Down Range (Shadow Warriors - Book 2) (14 page)

Chapter Fifteen

As Jake slid
naked beside Morgan, he said, “I didn’t bring any condoms.”

She managed a wry look, understanding that neither of them had thought they’d ever find themselves in this position with one another again. “It’s okay. It’s a safe time in my cycle.”

“Good to know,” he said.

Morgan closed her eyes, absorbing Jake’s lean, powerful body against her. His mouth sipped at hers, and she felt exquisite fire bolt downward as he rocked her lips open, his tongue moving against hers. His hard, calloused hand moved downward, cupping her breast, his thumb lightly feathering across her hardened nipple. She moaned, arching against him, the sound absorbed beneath his deep kiss. Wanting more, Jake held her captive, his leg over hers, so she couldn’t move, open and available to him in every way. Barely aware of the deep ache in her shoulder, Morgan clung to his mouth, lost in the teasing movement of his thumb encircling her nipple, driving her crazy. Frustration thrummed through her tense body, her thighs damp, her womb clenching with need. It had been so long. So long…

Jake eased from her soft, wet mouth, his eyes narrowing, watching Morgan for reaction; her chest was rising and falling sharply, her moan of need vibrating through her. God, she was so hot in his hands, so damned sensitive, willful and hungry. The arousal in her eyes sent white-hot fire screaming through his lower body. This time, it was about healing Morgan, helping her to hold herself together and start the long road back from nearly being killed.

As Jake tilted her head, deepening their hungry kiss, Morgan became aware of the gentleness of his mouth upon hers. Something broke in Morgan as he eased his fingers across her jaw, framing her face, holding her so that he could breathe his life into her, breathe his maleness into her tortured, twisted emotional soul. This was not the Jake she knew. It was someone better, someone who cared, who was reaching out beyond himself to help her.

Morgan relinquished all of herself to Jake for the first time in her life. There was a trust that had somehow been built since meeting for this operation, and she desperately needed the gentleness he was offering to her with every touch of his mouth; his hands and body could feed her.

Jake left her mouth, gently placing nips along her slender neck, licking her flesh and feathering a kiss upon it before moving downward once more. Her hips twisted as his thumb moved languidly across her nipple, the shower of electric impulses rocking through her body, making her thighs slippery with need. Morgan felt his lips lightly touch the area of the bruise, the pain disappearing beneath his ministrations. His mouth drifted lower, caressing the curve of her breast with his tongue. Her skin grew taut and achy, a groan tearing out of her as his lips claimed the aching peak, suckling her.

Morgan arched as Jake drew more deeply upon the nipple, a craze of fire exploding in her body. A whimper tore from her as she felt his other calloused hand moved down the center of her damp, straining body. Her mind shorted out as his roughened palm enclosed her other breast. When he suckled her, she moaned, a deep yearning building powerfully in her lower body, hips twisting toward him, wanting him. All of him.

His kisses moved lightly between her breasts, and she felt him kissing each scar she’d collected over the years. As his mouth wove wet, languid patterns across her abdomen, moving downward, Morgan felt herself melt between his hands and mouth, felt the nightmare fear finally release her. Focused on his mouth as he lightly kissed her mound, his moist breath flowing across her, his fingers curved downward, finding out just how wet she was. Morgan heard him give a low growl of satisfaction as his fingers found her entrance. Breath jamming in her throat, she arched hard against his fingers, wanting Jake so badly she wanted to scream. The ache in her increased tenfold as he moved against her core, testing her, teasing her. She was lost in the blistering heat of him suckling her and his fingers creating streaks of burning heat up through her.

Gently, Jake eased open her right leg, his hand settling firmly between her taut thighs.

Panting, crying softly for him to enter her, Morgan savored the feel of his roughened hands as they gripped her hips, holding her in position. His shoulders widened her thighs, and she trembled violently as his mouth found that sweet spot. She pressed her fist against her mouth, her scream of pleasure nearly silenced. His tongue probed her, causing her body to spasm and contract, her juices to increase.

He found that group of nerves, the pearl at the entrance to her core, with his tongue. A shudder rippled through Morgan, and she grabbed at the sleeping bag, clenching the fabric, mewls of satisfaction tearing out of her. Aching, she felt the explosiveness building quickly inside as he pleasured her in such an intimate way. And when he slid his fingers inside of her, her world exploded into lights and violent heat.

