Intensity (7 page)

He blinked and thought back to the day she’d
vanished. He’d gotten a call from a guy he knew. Not a good friend,
but one he’d hung out with a time or two.

She got off the couch and began to walk away. He
snapped out his arm and halted her.

“That was a conversation—”

“I wasn’t supposed to overhear. Imagine my surprise,
walking out of the bathroom to hear you talking about the whore
you’d married. How it wasn’t real and would still be single in time
for his party on the yacht. Or if you hadn’t managed to get a
divorce by then, you would still go because I was just someone
you’d picked up who didn’t mean a damn thing.” Her gaze flashed
with hurt before it was swiftly masked. “I’ve been trying to give
you that back, your freedom, bachelorhood, whatever. Although, I’m
sure you’ve been playing at the single life.” She tugged on her
arm, but he refused to release her.

“And you’ve not said anything about it until now?
You just left?” He rose and stared down at her.

“It was either that or punch you in the jaw.
However, now that I think about it…”
Crack!
She smacked him
across the face. “It still feels wonderful.”

Her hit brought tears to his eyes, and he blinked
them away. “Feel better, now?”

“Not even remotely.”

“I deserved that; I’ll give it to you. But
you
should have confronted me about what you heard.”

“Right, just what I wanted to do. I had doubts,
anyway, about marrying you, but I was trying,
trying
not to
panic. The call didn’t help my panic, but it sure expedited my
anger.”

“That damn call didn’t mean anything. I was—”

“You say that like I should give a damn. I don’t.
You said what you said because you believed it and thought you
could get away with it. Face facts, it didn’t turn out the way you
thought it would. I’m not ever gonna be the kind of wife you
deserve. Just sign the damn papers.”

“Wrong,” he said, pulling her close. Grey slid one
hand along her face, reveling in the feel of her smooth skin
against his palm. “You’re exactly the type of wife I want and need.
Christ, you’re perfect for me.”

“You don’t know me.”

He disagreed but, instead of refuting her statement,
said, “So, give me the chance.”

She held his gaze before pulling free.

I’ve lost her.

Sarah went to the end table and put her phone to her
ear. “I’m taking two weeks when this is over.” She never looked
away from him, even as she tossed the item down. “While I don’t
understand your reasons, I’ll give you your two weeks.”

Relief spread through him, and he nodded. Trying not
to grin like a fool, he walked to the folder that held the
menu.

“You hungry?” They’d not had much of a chance to
eat.

“I could eat a hamburger—”

Both their phones went off, and he swore. Ten
minutes later, they were climbing into the back of a black car.

“Wait.” Sarah paused with the door open.

“What’s up, Bug?” Cooler asked.

He gazed at her, eyes sharp and calculating.

“This feels all kinds of coincidental to me. The
failed attempt tonight, no attempt on the car. How sure are we
they’re after him and not her?”

“Reasons?” He posed the question, this time.

The flash of annoyance was so quick he almost missed
it. “The woman in the restroom was waiting. Standing at the sink,
lying in wait. Hands were dry, and no toilet was running. At every
place we’ve followed them, she’s always gone to the restroom prior
to leaving. Get me more on her. I’m staying.”

Sarah was gone in the next moment. “Not questioning
her ability, anymore?” Owl scowled at him.

Grey arched his brow at them. “Shouldn’t we be
going?”

Chapter
Five

Sarah tossed and turned until finally she sat up,
rubbing her eyes. It had been a long night, and she was just on
edge, in general. Overall, her night had been uneventful. She
stopped one more person who’d tried to get to the girlfriend, but
for the most part, it had been sitting in wait. The guys had more
excitement, running into some people they’d engaged.

She rubbed the back of her neck and groaned.
It
doesn’t make sense. I’m usually good about sleeping when I get the
chance. I have a great couch and pillows with blankets. There isn’t
any reason for me to be awake.
Even as she thought it, she knew
what the problem was.

