A Wicked Persuasion. Karen Foley

you more than I’ve wanted anything or anyone in a very long time, but I can’t make any promises to you. You’ll be returning to the States in another week or so, but I’ll be here for another six months.”

      Kate covered his hand with hers. Turning her face, she pressed a kiss into his palm. “I don’t need promises,” she assured him, desperately hoping he didn’t hear the tremor of uncertainty in her voice. “I just want you tonight. Now.”

      Everything about this guy appealed to her, and it frightened her a little just how easily she could imagine him in her life. But she knew he was right; she couldn’t keep him. She’d already decided that if she could just have him for this short time, she could walk away afterwards.

      Chase gave a soft groan at her words and pushed her down on the bed, following her with the length of his body until he lay half beside and half on top of her. He braced his weight on one elbow as he slid his free hand over the curve of her rib cage and cupped one breast with a tenderness that bordered on reverence.

      “I’ve thought of this more times in the past twenty-four hours than I can count,” he admitted with a rueful laugh as he rubbed his thumb over her nipple. “Damn, you are so pretty.”

      Kate arched upward into his palm, and curled her legs around his hips as he dipped his head and kissed her. He fondled and caressed her breast, and the combination of his rough hand on her skin and his hot tongue in her mouth was like a drug, making her go boneless with desire.

      Sliding her hands over the strong muscles of his back, she pushed at the waistband of his camo pants. He helped her to drag them down until he could kick them free of his legs, and then suddenly there he was. When he was about to bend over her again, Kate stopped him with a hand on his chest.

      “Wait,” she demanded, her eyes drifting over his shoulders and chest, following the deep groove that bisected his pecs and abdomen, to where his erection jutted out strongly from his body. For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. “I just want to look for a minute.”

      “Here,” he grunted, and dragged her hand down his body until he closed her fingers around his thick length. He pulsed hotly against her palm, and her heart rate quickened at the thought of having that part of him inside her. She skated her thumb over the blunt head, and it came away slick with moisture, causing an answering surge of dampness at her core. He made a guttural sound of pleasure and dropped his head to her shoulder, and Kate realized she had been stroking the length of him. His ragged breathing was a total turn-on, and she caught his mouth with hers in a deep kiss as she continued to fondle him. Overhead, the rain drummed loudly on the top of the tent, and the wind sucked at the canvas walls. But on the narrow bunk, with the warmth of the sleeping bag beneath her and Chase above her, Kate thought they might be the only two people in the world.

      “Darlin’,” he gasped, “you need to stop or this is going to be over before it’s even started.”

      Reluctantly, Kate released him, but couldn’t resist sliding her palms over the hard planes of his chest and torso, admiring his thick muscles. When she reached his neck, she cupped his nape and drew him down for another deep kiss. He tasted like fresh mint and smelled like spicy soap and clean, male sweat. She wanted to devour him.

      “Help me take these off,” she said quickly, using her free hand to push her flannel lounge pants down over her hips. Chase scooted back between her legs and hooked his thumbs in her waistband, pulling the pants off in one smooth movement. Then, with his eyes glued to her body and glittering hotly, he grasped one ankle in his hand and tugged her sock off, before doing the same to her other foot.

      Kate knew she should feel embarrassed by his riveted attention, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel any shame. It had been so long since anyone had looked at her as he was looking at her now; as if she were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Had anyone ever looked at her like that? She could no longer remember.

      “Oh, man, you are so freaking gorgeous,” he breathed. “But we can’t do this.”

      FOR THE SECOND TIME in as many days, Chase had Kate Fitzgerald spread out on a bed beneath him, and while he’d believed that nothing short of a direct rocket attack would prevent him from making love to her, he’d been wrong.

      Kate stared at him with a mixture of dismay and frustration. “What do you mean we can’t do this?” Her voice was edged with desperation.

      “Kate,” he groaned, “I’ve been over here for six months, and I’ve just returned from two weeks in the field. Until yesterday, my entire focus revolved around my mission. I didn’t exactly come prepared.”

      “Oh.” Understanding dawned on her face. “Well, that’s disappointing, but we could always improvise.”

      Chase lowered himself down beside Kate and pulled her into the curve of his body, using his free hand to leisurely explore her curves. “We could,” he agreed. “In fact, we might not have another choice. As unromantic as it sounds, my job is to protect you, even in bed. I won’t risk getting you pregnant.”

      Kate pressed against him and traced her tongue along his jaw to his ear. She caught his earlobe in her teeth and bit gently. “Then you can relax, soldier,” she whispered. “I’m on the pill, and I don’t have anything contagious. And I’m willing to bet that you don’t, either.”

      Chase felt his blood begin to churn through his veins. The sensation of Kate’s silken limbs entwined with his own, combined with the things she was doing with her tongue, was enough to make him discard his common sense and agree with her.

      “I’m clean,” he assured her.

      “Well, then …” Kate rolled completely toward him and hitched one leg over his, slowly gyrating her hips against his. Her lips trailed a path along his neck and over his collarbone, while her fingers played with the small nubs of his nipples.

      Flipping her onto her back, Chase used his knees to spread her thighs wide, and then caught her wrists in his hands, dragging them up over her head and pinning them there.

      “I want this to last,” he said, dipping his head and kissing her slowly. “But if I let you set the pace, I won’t make it another five minutes. Trust me?”

      She nodded, her breathing coming in fast pants. “Yes.”

      “Good,” he smiled, “because I’ve been wanting to do this since I first saw you.”

      He kissed her slowly, a soft, moist fusing of their lips, before he moved lower, over her neck and upper chest, until he reached her breasts. He took his time, laving each one with his tongue before drawing a nipple into his mouth and sucking hard on it. Kate moaned and writhed beneath him, but Chase didn’t release her. He kissed and suckled her other breast until both stood up stiff and rosy and gleaming with moisture. Then, releasing her hands, he eased backwards, dragging his mouth over her rib cage and belly, feeling her muscles contract as he moved lower.

      When he reached the apex of her thighs, he skated his tongue along the seam of her thigh, and used one hand to cup her intimately. She sucked in a sharp breath and her hands flew to his wrists, which held her by the hips. Chase stilled, certain she was going to stop him. But after a moment she relaxed her grip on him. Smiling against her skin, he began to gently massage her as he kissed the inside of one thigh, and then the other.

      Slowly, he slid one finger through her damp curls to the seam of her sex and gently parted her. She was slippery with arousal, and as his finger swirled over her clitoris, she gave a soft cry of pleasure and her hips jerked.

      “That’s it,” he said approvingly.

      He smoothed her curls out of the way, opening her with his fingers so that he could see the small rise of flesh that begged for attention. He glanced up the length of Kate’s body and saw that she had raised her head and was watching him with eyes that were hazy with desire. Her hair was messy and spilled over her shoulders in thick waves, and her breasts rose and fell quickly with her agitated breathing. She looked like every fantasy he’d ever had, and his cock was so hard for her that he wasn’t sure he’d