Jake had barely touched her, and the volcanic ripples of an orgasm erupted, her muscles wildly contracting around his fingers, deluging him with the sweet fluids of the gift he’d given her.

Her entire body arched, paralyzed as he milked her body again and again with his mouth, tongue and fingers. And like the hunter he was, he stalked that spot deep within her. Morgan could feel herself flying apart, dismantled and utterly trusting herself with Jake. She glowed like a furnace raging out of control, responsive and violently reactive.

It had been so long since Morgan had had sex. Two years. And the last time was with this same man. Now he was loving her on a whole new level that made her sob with pleasure.

Jake eased from Morgan and teased her with his breath, his tongue, a low groan vibrating through her. Morgan could take no more and whimpered, calling his name, her fingers digging into his damp shoulders. In moments, Jake rolled over, easing her on top of his more-than-ready body. He wasn’t going to put his weight on Morgan if he could help it since he wanted to protect her injured shoulder.

Her hair fell across his face as she hungrily found Jake’s mouth. He absorbed her moan, and she moved her wet, slick core against his erection. His hands splayed across her hips, guiding her so that she could enter him. Morgan became lost in the fiery haze of wanting Jake within her aching, needy body. He arched his hips, lifting her ever so slightly, then eased her down upon himself.

Morgan tore her lips away from his, uttering a cry of throaty contentment. The burning sensation clashed with the blistering heat of her body welcoming him. As Jake slowly filled her, she felt the burn, stretching to accommodate him. He slowed her down. Nothing had ever felt as good as this, Jake in her, becoming one again, melting. Morgan thrust her hips, forcing him to sheathe deeply into her.

Tipping her head back, eyes tightly shut, Morgan absorbed his power, her muscles fitting like a very tight glove around him. And then he slowly brought her into a rhythm with him, his hands guiding her hips. Her damp palms lay flat against Jake’s dark-haired chest. She felt the thudding power of his heart, his roughened breath, his thrusts taking her into another cauldron of boiling heat that swiftly rose within her. The pressure was great, and Morgan gasped, feeling him groan beneath her.

They were good together; they always had been, and this time was no different. Morgan unraveled as he expertly positioned her, thrusting deeply, teasing her into joining him in a rhythm that dissolved her mind and fused them together. Nothing had ever felt so right to her. She imploded into another soul-burning orgasm beneath his cajoling hip movements designed to tease her.

Morgan tensed against Jake, a cry tearing out of her mouth. He was overwhelmed by her heat, her wetness, the powerful contractions gripping him. He had to control himself, he had to try to be present, not lost in the swift-moving fire enveloping them. This time was for Morgan. He allowed her all the pleasure she could possibly want. When she suddenly weakened, like a bow that had been pulled too taut, and collapsed against him, gasping, her breath fanning moistly across his neck and chest, he knew his wait was over for him.

Now Jake could take her, and he thrust several times, so deep within her that his world came apart. He surrendered his steel grip, filling her, drowning in the fiery heat of her soft, giving body. His teeth locked as he strained against her. Lights flashed behind his tightly shut eyes, his entire body quivering. It had been two years since he’d touched a woman. And now, as Jake felt the sudden release and the satisfaction following it, nothing had ever been so right as loving Morgan in this moment.

Jake didn’t know how long they lay there, spent by their actions. He kissed Morgan’s damp face, the silk of her hair beneath his mouth. She was warm, sweaty, and her heart hammered in time with his own. Gently, Jake eased her off him and he tucked her beside him. Pulling up the cover, he nestled Morgan fully along his length, holding her tight, holding her as the warmth of the sleeping bag enclosed them.

She stirred against him, her fingers tangling in the soft damp hair across his chest. It was as if she was reacquainting herself with him. Jake felt a peace he’d never before experienced. They had always been good together. This time was over the top. He couldn’t ever remember having felt this happy or satisfied after having sex.

Morgan nestled her cheek against his shoulder, face tilted upward. He looked down into her drowsy gaze. The tension in Morgan’s face was gone. Her fingers traced the line of his hard jaw. So many potent emotions swept through him as their gazes met and held.

