Guardian Ranger (Shadow Agents #2)(26)
Author: Cynthia Eden

The mantra hadn’t just been in his head, and the woman was about to shred his control.

He lifted her shirt, carefully, then tossed it to the floor. She wore a black bra, one that wasn’t covered in lace, but was just as incredibly sexy as it pushed up her beautiful br**sts.

He stared at her a moment, savoring the view, and then he had to touch that tempting flesh.

Her bra hit the floor.

His fingers curled around her br**sts. Veronica gasped and arched toward him. Her nails bit into his arms. He liked that bite.

A lot.

He lifted her into the air, carrying her easily.

“Jasper?”

Five steps, and he had her at the bed. He lowered her onto the covers. The mattress squeaked beneath them. The rain kept falling. The thunder echoed across the sky.

He pressed a kiss to her breast. Stroked her with his hands and he loved the way that she arched into his touch. Her br**sts were so sensitive, and they tasted so damn sweet.

While he kissed her flesh, his hand slid down between their bodies. Her shoes were gone, kicked away, and he wanted her jeans gone, too. He’d fantasized about having her naked beneath him, and that fantasy was about to become all too real.

As long as his control would last.

He wanted to devour her. Jasper couldn’t ever remember wanting a woman so badly. His heart raced, a drumbeat that shook his chest and echoed in his ears.

His fingers pulled down her zipper, yanked open the snap. Then his fingers were pushing inside that opening, and caressing her through the thin silk of her panties. His eyes locked on her face, on the pleasure that whispered over her beautiful features. Her eyes had gone even brighter with that pleasure.

She was warm and soft beneath the silk. He couldn’t tell where the silk ended and she began.

“Jasper, I need you.”

He was desperate for her.

She lifted her hips, shoved down her jeans. He pulled away from her, only long enough to ditch the rest of his own clothes and grab the protection that he’d—optimistically—put in his wallet earlier.

In seconds, he was back, pushing his body between her legs, letting his hands and mouth caress her flesh and loving the soft moans that spilled from her mouth. He wanted her ready for him, wanted to make this as good for her as he possibly could.

It has to be good. She has to want me.

He positioned his aroused flesh at the entrance of her body. His fingers twined with hers, and he pushed her hands back against the bed. Then, slowly—will keep my control, will keep—he began to push into her.

And realized, very, very quickly, just what she’d meant when she’d told him that she didn’t have a line of partners as he did.

Because she hadn’t been with any other partners.

Jasper froze, even as every instinct he possessed demanded that he take her. That he thrust forward and claim the pleasure that waited. “Veronica?”

Her legs wrapped around his hips and she pushed toward him. “Why are you stopping?”

“Because I don’t want to hurt you.” He growled the stark truth.

Her bright gaze held his. There was so much trust in her stare. “You won’t. I want you.”

He thrust into her. She gasped, and he was worried it was from pain, but then she was smiling at him, a smile that made his chest ache, and she met his thrusts, holding him tight, moving in perfect rhythm with him. Faster and faster.

The tension built within him, but no way was he going to find release without ensuring Veronica’s pleasure. He shifted positions slightly, making sure that the angle of his thrusts would press his flesh against the most sensitive part of Veronica’s body.

Again and again, he drove into her.

He kissed her, tasting her need and desire. His fingers were still locked with hers.

Her sex clenched around him. Her body tensed. Then she was pressing up harder, driving for the release that was so close for them both.

His control began to crack.

The thrusts were deeper, wilder.

The ripples of her release squeezed around his flesh. Nothing had ever felt so good. Nothing—

Then his own pleasure hit him, swamping out every other thought and sending him crashing into a climax so intense that the world fell away for an instant.

There was only Veronica.

Soft flesh.

Sweet taste.

Only him holding her, still thrusting into her.

His mouth lifted from hers. Their eyes held. He looked into her gaze, and realized he was looking at the one thing he’d always wanted.

And the one thing that fate just might try to take away from him.

Want her. Need her.

No matter what happened in the coming days, he’d fight like hell to keep her with him.

* * *

THE STORM KEPT him away. He knew that Jasper had gone out searching for him. Knew that Jasper and Veronica were holed up in the cabin.

He could try to get to them now, but he’d have to battle the rain and the wind and the lightning that had already hit two trees. The storm would mute the sounds of his approach, but he wouldn’t be able to fire on them in this weather. He’d have to go in, fight hand to hand against them both.

He didn’t want to tangle with Jasper, not with bare hands. But using bullets? That was a whole different story.

His fingers curled over the gun that he kept with him. He’d found his own shelter. He would stay there, until the storm was gone. Then he’d use his weapon. He’d find Jasper and Veronica.

You won’t mess this up for me. I worked too hard.

He knew exactly where they were—his advantage. He could pick off Jasper, take out the man with just a squeeze of his trigger finger.

One down, one to go.

So easy. All he had to do was wait.

The storm wouldn’t last forever. It never did.

Just. Wait.

Good thing he was a patient man, and one hell of a fine shot.

* * *

“WHY?” JASPER’S RUMBLING voice pulled Veronica from the light sleep that she’d slipped into for just a few moments.

She blinked, turned and found Jasper staring down at her. She smiled up at him, still feeling too good to let any inhibitions cloud her moment.

“You waited twenty-eight years to take a lover,” Jasper pressed. “Why the hell did you choose me?”

“How did you know I was twenty-eight?”

He growled. “Your brother must have told me your birthday.”

Her smile stretched a bit. He sure sounded stressed. But as for the waiting part… That was easy. “Because I’ve got good taste?”

He blinked at her. “You what?”

She laughed then, unable to help herself. “I wanted you, Jasper. There’s no big mystery there. I wanted you. I chose you.” As simple as that. Or, actually, maybe it was more complicated, but she didn’t want to examine her feelings too deeply just now. Couldn’t they just talk about desire?