"Oh s.h.i.t," whispered Jordan.

Riley put a comforting arm around her. "We'll pretend you were airsick, so try to look woozy."

"Not too hard," she admitted, grinning, "because I am."

He chuckled and they unbolted, then opened the door, seeing a plain-clothed man in his twenties with a stern expression. "Hey man," Riley began, sounding companionable, "she's not feeling well. Maybe you can help us back to our seats."

The marshal's expression turned sympathetic. Jordan feigned a shaking hand before her face as she leaned on the marshal for support. "Sure," the guy said, clearly fl.u.s.tered by the lovely woman being so close to him. "Next time ask one of the attendants first."

"Sure. Sorry."

They exited and worked their way down the aisle with Riley following between the rows of sleeping pa.s.sengers. The marshal even asked if Jordan needed any medicine and she pretended she did, so he came back a minute later with a flight attendant, who offered her something for an upset stomach. After being left alone, Jordan fixed Riley a look and murmured something about being impressed. He knew a thing or two about acting nonchalant and the power of a beautiful woman to overwhelm a guy.

As the flight continued, the pair cuddled for a while and then fell into as deep a slumber as the cramped plane would allow. The morning's stopover in Dublin lasted long enough to get breakfast at the airport, but little else, and they resisted the desire to repeat their high flying carnal pleasures again on the short flight to Barcelona, when too many pa.s.sengers were awake. They were both a little sleepy from the poor night's rest.

Riley hadn't been to Spain before and wanted to look around, and since they had shopping to do, they checked into the hotel and went out for a few hours, their internal clocks having them not ready for bed as early as it would come upon them, despite their fatigue. That was just as well, for their plan to capture Thomas hadn't been discussed in detail but they'd agreed that doing it at night was probably better, the later the better, and they'd still feel fresh. To that end, they intended to stay up late by local time and sleep in rather than adjust their internal clocks.

It had only taken one shopping trip as a teenager with his sisters for Riley to vow never to do that with a woman again. They took forever and never made up their minds. His only other shopping with a woman had been for lingerie, a feat he repeated now with Jordan in an upscale shop. For her, the experience of shopping with a guy was new, and she beamed at Riley, getting h.o.r.n.y at each outfit change. She whispered to him about getting laid right there, but getting caught was too easy. By the time they arrived at the hotel and entered their rooms, she couldn't stand it anymore and disappeared into the bathroom for a minute. He stared out the window, thinking to try out the bed before going out for dinner. She apparently had similar ideas.

Watching the sea, Riley overheard the bathroom door open and remarked, "Great view."

"I have one better," she replied, voice sultry.

Riley turned and gaped at the sight of her in a scarlet lace teddy, two holes cut out for the nipples, long pink stockings drawing his gaze to her legs and the treasure above them, where tear-away crotch-less panties revealed her sumptuous p.u.s.s.y. He'd never seen her done up before, ruby red lips, blushing cheeks, and long lashes framed by her silky hair, which she'd brushed out. She'd put on red nail polish at a perfume counter earlier, and as she neared, he caught the erotic scent of her, both sprayed on and natural. His c.o.c.k stirred. His heart pounded. His eyes burned with desire.

As Riley went to embrace her, she put both hands on his muscled chest. "Not so fast," she purred. "You've driven me crazy once or twice but not let me return the favor. It's time for payback."

"I can hardly wait," he huskily replied.

"Good." She hooked fingers into his waistband and pulled him toward the bed, where she pushed up his shirt, palms pressing into flesh until she lifted the shirt over his head. She knelt before him with her legs spread and back arched to make her b.r.e.a.s.t.s stand more proud. Letting hair fall before her eyes, she gazed up at him through long lashes and licked her lips. Riley thought she'd never looked more stunning, his heart pounding.

She bent to untie his shoes and slip the socks off, then bent down and gently kissed his toes. "Would you like me for your pleasure slave?"

Riley cleared his throat. "I think I'm already your slave."

"That's the spirit."

She pressed her hands against his calves, then knees, then thighs as she pushed her way up to his crotch, which she surrounded, ma.s.saging him everywhere but the sizeable bulge straining at the jeans. Riley's moan told her what she needed to know. Her fingers yanked at the buckle, b.u.t.ton, and zipper before she pulled the pants down. Riley wondered why she insisted on keeping his underwear on, but he'd find out soon enough.

