If you have to leave your life and go on the run, Bennett Atlas was the perfect man for the job. A little too perfect, a fact I couldn’t let my mind gloss over no matter how much I wanted to. I liked Bennett, and if I had ever experienced such things before, I might even go so far as to say I’m in love with him. But having never experienced the emotion, I couldn’t say if my feelings were endorphin-based thanks to the mind-altering sex we had, or if my heart had truly been engaged as well. The feeling of confusion didn’t sit well with me.

“Are you even listening to me Laney?”

“No, sorry.” We had just entered the city of San Diego to speak with Commander Mahoney, a man who appeared to be Bennett’s superior. This only gave credence to the thoughts swirling in my head. “What did you say?”

“I think we should put out an altered form of your research. Change the findings before you submit it to the committee.”

“I’ll think about it,” I told him, watching all the uniformed men at each checkpoint as we entered the naval base. They all moved with  purpose, wore serious expressions and seemed fully engaged in whatever job assigned to them. These men were family. They lived together, worked together, and based on Bennett’s stories, they spent their free time together as well. If the military would have taken me before Stanford I believe I could have had the family I always wanted, but that seemed so far out of my reach now.

“We’re meeting the Commander in his private quarters,” he told me when he pulled open my door. I’d been so lost in my own thoughts I hadn’t realized we were no longer moving. “Come on.”

I followed him on shaky legs up a small, but neat walkway just as the door opened to reveal a large man with short blonde hair and the sharpest green eyes I had ever seen. He stood tall, erect with his chest puffed out and wide shoulders perfectly squared.

“Atlas, glad you made it.”

“Yes sir. We made the drive quickly with only necessary stops. This is Dr. Delaney Watson. Laney this is Commander Reece Mahoney.”

“Good to meet you Commander. Thank you for your service. And your help with this matter.”

“Of course, come on in.” He stepped back and let us enter his tidy living space. “Your research has caused quite a stir young lady. I look forward to getting a look myself.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised, but for a moment I was a bit taken aback.

“Well, I have it here if you’d like to take a look at it. Apparently it might cost me my life.” It should have felt weird or inappropriate to joke about it but at this point I couldn’t keep being afraid.

“I won’t let that happen Laney.” Bennett’s expression came across fierce and protective.

I believed him. I loved him. I just didn’t know if I could trust him. At least not with my heart.

“Okay, so what do we do now?” I could tell Bennett wasn’t pleased with my reaction but I couldn’t focus on that right now. I had to focus on what came next.

Commander Mahoney took a seat and invited us to do the same. But I felt too wired to be still, in addition to the fact that I’d been sitting in a car for more than seven hours.

“Atlas has kept me apprised of the situation and I’ve reached out to a friend, Colonel Banks and there’s an Army flight headed to D.C. on Thursday, 0800 hours.”

“Obviously we can’t fly due to the danger it poses to others, so we’re driving?”

He nodded and reached for a set of keys on the scratched up coffee table. “I have a vehicle gassed up with supplies and cash. Get a few hours of sleep and then I suggest you start driving.” After a brief conversation with Bennett, Commander Mahoney shook my hand and bid us goodnight. “Check in every night Atlas, 2000 hours.”

“Yes, sir.”

This was a new side to Bennett, one I knew existed but hadn’t yet experienced, and it truly brought home the fact that I had fallen in love with a man I didn’t know. So I needed to keep my feelings to myself and try to make it to the other side of the country in one piece.

“I’ll take the sofa.”

“No need. I have a place on base so we can sleep there. Four hours and then we hit the road.”

“Fine.” The short drive to his place was quiet. But not like the comfortable, companionable silences we’d shared over the past couple months. This one felt strained and uneasy, exactly how I felt. Bennett’s quarters were as tiny and as tidy as the Commander’s. Calling the living room Spartan would be an overstatement. There was one olive green sofa and two matching chairs, a plain coffee table and a giant flat screen TV. That was it. The kitchen counters only held a toaster and a coffee maker. The bathroom held no personal items other than shower gel and a two in one shampoo and conditioner in the shower.

“And this is the bedroom,” he told me with a shy grin, nodding towards the large bed with the plain green and off-white bedding. “It’s big enough for two.”

When Bennett smiled at me all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him and kiss him until my body burned with need and desire. I just wanted to curl into his arms and stay there forever. I even felt myself leaning in to him, letting his masculine scent—even after hours spent in a car—envelope me. Intoxicating and sensual, I felt the first stirring of arousal in my body.

“Sounds good. I’ll take the shower first.” I wanted to be mad at him, to scream and yell but how could I when his protection is what had kept me safe so far? Maybe he’d used my inexperience with men to get close to me, and maybe his feelings for me were just a means to an end, but my feelings were real. At least I thought they were. And I knew once we figured out who was the traitor in my department, Bennett would be gone from my life.

