Walker (Bad Boys of X-Ops #1) (25 page)

“You gave me a hell of a scare in Beirut, you know that, right?”

“I would’ve died if it wasn’t for you,” Jade whispered.

Wrapping my arms all the way around her, I rocked her gently. We’d survived so goddamn much . . . it was hard to believe Jade was here with me.

I brushed my hand up and down her back, occasionally coasting lower, and she cuddled deeper into my embrace.

“Have you heard from Majedah?” Her fingers tickled across my ribs.

“No. You?”

“
Uh unh.
Saw all the news though. Very clever.” She smiled against my skin.

“
Mmm.
That wasn’t all me. I wasn’t really functioning very well at the time.”

“I’m sorry, Walker. I should’ve—”

“
Shh.
It’s over now.” I cupped the nape of her neck in my hand. “Anyway, I was so preoccupied with you I kind of forgot about her. But it’s funny. I miss her.” I chuckled. “She was one of the good ones.”

“Yes, she was.” Jade popped up to kiss me on the mouth. “So, where is this home sweet home you speak of?”

“You sure you’re ready for it?”

“I’m ready for everything with you.”

“Fuck.” Lying back with a huge smile, I shut my eyes in absolute happiness. “Don’t tell my dad, but I might have to ride sidesaddle after what you just did to me.”

“Are we going riding?”

“Oh yeah.”

Back in My Saddle

JADE AND I FLEW across the fields drenched in lavenders, pinks, and yellows from the sun setting behind us. Kohana sprang over the ground, whinnying when I gave him his lead.

In the two weeks we’d ensconced ourselves out here, I’d continued my riding lessons with Jade. She proved to be a competent horsewoman, moving up from smaller, gentler fillies to confidently handling one of the larger Nokota mustangs from my barn. I still preferred keeping her in my saddle—in more ways than one.

We’d ditched Mt. Pleasant the day after Jade had turned up. Heading west. Again. This time with a different and definite destination. The wide-open land of Wyoming.
Home
was a working ranch in the wilds with a barn full of the Nokota stock I bred and sold and studded off.

I’d been building for the future for several years.

The future was here, now, with Jade as she plastered her back against my chest while Kohana pushed faster beneath us.

Not that either of us had any intention of quitting what we did best, what we did best besides loving each other, that was.

We just hadn’t worked out all the kinks yet.

When Kohana skipped the open gate to the corral, instead soaring over the top board of the fence, Jade laughed and her hair whipped into my face. I held her around the waist, chuckling with her.

She and I had finally received word from Madge. How she’d found us way out here in the untamed stretch of Wyoming I had no idea, but she probably had resources we couldn’t even fathom.

Okay, Madge definitely had resources we couldn’t come to grips with. She’d sent us a note delivered by a fucking Middle Eastern dignitary, sealed with her wax crest on thick paper.

Dear Walker and Jade,

I feel like I never had the chance to thank you both properly. I was so pleased to hear you had reconciled. Love is not to be squandered. Not in times of war or times of peace.

You took care of me, taught me many things (most of which I give you my word I won’t repeat), and even though you bickered and got under each other’s skin (causing me to “roll my eyes” rather more often than I like), two greater heroes a woman could never have.

Walker, I wanted to do something for the Inyan Kara reservation in honor of you, your family, your great tribal nation.

I scanned down the next few lines, then started again at the beginning, clearing my throat as the paper quivered between my and Jade’s hands.

I’ve set up an anonymous, yearly college fund for five youths from the reservation to cover all four years of extended education. I hope your father, White Buffalo, and Red Thunder, and the elders will accept my contribution to their beautiful people.

“Well, shit.” I coughed into my fist, Jade squeezing my other hand. “Shit. That’s a lot.”

“I know. What’s in it for me?”

I glanced at Jade, and she quirked a grin at me.

“I’m kidding.” She dabbed at her eyes, clearly as touched as I was. “Read the rest to me.”

I have also had the distinct pleasure of choosing and sending a personal gift with which I express my thanks to the two of you.

If ever you are in need you have only to reach out.

All the best, my friends.

Madge

We both laughed that she’d signed the letter so simply, with my nickname for her.

