When he entered her with a powerful thrust, she called out his name, digging her nails into his back, demanding more.
He didn’t disappoint.
She didn’t think he ever could. Not in this area anyway.
Her climax tore through her unexpectedly. It was like a runaway train barreling down the tracks, racing through each stop as it gained speed.
His was felt just as powerfully as he whispered her name in her ear. He kissed her neck.
She held him tight, not wanting to let him go. It took a few long moments before she could catch her breath. Only then did she release her grip.
He lifted his head and fanned his thumbs over her cheeks, staring into her eyes, saying nothing. Gently, he brushed his lips across her mouth in a tender kiss.
A warm shiver spread across her body.
Holding her in his arms, he rolled to his back.
She rested her head on his chest. “We should both be able to sleep now.”
He chuckled. “There is one problem though.”
“Yeah, what’s that?”
“I’m going to want to do that again in the morning.”
Playfully, she smacked his shoulder.
“This can’t change how we work together,” he said in a more serious tone.
She tilted her head, catching his gaze. “It won’t.”
“How can you be so sure? Have you been on assignments with someone you’ve been sleeping with before?”
“No,” she admitted. “But I believe we’re both capable of compartmentalizing. I mean we did it when we didn’t like each other.”
He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “I’ve never not liked you. I’ve always admired and respected you. And found you incredibly sexy. I was just being an asshole who was lashing out at anyone and everyone because I was scared. Being a SEAL was my identity.” His eyes filled with a sudden sadness. “The Navy was how I honored my sister.”
She swallowed. Hard. Tears burned her eyes.
“You didn’t take that from me. The enemy did. And whoever gave up our location,” he said with a tight jaw. “I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately, and the further away I am from what happened that day, the clearer things become.”
“What do you mean?”
“We always run a risk when we’re in an undisclosed area, running unsanctioned missions, that our radio communications will become compromised. Leaks happen. But too many things went wrong.”
“I know. That’s what I’ve been saying.” She rested her chin on his pectoral muscle. “Your original extraction was five days before I came into the picture and that plan went to shit pretty quickly.”
“We didn’t have a chance. The enemy was there waiting. The helicopter flying in to get us was lucky to get out. I know they got hit a few times and I was glad to hear they made it back to the ship safely.”
“But they had to leave you behind.”
Walker took his free arm and tucked his hand behind his head while his other one ran up and down her back. “Even before that, the enemy always seemed to be one step ahead and we had to bail on our mission. Looking back, it seems so obvious to me that there were too many things that went wrong the second our boots hit the ground for it all to be coincidence.”
“That’s why I’ve always believed there was a mole. I told my superiors my suspicions. We dug deep. We looked at our own people, and yours, but couldn’t find it and we had to get you out. That became my main focus. I kept the details of the plan to a small group, but it still got all fucked up.”
He kissed her forehead. “Would it be too much of an ask to go over all of that with you? If someone betrayed my team, I want to know.”
“I will share with you all the notes I was able to keep. I also have a few contacts that were working on it with me that will talk with us and give me access to the intel. But the trail is cold.” She took in a long slow breath. She’d never told anyone what she was about to share, and she wasn’t sure Walker was going to take too kindly to it.
“I can hear the wheels spinning in that pretty head of yours.”
She smiled. Normally, if any other man said something like that to her, she wouldn’t take it as the compliment that Walker meant it as. She cleared her throat. “I have a working theory, but you’re not going to like it.”
“I’m listening.”
“I think the mole came from in-country.”
He arched a brow. “As in one of my men?”