Erin tipped her head back and let out a sigh, eyes closed and a smile on her face. “God, this feels good.”
“Yeah, it does.” He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed being in the saddle until now, though he knew a big part of his enjoyment had to do with having Erin beside him. They rode at a walk through the pasture to where the trail narrowed and led into the forest. “You go ahead and take point,” he told her.
Erin moved her horse in front of his, giving him a great view of her ass as they wound their way through the trees. The air was fresh and cool here, smelling of damp leaves and earth. Birds and squirrels chattered overhead. Every so often Erin would glance at him over her shoulder and give him a little smile, and every time she did, his heart squeezed a little harder. She was so easy to be with and she appreciated the simplest things. She reacted to the horseback ride the way some women would to dinner at a five star restaurant. He was falling hard for her and didn’t even want to fight it anymore. Things were bleak enough in his world; he would enjoy whatever time he had with her while it lasted, as long as she understood and was okay with it ending when one of them left the safe house. He had no roots anymore and no idea what the hell he was going to do with himself once he helped bring Rahim down, and she was going back to Bagram to finish her tour.
Not wanting to think about that yet, he focused on her and the way the dappled sunlight fell on her head and shoulders ahead of him. Her ponytail gleamed as it moved with the rhythm of the horse’s gait. She was quiet, obviously enjoying the ride, her head turning to gaze around her and up at the trees with their new leaves basking in the gentle sunlight. Wade stayed silent too, content to just be in her presence and watch her take everything in.
When the trees began to thin and the trail widened as they neared an open field up ahead, he nudged his chestnut forward to walk beside her. “Should we stretch their legs a little?” he asked.
Her lips curved sweetly. “We should.”
He nodded and nudged his horse forward. “Come on, then.”
He put the animal into a trot where the trail opened up into a large, grassy field that was bordered on all sides by thick copses of deciduous trees. Erin matched his pace and they started through the knee-length grass together. After a couple minutes he glanced over at her with a grin. “Ready to run?”
“Hell, yes,” she responded with a gleam in her eyes.
Grinning, he nudged his horse with his heels, let out a sharp, “Hyah!” and took off. Erin gave a whoop of excitement and gave chase, and together they galloped across the field. He glanced over as she came abreast of him, laughed at the smug grin she tossed his way, then she came up in the stirrups a nit to lean low over her horse’s neck, urging it to go faster.
They raced the entire length of the field, slowing to a canter when they reached the far side. Both horses were breathing hard but still had a lot of gas left. Wade was tempted to gallop them back the other way, but the look on Erin’s face stopped him. She was fucking glowing, nose and cheeks pink as she threw her head back and laughed. “
God
I’ve missed this!” She righted her head and looked over at him, eyes filled with gratitude and tenderness. “Thank you.”
That look on her face made it hard for him to breathe. Before he could respond, Erin sidled her horse closer, reached out to grab the horn on his saddle and stood up in the stirrups to lean over and wrap a hand around the back of his neck. Wade didn’t even think about pulling away when she tugged him down and pressed a firm, lingering kiss on his lips.
He cupped the side of her face with one hand and returned the kiss, swallowing the territorial growl that rose in his throat at the feel of her lips parting beneath his. He took her mouth gently, holding her steady as he slid his tongue inside to taste her. She drew in a sharp breath that made the arousal flare even hotter inside him and touched her tongue to his but her horse shied a bit and danced away.
Wade released her, loving that mix of heat and surprise in her expression. What he wouldn’t give to be able to pull her from the saddle and tumble her to the ground right here and now, but as much as he was tempted, taking her out here on the rain dampened grass probably wasn’t the most romantic setting for her. He already knew she was a bit of a dreamer. She deserved romance, and if they did wind up in bed together, he wanted to make it special for her. Though it was gonna be a damn uncomfortable ride back to the barn with the erection he was sporting.
Erin laughed lightly at him, and he realized he must be staring at her the same way a hungry wolf eyed a raw steak. And there was more color in her cheeks now, either from arousal or a blush. “Shall we keep going?”
