Special Forces: The Operator Read online

  Well, color him hosed. He’d finally found a woman he might one day consider settling down with, and she was completely unattainable. Didn’t that just figure?

  “What’s wrong?” Rebel asked quietly.

  He stared down at her wordlessly. He had no idea how to answer that question.

  Rebel held out the tall tulip glass to him. “Here. Take a swig of my milkshake. Chocolate fixes everything...at least temporarily.”

  He sucked on the straw, and rich, creamy chocolate filled his mouth. He swallowed, and then leaned down to kiss Rebel. “I’d rather taste that on your lips than from a plastic straw.”

  “It’s a paper straw,” she corrected. “Plastic straws harm marine life.”

  “Oh, so you’re a conservation activist, too, are you?” he murmured, smiling as his mouth descended toward hers.

  “I’m a lot of things you don’t know about, yet,” she mumbled as his lips closed the remaining gap and captured hers for a long, deliciously chocolate kiss.

  He kissed his way down the smooth, soft column of her neck. “Do tell,” he murmured against her skin. “What don’t I know about you?”

  “Uhh,” she exhaled, “I don’t know.”

  He lifted his head to stare down at her, into those big blue eyes of hers that never failed to captivate him. “Tell me something about you that I don’t know.”

  “I secretly wish I could dress up and put on makeup and wear pretty clothes, sometimes. Not all the time, mind you. But sometimes.”

  “So why don’t you?”

  “Because it seems silly to get all dressed up and then sit at home by myself.”

  “Ahh. So you want to dress up and have somebody see you and appreciate you for the beautiful woman you are.”

  She frowned up at him.

  “Don’t overthink it, Rebel. It’s fine if you want to express your feminine side from time to time and be appreciated for it. You are, in fact, a woman in addition to being a soldier.”

  “But soldiers shouldn’t want to play dress up,” she responded doubtfully.

  “Why ever not?” he exclaimed. “You didn’t sign up to be G.I. Joe. You signed up to be a soldier and still be you.”

  She shrugged. “The good news is that it doesn’t really matter. I pretty much live in combat boots—or in serviceable tailored suits that will conceal my sidearm.”

  “I don’t care what you wear or don’t wear, Rebel.” He leaned in close again and paused millimeters from her lips with his mouth. “I see you, regardless. And you’re a beautiful woman, inside and out.”

  A gust of laughter caressed his face. Rebel responded wryly, “You do know that saying a woman is beautiful on the inside is code for telling her she’s ugly, right?”

  “It is not!” he exclaimed indignantly. “I know any number of stunningly attractive women who are complete bitches, or worse, stupid bitches. I’m not so shallow that I only judge women by their appearance. Yes, you’re physically an attractive woman. But you’re also smart and funny and kind and honorable. Why can’t I respect all of those qualities, too?”

  She stared up at him, her eyes wide, and maybe a little disbelieving.

  “How giant a jerk was your father? Or all of your past boyfriends, for that matter?”

  “I’m starting to think they might have been bigger jerks than I realized,” she said thoughtfully.

  He took the empty glass from her fingers and set it on the nightstand before gathering her in his arms and carrying her very gently down to the mattress. “I can see I have my work cut out for me to convince you that they were idiots. All of them. You’re a rare and precious woman, and none of them treated you the way you deserve to be treated.”

  She smiled up at him, her arms looped lightly around his neck. “Do tell, Mr. Bronson.”

  “I’d rather show you.” He added, “Carefully. So we don’t make your headache come back.”

  The corners of her mouth turned up. “I’m willing to risk a headache if you’ll make love to me. Admittedly, we probably ought to take it easy.”

  “I’m going to take it so slow and easy you’re going to scream,” he threatened.

  “Scream, huh? That sounds interesting. Challenge accepted, sir.”

  And scream she did before he was done making love to her with his hands and mouth and finally his whole body. It was sweet torture holding himself back, waiting for her pleasure to build and then to break over him, and then restraining his own release until he thought he would explode.

  Finally, she cried out for the fourth or fifth time—he’d lost count—wrapping her arms and legs around him so tight it hurt. He was going to die of needing her if this went on much longer—

  She whispered in his ear, “Let go for me, Avi. Come now. I want all of you. Now.”

  “Thank goodness,” he sighed. He let go of his tenuous control and immediately orgasmed so hard he thought his entire body had turned into one giant cramp that unfurled all at once in a glorious expenditure of his soul into her body and heart.

  He was careful not to crush her, even in the aftermath of mind-blowing sex. He supported his weight on his elbows and then cautiously rolled to one side, being careful not to jostle the mattress.

  “I’m not made of glass,” Rebel sighed blissfully. “I won’t break.”

  “I didn’t want to test that theory today, not when you’re not at 100 percent.”

  “I feel pretty darned good right now,” she replied lazily. She turned onto her side and reached out to lay her palm on his chest. Her fingers drew circles in his chest hair, and delight unfolded inside him at the casual intimacy of it.

  “Sleep, Rebel. It’s late, and a good night’s rest is just what the doctor called for.”

