Chapter 3

Lucky.That's what he was. And if he played his cards right, that streak might continue.

Walker drove along the bumpy gravel road, replaying the past ten minutes. How close he'd come to being too late. And not just to drive Blair home…

To any chance he had of being with her.

He'd known as soon as he'd heard her and Corbin talking that Blair was done — with everything. The party. The waiting. Him. That if he'd stayed at his truck one moment longer — taken another minute to weave his way over to them — she would have been gone. And he doubted she would have given him another chance.

That had jumpstarted his heart. Made him realize he was more afraid of living without her than he was of facing the guilt of moving on from the accident. Of confronting the demons that whispered to him in the dark. Telling him he wasn't worthy. That, if he'd been half the pilot he'd thought he was, all those men would still be alive.

That he would always be the weak link.

She did that. Made him feel strong. Grounded. And he'd switched tactics without even thinking about it. Had offered to drive her home hoping this was the one lucky break he needed.

Not that he was arrogant enough to think anything would happen tonight other than maybe some out-of-the-park kissing. The kind that she'd still be thinking about tomorrow morning. Have her anticipating their first official date because he was going to ask her out, consequences be damned. It didn't matter if he'd never been in love before. If he'd believed his world had been rich enough without it. That was the old Walker. The one who hadn't realized how cold his life had been until he'd been staring at the aftermath of that accident. Until he'd lost friends and teammates. And it was time the new Walker manned up.

And, if he crashed and burned, at least he'd be able to look in the mirror and know he'd tried. That he hadn't allowed her to slip away, as Corbin has phrased it, without giving it his all.

Blair stared out the window, occasionally giving Walker a passing side eye. Nothing overt, just a small shift in his direction. But he had no doubts that she was categorizing every subtle nuance. The way his mouth twitched when a sappy song came on the radio. Or how his breathing had kicked up. Not as fast as it would have been if he was already kissing her, but definitely faster than usual. How he'd been around her previously, when he'd been using all the skills he'd learned during his training to curtail his emotions — keep everything on lockdown.

He didn't want it locked down — not anymore.

Which meant making himself vulnerable because he knew she'd never believe his attraction was sincere unless he gave her a glimpse of the man beneath the stoic facade. Allowed Walker to bleed through instead of Pierce.

A deep breath and a small, internal pep talk, and he was ready. Was taking the next right onto an old forest service road that wound over to the edge of the lake — the perfect spot to watch the last rays of sunlight reflect across the surface as fingers of red and orange chased each other across the sky.

Blair grabbed the handle above the door as the truck bounced along, a cloud of dust following along behind them. She smiled as they rounded a corner, leaving the other road behind them. What Walker hoped would guarantee some privacy.

Hints of indigo wove through the other colors as he finally rolled to a stop, the setting even more beautiful than he'd hoped for with the water showcasing the brilliant reds and purples — the odd pinpoint of white as stars peeked through the late evening sky.

He cut the engine, then turned to look at her, and damn, she was breath-taking. A mass of blonde hair cascading over her bare shoulders, that light-blue dress flowing over every curve. He'd meant what he'd said. The color really did bring out the green in her eyes. And with the setting sun painting her skin with hues of red and purple… Walker had never seen her look more beautiful.

Why had he ever thought getting involved with Blair was a bad idea? That the men who'd perished that fateful night wouldn't want him to be happy? To honor their sacrifice by making the best of his second chance?

Corbin was right. This was why Walker had survived. This night. This girl.

She must have felt him staring because she tensed, then met his gaze, her skin practically glowing. She frowned, then ran the back of her hand across her mouth. "Is there something on my face?"

He blinked, still caught up in his thoughts when he realized she'd asked him something. "Is there, what, now?"

"Something on my face?" She motioned toward him. "You're staring at me with this odd expression. Dirt? Gretta's gun oil? A lifetime's worth of regrets, maybe?"

