Sidelined

Skye recognized that look. It was the one that always appeared right before he stripped every shred of clothing from her. “Yes, but you can’t be serious right now.”

“Oh I’m very serious.” He flipped the lever on the doorknob then crossed the room and sat her on the top of her desk, pushing the hem of her skirt to her hips. His hands were rough and urgent

“Ben, someone could hear us. This is my office. There are people right out there in the hall.” She shook her head, trying to deny the throbbing that had started deep in her core. She leaned into her palms, trying to balance on the edge of the desk. “What if my boss walks by?”

He put a finger to his lips. “Then you’re going to have to do your very best to be quiet, baby.” His palm slid along her thigh until his thumb hooked the side of her panties. “Because, this is something I’m going to think about every day I’m gone.” Her knees almost shook as he peeled them over her legs and carefully navigated them over her five-inch heels.

His smile became devilish as he tossed them on the floor. The blood soared in her veins, as she watched him unzip his flight suit, exposing his athletically toned frame. She never got tired of seeing his body.

She gasped as he shoved the skirt higher. She arched toward him in amazement. This was the epitome of forbidden activity. The biggest taboo on her list of all things naughty. They could get caught. She could be fired. Her head reeled back. Or she could give herself to him. She let him control her every breath and movement on the desk, with a look, with a kiss. He wrapped one high-heeled foot around his waist and then the other.

“You know I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” he growled.

She nodded.

“You have never looked sexier, Skye.” He brushed her hair from her face, his thumb tracing her lips. The look from his eyes blazed with the kind of desire that made her breathless. Made her want to do everything she could to satisfy him, to show him what he did to her, to let him feel how her body loved his. God, how she needed his body.

His mouth landed on hers, his hand pressing into the back of her neck. She tried everything she could not to moan. She kissed him like she did the first night they met, with wild reckless abandon. As if he was the stranger that could erase all her problems and make her forget all her rules and inhibitions. Only this time it unleashed more passion in her than she knew she had. This time she was in love.

Twenty-Five

Bolt threw the second of the two sea bags in the back of his truck. “I think that’s everything.”

Skye stood next to him. She looked sleepy despite their effort to get to bed early the night before.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving.” She stared at the green duffle bags.

“Six months will be over before you know it.” He didn’t want a long drawn out good-bye, but he wasn’t ready to leave either. This felt fucking terrible. “You ready?”

Skye walked to the passenger side and climbed in. The plan was that she would drive the truck back to his parking garage then take the trolley to the Gaslamp district.

She shook her head. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to be ready for this.”

He grabbed her hand. “I’ve never done this either. We’ll figure it out. Ok? We’ll get through it together.” He hoped that sounded confident.

He didn’t know what in the hell he had gotten himself into. WESTPAC was supposed to be one of the best deployments the squadron ever took. They started off in Hawaii, followed by a few days in Guam, then off to Japan. From there they would fly to Korea, Alaska, maybe even Australia. Bolt had counted down to this trip since he joined the Rebels. Now, it was ripping a hole in his heart to leave Skye.

He pulled onto the highway and started toward Miramar. At least this wasn’t a 7 a.m. show time. The flight details were worked out based on time zone changes and flight times. They were set to take off before noon.

“I guess you’re pretty excited.” Skye fidgeted with the strap on her purse.

“I am. I’ve never seen that part of the world. What should I bring you?”

“You mean like a souvenir?”

“Yes, exactly like that. I bet you would look hot in a kimono.” He winked and thought he saw a smile creep across her lips.

“Whatever you think I’d like.” Her gaze floated out of the window, following the dips and curves of the valleys tracking the interstate.

“You know I’ll call as much as I can. And we can email every day.”

“Mmm…hmm. I know.”

He stopped at the main gate, turning the radio off. He flashed his military ID as the guard saluted him and opened the bar on the gate.

“This place is huge.” Skye sat forward in her seat.

“You’ve never been on base?”