Tumult (TSS Series Book 1) by Lea Hart (14)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Carrick stood in front of the windows of their hotel room and looked out at the setting sun as the planes took off in the distance. They hadn’t been able to get a flight out and were going to be spending the night in Munich, which was going to work in their favor.

Raqqa had fallen yesterday and it would be best to let things settle before they attempted to enter the country. Not only because the Bashir government was volatile and unpredictable, but the Turks could very well react negatively to the Kurds’ victory. Add to that ISIS militants that had escaped capture and there was a shit show of such epic proportions awaiting them that if he could put it off for a day or two, he’d be grateful.

Hearing the water turn off in the bathroom, he figured Audrey was finally done with her shower. He rolled his head in a circle and attempted to let go of the frustration of not being allowed to join her. She’d firmly kicked him out thirty minutes ago and, quite frankly, he didn’t understand why. It’s not like she had something he hadn’t seen or tasted, so her need for privacy was baffling.

Running his hand over his face, he knew he was acting irrationally and, as far as he could tell, there wasn’t much he could do to change course. The bathroom door opened and he turned to watch her walk out in a hotel robe with a smile lighting up her face. “Better?” he asked.

“Yes. I washed away the grime of travel and feel terrific.” Taking his hand, she leaned her head against his shoulder and let out a happy sigh. “It’s your turn.”

“I could’ve gone in with you and saved water.”

“Sometimes a woman needs a long hot shower alone, with no man trying to get into her business.”

“You liked my business in you yesterday.” When she looked up and gave him a heat-filled gaze, he knew he wasn’t the only who had enjoyed what happened between them.

“I did indeed, and I could very well again.”

When she said nothing more, he knew starting a petty argument wasn’t going to get him where he needed to be. “I’ll grab a shower and then we can go down and grab something to eat.”

“All right.” She let go of his hand and sat down on the bed. “I’ll start digging through the news and see if I can get a sense of what’s going on now that ISIS has been driven from its caliphate.”

“I haven’t heard anything from my contacts yet, which tells me they’re still engaged. I’m sure they’ve got their hands full in rounding up squirters and making sure the YPG and YPJ have the resources they need.”

“It’s hard to believe that ISIS has been expelled from Mosul and Raqqa within six months of each other. What do you think the next move will be for the group?”

“No doubt, being driven from Raqqa dealt a major strategic and symbolic blow, but they’ll evolve and adapt and that’s not something anyone is going to underestimate.”

“The city used to have a population of over 300,000 and the latest reports are suggesting there are only around 25,000 left. Everything I’ve read points to Raqqa being the epicenter of some of the extremist group’s most gruesome public displays, including mass executions.”

“That’s putting it mildly. They used the town center to stake the heads of people who hadn’t followed Sharia law closely. It’s one of the most barbaric displays of war that I’ve ever seen.”

“Where do they go next?” Audrey asked as she laid against the pillows. “They just lost the crown jewel of their propaganda campaign and now that they’ve got no haven for pure Islam in Syria, do they go to Lebanon?”

“They could,” Carrick replied as he walked over to the bed and sat down. “Tactically, the group is still viable because, in the early stages of the campaign to liberate Raqqa, it was believed that the centralized decision-making cells and senior leadership left and only a band of loyal fighters were left to fight to the death. So, as far as anyone is concerned, ISIS is still alive and well.”

“I know that’s their pattern and it doesn’t make it any more understandable. I’ve heard they concentrate much of their efforts on recruiting foreign fighters and ceding ground is not an indication that they’ve lost their ability to rally the disaffected in Iraq and Syria.”

“And that is their true power. Don’t ever believe it more complicated than that. If you can rally the disenfranchised, then you’ve got yourself a fighting force to be reckoned with.” He took off his boots and socks and then laid down next to Audrey and realized sleeping with a smart woman had its advantages. He’d never spent time discussing current events with anyone he’d been seeing, and realized it said a lot about him that he wasn’t terribly proud of.

His past was littered with brief, satisfying physical encounters and not much more, lying next to Audrey made him realize what he’d been missing out on.