Probably for good.

So I decided to go with it. To pretend that I wasn’t angry at him. I would have plenty of time in the future to deal with my emotions. Besides, what could possibly be more normal than pushing aside doing the right thing in favor of the thing that felt right?

“I could join you,” he offered with a smile that told he was completely oblivious to my inner turmoil.

“You could,” I told him with a coy smile. “But then we’d never get any sleep before going on the run.” I heard a groan behind me and smiled to myself as I undressed in the small bathroom.

“Leave the door unlocked,” he called out just as my fingers hovered over the brass lock.

I left it unlocked.

***

Thanks in part to Bennett’s inefficient, but oh so delightful method of showering, we only ended up getting three hours of sleep before hitting the road in the middle of the night. The highways were empty and once we passed the state line into Arizona the scenery left a lot to be desired. Mostly flat and sandy, particularly at night, I had two choices. Let the scenery put me to sleep or engage in conversation with Bennett. I chose the latter.

“So how long are you planning to drive before letting me get behind the wheel?”

He turned blue-green eyes onto me, a lazy grin kicked up one side of his mouth and I just wanted to kiss him. And never stop.

“Sorry sweetheart but you’re not driving at all.”

“What? I have a perfect driving record and I even took an evasive driving course just for fun.”

“Why in the hell did you take an evasive driving course?”

His outrage brought a smile to my face. “It sounded like something that might be interesting as well as intellectually taxing. I passed at the top of the class. So, you’ll let me drive?”

“Hell no. But I will let you keep me company the whole ride. And if you decide to fall asleep on me,” he let his right hand fall on my lap and inch up, stopping before things got truly interesting. “I guess I’ll be forced to find ways to keep myself entertained.”

I felt my eyes widen at his tone. “While you’re driving?”

“You’re not driving and I think the sounds of you crying out in pleasure will definitely keep me awake.” He laughed at my shocked expression and I decided to return the favor. “Hey now, what do you think you’re doing?”

I slid over in the old gray Lincoln with bench seats that were perfect for getting close. “I just want to see if you were right. I wanted to do my own research and see if your sounds of, um, pleasure would keep me entertained.” I let my hand slide up his thigh until my fingers brushed the giant bulge resting behind his zipper. “Wow, you’re so hard already.”

“Laney,” he bit out through clenched teeth, voice thick with desire.

“Eyes on the road, Sailor.” A surge of power flowed through me at the sight Bennett made, jaws clenched, highlighting the rugged lines of his face. And the feel of his erection, twitching even in the tight constraints of his jeans. “You’re very aroused, aren’t you Bennett?” Tentative at first, I rubbed his hard length with my palm until he groaned. Then my fingers clasped the zipper and tugged, releasing the button until his cock spilled over in relief. “Oh my!”

“Laney, please.”

“Please?” I felt like the most sensual, sexiest woman in the world when he growled my name. I knew how he felt, because I felt the same way every time he touched me. Kissed me. “Please make you feel good? Because I plan to.”

Well to be honest it hadn’t really been my plan, but now the only thing I could think about was pleasing Bennett. Right here in this car as we plowed forward on the I-40 East.

“Laney you don’t-,”

“I know I don’t have to.” I told him as I slid down until I felt that I was in the right position. “But I want to Bennett. I really want to.” Then I wrapped my mouth around him, loving him long and slow with my mouth. Enjoying the silky feel of his flesh and the hard rod buried beneath. I loved the way he felt so heavy on my tongue and the drops of ejaculate that burst to life on my tongue. The more turned on he became, the more moisture seeped out of me and soaked my panties.

He speared one hand through my hair, just holding me and letting his fingers run through my hair. I expected him to push my head but he didn’t, and what a turn on that was!

I sucked him deeper, in appreciation and in desire, because I just felt eager to taste more of him. When I moaned his foot pressed the gas hard and I stayed there, with the tip of his cock resting down my throat. And moaned again.

“Fuck, Laney!”

Yeah, that felt incredible. I began to move with a purpose, fast and with a lot of suction until his thigh muscles tightened and flexed under me. Then the warm streams of his seed as it shot down my throat served as proof he’d enjoyed, or at least appreciated the pleasure. I sucked him dry and tucked him back inside his shorts, leaving his pants unbuttoned as a courtesy.

“You were so right. That is a great way to pass the time.”

“What the hell am I gonna do with you Laney Watson?”

I grinned and stayed snuggled under his arm. “Enjoy me?”

“I plan to,” he said with a hint of affection I didn’t expect from him.

Since I knew he felt satisfied and probably sleepy, I kept up a steady stream of conversation, explaining to him the math behind my Green Harness. Telling him what I could remember about my family and all the things I wanted to do as a kid, but never got a chance.

“I guess I can cross off getting frisky with a boy in a car.”