"If anyone's wearing regrets, it's me." He unclipped his seatbelt, then reached over and did the same to hers. "So, let's change that."

All it took was a slide across the bench seat — a quick shuffle to avoid getting caught on the shifter — then he was pressed up against her, one hand threading through all that thick silky hair. The other slipping around her waist. Pulling her close. Another second, and his face was level with hers, nothing but their breath between them.

Blair's eyes rounded, as if she hadn't considered he'd get physical, especially when he'd kept it strictly platonic all these months. Sure, he'd held her hand, and he was certain they'd fallen asleep on Gretta's couch a few times — her head on his shoulder. But it hadn't felt like this. The intensity. This unspoken promise.

He paused just long enough for her to shove him away. Maybe slap his face. Something to suggest he'd been imagining their connection, all along. From when they'd first met in London, until now. Then, she sighed and leaned forward, her mouth brushing over his.

And he was all-in.

A curl of his fingers and a tug, and she was flush against him, not even an inch of space between his body and hers. A shift and a tilt, and he was kissing her. His lips covering hers, tasting, lifting, then dipping down for another pass.

Sixty seconds in, and he was dying. Literally burning from the inside out. Another five, and he had her mouth open — had her tongue tangling with his. What he could only describe as heaven with a hint of fire.

Blair moaned, spearing her fingers through his hair as she pressed against him, then launched herself on top, straddling his legs as she took control of the kiss. Walker managed to grab the seat lever and push the entire bench back, giving her a bit of room between her ass and the steering wheel. Not that she seemed to notice the way her butt was riding it as she released him long enough to kiss her way down his neck — nip at his muscle through his shirt.

"God, Blair."

She moved until she was staring him in the eyes — most of the stunning green in hers eclipsed by black. "I thought you'd never…"

Then, she was back. Kissing. Licking. Biting at his lower lip as she grabbed the button on his jeans — popped it free. A twist and a shift, and she had the zipper down, her fingers squeezing him through the opening.

That did him in.

Had him slipping his hands beneath her dress — tracing the smooth line of her thighs back toward her ass. Realizing she was only wearing a damn thong fried his brain. Had him reaching for the thin strips at the side before tearing them apart.

Blair inhaled, pulling away as he dragged the torn scraps out from beneath the hem then tossed them in the back of the cab. He arched a brow, wondering if he'd just crossed a line when she closed her eyes on a soft moan before palming his face — kissing him, again.

Not like before. This was desperate. Needy. As if she'd been waiting for this since they'd met, too. Had been slowly dying, just like him. Wanting nothing more than to get lost in each other.

By the time she finally let him come up for air, his pants were down around his knees, along with his boxers. Blair arched a brow, then she was holding him — slowly sinking onto him until he was completely inside. Was clenching every muscle not to finish.

Christ, she was hot. Hot and wet and utterly perfect. Like he'd imagined only a thousand times better. Because this was real. Her. Him. Moving together in that stupidly small cab, the sunset highlighting her hair in a golden glow. All those colors from the sky painting her skin in a crimson hue.

Or maybe it was how she was sliding along him that was making him see red. Up, nearly slipping him free, then down, her entire body shaking.

He was shaking, too. Not just from her movements, but the strain of holding on. Wedged beneath her, all he could do was feel. Her skin. Her breath. Her entire body. He managed to fist her hair — eat at her mouth — just long enough to catch his breath. Stave off the release already burning down his spine.

Until Blair squeezed — had all that fiery need racing through his veins, again.

"Christ, I'm not going to last if you keep doing that."

She nipped at his ear, smiling against his neck when he cursed. "That's the point."

He shook his head, holding her still so he could make eye contact. "I need more time."

She smiled, and god, it was like looking at forever. "Just our first shag tonight, yeah? Or is this your way of telling me, you've only got one round in you? Because I thought you Spec Op lads were all about stamina."

Walker clenched his jaw, dragging her closer so he could mouth her neck — give her a hickey. "Oh, sweetheart, how you're going to eat those words. Take a breath. It's the only one you're going to get, tonight."

