Chain of Command (13 page)

“Already done.” She could feel it. Her whole body readied for him. Her muscles tightened and the need churned inside her.

“I think...” He unclasped her bra and slid the straps down, not stopping until it fell to the floor. “Underneath all that fight...” One hand cupped her breast and his thumb rubbed over her softness. The other traveled lower, smoothing over her and learning every curve. “You know exactly what you want.”

His fingers slipped under the waistband of her jeans. He caressed her stomach before delving deeper. Before she could inhale and prepare, his leg nudged hers to open wider, giving him all the access he needed, and one long finger pressed up inside her.

Her hands clenched on his shoulders and the material of his shirt balled in her hands. “We need the bed.”

“I’m tempted to fuck you right here, against the wall.” His finger pumped in and out.

When her hips started matching the timing of his hand the breath she was holding came out in a hard gasp. “Do it.”

He kissed her. A blinding kiss full of longing and promise. It stretched on until she grew dizzy with need. Then he looked down at her and his eyes gleamed. “So tempting but I want you in a bed this first time.”

He had her insides welling up and her hands shaking. She’d never wanted anyone like this. His voice brushed over her and those fingers scissoring inside her had her close to panting. “Anywhere, just do it.”

The walls whizzed by her as they moved again. He walked her backwards with a hand on her lower back. She was grateful because it steadied her. Without his strength she would have hit the floor. Her knees kept shaking and the energy building inside her ramped up until the wild need ached to get out.

Her concentration faltered and her heel snagged on something then her feet left the ground. He carried her the last few steps before her back hit the mattress. She tried to take it all in but only had a second to notice the night blue walls and beige comforter. Then he was on top of her.

His body weighed her down, pressing her deeper into the bed as his hands went to her clunky belt and ripped it open. There was nothing controlled about his movements now. He stripped her pants down and off. She didn’t even realize he’d taken her lacy white matching bikini underwear off until he kneeled with his body above hers and pressed his hands against the sensitive inner part of her knees.

The mix of her being naked and him still fully dressed hit her. It struck as being so decadent.

“Do you remember what I promised you, Hailey?” With each word he opened her thighs a little wider.

Her mouth went dry and she couldn’t speak. The only choice was to nod.

He kissed the inside of her knee. “I’m going to spread your legs and then?”

“Fuck me.”

He licked his tongue down the inside of her thigh then peeked up at her. “That’s right.”

The mattress shifted as he stood up. Losing his body heat had her closing her legs again. She grabbed for his arm as a strange panic swept over her.

“No, baby.” He touched the top of her knee. “Keep those legs open while I get a condom.”

Yes
,
right
. The touching and teasing had her so far gone that she could barely think. Being on the pill wasn’t enough. She needed the condom and always used one, but he remembered. Of course he did.

She watched him move around the room. Go to the bedside table and pull out a small packet before returning to the side of the bed. He stared down at her and he lifted his shirt up to and over his head. She touched him then because she
had
to.

Her fingers skimmed along the side of his leg as she tried to keep contact. As she saw that broad chest with the defined stomach muscles and the thin strip of a scar just under his ribs. For anyone else, probably a killing blow, but not him.

She raised her arm out to him. “Come back to bed.”

The mattress shifted and shook as he climbed back on. He didn’t stop until he slid down between her thighs. Without a word and with his hands hooked around her upper thighs, he lowered his head. His tongue licked over her, into her. Sensations bombarded her and she closed her eyes to take them all in.

His fingers pressed against her, holding her open, and her body went wild. Her hips lifted and every muscle tightened. Her thighs clenched against his shoulders and her fingers slipped into his hair to bring him closer. She tried to move him to find a position that would send her whipping over the edge but he kept up his steady rhythm, slowly driving her insane and making her sweat.

Minutes ticked by. When her shoulders rose off the bed and she thought she could not take one more second of his seductive strike, he sat up. Her breath came out in pants and she almost jackknifed as she reached out for him to bring him back to her.

He shook his head. “No.”

She balanced on her elbows as her body pulsed with need. “Sawyer.”

He unzipped his jeans and never broke eye contact as he shoved the pants down and off. He got back to his knees and straightened up again. Thick and hard as he pumped his hand up and down. She knew what he could do with that hand and almost lost it.

“Back on the bed.”

