Chapter 8

Sharp couldn't believe he'd opened his trap and offered to help Danika. He should have kept his mouth closed and his thoughts to himself. Just the idea of her being harmed by her ex pissed him off. She'd been one of the true things in his life, and he didn't want her to suffer, but pulling her closer would only put him in danger.

The mission always came first. He knew that. Not putting the mission first brought failure. The pain of loss brought an ache to his chest that felt like someone was digging around inside. Worry splashed through his mind, muting his happiness. Why had he said he would help her?

There had to be a balance of what he could do for her and his safety. If he asked her to keep quiet about him, she would. He just needed to find time to have that conversation.

His CO got back to him, telling him he had a place on a team. It was with guys he wasn't too familiar with. He'd heard of them but never really worked with any of them. The teams had grown in the last ten years, and no longer was it just a few teams who had to mesh together, but over four thousand men had become SEALs and were still active. He guessed there were a few like him who were doing extraneous missions, but most were on teams. With the high numbers, he didn't know everyone.

After catching up and finding out when he was supposed to hook up with his ride out of the country, he headed back into the hotel room. He opened the door and spied Danika on the bed, laughing at something on the TV. It had been a while since he'd enjoyed TV. Heck, it had been a while since he'd enjoyed anything. Losing his team the way he had sucked like shit. At times, it felt like the good things were behind him.

Danika turned the volume down as the show ended. "Did you get much work done?"

He nodded. "I did." He glanced at the clock, noting that it was almost two in the afternoon. "Are you hungry?"

She shrugged. "I could eat."

"Let's see what we can scrounge up. The restaurant isn't normally open for lunch. I'm not sure what they will be doing."

"If we need to walk over somewhere, I guess we can."

"You don't have proper shoes. The ones you were wearing are still wet, aren't they?"

She nodded. "They are."

"I could run around the corner to one of the open restaurants and grab something to bring back."

Her lips thinned, and her gaze darted to the door. It was obvious she felt vulnerable. Whoever her ex was had done a number on her.

"You should be safe. No one knows you're here."

She nodded. "You're right. I just don't like the idea that he could find me."

"I bet he's not even looking in London. He probably thinks you really did head up to Scotland. "

"God, I hope so."

"Let me call and find out what's still open."

Sharp pulled out his phone and dialed around to a few places, finally finding a pizza place open. He placed an order and then headed out to grab the food. The snow still fell, but at a much slower rate, and a few spots of sky had cleared enough that the sun was peeking out. Not all the snow had turned gray from cars and truck exhaust, so the area looked pretty, fresh. If the sun came out, he figured the city would open up in the morning. Danika would make it to her flight, and he would head south and hop on a Royal Navy ship heading out to sea.

Sadness whispered through him. He shouldn't care that he might never see Danika again. No question, they'd been hot and heavy as teenagers. Back then, he thought he knew what life was about, but he'd been wrong. It was true, the Danika from high school mattered to him. But should she matter now?

The woman was his past, and he didn't need to dwell on what had gone on back then. His new team was his future. But could Danika fit in somewhere?

The pizza didn't take long, and he headed back to the hotel, glad they'd double-boxed everything and added a hot pack that they would pick up from the hotel in the next few days. When he opened the door to the hotel room, Danika hopped up and took the boxes from him, allowing him to remove his shoes that still had some snow on them, though he'd knocked off most downstairs.

"Dang, this smells great. I didn't realize I was so hungry."

He smiled at her as he moved to the chair in the corner. "It does smell great. I bet it tastes great, too."

They settled, him in the chair, her sitting at the end of the bed. She ate two slices and acted like she was done. When he picked up two more slices her eyes went wide. "How much do you usually eat?"

He shrugged. "A lot. I work out and have to fuel my muscles."

Her gaze drifted over his shoulders, and then she glanced away fast, as if looking at him might burn her. Desire twisted through him, and he pushed it away. He couldn't think of her that way. He needed to keep his nose clean and not get involved. She'd been through enough and didn't need him skulking around.

After pizza, she took a nap, and he did a short workout, trying to get in a good sweat before dinner. He would need to spend the next three to four weeks doing two to three workouts a day, trying to build back up the muscles he'd lost while in Russia. If he could go back, he would change a few things in his life, but Russia wasn't one of them. He was proud of the work he'd accomplished.

Danika woke up and took another shower before they headed downstairs for dinner. This would be their last night together, and maybe it was that or the jovial mood since the snow had stopped and the streets were beginning to clear. He wasn't sure, but they both consumed too much liquor. He realized this as they headed up to their room, both of them laughing at nothing.

When they entered the room, the lights were off, but the curtain was open just enough he could make out her profile as she turned to look at him. Then her fingers were on his chest, sliding over his pecs. He thought about telling her to stop, but he didn't want to. They'd had sex before. What would it hurt to get a little reacquainted?

