Zone of Action: A Career Soldier Military Romance Read online

  I watched in silence as he caught the attention of one of the bartenders and held up two fingers, leaning forward to spell out what he wanted. “Coronas with lime. Extra, not light.”

  The woman nodded at him. “Coming up.”

  The bar area crowd had swelled even since my arrival. Jake managed to carve out a little space for us, bracing one arm against the oak bar itself, using his body to shelter me from being jostled too much. I felt oddly protected, and again, it was a new sense.

  “Sorry. I didn’t even ask if you preferred light.” He bent down to speak closer to my ear.

  “Nope. If I’m going to drink beer, I’m not doing any of that light shit.” I grinned. “I don’t do anything halfway.”

  “Good to know.” His hand was still on my back, and now it moved up a little, rubbing against my spine, and then over toward my hip. “That’s my life philosophy, too.”

  The bartender slid two bottles across to us, a wedge of lime stuck into each. I watched as Jake took the limes between the fingers of both hands, squeezed the juice into the beer, stuffed the rinds into the bottles and handed me one.

  “Cheers.” He slanted the neck of his beer toward me.

  “To new friends.” I clinked against his. “And . . . to the beginning of a fun night?”

  A slow smile spread over his lips. “Here’s hoping.”

  We both chugged the beer, but I didn’t miss the way Jake’s eyes stayed on me, taking in the touch of my lips to the bottle and the movement of my throat as I swallowed. Consequently, I might have played it up just a tad, caressing the neck of the bottle with my fingers and letting my tongue dart out into the opening. I watched his pupils dilate and had to hide a triumphant smile. It was time to make my move.

  I rose onto my toes so that I could whisper into his ear. My boobs pressed into him, and I felt my nipples harden into points as they brushed the solid plane of his chest.

  “I like to be honest. I don’t play games. I came here tonight looking for someone who wants the same thing I do: one night, no strings, no commitment . . . just sex. I’m only after one night of a good time. If that works for you, I’m all in favor of not wasting any more time. If it doesn’t, then I’ll say thanks for the beer, and I’ll move on.”

  Faint surprise gleamed in his dark eyes. “Direct, aren’t you? Cutting right to the chase?”

  I lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t see the point in being any other way. Why should I pretend to be something or someone I’m not? I don’t do the whole romance or relationship deal. I work in a high-pressure field, and sometimes I need to let off steam. I’ve found the best way to do that is with lots of really good sex.” One side of my mouth curved up. “I’ve been told that I can give a guy an amazing time, if that helps you make your decision.”

  “Oh, sugar, my mind’s already made up.” Jake’s hand was on my rib cage now, and his fingers teased the underside of my breast. “I’m in. I came here tonight with the same goal in mind. But I’ll be honest—usually, I have to do a little more to talk a girl around to my way of thinking. Or I have to wait a while to find one who’s on the same page as I am. You’re a pleasant surprise.”

  “I’ve heard that before, too.” I winked. “So my suggestion is that we finish our beers and get out of here.” I took another pull from the bottle and ran my thumb around my lips. “Oh, but I need to find my friend first. I hope you don’t mind, but I have a safety procedure.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “A safety procedure? Sounds like a fire drill.”

  I laughed. “Kind of does. The thing is, while I’m all for meeting new people, I’m not stupid. I don’t intend to end up a statistic, or the victim-of-the-week on some cheesy crime drama. My friend Corey and I have worked out a system.” I finished the beer and set the bottle on the bar. “Did you come with anyone tonight?”

  He nodded. “My friend Owen is . . .” His eyes scanned the area. “Over at that table, trying to get the girl with him to see things like he does.”

  “Good. This way, we both have safeguards.” I winked at Jake. “Because you know, I could be the serial killer in this scenario. You could be the victim-of-the-week.”

  His eyes smoldered. “Honey, I have a feeling that I’d go down with a smile on my face.”

  “I promise that you would.” I pointed to the table Jake had indicated. “Give me a minute to find Corey, and I’ll meet you over by your buddy.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  A few minutes later, I’d located my friend back on the dance floor, by herself. Slinging an arm around her neck, I leaned in to talk to her.