He gave the order and she didn’t think about refusing. Her arms slid along the comforter. The back of her hands fell beside her head as she gave her body over to him. She expected him to lie down, cover her body with his. But he didn’t. With his hands under her knees, he pushed her legs back, opening her even wider.

She heard the rip of the packet and watched him roll the condom on. Then he was inside her. Not slow or teasing. He plunged in, inch after delicious inch. Went deep then pulled back only to press forward again.

After all that foreplay, it didn’t take much to set her off. The rocking of their bodies and grasp of his hands against her bare skin combined to raise the stakes. She inhaled, trying to stay focused and prolong the moment but the tingling nerves and tightening of everything inside her clued her in.

She needed to come.

Her hands went to his hips and she pulled him snug against her. Ground their bodies together until both of them groaned. His chest fell forward and he stopped the freefall when his palms hit the mattress right by her head.

The shift pushed him in even deeper and the tension brewing inside her burst free. She pushed her head back into the pillow as the orgasm screamed through her. Her breath hiccupped inside her and hands grabbed fistfuls of material. Waves of heat crashed over her as a chanting filled her brain.

She heard a noise and a voice but nothing registered. Nothing but the pressure of his body on hers and the feel of his bare skin.

Her body let go. One sensation after the other rolled through her—tension, pulsing, tremors. She ached with need one minute then her body slipped into a boneless heap the next. When his mouth found her neck and his body bucked, she knew she wasn’t going over the edge alone. She wrapped her arms around him and enjoyed the ride as her sensitized inner muscles screamed in pleasure.

Then the noise blinked out and the room went quiet again.

Minutes passed and the world came back into focus. She could hear her breathing and feel the hammer of her heartbeat in her ears. His body rose and fell where he lay against her chest. Her fingertips skimmed over his shoulders and across the dampness of his skin, loving the feel and the scent of him.

The moment, after the frenzy to get close to each other, fell into comfortable silence. She didn’t feel the need to talk or even move. Instead, she luxuriated in the sensation of having a vital, firm, sexy male curled around her.

As her eyes started to drift closed one thought came floating back to her. She did scream his name. For some reason that made her smile against his hair.

“I’m happy I made that exception for you.” Since she doubted he could follow the conversation playing in her head, she clarified. “The military men thing.”

He lifted up and shifted until his elbows straddled her chest. “About that.”

The guy deserved to know. Maybe hearing the list would help him see that the fear was ingrained. “My parents. Ken Loman. Friends. Rob.”

“Your parents?”

“They were both in the military and on this transport flight.” She rested her palms on his biceps. Touching him made the telling easier. “It crashed.”

He lowered his head until their cheeks touched. “God, baby. You were thirteen?”

Heated poured off him and into her, warming every icy corner. His weight anchored her to the bed. Instead of feeling trapped, it gave her a sense of comfort. Wiped away the vulnerability.

“Much younger. It was during the first Gulf War.” When he lifted his head her eyes searched his, willing him to understand how much Rob mattered. How much the land he left her¾her last true physical connection to him¾mattered. “I lived with a series of relatives. Nothing really worked until Rob got out and took me in.”

“I’m surprised your relatives didn’t fight him.”

“My parents’ wishes were clear.” Rob visited whenever he could and when he got out of the military, he tracked her down and took her in. Didn’t really give anyone a choice.

Sawyer smiled. “I’m trying to imagine him with a teen girl.”

“We bumbled our way through it.” The poor guy almost passed out when she got her period. He’d been in gun battles and fought on while men died around him, but her period made the color leave his face. It was one of her favorite memories of him.

“Do you remember your parents?” Sawyer asked.

“Bits and pieces. More a feeling of them, of love and security, than any actual memory.” She depended on photos and letters to keep their memories alive in her head.

“And Ken?”

“Former boyfriend.” They met when they were both nineteen. They talked about their dreams. Hers included college and charity work. His centered on traveling the world in the army. “He’d never been out of California until he joined and then he died in Iraq.”

“Damn, Hailey.” His thumb brushed over her bottom lip. “I’m sorry.”

She could see the empathy in his eyes. He knew. He understood and that bound them. “What about you?”

“My dad is a lifetime military man. A great officer. Not one to sit on the sidelines. He supported his men and the cause. Moved up fast and never got out.”

“Sounds like a good officer.” Also sounded cold.

