She heard the sound of a zipper and opened her eyes to find him standing over her, his body naked at last, his gaze fixed on her face. Her vagina clenched—hard. She took in the sight of him from the muscles of his nearly hairless chest to his six-pack to his erect cock, its engorged head exposed and straining. And it didn’t matter that she’d already come twice—and come hard.
She wanted him again.
She was about to get onto her hands and knees and take him into her mouth. But he caught her legs with the crooks of his arms, pushing her knees back as his body came down on hers, his cock sliding into her until that engorged tip pressed against her cervix, his balls resting against her ass.
She tensed, afraid he would go so deep that it would hurt. But then he rocked forward, pushing her knees back to her shoulders until her bottom was lifted off the bed, the shift in position angling her hips to make more room for him inside her. And he held her there, strong arms pressed against the bed, his gaze locked with hers.
“Ooh!” It was all she could say, her nails digging into his biceps.
“
¡Ay Dios mio!
You feel
so
… damned … good.” His voice was strained, his muscles tense.
And then he was moving, slowly at first, his momentum building until he was pounding himself into her, burying his cock to the hilt again and again, stroking every inch of her vagina, the friction carrying her headlong into another climax.
A half smile curved his lips as she came, his male satisfaction at knowing he’d gotten her off again clear to see. Then his eyes drifted shut, and he let himself go, fucking her harder and faster, the muscles in his neck standing out, his body taut, sweat beading on his chest and forehead. She saw his jaw clench, breath hissing from between his teeth, his back arching, his body shuddering as orgasm carried him away.
He dragged her with him deeper into the bed and settled onto his back, pillowing her head on his chest, his breathing gradually slowing, his fingers trailing up and down her spine. His tenderness surprised her. But then he’d already been so much more than she’d expected—more skilled, more thrilling, more intense. The last time she’d met a man who’d blown her away like this was… never.
She reached for his free hand, laced her fingers through his, sorry the night was over. Any minute now, he’d get up, get dressed, thank her for the good time, and head back to his own room. That’s how it worked, how she preferred it.
Sex with no obligations.
“I’m not done with you,” he said in a deep, sleepy voice, repeating what she’d said to him maybe an hour ago.
She tried not to notice her own sense of relief. “I sure as hell hope not.”
And before she realized it, they were both asleep.
Knock knock knock.
“Room service.”
Javier was awake and on his feet, taking in the situation at a glance. Shoes and clothes scattered across the floor. The bed covers a tangled mess. Laura still half-asleep and confused. Both of them naked.
The knock came again.
He grabbed for his clothes as he moved toward the bathroom. “You’d best put something on,
bella
. You’ve got company.”
She muttered something under her breath in Swedish, hopping out of bed, her sexy ass catching his gaze as she ran to the closet and pulled out a blue silk bathrobe, slipping her arms into the sleeves and tying the belt around her waist. “Breakfast. I have a standing order for seven a.m. Damn!”
The strangeness of the situation made him grin, though he knew it shouldn’t. If he were discovered here…
“I’ll be in the bathroom.” He made sure he had everything—shoes, socks, jeans, T-shirt, wallet—then glanced around the room for any sign that might give him away.
Knock knock knock knock.
“Miss Nilsson?” It was a woman’s voice.
She spoke with an accent. Filipino?
“Just a moment, please!” Laura looked over at him, a hint of a smile on her panicked face, her fingers combing through the tangles in her hair. “I’m never undressed when they arrive.”
And then he saw it.
He pointed with a jerk of his head. “The condom wrapper.”
Laura glanced around, saw it lying on the floor near the wall not far inside the doorway, and picked it up. Looking confused about what to do with it, she opened the drawer of her bedside table and dropped it inside, glancing over at him as she hurried toward the door. “Go! Hide!”
But he had already ducked into the darkness of the bathroom. The tile floor cold against his feet, he listened as Laura opened the door and a hotel employee entered.
From covert ops in Afghanistan to an illicit hookup in Dubai.
What would JG and the guys think if they could see you now,
cabrón?
