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She reached out a tentative hand and touched his face. He swallowed but resisted jerking away. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, and he wasn’t sure she’d like his scruff.
But instead of flinching away, she smoothed her fingers over his cheek. Smiled, as if she was enjoying the bristly scrape against her palm.
He needed to kiss her. Just like he’d needed to kiss her three months ago when he was training her. She’d been off-limits then, and she still was.
They were in the middle of a dangerous op. His only concern had to be her safety. And how much did he really know about Laila?
He knew a hell of a lot about Laila.
He knew she was stubborn and persistent. Brave as hell. Knew she served her country. That she did a dangerous job for not nearly enough money. Knew she was dedicated to educating the young women of Afghanistan.
And he knew that, even though she was scared as hell, she sucked it up and did what she had to do. She didn’t whine or moan about how unfair it was that she’d been betrayed by a young man she knew. Didn’t complain, even though she was deep beneath a mountain and terrified about it.
He knew she had grit and courage.
And he knew that when she touched him, he felt the sparks of attraction all the way down to his soul.
“I think I want to kiss you, Laila Burke,” he whispered as he held her gaze.
She gulped but held his gaze. “I think I’d like that, Jase Conway.”
He’d wanted to kiss her since the first moment their eyes had met, all those months ago. So he leaned closer and cupped her face in his palms. Smoothed his thumbs over her soft, smooth skin. Smiled when she shuddered against him.
Finally, he brushed his mouth against hers. Nibbled, and let himself taste her sweetness. Drink in the way she gasped against his lips.
Smiling, he ran his tongue over the seam of her mouth. Slipped inside when she sucked in a breath.
He took his time, smoothing over the soft, silky texture behind her lower lip. He ran his tongue over her teeth, enjoying the way she shivered against him. And finally, he let his tongue taste hers.
The kiss went on forever. He didn’t rush. Didn’t push. Just figured out what made her gasp. What made her shiver. Discovered that when he tangled his tongue with hers, she made a tiny moan in the back of her throat.
His cock was already hard. Insistently demanding more. But that moan set his whole body on fire.
He wanted to lay her on the stone beneath their feet. Taste every inch of her body. He wanted to know what else could draw out that moan.
She clung to him as if she had exactly the same need.
He let his hands drift down her back. His fingers smoothed over every bump of her spine. Pressed into the muscles on either side of them. And when he reached her ass, he gripped her tightly and lifted her against his cock.
She sucked in a breath when he pressed closer.
He wanted to rip her clothes off. Taste her everywhere. Bury himself deep inside her. Instead, he eased her back to her feet. Allowed himself one last taste of her, then set her away from him.
She sucked in a deep breath. Another, as if she’d been running. Finally, she laid her hand on his chest, near his heart. He was sure she could feel it trying to beat its way out of his chest.
She smiled up at him. “Me, too,” she murmured, taking his hand and putting it over her heart. It battered against his hand, as if trying to get to him.
Jase brushed his mouth over hers one last time. “Not the time or the place,” he said. “But, God! I want you more than I want my next breath. That’s... that’s damn scary. I’ve never wanted a woman as much as I want you.”
“I know,” she said. Even in the dim glow of his flashlight, he saw her cheeks redden. “I don’t jump into bed with men on a whim. That’s not... I’ve never done that. I need to get to know a guy. Spend time with him. Let the attraction build until I know it’s safe to act on it.” She waved her hand between them. “I felt this craving the moment we met. That has never happened before.”
Jase wasn’t a monk. He hooked up with women when he could. But the connection he felt with Laila? He’d never experienced anything like that.
“Not for me, either,” he said. “But giving in to this right now? That would make us both too stupid to live. I know you’re not a stupid woman. And I sure as hell wouldn’t have survived if I was the kind of idiot who made love with a woman right in the middle of an op.”
She swallowed, and he followed the ripple of muscles in her neck. “I know,” she said softly. “Not the time.” She smiled. “And definitely not the place.”
He needed to get away from Laila, just for a few minutes. To give himself time to settle down. “I’m going back into that tunnel,” he said.