Along with the note of gratitude? Her gift was a freaking top of the line, shiny, white, 2015 Bentley Continental GT V88 that sat in front of the house, in the middle of our rambling, dustbowl slice of heaven.

Madge’s emissary had presented us with the keys, grinning, before sauntering to his own ride with a swagger in his stride.

“What the hell do we do with that?” I’d scratched my chin.

“Joyride.” Jade had planted both hands on the hood. “I wonder if I can get this beast to do donuts? Oh, and target practice out the window while driving in reverse.” Her eyes had lit up. “Remember those days?”

“Training?”

She’d nodded, swiping the keys from my hand. “Me first!”

Guess what?

That streamlined Bentley hauled serious ass around the ranch and—yup—donuts were doable if you gained enough traction and laid down enough rubber.

After that first afternoon, I’d skidded to a screaming stop in front of the ranch house. “We’re totally gonna wreck this ride in a matter of months, aren’t we?”

“Majedah knows us.” Jade had taken my hand as I helped her out of the car now covered in dust and splatters of mud. “She probably expected it.”

I’d pondered that factoid for a moment, glancing from Jade’s bright smile to the sleek hood.

“Know what else we’re going to do with it?” I’d spun her around and braced her against the body of the car, caging in against her back.

There was no mistaking my raging hard-on pressing against her. Watching her masterfully handle the magnificent car had been an incredible turn-on, and we still had one other way to christen it.

“What?” Jade had asked breathlessly.

“Fuck on it.” I’d peeled down her pants and thong, skimmed up her shirt, and blessed the heavens she wasn’t wearing a bra.

Yanking down my jeans, I’d palmed her tits, knocked her legs wider, and slammed inside her plush heat with one rocking deep stroke.

The fucking was fast in, slow out, and screaming hot.

Jade clawed at the hood, wailing when she came. Her cunt hugged tight to my cock. I saw fucking stars out there in the middle of the afternoon, pushing into her from the balls of my feet when I blasted off inside her.

Afterward, Jade sprawled almost naked against the hood was centerfold hot. “I’m not sure that was what Majedah had in mind.”

“Doing it again tomorrow.” I’d pulled her up into my arms, leaving our clothes scattered on the driveway.

“The joyriding or the fucking?” Jade reached out, opening the front door.

I’d nudged her lips with mine, kissing her spreading smile. “Both.”

No brainer.

Yeah. We’d reconnected with Madge, but there was still the mystery of how the
Feebs and the other agencies had tracked us down so easily not once, not twice, but three times.

And I was gonna dig until I found the answer, and the culprit.

That had been a couple weeks ago. Now it was June, and the Bentley still ran, but the leather on the back seat had been slashed up a little bit. It could’ve been a dagger. Could’ve been Jade’s nails. We’d thoroughly christened the car in every position possible, and drove it around the ranch like we were in the middle of shellfire in the Middle East, laughing the entire time.

We also worked together in the stables daily, rode out on our horses, and made love as much as possible as early summer burst wildly across the landscape.

Kohana stamped to a stop outside one of the long barns on my property, tossing his head, eager for a curry and a bucket of feed.

I dismounted then helped Jade down. Her cheeks wore a tinge of pink beneath her usual golden glow from the brisk gallop.

Jade pulled me to her and tossed away my battered Stetson so she could grip my braid.

Leaning up to me, she plucked at my lips before sinking her tongue inside to wrangle with mine.

She slowly caressed her hands over my front.

On the ranch I wore old gear, cowboy stuff I’d had for years. Cracked and creased leather, faded, weather-worn jeans, chambray shirts that had been through hundreds of washings. Everything was aged, and Jade liked it. She was tactile, touchy-feely in the very best way.

She was especially fond of chaps—not
chaps
as in blokes in her British lingo—but
my
well-worn leather chaps.

“Thank you for the ride, cowboy.” She winked, doing a reasonably good belle accent.

“Purely my pleasure, miss.” I bent down for another kiss when . . .

Kohana nosed between us, snorting in displeasure.

“I’m renaming him Mood Killer,” I grumbled.

Jade reached into her pocket and offered the horse an apple. “He’s such a man. So needy.”

