Page 40 of Skull

She pressed her lips against the nape of his neck, ravishing him, overwhelming her thoughts, arousing her body, and creating a heavy, tingling sensation right where she pressed her lower body against him. His skin was so soft, like velvet over steel, the indentation of his spine flexing beneath her lips as he dropped his head forward. She moved her face into his fresh smelling hair, the tips still damp, the mass of it so silky as she inhaled the underlying masculine scent of him.

“You are so freaking beautiful,” she murmured against his skin. “Inside and out. I want you continuously.” Her heart split open, she couldn’t stop herself, the fear she had experienced seemed as ghostly as she strived to be in the field, now distant and far away. There was only Cooper in her arms, beneath her hands, and she wanted to kiss and taste every inch of him.

She was unraveling from the inside out, seduced by his honesty, his courage, and his strength. Her hands moved over him, reveling in the tactile feel of his skin beneath her palms, giving into the need to caress him, make him crazy with the same passion she’d always thought was pure fantasy. Her breathing accelerated as his hips thrust uncontrollably, then his butt surged against her core, and she cried out, the heady knowledge of holding such a lethal weapon in her arms sending her heart beating off the charts.

His thick lashes drifted open, and his darkened, dazed gaze locked with hers filled with a deep, aching desire as he panted, his chest heaving. “Walker,” he said hoarsely, his voice saturated with pleasure.

She clasped his shoulder and pushed him back until his mouth was where she needed it to be. When her lips took him, his low urgent growl sent shivers over her skin, his response intensifying her desire. He buried his fingers in her hair and dragged her into his lap until her back was against the lower part of his hard, undeniably aroused body. With his lips still devouring her mouth with aggressive, utterly devastating kisses, he shoved the hem of his Navy T-shirt up impatiently, baring her naked breasts to the cool air. She shivered and moaned as his big, warm hand closed over her breast, rubbing and massaging each mound, then rolling her hard, sensitive nipples between his fingers.

He broke the kiss, lowered his head and closed his mouth over her taut, aching breast. He laved her nipple with his tongue before sucking her deep into his searing, greedy mouth. Her skin tingled everywhere, hot and alive with sensation.

He shifted on the bed, one arm around her upper back, the other slipping under her legs, and with a powerful thrust of his thighs, he lifted her, swinging her around and onto her back against the mattress.

He stood there, his chest heaving, his eyes raking over her with such a deep need, her body clenched with the desire to give him anything, everything he needed.

With a quick, ruthless movement, he stripped off his shorts and briefs, freeing his full, thick erection. Surging up off the bed, she pulled him down until he was flat on his back. Leaning forward, she captured one of his rigid nipples between her lips, laving the erect nub with her tongue and grazing the tip with the edge of her teeth. She felt him coil to make his own move, but she wasn’t quite done with him. She reached down and wrapped her fingers around the hard, velvet-textured length of him and felt him pulse in her tight grip. She rubbed her thumb over the silky moisture on the big, plum-shaped head of his cock. With a strangled cry his hips jerked, and he panted, groaning in his chest, his big body strung tight and at her mercy.

She moaned at his reaction, her pulse tripping all over itself, the delicious heat of his body beneath her mouth, in her hands instigating a hungry ache through her veins. Her sex felt swollen and achy. She had no doubt that Skull would give all of himself in return, and she would eventually be satisfied. She could handle the exquisite ache until she had what she wanted. This was all about having her way with him like she wanted to in the shower, but now everything was even more heightened, her heart was fully engaged whether she liked it or not. She’d been through danger with him, witnessed his protective instincts, and his combat skills. All of it turned her on. They had made love, but it was too quick. Now, in this lull, was the time to experience, to take, to have and to hold.

She moved across his abs, licking and kissing him, going lower still to her pumping hand where she took him into her wet mouth, his skin as hot and salty as she remembered. He shuddered and tangled his hand in her hair, and she sucked him, taking him deep, pleasuring him with her mouth, teasing him with her tongue, and with him full and throbbing, she fondled the heavy sack. He thrust his hips gently, his face contorting in pleasure as he hissed in a moaning breath.

He twisted his hips, rising up in a lightning quick move, pulling her up his body, rolling until she was on her back, the light in his eyes possessive and bright with his desire as he dragged her panties off, nearly ripping them in his haste to get her naked. Then he was between her legs, pushing her legs wide apart, and his dark head dipped down. The feel of his hot, damp mouth burned her aching, pulsing core in a sensual heat that took her breath away.

