Heroes In Uniform (26 page)

Nicola sat up, pushing the covers off of them, and Cash looked ready to kill his boss. She could only imagine the things Cash would say once the two men were alone.

Cash-the-sniper, not the man from the bathroom, lumbered out of her bed, grabbed his gym shorts, and stepped into them, cursing Jared with every passing step.

He opened the door and leaned his elbow above his head on the door jamb, blocking any view inside the room. Good, it gave her a chance to watch without Jared seeing her wrapped in the comforter. It also gave her one hell of a view of Cash. Those gym shorts might as well have been made for his body.

“Better be good, boss man.”

“I thought you two were old history.” She could hear everything Jared said, and maybe that was Jared’s point.

“What do you want?”

“Hey, princess, I thought we talked about keeping it in your pants.”

“Watch yourself, Jared,” a woman’s voice warned from the hallway. Mia Winters. It had to be. No other woman was around, at least that she knew about. From what she’d heard, Mia was one hell of a firecracker. Maybe Nicola could hang with her some this weekend.

“Hey, Mia,” Cash said. “Still wandering the halls?”

Jared ignored Cash, responding to Mia. “Just ’cause you’re all cute and pregnant doesn’t mean you get to talk to me like that.”

“My house, my rules, big boy. Play by them or go home.”

Jared spoke back to Cash. “I need high explosive, incendiary tipped, green tracer .50 caliber ammunition by oh eight hundred. I’ve got nothing armor piercing. Can you and Miss Betty hook me up?”

“Nothing at home. You ask Roman?”

“He’s got nothing incendiary. You two are worthless.”

“Brock normally keeps a stash of—”

“We’re all dry. Fuck special requests from governmental bureaucrats. They want to start picking the color of tracers? They’ve played too many games of Call of Duty.”

“Sorry, man. Don’t know what to tell you.”

“Find a shirt. You and Roman have to head over to HQ. Check everywhere, I need that ammo.”

Hard pause. Nicola almost felt his jaw drop to his bare feet. “What?”

“Not kidding. Get your ass dressed, Cash, and get to work.”

“Fuck you.”

“More like fuck no one tonight, buddy.”

Jared would pay for this stunt. Jerk. She’d have his ass if Cash didn’t.

Cash didn’t move from the door. “You can’t be serious.”

“Never more,” he said with a grumpy laugh.

“Fine, and a big fuck you.”

“Like I said—”

Cash slammed the door. Nicola sat up in the middle of bed.

He turned. Brooding. Intense.

They stayed silent, looking at one another. The tension hadn’t slipped out when he’d opened the door. The air was just as charged as before the shower.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Was the room too warm? It felt too warm and too small with too many pillows. Just the two of them in a tiny room with a ginormous bed. She tried to catch her breath.

Cash’s jaw flexed. The blue in his eyes sparkled. Every tight muscle looked ready to pounce.

Nicola shifted under the covers. The fabric swished. The pulse in her neck thumped faster and again faster, and she hoped he’d ignore any protest. “But—”

“Do you really think I care?”

Nope
. Didn’t look like he cared about anything outside of the bedroom. She shook her head slowly, her stomach launching into her throat. Potent sparks zinged around the room. Cash was coming toward her to take her right here and now, and nothing short of her saying no would stop him.

Holding her tightly with a virile gaze, he stalked forward. Then took another step. The heavy weight of anticipation wrapped its fists around her chest, squeezing. Her breaths compressed. Her mouth watered, but she didn’t move. She couldn’t.

Excitement warmed between her legs. Cash approached as if on a mission to devour and destroy his target. And then he was bedside, broadside, leaning over her, caging her against a wall of pillows with just his arms.

“But?” He took a deep breath and let it out against her skin. “You don’t want me to stay?”

No way would she speak. No way could she try. Her body had abdicated control to him in the shower, and her mind was one sensual touch away from waving a white flag. He knew it too. His eyes danced, knowing that she was only his.

Cash nudged her hair away from her ear and whispered, “’Cause I can leave if that’s what you want, babe.”

“Don’t.” Yeah, her voice quivered and trembled with the acoustic equivalent of her stomach’s reaction to his whisper.

His lips skimmed across her cheek, hovering over hers. His breath tickled. Fire exploded under their lazy, brushed kiss. “Say that again. Not sure I heard you.”

