Walker (Bad Boys of X-Ops #1) (17 page)

Leaning down, I kissed her with her neck propped up in my hand.

She pulled my bottom lip between her teeth, nipping just the right spot.

Her head hung off the end of the bed, and she opened her mouth when I let her lips go.

It only took three strokes and Jade’s flushed face beneath me, her naked body spread before me, her taste on my lips, and her scent on my fingers to flip the switch.

Holding her neck and her chin, I drove the head of my cock into her mouth, shooting over her tongue and down into her throat while she swallowed.

With my knees on the point of collapse, I withdrew, a final groan rumbling from me.

I rearranged Jade’s sated body before rolling in beside her.

She curled against me, tweaking my nipple she’d bitten into a sensitive point earlier. “That wasn’t a competition, Walker.”

“Nope.” I swatted her hand away. “It was fucking. Fucking good fucking.”

“I’m exhausted. You exhaust me.” She dug her toes into my calve muscles.

“And I make you feel good doing it.” I grabbed a handful of her ass.

“Kiss me goodnight and shut up.”

“That’s my line.”

Truth

IN THE MORNING I woke to icy toes—Jade had hogged the covers during the night—and a cold, empty bed.

I dashed water over my face in the bathroom, hopped into the shower, shaved, and did the whole shebang before heading into the kitchen.

Madge sat at the table, nursing a mug of coffee. Even with her head averted, I could read her pleased smile. She was like a Middle Eastern Agony Aunt when it came to Jade and me.

Whatever.
At least something good might come from her being a freakin’ international outlaw.

I surprised Jade at the stove, winding my arms around her waist.

“Early riser.” I kissed the back of her neck.

She wore a pair of my nylon workout pants cinched at the waist and an old Stanford sweatshirt she must’ve found in my dresser from days gone by.

It was a look I wholeheartedly approved of.

“I could say the same to you.” Reaching back, she toyed with the waist of my jeans.

“Well, there was
that
.”

The morning sex. The silent, break of dawn, breath held, fingers clenching, mouths seeking, morning sex.

It had scorched me to my soul.

Speaking of scorched . . .

“What are you cooking?” I peered over her shoulder, sniffing the air. “Without supervision?”

Wheeling on me, Jade brandished a kitchen implement. “I will kill you by spatula if you don’t shut up.”

Any sharp tool in her hands . . . I backed off, going for the enamel coffee pot. I didn’t doubt the woman for a minute.

Dad blustered in. “Gimme some of that there, Jade. If you don’t mind.”

I shook my head at him, but he remained blissfully unaware until he cruised the first forkful of what looked like death on a plate into his mouth.

He choked out a thank you.

I whacked him on the back.

“There’s fresh fruit in the fridge and cereal in the cupboard,” Madge muttered to me.

I left the trio to their doomed and possibly poisoned breakfast, carrying a bowl of muesli to the fireplace.

My mom sat in her rocking chair—a thing of handmade beauty made from elk antlers and buffalo hides. Her head bent, she tapped out messages on her iPhone.

“Look at you all
up with the people
.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Wakiza.”

Told.

I sat beside her and dutifully chewed and swallowed. “Who are you texting?”

“Your brother. He heard you showed up. Wanted to be here.”

I slid my bowl of cereal to the floor. “Damn. I miss him.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I never—”

“Faced reality?” Mom patted my face. “Who would? Who could? You’re not less of a man because of it.”

I struggled to clear my throat, but even so I couldn’t get my voice to work.

“No one blames you for what happened.” She pulled me toward her, enclosing me in her hug.

“I blame myself.”

The guilt I’d born for years had made me a dead man walking until Jade tipped my radar.

“You listen to me.” Her fingers followed the line of my braid up and down my back. “
You
live.
You
love. You are a warrior with an unstoppable heart.”

“It stopped that day.”

She nodded toward Jade. “And now it has started beating again.”

****

In the kitchen, I held onto the edge of the sink after rinsing out my bowl.

