Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Rescuing Pandora (Kindle Worlds Novella) (5 page)

C
am had
his truck packed and ready to go at six forty-five. He felt like a high school kid on his first date with the cheerleader of his dreams. He paced for about five minutes and then had a talk with himself and sat his ass down to wait patiently. Something had changed between himself and Pan this afternoon, and while he wasn’t sure what switched, he was damned happy to see the spark.

His wife had been acting like a polite neighbor and he’d been doing his damnedest to pierce the shield she’d erected around herself. But he’d been patient as well; the wait had caused some sleepless nights and more cold showers than he cared to admit, but she was worth every moment. And today, for the first time, there’d been something more than sadness in her eyes. She’d actually looked at him like a man. Not as someone from her past, or a neighbor, but as a full blooded woman looking at an extremely thankful man.

And when she’d wiggled that curvy little ass at him, he’d almost charged. The urge to drag her into the barn, throw her down in the hay, and make love to her until neither one of them could walk rode him hard. But he wasn’t about to rush her. This was about the long game, not a quick tumble.

It didn’t matter that they were legally married. They were strangers with a past, and he was courting her, letting her get to know him again. Getting to know her inside and out—and every facet of her now was even more fascinating to him than when they’d dated so long ago.

A twig snapped and he turned toward the sound. And she was there, walking toward him in a peach floral summer dress that flirted around her knees. She had on some sort of sandals with a heel that made her legs seem even longer, and red toenails peeked at him. Her hair hung long and straight, swinging with every step.

“Hello, gorgeous.”

“Hey, back at ya, handsome.”

The once-over she gave his boots, jeans, and white cotton T-shirt, made his body stand up and take notice. He moved to the passenger door of his new Ford F-250 truck and held it open for her. “Your chariot awaits.”

“I haven’t been to the falls since I was a kid. How did you find the place?”

Getting in, he fired up the engine and took off. “I asked your father if he knew of any romantic spots to have a picnic.”

Pandora smiled. “Mom used to talk about their dates there. Apparently, it was quite the make-out spot.”

“It’s the middle of the week, so I’m hoping we have the place to ourselves.”

Turning on some music, Cam drove and listened to Pan humming along with the tunes. Neither one of them knew any of the current music, since Iraq was about twenty years behind the times as far as pop culture. Most of the kids thought it was still the eighties as far as fashion went there. Those that lived in the bigger cities, anyway.

Cam found the turnoff and ten minutes later they were at an open clearing. The grass was flattened and most of it was dirt, evidence of how often vehicles came and went. But he was happy to see that they were the only people out tonight.

“Looks like we’re alone,” she said in the quiet.

“That’s how I like it. Let’s explore.” He got out, went to her side, and opened the door. Then he retrieved the basket he’d packed and a big quilt he’d found in the old house. Taking her hand, he led the way down a well-worn path that sloped gently. He could hear water gurgling as well as a rushing sound. The whole place was surrounded by enormous trees. Too many varieties to count, but when they reached the falls, the whole place opened up to a small lake ringed by white bluffs.

“Wow, this is prettier than I remembered,” she said.

But he was watching her. It wouldn’t have mattered if the place was a mud hole, as long as she was with him. When she turned back to him with a big smile, his heart stuttered and then thudded against his chest. “Just beautiful.”

Her smile widened and a pink tinge lit her cheeks. Glancing down to the basket, she asked, “What’s for dinner?”

“Oven roasted chicken salad sandwiches, fresh fruit, exotic cheese, and pecan pie,” Cam replied, setting down the basket and laying out the quilt. He’d led them to a flat spot about thirty feet from the falls, and a light mist filled the air from the impact of the water. It was cooler by the water, not that it was an overly warm night.

“That sounds really good. I haven’t had pecan pie in years.”

“Well, I can cook the hell out of some MREs, but I left this dinner up to the experts.”

