Personal Assistance (Entangled Ignite) (11 page)

A need born out of fear and desire welled up inside her. His tongue delved into her mouth, thrusting and exploring with urgent desire. Sensations she couldn’t explain whirled through her body, and she pressed herself harder against him.

His arms, his magnificent arms, tightened around her waist as he devoured her with his mouth. It was as if he couldn’t get enough of her.

She opened herself up to his onslaught, desperate to taste more of him, feel more of him. All the pent-up emotions, the fear, and the longing of the last few days went into her response.

She ran her hands over his arms, doing what she’d longed to do for days, feeling his biceps flex beneath her fingers. It excited her.

His hand was in her hair, gripping large fistfuls and holding on tightly as he drove his tongue repeatedly into her mouth, sucking and tasting her essence like his life depended on it. Soon they were both gasping for air.

She put her hands on his chest, feeling the soft hair under her fingertips. He groaned and tilted his head back. Acting on instinct, she leaned forward and kissed his neck, drawing in great gulps of his scent. She worked her way to his shoulder and kissed the lines of his tattoo, which snaked beguilingly around his bicep. His skin was soft and firm, with rippling muscles beneath. She couldn’t get enough of him.

With a low growl, he lifted her head away from his body and laid her gently on the mattress. With an intensely sensual look in his dark eyes, which had swelled to mostly pupil, he positioned himself half on top of her. One long leg slotted between hers, maneuvering them apart while his elbow held most of his weight off her. His thigh pressed firmly between her legs. She felt herself grow wet. Her hips rose slightly off the mattress in an unconscious acknowledgement of his intentions. She wanted this man, needed to feel his vitality and power.

He took his time, savoring the moment. His hand lifted her dress up to her waist, exposing her bare legs. He ran his fingers over the inside of her knee, exploring her inner thigh. Shivers shot up her spine. She moaned his name softly, “Tom…” She wanted him so badly it hurt.

He smiled and kissed her. “I’m not stopping now.”

Elation mixed with her desire. He wanted this as much as she did. She hadn’t misread him earlier. She let him take control. His hand brushed over the outside of her underwear, teasing her. She writhed toward him, kissing him back with a fervor she hadn’t known she possessed. She wanted this man with every fiber of her being. His quiet, powerful presence beside her over the last few days had won her trust and ignited a desire inside of her that she could no longer ignore.

He refused to be rushed. Slowly he undid the buttons on her shirt, sending her wild with longing. His eyes flickered hotly over her exposed breasts and back to her face.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured.

Then he dropped his head to her breasts, kissing one and then the other, teasing and tasting each hard nipple in turn. She moaned out loud as glorious sensations flooded her body.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” he muttered, between sucks.

“Oh God, so have I,” she panted, arching toward him. Her hands buried themselves in his soft hair, still damp from the shower. “Then this afternoon in the kitchen… I wasn’t sure.”

Her breath was coming in rapid gasps.

“I felt it, too,” was all he said, as his fingers probed the warm wetness through her panties, making slow circles around her swollen bud. She opened her legs a bit wider to give him better access.

Encouraged, he looked deep into her eyes as he slid his hand inside her underwear and touched her intimately. Feeling his fingers against her hardening clitoris released a torrent of hidden emotions, and she bucked violently, gasping in ecstasy. Still he held her gaze, watching as her passion grew, challenging her to break eye contact.

Mesmerized and incredibly turned on by his intensity, she gave in to the waves of ecstasy that engulfed her. Not caring that he seemed to be peering into her very soul, she orgasmed powerfully before him, only closing her eyes at the very last minute.

…

Tom was astounded by Hannah’s sensuality and the way she responded to his touch. Watching her come had almost brought him to the brink himself, and now he too needed release. He ran his hand over her breasts and down to her waist, feeling her shiver.

“I’m tingling all over,” she whispered, enraptured.

“That’s the idea.” He grinned back. He kissed her on the lips and was surprised by the tenderness of her response. Not the frenzied hunger of before. She drew his tongue into her mouth, sucking gently, and he felt a frisson shoot through his groin. He was painfully erect. He shifted position to make himself more comfortable.

