Page 64 of Tempest

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Sunday

Ivy startled from a deep sleep and felt her heart thud against her chest. She tried to move and found herself anchored against a solid warm mass. Why was she trapped?

“Where are you going?” A deep voice rumbled into her ear.

“I had a bad dream; there was fire and I couldn’t get out.” Rolling over, she buried her face into Ryan’s chest. “That was a bad one.” Slowly, she breathed in and out and filled her lungs with the calming scent of his skin. “I guess it’s starting to catch up with me.”

“Makes sense.”

Ivy lifted his hand and checked his watch. “We should get up in a bit. I want to make breakfast for everyone.”

“There’s only one solution to a bad dream.” He rolled over, parted her legs with his knee, and poised himself at her entrance. “Replace the bad with the good.”

Raising her knees on either side of his hips, she felt his broad length fill her up. He touched her in places that she hadn’t been aware of until him. Physically he was imposing, but the fact that he matched it with his will and kindness made him more than she could handle sometimes. He pulled out and then thrust deeply back in until he was seated against her core. After that it was a blur of bliss as he drove the remaining bad feelings away. Whoever said that things couldn’t be fixed with morning sex was wrong. Ryan’s talent made him the perfect antidote to the reality that she was currently facing.

“Open your eyes, Ivy. I want us connected when…”

His last move unraveled her body, and she fell over the top as she exploded in mind-blowing happiness. Staring into his eyes, she watched him follow her and shout as he emptied himself into her body. His hips drove in, and it set off another small surge, as her body rode the last wave of pleasure.

His chest heaved in and out, and he collapsed on top of her and held her against his sweat-soaked skin. “I want our eyes to be on one another when that happens,” he huffed out. “I want to see how I make you feel.”

Lifting her hand to his face, she pushed his hair off his forehead and wondered how long it was going to last between them. Was this intense connection between them a result of being in a dramatic situation together? Or was this the real deal? There was no answer to that question, because they were still in the thick of it.

He lifted his head and smiled into her eyes. “Better?”

“Better,” she responded and buried her face in his neck. Maybe it wasn’t important to know how long it was going to last. Her natural wariness had to be put aside for now, because he was here and protecting her.

He rolled on his back, lifted his arms above his head, and smiled over at her. “Was that our makeup sex or just regular morning sex?”

“Were we in a fight?”

“Not a yelling one. Those are easy. You were mad at me and not telling me why. I’m guessing it’s because you’re used to being in charge and making decisions on your own. When I took over the well issues and made a plan without consulting you, your feathers were ruffled. Also, you don’t like it when I tell you what to do.”

“It’s true. I haven’t ever been in a relationship with someone who is as strong-willed as I am. I don’t know what I’m doing, and that always makes me feel uncomfortable because I’m used to having the answers. My competency makes me feel safe, and when that’s threatened, I get mad.” Pushing away from the bed, she sat up and twisted her hair into a knot.

Ryan sat up and held her against his chest. “Why are you always moving me around like I’m a doll?” she asked.

His hand smoothed down her leg and he kissed her shoulder. “I want to be as close to you as I can.”

“I can’t argue with you when you say sweet things.”

“Kind of the point, honey.” Lifting her chin, he kissed her gently and then released her mouth. “What I learned being on the Teams is that we succeeded because we worked together. No man was capable of doing everything, and no one had all the answers. Each person had his expertise and the whole relied on the individual. That’s how I think of us. There are some things that I can do better than you and vice versa. Neither one of us is more valuable because of those talents, and we won’t succeed unless we work together. I worked in an environment that required me to make quick decisions. In combat, you do that constantly. As a sniper, that was my job description. If I hesitated, it could cost a brother his life.”

“So that’s how you operate in civilian life too?”

“Mostly. If I know how to solve a problem, then I do. Without a lot of discussion.” He moved his hand up and down her back in a soothing motion. “In certain things, I will always act decisively, and I don’t think you’re going to like it until you trust me. Trust takes time, so I figure we have some bumpy spots ahead of us.”

“I just have to accept it?”

“Pretty much. What you see is what you get, and I don’t want to sell you a false bill of goods. If I think you’re in danger, I’m not going to debate the best possible course of action.”

“Let’s roll this theory into real life, and against all odds we decide to have a relationship. How do we figure it out?

“First off, it’s not against all odds. We are in a relationship, and we’re going to make it work. Ivy, all I care about is your happiness, and I’m hoping you care about mine. If we do that, then everything’s going to work out. I have a ton of faith that we’re going to make the most of the love story that we’ve been given.”

“Boom.” She rested her head against his chest. “That was my heart exploding with hope that what you’re saying is possible.”

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