Her head dropped back. Sensations tingled in her cheeks and slalomed down her back. Slow, heavy breaths purred out, the warmth crashing against his very close face. “Don’t you dare leave this room.”

His body eased onto the bed, forearms above her head. Pinned in place, Nicola lifted her chin and closed the distance. His mouth took hers. His temples slid to her cheek, and he pulled her into his kiss. He groaned, and deep within her belly, Nicola needed him all the more.

The covers shifted, and he lost the shorts, sharing with her the bulge that fabric hadn’t hidden. Heavy and hard and hungry. Cash swaddled the covers around them, drowning her in a fury of deep kisses. Her legs shifted, and his body fell into place. The silky smooth glide of his shaft rolled between the vee of her legs.

The taste of mint remained in his mouth. She probed with her tongue, needing and searching for more of him. Pangs of desire flushed through her. He cupped her body to him, tenderly caressing her breasts, thumbing her nipples. With each delicious flick of pressure, she readied for him. Silky moisture dampened her sex.

Her hips reached for more contact. Her pussy ached, rocking against his bare shaft. The build-up was too much. When it seemed like her desire couldn’t jump any higher, his talented fingers slid between them, over her mound, and into her juices. He danced over her nerve endings, driving her to the edge of sexual insanity.

Sweet Cash.
“I need you,” she said on a gasp. “I don’t want to wait any longer. It’s been too long.”

She felt his torturing hand fall back and position his erection against her, stealing her breath. She wanted to beg and fought to move, but in that moment, she could only stare at his perfect face.

“Nicola.” He breathed out her name, eyes closed, body pressed against her wetness. The blunt head of his erection tested entry. She was ready for him, wanted him more than she could understand. He whispered, “I missed you.”

And I love you.

Her mouth shut to make sure she didn’t say that aloud. He didn’t jump away, so
love
was only in her brain. His hips rolled forward, inching into her. Her opening parted for him, muscles melting away at his command, starting the luminous ecstasy that only he could create.

Love.
Love and sex were confusing. Love and sex were often mixed up. Cash withdrew his shaft from her, and her mouth hung open. Gasping for breath, she prayed for his return. Her hips flexed. The need for him to fill her again overwhelmed her. He did. Again and again.

He thrust and kissed, and everything became clear. She loved him. Always had and never stopped.

Her fingers laced into his hair, and she smiled from the inside out. Her legs wrapped around his waist. He moaned into the curve of her neck, biting and kissing. His blond stubble scratched and marked her. A tornado of nerve endings twisted alive from her flesh to her core, starting the unmistakable build she craved.

Nicola mouthed his name. She thrashed for more, needing his strength and power to push her to climatic heaven. She felt the rhythm of their perfect dance. Sapphire blue eyes locked onto hers, Cash took her hands in his, threading their fingers together.

They drove in sync and on fire, deeper and farther than Nicola remembered possible. Her building ripple of muscles tightened around his erection. She cried out, he pulled away from her, and she fought it, needing him.
I won’t ever leave again.
And she held on tightly, pushing into him. Her orgasm exploded. Her body vibrated, every muscle taking its turn, clenching and releasing around him.

He came with her, in her, reviving her climax.

One breath, and then a longer one. Her eyes opened in lazy satisfaction.

Panic.

She saw wide-eyed, mouth-open panic. He’d turned to stone, unmoving, breath held. The color shattered from his beautiful face.

“Cash?”

“Oh God.”

“Wh—”

“I wasn’t thinking. Then I couldn’t—”

What?

Oh.
She hadn’t been thinking either.

Nicola framed her hands around his cheeks, still catching her breath. “We’re fine.” She’d never heard him like that before. He was terror-stricken. “You’re okay. Birth control. We’re okay, Cash.”

He didn’t move, frozen, cemented, stuck in time.

Oh no.

Her stomach dropped. “Are you okay-okay?”

“Yeah. Yes. Of course.” Well, that snapped him to attention. He sucked down a gasp, then a calmer breath. “So we’re okay.”

She smiled, nodding, and he moved. A sensitive flash of nerves reminded her that she was more than okay. Cash’s forehead dipped down, touching hers. He relaxed and, finally, a deep breath fell from his lips.

Cash rolled to her side. Strong arms gathered her up, her back to his chest, and held her close to him. A powerful leg locked over her thigh. He tugged the blankets around them and smoothed her hair.