Hannah, aware of his discomfort, tentatively laid a hand on his crotch, over the towel. He moaned deeply, unable to stop himself. She cupped him and squeezed gently, massaging the ache away. His breathing became unsteady. “You’d better be careful doing that,” he cautioned. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.”

She pulled the towel out from under him, her eyes widening as she saw the rigid outline of his rock-solid member beneath his underpants.

He kicked the towel out of the way. She tentatively reached out and encircled his engorged penis.

God, that felt exquisite. Barely able to concentrate, he slipped a thumb under her side strap and pulled her panties down her legs. She watched him with big eyes as he pulled them free of her feet and threw them on top of his trousers. The lace lingerie looked strangely out of place on the rough, threadbare carpet.

He stared questioningly into her eyes, silently asking her permission to continue. She gave an imperceptible nod, but he’d sensed her acquiescence.

“I want to feel you inside of me,” she whispered, confirming what he was feeling, too.

He didn’t waste time. He gently lowered himself on top of her, his arms burning with the effort required to do this slowly. He didn’t want to hurt her. He needn’t have worried for she gripped his buttocks and pulled him down. He bent to kiss her, and as his tongue slipped into her mouth, she opened her legs, and he entered her.

He moaned, overcome by the combination of the tight, wet slipperiness surrounding his shaft and the glorious taste of her mouth. He could feel her soft breasts with nipples hard as pencils squashed against his chest. Her belly was flat and smooth, and her curvy hips edged into his own, enforcing their connection.

She wrapped her legs around his waist to accommodate more of him, and he happily obliged, lifting her buttocks slightly off the bed and pulling her toward him. He was buried so deep inside her that it felt like they were one.

After a few seconds he began to move, rhythmically sliding in and out of her, driving them both to indescribable heights of pleasure. She panted, inhaling ragged gasps of air as he pumped into her. Her head was back, hair awry all over the pillow. Her lips were open, and her chest rose and fell with her rapid breathing. He thought he’d never seen anyone so beautiful.

His desire built to the breaking point. The delicious friction caused by their rhythmic thrusting was making him lose control. He managed to hold on just long enough to feel her contract around him, and her nails dig into his back before he allowed his own orgasm to take hold. Then he gripped her tightly as he exploded inside of her, securing his own release.

Later, as they lay entwined in each other’s arms, she said, “Tom, there’s something I want to give you.” She disentangled herself and reaching into her bag, pulled out a pen and a slip of paper.

He propped himself up on one elbow and watched her. He scarcely dared to hope…

Nibbling gently on her lower lip, she wrote down five separate sentences, and then handed them to him. “These are the safe house locations mentioned in the document. I wanted to give them to you in case…well, in case anything happens to me tomorrow.”

“Nothing is going to happen to you tomorrow,” he said adamantly, but took the piece of paper anyway. “Jamal and I have a plan.”

“No offense, but I wasn’t that impressed by Jamal’s last plan.” She sat up in bed, the sheet around her waist.

He chuckled. “This has nothing to do with bombing army checkpoints, I promise.” Then he got serious. “I hope you don’t think I made love to you to get this information.”

“You couldn’t have known I’d give it to you. Besides, I’ve thought long and hard about this Tom, and I trust you.”

Unable to resist any longer, he leaned over and kissed both nipples very gently. She shivered compulsively.

Then he took her hand in his. “Well, thank you. You’ve done the right thing. If I can find a way to get this back to HQ, it’ll buy us more time to get off the island.”

“Now you can show me how much you appreciate it,” she said, pulling him toward her and shuffling down into a lying position.

He cupped her face in his hand, while his other one disappeared beneath the covers. “My pleasure,” he murmured, as his lips came down on hers.

Chapter Nine

Hannah woke to a high-pitched wailing. It was still dark outside. She had no idea what time it was. “What’s that?”

Tom was already awake and pulling on his pants. The memories of their passionate lovemaking only hours before were rapidly replaced by the deafening siren.

