"What's wrong?" Jackson asked, his eyes searching her face and starting to shine with gold.
"Sp..sp..spider," she whispered. Chloe hated spiders. Her brother had thought it was funny to put fake ones in her bed at night when she was a kid and she would wake up screaming. As much as she hated to appear like a weak girly-girl to Jackson, she hated spiders more.
Jackson chuckled, the glow disappearing from his eyes as soon as he recognized the threat. "I've got it."
"Don't kill it," Chloe whispered, her eyes glued to the spider in case it decided to lunge for her throat.
Jackson gave her a strange look and then smiled. "Useful creatures for the ecosystem, right?"
Chloe nodded. Just because she didn't want that thing in the motel room with her didn't mean she didn't appreciate their worth. "Spiders kill other bugs that I hate more. I just don't want to wake up with it curled up next to me on my pillow."
With gentle hands, Jackson scooped the tiny creature up. "Unlock the door for me?"
Chloe moved quickly, checking the window for anyone outside before unlocking and opening the door. Jackson stepped outside to where a small tree was waiting for spring and set the little arachnid down. It scuttled off into the evening.
"I can't believe you touched that thing with your bare hands," Chloe said as Jackson came back in and locked the door. He grinned at her as he sat down beside her at the table.
"That little guy? You should have seen the camel spiders we had in Iraq. You could put a leash on them and walk them like a dog they were so big."
Chloe made a disgusted face. "My brother told me about those. He said they'll chase you."
"My last deployment, there was this guy named Gunther. He was a big dude, worked out like crazy and too macho for his own good. We were outside one day and he saw a giant camel spider and kicked sand at it. That spider got up on its hind legs," Jackson held his arms up in the air like he was going to attack and made a scary face that made Chloe giggle. "Then it chased him. Guy took off like a rocket and that spider just chased after him like he was going to eat him. He ran around the garage twice before he realized the spider had stopped chasing him." Jackson stopped and got a devilish grin. "It didn't help that we kept yelling at him, 'It's right behind you!'"
Chloe giggled. Jackson leaned back in his chair and smiled at her. Chloe's heart sped up when he looked at her like that. Those brown eyes held her captive. She could feel a blush starting to flirt across her cheeks and she looked away, trying not to breathe hard. A heat was growing deep in her core, a craving to have him all to herself.
The overhead light flickered and then went dark. "Wow, some room, huh?" Chloe commented, tilting her head toward the light.
Jackson chuckled. "I'll fix it. It's probably just loose."
He set his cards face down on the table and picked up his chair. Chloe was sad to feel his knee leave hers.
"Hey, no cheating and looking at my cards," he joked as he positioned the chair under the light. "Come here and hold the chair steady for me?"
She made her way carefully through the dark room, holding her hands out in front of her until she touched his chest. He was solid muscle and heat. Chloe was glad for the dark so he wouldn't see her blush or the look of desperate desire she knew flashed across her face. "Sorry, I can't see in here," she mumbled, moving her hands to the back of the chair. "How'd you get over here so easily?"
"I'm part wolf, remember? I see pretty well in the dark."
Chloe closed her eyes and held onto the chair. He definitely saw her blush then. She could hear the sound of glass and metal tightening and the room was full of yellow light once more.
"There we go," Jackson said, smiling down at her. The chair gave an ominous creak and Jackson's face fell just before the chair gave way.
"Oh, my gosh! Are you okay?" Chloe cried, reaching toward him. He glanced around, his butt on the floor amidst the pile of broken wood and what was left of the chair cushion, looking surprised. Chloe tossed the remnants of the chair back toward the door, going to her knees. Her hands went to his shoulders, her eyes full of concern.
His shoulders were warm and powerful beneath her fingers. A current of electricity went through her, sizzling straight into the core of her stomach and making her ache for release. She never wanted to let go. Her mouth went dry and then wet, desire flooding through her like their touch had broken the dam.
Jackson looked up at her, his eyes searching her face and she knew he felt it, too. Like they were meant for one another. Like they were supposed to always be touching. She bitter her lower lip, trying to decide what to do next. If she let go of him she was afraid it would break the spell, but they couldn't j
ust sit on the floor in the rubble of the chair either.
"Chloe..." Her name was like music when he said it. The gruffness in his voice, the barely contained hunger made her insides tighten in the most delicious way. His eyes flashed golden with desire as his hand went behind her neck and he pulled her to him, pausing for the briefest moment before putting his lips to hers.
Fireworks exploded in her mind. Color and light as she kissed him with reckless abandon. Never had she wanted a kiss so badly, and never had one tasted so good. The world stopped spinning. She gave herself over to the kiss, letting her body overrule her mind and losing herself to him.
With a groan he pulled away, staggering to upright and away from her. "I'm sorry, I have to go," he whispered. His eyes still flashed golden and he was breathing heavy as he reached for his coat. She wondered for a moment if she had done something wrong; if she didn't make his blood sing for more like he did for hers.
Chloe shook her head, still lost in the golden wonder of his kiss. "Why?"
Jackson looked down at her as if is heart was breaking, his jaw hardening as he angrily slid his arms into his light jacket. "I need to go to the base."