Off Base

He drove home his point by ripping the half-shredded thong from her body, tossing it aside. Ke

Beck filled what little vision she had, head thrown back as he rammed himself deep one last time and went flying right along with her. “Oh, Christ. Ke

Heart thudding double time in her chest, she covered his mouth with one hand. “Nothing we do or say together is wrong.” When his furrowed brow began to ease in degrees, she removed her hand. “You were amazing, True Blue. That’s kind of an epic understatement, actually, but my brain has left the building.”

When color flared in his cheekbones, something shifted inside Ke

“Y-you’re staying?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She couldn’t see his face in the darkness, but his breath feathered over her lips. “And I wouldn’t advise asking me to leave when I’m feeling this way.”

Her heart rioted. Thud thud thud. “Which way is that?”

“Like I’ve laid claim to what’s mine. And I need to—to guard her now.” A beat of silence vanished into the darkness. “I can’t put it any more plainly, Ke

As her mind reeled, Beck drew her up against his chest, brawny arms wrapping around her body, one hand cradling her head. Oh God. Her first sleepover…and it felt permanent.

But nothing was permanent. This, especially, couldn’t be permanent. Just as soon as she caught a few minutes of sleep, she’d figure out how to shake the guy.

Drowsiness coupled with Beck’s warmth dragged her down, making resistance futile.

Just a few minutes.

She was asleep ten seconds later.

Chapter Six

Beck woke to the smell of incense and buried his face closer to the source. No. They were sheets, not Ke

He untangled himself from the fla

He’d always figured his first time would be a necessary evil, a jumping off point after which he’d get better. Learn how to please a woman. But Ke

Beck pulled a throw blanket off the end of Ke

Growing up, his grandfather had owned a stable of horses, located just on the edge of the peach orchard. He didn’t make a trade breeding, merely keeping them for pleasure riding and traversing the narrow orchard lanes. One afternoon, his grandfather had come home with a beautiful unbroken filly whose previous owners hadn’t even succeeded in saddling her. Beck could remember the wariness in her brown eyes, the way she’d reared back when anyone got too close. Stay away or else. At least, that’s what Beck’s childhood imagination had interpreted from the filly’s wild look. About a week passed of his grandfather approaching the horse with a bridle with no success. Then one of the mares had gone into labor—a difficult one. Shocking everyone, including the vet, the usually standoffish filly had stood outside the mare’s stall throughout the night, refusing to budge.

Yeah. Beck had a fair idea that Ke

Beck ran his thumb over the picture of Ke

With one last glance at the picture, he left Ke

The few words she’d spoken at di