“It’s warning us of an impending attack. You’d better get dressed.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s five a.m.”

Alarmed, she flew to the bathroom just as a loud explosion cracked outside their window. Tom, who was closest to the window, was blown off his feet.

“Tom!” She darted back into the bedroom. Shards of glass were scattered around the room.

Her lover lay still momentarily, holding his head in his hands. “I’m okay,” he said groggily. “I just can’t hear anything.”

“Don’t move,” she insisted. “Can I get you anything?”

He shook his head, his eyes not quite focused. “Go and get dressed. It’s more important that we move out. I’ll be okay in a minute.” As she moved off he called, “Mind the glass.”

He was always thinking about her. Worried about a possible concussion, she picked up her clothes. Anxiety made her clumsy, and she dropped a shoe as she made her way to the bathroom. Explosive flashes of bright light lit up the night sky outside the shattered window like a giant strobe.

“It’s begun,” called Tom, as she reentered the bedroom, fully dressed. He was sitting up, tying his shoelaces. “It’s Friday. The army is attacking while the majority of people are getting ready for prayers. It’s going to get messy.”

She was just relieved he was all right. “What should we do?”

Moments later, Jamal appeared behind her. He was wearing the same clothing as the day before, with the addition of a military vest holding spare rounds and other military equipment. He looked even more serious than usual, not a good sign.

“I’ve been with Abu-al-Rashid’s men. Luckily we had a few minutes’ warning to signal the siren.” He looked from Tom to Hannah. “I suggest we get out of here—”

“I agree.” Tom reached for his pack, which sat in the corner of the room. “Let me get my gear on.”

Jamal noticed the mussed-up mattress, the weapons lying unattended near his pack, and of course Tom’s bare torso.

“A little relaxed, aren’t we?” chastised Jamal mildly, but his message hit home.

Tom’s face hardened. “We’ll be downstairs in two minutes. Meet you at the kitchen door.”

Jamal nodded and left.

“This was a mistake.”

She looked at Tom’s rigid expression and guessed he meant last night, not the chaos outside. “If you mean what happened…”

“Yes, what happened. It was a stupid mistake. Jamal was right. We’re in a war zone. I should know better than to drop my guard.” He shook his head, obviously angry at himself for being caught unaware. “I’ve put the entire mission at risk.”

“The mission is still safe. We’re still alive, aren’t we?” She bent down and flung her bag angrily over her shoulder. “And for your information, I don’t regret last night for an instant. I’m sorry you do.”

A second explosion shook the whole building. “Christ. That felt like a mortar attack. Let’s go. Now.” She gulped and followed Tom down the stairs at a run.

Jamal was in the kitchen, holding the door open. “I suggest we get out of here immediately.”

Without another word, they raced out into the night.

“Stay together,” he ordered, half running, half crouching as he moved down the road. She tried to keep up. Tom didn’t leave her side as they slunk away from the safe house.

“We need a plan of action,” said Jamal as they paused beside a burned-out garage to catch their breath. “Obviously the car-smuggling plan has gone out of the window.”

She looked from Jamal to Tom in confusion. “You were going to smuggle me out of here in the trunk of a car? That doesn’t sound like a very good plan to me.”

Tom glanced at Jamal who said, “It
was
a good idea. I have agents in the army who would have taken you out in their army vehicle. No inspections. You would have been home free—or at least gotten most of the way to Hamesh on the coast.”

She looked up hopefully. “I’ve changed my mind. That does sound like a good plan. Can’t we still do that?”

“Possibly.” Jamal didn’t meet her gaze. “I need to get to my men and regroup. Everything has—how do you Westerners say?—gone out the window now that the army has attacked. I have no idea where my agents are. We’ve lost contact.”

“Where’s your rendezvous point?” Tom asked, as they set off again.

“Northern suburbs, al-Hazra.” Jamal’s features were set in a determined frown. “That’s where we’re going to launch our defensive. Al-Rashid is mobilizing troops there as we speak.”

