Living on the Edge Read online

  “I didn’t want to like you,” she said, her lips nearly brushing his, her sweet breath filling his lungs.

  Lucas’s fingers tightened, curling against the stiff plates of her armored tactical vest. He’d never hated body armor more than he did right now. He wanted to feel the supple give of her skin, the firm curves of her muscles.

  He slid his fingers down to her hip, seeking a bit of bare skin, but found none, only more fabric and the rough edges of her belt.

  “I didn’t want to feel like this about you,” she continued.

  Lucas couldn’t resist the bait, even though he knew better. “Like what?”

  “Intrigued. Attracted.” She paused and a frown line appeared between her brows. “Soft.”

  “You are soft,” he said, feeling her stiffen as if she’d been insulted. “Not weak,” he hurried to add. “But everywhere I touch you, you’re soft and smooth and I can’t seem to keep my hands to myself.”

  Just saying the words put the picture in his head of her laid out naked for his enjoyment. He didn’t know what she’d look like under all her clothing, but he was dying to find out. The hints he’d had from her clinging evening gown and that split-second glimpse of her bare stomach were just enough to tease him, just enough to make his mouth water at the thought of more.

  His blood heated, speeding through his limbs until he was shaking with the strain of holding back. For her. She was too vulnerable right now. He owed it to her to back away, though he couldn’t seem to find the strength to manage.

  “I’m not a failure,” she whispered, her tone so insecure it nearly made his heart bleed. “You wouldn’t want me if I was a failure, would you?”

  Lucas figured he’d want her no matter who she was or what she’d accomplished. The fact that he’d considered wanting to keep her in his life was a completely different matter altogether. “No. Not like this.”

  She closed the scant distance between them, pressing her lips to his. The first brush was light, almost timid, and nothing at all like Sloane. He knew she was hurting and insecure right now, and he hoped like hell that she wasn’t kissing him just to prove something to herself.

  But even if she was, he knew better than to think he’d stop. He wasn’t that strong of a man.

  He let her take the lead, promising himself he’d stop at the first sign of hesitation from her. He kept his hands where they were—one cupping her hip and the other in a tight fist in his lap—and kissed her back.

  With every nibbling kiss she gave him, her caution seemed to fade. She grew bolder, sweeping her tongue out over his bottom lip, trying to coax him to open his mouth to her.

  Lucas’s heart was slamming around inside his chest. Part of him needed to hold steady and let her work out for herself that this was the wrong thing to do. The rest of him was clamoring for him to surrender and take what she so clearly wanted to give.

  It was just a kiss. It shouldn’t have rocked his foundation so hard. He’d kissed dozens of women over the years, and although he’d always enjoyed it, this was somehow different. There was a desperation in it, a kind of frenetic need. It consumed his world, drowning out all else until he could no longer even remember what his problem had been in the first place.

  Defeated and elated all at the same time, Lucas gave in to her onslaught and opened his mouth, letting the tip of her tongue sweep in for a taste.

  She groaned, letting out a low, womanly sound of approval, then shifted until she was straddling his knees. She held his face in her hands and had her way with his mouth.

  Lucas was more than happy to oblige.

  She slid her hands over his shoulders, her nails scoring his skin as they passed. Lucas grabbed her hips and slid them forward until her legs were spread wide and she was pressed against his hard-on. The heat of her sank through his clothes, scalding his cock.

  He had never wanted to be inside a woman more than he did at this very instant.

  He sucked in a deep breath in an effort to find a bit of control, but all it did was fill his lungs with her scent, driving him even more insane.

  Her fingers squeezed between their bodies until she found his belt. “I’m not letting you stop me this time,” she warned him. “Don’t even try.”

  Chapter 13

  Sloane’s head was spinning. Her breathing was labored and her body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Every rapid heartbeat made her more desperate, more needy.

  There were too many emotions rolling around inside her right now. She couldn’t handle them all, so she focused on the one thing she knew had the power to make her feel good.

  Lucas.

  She knew she was using him, but she couldn’t find the sanity to care. He was right here with her, as hot and needy as she was. His big hands clenched against her hips as he kissed her, stealing the oxygen from her lungs. Not that she minded. He could have whatever he wanted as long as he gave her what she needed in return.

  And right now what she needed was to feel him sliding inside her, driving away everything else.

  She undid his belt and the button on his pants. The zipper went down easily and she reached inside his shorts and took a firm grip around his cock. It was thick, hard, and smooth and throbbing in her palm. She slid her hand along his length, feeling the slippery wetness leaking from the tip.

  He pulled his mouth from hers and hissed between his teeth as his whole body went tense. When he looked at her, his eyes were so dark it was hard to tell they had ever been navy blue. His mouth was wet from hers. His cheeks had darkened and sweat dotted his brow.

  There was no question that he wanted her—no reason for her to doubt herself.

  Sloane used one hand to unfasten her pants while she stroked him. It was taking too long and the impatient grunts she let out told him so.

