Soldier With Benefits (Military Men Book 2) (11 page)

Her soft gasp let him know he’d managed to rattle her. Suppressing his grin of victory, he stood, stretching out his hand to help her climb to her feet. He ran for the ball and lobbed it at the hoop before she could make a move.

“That’s cheating.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes,” she said firmly, her eyes narrowing at his smirk.

“Is it me or is it hot in here?” Without waiting for her answer, he whipped his tank top over his head and scooped up the ball to pass to her. He caught her eyeing his arse and wanted to cheer. Now all he had to do was sink the goals to win.

Mac tipped back her head, her tongue flickering out to moisten her lips. Louie almost groaned aloud, recalling only too well how her mouth felt cruising across his body, how it looked stretched around his cock with her tongue driving him crazy. Sweat stuck her T-shirt to her chest and back, highlighting her breasts and her slim, muscular strength. In the past, soft, curved women had captured his attention. Thinking back he didn’t know why. There was something very sexy about toned, strong muscles coupled with femininity, a soldier who knew how to protect herself. Louie knew Mac would threaten some men. Not him.

A feminine laugh pierced his thoughts seconds after she flitted past him and shot for goal. The ball hit the backboard and dropped through the net.

“Score! One more and you owe me a backrub.”

“Bragging isn’t an attractive quality.”

“Do tell,” she purred, closing one eye in a saucy wink as she passed the ball to him.

Louie dribbled the ball, feinting left. She read him easily, crowding him. Her scent and close proximity diverted his focus, and she stole the ball, darting from him and sinking the goal before he could blink.

“And she scores again,” she gloated, holding her hands above her head and rocking her hips in a sassy dance of victory. Her breasts rose and fell rapidly, each breath still pounding through her with the exertion.

He loved seeing her carefree and happy like this, her lithe body restless and full of energy. It made him think of Fiji. It made him think of sex. Louie cursed under his breath. Doomed. He was fuckin’ doomed and it was about time he admitted this truth.

“You owe me a backrub.” Her eyes sparkled with pleasure at the win, a big improvement on when he’d seen her earlier.

“Claim it whenever you want.” As far as he could see, there were no losers in this competition. He got to touch her silky skin. A grin crawled across his face, and he’d take a bet on it appearing predatory. He thought he might add a few conditions of his own. This backrub would be a naked one because he believed in doing a job right. Hell, he’d make it an all-over body rub if she wanted. If she’d let him. “Ready to hit the showers?”

“Good idea. I could do with some food.” She checked her watch. “We’d better hurry or we’ll miss out.”

They collected their gear and went to take a shower. For once there was no one else present. Louie thought about locking the door or bracing it with a chair to keep everyone out. Tempting, but he knew it could raise questions. It was bad enough having Simon pass judgment. Louie reined in his lust and told himself he only had to last through dinner then he could head to their room. As soon as Mac joined him there, the games could begin. His cock stirred at the thought, and he didn’t even try to hide his erection from her when he stripped off in the shower.

She glanced at his chest, her eyes lingering on his tattoos before her gaze darted downward. His cock lengthened under her stare, and he had to fight to maintain control, to keep the groan building in his throat locked down tight.

“What are you going to do with that?” she asked.

His abrupt laugh echoed in the shower block, and he flicked on a tap, stepping under the lukewarm water. “I know what I’d like to do with it.”

She glanced at the door and, grinning playfully, stepped under the same showerhead as him, jostling their bodies together. Louie didn’t think. He reached for her, sliding his hands over her water-slicked back and coming to rest on her tightly muscled arse. He dipped his head and licked across the full curve of one breast.

“Louie.” Shivering, she pressed closer, trapping his erection between their bodies.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he whispered, raising his head to nibble at the column of her throat.

“I know. “ She grasped his shoulders and leaned up to kiss him, nipping sharply at his bottom lip. He jerked at both the bite of pain and the jolt of lust that speared to his groin. “Maybe if we make it quick,” she suggested, licking her lip and sending another look at the closed door.

“It’s dangerous.”

“Life’s dangerous,” she countered, her smile slipping to reveal a vulnerability that tore at him. Hell, he knew that more than anyone. Either of them could die at any moment. No guarantees in this war.