Not only was she his physical match, but she was his intellectual one as well. Okay, that was a lie, she beat the hell out of him when it came to smarts and why that made her so desirable wasn’t a mystery. Glancing over, he saw her staring at the ceiling as she twisted a piece of hair. He rolled onto his side and laid his arm over her waist. “Maybe we can have room service instead of going down to eat.”

Letting go of her hair, she mirrored his position and looked up. “That actually sounds good because, truthfully, I feel too lazy to get up and get dressed.”

“I have never heard a better sentence in my life.” He moved his hand under her robe and discovered she had nothing on and grinned with satisfaction. The silky heat of her skin had him envisioning how they could spend the evening and since he wasn’t a man who liked to be denied, he gripped her hip and tugged her closer. “I’m going to grab a quick shower and then I’ll show you what an appetizer feels like.”

She threw her head back and let out a laugh. “Appetizers are meant to be eaten.”

“Exactly.” He dropped his head and kissed her savagely and then let her go. “Be back in ten minutes.”

“I’ll be here,” she replied as she tugged her robe closed and gave him a smile that promised endless delight.

“Make it eight minutes.” Heaving himself off the bed, he undressed as he walked into the bathroom. God damn, he was a lucky son of a bitch.

***

Audrey sat up when the bathroom door opened and watched Carrick stalk out like a lion who was ready to devour his prey. When he got close, she put her hand out in a stop motion and shook her head. “Wait.”

He stopped abruptly, as frustration covered his features. “You can take one step closer and that’s it.”

“Audrey…what the hell are you doing?”

When he stood in front of her, she ran her hands over the towel that covered his glorious body, and let out a low laugh as she pulled it free. “I’m seducing you.” Before he could put energy into a protest, she placed a hot, wet, opened-mouthed kiss against the firm muscles of his abdomen.

“Shiiiiit,” he rasped.

Smiling to herself, she trailed her damp lips lower and let his masculine scent arouse her. She gripped his cock firmly in her hand as she wrapped her lips around the swollen crown, taking him just a few inches into her mouth. Swirling her tongue along the tip, she then took him deep until her lips touched the base of his cock and the sensitive head rubbed enticingly against the back of her throat. When she swallowed, he let out a groan of pure ecstasy.

“Oh…hell,” he groaned. “You may kill me.”

She slid him in and out of her mouth, stroking him with her tongue and adding just enough suction to keep him on edge. His hand cupped the back of her head, but he didn’t push or thrust like she expected him to. Carrick was an alpha through and through and she guessed that right about now his loss of control was driving him insane.

Deciding that he would survive his loss of dominance, she continued blowing him, increasing the friction of her fingers along the hard column of flesh and deepening the wet suction of her mouth as she doubled her efforts to make him come. His entire body tensed, and he gasped a warning, tightening his fingers in her hair, as he attempted to pull her head away.

When she refused to release him, his hips jerked wildly, and she felt the tell-tale pulsing of his cock in her mouth give way to his release. Swallowing, she enjoyed a hum of power and delight as she finished him off.

“Audrey…” He stumbled forward and collapsed next to her on the bed. “That was fucking amazing.”

Falling back onto the bed, she glanced over and saw he was dazed and temporarily wasted. Why that made her so happy was interesting. Maybe knowing she could command the beast, if only for a few minutes, made her feel like a bit of control was possible when it came to this indomitable man. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

The bed dipped as he rolled to his side and propped his head on his hand. “I more than enjoyed it and anytime you feel like seducing me, you go on ahead.”

“This might be our only night in a hotel before we part ways and I figured it was important to take advantage of the big bed.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” he asked with a low frustrated voice. “We’re going to be in Ankara for a couple of days before we head into Syria, and then who knows what’s going to happen after that.”

Patting his chest, she gave him a patient smile. “Once we hit Turkey, the trip is on and we’re not going to have time to think about much more than staying alive and getting the interviews. After that, you fly back to California and me to New York.” Waving her hand around, she huffed out a breath. “This is pretty much it.”

Growling, he came over her and braced his body over hers. “Quit saying shit like that because it pisses me off.”

Seeing his dark look made her wonder why stating the facts made him angry. “Carrick…”

“No, Audrey.” He kissed her savagely, plunging his tongue into her mouth. Not knowing what to do, she decided to enjoy his passion as much as she could and leave the arguments over semantics for another day.