She moaned as he licked her in a hot, searing stroke, closing his warm, wet mouth over her as she cried out. The pleasure was sharp and riveting and stole her breath. A low throbbing began in her belly, then spiraled down to her sex, and she grabbed handfuls of his hair wanting more, needing more…

The sleek, gliding pressure of his soft mouth and wicked tongue stroking her rhythmically working her over with seductive magic, the most erotic sensation she’d ever had. Unable to hold back, she let out a cry and arched sinuously against his mouth as she came in a burning wave that shook her entire body.

Without giving her a chance to fully recover from her orgasm, he moved up and over her, the slide of his muscled body against hers making her pulse leap higher and faster. She reached down to touch him, and when her fingers fluttered over the broad, velvet head of his erection, he sucked in another hissing breath. Grasping both her wrists, he pulled her arms over her head and pinned them, taking control of the whole situation.

He settled more fully on top of her, his thighs forcing hers farther apart, and then he was pressing his shaft intimately against her, nudging his way in, stretching her, setting her body on fire. She caught a glimpse of his dark, fierce expression before he crushed his mouth to hers and kissed her deeply, passionately.

Their moans mingled and he thrusted deeper, heavier, possessing and claiming her in a sweet, hard, primitive way. He lowered his head and kissed her, the soft sensual glide of his tongue matching the rhythm of his deep thrusts. She felt the change in him as his pace quickened, his breathing grew ragged, and he pumped harder, faster, toward his own completion. She dug her fingers into the rippling muscles of his damp back, arched high and hard into every thrust, and felt him stiffen as his climax peaked. He dragged his lips from hers, surged into her one final time, and on a ragged, primal growl he spilled himself into her.

Breathing hard, he buried his face against her throat, and she threaded her fingers through his hair, cradling him against her. A few minutes passed before he finally lifted his head from the curve of her neck. In the dim light, his features were shadowed with something that made her heart contract. And at that moment she felt incredibly exposed and vulnerable because she was helpless to return that look.

Her emotional defenses automatically kicked in, and she instead turned the moment into a light-hearted one. “Wow, what lengths you won’t go to get back your T-shirt.”

He flashed her a grin, and he looked so damn adorable. And so incredibly sexy.

“Hey, I can be smug right about now,” he shot back as their cells chimed in unison.

That was the signal that the lull was over and they were being called back hopefully to a green-lit op. Her chest tight with emotions swirling around her contracting heart, she pulled him down for one last, lingering kiss before they were back in the fight.

Skull satat the long table in the dimly lit conference room, the overhead fluorescents humming faintly against the hush. The large screen on the wall at the head of the table displayed the live feed. Commander Bartholomew’s stern voice filled the room, demanding everyone’s attention.

“The brass and the Justice Department have given final approval,” he announced, his gravelly tone echoing off the walls. Relief washed over the team, the green light they had been waiting for. But the commander’s face remained grim. “With that approval, the burden falls squarely on both the CIA and our SEALs. Iceman,” the commander nodded to their master chief, “you’ve been entrusted to spearhead this. Anna’s mission planning will be critical to keep all of you under the radar. Keep it tight, clean, and off the books.”

Skull straightened in his chair, feeling the weight of the words. Across from him, Iceman gave a curt nod, his jaw set in a hard line. He knew exactly what that meant. Success was mandatory, failure was not an option. He would ensure the mission’s silence and precision.

“But there’s a complication,” the commander continued, looking warily at the group. “The Justice Department has decided not to release Pincho’s husband.”

A collective murmur of anger rippled across the conference room. Hazard’s teammates exchanged glances, muttering under their breath. It was clear that every one of Skull’s brothers found the news intolerable. Releasing Pincho’s husband had been a key demand, and without it, everything got more complicated.

Iceman shot them a glare, his pale blue eyes narrowing with cold authority. The room fell silent, though Skull could feel the tension thrumming in the background. Nobody liked this.

“The DOJ claims letting him go sets a bad precedent, makes us look weak,” the commander explained. “We’re not going to get anywhere with that. So, you’re going to have to do this the hard way. Blade won’t talk unless his wife and children are safe. That’s the deal. And without that intel, we don’t have a shot at rescuing those hostages.”

He paused, letting the gravity of the mission sink in. Then he cleared his throat and looked to the right of the camera, presumably checking his notes. “Hummingbird, Skull, and the dog—Bones, is it?—have been tagged to go in under the radar, keeping it tight. Extract the wife and kids. The rest of you stay on standby at the LZ to provide QRF if things go sideways.”

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