Page 48 of Embedded
I took a sip and loved how strong it was. “Perfect. Thanks.”
“Happy to be of service.”
The glass was half empty by the time I noticed I wasn’t alone in the bar anymore. My mind was so busy rehashing the last few hours that I hadn’t heard anyone come in. A group of women who looked to be airline attendants took up a large table and seemed to be laughing about something entertaining. I loved people watching, especially if it was people having a good time. I shifted my gaze to movement in a booth and spotted Paul as he nursed a beer. He appeared to be deep in thought. He had his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands.
I slipped off the stool, picked up my drink, and made way over to him.
“Hey,” I kept my voice low so as to not startle him, “care for some company?” He kept his gaze locked on the table in front of him. “Everything okay?” I touched his shoulder, and he jumped and grabbed my arm, about to twist it. “Oh!” I yelped, and he let go.
“Shit, Nicole,” he gasped, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I rubbed the tender spot. “I should know better than to sneak up on a soldier.” He nodded and rubbed the back of his head; clearly something weighed on him. With Paul, I knew I couldn’t push, or he’d shoot his walls up. That wouldn’t do either of us any good. “Well, I guess you need some space, so I’ll head up to my room. See you in the morning.” He didn’t respond, so I walked to the elevator. I sipped my drink as I watched the floors slip by and wondered what had happened with him after he and Frank were kicked out of the meeting.
Once in my room, I reached for the remote on the TV and switched to a music channel. I needed something in the background, or I’d go crazy from the silence.
I flopped on the bed and let my body sink into the mattress. The ceiling fan spun above me, and soon my vision blurred and my eyes grew heavy. I jerked awake at an urgent knock on the door, and I scrambled to open it without a thought.
Paul stood there. He looked at me with so much pain in his expression it took my breath away.
“Hi.” His shoulders were tense, the muscles in his arms twitched, and his fists pumped at his sides. It felt like he was screaming at me in silence. You could practically see the war in his eyes. Music flowed around us as we stood there. “You want to talk about it?” He shook his head slowly. “Okay,” I said softly and tried to gauge how I could help. “Want to come in?” He seemed to think about it, then he took a step toward me.
His hands snagged my face as he leaned close and drew in a deep breath through his nose. It was as though he wanted to inhale my scent. His eyes flickered to the TV when The Moment of Truth by Red Clay Strays started to fill the room.
“Paul?”
“I hate him,” he whispered, but before I could ask who, he kissed me so hard I stumbled backward. One of his arms snaked behind my back and pulled me to him, then he pressed me against the wall. I could tell he needed a release, and I wanted to be that for him. He slowed the kiss, and I was sure he was being careful not to force himself on me. I respected him for that, but I wanted it too, so I reached down and caught the hem of my shirt and pulled it up over my head. His pupils dilated as he reached out and slid his thumb along the ridge of my collarbone. Suddenly, he yanked his t-shirt up over his head and tossed it to the side. I sucked in a breath when I saw the two puncture wounds on his chest.
I forced myself not to focus on that as the heat built inside me. I reached for the button on my jeans, but he stopped my hand and placed it in the center of his stomach. He leaned one hand on the wall above my head and used the other to stroke down my side. I roamed his stomach with my fingers and enjoyed the feeling of his steel-like body. It seemed to relax him as I took the liberty to explore every curve of his muscled torso. My fingers traveled over the scars, discolorations, and dips in his muscles from years of abuse. I knew it was a hazard of his job, and each one carried its own story, ones that were kept deep within that haunted brain of his.
His head dipped, and he panted in my ear like he was losing his self-control. I tilted my head to the side, and my eyes closed as his lips found the side of my neck, dropping hungry kisses as he went. His hand flexed low on my bare hip, and I slid my hand down and did a swipe of his erection. He was like stone, ready for me.
I knew from Savannah that it been a while since Paul had been with someone, and it was the same for me. I think we both fought to play it carefully and stay respectful with one another because of the situation we were in. Deep down, we both knew we’d end up here; it was inevitable.
He let out a painful groan when I pushed my hips into his. My body hummed with need. Within seconds, he had my jeans and panties at my ankles for me to step out of, and then he kicked off his own. I unhooked my bra and dropped it, and before it hit the floor, his hands were all over me. He hooked my leg over his hip and pressed his erection at my slick opening.
My head spun with all kinds of madness. It was the perfect kind of chaos I needed. It settled all the crap inside and heightened everything else.
“Please don’t hate me,” he whispered as he lifted me into the air and slid inside me at the same time.
“Don’t hate you?” I railed off, and all I could think of was oh, my God, he’s so large. I gasped as he filled me then wrapped my legs around him and held on for dear life as he slowed and pushed in further. Everything went silent in my head as we locked eyes and he stilled for a split second, then he kept going. My skin heated as my body worked hard to adjust to the delicious intrusion. My heart pounded so hard I imagined he could feel it against his chest. “Too much?”
I broke out in a delirious smile and shook my head. “No, not too much,” I gasped.
“Good.” He pulled out slightly and slid back in, and my head dropped back to the wall with a happy laugh. He pumped slow and deep, and with each thrust I felt as though he was feeding me a drug. Everything felt amazing, and for the first time in forever, I let my guard slip away. I was truly living in the moment. It had been years since I let myself come first.
I leaned back to look at him, and he smiled, then he hooked my lips and deepened a hard, passionate kiss. Our bodies were slick as he rubbed against me. He never slowed or showed any signs of getting tired, then he suddenly swung me around and laid me on the bed. We never lost our connection, and he picked right back up again devouring my mouth and grinding his hips into mine. I was out of my mind with lust and needed more. With all my strength, I pushed his shoulder so he’d roll over, but instead he hooked my arms and lifted me so I sat on his lap and started to thrust from the bottom.
The new angle sparked a whole different feeling, and I screamed in pure pleasure. “Oh, my God, Paul,” I cried as my body built into a tight coil. My nails clawed at his back.
“Say that again,” he ordered, but I was nowhere near listening, so he grabbed my chin. “Say that again.” His look was so serious that my attention locked in on what he asked.
In a low moan I repeated the words. “Oh, my God, Paul.”
His eyes creased as a smile crossed his lips, and I wished I could have read his mind, but in that same moment he leaned in and nipped my neck and it sent me off into a rainbow of colors as one hell of an orgasm took me over. I screamed, bucked, and shook my way through it. I didn’t care if the people in the rooms next to us thought I was dying and called the police because in that moment I shed a part of myself and let this man inside my own walls.
I vaguely remembered as Paul tucked me into his side and pulled the blanket over us. What I did remember was his arms stayed tight around me and the kiss he slowly dropped on the top of my head seemed sad somehow. I didn’t dare ruin the moment by asking him what was wrong. He needed this, and apparently, I did too. Instead, I relished the feel of my tingling body as I fell into one of the best sleeps of my life.
***
