Reckless Pleasures Read online

  She looked forward and nodded. “Yeah.”

  They sat silently for a few minutes.

  The nightly visits had become a ritual of sorts, with one or the other of them showing up at the other’s room for a few minutes of conversation, something to help them relax a bit after official business was taken care of. Megan realized she’d come to look forward to them.

  Maybe a little too much.

  She slanted him a look. “You know, you don’t have to do this…”

  “Do what?”

  “Take care of me.”

  “Who says I’m doing this for you?”

  She laughed. “Right. Isn’t there a barmaid or waitress somewhere you should be chatting up?”

  He rubbed his chin and averted his gaze, his self-conscious expression making her throat tighten in awareness.

  Uh-oh…

  JASON CONSIDERED HER QUESTION and what he’d almost said in response—that lately he wanted no one but her.

  He ran his fingers through his hair several times and pushed from the bed. This wasn’t happening. There was no way he was gunning for his best friend’s girl.

  Why, then, wasn’t he with the waitress he’d met the other night? She’d slipped him her number with his beer and she’d certainly been a stunner. Just his type with golden-blond hair, lush curves and a smile designed to make any guy think of getting her between the sheets.

  But whenever he imagined taking a woman to bed, the only woman he was thinking about was Megan.

  Which was crazy. He wasn’t that guy. The one who slept with his best friend’s girl.

  He turned around and bumped straight into her, not realizing she’d also gotten up and stood behind him.

  She was close. Too close. Their noses were nearly touching.

  The first thing he registered was the clean scent of her skin. Just the soft smell of motel soap, no perfume, no flowery lotion.

  The next thing he saw was the way she licked her lips anxiously.

  Jason groaned deep in his throat.

  This…was…not…happening…

  “Um, I think I better go,” he managed to grind out, trying not to notice the way the hard tips of her breasts strained against her tank top, skimming the wall of his chest with every shallow breath she took.

  “Yeah. That, would, um, be a good idea.”

  Neither one of them moved.

  Truth was, Jason was afraid to. He was afraid that if he twitched a muscle, it would be to back her up against that bed and down on top of it.

  No, she would have to be the one to move first.

  Hopefully away from him.

  Instead, she stepped in closer.

  Christ…

  MEGAN CAUGHT HER BREATH. To say she hadn’t known this might happen would make her a liar. She and Jason had been working too closely together over the past ten days for some attraction not to develop.

  They probably should have been a little more careful, though.

  Of course, she had no way of knowing her power to deny her own fundamental needs would hover somewhere around zero when the moment did occur.

  Or accept the possibility that Jason’s would, too…

  She swallowed hard, watching his eyes sharpen, much like a black panther that had just caught sight of his mate. His nostrils flared slightly as he tried to drag in air that suddenly seemed scarce in the too-hot room. She could smell his sweat…and, yes, his sex.

  She was caught between needing to step away, yet yearning to move closer.

  Without realizing that’s what she was going to do, she leaned ever so slightly forward, pressing her open mouth against his in the lightest of kisses. She didn’t expect him to respond. But the instant their lips made contact, she felt a fire ignite in her veins, burning her from the inside out. She wanted him to respond.

  Oh, God…

  He groaned somewhere deep in his chest and she felt his hands on her upper arms, as if poised to push her away. Instead, he hauled her closer.

  Megan caught her breath, unprepared to have him crush his mouth down on hers…or for her welcome of the thought-robbing action.

  Urgency welled up in her stomach and then exploded outward as she tangled her tongue with his. It had been so very long, too long since she’d felt this depth of need for a man.

  Then it dawned on her how long—four months.

  She broke free from him, gasping for air and pressing the back of her hand against her mouth.

  “I’m…sorry,” she rasped.

  Jason stepped back. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I… We… That should never have happened.”

  “I know.”

  They turned away from each other, Megan trying like hell to grasp the situation.

  What was she thinking? She loved Dari. Missed him. Lived for his texts and phone calls.

  So what, then, was she doing practically devouring Jason?

  It didn’t make any sense.

  And yet it made perfect sense.

  “You know, what just happened had nothing to do with either of us,” Jason said.

  Megan’s heart skipped a beat at his words.

  She slowly turned back to face him.

  “Look, what I’m about to say probably won’t excuse my behavior. But maybe it will help explain it.”

  She nodded. “Go ahead.”

  “Well, the best I can figure it, what just happened doesn’t mean there’s really anything between them.”

  “Then what does it mean?”

  “Physical need—plain and simple.”

  She bit her bottom lip, trying, but failing, to quiet the pool of desire in her lower stomach.

  “But the kiss…”

  She stared at him.

  “The kiss was too intimate.”

  She released a breath. “Oh, boy, you’re not lying there.”

  The side of his mouth inched up in a smile. “So let’s not kiss.”

  “Pardon me?”

  He slowly lifted his hand and ran his fingers through his shortly cropped brown hair. The simple gesture emerged both hot and appealing.

  “I’m saying, let’s not kiss.”

