Her sigh was deep and heavy.
“If this is show-and-tell time, I guess it’s my turn.”
Griffin went completely still. It had never occurred to him she had a hidden story, something from her past. But as she’d done for him, he was prepared to listen. If they got everything out in the open, they could move forward together, something he’d never in a million years thought would happen.
“I’m ready, darlin’. Let it roll.”
Terra swallowed hard, took in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, settling herself. Took a long swallow of wine.
And told him about Harley, the cowboy she’d met when she was on a case about illegal border crossings and the ranch where he worked was in the zone for the coyotes. The human smugglers. How they were hot and heavy during her stay in Texas. How, against her better judgment, she let herself fall in love with him. He swore her job didn’t bother him, even if she was away for weeks on assignment.
How the first two times there were no problems. He’d picked her up at the airport, and they’d gone to his little house on the ranch where they’d spent a fabulous two weeks.
“But you know when they say third time’s the charm? It sure wasn’t for me. I got home from my assignment two days early and figured I’d surprise him. Well, it’s the old, old, old, old story. It was nighttime, and he was in bed, only he wasn’t alone.”
His arms tightened around her, and he pulled her back close against him.
“Needless to say, I got the hell away from there. I won’t bore you with the messy details but that was the last time I put my faith in any man.” She paused. “And then I met you. Damn, Griffin, but I tried so hard to fight this. And then, like you, I wanted to write it off as the hottest sex I’d ever had and be done with it when the assignment was finished.” She paused. “So, that’s it. My sad story. What do you say about that?”
He nipped the curve of her ear.
“I say let’s get the hell out of this tub so I can show you what I really have to say.”
He released the plug with his toe, climbed from the tub, and lifted her to stand on the mat. He dried her with such tenderness tears welled in her eyes. Then he kissed every inch of her body before lifting her and carrying her to the huge bed with an incredible mattress.
They made slow, tender, intimate love, unlike anything they’d done before. Again he kissed every inch of her body, his lips igniting her every place they touched. He sucked her nipples, gently, but long until they hardened into pebbled tips. The he drew a line between her breasts down over her belly to her sex. He spread her legs and kissed his way up the inside of one and down the other.
“I’m taking it slow, darlin’. I’m in no hurry today, and I want to savor every luscious inch of you.”
His words were as hot as his kisses and the stroking of his hands. She was so aroused by the time he kissed and licked every inch of her body she wanted to scream, yet she was floating on an erotic cloud she never wanted to leave. She was barely aware of it when he shifted to roll on a condom. But when he spread her legs to give him access and slid slowly into her wet heat, she knew with certainty this was where she was supposed to be. And she had not one doubt the pain she’d suffered with Harley would not happen with Griff.
He moved slowly, in and out, reaching between them to stroke her clit, pausing to scrape her nipples with his teeth. His body told her when he was ready. The tightening of his muscles, the grip of his hands on her body. The increase in the rhythm of his breathing.
The ride up was slow but intense and when he whispered, “Now, darlin’,” she was more than ready.
She could only have described the explosion as cataclysmic. Her entire body shook with intense tremors, the walls of her sex squeezed his cock again and again and again. And when he said, softly, into her ear, over and over and over, “I love you,” she murmured it back.
They lay in each other’s arms for a long time afterward, still coming down from the intense sexual high but content not to move. Aftershocks still pulsed lightly in her sex until finally they stopped.
Griffin lifted his head, brushed her damp hair back from her forehead, and showered her face with soft kisses.
“I never thought I’d say this again, and maybe it’s too soon, but you and I live a dangerous life, Terra, and I don’t want to lose a minute of what we have. I love you.”
She grinned. “Me, too.”
“Uh uh. No me toos. You have to say the words. Again. If I can repeat it, so can you.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Really.”
“Okay.” This was it. Once said, she couldn’t take it back. “I love you, Griffin Dunne.”
“I love you more, Terra Oenning. And I’m not afraid to take this chance with you.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “But can we still have down-and-dirty sex, too?”
He laughed, a sound that unclenched the last tight muscle around her heart. “Whenever you want. Except for right now when I want to take a nap holding your naked body in my arms.”
“Me, too,” she agreed in a soft voice.
They never left the room all day. Griffin called Hal to tell him they’d meet with him in the morning, but he was turning off his phone for the rest of the day. Today belonged only to them.
“Is there something the two of you want to tell me?” Hal asked when they joined him at the diner in Castile for breakfast. “Or should I already guess?”
Griffin glared at him. ”What is it you think you know?”
“That I almost split the two of you halfway through this assignment. No two people try so hard to make the other one out to be a pain in the ass without something brewing beneath the surface.”
Now, Terra was the one to stare. “So, why didn’t you? Split us up, that is?”
