazed at her naked breasts. She wasn’t large, but she wasn’t flat either. When he sucked his breath between his teeth and his eyes glazed over, she relaxed. It was so important to her that he be pleased.

His hands cupped her breasts and gave a light squeeze. “Beautiful,” he whispered. Next his fingers glided down her belly, circled her belly button and came to rest on the button of her pants.

With quick skill, he released the button and lowered the zipper in one smooth action. Sam quivered as his fingers grazed her skin. The more time he took, the hotter her body became.

Before he removed her pants, he leaned down and ran his tongue across her flat, smooth belly.

Sam reached for him, only to be stopped by his large hands. When he finished tormenting her with his tongue, he grabbed the bottoms of her pant legs and jerked them down, off over her feet.

Her panties were simple white bikinis, but on her they were sexy. Kong grabbed the front of them with both hands and ripped them from her body.

Sam gasped as she felt the material rip. The shear animalistic act had her panting for him. The next thing she felt was his fingers sliding between her outer lips. She was sure she heard him say something, but her blood was rushing so hard through her ears, she couldn’t be sure. The soft kiss he placed between her legs made her cry aloud.

He held on with every ounce of control he had when she cried his name. He wanted to bury himself deep inside her, now. But she deserved better than a fast tumble, she deserved to be satisfied first. He lowered his head again and ran his tongue around her clit, then sucked gently on the pink nub. Sam’s legs were shaking, her hands fisted in the comforter on the bed. When he darted his tongue inside her, she flew apart in his mouth.

This is what heaven is, was the last thought she had before she shattered. White light burst behind her eyelids, pleasure rippled through every nerve ending in her body. Somewhere in the distance she heard a voice crying out. Only when her body started to come back to Earth did she realize it was her own voice she had heard.

Watching her fly apart made him so hard he ached. His pants were painfully tight against his erection. When her body began to relax, he moved from the bed and tore his clothes off. He couldn’t wait any longer, he had to have her. Sam rolled her head to the side and watched as he removed his boxers. Fear flashed through her eyes when she saw how big he really was—then she remembered his words. He wouldn’t hurt her and she believed him. Sam watched him pull his wallet from his pants and remove a small square pouch. Mark tossed his wallet on her nightstand with one hand while raising the pouch to his mouth with the other to tear it open with his teeth. Sam licked her dry lips as she watched him place the latex on the tip of his erection and roll it up his shaft.

The bed sank when he lay down next to her. With his large hands he reached over and pulled her on top of him. Pressure built in his chest when she looked down into his face, her silky breasts hard. He raised his head and took one of her nipples in his mouth, rolling it on his tongue.

Sam pressed against his mouth. When he started to suckle she gasped and pressed harder against him. “Now.” It was a voice she never heard come from her mouth before. One of need and desire.

Kong lifted her by the hips and slid her over the top of him. When he pressed against her outer folds he held his breath. Sam wiggled until she was ready to take him in, then lowered herself onto him. She felt herself stretch as he filled her. Kong was careful not to force himself deeper, but her silky inside was too enticing.

Sam relaxed as she took him in ever so slowly. She reveled in the feel of the fullness he gave her. The more of him she took in, the more she wanted. Before she knew it she was sliding up and down his shaft, taking in the full length. Her body clenched around his as she climbed the peak again, her vision blurring as she felt herself begin to let go.