Tom said thoughtfully, “This attack might play in our favor. If we can get out during the chaos, they won’t know she’s gone. The army will be too busy fighting to worry about searching vehicles.”

“True. If I can locate my agents, we may still be able to work out a plan.”

“Let’s hope the rebels fight back hard,” murmured Tom. “The more firepower you have, the more distracted the army will be.”

“And the more likely we’ll be hit by something,” piped up Hannah, not thrilled to be heading into the midst of the fighting.

Both Jamal and Tom glared at her. “Sorry, just stating the obvious,” she said.

“Okay, so that’s settled,” said Tom, adjusting his rifle on his shoulder. Ever since they’d left the house, he’d had his right finger near the trigger, readying to fire in seconds, if necessary. “We’ll come with you to the rendezvous and try to get out in the thick of the army assault.”

She wondered if he was mad. “You want to head straight into the most dangerous part of town?”

“Yes,” said Tom and Jamal in unison.

She threw her hands up in the air. “You’re both insane. According to the map you guys were looking at this afternoon, the route through the Old City is the shortest distance out of town. There’s a bridge over some sort of gorge to the west, and that road breaks off to the south after about five miles. Why don’t we go that way?”

Jamal stared at her. “How on earth do you know that?”

“Photographic memory.” She sighed. “I don’t have time to get into it.”

“Okay,” he agreed, giving her an odd look. “But there are two flaws with your idea, which
I
don’t have time to get into.”

“What flaws?” she inquired indignantly. Her memory was always accurate. Her way was the fastest way out of the city.

Tom gave her a warning look, and she knew what that look meant. Don’t give the game away. She must be careful not to let anything slip about the real reason they needed to get out of Syman—the safe house info.

“It’s my life at stake here, too,” she argued. “I think I have a right to know what’s wrong with that route.”

“The town is surrounded,” explained Tom. “The army has been preparing for this. They will have troops mobilized around the entire perimeter.”

“He’s right,” confirmed Jamal. “And the other problem is your bridge. It no longer exists. It got blown up weeks ago. The army controls all the exits out of town. The gorge will be a natural barrier. You can’t get out that way.”

So much for her brilliant idea. “So our only option is to head right into the danger zone, then?”

“Yes, that is where the rebel defenses will be strongest. If we’ve got any chance of getting out of Jemah, it will be when the rebels attack the troops to the north. It’s our only hope.”

She saw the method in their madness. If the army was preoccupied with a strong opposition, they might be able to slip away undetected. Reluctantly she nodded. “I understand.”

Jamal led the way, with Tom and Hannah a few steps behind. Every time there was a burst of fire, she jumped and looked around nervously. In the distance, definitive short blasts of machine-gun fire punctuated the air.

Men ran through the streets holding guns and shouting rapid instructions at each other, while the few women she saw hurried to and fro with their heads down and bags in their hands. She kept Jamal in sight.

Tom, although equipped to go much faster, hung back to make sure she was safe. His earlier comment about last night still stung, and she’d never admit it, but she appreciated his support.

“You don’t have to wait for me,” she called, after he’d hung back yet again to wait for her. Her pride wouldn’t allow her to be babysat. “I can keep up.”

“It’s my job to make sure you’re safe.”

Your job, yes. Not because you care about me.

Angrily, she pushed the emotions that threatened to overflow and embarrass her down again. There would be time to cry later, when they were out of this hellish place and she was away from Tom.

“No. It’s your
job
to get those locations out of the country. You no longer need to protect me. In fact, you could quite easily shoot me and be done with it.” She couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice. The strain of the last few days, coupled with his blatant dismissal of her this morning, was beginning to tell.

“Don’t be silly,” he snapped. “I’m not going to leave you here. We’re in this together, remember? I said I’d get you out, as well as the information. Nothing’s changed.”

“Except I’m slowing you down.”

And apparently distracting you from your mission.