“Because I knew you both were living with pain, however deep you tried to bury it, and I was hoping maybe this would happen. That you could heal each other.” He grinned at them. “So, when’s the wedding?”
Before Terra could answer him, Griffin said, “Soon, if we can have the next two weeks off.”
“Done. Now, let’s have your reports and then I’ll tell you what’s what.”
Over breakfast, they learned everyone was in custody and awaiting trial. All the materials for the dirty bombs had been grabbed up along with a computer-generated map of their target areas. And the plan to shut down the electrical power nationwide to disrupt communications systems.
“The whole country would be in deep shit,” Griffin acknowledged.
“Indeed.”
“I’m just glad we could get them” Terra said. “And they’ll be put away.”
“Interpol grabbed up Novak,” Hal informed them, “so we got everyone. Good work, you two. Get me your written reports and then the next two weeks are yours.” He winked. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Griffin laughed. “That leaves a wide range of activities.”
He took Terra’s hand as they walked away from the table and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“I know I told you this once, but I have to say it again. Just so you’ll know I mean it.”
She stared at him. “Say what?”
“Just like I said, I love you, Terra Oenning. I want to say it as often as I can because I never thought I’d feel this way again with anyone. I knew it the moment I saw you standing there with Jennings’ gun to your head. I’d been trying to fight it, but I can’t, and I want you to know it.”
She was quiet for a moment, then asked, “You sure about this?”
“More sure than anything in the last ten years. I never thought I’d be able to welcome the gift of someone’s love again. Or share it. This is it for me, Terra.”
“Okay, then. I’ll repeat it, too, just so you know I mean it.” She let out a breath. “I love you, and I mean it, too. I trust you with my heart.”
“I’ll never betray that trust. Let’s get the fuck out of here so I can show you in detail how much I mean it.”
Also by Desiree Holt
Special Forces: Operation Alpha
Protecting Maddie
Protecting Cassie
Protecting Amy
Protecting Arizona
Protecting Terra
The Phoenix Agency
Jungle Inferno (The Phoenix Agency Book 1)
Extrasensory (The Phoenix Agency Book 2)
Scent of Danger (The Phoenix Agency Book 3)
Freeze Frame (The Phoenix Agency Book 4)
Feel the Heat (The Phoenix Agency Book 5)
Unexpected Risk (The Phoenix Agency Book 7)
The Silver SEALs
SEAL Undercover
The Strike Force
Unconditional Surrender
Lock and Load
Advance to the Rear
Take No Quarter
*
For a list of ALL of Desiree’s books, please click here to go to her Amazon page.
About the Author
I love to hear from my readers. You can write to me at authordesireeholt@gmail.com I hope you will do that.
Where else can you find me?
First and foremost, I hope you will join my reader group. It’s a fun place to be.
www.desiremeonly.com
www.desireeholt.com
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Twitter: @desireeholt
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There are many more books in this fan fiction world than listed here, for an up-to-date list go to www.AcesPress.com
You can also visit our Amazon page at:
http://www.amazon.com/author/operationalpha
Special Forces: Operation Alpha World
Christie Adams: Charity’s Heart
Denise Agnew: Dangerous to Hold
Shauna Allen: Awakening Aubrey
Brynne Asher: Blackburn
Linzi Baxter: Unlocking Dreams
Jennifer Becker: Hiding Catherine
Alice Bello: Shadowing Milly
Heather Blair: Rescue Me
Anna Blakely: Rescuing Gracelynn
Julia Bright: Saving Lorelei
Cara Carnes: Protecting Mari
Kendra Mei Chailyn: Beast
Melissa Kay Clarke: Rescuing Annabeth
Samantha A. Cole: Handling Haven
Sue Coletta: Hacked
Melissa Combs: Gallant
Anne Conley: Redemption for Misty
KaLyn Cooper: Rescuing Melina
Liz Crowe: Marking Mariah
Sarah Curtis: Securing the Odds
Jordan Dane: Redemption for Avery
Tarina Deaton: Found in the Lost
Aspen Drake, Intense
KL Donn: Unraveling Love
Riley Edwards: Protecting Olivia
PJ Fiala: Defending Sophie
Nicole Flockton: Protecting Maria
