her spread thighs prevented her from exposing herself.
He slid his fingers into the opening and dove between her legs, finding her wet slit. Gathering moisture, he used it to toggle her clit while she ground against his hand, her fingers once again pulling at his hair.
Her cries were soft with jagged edges. The tension in her soft frame wound tighter and tighter as he fingered her and bit down on her breasts. She was coming apart, trembling against him, and he was hard and desperate to be inside her, but he’d give her this. No matter how painful his need.
At last, she gave a shattered cry, and her head fell back as she went limp in his embrace.
Carter withdrew his fingers, gave her rosy nipples kisses then straightened away, still holding her with one arm to keep her steady on his lap.
When her breaths grew even and deep, she leaned toward him and kissed his brow, his nose, gave his mouth a quick press. Then she simply sat there, half-nude, her face flushed and her lips swollen. “Wow,” she whispered.
Carter gave her small tight smile. “You’ll want to shake out your clothes before you dress.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Way to kill the moment.”
He rasped the center of one breast with his thumb. “Didn’t mean to. But I’d hate for a tick or a scorpion to find its way inside your shirt.”
“Again, I didn’t need a dose of reality.” Her eyebrows drew together. “I kind of hoped this wouldn’t be as good as I remembered.”
Carter wasn’t insulted. He understood what she meant. He was feeling pretty blown away himself, despite the fact he was still as hard as a cedar fencepost.
Which was why he’d tried the distraction tactic. He didn’t want to deal with the mini-seismic ripples that were still shuddering through his body. He grimaced. “You have to move.”
Her confusion showed in the wrinkling of her brow, but then she glanced downward. “Oh.” She scooted backward and stood.
He knew his expression was still strained, so he turned and adjusted his cock, relieved to push his erection down one pant leg to give it some room while it relaxed. When he turned toward her, Melanie’s bra was back in place, and she was sliding hands inside the cups to adjust her breasts. Something he wished he could do.
“I was willing.”
Her quiet tone struck him. Did she think he hadn’t wanted to be inside her? “I know.” He reached to cup one side of her cheek. “It’s my penance.”
“Sex is penance?”
He shrugged. “Self-denial…” His gaze darted up the walls of the ravine. “And I didn’t want you embarrassed. If I’d taken you, we’d both still be on that rock—and I promise neither of us would have been quiet.”
He bent and swiped her tee from the ground and gave it a quick shake before handing it to her. When she grabbed for it, he tugged, pulling her closer. When her chest snuggled against his, he lowered his head, forcing hers backward. Her lips parted. Her gaze held his.
“What are we doing?” he whispered.
“Making a mistake…?”
“Doesn’t feel like it.” He lazily rubbed his mouth side to side over hers.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders. “I have to know something.”
Carter forced himself not to stiffen, because he was unaccustomed to explaining himself and his actions. “Shoot.”
Melanie swallowed. “Are you going back to your unit?”
He spread his fingers, wanting to capture as much of her curvy waist and hips as he could. When she was in his arms, the sting of his loss wasn’t quite so painful. “Probably not.”
“Lee said something about you talking to some spec ops companies. That you’d be back in some desert hellhole, looking for another bullet or bomb.”
“It’s what I do.”
Her brows drew together. Her breath caught and held. And then slowly, she straightened inside his embrace. When she pushed against his chest, he let her go. “I won’t disappear this time, Melanie. This would be home base for me.”
“That’s great for
He slid his fingers into the opening and dove between her legs, finding her wet slit. Gathering moisture, he used it to toggle her clit while she ground against his hand, her fingers once again pulling at his hair.
Her cries were soft with jagged edges. The tension in her soft frame wound tighter and tighter as he fingered her and bit down on her breasts. She was coming apart, trembling against him, and he was hard and desperate to be inside her, but he’d give her this. No matter how painful his need.
At last, she gave a shattered cry, and her head fell back as she went limp in his embrace.
Carter withdrew his fingers, gave her rosy nipples kisses then straightened away, still holding her with one arm to keep her steady on his lap.
When her breaths grew even and deep, she leaned toward him and kissed his brow, his nose, gave his mouth a quick press. Then she simply sat there, half-nude, her face flushed and her lips swollen. “Wow,” she whispered.
Carter gave her small tight smile. “You’ll want to shake out your clothes before you dress.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Way to kill the moment.”
He rasped the center of one breast with his thumb. “Didn’t mean to. But I’d hate for a tick or a scorpion to find its way inside your shirt.”
“Again, I didn’t need a dose of reality.” Her eyebrows drew together. “I kind of hoped this wouldn’t be as good as I remembered.”
Carter wasn’t insulted. He understood what she meant. He was feeling pretty blown away himself, despite the fact he was still as hard as a cedar fencepost.
Which was why he’d tried the distraction tactic. He didn’t want to deal with the mini-seismic ripples that were still shuddering through his body. He grimaced. “You have to move.”
Her confusion showed in the wrinkling of her brow, but then she glanced downward. “Oh.” She scooted backward and stood.
He knew his expression was still strained, so he turned and adjusted his cock, relieved to push his erection down one pant leg to give it some room while it relaxed. When he turned toward her, Melanie’s bra was back in place, and she was sliding hands inside the cups to adjust her breasts. Something he wished he could do.
“I was willing.”
Her quiet tone struck him. Did she think he hadn’t wanted to be inside her? “I know.” He reached to cup one side of her cheek. “It’s my penance.”
“Sex is penance?”
He shrugged. “Self-denial…” His gaze darted up the walls of the ravine. “And I didn’t want you embarrassed. If I’d taken you, we’d both still be on that rock—and I promise neither of us would have been quiet.”
He bent and swiped her tee from the ground and gave it a quick shake before handing it to her. When she grabbed for it, he tugged, pulling her closer. When her chest snuggled against his, he lowered his head, forcing hers backward. Her lips parted. Her gaze held his.
“What are we doing?” he whispered.
“Making a mistake…?”
“Doesn’t feel like it.” He lazily rubbed his mouth side to side over hers.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders. “I have to know something.”
Carter forced himself not to stiffen, because he was unaccustomed to explaining himself and his actions. “Shoot.”
Melanie swallowed. “Are you going back to your unit?”
He spread his fingers, wanting to capture as much of her curvy waist and hips as he could. When she was in his arms, the sting of his loss wasn’t quite so painful. “Probably not.”
“Lee said something about you talking to some spec ops companies. That you’d be back in some desert hellhole, looking for another bullet or bomb.”
“It’s what I do.”
Her brows drew together. Her breath caught and held. And then slowly, she straightened inside his embrace. When she pushed against his chest, he let her go. “I won’t disappear this time, Melanie. This would be home base for me.”
“That’s great for
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