  “Good idea…”

  She began to walk toward the bathroom.

  He caught her arm, his grip soft but insistent.

  “Let’s just sleep together…”

  6

  JASON WATCHED MEGAN’S face closely, identifying each emotion as it passed. Shock, disbelief, then ultimately intrigue.

  He prided himself on being a man who called ’em as he saw ’em. And now that he understood that his physical need for Megan was returned, well, there was no reason for them to pretend it wasn’t.

  “Jason, I…”

  He could sense her withdrawing. “What, Megan? We’re both adults. Marines, even. We know the difference between real emotion and physical need. Just like a wound that requires attention, there are other…needs that have to be met.”

  Her blue eyes sparkled. “Yes, but unlike a wound, this can go without treatment.”

  He grinned. “Can it?”

  She faltered.

  “Look, I know the kiss bothered you. Hell, it bothered me, too.” He grimaced, thinking her mouth had felt all too good pressed against his. “I’m not that guy. You know, the one that screws around with his best friend’s girl.”

  “Funny, when I first met you, that’s exactly what I figured you for.”

  He squinted at her. “And now?”

  She looked down. “And now that I know you better, I think you’re just as caught off guard by this as I am.”

  That was a good sign, no?

  “So,” she said, “if this is not that, then what is it?”

  “Sex. Pure and simple.”

  The dubious expression returned.

  “Look. We don’t have to kiss,” he said. “Actually, I’d prefer it if we didn’t.”

  “And how do you propose we…have sex without it?”

  He couldn’t help grinning in purely carnal desir
e. “Simple—you turn around…”

  THE MERE IDEA SENT decadent shivers racing over her skin. She rubbed her arm and his gaze followed the movements, catching not only the goose bumps there but the way her nipples hardened beneath the cotton of her T-shirt.

  “No one needs to know,” he said quietly. “Just you and me. And it will only be once.”

  Unless…

  The unsaid word hung there.

  “The way I see it, you’re not betraying Dari. If anything, by having sex with me, you’re staying true to him.”

  That made her laugh.

  “Think about it. If it were anyone else but me, well, there might be a real threat there.”

  His words made a twisted kind of sense.

  She felt his hands on her hips.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Let’s just see if this has possibilities…”

  She resisted the urge to let him turn her around at first, then gave in, her heart thudding thickly in her chest. She heard the door close and the room went dark as he shut off the light and switched on the air conditioner.

  She began to turn around to put a stop to this insanity, when she felt his hard arousal pressed against her backside.

  She moaned.

  God, oh God, but that felt so good…

  His fingers tightened on her hips, holding her still.

  She heard the click of her swallow.

  “I think…” she rasped, licking her lips restlessly.

  She fell silent, wondering at the pure need swirling through her and pooling in a deep, dark pool in her womb.

  “You think?”

  His breath against her ear made her shiver.

  “I think this, um, could work…”

  That’s all the impetus either of them needed. He tugged at the bottom of her T-shirt at the same time she did.

  “Take care of yours, I’ll take care of mine,” she told him. “No seduction scene necessary…”

  Keeping her back turned, she quickly stripped out of her clothes, overly aware he was doing the same behind her. She made out the sound of a foil packet being ripped open, smelled the latex and readied her self for…

  Oh!

  He slid his long, thick length between her thighs without preamble. Megan squared her legs and then bent over, bracing her hands against the bed. She began to reach back, but he was already guiding his impressive shaft to slide between her swollen folds, finding her slick and waiting.

  Oh, yes…

  It seemed so very long since she’d known the intimacy of sex. And with him behind her, out of her line of sight, it was easy to forget who he was…and imagine him as Dari instead.

  Her throat tightened.

  Okay, maybe not Dari. Even in this position, he would find a way to kiss her.

  No. Maybe she’d imagine this was a dream. Not unlike what she accomplished during her own solo sessions when she brought herself to climax.

  This was just that. A desperate seeking of physical release.

  He pressed his hand against her lower back, holding her still as he positioned himself against her tight, damp sex…and then breached it, chasing both the air from her lungs, and all thought from her head.

  Oh, sweet Jesus, yes…

  Jason slowly slid in to the hilt, stilling. She shifted on her feet slightly, finding a more satisfying spot, bunching her hands in the bedspread as she bore back against him, taking him deeper yet.

  Then he finally moved, withdrawing, creating sensations even sweeter than before. Until he thrust…then thrust again, grasping her hips to hold her still as he showed her just all she’d been missing, what she’d been craving, and what he could give her now…

  Her hands slid on the bedspread and she pitched forward, completely willing to climb on top of the bed and continue there.

  But Jason appeared to have another thought in mind.

  Withdrawing completely, he backed up, his hands guiding her. He sat down on the desk chair. Megan gladly spread her knees and sat down, reaching between her thighs to guide his hard length back where she wanted to feel it most.