Oh,
hell
yeah they should. Until he was buried inside her, listening to her cry out his name while she clenched around him as she came.
Reining in his hunger, Wade nodded and followed her as she turned her horse back across the field. He had no idea what would happen in the coming days or weeks ahead, but there were two things he now knew for certain. Their relationship had just shifted to something much deeper than physical need, and he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted another woman in his entire life.
Unbelievable as it seemed, he was starting to think he’d never be able to walk away from her once this was all over.
The ride back to the safe house was quiet. Erin couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so at peace and though she wanted to lean over and rest her head against Wade’s shoulder, she wouldn’t in front of the security team. She would never do anything to embarrass him or make him pull away from her. Not when she wanted just the opposite. Instead she leaned her head back against the headrest in the back seat and closed her eyes to better focus on Wade’s scent: clean, crisp air and woodsy aftershave. She was tingling all over at the memory of that kiss and the promise of what might happen between them tonight at the safe house.
Sighing, she shifted against the seat, trying to ignore the buzz of arousal traveling over her skin. This afternoon had done wonders for her mental and emotional state. The ride with Wade and the gallop across the field had exhilarated her.
The SUV slowed a few minutes later and made the left hand turn into the long, winding driveway. Erin stared out her window as the white farmhouse came into view. The last golden rays of afternoon sunlight had been swallowed by dark, leaden clouds that promised the spring storm the forecasters had called for, and the wind had already picked up. The driver pulled around back and Wade stopped her as she reached for the door handle.
“Stay here,” he ordered softly, then got out with one of the other security guys in the front passenger seat.
Though she understood they were just being cautious, it was yet another reminder of the predicament she was in and it let some of the air out of the happy little bubble she’d been enjoying for the past couple hours. Wade came out on the back doorstep a few minutes later and waved for her to come inside. A cold gust of wind tugged at her hair as she climbed out of the vehicle, a few raindrops landing on her jacket as she made her way to the back porch. She shut and locked the door behind her then took off her shoes and coat. Her hands and feet were still chilled from the long ride but she was hot as hell inside at the prospect of spending a quiet—and hopefully intimate—night alone with Wade.
As she was hanging up her coat the SUV’s tires crunched on the gravel drive as it turned around and pulled away, leaving them alone once again. She let out a breath, releasing the last bit of tension she’d been holding onto. With Wade here she had no reason to worry about her safety and she was looking forward to spending more time alone with him. He was protective and aloof in many ways, yet she had a feeling he’d already let her in farther than he did most other people. She liked knowing he trusted her that much at least.
Heading into the family room, she found Wade hunkered down before the hearth, building a fire for them. He glanced up with a little smile and saw her rubbing her hands over her arms to ward off the lingering chill from the early spring air. “This’ll get you warmed up in no time.”
She could think of several far more enjoyable things that would get her warmed up even faster than a fire. Hell, the mere thought of them already had heat curling in the pit of her belly. Him stripping her clothes off and unleashing the hunger she’d seen in his eyes. Maybe he’d fist his hands in her hair or pin her wrists on either side of her head the way she’d imagined. She eyed the way his T-shirt stretched taut across his back as he leaned in to light the kindling, imagining running her hands over all those lean muscles as he stretched out on top of her.
Yum.
Not wanting to scare him off, she knelt beside him as the flames caught and held her hands out to the warmth. “Mmm, that feels good,” she sighed.
He turned his head toward her for a moment, then cleared his throat and got to his feet. His phone rang. Frowning at the call display, he glanced down at her and walked out of the room and she knew it must be someone from the CIA. Hopefully with no more bad news. Erin stayed where she was and watched the flames dance, exhaling a deep breath as she listened to the low rumble of his voice coming from the kitchen.
Wade appeared in the doorway, slipping his phone back into his pocket. His expression was closed, but she could tell that whatever had been said wasn’t happy news. And she also knew he wouldn’t tell her what it was. “Should we eat some of those leftovers?” he asked, obviously trying to put whatever it was aside for her benefit.