The grin that broke out on Pan’s face was priceless. “You went to Luann’s Diner, didn’t you?”

“You know it. I’ve been sneaking off to have dinner there a couple times a week,” he laughed. “That woman makes the best pie I have ever tasted and I paid extra for her to pack the basket.”

“Where on earth are you getting all this money?”

Cam shrugged and battled the darkness that was always just at the edge. “Where was I going to spend any of my earnings? I stayed for five years, earning some crazy hazard pay with the Agency. I had pay from the Army as well. I just threw it into the bank and let it earn interest. I didn’t even know or care how much was in there until I found out you were alive.”

Pandora stepped in and hugged him tight. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

Cam squeezed her back, loving the feel of her body pressed to his. “It’s a part of us, honey. And it never goes away, but it’s getting easier to talk about. At least some of it is.” Kissing the tip of her upturned nose, he said, “But I don’t need to run out and get a job, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I was just thinking that I needed to look for some work.”

“Why don’t we worry about eating dinner and enjoying the night before we worry about the future?”

“That sounds great,” she said. Letting go of him, she sat down on the quilt and started opening up the basket. “Let’s see if Luann’s pie is still as good as I remember.”

P
andora patted
her full stomach as twilight descended. She settled back on the quilt, looking up into the big Texas sky, loving everything about the evening and the company. “I missed this. All the green, and the sound of the birds and frogs singing to each other.”

“I missed all the water. That sand over there embeds itself into every pore.” Cam said. Then he grinned from ear to ear and gave her a slow wink. “In fact, I missed the water so much, I think some swimming is in order.”

Pandora propped herself up on her elbows, just in time to have Cam’s shirt land on her face. The cool scent of his aftershave mixed with him covered her senses. And when she pulled the shirt off her face, his pants and boots were off. Damn he was quick.

“What if someone comes?” She looked around in alarm, half expecting a family, or a nun, or someone, to come walking out of the woods. But they hadn’t seen anyone for hours while they’d feasted and talked.

“Then they’ll catch a show,” he said, as he winked over his shoulder. All he had on were a pair of boxer briefs that were so white, it was blinding against his tanned skin.

His gorgeous, rock hard, tanned skin.

She hadn’t even thought about getting into the water and she was wet. Pandora wanted him. Tonight was the night that she’d decided to take back her husband, but now that he was almost naked, she felt a little shy. But, oh so aroused. Letting out a little whistle, she said, “Take it all off.”

That got a wide smile out of the stunning man looking at her like she was some kind of lake siren. “I will if you will.”

With one last look around, Pandora slipped her sandals off and stood up. She’d spent the afternoon shopping, shaving, and agonizing over what to wear. And now she was going to bare her body to the man she loved. Her scarred body.

“I’m not pretty like I used to be.”

He snorted and dropped his undies, standing in front of her fully nude for one glorious moment before he dove into the water. Before he had time to surface, Pandora pulled the summer dress over her head, shucked her panties and dove in just as he came up for air. And she knew he stayed down long enough to give her a moment.

The water wasn’t freezing, but it was cold enough to take her breath away for a moment. And when she felt his hands on her waist, pulling her closer, she went willingly. His body was so warm and the skin to skin contact made goosebumps rise up over her skin.

“Hi,” she said and grinned, as her breasts flattened against his hard chest.

“I’ve missed you,” he replied.

She opened her mouth to say something else, but Cam had had enough of talking. Her man of action was done being patient. And if she were honest with herself, she needed him to take charge and make this happen. He kissed her with everything inside of him. His tongue dueled with hers, pulling a moan from the depths.

As if they had a mind of their own, her legs wrapped around his waist and cuddled his erection. “I can’t believe we’re skinny dipping like a couple of teenagers,” she laughed when she got a breath.

Cam wriggled his eyebrows at her and nipped her jaw before moving to her earlobe. “This was definitely on my bucket list.”