“Your mom’s a smart woman. Probably wiser’n me too.” My dad inclined his head in her direction. “Don’t tell her I said that.”

“Try not to.”

“She’s the glue holding this tribe together. And you and me? We’re gunpowder.” He let out a low burp. “And that one there?” He pointed at Jade. “She’s a goddamn firecracker you want to keep. So whatever you need to do to clean up your FUBAR situation—that’s how you guys say it, right?”

I nodded.

His stomach gurgled.

“Do it as soon as you can.” He started off down the hallway. “Now, I need a Tums. I got a stomachache.”

I wasn’t surprised.

He turned at the end of the hall. “And whatever you do, Wakiza, make sure that woman never gets her hands on my stove again.”

Hated to break it to him, but he was gonna need more than a Tums. I snickered and so did Madge who still sat at the table. When she caught my eye, she jerked her chin toward the fireplace where Jade sat beside my mom.

I didn’t intrude on their conversation or even try to snoop, but I still heard well enough to get the gist of it.

“There’s something more, isn’t there?” Jade asked her.

“There’s always history, dear.” My mom patted her hand. “You have to trust Wakiza will tell you when he’s ready.”

“Neither one of us trusts easily.” Jade sighed, her shoulders stooping slightly.

“I imagine not.”

I watched as Jade excused herself—leaving the room while Mom quickly wiped a tear from her cheek.

Walking up behind Mom, I placed my hand on her shoulder. “I’m taking Jade to the other house.”

She spun toward me. “But you haven’t been there since—”

“I know. Maybe it’s time to lay some ghosts to rest and start again.”

She nodded, squeezing my hand. “Yes. Yes, I believe it is.”

Then again . . .

I squinted at Madge who remained at the table, pretending to be oblivious but no doubt taking everything in. “As long as you and dad can keep an eye on Madge for about twenty-four hours?”

“I do not need more babysitters.” The woman drew up with a huff. “And believe me, I could use a break from the two of you”—she flapped her hands around for a moment, clearly trying to come up with the right term—“love bugs.”

“That’s love birds.” I rolled my eyes. “And we’re not that bad.”

“Judging from the noises coming from your room last night . . .” Madge let that hang in the air as she departed with a low laugh.

“I think what you’re doing is a very good thing.” Mom reached up to pinch my cheek before turning back to the fire. “By the way, I cleaned the house out in the fall, and your dad stocked the wood for the winter.”

“You always do that?” I couldn’t keep the gruffness from my voice.

“Twice a year.” She watched the glowing embers. “We haven’t forgotten. I know you haven’t either.”

Tipping my head back, I blew out a long breath.

I had to clear my throat before I could speak again. “I love you, Mom.”

“Why don’t you save that sweet talk for Jade.” Her voice was rough too, but I knew when I was being dismissed.

By the time I heard the shower stop, I’d already packed up food, furs, and some necessary supplies, like a couple bottles of wine. Maybe I needed a bottle of whisky for Dutch courage, too.

I stuck my head in the bedroom a few minutes later. “Bundle up. We’re taking a side trip.”

“We who?” Jade’s brow scrunched.

“You and me. Alone.” I stepped inside.

She started backing away. “Oh, no, no, no. Not a good idea.”

I stalked toward her. “Always gotta fight me, Jade?”

“No. I—”

Snatching her to me, I kissed her into submission. She curled up against me, winding her arms around my neck. My tongue lunged inside her mouth, and I cupped her ass beneath the towel she wore.

“Trust me, Jade.” Pulling back, I winked.

“You heard me talking to your mother,” she grumbled.

I rapped a finger against my forehead. “Yep. You know better than to keep secrets from me.”

“I still have a bullet with your name on it.”

“No, you don’t.”

I ducked out of the room before a pillow slammed against the other side of the door I shut behind me. And I laughed all the freakin’ way outside.

When Jade stepped onto the porch where I waited, I snagged her hand and linked our fingers together. I even whistled a little tune while we walked down the shoveled-out path.

“Going to tell me where we’re going?”

