Page 35 of Twister

“That’s a good question, and we seem to have nothing but questions right about now.”

“Investigating is hard,” Axel said, and Griffin chuckled at his sarcasm.

“You are a great addition to NCIS, Volk,” he said.

“No one calls me that anymore,” Axel growled. “My Shadowguard days are behind me.” He sighed as they left thestaging area where the FBI team had set up and got into their rental. Yeah, his CIA days were behind him, but not his memories or how much he missed Luna. But he loved NCIS and the brain and footwork he had to do to run down leads and figure out clues. He rolled down his window, and the scent of fresh lavender hit him square in the face, transporting him all the way back to…France. He closed his eyes as Griffin navigated the crowded streets, remembering her…remembering Brigitte. His throat got tight, and his heart followed suit.

He’d never forgotten her, and he knew that she would haunt him as strongly and as heart-crushingly as Papillion still did. But to his surprise, the memory of his previous partner and lover had faded a bit, as if she was a worn copy of a vibrant photograph, and now all that seemed to remain was Brigitte burning in his memory.

12

Sadie saton her bed cross-legged and tried with all her might to do her homework for her online class, but her mind kept skipping back to what had happened after their dive shift was over…the unbelievable sex, the shower, then his breakdown.

All the questions that she had brought up during those mind-bending, and heartrending experiences danced around in her head. He had been embarrassed and angry, and it wasn’t a surprise to her at all. He was a SEAL, a warfighter, the kind of man who didn’t want to admit any kind of weakness as if asking for help wasn’t a possibility.

But he had her, and apparently, she had him. He wasn’t going to say anything about her lapse in concentration. Her secret was safe with him. She was motivated to get back there, continue the vital work of bringing their dead home to rest.

She had once again returned her attention to her laptop, determined to do another fifteen more minutes, then sleep, when there was a soft knock on the door. She was surprised that someone was knocking at this time, as most of them would be turning in. PT came early in the morning.

She called, “Come in.”

When the door opened, she caught her breath. It was Twister, and he smiled a cat-in-the-cream smile as he entered, then closed the door behind him. He leaned those broad shoulders against the door in a hip-shot stance, with a heavy-lidded gaze that made her skin start to buzz, his arms at his sides, hard, tanned, the veins running down his forearms to the back of his big hands. Was it him, or did all SEALs seem “armed” all the time? Even when there were no visible weapons.

His white T-shirt was loose, but those stretchy black shorts molded to his lower body, the edges hugging those thick, muscled thighs, the fabric stretched across his impressive groin and sexy hips. How exciting that men couldn’t hide how they felt about a woman in such a visceral, physical way. Again, was it him or, even when these warfighters were relaxed, did they always seemed primed for action? That made her heart flutter.

She frowned. It was hard to get a read on this man sometimes. But she very much liked how those smiles came much easier now, and she very much liked that it seemed to be in her presence. Not the humorous, ribbing kind of smiles he shared with his teammates. No, this smile was intimate, filled with much more than sex, and that made him so dangerous, unquestionably dangerous. She didn’t think anyone looked at her like he did, confident and agitated…in a good way, the best kind of way. Homework forgotten, she closed her laptop, sliding it off the bed to the floor.

“Aren’t you upwaypast your bedtime?” she murmured, her voice teasing but hushed, as if she were imparting a secret between them. She tilted her head. “Bondo looks like he does his tucking so tight, you wouldn’t be able to escape.” That exhilarating smile changed, metallic glints sparking in his eyes.

“Is that so?” he said, those eyes heating. “I’ve been through SERE, and I know all about escaping.” He locked the door, telling her that he was staying for a while, and the thought ofgetting more than a stolen fifteen minutes with him sent a thrill through her.

“You staying a while?” she asked.

He pushed off the door, the power of him radiating in the limited space. He seemed like a man with a mission, and she knew how dedicated SEALs were to that mission.

“It seems that my CO thinks that getting time with you would be less distracting on the job. I’m not sure that’s true, but I’m always ready to take advantage of a good situation. Waste not, want not.”

Her eyes went back to him like a heat-seeking missile. Overjoyed that they were going to get some downtime together, she couldn’t wait to feel his arms around her, look into his impossibly smoldering eyes and taste him, to run her tongue over him and slide her fingers into his silky dark hair, to touch his skin and feel his warmth envelope her, and to know without a doubt that she was safe. “I’ll need to see your signed permission slip.”

There was that spark in his eyes again, a flash of white teeth as he grinned, intensifying her longing. From the moment he walked in, she wanted his mouth. He pulled off his T-shirt in one quick move, stripping down to just those leave-nothing-to-the-imagination itty-bitty black shorts and all of that high-octane testosterone.

“I think this is all the permission I need,” Twister said gruffly, the natural mischief in his smile taking on a whole new meaning. He hooked his thumbs into those shorts and pulled them down and off, and her breath hitched. Twister was rock solid, honed granite by his exacting peers into an elite combat weapon, trained to think two steps ahead of the enemy while under fire, underwater, and outmanned. What chance had she really had against him? As the sight of him washed down her body like atorrent and made her ache, she had to amend her first thought. She hadn’t wanted any chance at all.

“That’s an impressive permission slip.” Everything about him left her breathless. “But I can’t quite read it.”

His breathing faltered. “Closer, then?” he asked. He looked male, beautifully aroused, restrained—and overheated.

“Oh, much, much closer,” she said, panting. “I don’t want to miss a thing.” She ached to get her hands on him.

“Oh, I’ll make sure of it,” he said, grabbing onto her shorts and pulling everything off her, leaving her in nothing but her soft, white tank top, her nipples tight knots against the cotton. He set his knee on the bed, making her breathless and weak. She closed her eyes, her heart pounding, the thought of him touching her, stroking her filled her mind.

“You drive me crazy,” he growled, coming down onto the bed, nudging her thighs apart with his knee and settling his hips between her legs, the hard, hot heat of him heavy against her sex. She gasped, moaning softly, his skin like warmed velvet. His voice rough with emotion, gruff with tenderness, he brushed a kiss against her temple. “I need tohaveyou…fuckyou. Ineedyou, Sadie. I think I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” His hot gaze drilled into her, his weight compressing her lungs a bit, pressing the aching tips of her nipples into his hard, immovable chest.

He gripped the back of her neck, taking her mouth in a hot, deep kiss, shoving up her tank top with the other. Breaking the kiss briefly, she blindly crossed her arms and pulled it impatiently off. She buried her fingers in his hair, tugging his mouth back to hers. He was both gentle and urgent, making her feel the center of his universe. He pressed his thick, hard heat against her, still kissing her deeply, twining his tongue along hers as he slid his hands down, all those flexing muscles pinning her to the mattress.

Breathing raggedly against her mouth when she reached down and caressed the head of his shaft, positioning him at the core of her, he jerked, groaning her name. Another deeper groan vibrated through her chest as he pushed into her with a strong surge, filling her.

Opening her mouth wide against his and drinking in his taste, his need, she slid her hands over his flexing butt, and he made a low, guttural sound as his thrusts intensified.

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