She tried to think of something witty to say back, but he’d lifted her up and out of the water enough that her breasts were at mouth level. And then she couldn’t talk at all. Cam had her right breast in his mouth, suckling and using his tongue to drive her mad. Then he did the same thing to her other breast. Her nipples were so tight they ached and she could have stayed there all night, held up with his incredible strength, letting him love her body.

“Lay back,” he whispered. “Keep your legs wrapped around me, but lay back so I can see you.”

She paused. “I have scars. From the explosion.” She hated that her voice was shy, because she’d never been shy with him before, but that seemed like a lifetime ago.

“Good,” he said. “I was afraid I was the only one all mangled up.”

She touched the healed scar at his shoulder, knowing there were more all over his body, and she planned to kiss every single one. This was the one she could reach, so she kissed and licked the rough, raised edges of the spider-webbed wound. “Your scars are sexy.”

“You are sexy, no matter how many scars you’re worried about.”

His husky voice and the fiery look in his eyes finally convinced her. A quick kiss and she lay back in the water, feeling wanton and wild. The waves they created lapped at her body and muffled her hearing as she floated. Strong hands touched her, from the curve of her waist, over her flat stomach—she felt them pause at the scars on her left hip that curved around to her butt cheek.

“It looks like some kind of shark bite,” she said, refusing to meet his gaze. Instead, she stared up into the sky where the stars had come out.

Cam used the water and his hips to thrust forward, rubbing himself up and down her slit. “Does it feel like it bothers me?”

It had been so long since she’d been touched like this. She almost came, just from Cam’s body rubbing against her wet opening and her clit. Electric current arched her back and pushed her body closer, her hips beginning their own rhythm. “Touch me, Cam.”

Calloused fingers moved over her ribs and cupped her breasts, kneading the rounded flesh, plucking at her pebbled nipples, making the ache so much sweeter. “God, I love it when you make that noise.”

She wasn’t even aware that she was making a noise. He pulled her back up, her hair flinging water all over them both, and kissed her with the passion that she remembered, but also with something more. That agony of loss was there, in his kiss.

“I have to tell you something,” she whispered.

“If you tell me one more thing about your beautiful scars—”

She placed her finger against his lips, and laughed. “Okay. But it’s not about my scars.” She paused and took a deep breath, feeling so safe and protected here in the water with his arms around her. Unhooking her ankles, she stood in his arms and looked deep into those smoke gray eyes. “I want you to know that you’re still the only man I’ve ever slept with.”

Emotions danced across his face and finally confusion won out. “But, Mohammed?”

“Was injured long before he met me, during his time in the Iraqi Army.” She shook her head. “Impotence was the worst part of his injury, and a limp that he worked hard to hide was the least of it. He loved me, but he respected the fact that we saved him from shame in front of his countrymen even more. He never touched me, not like that.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered to me, Pan. Either way. I love you and I’m never letting you out of my sight again.” Picking her up in his arms, he carried her out of the water and laid her down on the quilt. “I hope you understand what that means.”

“I feel the same way. I don’t ever want to go through something like that again. It’s why I’ve been so afraid to just let go and be with you. I got you back for less than a day, and you were gone again. Three months, Cam. For three months, I didn’t know if you’d died for real or not.”

Kissing her long and hard, he pulled back, “I promise that we will grow old together and die on the same day.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.” Reaching up, she slid her hands into his hair and tugged. When his head was close, she nipped his lips and then kissed his jaw before whispering, “Now, if you don’t get inside of me, I’m going to lose my mind.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

C
am covered
her body with his, letting his lips take control again. Her hands roamed his muscled back and down to the most perfect ass she’d ever seen on a man. Scraping her nails against his skin, he arched and hissed through his teeth.

“I want you, now,” she whispered. Her body was on fire.

“Not yet, sugar.”