“But not the best dad.” Before she could ask, he filled in the details. “Demanding. Not engaged. Rough on Molly. The usual.”

That man didn’t match at all with the one in front of her. Sawyer had this softer side. Still all manly and gruff, but able to connect. Full of empathy. A good man who seemed to be running from demons he still hadn’t shared. Maybe never would.

And Molly. Hailey loved the way he smiled when he mentioned her name. “Your sister?”

“You’ll like her.”

That sounded promising. Hailey still wasn’t sure how or even if they could get over the hurdles between them, but she knew she didn’t want it to end. “Will I meet her?”

“Seems like the next step.”

He said it like it was a natural thing. No fear of commitment or moving forward. She found everything about him refreshing. “I guess that means we’ll need to leave this bed eventually.”

His smile lit up his face. “But not yet.”

“You have something else in mind?”

His hand slipped under the sheet. “Let me show you.”

Chapter Thirteen

Sawyer thought he could probably eat all of the inventory in Kat’s store the next morning. He stood at the counter at The Bakery, looking at the menu and smiling over the hunger he’d worked up during the night.

Well, mostly looking at the menu. Every now and then Hailey would laugh at something Kat said as they stood on the opposite side making coffee and he had to watch. Had no choice because her happiness drew him in. A guy didn’t spend that kind of night, hours learning, kissing and tasting every inch of a woman, without some part of her rubbing off on him.

Not that he was an expert. He could usually walk away the morning after without another thought. Have a good time or a great couple of days then move on. That was the understanding he had with the women he dated. But he hadn’t set any of those ground rules with Hailey. He promised her a hot night and delivered on that, mostly thanks to her and how she didn’t hold anything back.

The woman fucking blew his mind.

And now here he was the next morning, hunting down pastries instead of moving on. Not his style but for some reason the hanging around part, when it came to her, didn’t make his skin feel two sizes too small. As long as he could keep his guilt over Rob locked up and ignore the property, he could lie and convince himself they could try this one day at a time. He wasn’t a guy who dealt in self-delusion, but this one time he let it happen.

Kat smiled at him as she nodded toward the menu in his hands. “What do you want?”

“One of everything.” And he wasn’t exaggerating. No one should be asked to choose between homemade chocolate croissants and doughnuts. The woman
made
doughnuts, solidifying her as his favorite of all of Hailey’s friends.

“That might bankrupt me.” Kat smiled as she tapped her pen against a small pad of paper.

He couldn’t figure out if she was kidding or not. “I’ll pay for it all.”

Hailey dropped a cup of black coffee in front of him. “Yeah, by gaining twenty pounds.”

Black coffee. Just the way he craved it. Yeah, he liked everything about her. “I don’t really gain weight.”

“Oh, come on.” Hailey set the pot down against the counter with a thunk and treated him to a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding snort.

He glanced at the women over the rim of his mug. Saw a table of a few older women nearby gawking at him, too. “What did I say?”

“The eternally fit thing is annoying.” Hailey looked at the other women seated nearby and they nodded in response.

So did Kat. “I have to side with her.”

Sawyer looked around and noticed for the first time that most of the tables were full. Some groups laughed and talked and stayed engaged in their conversations. The diners at the tables closer to him and the people at the counter seemed to be watching him. No question walking in with Hailey made him a person of interest in the cozy place.

He thought about that for a few seconds and decided he was fine with it. “I meant that I don’t gain weight so long as I exercise.”

Hailey went for snort number two. “You’re not making this better.”

Kat cleared the plates from the open seat next to him and wiped down the counter. “Hailey is the one who should bulk up.”

She looked appalled at the idea. “Good God, why?”

“So you can keep fighting Pete.”

Kat’s comment registered in Sawyer’s brain after a second of confusion. He had to lower the mug to the counter nice and slow to keep from banging it around. “Why is she saying that?”

“It’s nothing.” Hailey plastered a fake smile on her face and started filling glasses with water from the tap on her side of the counter.

Every time Hailey put a glass on the serving tray Kat took it off again. The odd byplay had him mesmerized, but not so much that he lost track of the conversation. He fought for control as he waited for one of them to tell him what was going on.

Kat eyed Hailey. “If you and Sawyer are dating now he should know about Pete’s recent threats.”

“We’re not...” Hailey broke off and turned her attention to him. “It’s nothing.”