  He lifted her weight and eased her down to the leafcovered ground. She was sure the movement had to hurt his knee, but if so, it didn’t show on his face. The only thing she saw there was the stain of lust and a man on a mission.

  He finished unfastening her pants, grabbed all the fabric covering her and yanked them down her legs. Her boots kept him from going any farther, but he grabbed the knife from her tactical vest and cut though the laces on one boot. It loosened and came off easy. Seconds later, he’d freed her leg of clothing.

  Lucas paused over her as if he wanted to look, but Sloane didn’t want that. She didn’t want anything to slow this down—nothing to give her time to think. This wasn’t about thinking. It was about feeling, and she knew what she wanted to feel more than anything: Lucas sliding thick and deep inside her.

  She grabbed his shirt and pulled him down on top of her. His pants were open. His erection was easy to find, and she guided him right where she needed him to go.

  The blunt tip of his cock slid along her labia. She could feel her wetness mingling with his as she widened her legs to make more room for him.

  He opened his mouth like he was about to say something and Sloane covered it with a kiss, stopping whatever he might have said. She didn’t want words now. She didn’t want him to say anything that might make her stop.

  Her body was writhing in need, clamoring against the emptiness that plagued her. All she wanted was for Lucas to fill the void.

  Her tongue slid against his and finally, finally, his hips moved forward and he began to fill her.

  The initial stretch was intense, intoxicating. Every cell in her body was celebrating, letting her know she was getting it just right.

  He rocked inside her, inching carefully forward before retreating once again. Each inch he gained drove her higher. She pulled her mouth away, kissing along his stubbled jaw and down his neck. The salty taste of his skin made her mouth water and her blood sing. He tasted so good. She could hardly wait to go down on him.

  But that would come later. Much later. After he’d given her what she needed.

  Her pants were trapped under their bodies, but she wrapped her free leg around his thighs, working to pull him closer, fas
ter.

  As if she could move him. He was too strong for that, taking his maddening time, moving too carefully.

  “Faster,” she told him, growling the word out against his neck.

  He let out an agonized moan and went completely still.

  Sloane wiggled beneath him, rocking her hips, forcing him to comply. He pulled back, then drove forward, burying himself fully inside her.

  The sensation was so intense, so perfect, she forgot to breathe. Lights danced in her vision and her head swam as he held still, stretching her and filling her in a way she’d never been filled before.

  She stroked his back, burrowing under his shirt so she could feel his bare skin on her fingers. It would have been nice to be naked right now—to feel his chest against her breasts, to see his muscles bunching and flexing as he moved over her—but she’d take what she could get. And right now, she was getting about as much as she could handle.

  The scratches on his back were rough under her hands. His muscles were hard, shifting smoothly under his skin as he began to move inside her.

  Sloane’s head fell back in abandon as he gave her what she wanted. With each driving thrust, she inched a bit higher, coiled a bit tighter. She’d never been fast to orgasm, but this time was clearly different. He was built just right, stroking against her clit as he moved, pressing against her every time he seated himself deep.

  She let herself go, let him do his thing and simply reveled in the physical sensations. It didn’t take long before she knew it was going to be over too soon. She tried to slow down and calm her rampaging nerve endings, but Lucas didn’t give her the chance. He moved in a powerful, steady pace that forced her to go right along with him.

  She felt him tense, heard him stifle a groan. He shifted slightly and slid against a whole new batch of nerves that she hadn’t even known she had.

  Lights slammed into her. Color exploded in her head and her body arched as her climax plowed into her, stealing her breath.

  Lucas’s voice filled her ear—a low, masculine sound of release. He throbbed inside her, driving her up on the edge of another deafening wave. She felt his semen pulse inside her as she slid back down, limp and boneless and too satisfied to scold herself for not being more careful.

  Before their breathing had even slowed, Lucas rolled her over so she was lying on top of him, away from the ground. He tucked her head under his chin and idly stroked her hair with one hand, while cupping her ass with the other.

  Sloane began to tense, knowing this was the part where regrets kicked in. This was when he told her how wrong it had been and how they never should have let things get so carried away.

  “You okay?” he asked against her hair.

  “Fine. We should probably get moving, though.”

  “We will. I just need a minute for my heart to slow down. I’ve never made love to a woman wearing body armor before. That was pretty intense.”

  She pushed herself up, feeling him slide from her body. She was still straddling him and his eyes roamed over her nakedness.

  Sloane refused to be shy and hide herself now. Let him look. She was still dressed from the waist up. The fact that her breasts still ached for his hands and mouth was proof of that.

  “I didn’t use a condom.”

  Ah. So that was what he was worried about. “I’m protected. And clean. No worries.”

  He sat up and looped his arms around her. He was close enough to kiss now, and heaven help her, she wanted to feel his mouth on hers again. Already.

  That itch was supposed to have been scratched.

  “Just like that?” he asked. “You didn’t even ask if I was disease free.”

  “You are.”

  “How do you know? I never told you.”

  His mouth was so nice. Full and firm and quick to smile. Just not right now.

  Sloane shrugged. “If you weren’t, you never would have let it go this far. You’ve got too much honor.”