She got the jeans all the way off and slid her hands up his bare, muscled hamstrings, then under the boxers to his firm a.s.s. He shivered, the arousal spreading from his c.o.c.k, down his b.a.l.l.s, across his perineum, to his a.n.u.s and glutes. His d.i.c.k was hard enough to push aside the waistband and rise above it, and Jordan wasted no time, leaning forward to lick the head. The wet warmth made him groan again and she finally pulled the back of his underwear down. The motion bared more of his c.o.c.k, which she licked up and down.

"You're so cruel," he whispered. "Take me in."

"All in good time, sweetie." With a yank, she thrust his underwear down around his ankles, then sat back on her heels. Riley didn't know how long he could keep his hands to himself. She patted the bed. "Sit."

He obliged and Jordan crawled between his legs, which she spread before shoving him onto his back. Holding his thighs apart, she slurped a t.e.s.t.i.c.l.e into her warm, slippery mouth, tonguing it back and forth. She licked a finger and slipped it to his perineum, ma.s.saging it as she sucked the other t.e.s.t.i.c.l.e into her mouth. Riley squeezed the bedsheets, trying to control himself, closing his eyes.

Jordan let his b.a.l.l.s fall out. Then she stiffened her tongue and licked the base of his c.o.c.k through his s.c.r.o.t.u.m. Riley gritted his teeth, not sure he could stand the indirect simulation. He was used to taking control. Giving it up for her was proving harder than he'd thought. Who knew that lying still could be so difficult?

It grew worse when she pushed his legs closer and brushed her lace-covered t.i.ts against them, making him remember how she looked right now. Respite came when she finally lifted his ma.s.sive hard-on in one hand, a line of prec.u.m dripping to his taut belly as he throbbed with desire. He looked down his torso to see her looking enraptured, eyes half closed as she licked her way up to the head, lips closing around with a murmur of enjoyment he echoed. He loved a woman who loved to give head, and you couldn't fake that expression.

She swallowed the head and slid down an inch, pausing there while Riley thrust one hand in her hair and tried to push her head down gently but firmly. She pulled the hand away with an amused wink and wagged one disapproving finger at him. He let his head flop back on the bed, moaning. Inch by inch, Jordan worked her way down the shaft, lips pumping gently, causing his c.o.c.k's head to flare in her mouth, then throat, as Riley slowly writhed on the bed.

"I had no idea you were so good at this."

She got all the way down to the base, his trimmed black pubic hairs too short to tickle her nose. Jordan began to suck in earnest, slowly pulling all the way up with firm pressure, then back down. Then again with light pressure. And another time with crushing pressure. Then she changed speeds, moderate, to super-fast, to agonizingly slow. Riley's eyes widened at the realization that a c.o.c.k-sucking master had a hold of him. The faster action didn't feel as good until she stopped, his p.e.n.i.s pulsing as the stimulation caught up with him. The slow motion let him feel every last inch of pleasure his c.o.c.k could receive. The feather light sucking was so gentle that his d.i.c.k hardened more in response, and the firm pressure made him feel like he was being milked for c.u.m. It didn't take long for him to deliver.

With a cry of anguish, Riley arched back on the bed and lifted his feet as a surge of arousal coursed through him. Jordan slid her wet fingers between his a.s.s cheeks to brush his a.n.u.s and that was the end of him. It almost hurt as an o.r.g.a.s.m exploded through his c.o.c.k, a surge of c.u.m blasting down her throat as she gulped greedily. Riley saw stars behind his closed eyes.

She crawled atop him, kissing his belly, pausing to lick his chest, and sucking at his neck, her hard nipples poking at him. Riley gazed up at her, dazed and lightheaded, weak as a kitten, relaxation spreading through his limbs. But his d.i.c.k still stood at attention. And Jordan began sliding her dripping p.u.s.s.y along it. He put both hands on her hips, wanting to thrust her onto him, but she wouldn't let him.

Her lips pressed softly into his, warmth and affection filling his senses. She pulled her lips away, and before he could wonder what came next, one of her nipples brushed his lips and Riley eagerly sucked it in. It was already stiff but hardened more.

"Oh, I've missed your mouth," Jordan purred.

Riley murmured agreement and then gasped as she expertly mounted him, her soft p.u.s.s.y hugging his c.o.c.k. She straightened, gave him an evil grin, and then began sliding up and down his tool. By now he'd regained enough strength to reach for her nipples and began tugging, twisting, and pulling, making her groan.