Sawyer’s patience imploded. He struggled to keep his voice even, not sure if her dismissal or refusal to talk bugged him more. “Someone tell me before I go find the guy and squeeze it out of him.”

“He came in here a few days ago and threatened her,” Kat said.

A detail or two might help since Sawyer now planned on crushing this Pete guy. It would be nice to know why.

Reining in his temper, but just barely, Sawyer tried again. “What did that little pissant say to you?”

“Typical stuff. He came in, threw his weight around and blamed me for his breakup with Jessie.” Hailey shrugged like it was no big deal.

Sawyer didn’t agree. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“We’re not exactly—”

Oh
,
this should be good
. He leaned forward with a hand behind his ear. “What aren’t we?”

“Together.” She glanced around the room. Even gave a wave to one group and a head nod to a guy making his way to the cash register with a bill in his hand.

Sawyer had no doubt this woman was going to be the death of him. “We seemed pretty fucking together last night.”

She put her palms on the edge of the counter and leaned in. That fake smile faltered a bit. “This isn’t the place for a morning-after discussion.”

Kat shifted over until her head rested against Hailey’s. “And now might be a good time to mention that someone broke into her property. Again.”

Sawyer stood up. “What?”

“You’re just all kinds of chatty today,” Hailey grumbled half under her breath to her friend.

He wanted to slam his hand against the counter but since he already gained enough attention standing up, he went with waving a hand in front of her face. “Hailey, what’s going on?”

She gestured for him to sit down then waited until he did before talking again. “That’s why I have the fence. Some people have tried to come on the land.”

As if that explained anything about this Pete idiot. “And?”

“The fence was broken in...” When Sawyer tried to talk again she rushed her words. “Look, it’s fine.”

He skipped straight to the best source of information. “Kat?”

“Someone or something made a hole in her fence.” Kat gave Hailey a quick side eye. “And, just so you know, she has the bat because of Pete. As insurance. She got it when Jessie started staying with her, which was only supposed to be for a day or two.”

“You can stop helping now.” Hailey’s glare should have melted the counter.

Sawyer wasn’t even a little impressed as he took her on. “We’re going to head out to the gun range tomorrow and practice.”

Hailey opened her mouth then closed it again. “Fine.”

“We’re also going to go to your house later today and check out your fence.” He wanted to see for himself if they were talking about animal damage or the human kind. If it was the latter it might be time for a man-to-idiot talk with Pete.

“This super bossy thing? Not that sexy.” But her voice suggested otherwise.

Not that the current argument had anything to do with getting her into bed or winning her over. No, getting through to her on this qualified as
the
most important thing. “It’s more important that you’re safe.”

Kat opened the menu in front of him and pointed with her pen. “Pick three of whatever you want.”

“See? She gets it.” Sawyer was starting to understand what Rob had seen in Kat. At first she seemed quiet. Too quiet for what had been Rob’s big personality. But when it came to protecting Hailey, Kat turned fierce. Between that and her mouthwatering cooking skills, she’d won Sawyer over as a fan.

Hailey appeared to be moving in the other direction. She looked ten seconds away from executing the perfect eye roll. “Kat just likes having you around.”

“So do you. For many things, some of them would make you blush if I described them right now.” Sawyer waited for the comeback. Hailey sure knew how to deliver one but she stayed quiet. “Nothing to say to that?”

“Your ego is annoying.” But she smiled.

That look had his memory bouncing back twelve hours. “Blame yourself. Last night fueled it.”

“Okay then.” Kat pointed toward the front of the shop. “I’ll be over there seeing if the servers need any help.”

“Discretion is a good thing in a bed partner,” Hailey said as soon as they were alone, or as alone as they could be in a room full of people.

“Bed partner?” Sawyer didn’t think he’d ever uttered that phrase before.

She frowned at him. “What should I say?”

It was as if she wanted him to say dirty things. “The man you’re currently f¾“

“That’s enough.” She glanced around. Smiled at a few people. “That’s for when we’re alone.”

“I assumed you and your friends shared everything. I’m just speeding the process along.” Seeing her blush was just a bonus. “I’m also trying to figure out how I feel about the term
bed partner
.”

“Were you trying to make a point before you got sidetracked talking about sex? Something that frequently happens to you, I might add.”

“Blame yourself for that one as well.” He let the subject drop. They were in public after all. “There’s no shame in needing help.”

“I know.”