  “Even though I was sent by your father?”

  “If we’re going to talk about him, I’d rather not do it naked.”

  He pulled her back down so her body fit atop his. “Then let’s talk about something else, because I like you naked way too much. In fact, I’m hoping to get you out of the rest of your clothes and go for round two.”

  Sloane’s stomach jumped at the thought. A slow, wet heat slid through her and that odd softness Lucas seemed to cause was back. “We both know that’s not a good idea. Gina’s still out there. Dark is coming soon, and there’s an unconscious hostage tied up by the airstrip.”

  Lucas sighed and nodded. “You’re right. A quickie is all we get. We need to be good and get moving.”

  “I have friends coming to help us.”

  He nodded. “The general is sending men as well. He gave me the coordinates of a meeting place. It’s safe.”

  Sloane had to make a conscious effort to trust her father’s word about the location’s safety. It would have been a lot easier to rebel and pick her own spot, but doing so would have been spiteful and petty. Besides, she didn’t have any better ideas, and she couldn’t stand to think that her father would let her step into danger. He wasn’t that much of a monster. “I’ll forward those to Bella so she’ll know where she’s headed.”

  He helped her to her feet and knotted her cut shoelace while she righted her clothing. When they were all put back together, he pulled her into his arms and kissed the tip of her nose.

  “You’re a good woman, Sloane. If I’m ever lucky enough to have a daughter, I’d be proud as hell if she were just like you. Without the sex in the jungle with a near stranger part. She doesn’t get to do that.”

  And if that wasn’t the perfect thing to say, she didn’t know what was.

  Tears stung her eyes, and she cursed her lack of control. She hadn’t cried since Mom died, and she wasn’t about to start now. She had no idea what it was about Lucas that brought out the emotional side in her.

  It dawned on her that that was the only thing she wasn’t going to miss when they parted ways. She’d grown to like him. A lot. He was easy to be around, and even though she knew they had no future, it was nice to let herself pretend, if only for the time it took them to get to Soma’s villa and get Gina out.

  “I’ll go deal with the man I tied up,” she said.

  “What are you going to do?”

  She grabbed up the first aid kit. “Patch him up. Let him go. With that gunshot wound he’s not going to be following us.”

  He nodded, his hands slowly releasing her. “I’ll figure out the fastest way to the rendezvous point. The general said he’d have men there in twenty-four hours.”

  Sloane wasn’t looking forward to that, but she was a big girl. She’d do what she had to to save Gina, and after that, she’d never need anything from her father again.

  “The diamond shipment is going to have to wait. Make the arrangements,” Bella told Payton as she passed by his office. She didn’t stop to chat. Her team had a plane to catch.

  Payton hurried down the hall, catching up with her. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean we have another job.”

  “What job?”

  “Sloane called. She needs backup. We’re going in.”

  “In where?”

  “Colombia. Call your connections there. I want transportation and weapons waiting for us when we land.”

  “Slow down, Bella. You can’t flake out on the diamond job.”

  “I’m not going to flake out. I’m just going to be a day or two late.”

  Payton grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. She faced off against him, cursing every second he made her wait.

  Some asshole was holding a woman prisoner. Bella could not let that stand.

  “Tell me exactly what’s going on,” said Payton.

  “Sloane went to Colombia to rescue an old friend of hers from a sticky situation. She got involved with some drug lord or something—Lorenzo Soma. Sloane tried to get her out, but it went bad and n
ow her friend is being held in a villa that’s a veritable fortress. The job’s too big for her to do alone. We’re going to help.”

  Payton turned white, like he’d been spooked, and it took him a minute before he spoke again. “Who’s paying?”

  “No one. What’s wrong with you?”

  Whatever had bothered him must have passed, because he was back to his old stuffy self. “We work for profit.”

  Bella was not wasting time on the dollars and cents. “No. You work for profit. I work because I love it.”

  “You also have to eat and put a roof over your head. And pay your employees. And let’s not forget the insurance premiums we pay.”

  “Like you’d ever let me forget.”

  “You can’t keep doing jobs pro bono.”

  “Watch me.”

  He let out a long sigh as he followed her into the locker room. Gage and Riley were already there, getting dressed. She ignored their fabulously bare bodies and began stripping out of her street clothes.

  They were planning this op as they went, since every second counted. There was a chance they were going to have to parachute in, and she wanted to be dressed and ready for the possibility.

  “Someone has to fund the mission,” said Payton. “The jet fuel alone is going to cost a fortune.”

  “Bill me,” she said as she pulled her shirt off, forcing Payton to flee wearing a burning blush.

  “I will,” he promised over his shoulder as he left the locker room.

  Bella had no doubt he would. She simply didn’t care.

  By the time she was done dressing, both Riley and Gage were waiting for her. Their bags were on the ground at their booted feet, and they stood in silence.

  She looked at Riley. He hadn’t said a word since returning from his trip to see the woman who might have been carrying his child. “I’m used to the silent treatment from Gage, but I didn’t expect it from you.”