Page 122 of Shadow Blind

Ah, hell.

He swallowed a groan as she drew back. She didn’t go far though, less than a foot, which was a consolation.

“I did a lot of thinking while I sat by your bed, waiting for you to wake up.” Her eyes darkened to mahogany. “And I realized something.” She searched his face, her gaze narrow and intense. “I don’t want to give up on what we have, on what we could have. There’s a connection between us, one I’ve never felt with anyone before, not even Donnie. I want to find a way to make this relationship work—but on a level that accommodates both of us.”

Aiden released a shaky breath. “I want that too.”

Relief touched her face, but instantly vanished. “The thing is—” she drew a deep breath. “Are you going back to the SEALs, Aiden? Those long, constant deployments—” She broke off with a dismayed shake of her head.

“No.” The answer came easily. Apparently, his subconscious had already reached a decision.

“You’re sure?” She looked conflicted; half hopeful, half worried. “I don’t want you making that choice because of me. That would just lead to resentment, which would eventually tear us apart.”

“I’m sure.” And he was. The decision sat comfortably inside him. Sure, there was some sadness, a tinge of loss and grief. But deployments wouldn’t be the same without Squirrel and the rest of his teammates beside him. He’d be assigned to a new team, but it wouldn’t be the same. Maybe if he’d lost his brothers through less suspicious circumstances, he’d feel differently.

But there were so many questions about what had happened in Karaveht, like who was behind the testing on his team. Truth was, he didn’t trust the boots on the WARCOM ladder. Someone had set them up. Somebody had betrayed them. And that someone could be in SEAL command. If you didn’t trust those who were supposed to have your back, it was time to get out.

“My contract is almost up, and I’m not going back. I don’t know what’s going to happen, whether they’ll release me from my contract a couple of weeks early, or if I’ll be AWOL. Hell, I might already be AWOL. But we don’t know who was behind what happened in Karaveht, and I’m not ruling out WARCOM. Either way, with a bounty on my helmet, I’d be a danger to any new crew, anyway.”

He was at peace with the choice. It felt right.

“Are you joining Shadow Mountain, then?”

He glanced up, hearing the relief in her voice. It softened the lines of her face and blunted the stubborn edge to her chin. He wished he could give her reassurance on this subject, too, but he’d never lied to her, and he wasn’t about to start now.

“I haven’t decided what I’m going to do after we lock down this new weapon and track down the bastard behind it.” From the lack of surprise on her face, and the slight bob of her head, she’d expected that response. He paused, giving her a chance to protest or question him. When neither was forthcoming, he continued. “This battle hasn’t even started, Demi.” He hesitated; she’d been honest about her difficulty with the dangers inherent in his job. The possibility of his death wouldn’t lessen anytime soon. Not with the creator of this doomsday device in the wind. He softened his voice, hoping his next words wouldn’t detonate the possibilities stretching between them. “I’m neck-deep in this situation, babe. When we get a name and a location, I’ll be the first man on the chopper. I can step away from the SEALs program, but I can’t step away from this mission. This new weapon is too dangerous. It needs to be locked down. The bastard who created it needs to be secured. I owe Squirrel and Lurch and the rest of my crew that much.”

She sighed but held his eyes. A smile trembled on her lips. “I know.”

“Is that a deal breaker?” He reached out to tuck a strand of aqua hair behind her ear.

“No.” She drew the word out on a long, wobbly breath.

The quiver in her voice drew a frown from him. “You don’t sound sure.”

“I’m sure.” Her breathing steadied. “I’m not saying I won’t be worried from the moment you leave until you come back, but I’ll figure out how to deal with that. I’ll have Kait and Olivia and the rest of the book club brigade to help me process the anxiety.” Her shoulders squared. “If they’re able to deal with their men being in danger—” Her chin rose. “So can I.”

“So, where does that leave us?” He forced his hands to remain at his sides.

“Back together?” Her voice lifted into a question. “If you’re up for that.”

A slow, teasing grin painted her lips. From the fire gleaming in her eyes, that last question had been deliberate. Warmth flooded his chest, swept down his arms and legs, and exploded in his crotch. His cock hardened.

“Fuck, am I ever up for it,” he rasped. One step closed the distance between them. He caught her hand and drug it down to his achingly hard cock. “As you can see.”

“But I can’t see.” Her lips formed an exaggerated pout as her fingers closed around the tented material of his tactical pants. Her fingers slid up to the zipper and tugged the tab down until there was a large enough gap to slip her hand inside. She wound her free arm around his neck and tugged it downward until she could nibble at his bottom lip. Cool fingers slipped beneath his boxers and curled around his achingly hard shaft. “But I can feel, and it feels…very…upright.”

He leaned down and slid his tongue between her strawberry-sweet lips. “Christ, you taste good.”

She huffed out a laugh. “It’s the lip balm. It’s guaranteed to please my man—at least that’s what the packaging says.”

“Fuck, no. It’s your lips…your mouth…your tongue,” he growled against her lips. “They never disappoint.”

“Well,” her voice became a sultry tease. “Don’t you think we should test the accuracy of the claim on the packaging?”

He grunted in disappointment as she pulled back, only to catch his breath as she slid down his torso and onto her knees. She dragged his pants and boxers down, leaving them pooled around his legs. And then her hot, wet tongue started licking up and down his cock, from base to head, where it paused to swirl around the sensitive slit and the even more sensitive ridge beneath the head. When his cock started twitching, her mouth replaced her tongue, closing around his aching shaft. A deep, guttural groan broke from him as she sucked and slid. She knew exactly what he liked, how much pressure to use, the perfect pace to extend his pleasure. Each time she slid her mouth up to the sensitive head, she gently sucked and swiped her tongue around the slit or that sensitive ridge beneath. And the whole time, the fingers of her free hand fondled his balls—caressing, gently squeezing until they were tighter than hell and pulled up against his body.

Christ, behind his closed eyelids, his eyes crossed. He groaned again, leaning his head back, basking in the feel of her hot, creative mouth, and even hotter and more creative tongue.

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