Tasha swam up out of the darkness. She lay quietly, her eyes still closed, waiting for the fog of slumber to lift. She didn’t know the time, but it felt early. She smiled as the veil of sleep lifted and she remembered where she was and what had happened.

Dan had come to her to offer her comfort and support. He’d told her his story and then…something wonderful, unexpected, and magical had happened. She realized he understood what she was going through. He knew! More than anyone else ever could, he knew.

She’d felt her heart breaking as he told his tale, and she wanted to ease his burden. He’d made the tiniest of errors in judgment, and he had blamed himself for it for over a year. That was why he wanted to transfer out of the Pararescue. The guilt had been eating him alive.

But she couldn’t fault him. Who wouldn’t have wanted to take a shower after five days in the jungle? Having Marina join him made no real difference. In fact, she may have saved his life. Had he been in the room with Major Kork when the kidnappers entered, he would probably have been gunned down before he could have reacted.

He, alone and unarmed, had nearly saved Kork from three armed thugs. If he couldn’t save her, having them kill her had probably been a blessing. If he’d failed and she’d been taken, the horrors she might have had to endure at the hands of the cartel were unthinkable. Her head may have been sent to her family in a box, or worse.

But if Mexico wasn’t his fault, how could the bar have been hers? He pointed out the dichotomy of her thinking. She had still been trying to work through it when he kissed her. That first fleeting brush of his lips had caught her by surprise. It had been gentle and compassionate, the kiss of a comforting lover, not the kiss of a lustful fuck buddy.

It had made her want to cry. She hadn’t believed him when he’d said what happened to Derrick and Rich wasn’t her fault. She believed he was saying that because that’s what teammates said to each other to get their heads back in the game. When he’d kissed her the second time, she understood that he’d meant it. His gentle touch showed her that he didn’t blame her and really didn’t think it was her fault. He wanted to accept the blame himself, but they both knew that was bullshit. He’d tried to warn Rich, which had pissed the SEAL off.

Then she didn’t know what happened, but whatever it was, it was enchanting. Maybe he needed to burn off the guilt, sadness, and rage as much as she did. Maybe it was because he understood what she was going through. Maybe it because they both needed to feel alive. Maybe it was all three, or something else entirely, but whatever it was, she felt like they had connected at a level much deeper than simply being fuck buddies.

She examined her feelings. The guilt and loss over Derrick and Rich were still there, but it was no longer crippling. She felt Dan’s support, and he carried part of the load on his broad, muscular shoulders. She smiled again as she opened her eyes and stretched with a groan.

She’d had many men in her bed, but this was one of the few times since Robert that she felt anything for one of them. Most of the others were there to scratch an itch, but Dan was more. More puzzling was the fact that she didn’t feel the need to kick him in balls to make him leave, as she had twice before when she felt this type of attachment forming. She didn’t love him. He was a pleasure to look at, was fantastic in the sack, and had rocked her world last night, but it took more than having her toes curled for her to fall for a guy. But there was that certain something there, that intangible feeling one could sense that brought people together, that made the relationship about more than just physical gratification. She wondered if he felt it too.

She stretched again and snuggled in closer. He hadn’t lasted very long last night, but who could blame him? She couldn’t go a month without relief, and he’d gone a year. She remembered how she’d teased him, listening to his gasps and groans, how he’d fought for his orgasm as she held him on the knife edge of release. He’d taken it for a while, but then he’d taken charge, and goddamn, he’d turned her on as they’d engaged in a little erotic wrestling. She’d clamped his head between her thighs to try to back him off so she could continue to torture him with pleasure, but he’d doubled down and eaten her to the most face-melting orgasm she’d had in years.

After that one, she’d thought she was done, but as he fucked her, she could sense his struggle to hold against his climax, and when he’d finally been overwhelmed, it has been the most sensual thing she’d ever experienced. Never had she seen a man come so hard, his entire body wracked with muscle shredding convulsions as he continued to fuck the shit out of her.

Her final orgasm, small though it was, had come from nowhere and provided the perfect topper. They had come together as she clung to him, feeling the muscles in his back twisting and coiling under her hands as he reared up, lifting her from the bed as she held herself to his chest.

Tasha slid her hand down his chest and stomach, delighting in the peaks and valleys of his form. He was still asleep, but he was impressively hard. She smiled as she brushed a finger softly along his cock, grinning as it twitched under her touch. He wasn’t as big as he was in her imagination, but he was still thrillingly large. Men hung like horses were only fun in fantasies, whereas Dan was perfect. Large enough to satisfy but not so large to hurt.

She touched him again.

“Don’t start something if you’re not willing to finish it,” he rumbled, his voice thick with sleep. His eyes were still closed but a faint smile tugged at his lips.

“I think I did okay last night.”

Dan’s smile grew slightly. “Better than okay. I thought I ruptured something.”

She giggled, feeling almost giddy. There was something about his tone, a playfulness that she’d never heard in his voice before. He stretched with a groan, then tugged softly at a strand of her hair until she met his lips for a kiss. They kissed slowly, softly. The blistering heat of last night was missing, and though she liked the gentleness of his kiss, she worried that he was slipping back into his stupor.