“Nope.”

“How about how we’re getting there.” She tried to tug her hand free.

No chance
.

“It’s a surprise.”

A couple minutes later, I stopped in front of a barn where a handsome palomino stallion was waiting.

My Nokota horse, Kohana.

He snuffled into a bucket of feed attached to the fence.

“That’s not a surprise. That’s a horse!” Jane sputtered.

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t say pony, because Kohana hates that shit.” Drawing Jade up to him, I patted him on the withers.

He whickered at me.

“Kohana meet Jade. Be careful now. She bites.”

Jade kicked me in the shin, and I laughed, rubbing the sore spot.

“And she’s got a temper, apparently just like her mom,” I whispered into his twitching ear.

He whinnied in understanding.

“Up you go, Jade.” I gave her a leg up then easily mounted behind her.

I could feel her getting ready for another famous bout of tongue lashing, so I reached around and pressed a finger to her lips. “Hush. This’ll be good. We’re riding bareback. I thought you’d be used to it by now.”

Sliding forward, I snuggled my groin right up against her rear, and no amount of winter weather was going to cool off my thickening cock. “See? Perfect fit.”

Silently fuming, she sat ramrod straight in front of me when I prodded Kohana into motion with a slight pressure of my heels.

Bright and clear, cold and white, the day was beautiful.

“Perfect day to take in the countryside, don’t you think?” I mentioned conversationally.

“I’m not talking to you.”

I bet she had her teeth gritted and everything.

“I know. That’s why I was asking Kohana here.” Reaching over, I laid my palm on his neck.

I nudged us onto a hidden trail into the woods as Jade cursed at me. I ignored her, concentrating instead on the sway of the ride and the way the rolling gait brought Jade’s ass into closer contact with my groin.

My deep voice rumbled at her ear, “You feel real good, babe, against me like this.”

Her breath caught in her throat.

“Sit a little bit deeper, Jade.” I slipped my hand down her front and circled where I knew her sweet clit to be inside the barrier of her jeans.

She melted against me, moaning my name.

I kissed her neck. “That’s better.”

I straightened up, and we broke into a hard gallop. Jade latched onto my arms, and I whooped to the winds. This area was wild, a combination of deep forested lowlands—trees bearing their fleecy mantle of snow—and open plains. Rocky outcroppings of granite, unspoiled lakes and riverbeds.

“Kohana means swift.” I held the reins loosely in one hand. “Don’t tell me you’ve never ridden before.” Shifting Jade more fully against me, I whispered, “Because you damn sure know how to ride me.”

“I ride.”

“What . . . besides me?”

We raced through a shallow ravine, glassy ice shattering around us.

“A camel in the Sudan.”

I chuckled against her neck.

“Also a mule in Peru.”

“No stallions?”

She peered back at me. “Only you.”

“Keep that up and you’ll be barebacking this particular stallion a lot sooner than you think.”

“Always with the threats.”

“Woman. Don’t tempt me.”

“Okay,
Wakiza.
” She rounded her rump against me just so, and I growled at her, nipping the nape of her neck.

Suddenly Jade’s voice sounded in alarm. “Watch out for that log!”

Kohana nickered, taking offense at Jade’s lack of faith in his abilities before stretching out his forelegs and sailing smoothly over the tree trunk blocking our path.

I slowed him into a canter, passing the reins to Jade. “Here. Why don’t you take these for a bit. Get a feel for it.”

“Walker. I don’t know.”

“What? No fancy dressage for a posh English girl like you?”

She shook her head.

“Nothing bad will happen. I promise.”

Over the next half hour, I taught her the basics of horsemanship, and all the while we taunted and teased each other. The coil of heat snapped between us the farther we traveled. I had half a mind to whip it out and fuck her while we rode, but that would freak Kohana out.

We journeyed into the depths of the reservation largely uninhabited by anything other than wildlife, and not much of that either at this time of year.

Finally, Kohana stopped in a snow-covered clearing. When Jade tried to urge him on, he wouldn’t budge.