Reckoning. Jo Leigh

      She’d known for a long time that he wanted her, but she thought it was because she was simply there. Because he had so few options. Her mind couldn’t quite grasp that she’d been so very, very wrong.

      “What’s the matter?” he asked. He scooted closer to her, and she felt his naked skin brush against hers.

      “I’m not very good at this kind of thing.”

      “Don’t worry about it. You’re perfect.”

      “We haven’t done anything yet.”

      He smiled. “Trust me. You’re perfect.”

      She knew it was a line, but what the hell. She’d told him the truth about why she wanted this. She needed to be close to someone, to feel alive again. But she hadn’t told him everything.

      He leaned in and she knew this was it. If he kissed her, it would change things forever. She still had a moment to call things off.

      She parted her lips and closed her eyes.

      His mouth brushed against hers. Soft lips, warm breath, slightly cautious. He didn’t press, just skimmed lightly, letting her get comfortable, she supposed.

      It wasn’t what she wanted, however well intentioned. There was only one thing to do about that. She put her hand behind his neck, held him steady, and kissed him. Hard. Exactly the way she’d fantasized for all those months.

      He got with the program right quick. His tongue slipped past her teeth, and he took over. That was fine with her. She moved her hand down his back then across his shoulders, amazed at the feel of him. She’d never been with a soldier before, or anyone who looked remotely like they could have been one. Nate’s body was like something out of a movie or a magazine. Wide shoulders, perfectly sculpted abs, slim waist and hips, long legs.

      God, she had to stop thinking about it or she’d be too self-conscious to do another thing.

      Besides, it was much more fun to enjoy the wonderful things he was doing to her mouth. She’d always loved kissing, but in theory, not in practice. With Nate, she was in the advanced course, and it was immediately clear that he had a lot to teach her.

      Take the way he nipped her lower lip. It hurt, but not in a bad way. Then there was his tongue which got hard and pointy, then soft, then hard again. He explored her carefully and gave her the courage to explore right back.

      The moment she ventured out with her own tongue, he sucked it into his mouth. It sent shivers down her body, and she could only deduce that if he was this good at kissing, he’d be freakin’ amazing at everything else.

      He pulled back, and she was about to complain, but then he kicked off the covers so she was able to see him all over. That chest. It was stunning. Just enough dark hair to make him manly, not carpeted. Her gaze moved down, and oh—

      He moved a hand to her shoulder to ease her down, but she batted it away. She’d seen penises before. But this was a whole new ball game. So to speak.

      “What’s wrong?”

      “I’m impressed.”

      He looked down. “That old thing? I’ve had it for years.”

      She laughed, but she didn’t look away.

      “Come on, Tam. It’s not that big a deal.”

      “Yes, it is. It’s just so, well, hard.”

      He laughed this time. “Who the hell have you been with?”

      “Clearly the wrong men.”

      He didn’t just laugh this time. His head went back and he laughed so loud she was sure the people in the next room heard.

      “I’m not joking.”

      He sighed out loud as he pulled her in for another kiss. When he pulled back, he met her gaze with smiling eyes. “I know. I know, and you’re amazing, so look where you want, touch what you feel like and don’t mind me. I’ll love it all.”

      “Really?”

      He nodded.

      She grinned as she scooted down the bed. When she looked up at him again, the laughter had left his eyes. But he didn’t stop her.

      4

      NATE WASN’T SURE WHAT he was supposed to do. This wasn’t going according to any of his usual scripts. Most of the time, he took the lead. He was a big, tough soldier after all, and the ladies really seemed to like that. From time to time the lady in question would want to show him her colors, which was also fine by him. This experience was something completely different.

      Tam had crawled under the covers and moved things around so that the comforter draped him from the waist down. All he could see of her was an undulating lump moving toward his groin. Maybe he should have been a bit more specific about the whole touching thing.

      He had to fight the urge to throw back the covers, or at the very least move. She’d looked happy. Excited. More importantly, distracted.

      He knew this was a risky venture. One he probably should have nipped in the bud. There was no way he could justify his actions as purely selfless. But he wasn’t being a total bastard, either.

      Tam was right. If they’d found her once, they could find her again. The odds of survival shrunk daily, and even if they did make it, running from Omicron was as stressful as any wartime scenario. She didn’t want to be alone. He didn’t, either. Even if all the sex did was offer a distraction, that was enough. In fact, it was—“Shit.”

      She’d taken his cock in hand, and she hadn’t been a delicate flower about it. “Hey, take it easy down there.”

      He heard a muffled giggle, then she moved her hand up his shaft.

      His eyes closed at the sensation of someone else’s hand rubbing him. It had been a long time. Too long. More than that, it was Tamara’s hand, and he’d had too many dreams about this to be a hundred percent sure he wouldn’t wake up any second.

      Her soft palm moved down again, then all the way up to the incredibly sensitive glans. There was no choice but to move. It felt so amazingly good he was worried that things might end prematurely. “Tam?”

      She didn’t answer. She just kept rubbing. When her other hand cupped his balls, he nearly jumped off the bed. He threw back the covers and she looked at him with brown eyes filled with mischief. Not terror, not sadness. “Is something wrong?” she asked.

      “No. I just wanted to see you.”

      “Okay,” she said. “I was gonna come out in a second anyway.”

      “Curiosity sated?”

      “Not even close.” She let him go and slithered up the sheet until her head was on her pillow. “I’ve been looking in test tubes for too long. Humans seem so fascinating.”

      He shifted until he was on his side, head on his hand, his eyes about level with hers. “Humans, huh?”

      She nodded. “In particular, human male soldiers who have dark brown hair and green eyes, and have sneaky little clefts in their chins.”

      “Lucky me, I seem to fit the criteria.”

      She nodded again as she searched his face. “Do me a favor?”

      “Anything.”

      “If this is a pity screw, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”

      “Pity? What are you, high?”

      “Good answer.”

      “Not a line.”

      “I know,” she said. “Now you need to give me another good answer.”

      “What’s the question?”

      “Do you have a condom?”