After what we shared last night, the connection we now have, talking openly and freely for the past hour, I've ruined it.
The fire flares in her stare. A pissed-off Jade is sexy as fuck. Every time I fucked her before our last mission, I ended up treating her like shit, ordering her around, demanding she do exactly what I said.
Things are different here at home. I'm trying like hell to make this work, to let her in. When she asked about my brother, I became lost thinking about Kane. He has no place here. I don't want his name or his presence anywhere near her. He's tainted. And the worst bastard I've ever known.
This time is for us to get to know each other on a personal level, and this mission I'm about to discuss with her could fuck it all up. I'm not going to let it happen. No fucking way. If she's not willing to comply, then I won't try to convince her. She means too much to me. Whatever decision she makes, I will stand by her, but she needs to hear me out. She needs to understand why The President has asked this of us.
"Baby. Before you go all crazy on my ass, you need to let me explain. Remember these orders came from The President, this is not coming from me." She doesn't say a damn thing, only edges past me with her horse, her head down. She climbs off of him, ties his reins to a tree, and sits down several feet away from me. Fuck. She's distracting with her legs spread out in front of her, those boots on, and those fucking shorts that have my cock hard. I'm the biggest asshole to be thinking about fucking her up against a tree out here. Christ.
"Explain then. Tell me why I have to do this. Other than for the love of my country. Which I believe I've proven. This is our lives. It's all Harris and I know. We'll have nothing after this is over. The Army doesn't care why you go AWOL. We'll both be discharged. We'll lose everything. I'll have nothing. So you tell me why? Why would I want to do that, Kaleb?" I sit here watching her shake her head in exasperation. She looks defeated. Fuck, it kills me to the point I'm ready to say fuck it. I'll take someone else. But damn it, I can't. No matter what, she needs to understand.
I climb off the horse and pull him over to the same tree, securing him tightly. Then I go to her and kneel down directly in front of her, placing my hands on her thighs. Not sexually, but intimately.
"Like I said, these orders came from The President, Jade. He doesn't want ties to the Army or to him. This man is dangerous. He also has information he needs. Is this request uncommon? Yes. What I do know is, there is no way in hell he would ask someone to give up what they've fought their entire life to achieve if it weren't important for the safety of our country. Besides, do you really think he'd allow you to lose everything?" I sit back on my hunches and remove my hands from her silky skin. That same sullen expression on her face increases.
"If he doesn't want ties to the Army, then yes, Kaleb, I do lose everything. This is what those strange looks you and Harris were giving each other earlier are about, isn't it? He knows. You've asked him to do it too, haven't you? What did he say? Is he willing to give it all up?" Taking a deep, long breath, I tell her.
"He is. He doesn't like it any more than you do. Like I told him, the decision is yours. I'll support you either way. One thing I didn't tell him that I need for you to know is, whatever decision you make, it won't change the way I feel about you." Instantly, I dread her response. I watch her hackles rise. She recoils back in shock.
"I sure as hell would hope not." She draws her knees up to her chest.
"Christ, Jade. I apologize. Hell, maybe I need confirmation from you that it doesn't. Fuck, I don't know. We finally work this out and decide we're going to give this a shot, and then I drop this on you. You have to know you mean more to me than this mission. You and I have a long way to go to build something strong and beautiful. I want a lifetime. I'm fucking falling for you, Jade. Falling so hard for you that it scares the living shit out of me. I'm not going to lose you over this."
Her manner changes right before my eyes. I see it before she even has the chance to say it. She's falling for me too. This is a fucked-up situation we're in, starting with the way we met and my fucked-up infatuation to make her mine.
"I … I'm scared," she whispers.
"Scared of what? Me? Us? Your career?" I ask honestly.
"All of it."
"Jade. I'm not going to push you into making your decision. What I will push you on is us. You should know by now I'm a determined man. I don't give up on a damn thing. Not when I want something or someone. I want you so fucking bad I can't think straight at times. I want you in my bed every night. In my arms. I want to know what you want out of life. I want it all. And I want it with you." Never in my life would I have dreamed I would say that shit to a woman. This indescribable feeling of seeing a future with someone. Like I said, we have a long way to go, but there isn't a damn thing that will make me stop wanting or needing her. I don't give two fucks if I sound like a fucking pussy right now. I'm a man who wants this woman. It's plain and simple. One thing I do know is, when this mission is over, I'm not taking any more for a while. My first priority belongs to her.
Her features soften, and my fucking heart beats wildly in my chest as she stares out behind me. Her mind has to be racing. Christ, I can see the wheels spinning in her head from here.
When her gaze locks with mine, I clench my damn fist, fighting off the urge I have to pull her onto my lap and kiss the fuck out of her. That is until she speaks the words that nearly knock me backwards.
"I've already fallen for you, Kaleb. You've proven to me you'll catch me. Just don't drop me. I'm begging you not to. I'm going to need you when this is over." I jolt then. A man on a mission of his own, I grab her arms and haul her sexy little ass to me. This time I do fall. Flat on my back, pulling her down with me and her damn body flush on mine.
"As long as you run, I'll always catch you, Jade. I need some clarification here though, babe. Are you saying you'll do it? You can take some time, talk to Harris and see where his head is at before you make a decision that affects the rest of your life." Her expression softens even more. My mind flits back to how controlling this woman was when we first met. She was so stubborn, always challenging my every command and determined to take control. Her delicate side is peering her head. And fuck me, if that doesn't have my cock raging like a trapped lion in a damn cage ready to come out. I need to fuck her. Hard.
Her eyes sparkle from the intense sun. I see it in her eyes, the way she grinds her hips into mine, and the way her breathing turns ragged and those glistening eyes turn cloudy. To anyone else, this might be all kinds of fucked up, that we want to fuck out here in the open. She still hasn't answered my question. I'm not giving her what we both want until she does.
"You going to answer me? Or do I have to spank your ass to get it out of you?" I tease. Her lips pucker, and she twists them to the side of her gorgeous face. Thinking.
"If you need to spank me, then do it. But to answer your question. Yes, Sir. I'm willing to go on this mission. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't." I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't proud of her. She'll never have to worry about me not catching her, because the only time she's going to fall is when she falls all the way with me.
"I love it when you smile. And when you address me as Sir. You may want to remember that when I fuck you up against a tree. Now strip," I demand, watching the expressions on her face change.
"I'll strip, but the Sir part you can forget about." I quirk a brow. Then I lift a hand off of her firm ass and slap it hard. I swear to Christ the sound echoes. "Take everything off, Jade. Now."
"Tit for tat and all that, Maverick. You slap my ass again-" I cut her off by branding my mouth on hers. She needs to shut the hell up now. We have a hell of a lot to discuss still about this mission, but right now, I need to bury my cock in her.
I watch her stand after I kiss the hell out of her. Her plump lips are swollen, and my cock aches like a bitch to be inside her. Fuck, she slowly tugs her shirt over her head, exposing a damn pink lace bra doing nothing to hide the swell of her breast or her nipples begging for my mouth. She is the sexiest woman I have laid my eyes on, and she's mine. Every inch of her. She taunts me like the damn little seductress vixen she is when she shimmies those little shorts down her body, revealing her bare pussy to me. I can see how wet she is from here. If I didn't want to fuck her so damn bad, I would chew her ass out for not wearing any panties.