Then he proceeded to turn her body into one big screaming nerve ending. He kissed, licked and sucked his way from her lips, paying close attention to her straining breasts. Sucking hard, his tongue flicked over her nipple until he bit gently. Letting go with a pop, he moved to the other one, giving it the same attention. Her nipple jutted up into the cool air, hard and painfully erect.

“I think you might actually kill me with pleasure.”

He chuckled, “What a way to go.”

Each rib was kissed, as if he were cataloguing her body as he went, making sure everything was where he left it. Laying his cheek against her stomach, he rubbed back and forth, the small friction of his five o’clock shadow added a delicious little burn. It was a tender move and yet still arousing. And then his tongue dipped down into her belly button.

She giggled. “Cam!”

“Shush, you’ll wake the squirrels,” he growled, as he moved to her scars. “Do you know how lovely you are? I’ve been a walking hard-on for weeks now, and that was with your clothes on.”

“I was an idiot. We could have been doing this the whole time.”

His kissed the line of her scar before moving further down.

Her legs spread as if programmed and she knew what magic was in store. Her fingers buried themselves in his thick hair as he teased her, nipping her inner thighs, ever closer to where she needed him most. He drove her insane. And when his tongue touched her clit, she moaned long and loud.

“Oh, God, yesssss.”

“Fuck, you make me hard,” he said.

Using his tongue, he licked her up and down and her hips were moving, meeting his mouth as her back arched and she made noises she couldn’t even control. The things he did to her. And when he slid his finger into her wet depths, she lost it. Shuddering, her brain exploded into a kaleidoscope of color as her body took over. The orgasm crashed through her, washing over her like the waves of the lake.

“I love watching you come for me.”

She loved his satisfied grin, but now that she’d had a little fun, she wanted to explore him. “My turn,” she said.

C
am lay on his back
, perfectly content to let her take over. His control was good, having gone too long without any kind of release. He could afford to let her have some power over him. But not too long. Being inside of his wife when he let go was what he wanted.

“My turn for some torture, huh?”

“Damn, skippy,” she said as she eyed him. Just her bright eyes looking him up and down like he was the best piece of steak she’d ever seen was a turn on. ‘Course, she could’ve been blind folded and covered in oily rags and he would still be turned on.

Cam put his arms up and over his head, folding them to make a pillow to watch her. On her knees by his side, her coral-tipped nipples peeked at him through the threads of her long red hair. She looked like some pagan fertility goddess, all curves and rounded edges. And when she finally touched him, her cool fingers ignited his burning skin.

“I’m all yours,” he said, watching her bite her lip.

“I know.” And he could tell that she did. He wanted to prove that he was hers in every way a man could give himself to a woman. Body, heart, and soul. It was a major turn on. Touching his chest, she smoothed her hands over the hard slabs of muscle, tracing the small scars she found here and there.

“I missed having you at my mercy.”

Cam grinned. “Torture away, my Queen.”

So she did. Kissing him with those full lips, she began the same quest he’d performed on her, playing with his flat nipples. He sucked in a deep breath and his body tensed. She was careful to stay at his side, not touching him with any part of her body but her hands and mouth. And being very careful to stay away from the part straining toward her.

She ran her tongue across his chest. His skin glistened where she kissed him, biting him here and there. His stomach sucked in when she kissed her way down his abs. He didn’t earn them by hours in the gym; his body was honed by war, and by hardship from using his body in ways most men would never dream of. At this moment, he was proud that his body turned her on as much as hers did him. Her scars didn’t mean a thing to him, other than prove how tough she was to survive, so they could be together again.

“I’m not going to last too much longer, sugar. I want you too much.”

She grinned up at him, knowing he’d last for her. “You’ll make it.” She turned her head quickly and took him into her mouth.

“Holy fuck,” he yelled.

“The squirrels,” she reminded him, before taking him again in her hot, wet, mouth. He hit the back of her throat and she hummed low, vibrating him. He almost lost it right then, control be damned.

“Jesus,” he moaned. “Fuck, that feels good. I need to be inside of you. Like yesterday.”