“Are we okay?” she whispered as the kiss dissolved.

He watched her eyes. He had such beautiful eyes. “I think so. Are we?”

The tension drained out of her. “Then yes. How do you feel?”

“About?”

“About…Mexico…what happened with Derrick and Rich…us,” she said, her voice halting, almost afraid to bring it up lest it destroy the illusion that last night had somehow cured him. Cured her.

He watched her a moment. “I’ll never forget what happened to Gretchen, or what happened to Long and Tesley.” He paused. “But what you said last night. It’s made me think.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“I don’t know yet. I think so. I know what happened to Derrick and Rich isn’t your fault, but…” He faltered as he shook his head. “I have a lot to think about.” He paused as he watched her. “What about you? Have you given up that stupid-ass notion that what happened was your fault?”

She put her head back on his chest as she thought about her answer, listening to the thudding of his heart. His hands began to caress her shoulder and arm softly, and it felt nice. It kept the pain at bay.

“Maybe,” she finally said, not moving, not looking at him. “I still feel responsible, like I let them down.”

“You didn’t. They were big boys. You can’t be their mother forever.”

She nodded. “Easy to say, harder to do.”

“Don’t I know it,” he said softly.

She looked at him again. “Knowing you understand, that helps me. It helps me a lot.”

He drew her lips to his. “Same here,” he whispered, her lips so close to his she felt his breath.

The kiss started out chaste, as slow, soft, and gentle as their previous kiss, but within moments it began to deepen as need bloomed within her. She needed this. She needed his touch, needed to know he was there for her to help her carry the burden of guilt until she could throw it off and leave it behind.

She squirmed out of his embrace and draped herself over his broad chest. The heat of his flesh, the feel of his sculptured body under hers, the hard lump of his cock against her mound, was intoxicating. As the kiss dissolved, she felt breathless.

“I want you,” he whispered, holding her gaze with his as his hand played with her hair.

She felt a tingle with his words. The look on his face, the way he touched her hair, and the light, slow, stroking of her back, all combined to make her feel like this was more than merely fucking, more than simple pleasures of the flesh. They were bonding over their shared experiences.

“I want you,” she whispered in return.

Tasha felt him start to turn, clearly intending to dump her to the bed, but she braced herself and he relaxed. She rewarded him with a smile as she adjusted herself and steered him inside. She sighed with his passage, her eyes closing as she pushed up on his chest to take him as deep as possible. Goddamn, he feels good!

Her head tipped forward as she rocked her hips, the feel of his hardness inside her intoxicating. She inhaled sharply as he touched her breasts, his fingers sliding over her gossamer-light as they left behind crackling trails of delight. She opened her eyes to watch his face. He held her gaze, his eyes intense yet soft. He gripped her breasts more firmly, teasing their points to aching erectness.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered.

She didn’t know how to answer that, so she said nothing, but she couldn’t stop the smile that teased her lips. He was fucking gorgeous, easily the sexiest man she’d ever bedded. She continued to rock her hips in a slow, easy, rhythm, relishing the feeling of him moving inside her and drawing out their enjoyment.

Dan pulled her down and tasted her lips, holding her to his chest. She raised her hips slightly, to give him room, and he took over. She broke the kiss, unable to breath as he hit her just right. He sensed the sudden increase in her desire and began to drive into her harder and faster. She moaned, low and deep as she attacked his neck, nibbling and sucking as her lust swirled out of control.

He picked up his pace again, pounding into her, his breathing becoming hard and fast as he labored under her. They were beginning to sweat from their exertions, their smoothly sliding skin adding to the experience.

Her orgasm was coming. She pushed against it, wanting to delay the cleansing fire, but it was building too fast and she was losing the battle for control.

She groaned. “You’re going to make me come. Come with me. I want you to come with me!” she begged.

“You want me to come?” he panted, his voice deep and rough.

“Yes. Yes! Please, come with me.”

He slammed into her furiously hard, a long, continuous growl of effort and lust rumbling deep in his chest. He crushed her to him, holding her almost painfully tight, but she wanted him to hold her tighter still. She couldn’t breathe, but she didn’t know if it was from the constricting embrace of his arms or the bliss that was building within her.

Her climax continued to build until she wanted to scream. She couldn’t take it anymore. She thrust back against him, meeting him stroke for stroke, his cock plunging into her like an overrevved machine as she battled the overwhelming sensations pouring through her.

“Come on, baby,” he growled. “Come on. Come for me. I want you to—”

She released a gasping grunt as her climax slammed into her, whipping her this way and that. She was a leaf in a hurricane, devastated by the maelstrom swirling around her and powerless to stop it. She could do nothing but cling to him, her jaws clenched tightly to prevent her from screaming as her orgasm poured through her.

“You want me to come?” he rumbled in a sexy growl as he continued to fuck her hard and fast.

It took a moment for his words to penetrate the swirling fury of her orgasm. She wanted to say, ‘Yes, do, please give me the enjoyment of experiencing your peak of pleasure as I do mine.’

“Fuck! Please, I want you to fucking come with me,” she cried.