  “I met someone. Can you come check him out for me?”

  She nodded and followed me away from the dancers. “Lucky you. The dude who bought me a drink was a loser. He wanted to talk about politics and poetry and shit.” She rolled her eyes. “Why can’t I ever find the men who just want to fuck?”

  A woman passing us at that moment overheard and stopped in her tracks, frowning at Corey, who giggled.

  “Maybe I said that just a little too loud?”

  “It’s possible.” I tugged her arm. “Over here.”

  Jake was leaning against an empty chair at the table, and his friend was frowning. I wondered if he was pissed that we were interrupting his campaign to get into the pants of the brunette who was nursing some kind of girly drink.

  “Corey, this is Jake. Jake, my friend Corey.” With a smile, I offered my hand to the other man. “Hi, I’m Harper.”

  With faint surprise on his face, he shook my hand. “Owen.”

  “Awesome. Nice to meet you. Jake, can you take out your driver’s license, please?” I reached into my pocket and produced my own ID. “Owen, if you would, take a picture of mine.”

  His mouth dropped open. “Seriously?”

  “Yes, seriously. This way, you have a record of my name and address. If your friend here doesn’t show up tomorrow, you can tell the authorities that he was last seen with me.” I pointed to Corey. “And Corey will do the same with Jake’s info.”

  Owen frowned. “But how do I know this is even your real name or address? And even if it is, what if it’s too late by the time I realize Jake’s missing?”

  I sighed. “Then you’ll know where to send the cops to find his body. Look, this isn’t a perfect system. But it’s something. Whether or not you believe it, I really am Harper Drummond, and this is my real address. If you want to take a picture of Corey’s license, too, as an added precaution, it’s fine with me.”

  “Harper.” Jake laid a hand on my arm. “It’s fine. This is a good idea. Here you go, Corey.”

  I stood aside as Corey aimed her phone at Jake’s ID and Owen did the same with mine. The girl sitting at the table watched us with growing disbelief. “You guys are serious? This is the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Sparing her a glance, I tucked my license back into my pocket. “Look, honey. I get that you like the illusion of being able to say that you were drunk when you go home with a man you’ve just met. You want to be able to pretend it isn’t a decision you make. If you need to have that plausible deniability in order to sleep at night, great. Live the lie. But I’d rather own my choices and be smart about what I do.”

  She stood up, lifting her drink from the table. “Bitch. I don’t need to listen to this.” So saying, she stalked off, not even glancing backward at Owen, who gave a long and heavy exhale of breath.

  “I think you just cost me my date tonight.”

  I grinned at him. “I’d say I’m sorry, but honestly, dude, if she’s the kind of girl you’re interested in, that’s sort of sad. This place is rocking. There’s got to be someone else more your type here.” I tilted my head. “Have you met my friend Corey?”

  “Nice and subtle there, Harper.” Corey shook her head.

  “Hey, just saying. You’re here, he’s here . . . I’m happy to snap a pic of his license before Jake and I leave.” I flipped my hand over and wiggled my fingers. “Turnabout’s f
air play and all that.”

  Jake snagged my hand and twined his fingers with mine. “I think we should get going now and let Owen and Corey figure out their own, uh, situation.” He sketched a wave at his friend. “See you tomorrow, unless of course Harper ties me up and keeps me as her sex slave. In which case, don’t call me, I’ll call you.”

  I pasted on my sweetest smile. “You never can tell.” I kissed Corey’s cheek. “See you at work tomorrow, chick. If you end up hooking up, send me the license pic.”

  “Will do. Have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she called as Jake and I began to walk away.

  “No promises!” My saucy parting shot made her laugh, which had been my intent.

  When Jake and I stepped outside, the sudden quiet in the parking lot, a contrast to the noise inside the bar, made my ears ring. He glanced down at me.

  “Did you drive?”

  I shook my head. “No, Corey and I took a cab over. How about you?”

  “Owen and I called RideIt.” He squinted. “Uh, do you live alone?”

