It took less than thirty minutes to pick up some Under Armour, a couple of sweaters, two superlightweight puffy jackets, and whatever else struck their fancy. Since they’d never made it to Jessie’s apartment, Bran insisted she buy thick socks and a pair of winter boots.
From there, they pulled into an IHOP for a quick breakfast. While they ate, Bran phoned Ty to let him know he was out of jail.
“Glad to hear it,” Ty said. “I called Colt after I got back from the airport and told him you’d been arrested.”
“I’ll call him, let him know I’m not still cooling it in a cell. Thanks for taking care of Jessie.”
“She’s a keeper, dude.”
“I know,” Bran said softly, wishing he was the kind of guy who could make her happy, knowing he wasn’t. He shoved the dark thought away, phoned Colt and asked him to bring his weapons.
“Didn’t figure I’d end up back here—at least not last night. Sorry to put you to the extra trouble, but I don’t like being here without my gear.”
“No problem,” Colt said.
“We’ve got an appointment on the base. How about later this afternoon?”
“I’ll be there.”
Bran gave him the location of the Homewood Suites that Jessie had booked, nothing fancy and no pool, but with a living room and bedroom, it was spacious, the way he liked. Once he’d showered off the grime of the jail cell, he felt a helluva lot better.
Towel-drying his hair as he walked out of the bathroom, his gaze shot to the king-size bed. He thought of Jessie and his groin tightened, his mind sliding right back into the gutter.
“What time’s our appointment with Holloway?” he asked, walking into the living room wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.
Jessie rose from where she sat in front of her laptop, her gaze moving over his bare chest and suddenly sparking with heat. He was already aroused. When she moistened those full pink lips, he went rock hard.
“I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get you released from jail. I told him I thought we could be there by 1:00 p.m.”
He didn’t miss the pulse fluttering at the base of her throat or the flush in her cheeks. “That doesn’t give us much time.”
Her eyes locked with his. “No...it doesn’t. Especially since I’m...I’m already dressed. We’d...um...have to be creative.”
“Yeah.” He moved toward her. She’d put on makeup, pulled her hair into a thick twist behind her head, and changed into the dark brown skirt suit she’d worn the first time they had gone to the base. “You game for that?”
She swallowed. Nodded.
Bran drew her into his arms, bent and nipped the side of her neck. “I missed you last night,” he said softly, then took her mouth in a hot, wet kiss.
Jessie moaned.
Bran kissed and tasted, slid his hands inside her jacket, inside her blouse to tease her nipples through the thin silk of her bra. He kissed her until she was running her hands over his naked chest, gripping his shoulders and repeating his name like a plea. Shoving up her skirt, he slid down a pair of pink bikini panties that had him groaning, then kissed her again and turned her around. In her high heels, the table was just the right height to bend her over.
And didn’t she look just fine exactly that way.
“Beautiful,” he said as he ran a hand over her sexy curves and began to stroke her. Never one to pass up an opportunity, he’d grabbed a foil packet before he’d left the bedroom, sheathed himself now, tossed the towel, and slid into her welcoming heat.
Jessie moaned and arched her back, taking him even deeper. He always worried she might relapse to her days in confinement, but instead, she gripped the opposite side of the table, making it better for both of them.
Clenching his teeth against the pleasure, he increased his pace until she was making soft little sounds in her throat. A few seconds later she started coming, her sweet little body clenching around him, and Bran completely lost it.
Lightning struck, or it felt that way. He gripped her hips and pounded into her, and Jessie came again. By the time he’d finished, both of them were sprawled on the table, limp and sated. Bran pulled her up with him, turned her into his arms, and kissed her.
He smiled. “You’re going to kill me, I swear.”
Jessie pressed a last kiss on his lips. “Whatever happens, I’ll always be grateful to you for saving me.”
He knew what she meant, that he had helped her deal with her trauma. It was thewhatever happenspart that bothered him. He liked being with Jessie, liked it way too much. Sooner or later, it would have to end. Both of them knew it, accepted it.