He studied her expression. Let his gaze travel over her face and down to her hands searching for any signs that what she said differed from whatever was going on inside of her. Seemed she meant it.

But so did he. “Then accept some assistance from me.”

“I don’t want to give Pete any power.” She flattened her hand against the counter.

Now, Sawyer got it. He covered her fingers with his. “That’s the problem. You’re being rational and Pete isn’t. He’s not going to fight fair and I am not going to let him hurt you or your friends.”

Instead of dropping his hand or pulling away, she slipped her fingers between his and held on. “That’s tough talk from an anticommitment guy.”

He looked down at their joined hands. “I never said I didn’t want to get involved.”

“What?”

Yeah, that one shocked him, too. Every word dragged him in deeper when he knew he should be slamming a wall between them. But he couldn’t do it. “I’m not trying to stay away from you.”

Her eyebrow lifted. “What are you saying?”

“I’m not sure.” Her expression switched to a smile and he sensed the amusement moving right behind it. “Go ahead. You can laugh.”

Her hand tightened around his. “That’s one of the things I like about you, Sawyer. You don’t lie.”

The comment punched through him.

He did lie. He didn’t tell her the entire truth about what happened to Rob that night. Didn’t tell her the role he played and fill in the blanks left by the whitewashed and redacted version from the people in charge.

Marcus and Jason thought he should stay away from her because of the business issue. They were probably right but the problems were so much bigger than even they knew. He should step back and intended to keep it all professional but there was something about her that worked its way under his skin from day one. He liked seeing her, loved touching her. She wasn’t impressed by the uniform he used to wear. It was as if she silently demanded he prove himself, as a man and without the trappings, and he found that so fucking hot.

Which was why he had no plans to back off. “What happened last night is going to happen again.”

Her smiled widened as she hit him with it at full strength. “Yes, it is.”

“Am I interrupting?” Jason balanced his elbows on the counter and slid in next to Sawyer.

“Excellent timing as always.” Sawyer motioned from his friend to the woman he couldn’t forget. “This is my friend and temporary roommate Jason.”

“Sure. The guy from the car.” She dropped Sawyer’s hand and stood up. “Coffee?”

“Good eye and yes.” Jason winked at her as he sat on the stool.

Sawyer almost asked Jason about the real reason for his surprise visit, but he let that slide. For now. “This is Hailey and over there is Kat.”

Jason glanced over to where Kat stood, talking with a table of older men. “She’s the owner, right?”

Hailey sighed. “I won’t ask how you know that.”

Jason just kept talking. “Would it be wrong if I asked Kat to marry me just so I could eat her food every day?”

“You wouldn’t be the first.” Hailey set a mug down and poured.

Jason signaled for her to stop. “Thanks.”

“Such charm.” Sawyer almost didn’t recognize it. “Jason looks like a pain in the ass but he’s harmless.”

“That’s quite an introduction.” Hailey didn’t hold back her smile. “Of course, it’s probably better than being known as the guy who hid in the car while Sawyer came to my front porch that first time.”

“You make me sound like a coward.” Jason held a hand to his chest and made a face of mock horror. “I’m wounded.”

The comfortable byplay wiped out any concerns Sawyer had of introducing Hailey to his friends. It felt so...together and that wasn’t his thing, but he didn’t question it. “You see why I like her?”

“And to reward you for that I’ll help Kat out with the pastry pile she promised you.” She headed for the kitchen then turned back and pointed at Jason. “You want anything?”

“Do you work here?” he asked.

“Part-time.” She looked like she was going to say something then thought about it for a second. “It’s complicated.”

Sawyer was starting to think she only did complicated. “I should have known you’d say that.”

“I like to keep you guessing.” She delivered that comment then disappeared through a door marked employee only.

By the time Sawyer turned around Jason was already staring at him. Sitting, shifting his stool back and forth, and wearing an annoying smirk.

Sawyer chose to talk to the guy anyway. “What’s going on?”

“You forgot this.” Jason put what looked like a crumpled up grocery bag on the counter.

“What is...” Sawyer hadn’t noticed the bag. Didn’t understand why it was there but opened it. Then shut it again. “Jesus.”

“Have a good night?” Jason stopped smirking long enough to take a sip of his coffee.

A bra. Hailey’s bra. Sawyer remembered stripping it off her but really his mind mostly focused on the naked part that came after. “Clearly.”