"I could f.u.c.k you forever," she murmured.

"Permission granted."

And so they did, Riley unable to resist helping as he thrust up into her. She didn't seem to mind, and though this was supposed to be her treat, she gave in to him as Riley's hands went to work. She slammed her pubic bone down into his, sending jolts of pleasure through her c.l.i.t. Riley finally grabbed her, rolled her on her back, and began pounding her p.u.s.s.y for all it was worth. And that was a lot.

She screamed out his name and came hard, body writhing in ecstasy. Moments later, Riley cried out and began pumping his seed deep into her womb as she clutched at him like a drowning woman would a life raft. Riley collapsed atop her and she kissed his shoulder wildly. They were a sweaty ma.s.s of sensitive flesh quivering as one for long moments. Finally, Riley leaned up to gaze down at her softly.

"I love Europe," he said.

And Jordan laughed harder than she had in a while. Riley nuzzled her neck, thinking how happy he felt with her. Better than ever before. Or with anyone else. It would be incredible if this were somehow to last. He'd take a bullet for her now, he knew, but wouldn't say another word about that. Hopefully it wouldn't be needed.

They slowly disengaged and lay in a tender embrace that seemed so at odds with the hard f.u.c.king they'd just done, but it felt right to Riley. The best women could be made love to and f.u.c.ked senseless.

After a quick shower, they dressed for a nice night out. Riley thought Jordan glowed brighter than the lanterns lighting the streets they strolled along for an hour, her high heels and the dress swirling around her legs adding to the elegance radiating from her. That she was capable of this beauty and a robust, fit, active, s.e.xiness made her a woman like none other he'd known. His heart pounded every time he looked at her. His fingers squeezed her possessively as he led the way to a restaurant serving local cuisine. They ordered wine and appetizers of stuffed mushrooms and clams before enjoying a leisurely dinner.

Afterward, while they sipped the wine and split a cherry cheesecake drizzled with caramel and whipped cream, Jordan tried to pump him for information. "So you know all about my so-called dating life," she began.

"I only know a little about you and Jake," he interrupted, not sure if that was the only thing to know. He'd never been one for prying into other people's histories. What mattered was now, unless someone had baggage-and who didn't?-that affected how they were with him. He'd seen a few good women ruin things for themselves, with him and other guys, because they just couldn't get past something. They were damaged goods, too fearful of repeating history to live their lives without restraint.

Such a woman might have trouble judging a guy on his own merits, seeing only ghosts from their past. He'd ended a few relationships with suspicious girls who'd a.s.sumed he was doing the same thing as some jerk they'd known. The poison of false accusations didn't exactly endear such people to him. Better to let them go than to get too involved, if they wouldn't listen to reason or quit it.

He'd always ended things with ease because he'd seldom been smitten. Not really. He'd never been one for romanticizing from afar like Connor, who'd fallen into a bad habit of dreaming what the future could be like with a girl he hadn't even dated yet. Riley and Quinn-even Kris-had ribbed him about that as a teenager, but now his little brother had the girl he'd been searching for in Sophia.

As for Riley, he'd always had a more direct line to the women who caught his fancy. He approached them with confidence and knew what he wanted. The approach had seldom failed to net good results, but he never used a woman like some a.s.sumed. Pretending to love a girl just to get her naked marked a jerk. If you weren't going to be honest about your intentions with a woman, you'd better stick to masturbation.

"Knowing about Jake is probably enough," Jordan admitted ruefully, breaking his thoughts.

Despite his usual lack of prying, he was a bit more smitten with Jordan than anyone he'd known and broke his routine of minding his business. "Was he the only one?"

"Sort of." She glanced away and back. "After I left Europe, I couldn't risk getting anyone else in danger by being with me. And I didn't trust anyone, either, so that didn't help. It was pretty lonely."

"No hookups?"

She smirked. "I didn't say that."

Riley thought that if she was hoping to make him jealous, it wasn't working. He seldom felt that way. If anything, other guys typically felt threatened by him. "Guess I shouldn't ask."

"Doesn't matter," she replied, shrugging, "but I was hoping to find out about you."

"Ask away."

"Any serious girlfriends?"

"Define serious." When she gave him a wry look, he said, "No. I dated one girl about six months, another for four, but most of it was casual."