“You feed my soul,” Jake rasped, sliding his hand over hers as she cupped his cheek. There was a tremulous smile playing across her well-kissed lips as Morgan closed her eyes, content to simply be in his arms.

“You feed my heart,” she whispered against his heated skin.

“You needed this. I needed it.”

Morgan whispered, “You’ve changed, Jake.” When had it happened? Morgan didn’t have the strength to follow the thought, her mind just so much mush, her heart expanding with new, deeper feelings toward him. A chuckle rumbled through his chest. Jake lifted her hand, opened her palm and placed a kiss to the center of it. Wild, tingling sensations radiated outward to her fingers.

“I hope that’s a compliment,” Jake whispered against her hair, pressing a kiss into the clean strands.

“You know it is.”

“How are you feeling?” There was veiled worry in his deep voice.

“I’m okay.”
More than okay.
Her body was flooded with the aftermath of their lovemaking, glowing like a tide slowly moving in and out deeply within her.

“I didn’t have a condom on me.” Jake’s voice turned wry. “I honestly didn’t expect to have sex with you on this mission.”

“Makes two of us,” Morgan admitted. “It’s okay,” she reassured him. She lay there wanting to tell him that she’d already carried his daughter in her womb. Jake lifted his hand to stroke her back and hips. The guilt surged through her. Jake had changed for the better. He could care for someone other than himself.

Stirring, she pulled away from Jake just enough to catch and hold his hooded gaze. Morgan could see the fire of desire still burning in the recesses of his stormy gray eyes. There was something magical and unexplained that had always drawn them helplessly to one another.

“Jake, what happened to change you like this?” Her whispered words had a profound effect on him. His eyes suddenly went dark, his mouth moving into a painful line. “Tell me?” Morgan coaxed softly, lifting her hand and cupping the side of his bearded face so he couldn’t pull away.

In a low voice, Jake told her about marrying Amanda at twenty-three, her having his son, Joshua, weeks after he’d returned stateside. The hardest part for him was telling Morgan how he’d lost both of them in an auto accident two weeks later. As he did, her eyes flared wide with shock, and then she forced herself up on her left elbow. There was genuine devastation on Morgan’s face. And when tears formed in her eyes, Jake felt his heart rip open. Morgan whispered his name, holding him. This time, he was the one who clung to her.

Shaken to her core, Morgan tried to absorb some of Jake’s pain. As she moved away and held his sad gaze, felt his anguish in every line of his face and in his eyes, she felt numbed. Jake had been married.
Oh, God, he’d had a son!
Morgan couldn’t wrap her head or emotions around his losing Joshua so soon. She didn’t know what she would have done if Emma had been torn out of her arms two weeks after she’d been born. How had Jake survived? He had been carrying the tragedy all those years since then.
Alone.

Looking deeply into his eyes, Morgan saw moisture in them. It was then that she understood so much more about Jake’s life. By marrying Amanda, Jake had been ready to take on family responsibility. He’d grown up. Morgan threaded her fingers through his short, dark hair in an effort to try to assuage the sadness she felt around Jake. The loss of a child was something no parent ever got over. She couldn’t find healing words enough to help him. All Morgan could do was lie in his arms, touch his face and watch as each small ministration took a little more of the grief out of his expression.

“I didn’t know, Jake,” she finally forced out. Pressing her brow against his cheek, she whispered brokenly, “I’m so sorry…so sorry for your loss…. I don’t know how you survived it….” And Morgan didn’t.

“Time helps,” Jake finally admitted, holding her tightly. Morgan made the world go away for him. Just her gentle touch, her woman’s strength she possessed, made the heartache recede a little more. “It’s been five years now. There have been days, Morgan, when it all comes back to me in spades. And on those days, I feel so damned torn up, like I’m in pieces and I’ll never find all of them ever again, put myself back together and mend.” Jake’s voice flattened. “When I see Afghan kids that are four years old, I sometimes see Joshua in them instead. I wonder what he’d look like now. Would he have that wildness in him like you see in the Afghan boys? What would be his interests?” Shutting his eyes, Jake felt Morgan’s arms tighten around his shoulders, her brow pressed silently against jaw. She was holding him, sponging away some of his grief.