She inhaled, and he moved. Grabbed her ass, held her up, and started thrusting. Not that he had much room, but when he angled her just a bit… She moaned, throwing her head back, her nails digging into his shoulder. Five more minutes, and she was matching his motion — riding him hard. Up. Down. Until she was a blur of skin against that indigo sky. Her blonde hair dancing around him.

He managed to make it another ten before that release he'd been holding off surged forward. He waited just enough to hear her breath catch — watch her eyes squeeze shut as she pulsed around him — before he let go. Jerking through his release until they were both gasping for breath. Right there in the cab of his truck.

Blair collapsed against him, her head beside his, her arms wrapped around his shoulders. No words, just a series of raspy inhalations as her chest pushed on his, her skin warm and soft beneath his palms.

Walker let his head tilt back a bit, wondering if any encounter had ever been this perfect, when she kissed his jaw. He managed to open his eyes, stare into those gorgeous green orbs. Fuck, she was beautiful. Her hair a tousled mess, the ends sticking up in every direction. Some was stuck against her neck, giving that area of skin a golden hue. The rest of her flesh was flushed, the pink color making him smile.

He held the back of her head as he drew her in for a long, slow kiss. The kind that lasted all night. Showed her he had absolutely no intentions of letting her go.

Blair eased back once he'd finally released her, brushing her thumb across his mouth. "Now that was worth waiting for. Though, five months is pushing it."

He laughed, and god, it felt good. Genuine. "Can't rush perfection." He smiled when she gave him a swat. "How's your headache?"

"Wanker. And it's much better, unless you were teasing me about eating my words."

"Still questioning my virility… that's harsh." He tugged her against him, kissing her until he was getting hard. Was on the verge of starting round two in the front of his truck, again.

Blair tsked, slowly easing off him before shuffling over to her seat — adjusting her dress. "If you're really going to torture me all night, I think we'll need a bed, yeah?"

"Got a flatbed right behind us. Probably have some kind of blowup pad, too."

"While the thought of gripping your gun rack while you pound into me is tempting, I think your shoulder and mine might do better on a real mattress. Though, if you want to pin me to the wall…"

He swallowed. Somehow managed not to choke because picturing her in his bedroom, naked, her back against the wall as he held her up, thrusting between her thighs had him damn near coming a second time.

It took a few tries to tuck himself back into his jeans. Having Blair snicker the entire time only prolonged the event. But with some jaw clenching and a lot of painful shoving, he got his fly zipped — had that bench seat rolled forward enough he could reach the pedals.

Realizing they'd gone without protection cooled some of that arousal. Not as much as he would have thought, but enough he was able to move his legs to get the truck in gear.

Walker looked over at her, praying he wasn't killing the rest of the night. "So, we kinda forgot…"

"To use a johnny?"

Walker frowned. "If johnny means condom, then yeah. Johnny? Really?"

"Long story, and I have one of those implants, so…" She pursed her lips, looking adorable as she all but frowned at him. "Unless you're worried you'll catch something."

"Seriously? I'm worried if I get you pregnant, you'll do some MI6 move on me, and I'll be back in rehab for six months."

"Aww, Walker, I wouldn't hurt you. I'd simply stab you in the heart."

Damn, he was a goner. "Fair. And are you sure because I don't think I have any at home, and I don't know if there's an open pharmacy around here."

"If this is your way of getting out of your promise to make love to me for the rest of the night, it's utter tosh."

"Wouldn't dream of it. I just wanted to check…"

Blair slid over and palmed his face, again. "I love that you asked, and generally, I wouldn't go without, either, but…" She kissed him. "It's still a few months before I need to get the thing replaced, and for some insane reason… I trust you. Which is completely mad, considering I've only ever trusted Gretta, but… I think we both really need this, yeah?"

"Hell, yeah. So, buckle up. I plan on getting us home in record time."