He continued to pound her a moment more, then he grunted hard and low as his arms tightened further and she felt him splash into her as he pushed in deep and held himself there. He grunted once more, softer this time, then relaxed slowly, his crushing embrace loosening as he did. He blew out a deep, cleansing breath and slowly began to pump into her again.

She sagged against him, unable to move. He’d curled her toes again, and he’d certainly lasted long enough this time to cause her to tap out. She found his lips waiting, and they kissed a long time, the feel of his still hard cock moving slowly inside her stirring the embers of the passion they’d just shared.

She sighed and settled on his chest. It was a few minutes after seven. They had work to do, but it could wait a few more minutes. At this instant, she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life lying on Dan’s chest as he fucked her slowly. After a moment, the intense closeness she felt began to fade. They had a job to do. As she started to rise, he placed a hand gently on her head and held her in place. She needed no further encouragement. She lay still as he continued to move slowly inside her, her limbs becoming heavy as sleep tugged at her.

“We have to get up,” she murmured in a last-ditch attempt to convince herself she didn’t want to stay right where she was, allowing Dan to do exactly what he was doing.

“In a few minutes.”

She nodded. In a few minutes.

Tasha struggled up from the depths of sleep as Dan shifted her body gently to the bed.

“What time is it?”

“Almost eight.”

She groaned. She wanted Dan to come back to bed, hold her until she’d slept her fill, then fuck her stupid again. But they had work to do.

“I’m going to take a shower. You sleep.”

She nodded in agreement.

Seconds later, Dan shook her awake again. He was fully dressed and holding a small tray with coffee, fruit, toast, and a bean and rice filled omelet, the typical breakfast in Orkut. She glanced at the clock.

“Shit!” she snarled as she sat up. It was nearly nine.

“Relax.” He smiled, setting the tray in front of her.

“Relax? We have work to do!”

“It’s Saturday. What is so important that it can’t wait until after you’ve eaten breakfast?”

“Finding the Griffins?”

“You going to find them in the next hour?”

She glared at him, then relaxed. He was right. Another few minutes while she ate wouldn’t make any difference. She picked up the cup and took a tentative sip. It was just like she liked it, strong with a healthy splash of cream and sugar.

“Good,” she murmured, hoisting the cup in salute. “You know how I take my coffee?”

He rolled his eyes. “For three months you have been hounding me to ‘observe, observe, observe.’ You don’t think in that length of time I’d learn how you take your coffee?”

She smiled at him. Her star pupil struck again. Derrick, Thom, and Rich were better at covering and fending off bad guys, but Dan was better at the fieldcraft, which was why he always went in to perform the rescue while the other men provided cover and support.

“You’re not going to eat?”

“I already did while I was waiting on your breakfast to be prepared.”

She nodded as she devoured the meal. She’d had quite a workout last night and again this morning, plus she hadn’t felt much like eating after what happened at the Vispin hotel, but she was ravenous now. As she ate, she realized she felt better than she had since the Vispin incident, as she was starting to think of it. Because of Dan. She took another bite of the omelet, and as she chewed, she could feel a smile tugging at her lips. She wanted to keep her strength up, because tonight Dan would get the fucking of his life.

“What’s the plan for today?” Dan asked, pulling her back to the job at hand.

“Today, we’re going to put the pressure on Kangka.”

“How?”

“By breaking into the shipping office.”

“We’ve already done that. What do you think you’ll learn?”

“Hopefully, we’ll learn where the next link in the chain is.”

“It’s Bruanwa Ecotours, isn’t it?”

She shrugged. “Don’t know. Maybe. That’s what I hope to find out today.”

“How?”

“I told you, we’re going to break in, and we’re going to leave a little clue behind. Then, we’re going to report it to the police and see what happens. If we’re lucky, Mr. Silver Mercedes will show up again. We’re going to latch onto him and see where he goes.”

“If he goes to Bruanwa, won’t we be compromised?”

“Why? Our tour was booked yesterday, before the break in. Besides, at Bruanwa, we’re Daniel and Laura Connolly, from Auburn, Alabama,” she said, her accent becoming a mirror of Dan’s as she spoke. She’d picked Auburn because that was where Dan was from, and her affected accent complemented his. They didn’t have any documents for the Connolly’s, but it would further confuse anyone trying to piece together their movements. “The Russians will be the ones to break into Sombosi Shipping and Hauling,” she added, her Russian accent firmly in place.

“Did you have it planned this way all along?”

She grinned, liking the way he was looking at her. “Yeah, why?”

He shook his head. “I’m playing checkers while you’re playing chess.”

She giggled. “When you’ve been doing this three years instead of three months, you’ll be thinking like this too.”

“What was my name again?”

“Oleg.”

“Can I be Boris?”

She looked at him strangely. “I guess. Why?”

He grinned. “You’re Natasha, I’m Boris, and I like to help you get that moose and squirrel,” he said, taking on a passible, if stereotypically exaggerated, Russian accent.

She looked at him, completely lost. “What are you talking about?”

He chuckled and gave her a dismissive wave. “Nothing, never mind.”