They’d probably laugh their asses off.
“I’m sorry, Nadira. I worked late last night and overslept.” Laura’s voice sounded calm and cool, giving nothing away. “Please set the tray down on the table.”
“Is there anything else I can get for you while I’m here, miss? Fresh towels for your morning bath?”
“No, thank you. As long as I have good strong coffee, I’ll be fine.”
“If you will sign for the meal, miss.”
Silence.
“Thank you, Nadira.”
“Thank you, miss. Have a good day.”
A moment later, the door closed.
“The coast is clear,” Laura called in a hushed voice.
He slipped into his jeans, zipped them, then stepped out of the bathroom, the scent of coffee luring him.
There on a large oval tray sat a plate with scrambled eggs, toast, and half a grapefruit. There was one cup, one set of silverware, one pot of coffee.
He picked up a piece of toast, took a bite. “This looks good, but what are you going to eat?”
CHAPTER FOUR
Javier prepared to return to his own room. Laura needed to get ready for a business meeting with her security team at nine and another with her bosses at the network at ten.
“What’s your room number? I’ll give you a buzz when I’m done.”
“You do that.” He gave her his room number, leaned down, and kissed her, some part of him reluctant to go.
He hit the gym, running a quick four miles on the treadmill and then doing his upper-body workout with free weights. His body felt great—strong, relaxed, in the zone.
That’s because you got laid last night,
chacho
.
Hell, yeah, he had.
Vitamin P—it does a body good.
That’s what Murphy, Delta Platoon’s sniper, always said.
When he finished with his third set, Javier returned to his room and took a long, cool shower, rinsing away the sweat. He could still smell Laura on his skin, her musky scent making him half-hard. He dried off, dressed, ordered breakfast from room service, then sat down to check his email. By the time he’d finished, it was almost eleven, and he was beginning to feel restless, cooped up.
Chill out, brother. She’ll call.
And if she didn’t?
If she didn’t, that was fine. They’d had a great time last night. Sure, he’d love to spend tonight in her bed. He was a straight, red-blooded male after all, and Laura was a whole lot more than he’d bargained for in the best possible way. But if she wasn’t up for another round, he’d find some other way to pass the time.
It was almost noon when his phone finally rang.
“Meet me out front.” It was Laura, her voice hushed. “We’ll catch a cab to a place where we can be seen together. And Javier?”
He shoved his wallet in his back jeans pocket, grabbed his cell phone and his room key card. “Yeah?”
“Hurry! It’s hot out here.”
He found her standing in the shade outside the main doors, and damned if she didn’t look cute. She was dressed in a hot pink V-neck T-shirt, a pair of designer jeans, and heels, a leather handbag on her shoulder, her long hair hanging down her back in pale blond waves. Somehow she managed to make even denim look classy.
She smiled at him from behind a pair of sunglasses, those dimples appearing in her cheeks. “Let’s go.”
He was struck by how young she looked, more like a college girl and less like an ass-kicking journalist. Then again, he had no idea how old she truly was. Watching her on TV, seeing her dressed in tailored pantsuits, he’d assumed she was in her thirties, but now he was almost afraid to guess.
A cab pulled up to the curb, and they climbed inside. She spoke in what sounded like Arabic to the driver, who grinned and shot out into traffic, his radio playing Top 40 hits from the ’80s.
Javier resisted the urge to reach for her, to touch her. “Do I get to know where we’re going, or is that a surprise?”
She smiled again. “You’ll see.”
They spent the next couple of hours at the Dubai Aquarium with its underwater tunnel. As amazing as the aquarium and underwater zoo were, Javier had spent his fair share of time diving, so the experience didn’t give him the thrill that it seemed to give Laura, who smiled and laughed as a shark swam back and forth above their heads. Still, he wasn’t about to complain. He had fun watching her have fun.