Bending his head, he sucked a nipple into his mouth, silently signaling his surrender. If she wanted to take the risk, then so did he. She moaned quietly, tipping her head to the side, her eyes fluttering closed.

“As much as I like that, this needs to be a quickie,” she said. “I’m ready. You won’t hurt me.”

Louie liked foreplay and exploring a woman’s body as much as the next man, any sensible man, but the idea of taking appealed to him right now. His dick ached, hard enough to hammer nails already. Danger did it for him, the adrenaline rush. He reached between her legs, wanting to groan at the welcoming sweetness, so hot her juices singed his fingers. With easy strength, he lifted her. She parted her legs and he guided his cock to her entrance. She sank down, impaling herself on his shaft.

The look on her face about killed him, the open pleasure and enjoyment, her soft sigh. His legs trembled as she gripped his shoulders and used her strength to move, the water still spraying over them. She set a steady pace, the risk of discovery aiding their speed. Her silken sheath clutched his cock, the snug fit sending an orgasmic buzz speeding through his veins.

He clutched her hips and slammed into her, their mouths meeting in an urgent, hot and wet kiss.

“Louie,” she muttered, her pussy pulsing around his cock. She gasped, her eyes screwed shut, her face painted with pleasure. Hungry noises of desire escaped her parted lips, encouraging him to come.

That was all it took. The tight grasp of her body, a whisper of pleasure, and he felt the rush of semen up his cock. He exploded inside her, the rhythmic spurts just about turning him inside out. He was surprised his legs continued to hold them both upright because they felt as steady as a newborn colt’s.

Aware anyone could catch them in the act at any time, Louie lifted her free of his spent cock and let her slide down his body to gain her footing. Gripping his shoulders, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him, the gentle suction of her mouth bringing renewed life to his dick. Damn, all she needed to do was touch him and he was toast.

Laughing softly, she flicked the head of his cock hard enough to make him wince. “One-track mind.”

“Your fault,” he said.

Mac turned away to grab her soap and turned the adjacent shower on, soaping her chest.

The shower door flew open, and Louie’s blooming erection wilted a fraction. Damn, that had been close. He ducked his head under the spray of the shower, unable to look at Mac, but he angled his body slightly to block Simon’s view.

“You’re going to miss dinner if you don’t hurry,” Simon said.

“Won’t be long,” Mac called. “We played basketball and lost track of the time. I beat him,” she added with a trace of smugness.

“Damn, woman,” Louie said, suppressing a grin. “We’ll be five minutes tops.”

Although Simon’s face bore suspicion, he didn’t say anything. “I’ll grab you some food if they start packing up before you get to the mess room.”

“Thanks,” Mac called, and started briskly shampooing her hair.

“Can I use your soap?”

“Don’t you mind smelling like flowers?” Mac asked.

“Quit teasing. Your soap doesn’t smell girlie and you know it.”

Grinning, she handed over her soap, and he washed his body.

It was ten minutes later when they made it to the mess. The food was still available and they grabbed plates.

Their arrival in the mess room was a dose of reality for Louie. He had to talk to Mac about the assignment with Carolina Eastern and he hoped Mac would tell him about her father. He deserved answers after the phone call.

“I’m starving.” Mac smirked at him, sweeping a lock of wet hair from her face. “I guess beating a guy at basketball will do that.”

Louie growled, baring his teeth. “We could always go double or nothing.”

She paused, appearing to consider the idea before nodding. “Yeah, we could do that.” She leaned forward to whisper. “A girl can never have too many backrubs.”

Her skin looked flushed and dewy after her shower and all he could think of was crushing her mouth under his. Hell, make that her entire body while he shafted her deep. Yeah, sounded like a plan. He shifted on his chair, ignoring the signals of approval from his body to shovel in a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

“The assignment for tomorrow going ahead?” Simon asked.

Louie looked up to meet his steely gaze and swallowed his potatoes. “Yeah. We might have another assignment—a special one. I need to talk to Mac about it because she’d take a major part of the security responsibility if we go ahead.”