Her lips were on his throat as her fingers slid over the front of his jeans. She palmed his growing cock and moaned against his skin. He dropped his chin, and her cheek rubbed against his .

"We shouldn't," he whispered the words all the while knowing he would if she gave the okay.

"We've already done this when we were younger. I want to know what it's like to do this now. I want to feel how much you've grown."

He didn't pull her closer, but he didn't push her away either. "It's crazy. You're just out of a relationship."

"I quit being his more than a year ago. It just took me this long to escape." Danika's hands fumbled with the button on his jeans as her lips continued kissing up his neck. Heat flooded through his body, fueled by alcohol and long-suppressed desire.

It had been since before Russia, and really before that. The memory of how Danika tasted and felt in his arms flitted through his brain, tempting him more. How much had she changed? Finding out would be fun, and he wanted some fun. He'd been so good in Russia, and now someone from his past was here who was more than willing.

"Are you sure about this?" Sharp murmured, even as his hand slid up her back, loving the shiver his touch elicited.

"James," Danika said as she pulled back just enough to meet his gaze in the dim light. "I've never been more sure about anything. I want this. I want you. We have history, and you make me feel safe."

James studied her a moment longer, knowing this wasn't them just fumbling around as kids, but it couldn't mean more. They were both heading in different directions. They might both be heading back to the States, but she was going to hide, and he was joining a team.

"It won't be like it was before."

"God, I hope not," Danika chuckled. "I hope I'm better. "

Her words brought a smile to his lips, and he knew he was a goner. He gave a slight nod before his lips captured hers in a blistering kiss. Danika melted against him, nails raking down his back. He growled in response and backed her toward the nearest bed. He should have more restraint, but he didn't want to stop.

The kiss took him back to when he was way too young to know what they'd been doing. Her breasts were bigger now, and so was her ass. She had curves where a woman should have curves, and he liked it. He plastered his hand on her rear and pulled her closer. She moaned as she melted against him.

He shouldn't be doing this, but he was going to enjoy the hell out of this moment. It would be a long time before he ended up in bed with anyone else.

They tumbled onto the mattress in a tangle of limbs. Clothes were hastily removed, and he found himself staring down at her breasts. She had large nipples, and the areoles were darker, begging him to lick and suck. He stuck his tongue out and flicked one nipple, causing Danika to arch up. He licked the other nipple, getting a similar reaction. He trailed kisses between her breasts, then lower, over her belly to her mound. She had a small patch of hair at the top, but her lips were shaved.

Desire hit hard, and he had to taste her. She writhed below him as he ate her out, licking and sucking, taking her higher with each passing second. She was primed for the taking, but he wanted her to really experience a good time, so he brought her to orgasm, not stopping until she shouted his name.

He found his emergency condom and rolled it on. The last thing he wanted was to leave any DNA in Russia—not that it had been an issue because he hadn't slept with anyone over there—but he'd packed the condoms just in case.

He lined up between her legs and held her gaze as he slid in. Her breasts rose as she arched into his movements, moaning as he slid all the way in. He filled her all the way to the hilt, then pulled out, doing it again slowly.

Danika's fingers ran over his arms and chest, and she tried to pull him closer, but he wanted to watch her breasts bounce as he took her. This wasn't like the last time they'd been together. That had been too fast, too immature. This was real fucking with a real woman.

After her next orgasm, he pulled out and flipped her over, tugging her hips up so he could slam in. She didn't complain as he rode her hard, pumping into her from behind like he had something to prove. He didn't, but it didn't stop him from banging her like they were on a porn shoot, and the slapping sound needed to be real.

He loved the feel of her butt cheeks as his hips slammed against them. A part of him wished this was real. Wished that Danika was his and they would spend their lives together making love like this time and time again.

The thought shot through him, and he gasped. He was losing control and couldn't hold back. As he pumped in with fast strokes, she gasped and came again, her body pulsing around him. It was all too much, and he lost the last of his control, filling the condom with his cum. Usually, he pulled out and sprayed the woman with his cum because he didn't want any accidental condom breaks. But with Danika, he'd lost his focus and couldn't get it back in time to pull out. She'd totally consumed him, and it had felt amazing.

After he finished, he pulled out and tossed the condom. They lay entwined on the bed, her fingers lazily combing through his hair and running down his chest .

What had just happened?

He couldn't believe that he'd been that out of control. It had been forever since he'd been like that. No woman had ever taken over his thoughts and his body like Danika.

"That was..." Danika trailed off as she ran her fingers over his shoulder and then down his arm.

He nodded as she wove their fingers together. Getting involved would be impossible. "Yeah, it was."

They were both quiet for several long moments. Sharp wasn't sure if it was residual alcohol influencing his thoughts, but he wished this night didn't have to end. Instead of saying goodbye tomorrow, he wanted to build new memories with her. But that was unrealistic, and he dealt only with reality.

He would leave in the morning like he planned, and this brief encounter with a woman from his past would stay in his past. But he wanted more. He wanted Danika.