  She slid down slowly, the new position offering a different sensation. She gasped when he was in to the hilt then braced her hands against his knees and leaned forward, rocking her hips forward, then back…

  With the baton firmly in her hand, she took great pleasure in setting the languid pace, reveling in every shimmer of her muscles, every tingle in her womb. She swore she could hear Jason gritting his teeth behind her, which ramped up her own excitement as she considered the view he had of her.

  He mumbled something under his breath and then grasped her hips tightly, holding her still. Megan braced her feet on the lower chair rungs and moved her hands to her own knees, barely stable before he thrust his hips upward, filling her…

  Megan moved her hips, more of an involuntary jerking, the breath leaving her body as Jason continued to slam upward into her convulsing flesh. Her lungs froze, her stomach seized and the release she’d been working toward exploded, sending shock waves through her body. She grasped her own knees more tightly, his long, hard thrusts drawing out the overpowering sensations even as his rapid breathing told of his own impending climax.

  She heard a long, winding groan and knew he’d found it.

  Nothing but the sound of the air conditioner and their heavy breathing filled the room as she leaned back against him. His hands skimmed her inner thighs, lingering briefly on her damp, quivering flesh, and then budged up over her trembling stomach before finally cupping her breasts.

  A fresh thrill ran the length of her.

  They were both tired and sweaty.

  “More?” he whispered into her ear.

  Megan swallowed hard. “Oh, God, yes…”

  TWO HOURS LATER, Megan had collapsed facedown on the bed, Jason dropping on top of her. Finally, she felt adequately satisfied. At one point, he’d complained that he wasn’t enough man for her and she’d laughed…before bringing him to full erectness again and riding him for all he was worth.

  “What time is it?” Jason asked.

  The bedspread was half over the nightstand, blocking the clock. Megan yanked on it twice before it slid off.

  “After two.”

  “I need to hightail it back to my room. We’ve got to be up in three hours.”

  She hummed her agreement but noticed neither one of them made any effort to move.

  She wiggled her bottom slightly.

  Finally, he groaned and rolled off her.

  “Woman, you’re insatiable.”

  She stayed where she was, her head turned the other way. “I don’t recall hearing any complaints.” She smiled against the sheets. “Oh, okay. Maybe one.”

  “That wasn’t a complaint. It was a statement of wonder.”

  She laughed huskily. “Mmm…”

  He slapped her bare ass. It stung but she was too relaxed to make any kind of clear response beyond whispering, “Ow.”

  “I’m going. You’ll want to lock the door behind me.”

  “It self-locks.”

  “Not the chain.”

  “Someone would have to be insane to try to break in here.”

  “Yeah, well, there are a lot of crazies running around out there.”

  “Fair enough.”

  She didn’t budge.

  “Megan.”

  “What?”

  “Come lock the door.”

  “I will.” She waved at him.

  He chuckled and then left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

  Megan nestled into the bed more comfortably and promptly dropped off to sleep, thankful to have a friend like Jason….

  7

  THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Megan felt as if she’d run a fifty-mile marathon—and won. Gone was the stress that had weighed heavily on her like a constant load and she was able to refocus her energies on the job at hand.

  If she felt a secret little thrill every time she and Jason passed each other within smellin
g distance, well, only the two of them had to know that.

  No, she didn’t want him again. In fact, she hadn’t really had him. Not in any way that counted. They’d been two adults seeking physical release and had found it.

  She took a deep breath, feeling more relaxed than she had in months, and was thankful.

  It was 7:00 a.m. and the half of the team dedicated to going back over the ground they’d already covered had already left. Now the remaining members—including her and Jason—were discussing alternative approaches.

  While their primary job was to conduct a physical search for Finley Szymanski, she suggested they broaden the scope to include investigative angles, the aim being to assist in the physical search. The more people they talked to, the better handle they’d have on where to look for the little girl.

  Megan caught herself up short from adding, The little girl’s body.

  The more time that passed, the less likely they were to find the child alive. Statistics bore that fact out. It had been that reality that had weighed down on her day after day.

  “So are we clear on what each of us is going to do?” she asked, checking the board where the assignments were outlined.

  Jason would be holding down home base, while she’d go to the family’s church to speak to friends of the Szymanski family. She’d tried on a couple of occasions for direct family access, but the sheriff’s office had drawn the line at that, especially in light of recent events. After all, it only stood to reason that as frustrations rose, finger-pointing would start. The family was now under the glare of suspicion, making them even more difficult to get close to than when they were looked upon strictly as the poor, worried victims of a random crime.

  Her phone vibrated where it was strapped to her belt.

  Dari.

  And it was a phone call rather than a text.

  She knew a moment of hesitation.

  What was she doing? She hurried to answer. “Hello?”

  Too late. The call was redirected to voice mail.

  Damn!

  Her gaze was drawn to Jason where he spoke with a team member.

  She tried for a smile and then walked out of the room, checking her cell again. When it indicated a voice mail had been received, she quickly retrieved it.

  “I didn’t want to tell you this way, but the plane’s about to take off and this is my last shot. I’m coming home…”