Page 49 of The Veteran

I awoke to the sound of groaning. Beside me, Kade was thrashing in his sleep, his face twisted in distress. He must be dreaming. I was sure he had plenty of fodder from his real life to fuel awful nightmares.

“Hey, now.” I stroked his arm, being careful not to encroach too much on his space in case he lashed out. “It’s okay. I’m here.” He threw his head back, his expression pained, and I wondered whether I should wake him. “I’m right here,” I repeated. “You’re not alone.”

I continued smoothing my hands over his arms and shoulders until he eventually stilled.

“Sage?” His voice rasped in the quiet between us.

“Everything is okay,” I told him. “You had a nightmare.”

He sat up and dragged his hands down his face. “Sorry if I woke you.”

“Don’t be.” I shifted closer to him. “I’ve had plenty of sleep already. I’m glad I was able to help.”

He ran a hand through his hair, and even in the dim light, I could see the tips were standing on end. “It’s nothing new. I have nightmares pretty much every week, and when I wake up, I’m always too shaken to sleep again.”

I gnawed on my lip, wondering how much to pry. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He sighed and cupped my face, his aim unerring even in the darkness. “No. I’d rather you distract me with something more pleasant.”

My lips tugged up. He was avoiding the topic, but considering I had a pretty good idea what his nightmares were about, I saw no reason not to indulge him. After all, we were both awake and nobody would expect us to be up for hours yet. I leaned forward and touched my mouth to his, then flicked my tongue over his lips and felt a rumble in his chest.

“Do you think you can be quiet?” I asked. “Lyle will still be in the living area.”

He captured my lips again, and heat pooled at the apex of my thighs. “I’m having a really hard time caring what Lyle hears when you taste so good.”

“Ugh, I still have all my clothes on,” I complained.

“I didn’t want to disturb you.” He grabbed the hem of my shirt and lifted it over my head.

I made short work of the bra and took off my yoga bottoms and panties, then straddled his lap. He must have also shucked off his clothes because his firm cocked pushed insistently against my sex. I shivered in pleasure and rocked my hips, sliding along the length of him. Kade settled one hand on the small of my back. His touch felt possessive and I instinctively edged closer. Strong fingers gripped my chin and our mouths met in a hot, wild kiss. His grabbed my ass and encouraged me to ride his erection. I whimpered as the head of his cock bumped against my clit over and over again. Kade kissed me, smothering the sounds.

“Quiet,” he reminded me.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, crossing my ankles behind his back, and used the leverage to quicken my pace. He was driving me crazy, and I wanted to do the same to him. He grunted and tightened his grip so I couldn’t move.

I brushed my mouth over the shell of his ear. “Quiet,” I murmured.

He trembled, and a dark thrill went through me, unlike anything I’d ever felt. Kade swung his legs off the edge of the bed and lifted me. I squeaked in surprise. He rifled around in the dark and held something in front of me. A foil wrapper.

“I like the way you think.” I took the condom from him and when he gently deposited me on the bed, I tore it open, encircled his shaft with my fingers and thumb, and slid it on. He positioned himself behind me and wrapped me in his strong embrace. I snuggled closer, loving the way he felt around me, and how safe it seemed in the circle of his arms.

He kissed the side of my neck, then lifted one of my thighs. My eyes widened as I realized his intention, and I helped guide his cock inside me, biting my lower lip as he filled me from behind.

He made love to me with steady thrusts. I gave myself to the moment, allowing my limbs to become languid. I was pinned against his chest so there was nothing I could do except indulge in the decadence of this stolen moment with him. He curved his calloused hand around one of my breasts and toyed with the nipple, then splayed it over my lower belly, two of his fingers pressing against my clit.

“Kade,” I gasped, trapped between his fingers and his cock, sensation overwhelming me.

“Let go,” he murmured against my hair. “I’ve got you.”

“Feels so good.”

“I know, baby. You’re incredible.”

Desire was thick in his voice as his fingers played against me, never letting up. I arched, wound so tight that all it took was the whisper of his breath over the nape of my neck for my entire world to shatter. Red-hot pleasure blazed through me and I heard myself cry out. Then Kade stiffened and pulsed inside me.

Neither of us moved until the sweat began to cool on my skin and Kade’s softening cock slipped out of me. With a grunt of effort, he got up and cleaned himself off, then returned with a cloth and tenderly wiped down my body. We slipped beneath the blankets together and he held me until I drifted back to sleep. I didn’t know what the morning would bring, but for now, I didn’t really care.

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