Michele Gwynn: Rescuing Emma
Casey Hagen: Shielding Nebraska
Desiree Holt: Protecting Maddie
Kathy Ivan: Saving Sarah
Kris Jacen, Be With Me
Jesse Jacobson: Protecting Honor
Silver James: Rescue Moon
Becca Jameson: Saving Sofia
Kate Kinsley: Protecting Ava
Heather Long: Securing Arizona
Gennita Low: No Protection
Kirsten Lynn: Joining Forces for Jesse
Margaret Madigan: Bang for the Buck
Kimberly McGath: The Predecessor
Rachel McNeely: The SEAL’s Surprise Baby
KD Michaels: Saving Laura
Lynn Michaels, Rescuing Kyle
Wren Michaels: The Fox & The Hound
Kat Mizera: Protecting Bobbi
Keira Montclair, Wolf and the Wild Scots
Mary B Moore: Force Protection
LeTeisha Newton: Protecting Butterfly
Angela Nicole: Protecting the Donna
MJ Nightingale: Protecting Beauty
Sarah O’Rourke: Saving Liberty
Victoria Paige: Reclaiming Izabel
Anne L. Parks: Mason
Debra Parmley: Protecting Pippa
Lainey Reese: Protecting New York
TL Reeve and Michele Ryan: Extracting Mateo
Elena M. Reyes: Keeping Ava
Angela Rush: Charlotte
Rose Smith: Saving Satin
Jenika Snow: Protecting Lily
Lynne St. James: SEAL’s Spitfire
Dee Stewart: Conner
Harley Stone: Rescuing Mercy
Jen Talty: Burning Desire
Reina Torres, Rescuing Hi’ilani
Savvi V: Loving Lex
Megan Vernon: Protecting Us
Rachel Young: Because of Marissa
Delta Team Three Series
Lori Ryan: Nori’s Delta
Becca Jameson: Destiny’s Delta
Lynne St James, Gwen’s Delta
Elle James: Ivy’s Delta
Riley Edwards: Hope’s Delta
Police and Fire: Operation Alpha World
Freya Barker: Burning for Autumn
B.P. Beth: Scott
Jane Blythe: Salvaging Marigold
Julia Bright, Justice for Amber
Anna Brooks, Guarding Georgia
KaLyn Cooper: Justice for Gwen
Aspen Drake: Sheltering Emma
Deanndra Hall: Shelter for Sharla
Barb Han: Kace
EM Hayes: Gambling for Ashleigh
CM Steele: Guarding Hope
Reina Torres: Justice for Sloane
Aubree Valentine, Justice for Danielle
Maddie Wade: Finding English
Stacey Wilk: Stage Fright
Laine Vess: Justice for Lauren
Tarpley VFD Series
Silver James, Fighting for Elena
Deanndra Hall, Fighting for Carly
Haven Rose, Fighting for Calliope
MJ Nightingale, Fighting for Jemma
TL Reeve, Fighting for Brittney
Nicole Flockton, Fighting for Nadia
As you know, this book included at least one character from Susan Stoker’s books. To check out more, see below.
SEAL of Protection: Legacy Series
Securing Caite
Securing Brenae (novella)
Securing Sidney
Securing Piper
Securing Zoey
Securing Avery
Securing Kalee (Sept 2020)
Securing Jane (Feb 2021)
Finding Elodie (Apr 2021)
Finding Lexie (Aug 2021)
Finding Kenna (Oct 2021)
Finding Monica (TBA)
Finding Carly (TBA)
Finding Ashlyn (TBA)
Delta Team Two Series
Shielding Gillian
Shielding Kinley
Shielding Aspen (Oct 2020)
Shielding Riley (Jan 2021)
Shielding Devyn (May 2021)
Shielding Ember (Sep 2021)
Shielding Sierra (TBA)
Delta Force Heroes Series
Rescuing Rayne (FREE!)
Rescuing Aimee (novella)
Rescuing Emily
Rescuing Harley
Marrying Emily (novella)
Rescuing Kassie
Rescuing Bryn
Rescuing Casey
Rescuing Sadie (novella)
Rescuing Wendy
Rescuing Mary
Rescuing Macie (Novella)
Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Series
Justice for Mackenzie (FREE!)
Justice for Mickie
Justice for Corrie
Justice for Laine (novella)
Shelter for Elizabeth
Justice for Boone
Shelter for Adeline
Shelter for Sophie
Justice for Erin
Justice for Milena
Shelter for Blythe
&
nbsp; Justice for Hope
Shelter for Quinn
Shelter for Koren
Shelter for Penelope
SEAL of Protection Series
Protecting Caroline (FREE!)
Protecting Alabama
Protecting Fiona
Marrying Caroline (novella)
Protecting Summer
Protecting Cheyenne
Protecting Jessyka
Protecting Julie (novella)
Protecting Melody
Protecting the Future
Protecting Kiera (novella)
Protecting Alabama’s Kids (novella)
Protecting Dakota
New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Susan Stoker has a heart as big as the state of Tennessee where she lives, but this all American girl has also spent the last fourteen years living in Missouri, California, Colorado, Indiana, and Texas. She’s married to a retired Army man who now gets to follow her around the country.
www.stokeraces.com
www.AcesPress.com
susan@stokeraces.com