“We’ve still got time,” he murmured, although not very convincingly. The clock was ticking. With this sudden attack delaying them, it didn’t look as if they were going to make it on time. There might be no other option than for Tom to go on without her. She knew, if it came down to it, he’d put the mission before her. He had to, he was a soldier. That was the way they were built.

“Here are my men,” announced Jamal, backing up against a wall next to two other rebels who she recognized from the truck journey the previous day. Across the road, behind a wall, two more stood, ready to attack. Up ahead, the road had been barricaded with square concrete blocks, waist high. It provided shelter from the sporadic artillery firing their way.

Tom grabbed her hand, and together they ran toward the wall. Shots were fired, but she couldn’t work out where they were coming from. Snipers, she supposed, scanning the rooftops.

The concrete dug into her back as she flattened herself against it. She was afraid that if she moved suddenly, someone would see her and shoot. Apparently movement was easier to detect than someone standing still—she’d read that somewhere.

Tom conferred with the two men. There was a lot of hand signals and head nodding, but then he returned, and the two men, with Jamal, ran forward in a crouch position and sat down with their backs to the barricade. Jamal strained to turn his head so he could peer over the protective blocks.

“What’s happening?”

Tom led her into an alleyway. “They’re getting ready to advance. Abu-al-Rashid and his men are farther forward. There’s another barricade closer to the enemy line. We need to see if we can reach it.”

“Are you sure?”

Beyond the barricade was an abandoned street, covered in rubble from bombed buildings. It looked like a hurricane had swept through it, destroying everything in its path. Buildings had lost their front facing, and there were dark spaces where the rooms used to be, with electrical wires hanging out and dust and broken concrete everywhere.

“There could be snipers out there,” she whispered, worriedly.

“There probably are,” Tom confirmed with a shrug as if it was inevitable. “We’re going to have to take our chances. Stay low and against the walls, and you should be okay.”

Unable to keep her fear in check, she stifled a sob. Then a high-pitched screech echoed all around them.

“Get down!” yelled Jamal, waving his hand frantically from the shelter of the barricade.

Tom threw his body on top of her just as the building next to them exploded in a ball of fire. Big chunks of concrete, glass, and metal flew outward across the street. Luckily they were not directly in its path. A fierce gust of hot air engulfed them, singing her tightly shut eyelashes.

When she opened her eyes, the street was a scene of complete devastation. Smoking piles of cement littered the road, parked cars were on fire, but most disturbing were the screams and cries of the people affected by the blast.

She was surprised the building was still standing after that direct hit. It burned from within, like a pumpkin on Halloween, except the exterior was black and scorched. Someone yelled loudly, and then a young man sprinted toward the fire. He shouted something in Arabic. When the man showed no signs of stopping, Jamal attempted to tackle him to prevent him from entering the blazing inferno.

“There’s someone in there,” she translated, shocked. “He says his cousin is still inside.”

Tom leaped up and ran to Jamal.

“It’s Abu-al-Rashid’s nephew inside,” the rebel commander told him, his face pale despite his dark coloring. “We must see if he’s alive.”

Tom squinted as he surveyed the building. “It looks like the grenade hit the front of the house. We may still be able to get him out.”

They hurried toward the blackened building. Thick black smoke billowed out of the door and windows, or rather the holes where they used to be.

She watched from the sidewalk, unable to stop herself from shaking, not for herself, but for Tom, who was about to put his life on the line to save one of the rebels. What if he never came out again? She stared after them, refusing to blink, praying for his safe return.

…

Tom reached the front door first. The searing heat engulfed him, singing his skin and clothing. “We’re going to have to find another entrance,” he yelled, backing up.

They dashed around the side of the house. The walls were less scorched—a good sign. In the back corner, a window beckoned. Only the frame remained, the glass having been blasted out during the impact from the rocket-propelled grenade. The two men jumped through the window, landing easily on the uneven floor inside.

It was smoky, visibility was next to zero. Tom raised his scarf to cover his nose and mouth. If he didn’t have something to block the smoke, they wouldn’t last longer than five minutes before the fumes overcame them. Jamal didn’t have a scarf, so he pulled his T-shirt neck up to his nose.