They grabbed a late lunch at a restaurant with a fancy Arabic name that served what Laura promised was the best Lebanese food in Dubai City, then went to a theater to catch
Iron Man
, sharing popcorn but unable even to hold hands. Still, Javier was aware of her beside him, a sensual tension stretching between them that fed his sexual need for her, his mind less on the film and more on what he wanted to do to her sweet body later.
Were hard-ons in the movie theater illegal, too?
If so, Javier would be facing twenty to life for sure.
By the time the film was over, the sun was about to set. They stopped for dinner at a café that was near a large artificial lake, Burj Khalifa rising into the sky across the water like some kind of vertical mirage, only parts of its highest reaches still unfinished. They talked about the film, which they’d both enjoyed.
“I just wish superheroes truly existed,” Laura said, finishing her salad. “Terrible things happen in this world, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone to stop them.”
Some of us try, bella.
He thought the words, but he didn’t say them. “Did you decide to come here yourself, or were you assigned to cover the war?”
“I had to fight like hell to get this assignment. They wanted to give it to a man because some people worried that audiences wouldn’t take war coverage seriously if it were delivered by a woman. They also thought I was too young.”
Javier saw his chance. “How old are you?”
“I’ll tell you, but only if you do the same.”
“Deal.”
“I’m twenty-eight.”
Twenty-eight.
Well, that wasn’t bad. He was only six years older than she was, not enough to land him in the dirty-old-man category. “I’m thirty-four.”
A smile lit up her beautiful face. “At last I know something about you.”
He leaned forward. “All you need to know about me,
bella
, is that I’m the man who’s going to make you scream.”
She leaned in until her face was a mere inch from his, a teasing look in her eyes, her calf caressing his lower leg. “Promises, promises.”
Then a murmur went up from the crowd.
Laura’s face lit up. “
This
is what I wanted us to see. I saw photos of it last week in the
Khaleej Times
.”
Javier looked over his shoulder and watched as the fountains in the lake came alive to the strains of what sounded like “Time to Say Goodbye,” dancing jets of water lit from below by colored lights to form swaying circles, serpentine lines, and graceful whirling columns. He’d never seen anything like it.
“‘
Con te partirò
.’ Andrea Bocelli.” Laura began to sing along softly in what sounded like Italian. Was there any language she didn’t speak? “Oh, it’s beautiful!”
“Yeah.” But Javier’s gaze was on Laura.
They took separate cabs back to the hotel, not wanting the staff there to see them together. By the time Laura got back to her room, she couldn’t wait to get her hands on Javier. Not being able to touch him all day had been strangely titillating, his body like forbidden territory, all that man and muscle beyond her reach.
But not for much longer.
She ordered a bowl of fruit, a cheese tray, and champagne, knowing they’d both be hungry later.
“I have to work late tonight,” she told the young woman who delivered it, adding a large tip to the bill and signing.
Did the girl suspect anything? It
was
a lot of food for one person. And who drank champagne alone?
But if she had any suspicions, the girl didn’t let them show, thanking Laura and disappearing down the hall with her cart.
Laura took a quick shower, brushed her teeth, and smoothed cream onto her skin, her blood already running hot with memories of last night. How Javier had ripped her panties off, lifted her up, and fucked her against the wall. How he’d carried her to the bed and made her come with his mouth. How he’d driven into her, hard and deep, making her come again. He’d been forceful, strong, matching her libido at every turn, and she wanted more. But what could she do to raise the stakes tonight?
She slipped into the white silk mini-chemise she’d picked up at the Dubai Mall a few days ago, then retouched her makeup.
Her phone buzzed.
It was Javier. “On my way up. Coast clear?”
“Yes.”
She turned down the lights in her room, opened the champagne, and poured a glass for them to share from the single flute the kitchen had provided. Then she stepped into the shadows and waited.
It didn’t take long.
She heard his key card slide into the lock, heard the door buzz open.
He entered, put out the Do Not Disturb sign, and locked the door behind him. Then he turned toward her. “I’ve wanted you all damned day. I… ”
She stepped out to where he could see her, his words trailing off as he looked her over, her pulse skipping at the naked hunger she saw in his eyes.