  “Mmm. Sweet dreams,” she mumbled, already drifting off.

  He followed suit, and his dreams—of her—were sweet, indeed.

  * * *

  Rebel woke slowly. Morning light came in around the heavy curtains, and the first thing she registered was the spicy clean scent of Avi nearby. She flung her arm wide and encountered only cool bedsheets. Her eyes popped open, and he was sitting across the room at the desk, shirtless and barefoot, wearing only a pair of jeans slung low on his hips. His bronze back was a sculptor’s dream of muscles on top of muscles as he hunched over his laptop computer.

  “Find anything interesting?” she asked. Whoa. Her voice was husky from sleep this morning. “What time is it?” she blurted.

  “Almost noon. You slept for upward of fourteen hours,” Avi answered mildly in that deep, sexy voice of his. “How does your head feel?”

  She checked in cautiously. “Good, actually. Those painkillers the doctor gave me are awesome.”

  He stood up and sauntered over to the bed while she took in the sight of his bare chest with fully as much relish as she had his back. Her gaze lifted to his, and his eyes glinted with amusement and masculine appreciation of her. She realized abruptly that she was naked and the sheets had pooled around her waist when she sat up.

  She started to reach for her chest to cover it with her hands, but Avi got there first, capturing her hands and holding them away from her body. “Don’t be shy. You’re beautiful, and I love looking at you.”

  “Just looking?” she asked a little peevishly.

  He laughed, a rich sound that reminded her of last night’s milkshake. “That, and other things. Like this.” He leaned forward and captured one rosy nipple in his mouth and sucked on it just hard enough to make her back arch in pleasure.

  “And this.” His mouth latched onto her other breast, and this time his tongue swirled deliciously around the hard bud of her nipple.

  “Oh my. What else do you like to do?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Sweet Rebel. You can’t begin to imagine the things I’d like to do to you.”

  “Show me one of them,” s
he challenged him.

  His eyes darkened abruptly and intensity poured off him. “Are you sure?”

  “I dare you.”

  His eyes went positively black.

  He threw off the sheets all at once, baring her entire body to him. Without warning, he tipped her over on her side, grabbed her hips, and pulled her up onto her hands and knees, open and vulnerable to his stare. And his hands.

  He stood up, unzipped his fly, and his erection sprang free, hard and ready. He pulled her back to the edge of the bed, and standing up, entered her from behind.

  The position allowed him to penetrate so deep inside her she thought she might burst. Furthermore, his shaft rubbed against parts of her she’d had no idea before were so sensitive.

  He started to move and she gasped at the sensation of him moving slowly, powerfully, in and out of her. When her entire body was trembling with pleasure, her arms threatening to collapse from it, he reached around in front of her and found the swollen, slick flesh between her legs and rubbed his finger across it once, twice.

  She cried out, shoving her hips back against his, begging silently for more.

  He obliged, picking up the pace and gripping her hip bones to hold her in place for him while he drove into her faster and harder.

  Higher and higher the tide of pleasure clawed within her, wringing moans and groans from her throat, making her whole body shudder with it. Her entire being coiled, and then as Avi shouted and slammed home one last time, her body, mind and soul exploded together in an orgasm too incredible for her to contain it. Her arms collapsed and she buried her face in the mattress, shouting her pleasure in a wordless cry.

  And then Avi’s body was heavy and hot on top of hers for a moment as he gathered her in his arms and rolled to one side. She spooned back against him, loving how they fit together like this, loving how his breath rasped roughly in her ear, loving how hard he was breathing against her back.

  “Are you okay?” he asked anxiously. “That was probably too rough for you with your concussion—”

  “My head is fine, and so is the rest of me. More than fine. Fantastic.”

  His mouth moved in her hair and she felt him kiss the top of her head. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear that.”

  She plucked up her courage and muttered, “I do have a request.”

  “Name it.”

  “Could we do that again sometime?”

  Silent laughter shook Avi’s chest against her body. “I think that could be arranged.”

  “And I’d like to try it in the shower. I’ve never made love in a shower before.”

  “Done.”

  “And maybe...” she trailed off, embarrassed all of a sudden.

  “I’ll make love to you every single way you can possibly imagine, and a few ways you haven’t thought about,” he said quietly into her ear. “I’m game for anything and everything that gives you pleasure.”

  Hmm. That opened up some interesting possibilities she’d never really allowed herself to fantasize about before.

  Avi chuckled again. “I can practically hear your mental wheels turning, Rebel. What are you thinking about?”

  “I’m just pondering what it would be like to have that big, gorgeous body of yours all to myself to play with.”

  He lifted himself up on an elbow and she shifted onto her back to stare up at him. He said quietly, “Consider my body your personal playground. You may do anything to me or with me that you’d like.”

  “As long as you’ll do the same with me,” she answered, startled at how out of breath she was at the idea of no holds barred between them.

  “That’s a deal.”

  “Seal it with a kiss?” she murmured.

  “A kiss...and more.” He came up for air from their openmouthed, wet-tongued, tonsil exploration only long enough to mutter, “You’re following doctor’s orders today and not getting out of bed. At all.”