“Sure.” She started to get to her feet but he held up a hand to stop her.
“I’ll get them. You stay there and get warm.”
Erin watched him go, greedily drinking in the confident way he moved—totally at home in his body, totally in control. So sexy. Turning back to the flames, she debated what to do. She wanted him, badly, and knew he wanted her too, although he seemed determined not to act on it. Should she push him and see what happened? It was tempting.
Wade returned a few minutes later carrying two plates loaded with warmed leftovers. She murmured her thanks and sat cross-legged next to him and they dug in together as the flames crackled in the fireplace. He was always quiet, but tonight more so than usual. Whatever that phone call revealed was bothering him a lot more than he was letting on. Something to do with his former teammate maybe? Cautiously testing the waters, she asked, “How did it go this morning, by the way?”
Wade stopped chewing and for a moment she was worried she’d overstepped her bounds but then he swallowed and sighed. “Not good.”
She made a soft sound to let him know she was listening, but didn’t push, hoping he’d continue.
A few moments later, he did. “It was weird to see him again, especially like that. And he seemed so goddamn sincere about not being involved in any of it. He was adamant about not even knowing the attack had happened.”
He was quiet for a minute, seemingly lost in his own thoughts as he stared down at his plate with a frown. “Do you believe him?” she asked.
His gaze lifted to hers. “Part of me does. The evidence against him looks bad but it could be coincidental. Not that I’m a big believer in coincidence, but…shit, I have a helluva time picturing him doing it. The guy I knew wasn’t wired that way.”
Erin didn’t want to believe a former teammate of his was capable of it either. She studied him as she finished her mouthful of rice. He seemed more upset about Schafer’s possible involvement than being pulled off the Rahim investigation. That told her just how much he valued loyalty, something she totally understood. “You’re saying it might be a setup?”
He gave a grudging nod. “Can’t rule that out at this point either.”
“So what happens now?”
He shrugged. “Bill and the director were going to question him, do some more digging to see what they could come up with. If he’s clean, they’ll find out. And if he’s dirty…” He sighed as he let the thought trail off and Erin wanted nothing more than to take the plate out of his hands and wrap her arms around him.
“Maybe he’s not,” she said to comfort him. Though how else would Rahim have found out about Wade’s travel plans in so short a time? Unless someone at Bagram had leaked the info?
He nodded, only his eyes hinting at the torment swirling inside him. “Maybe. I hate being sidelined like this though.”
There. This was the crux of it, and she was just glad he was talking about it so she stayed silent and let him continue.
He shook his head. “I was so close to getting what we needed to bring him down. He was just in the critical stages of planning a big operation. If the Sec Def hadn’t been kidnapped, I would have had everything I needed within a couple weeks and been able to call a team in to capture him.”
But if the Sec Def hadn’t been with them, Maya and Jackson would have died
.
Erin pushed the terrible thought aside and forked up another mouthful of the rice pilaf, unsure what to say. Wade was such a mystery to her in so many ways, but she knew he was a good man. He’d had to do tough things in order to maintain his cover. Things most people could never contemplate, let alone handle.
As though the conversation had ruined his appetite, Wade suddenly set his plate aside. “And I’m sorry you got dragged into this.” He waved a hand to indicate he meant the house, the entire situation. “Having to stay here, with me, when you should be home with your family.”
A pang of homesickness hit her as she thought of her parents and how disappointed they’d been that her leave had been “cancelled”. That wasn’t his fault though. To ease his concern, she put on a smile. “Yeah, but hey, I could’ve done way worse in terms of roommates.” She gave his leg a playful nudge with her hand.
His eyes warmed at her words and touch. The firelight brought out the deep bronze undertones in his hair, flickering in tones of gold and orange. She wanted to run her fingers through it to find out if it was as soft as it looked. He shook his head slightly at her, looking amused. “Why’d you have to be so sweet?”