Grey was in the large bed. Not even that, it was
that he was within touching distance, and she’d sequestered herself
away from him. She could lecture herself all she wanted, but her
body knew where it belonged, and she longed to listen to it. She
pinched the bridge of her nose and pushed to her feet, making her
way to the window overlooking Hamburg.

Pressing her palm to the cool glass, she stared over
the colored lights and stared at the cars streaming along. Even as
she attempted to forget the man in the king-sized bed sleeping, she
accepted it was going to be a lost cause.

Did he still sleep naked? Or had that been because
she was in bed with him? Christ, she was going to make herself
insane doing this.

“Let it go, Sarah,” she whispered to herself.

“Let what go?”

She jerked her eyes up and saw his reflection behind
her. His hair fell around his face, and the only article of
clothing on his body was a pair of low-riding sweats. A whimper
nearly escaped.

“Thought you were sleeping.” She refocused her
attention to the city below.

“Really? I was lying in there remembering what it
was like to have you in bed with me. The touching, caresses,
sex
.” The last word was breathed into her ear as he stood
behind her. Not close enough to touch but enough that his body heat
couldn’t be missed. “What are you doing awake?”

Pretty much the same damn thing.
“Just
couldn’t sleep.”

He dragged his index finger along the thin strap of
her camisole before slipping it along her skin as he continued
along her shoulder. “That’s it?”

No!
“Yep.”

“Come to bed with me, Sarah.”

Sweet Jesus, his voice was pure temptation.

“You sure that’s a wise idea?”

He settled one hand along her stomach. “How could it
not be? I’m sharing a hotel room with my wife. There’s no reason
for her to be sleeping out on the couch alone when there’s ample
room in the bed.”

She chewed on the inside of her cheek. He brushed
his lips along her temple.

“Just sleep, Sarah. Unless you want something
more.”

God, her nipples hurt they’d drawn so tight. Her
pussy so wet she knew it would take no more than a touch to set her
off.

“Sleep,” she said, proud her voice didn’t waver.

“If that’s all you want. Come to bed, darlin’.”

She may be headed for hell, but she was going to go
with a smile on her face. One more night of being in his arms was
the heaven she never believed she’d get another chance to
experience. Yes, the sex between them was amazing and off the
charts, but she craved his touch. How she felt in his arms.

Her job didn’t give her much time to feel feminine.
The men she worked with were just that, friends and family. No one
aside from Grey had been able to make her feel secure in the way he
did. As if nothing would ever get through to harm her. Nothing
would make her scared while he was there. The time they’d had had
been short, but she never forgot how it had made her feel. Also,
there was the intensity they shared in bed.

They walked silently to the bed, and she slipped in
on the right side while he took the left. Clothing, as much as it
was, remained on. Sarah didn’t argue or fight when he drew her in
closer to him, wrapping strong arms around her. She inhaled deeply,
the scent of his skin flooding her senses.

This was home. His embrace.

“Goodnight, my wife.”

His proprietary words did funny things to her gut.
She didn’t respond, just closed her eyes and accepted the sleep
coming to take her away.

She woke to the soft strokes of his hand along her
exposed skin. There was no jerking away and wondering where she
was. There was no need. Only one way of waking felt this way and
that was being in Grey’s arms.

“Wondered when you would wake up,” he said, his
southern drawl more pronounced.

“Cooler will be here soon.”

“If we’re going in to take down the faction we
discovered last night, this could get dangerous.”

She tensed. “I’m sure you have a point there.”

“Just one.”

He didn’t speak, so she asked, “You going to share
it with me or were you planning on keeping it a secret?”

“Keeping it a secret.”

“Okay.” She rolled away from him, only to find
herself on top of his chiseled body. His hard cock pressed against
her. “Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

He kissed her lightly. “Allowing me to have last
night.”

This man confused her. She gave a wobbled grin and
got off the bed. When she got out of the shower, fully dressed, the
room had everyone in it once more.

“Morning, Bug.”

“Boys,” she replied to Cooler with a smile. She
walked to the cart, lifted off a piece of toast, put preserves on
it, and took a bite.

Windy approached her. “You okay?”