  “I do.” I tightened my grip on his hand. “Do you live on post?”

  “Yeah, in the barracks. So that narrows the choice of where we can go.” He used the hand not holding mine to pull out his phone. “I’ll get us a ride. Give me your address.”

  I spelled out the name of my street and the unit number, watching as he tapped it into the app.

  “Okay. A car is on its way.” He cleared his throat. “You seem to have this down to a science. I assume you do it pretty often?”

  A tiny fizzle of uncomfortable guilt made me frown. “Not as often as I’d like, actually. Work keeps me too busy three out of four weekends a month, and most of the time, all I want to do during my very infrequent down time is sleep.” I hesitated before going on. “But yes. When I have the opportunity and energy, I don’t have any problem with finding someone who’s willing to fuck me senseless and spending the night with him. Or part of the night, as the case may be.”

  “Hey, no judgement. I was just curious.” He held up his hand. “Like you said to the girl in there . . . I’m used to chicks who want to play coy and pretend they’re not interested in the same thing I am, until they can find an excuse to admit otherwise. It’s refreshing to meet someone who doesn’t roll that way.”

  “Does it bother you to take out the mystique?” I stared into the darkness. “I’ve run across guys who tell me that the give and take, the will-she-or-won’t-she uncertainty is part of the foreplay. A couple have told me that I’m too matter of fact about it.”

  In the glow of the neon sign, I saw his mouth curve into a smile. “The only foreplay I’m interested in takes place when you’re under me, naked and screaming.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “When my mouth is on your pussy and I’m pinching your nipples. So for me, a sure thing doesn’t take away the allure. It gets us to where we both want to be . . . only faster.”

  My heartbeat had sped up as he spoke, and my throat was suddenly dry. A car slowed to a stop in front of us, and the driver opened the window.

  “Did you ask for a ride? I’m Bart from RideIt, picking up . . .” He paused. “Jake?”

  “That’s us.” Jake opened the back door and stood aside to let me climb in first. As he took the seat next to me, I leaned forward to speak to the driver.

  “How fast can you get us to my place?”

  Chapter Three

  Jake

  The drive from the bar to Harper’s apartment only took about ten minutes, but to me, it felt like an eternity. We sat next to each other in the backseat, both of us tense with anticipation. I wanted to touch her . . . I wanted to take her hand again, hold it against my thigh or maybe flatten it between my legs. I wanted to inch up her dress just a little more. It had ridden up and teased me now, as I knew that if I could just move it a whisper more, I’d be able to see what I was dying to caress with my eyes and hands and tongue.

  But I knew that if I gave into myself and let my fingers wander, I wouldn’t be able to stop, and I’d end up hauling her onto my lap and fucking her here in the backseat of this car, the driver’s curious eyes be damned. I’d slide her onto my stiff and aching dick, fill my hands with her tits and ravage her until neither of us could remember our names. And although I thought I was a pretty adventurous guy when it came to sex, I also was smart enough to know that the Army frowned on its officers having sex in the public transportation, no matter how luscious and tempting the woman might be.

  When we pulled up in front of the building, Harper didn’t waste a minute before opening the door and jumping out. I paused just long enough to thank the driver.

  He met my eyes in the rearview mirror. “Dude, I’d say have a good night, but I have a feeling you’re already on top of that.”

  I knew I probably should’ve felt embarrassed, but I didn’t. “Thanks. And I appreciate you getting us here so fast.”

  He shrugged. “I’m all for young love. Or lust. Whatever you want to call it.”

  I managed a smile as I got out, slamming the car door and making my way to where Harper waited on the stoop outside her door. She’d already unlocked it and was just turning the knob as I reached her. My heart was thudding so loudly that I could only focus on one thing: touching her.

  I grasped her hips and tugged her back against me, pulling that enticing ass against the throbbing of my dick. She sucked in a breath before grinding back into me.

  Bending forward, I caught the soft lobe of her ear between my teeth and growled. “The first thing I’m going to do is take you hard and fast against the other side of this door, the minute you shut it with us inside. And then, after you’ve come on my cock, I’m going to bury my face between your legs and use my tongue to make you come on my mouth. Once you can breathe again, I want you on your knees, with sucking me off while I pound into your mouth.”