“I’m sorry, Nic.” His voice was heavy and low. He twisted a strand of her hair around his finger.

“Why?”

“You deserve romance and flowers and stuff, and all you got was Jared hitting the fast forward button and me freaking out.”

She stared at the mocha-colored wall, feeling Cash stroke her hair. “That was both of our faults. But it isn’t a problem. Right? So we move on.”

“I should’ve—”

“Stop.” She turned to him. “We’re not that couple on a first date. We’re not playing by the normal rule book.”

He smiled. “Very logical, Nic.”

She gave him an I’m-super-clever grin and laughed. “Nope. Just observant. I observe. I conclude. I react. You might say it’s my specialty.”

They laughed together, and she turned back to the wall, snuggling into his hold once again. He kissed the back of her shoulder. “Smartass.”

“I thought it was sweet girl.” She looked over her shoulder with a smile and wrinkle of her nose.

He kissed her softly. “Smartass. Sweet girl. Perfect woman. Whatever works—”

Knock, knock, knock.

Go away, Jared.

“Nicola, don’t make me ask if Cash is in there.” The muffled voice bled through the door.

Nope, not Jared. Go away, Roman.

Cash kissed her again. “I think that’s my cue. I’m sorry, Nic.”

She shrugged a naked shoulder. “It’s part of the job. I’ll see you tomorrow sometime. Morning meeting, I guess?”

He shook his head. “My morning would be a hell of a lot better if I woke up next to you.”

Bam. Bam. Bam.

Go away!

“But I gotta run. Go to sleep. Soon as I’m done, I’m crawling back into this bed.”

“I sleep with a gun under my pillow. That might be a bad idea.”

“So look before you shoot.”

“All right.” She laughed, snuggling down in the covers. “I’ll look first.”

He snagged his shirt and shorts off the ground, threw them on, and loomed over her in bed. “Night, Nicola Garrison. Sweet dreams.”

Garrison’s Creed
: Chapter Fourteen

Nicola woke up to the scent of her shampoo and the heavy weight of solid muscle draped over her.
Cash.
A warm rush swirled in her stomach, and a blush heated her cheeks. He'd sneaked back into bed during the night without waking her. Then again, he was a sniper: an undetectable liquid shadow.

“Morning, Nic.” Arms that had caged her to the bed last night pulled her against his warm chest. This was a deep-sigh kind of nice.

“Morn—” The alarm clock read thirty-three minutes after it should have gone off. Had she set it? Shit. “Oh my God, I’m late. We’re late. We have to—”

“We don’t have to meet for another half hour or so.”

Nicola sprang up and out of bed, tearing through her overnight bag. “I have to get ready.”

“Throw on some clothes.”

“I can’t just throw on clothes. I have to get ready. It’s a chick thing.”

“It’s just a bunch of dudes. No one to impress.”

She smirked at him. Grabbing a brush, she combed her ragamuffin bed-head into a bun.

“Cash?”

He relaxed against the headboard, and his eyes twinkled as he enjoyed the show.

She moved around like a woman on speed, desperate for her missing makeup bag. “What are you looking at?”

She was still naked. Running around, naked and crazed.
Clothes. Must find clothes.

His smile said it all. He didn’t have to open his mouth. “Just watching. Better than a cup of coffee.”

“Get up. Get dressed. We’re late.” She tugged on fresh panties and a matching bra. They were a little flashy. Maybe subconsciously, when she’d packed them, she’d hoped to wear them for him. Well, he saw her now and looked thrilled. “Cash! Come on.”

“All right, all right. I’m up.”

He stood up, just as naked as she’d been. And he
was
up. Oh, Lord. Her stomach dropped to the floor. Every womanly part of her body screamed for her to hold him. Whoa, that was a hell of a reaction.

“Nic, you’re staring. Not complaining, but you should know I’m down with going back to bed and earning a slap on the wrist for rolling in late.” He winked at her, and her stomach jumped, only to fall back down.

No. Concentrate.
For all intents and purposes, this was her first day at a new job. Even though the CIA still owned her, she was on loan. New co-workers. New people to size up and make an impression on. Rolling in late, when everyone surely knew her history with Cash, would be catastrophic.

“Put your clothes on. I can’t be late.”