“Right as rain,” she said, sucking her thumb clean.
“Thanks for checking.”

“We take care of our own,” he answered with a
shrug.

“I know, and I love you for it.”

“Well, fuck,” he said. “Bug’s over here getting all
emotional and shit.”

“Just trying to get the attention off you and the
tears in your eyes, you pussy.”

He grabbed himself. “Suck it.”

She finished her toast and grinned. “If only I could
find it.” Then, she walked off, laughing with the rest. Grey met
her gaze and lifted a brow. She blew him a kiss. “Sorry, Navy. Did
we make you uncomfortable? I mean, we all know Recon dicks are
larger, but don’t feel bad. Maybe, someday, you’ll grow one.”

He crossed his arms. “Haven’t had any complaints,
yet.”

A spear of jealousy shafted her. And she hated
herself for being jealous over a man who, by all rights, was
virtually a stranger to her. So, she did what she did best.
Deflect. “I’ve heard they never do when you’re paying for it.”

“Play nice, children.” Cooler’s statement had no
heat in it.

They finished their briefing and suited up, getting
ready to complete the job they had before them.

αβ

Sarah stared at the ticket in her bandaged hand. Two
full weeks with Grey. The entire situation had her nervous.

Gunfire and bombs are fine, but time with my husband
freaks me the fuck out.

The joint op had been a success. An Irish faction
had been hired to take the sheikh out. In her opinion, the world
would have been better off if the ass had been killed. But, she
wasn’t in charge.
Reason for that—I’m no good with
politics.

So, here she was, one hand curved about the handle
of her duffle and the other her ticket. She stepped out of her
shoes and put them in a bin. Her bag, she placed on the conveyor
after it. The TSA agent waved her up to the x-ray machine, and she
stepped in, putting her arms up in position, ignoring the pain in
her ribs. He gazed at her when she stepped out.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I will be.” She shrugged as she gave him a wan
smile. “Two weeks of vacay will hopefully be all that’s
needed.”

“Okay.”

Shoving back into her tennis shoes, she carried on,
strolling to her gate. With a groan, she settled back into an empty
seat, away from most people. Sarah closed her eyes and willed the
aches away. It didn’t take long, and she was in the air on her way
to JFK to change planes. At that gate, she again took a seat away
from most people, retreating into her own little world.

“Sore?”

That voice. It just wasn’t fair. The center of so
many fantasies, it could bring her to orgasm with little more than
a single word.

She opened her eyes and found herself snared by an
aquamarine gaze. Her belly clenched with raw need and a craving
only he could assuage. His loose-fitting jeans hid nothing and
emphasized it all.
Perhaps because I know what’s beneath there.
I can’t believe he’s here.

His green long sleeves had been pushed up, showing
strong forearms. The hem hung partially tucked in his pants, lying
in a diagonal over his crotch. Her tongue flicked out as she
dragged her gaze back up—leisurely—his hard body. The dark grey
skullcap on his head did funny things to her insides. She loved the
look on him.

“A bit,” she remarked as he lowered himself next to
her. He smelled of outdoors and adventure.
And sin—don’t forget
sin.
Does sin smell like something? Must be because I smell
him and think about all kinds of sinning.

He raked his stare over her. “Where’s your—” He
pointed at his forehead.

“Make up.” She’d had her head gashed open on the
final bit of the op. His stare went on for what felt like forever.
“What?”

“I want to kiss you.”

More belly flips. Blatant. Honest. Grey, all the
way.

She blinked. “So, what’s stopping you?”

His eyes flicked to her mouth. “I don’t know if I’d
be able to stop once I start.” That deep, smooth voice was nearly
her undoing.

“Oh,” she managed to squeak out. She cleared her
throat. “So, we’re going to an island?”

“You not like islands?”

“Every place is an island if you want to be
technical. The Earth is mostly water and surrounds all the
continents.”

“Have you been to this particular one?”

“No.”

He leaned closer. “Good, we can explore it together.
I would have been there in Atlanta, but I had to go to DC at the
last minute.”

“I’m still not sure why you want to do this.”