“Eastern,” Simon growled.

“Let us eat our meal without danger of indigestion,” Louie said, in a bad attempt to change the subject. He hated the idea of this assignment. His gut didn’t like it because Mac would be on her own. That wasn’t good, no matter which way he looked at it.

Chapter Seven

“Carolina Eastern wants me to escort her into the homes of local women and protect her while she’s interviewing them?”

“Yes,” Louie said. “She is willing to pay extra and since you’ll be the one on the line, the boss said they’d pass that on to you. It’s entirely up to you whether we go ahead or not.”

“But anyone could be inside the house. We could both be shot before anyone could back me up,” Mac said.

Louie nodded, knowing it was the truth.

“How much extra money is she offering?”

“Five thousand for each interview she conducts.”

Mac frowned at him. “That’s a lot of money.”

“Yes, it is, but the money won’t do you any good if you’re dead.”

“I know that. I’m not stupid.”

“I never said you were.” Louie tried to ignore the hurt inside, knowing it wasn’t personal. “Maybe you should tell me about your father.”

“He has Alzheimer’s. I told you that.”

“Is he the reason you’re here in Iraq?”

Mac sighed and all the fight went out of her. “I love him so much. After my mother left us, he was father and mother to me. My mother died a few years later. He kept me with him as much as he could and arranged a friend’s wife to look after me when he had to go away on missions. It’s killing me to see him the way he is now when he always used to be so strong and robust.”

“Mac, you should have said something.”

“Why? You can’t do anything. Nothing will make him better.”

“I know that, but I could have listened if you wanted to talk. What happened? Why did I have to give him orders?”

“He’s fixated on the new people who have moved in down the road from the nursing home. He thinks they’re conducting an illegal operation.”

“And are they?”

“Of course not. The director of the rest home assures me they’re grape growers and starting to make their own wine. There’s nothing sinister about that.”

No, there wasn’t. Louie felt Mac’s frustration. It was easy to see the way her father’s health and her job tore at her.

“I didn’t have the money to keep him in the home, not if I stayed with the army. That’s why I made the decision to go into private security work. If I can stay alive it’s a way to make quick money.”

“That’s what most of us are here for,” Louie agreed.

“Do you know the areas Carolina Eastern intends to go to and the women she wants to visit?”

“No full particulars yet.”

Mac turned away from him, striding across the bedroom floor before spinning back to face him. “Get a list from her, more details and I’ll go from there. I have to admit the money is a good incentive.”

Louie wanted to protest. He wanted to grab Mac and take her far away from this war. He did neither. Mac was right. It made sense to check out the offer fully before turning it down even if the thought of something happening to her about killed him. “I’ll do that. Fancy some poker with the rest of the boys?”

“Yeah. Good idea. I’m too antsy to sleep.”

* * * * *

“I’ll do it,” Mac said the next morning after Louie had gone through the details of the proposed sorties Carolina Eastern had sent over.

“It’s dangerous.”

It was easy to see Louie didn’t want her to go ahead with the new assignment. She wasn’t exactly thrilled either, knowing all the things that could go wrong, but the money was too good to turn down. If she could make it through this, her finances would be in good shape for a while. “Yeah, I know.”

“What happens if you die? What will happen to your father?”

Shock made her gasp before anger took over. “That’s low, Louie.”

“Someone has to make you see sense.” The expression on his face said he wasn’t sorry and would do it again if that’s what it took to persuade her to reject the assignment. He cared about her, and that tamped her fury down a notch. No one had cared before, apart from her father.

Mac swallowed her fury and glared at him. “If I die the insurance will cover my father for as long as he needs it, but you can bet I’ll be trying to stay alive.”

Louie shrugged. “Shit happens. Do you have other family to take care of your father?”

“A few cousins.” No one close and it worried her. “Look, Louie. You’re not going to change my mind. Under the circumstances, I can’t afford to turn down the extra money. Why don’t we arrange a meeting with Carolina Eastern and try to eliminate as many of the dangers as we can. None of you can come into the buildings with me, but we can still watch the outside. I’ll have radio contact. If it all goes south, you can bet I’ll let you know.”