Page 60 of Rogue
“Agreed. We’ll keep in touch. We should have an informal code name to refer to.” Walker pauses, thinking. “The mission that Liam died in was called Operation Phoenix. Maybe something similar…”
“Phoenix Rising,” Noah says definitively. “I’d like to think that once we find the guns, I’ll be able to start a new life.” He pulls me to him possessively.
“Perfect.” Walker levels a look at Noah. “Keep her safe.”
“I will.” He takes my hand, lacing our fingers together, and I feel like anything is possible with him by my side.
…
“So, what happens now?”
We’d checked into one of the water bungalows at the floating resort on Sipadan an hour ago, and after eating a delicious dinner of grilled mahi-mahi, roasted potatoes, and steamed vegetables at the elegant restaurant, we’re back in our room, a luxuriously appointed private villa surrounded by the bluest water I’ve ever seen. If the Philippines are the Garden of Eden, Malaysia is heaven.
“Tonight, we enjoy each other,” he says, his eyes glittering.
A little shiver of delicious anticipation dances up my spine as he takes a step closer, invading my space and igniting my senses. “Tomorrow and the next day at least, we’ll dive.” His fingers are in my hair, his hands cupping my face tenderly. “After that we’ll head to Alaska, or maybe Finland, to see the northern lights, and I’ll make love to you under the mysterious green glow as it plays across your skin like it’s some sort of mystical magician’s canvas.” His lips brush across my forehead, and I sigh. “Hopefully by then, Walker will have tracked down the leads in the States. We’ll find the guns, I’ll finish the job with El Gato, and then I’m going to devote every day for the rest of my life to loving you.” His voice is low and guttural, and as he talks, he punctuates each of the things we’re going to do with a kiss, ending at my mouth.
“Oh yeah?” I try to sound casual, but my heart is thumping a happy rhythm, and I’m sure the joy I feel is evident in my smile. There is no one I would rather spend my life with than this incredible man who has touched every particle of me with his amazing love and made me more than I ever dreamed I could be.
“Yeah,” he says, his thumbs rubbing across my cheeks. “After that, maybe I’ll talk my buddy into selling me theKairos, and we’ll spend our days sailing the world by day and making love under the stars by night. It’s already special to me because of the time I’ve spent on it with you, and with a name like that, it’s the perfect boat for us.”
I look up at him curiously. “What do you mean?” I’d assumed the boat was named after someone, or was some sort of nautical term.
“Kairos is a Greek word that doesn’t really have a counterpart in English.The ancient Greeks had two words fortime, Chronos andKairos. While Chronos refers to chronological time, Kairos signifies a period or season, a moment of indeterminate time in which an event of significance happens.It’s that delicate and crucial moment, that brief and momentary rightness of time and place that creates the perfect atmosphere for action, words, and movement.” He presses his lips softly to mine. “The universe granted me a second chance and led me to you. In that one defining moment in Las Vegas, the opening appeared and you were there, waiting for me, and I stepped through and claimed what was mine. You were meant for me, sweetheart. Our love is beyond the confines of time and space.”
“That is beautiful.” I have never loved a word, or a man, more. “But how does a Navy SEAL know so much about the Greek language?”
“I got my degree in Ancient and Modern Greek Language and Mythology,” he admits almost sheepishly. “It fascinates me, and it was my way of saying fuck you to my dad for making me go to college before joining the Navy SEALs. I always knew I wanted to be a SEAL, but maybe one day when I’m too old to chase bad guys, I’ll become a college professor.”
Noah never fails to surprise me, and I smile at the thought of my gorgeous, dangerous-looking hero teaching classical mythology. There will never be a dull moment with him.
“Really…” I trail my finger seductively down his chest. “I’ve always had this professor/schoolgirl fantasy.”
“Is that right, Miss Prescott?” He smiles, but his eyes have darkened, and the way he’s looking at me is doing funny things to my insides. “It’s a good thing you came by after class, then, to accept your punishment.”
“What am I being punished for?” I’m trying to pull off cocky, but my breath is short and ragged, and I’m pretty sure it’s not working.
“Whatever the hell I want. Not that I need a reason.” His voice is husky and laced with sin. “For blatantly disobeying me in the cave, for starters. And doubting your worth. I’m looking forward to punishing you for that. And then there’s the fact that you’re downright distracting.” His hands are under my shirt, skimming over my stomach. He tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear and leans closer so I can feel his warm breath as he whispers in my ear, “I can’t think about anything but making you squirm, feeling your skin, tasting your sweetness.”
“Oh,” I whisper.
Abruptly, he hauls me over to a beautifully carved wood desk and clears it with one sweep of his hand. The assortment of diving brochures and a pad of paper scatter across the floor.
“Bend over the desk.” The command is sharp, and I scramble to obey, arranging my body, suddenly taut with desire, across the smooth surface. I’d worn the sundress again, and he flips it up unceremoniously and lowers my panties, exposing my bare bottom. He nudges my feet apart so my legs are spread wide and the cool ocean breeze from the open window whispers across my bare sex.
“Mmmm.” He hums his approval as his hand caresses my ass, and I quiver with the heady sense of anticipation. I love Noah when he bares his heart and soul to me, but I also love it when he takes over, when he’s forceful and authoritative—the master of my body who demands nothing less from me than everything.
He smacks my ass with his hand, and I jump. He spanks me again on the other cheek, with a quick upward glance. He continues, slowly but methodically, and before long I’m squirming, but his strong hand firmly pressed against the small of my back keeps me in place.
His fingers find my pussy, which is dripping wet, and he spreads the obvious evidence of my desire along my inner thighs, making sure I acknowledge the effect he has on me. Then he touches my clit, stroking it softly, and everything inside of me is throbbing.
“Have you learned your lesson, Miss Prescott? Are you going to quit distracting me?”
“Hell, no,” I retort.
His finger exerts just enough pressure on my clit to drive me insane without pushing me over the edge. He relentlessly teases my clit until it’s pulsing with need, and I’m overwhelmed with the monumentally intense need to come.
He stops, and I whimper with disappointment. I feel his chest against my back as he presses his body against mine. “This is your first lesson,” he says, his breath hot against my ear. “When you give yourself to me, there are always two sides. Fire and ice, darkness and light, permission and denial, pleasure and pain. You can’t fully appreciate one until you’ve experienced the other.”