"Why? You weren't interested in more or they weren't?"

"Little of both. They just weren't right."

"Not 'the one?'" She didn't seem to take the idea seriously from the slightly sarcastic tone she used.

He smiled, jealously watching her lips close around some cheesecake. "I don't really believe in that stuff."

"Me either. Was this before the Marines? Or after?"

"In my teens. I had a reputation for being good with the ladies and the ones coming around just wanted to have fun."

"Did that work for you?"

Noticing she didn't seem judgmental, he beamed, enjoying that he could admit the truth. "Usually. It's just that everyone wants more sooner or later."

"Even bada.s.s Marines?"

"I wasn't one yet, but yeah. Lots of people, especially women, believe the hype about guys just wanting s.e.x, but that's c.r.a.p. Guys like to hold hands, or hold a woman, cuddle, or kiss without the intention of having s.e.x, all that stuff."

She frowned in surprise. "Really?"

Now his eyebrows rose. "Yeah. You don't believe guys are just pigs, do you?" When she shrugged, he sighed. "You know, women are always talking about women's liberation and being equals, and all that stuff, but people have no trouble demeaning men left and right and making s.e.xist comments about us."

"That's true," she admitted, sipping wine.

"Most of the time we don't mind, but that doesn't make it okay. I just think women tell themselves things about men for whatever reason, and guys don't defend themselves because we sort of don't care, or pretend we don't, because being cool and not caring are supposedly the same thing."

"Yeah, that's always been silly to me."

"Because it is. But if women say something, like 'all guys are pigs', and no one disagrees, including guys, and women keep repeating that, don't they come to believe it?"

She nodded. "Probably. Are you saying that women convince themselves of something like that, and it affects how they behave?"

He snapped a leftover breadstick. "Exactly. So we lie to ourselves and then we go around jumping to conclusions based on that. It's self-defeating, a weird kind of baggage that seems to have no real source. It reminds me of this girl I once knew."

"One of your conquests?" She smirked.

He rolled his eyes playfully. "No. A long time ago, I was at a restaurant with six women for my birthday."

"Six?" she interrupted. "My, you do have an appet.i.te!"

"Thanks. Anyway, talk turned to dating, and one of them asked my opinion about a guy she was working with at some corporate office. She wasn't sure if he was interested or not. From what she told me, I could tell the guy liked her but wasn't sure he should make a move."

"What made you think that?"

"He called her a lot, dropped by to talk, and they even went on a couple daytime outings together, but it wasn't really a date. The way he acted, the next thing you'd expect was a date, but he wouldn't ask her out."

"Interesting. What did you tell her?"

"I asked what she did when they were together, and I forget the details, but she admitted she was acting ambivalent toward him, too, exactly because she wasn't sure if he was really interested."

"So they were both interested but neither was sure it was reciprocal."

"That's what I thought. I told her to give him some sign, even if it was still subtle so she could pretend it meant nothing if he wasn't interested after all."

"Like what?"

"Asking him in for coffee. Putting a hand on his arm at some point. She needed to escalate."

"Did it work? What happened with them?"

"She followed some of my advice and the guy took the hint. They got married later."

"Wow. Didn't know you were such a match-maker."

He caught the coy look, but what he said was, "I know guys aren't as macho as they pretend. What got me about this whole thing, and what our talk tonight reminded me of, was when I'd explained that he needed a sign. She and the other girls were disbelieving. Stunned."

"Why? About what? That he lacked confidence?"

"Yeah. And I mean they weren't just a little surprised. They were trying to tell me I was full of s.h.i.t, and laughing at me. They kind of p.i.s.sed me off. It was inconceivable to them that a guy might be hesitant or unsure of himself, probably because of the way guys always pretend to be confident."

"Ah. I see where you're going with this. So you think they bought some hype, maybe from women, not just men, that all guys are super confident?"

"Right. And it made this woman unable to see that the guy needed a sign from her, and even when I explained it, she was dismissive. I was surprised she actually tried it. She said she hadn't thought it would work but tried out of desperation and couldn't believe the sudden confidence from the guy."

"That's interesting."

Riley shrugged. "We're all human. If one gender can feel something, so can the other."

"You don't believe that stuff about men being from Mars and women from Venus?"

He laughed. "No. The idea that one gender can feel something but the other can't is silly."

"Yeah," she said, not sounding convinced. "Does that mean that you cry?"