He laughed and the sound was deep and contagious, filling my chest with emotions I couldn’t afford to name or feel right now. “That you did. What else would you like to do?”

There were so many things I wanted to do. “I want to dance a with man, like really dance where we look into each other’s eyes and move as one across the dance floor. I want a romantic date with candles and flowers. I want to f-,” I had to cut myself off at the last thought because I wasn’t ready to say it and it wouldn’t be fair to lay that on the man who put himself in danger to protect me.

“You want to…fuck? Fight? Fly?”

“Sure. I just want a life where I have the option of doing new things and having people to join me.” Even though I knew I would never be normal, I wanted to have some normalcy in my life.

The sun had risen and set hours ago by the time Bennett finally decided he needed a rest. In Santa Fe, New Mexico. He pulled off the highway and parked the car in a motel parking lot. The place looked to be straight out of a horror movie.

“Stay here and keep the doors locked.”

My eyes were glued to his long, muscled legs, round firm ass, and wide back that even now bore the marks of my passion. Tonight. I would give myself tonight with him and then I would let him go. Check-in took no time and soon we sat in bed eating burgers and watching old eighties sitcoms on a television nearly as old.

We cuddled up together doing more kissing than watching TV, the feel of his tongue and hands moving over my body exposing all of my nerve endings until I was little more than a trembling mass of need and want. Moaning and whimpering in his ear only seemed to drive him deeper into the abyss of passion as he sucked hard on my nipple.

“Ben.”

“I need you Laney.”

No one had ever said that to me before, and it pushed my desire over the edge. The moment he thrust into me, I flew apart, pulsing and mewling as he pounded into me in search of his own release. After weeks of making love I had never been so turned on, and I felt good but self-conscious. Had I come to soon? Would he feel cheated the way women often did when they had fast lovers? But as his hips moved deeper, faster and pumped harder into me, I felt another orgasm starting at my toes. Vibrations and tingles moved slowly up my legs as he lifted them and wrapped them around his waist. Up to my trembling belly, the orgasm vibrated through my breasts, exploding simultaneously through my nipples and my core when one hand snaked between us and his teasing thumb circled my clit.

“Yeah Laney baby, come again. Come all over me, I know you want to.” His thick raspy voice kept up the dirty talk, saying outrageous things that kept my desire on a steady boil until finally, blessedly, Bennett’s own orgasm flew out of him. “Fuck yeah!” He froze for the briefest of moments and then his big muscled body trembled and jerked as he filled me with his seed. “Oh shit. Yeah!”

He collapsed on top of me and nothing had ever felt better than his heavy, sweaty body pressing me into the flimsy motel mattress. “So I guess you didn’t mind I came so fast?”

He pulled back and frowned at me. “Are you kidding me? Making you come so fast and twice, had me so hard I thought I might hurt you.”

Nervous laughter bubbled out of me at his words. “Okay, well, good. I think.”

Bennett smiled and did the most unexpected thing. He kissed me and it was slow and hot, full of an intense passionate energy I couldn’t describe or explain if pressed. All I knew was that I never wanted that kiss to end and when his hips began to move inside me again, I didn’t think it would.

Then I heard something.

“Did you hear that?”

He froze, eyes closed to make the most of his hearing. At first it was just the sound of a car door opening, but not closing. Then footsteps across the graveled parking lot. Someone dropped something, and in a flash Bennett had pulled out of my body and flew off the bed, parting the heavy curtains slightly to peek outside.

“Fuck. Someone is by the car.”

“What?” I jumped from the bed. “What if it’s a bomb? Oh my goodness, what if it’s a bomb?”

He held up a hand to stop my panic, and put a finger to his lips. “I’m going to check when he’s gone. Get dressed.” For several long moments, I watched him step into a pair of well worn jeans, eyes glued to his fingers as he tugged the zipper up. “Laney get dressed!”

“Right. Sorry.” I quickly dressed and twisted my hair into a bun before packing our bags and setting them on the foot of the bed. My adrenaline was getting the better of me and my hands trembled, the sound of blood rushing in my ears drowned out everything else. Eyes closed I worked out math equations in my mind until I settled. Relaxed.

“Doing all right?”

I grinned. “As all right as I can be considering I went from orgasmic bliss to terror in five seconds flat.”

“Okay let’s go.” Bennett left the room first with me close behind him, creeping down the steps slowly so we didn’t draw attention to ourselves. He crouched behind the Lincoln before dropping flat on the ground. “The good news is that it’s not a bomb.”

That was good news. “What’s the bad news?”

“It’s a GPS tracker.” In one smooth move he stood and held out the offending black gadget. “There’s a truck stop five miles up the road, let’s drop this off on one of the trucks and get back on the road.”

I nodded numbly and slid into the passenger seat as ice flooded my veins.

“I guess it’s a good thing you were sent to protect me.”