  Oh my. That sounded amazing.

  Chapter 14

  Avi rolled over lazily and stretched, sore and well-rested all at once. Sore from the athletic—and imaginative—lovemaking he and Rebel had indulged in over and over during the past twenty-four hours, and well-rested from falling asleep beside her last night long before midnight. He rarely slept more than four or five hours a night, and last night he’d slept nine.

  He felt like a new man. And not just because he’d gotten such a great night’s sleep. That woman, the things she did to his head, the way she made him feel—like he could conquer the world with her at his side.

  He eased out from under the covers and lifted aside the curtain to watch sunrise turn the thin, high layer of clouds lavender, then pink, then brilliant orange. He relished the quiet of the moment. How long had it been since he’d stopped to notice a sunrise? Five years? Ten? More?

  Hands touched his sides and slid around to hug his waist. He lifted his right arm and Rebel stepped up beside him to watch the new dawn. He draped his arm over her shoulders, and her body was warm and relaxed against his.

  “Do you have to be anywhere today?” he asked her.

  “No. The doctor made me take today off. How about you? What’s your schedule?”

  “I have to babysit an Israeli archer at 4:00 p.m., and then I have to work a boxing event. Israel actually has a gold medal hopeful in the men’s welterweight class.”

  “What ever will we do with the whole morning to ourselves?” she murmured.

  He smiled down at her. “I have an idea, if you think your doctor wouldn’t mind you getting some exercise.”

  She snorted. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Not to mention we exercised pretty athletically last night, and I’m still standing.”

  Avi grinned. “True. You’ll need sunblock, then.”

  Are you taking me surfing?” she asked eagerly.

  “Do you want to give it a try?”

  “Love to!”

  He grinned at her infectious enthusiasm. They dressed, collected towels, sunblock and sunglasses, and headed for the beach. Before he let her get anywhere near the water, he bought both of them surf shirts and knee-length surf leggings. They slathered the rest of their exposed skin with sunblock, rented surfboards and headed out into the water.

  Still on shore, he showed her how to lie on her board, how to paddle and how to pop up to her feet. Rebel’s balance was excellent, and with her core strength, she was able to do pretty much everything he showed her.

  “Time to head out in the water,” he announced.

  They waded and swam out about chest high in the water, and he held her board for her while she laid on it. “I’ll give you a push when a good wave comes along. Ride it in toward shore, and try popping up onto your feet,” he instructed.

  She wiped out the first half-dozen tries, but then she managed to get to her feet and wobble her way almost back to the beach.

  She swam back out to him, grinning from ear to ear. “Again!” she cried.

  He called a break after about an hour to go ashore and down big bottles of water and reapply sunblock. In the next hour, he let Rebel learn to catch her own waves, paddling furiously toward shore until the wave face caught her board and pushed her ahead of it.

  Her shout of triumph when she caught her first wave carried to him above the roar of the swells pounding the beach.

  She swam back out to him and flung herself into his arms for a salty kiss. “That was awesome!” she exclaimed.

  He replied, “A few more waves, and then I’m going to make you quit. Otherwise, you’ll be so sore tomorrow you won’t be able to walk.”

  “Aww, c’mon.”

  “Trust me, darling. You’ll feel it in places you didn’t know you could hurt.”

  She shrugged, looking over his shoulder out to sea. “Fine. In the meantime, here comes a nice set of waves, and there’s no lineu
p waiting to catch them.”

  He laughed. “Look at you, flinging around surfing slang.”

  She stuck her tongue out at him and paddled out to where the waves were starting to break. He followed on his own board, enjoying the view of her perky tush as she paddled ahead of him.

  Indeed, only a few other surfers were lined up, belly down on their boards, watching the set roll in. One after another they caught the big waves and raced past him and Rebel.

  “Here comes a good one!” he shouted at her.

  She nodded and turned to face shoreward. The wave rushed up behind her and she paddled like mad, catching the face. As the wave lifted her and flung her forward, she jumped to her feet, angling her board just right to run along in front of the curl.

  She flashed past, her face wreathed in pure joy.

  He knew the feeling. He loved the power of the ocean surging beneath his feet. It made him feel like a conquering god taming nature’s power.

  He caught the last, largest swell of the set and ripped toward shore, cutting back and forth across the face of the wave in perfect trim with the curl on his right and the swell on his left.

  The swell carried him all the way to shore and he finally jumped off his board in knee-deep water. He scooped up his board, tucking it under his arm and jogging down the beach to where Rebel was just wading out of the water.

  “Hungry?” he asked her.

  “Ravenous.”

  They returned their boards and retrieved their personal possessions out of the locker they’d rented. He led her to the grungiest, busiest grub joint he could find along the beach. The surfers would know best where the food was tasty, plentiful and cheap.

  He ordered them two surf plates and carried them over to a table overlooking the beach. Rebel stared at the mounded plate he set down in front of her.

  “Are you kidding?” she muttered.

  He grinned at her as he slid into his seat across from her. Their plates each held a huge mound of mashed potatoes topped with a steak and fried eggs, the whole slathered in brown gravy.