He released her mouth and then began moving down her body. “Now, lie still, babe, and let me see what’s mine.”

Wrapping his long, strong fingers around her ankles, he spread her indecently wide. “Carrick, I don’t think you have to…”

“The only things you’re allowed to say are more and thank you,” he replied as his nostrils flared.

Leaning up on her elbows, she looked down and saw his eyes filled with lust as he looked his fill. “You sure are slinging the orders.”

“Yeah, well, get used to it.” He slowly traced a finger across along the lips of her sex and grinned. “You have such a pretty pussy.”

Inhaling, she felt his raunchy words spoken so reverently spike the desire that was flashing along her nerves. His fingers dipped into her core and spread the slick moisture along the folds of flesh all the way up to her clit, stroking her slowly. She bit her lip as her thighs quivered.

“You’re soaked, babe, and that lets me know how good I make you feel.” He pushed two fingers back inside her body and slid his thumb along the sensitive nub once again.

“Having you in my mouth and sucking you off did that to me, Carrick.”

“Well, now it’s my turn.” He draped her legs over his shoulders and then trailed sweet kisses up the inside of her thigh.

Watching his eyes close as he nuzzled his way toward her center made her pray that this one last night was going to be enough. A lover like Carrick didn’t come along in a woman’s life very often, and the last thing she wanted to do was miss a minute of the pleasure he was about to give her. Arching her back, she felt the first lash of his tongue and her body jolted.

He settled his mouth completely over her and sucked her clit, sending a shockwave of pleasure. The surprising scrape of his teeth added another dimension of delight as she moaned out a loud cry of pleasure. His tongue flicked and swirled and his long fingers pumped deep inside her, heightening the searing sensory assault.

Her body tingled with need and she felt herself on the precipice of an explosion.

One final stroke and her hips bucked against his tenacious mouth as her orgasm crashed through her, taking her breath.

Tremors quaked through one after another and she rode the wave for as long as it lasted. Just as she was about to drift off, she felt Carrick crawl up her body, trailing soft kisses. When he kissed her mouth possessively, she opened her eyes. “Why are you smiling like that?”

“Because eating you out makes me happy.” He lifted her leg over his arm and grinned. “And so does this.”

She sucked in a startled gasp as he began to thrust, impaling her hard and incredibly deep. Each rapid plunge of his hips connected them. Knowing he needed to possess her, she held onto his arms and opened herself up.

He must’ve felt her surrender because he slowed the rhythm of his thrusts as if she’d given him the thing he needed most. His copper eyes glimmered with happiness as he slowly thrust in and out. Reaching up to him, she slid her fingers into his silky hair and drew his mouth down to her breasts, the length of his strong body now pressing her firmly into the bed.

He dipped his head and slid his velvety tongue over her nipple and then nipped her with his teeth and sucked her into his mouth. The hot wet sensation shot an arrow of desire straight down to where they were joined, and his thrusts picked up pace. “More,” she muttered as she wrapped her leg around his hip and held him tightly.

With a low feral growl, he pistoned his hips and kissed her, sealing their mouths together.

Roughly, he shoved his hands through her hair, wrapping the long strands around his fingers, holding her captive as he ravaged her mouth the same way his body was doing.

Her fingernails dug into his muscled back as he plunged again and again. Everything about his movements was strong, primitive, and animalistic. The incredible power of his passion sent her body into oblivion as another orgasm rippled across her body.

Joining her almost instantly, Carrick let out a guttural groan as his release took over his body. His body jerked hard against her. Wave after wave moved over him until he collapsed on top of her.

The sound of their heavy breaths filled the room and Audrey knew that what just happened between them was no ordinary sex. At least it wasn’t for her.

His need to possess her, pleasure her, and own her filled a need that she wasn’t aware she had. The feelings coursing through her body were not only physical pleasure but an emotional connection. Knowing how dangerous that was, she ruthlessly tried to control them. When she wasn’t immediately successful, she worried that that next seven days she spent with Carrick were going to prove to be the most dangerous of all.

Bullet wounds could be repaired, a cracked heart…not so much.