Red Zone (Red Zone 1)

His reply was a grunt before he pushed her legs wide and angled his broad shoulders between them. One long lick and she lost her mind completely. She was pure sensation, moving in the rhythm he dictated.

“So good, so, so good…”

She couldn’t stop the words or gasps or moans. His wicked tongue teased her higher and higher, making muscles tense and burn, making her feel empty inside, clenching for something that wasn’t there yet and needed to be there soon or she would scream from desperation.

“I need you.” A sobbing, begging plea.

“Shh, bébé, trust me. I’m gonna make you fly first. Just let go for me.”

His words made no sense, yet meant everything to her. She clung to them. Clung to him. She wasn’t sure what part of his body she was holding, all she knew was that there was firm, hot mus

cle under her fingers. She was going to burst. No, explode. It was too much. Too, too much. She felt his lips cover her most sensitive bundle of nerves. He sucked. Time stopped. And then everything exploded in a shower of lights and wails and desperately spasming muscles. She came back down to earth slowly, unaware of anything other than her limp muscles and panting breaths. She shook. She ached. She clenched. And she wanted more.

Striker’s mouth descended on hers, and he claimed her in a punishing kiss that took everything she had left to give. She felt his body press against hers, covering her with his strength and heat. She fought to open her eyes, managing to get her eyelids up far enough to peer at him. And he was magnificent.

He held himself on locked arms, making his muscles bulge. His bronze skin held a glittering sheen that made him seem godlike. And his eyes. His eyes held a wealth of promise and depth of need that thrilled her.

“How do you feel? Tired? Sore? We can stop if it’s too much.” His eyes scanned down her body, hardening at the sight of her bruises. “Maybe we should stop.”

“No!” She clung to him. “Please, I want this. I want you.”

It was reassuring to see he was torn, just as desperate as she was in her need for him. His throat flexed. “I’ll be gentle, but if you feel pain, if you want to stop this, we stop. Am I clear?”

“Yes,” she breathed.

The corded muscles in his neck flexed as he lined himself up with her. With energy she didn’t even know she had left, her hands flew to his hips, and she held on tight. She felt every wide, hard inch of him as he entered her. Slow. Sure. Being careful with her. Thinking of her before himself. Melting her heart as he did so. His jaw tightening with restraint was the sexiest sight she’d ever seen. She couldn’t look away. She was mesmerized. Captivated. Caught.

And then, without warning, his hips flexed, and he surged the rest of the way inside her. Friday clung to him, her fingers biting into flesh. Her head fell back. Her eyes squeezed closed. And a long, glorious moan of desperation and ecstasy left her lips.

“Let go, bébé,” his deep voice rumbled as his hips began to move. “I’ll make it good for you.”

She let go. Flying with him. Losing herself in his touch. Because she trusted him to do exactly what he promised.

And he did.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Without proper documentation, it was almost impossible to fly into La Paz’s airport. That was why they landed on a small private airfield in the town of Oruro, three hours south of the capital. The permits to drive past the checkpoints and into the city were easier to get than the ones needed to land at the airport.

“You sure we won’t have a problem getting into the city?”

With twenty-four hours until her time ran out, Friday was beginning to feel pressure in every single second.

“Relax, the paperwork is solid. We’ll sail through the highway checkpoints no problem.” Striker gave her a reassuring smile as they headed for their rental car. “Plus, nobody knows we’re here. We flew under the radar, in a jet equipped with cyber repellant shields—”

“Is that another technical term? Like magic cream?”

He cocked the eyebrow over his unpatched eye, making her miss the strange iris that was now securely hidden. “You mocking me, bébé? After I spent the flight taking you to paradise? I feel used.”

“About that.” She climbed into the passenger seat. “I can’t remember touching you. You mess with my mind, and then it’s hard to remember what I planned to do. I didn’t get my time exploring, and I want it—without you distracting me. When am I going to get to advanced level? When will it be okay for me to take the lead?”

“Uh, never.” He pulled the car out of the underground parking garage beside the tiny airport.

“That’s not what you said on the jet. You said all I needed was practice. That’s why you kept waking me for more sex.”

His laugh was so mischievous it almost made her smile. Almost.

“I woulda said anything to get your mind off the highway to crazy and on to what we were doing. Chocolate-flavored cocks?” He grinned over at her. “Let’s face it, bébé. You ain’t ever gonna be cut out for advanced level. Best you let me do all the heavy lifting when it comes to sex.”