Page 16 of Protecting Her

"This is dangerous," Jude whispered.

"Everything worth having is." Carmen leaned into the touch. "We both know the real danger isn't just out there. It's this thing between us that we keep pretending we can ignore."

Their kiss felt inevitable. Jude's lips were soft but hungry, tasting of liquor and something uniquely Jude. Carmen pressed closer, her fingers curling into Jude’s clothes as years of diplomatic reserve crumbled under the weight of wanting.

They broke apart only when the need for air became critical. Jude rested her forehead against Carmen's, both of them breathing hard.

"We should stop," Jude said, but her hands tightened on Carmen's hips.

"Should we?" Carmen ran her fingers along the nape of Jude's neck, feeling her shiver. "Or should we finally admit that some boundaries are meant to be crossed?"

The city sparkled below them, oblivious to how their world was shifting on this balcony. Carmen watched as conflicting emotions battled each other across Jude's face: desire and duty, need and restraint.

"Carmen..." Her name on Jude's lips sounded like prayer and surrender combined.

This time, when they kissed, there was no hesitation. No retreat. Just the taste of inevitability and the knowledge that everything would be different after tonight.

Carmen pulled back just enough to whisper against Jude's lips, "Stay with me.”

It wasn't a question, and they both knew it wasn't just about tonight. It was about all the nights to come, about choosing something beyond just their duty and diplomatic protocol.

Jude's answer came in the form of another kiss, her tongue pushing hungrily into Carmen’s mouth.

The air felt charged, like the moment just before lightning strikes.

Carmen's diplomatic training had taught her to read micro-expressions and to catch the smallest tells that could change the course of negotiations. Now, she watched Jude's face in the dim light, noting how her careful control wavered when Carmen's fingers traced the collar of her tactical vest.

"You're thinking too hard," Carmen murmured, reaching up to cup Jude's face. The younger woman's pulse raced beneath her palm.

"Force of habit." Jude's voice roughened again as Carmen's thumb brushed her bottom lip. "They train us to analyze every situation."

"Then analyze this." Carmen pressed closer, letting Jude feel the heat between them. "Tell me what your tactical assessment says about where this is going."

A small sound escaped Jude's throat, something between a laugh and a groan. Her hands settled on Carmen's hips, strong fingers flexing against silk. "My training didn't cover this scenario."

"No?" Carmen smiled, enjoying the way Jude's breath hitched. "All those years of protection detail, and no one warned you about falling for your protectee?"

The words hung in the air between them. Jude's eyes darkened, and Carmen watched her last defenses crumble.

"They warned us," Jude admitted softly. "They just never mentioned how impossible it would be to resist."

Carmen hummed with approval, sliding her hands down to work at the straps of Jude's vest. "Then stop resisting."

The vest hit the floor with a muted thud. Carmen felt Jude shiver as her fingers found skin beneath the uniform shirt. Years of negotiating had taught her patience, but tonight that skill deserted her. She wanted to map every scar, learn every story written on Jude's skin.

"Carmen..." Jude's voice held a note of wonder, as if she couldn't quite believe this was real. "Are you sure about this?"

In answer, Carmen pressed her lips to the scar near Jude's temple, then traced a path down her jaw. "I've spent my life being sure about everything. Making careful choices. Taking calculated risks." She pulled back just enough to meet Jude's gaze. "This isn't a calculation. This is certainty."

Something shifted in Jude's expression, like sunlight breaking through clouds. Her next kiss carried none of her usualrestraint, and Carmen melted into it. Jude’s hands came up and tangled in Carmen’s hair, and once she reached the nape of Carmen’s neck, Jude tugged softly at first but then harder. Carmen closed her eyes and leaned her head back.

“Like that?” Jude’s whisper came husky in her ear.

“Yes,” she breathed, and before she could move her own hand, Jude pulled her hair again as she spun Carmen around against the balcony’s wrought-iron railing and slipped her free hand up Carmen’s shirt in one fluid motion.

It took Jude seconds to unbutton Carmen’s silk blouse and peel it from her shoulders, exposing Carmen’s lace bra. She slipped her hand under the fabric and cupped Carmen’s breast, and Carmen let out a sharp exhale that wasn’t quite a moan but wasn’t not a moan.

Carmen felt more alive than she had in years with Jude’s hands on her body.

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