I walked her away, keeping her planted against my body. “So am I.”

“Are you now?”

Usually I took care of every horse I rode, but with Jade getting all handsy on me one of the ranch hands could take over that time.

Jade probably just wanted me to cook her up some vittles. Stellar in the sack, crap in the kitchen. I was surprised she even knew how to turn on a dishwasher.

She sprang free and raced me up the wide steps of the deceptively simple house, if deceptively simple meant a huge homestead of roughhewn timberframed logs just waiting for a family to bring it to life.

Or Jade, gunning inside.

The interior was decked out in furs and rugs, fireplaces and comfortable seating. The high windows practically reached out to the surrounding landscape of open territory and endless sky. A lot more square feet than I’d ever needed before but—not surprisingly—Jade took up a lot of space, in my house, in my life, in my heart.

I wasn’t complaining one single bit.

I pounced up the steps after her.

She’d cut off the high tech alarms wired to each and every entry point. Motion sensor alarms because I had to be able to sleep at night. Well, when I wasn’t busy fucking Jade.

Speaking of. She stood in the center of the huge open foyer, unbuttoning a soft flannel shirt until it framed the deep cleavage of her tits. Loping toward her, I ran my belt through the loops of my jeans, dropping the heavy metal and soft leather to the floor. The sound rang out, and Jade popped another button of her shirt open.

I was on her in an instant. I tore off her clothes right then, right there. I twined her hair along the length of my forearm, hauling her head back.

Her neck stretched in the sexiest arc as a gasp fell from her lips.

An inch from setting my mouth along her warm skin, I halted. “Did you hear that?”

In the middle of getting all hot and heavy, I heard a ringtone.

Fucking typical.

Guiding Jade upright, I cocked an ear.

“That?” she asked after another jingle rang out.

“Is it yours or mine?” I squinted at her.

“Definitely mine.” Wrangling away, Jade sprinted upstairs.

I overtook her. “Bullshit. Gotta be mine.”

We were neck and neck at the door of the bedroom, but once inside I shifted through the debris on my dresser. Grabbing the first burn cell I touched, I scowled at the blank screen.

Jade dug through the closet, lifting her fine ass in my direction.

Nice.

She wheeled around, a phone in her hand. Her face fell when she noticed the black display.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

“Fuck!” we both shouted.

I bolted into the bathroom and dug out my shaving kit. Jade was right beside me, untaping something from the back of the toilet tank?

What the fuck?

The side effects of having two dark op specialists in one household.

“Don’t look at me like I’m wrong.” Jade unwrapped her phone.

I cupped her face and kissed her quickly. “So right for me there’s no freakin’ way you could be wrong.”

Brrring. Brrrring.

“Seriously?” Jade looked at her dead phone, disgusted.

Yanking the burner from my shaving bag, I yelled triumphantly, “Mine!”

Then I remembered that wasn’t necessarily a good thing given our line of work and the fact I wasn’t prepared to be away from Jade for a second longer than I needed to be.

I rubbed my fingers against my chin, glum at the prospect. “It’s mine.”

When I saw the screen blazing with Justice’s GQ model face, relief swept through me.

I shoved the phone away. “Just Justice.”

Jade wrapped herself in a fluffy towel and plunked onto the edge of the massive old fashioned, claw-footed tub. “Answer it. You owe him after Hell’s Kitchen.”

“Remember when we totally got his warehouse compromised?” With my knuckle beneath her chin, I lifted her face.

“
Mm hmm,
” she hummed.

“Good times.” I kissed the corner of her mouth before answering the fucking call with a barking shout, “What the fuck you want now, pretty boy? I am on R&R. Do I need to spell that out, remedial-like?”

“Hard ass.” Jade tugged me closer, fitting one hand into the back pocket of my jeans.

“I need you to get me outta jail,” Justice answered.

“Real jail?” I had trouble concentrating on him with Jade loosening the top button of my jeans so she could slide her warm palm down over my ass.

Justice groaned on the other end of the line. “Yes, dick-implant. Real jail. The kind with bright orange uniforms and bars on cells.”

“
Awww.
Did you get yourself put in the pokey just to cheer me up?”