  She made a small noise that almost sounded like mewling, and it drove me fucking wild. I wanted to hear it again and again when I was buried deep inside her. I wanted to hear my name on her tongue when I brought her to the edge of ecstasy over and over again.

  I dug my fingers deeper into her flesh. “Open the fucking door, Harper.”

  She wrenched the knob, and we both stumbled over the threshold. I reached first over her head to slam the door and then behind her back to turn the deadbolt. After I heard it click, I shoved Harper backward until she was trapped between the steel door and my harder body.

  “Tell me what you want, sugar.” I dragged my lips along the soft column of her neck. “Tell me what you like best.”

  “Rough.” She spoke on an exhale. “Hard. Fast. Drive me up until I can’t think and then don’t stop. Take me hard and make me—”

  Her last word was lost as I covered her mouth, nudging her lips open and making firm, insistent forays with my tongue. She matched me stroke for stroke, her hands pushing into the tensed muscles on my back. I reach down between her legs and gather the material of her dress, pushing it up and out of my way.

  “I can take it off,” she murmured against my lips, beginning to move her arms to crane backward, searching for the zipper. “Just let me—”

  “No.” I grabbed her hands and pinned each against the door. “Keep your hands up here. Don’t move them. Understand?”

  Those bright green eyes huge, she nodded. I released her wrists and raised her dress again, this time using the other hand to delve between her thighs. Her panties were a mere scrap of silk held together by a few strings, and fuck me sideways, when I skimmed one finger over the crotch, the cloth was soaked. I eased them down below her knees, watching as the bit of material landed around her ankles.

  “I’m so fucking tempted to taste you right now.” I looked up her from where I’d knelt at her feet. “So fucking tempted to use the tip of my tongue to rub against your clit while you watch me. But my dick would never forgive me, so . . .” I straightened. “That’ll have to wait.”

  She leveled a stare right into my eyes.
“If you don’t fuck me right now, I’m going to burst into flames right here. I am so wet and ready for you. I want to feel you drive into me . . . to do it so hard it almost hurts. I want to see your cock and feel every inch of it inside me.”

  I’d thought I was the one in control here. I’d thought I was the one running the show. But with those few words, Harper demonstrated just how wrong I was. I was her willing slave, ready to give her whatever she wanted and everything she needed, just to hear that I’d pleased her.

  But I wasn’t quite ready to relinquish everything. With one finger, I traced a line down her neck and over the expanse of pale skin exposed by the V neckline of her dress before I delved under the silky cloth to circle the puckered bud there.

  “That’s amazing,” she breathed. “Feels so incredible.”

  “Incredible is a start.” I smiled as I lured her into relaxing a little, just teasing and barely touching, and then yanked down the dress, exposing her flesh and pushing the soft roundness of her tit into prominence.

  She cried out, and as she did, I lowered my mouth to her deep pink nipple, pulling it deep over my tongue. Harper arched her back, as though she was trying to bring me even closer. Gently, I used my teeth to scrape over the peak at the same time that I slipped my fingers down between her legs again.

  “This pussy,” I muttered around her nipple. “This pussy is so fucking hot. So wet for me. So ready.” I plunged two fingers deep into her. “God, so fucking tight.”

  “Oh, God. Jake.” Her hands were fisted, but she kept them against the wall still, as I’d directed. “Please. Please fuck me now.”

  “I thought I was fucking you.” I pumped my fingers a little harder. “Doesn’t this feel good?”

  “Yeeeees . . .” She moaned the word into several syllables. “But I want more. I want your cock.”

  “Ah.” I paused my movements, taking a minute to breathe for my own sake—so I didn’t blow my load the minute I unzipped—as much as to tease Harper. “Hmmm. You have been a good girl, keeping your hands where I told you.” I kept her dress hiked up high and used the hand that had been stroking her to unbutton my pants and pulled down the zipper. My dick sprang out, eager to join in the fun.