Letting his erection slide out of her mouth, she turned, put both hands on his chest and threw her leg over his body. Sitting astride, she rose up, positioned him, and sat down with one long glide until he was so far inside of her that he was sure his eyes rolled back into his head.

“It’s been so long,” she moaned.

Unable to stop himself, he couldn’t keep from using his hands to grab her hips. He couldn’t let her set the pace, he was too ready. Too turned on. He thrust up as she came down, meeting in the middle as they got into a rhythm. Her breasts jumped and bounced and it was the best goddamn sight he’d ever seen.

Pandora’s head was thrown back, mouth open in ecstasy as she rode him. His feet were planted on the quilt and the wet slide of their bodies as they melded was worth everything. The connection, the passion—he reveled in it.

“I love you, Cam,” she said. Leaning forward, she twined her fingers with his, letting him steady her as she rocked back and forth. She moved faster as her passion rose, eyes locked on his. Her skin flushed and glistened as they moved together.

“Lean back, baby.”

Using his knees, she leaned back and he grabbed her by the hips again, wildly bucking up into her, feeling her inner muscles begin to contract. The tingling started in his head and raced down his body, but he wanted her with him and she was almost there. Reaching down, he used his thumb to flick and rub her clit. She screamed and stiffened, her inner muscles gripping and releasing him.

Her second orgasm hit her harder than the first, and this time he felt every moment of it. It tipped him over the edge as he thrust up into her twice more and exploded. Dear God, it had been so long. Words escaped him as he pumped into her, his body tensed in release. She laid down on him, still connected, her face against his chest as their breathing raced out of control.

Cam rubbed her back, loving the feel of her silken skin. Her hair was a wild mess that tickled his nose, but he didn’t care. She smelled like roses and sex—best combination ever. And when his breathing was close to normal, he only had one question.

“Will you marry me?”

Pandora propped herself up on his chest and kissed his chin. “But we’re already married.”

“That was a lifetime ago and we were different people. I want to bind you to me in every way I can, again. For life.”

She smiled. And those sea green eyes misted over. “Of course, I’ll marry you. I love you. I’ve always loved you and will until the day I die.”

“Which will be at the same moment I do, because I love you too much to ever live without you again.” Cam sat up, still holding her in his arms and reached for his pants. When his fingers dove into the front pocket he felt the velvet of the little box he’d stashed there. Pulling it out, he saw a tear slip down her cheek. “Ah, hell, sugar. This is supposed to make you happy.”

“It
is
making me happy,” she cried. And when he didn’t move fast enough, she made an impatient noise. “Open it already.”

So he did, and inside was a one carat princess cut diamond for his lady. His woman. His world. “The first time around, we were poor but happy. This time, I was able to get you the ring you deserve.”

Pandora shook her head. “I loved my plain gold band. I would have never left it behind if things had been different. But this—this is too much.”

He smiled, hearing the awe in her voice. “Well, if you don’t like it, then I’ll just throw it in the lake.”

“You will not,” she said, before taking the box from his hand.

He took out the ring and she held up her left hand. The ring slid on as if it had always been there. “With this ring—”

“I thee wed,” she finished. Then she threw her arms around his neck and rained kisses on him. “Let’s get married tomorrow. We can go down to the Justice of the Peace.”

Cam shook his head. “No, Ma’am. I have some friends that will want to come and see this. Ghost would try and kick my ass if he and his guys weren’t invited. Plus, I need to get ahold of Hawk and Blue. This will give them something to look forward to.”

“You make me so happy, Cam. I love you.”

“I think this is where I make a joke about Pandora’s box.”

She slapped him on the shoulder while she laughed, and it was with pure happiness that he picked up his soon-to-be-wife—again—and carried her back into the water. It had been a hard road, and even when he was convinced all hope was lost, he’d been given a gift. The gift of his wife and his son, who he would spend the rest of his life loving.