Hold On (Delos Series Book 5) Read online

  Beau knew it had been good for her, too. In fact, he’d barely been able to hold off long enough to let her come first. Now, weak beyond belief, he lifted himself off her, hearing her mew like a hungry little cat that wanted to keep him close. He reluctantly slid free of her and then brought her against him as he lay on his side.

  He used his leg to draw her lower body close to him, holding her fully against him. Her tousled hair spilled across his arm like a red cloak, and gazing down at her, Beau felt his heart open completely. Her russet lashes were like soft fans against her pink cheeks, her lips slightly swollen from the power of their kisses. Her breasts brushed against his hairy chest, creating tiny fires of pleasure for him. She was still breathing hard, the sheen of perspiration making her shadowy body gleam in the soft light.

  He took a mental picture of her in his arms, the beauty of her body glowing in the aftermath of their lovemaking. He never wanted to forget this moment. She was radiating satisfaction and pleasure, all because he had loved her so well, so completely. Now he leaned down to kiss the corners of her luscious mouth, which were drawn upward in a happy smile, letting Beau see how much he’d pleasured her.

  Then he kissed each of her eyelids, the intimacy between them strong and unbroken. He wanted to bind her to him, his mouth moving to her satiny cheek, then back to her mouth again. His hand ranged from her sleek shoulder to cup her breast, hold the rounded weight of it in his palm, as he heard a sound of pleasure vibrating in her throat.

  He just couldn’t get enough of her. There were so many ways he wanted to please her so he could hear again and again those small, soft sounds emanate from her, telling him he was satisfying Callie.

  In his world, a woman’s body was an altar to be worshipped at, tended to and cherished. He gently captured one rosy peak, pulling it into his mouth, suckling her. She cried out softly, then pressed herself wantonly against him, letting him know she loved everything he was doing. He slid his hand downward, cupping her buttocks, allowing his fingers to move to that sweet curve between them. His fingers were saturated with her juices, and he knew she was ready for him once more. The naturalness, the trust with him, was unbroken, and it humbled Beau as nothing else ever would. Callie had given him her heart, her sweet, beautiful body, and that damn near brought him to tears. She had overcome her fear of what might happen, thrown her lot in with his, and taken a chance.

  He didn’t want fear stopping her or making her hesitate where he was concerned. He was here today, and God knew he wanted to be with her tomorrow, too, and the tomorrow after that.

  Beau had only two more nights to convince Callie of his intentions, because he knew he was being sent on another mission. He was almost desperate to give her enough physical pleasure to capture her heart once and for all. But could he do it? Could he convince Callie that he was worth risking abandonment and disappointment, which she’d been programmed to expect from a man? He knew they could climb this challenging mountain, because he believed what they had was stronger than anything he’d ever experienced with a woman. And yes, he was falling in love with Callie, a woman as natural as nature herself.

  Callie was no game player. Beau felt his heart swell so powerfully with love that it nearly overwhelmed him. His primary purpose now was to keep her safe, make her happy, hear her sparkling laughter, absorb the husky quality of her voice after they had made love, explore with her how she saw the world.

  As he felt her move her hips in anticipation of his entering her again, he smelled her sweet, seductive fragrance. He instantly became hard again, so quickly that it surprised even him.

  A raw cry tore from her as he lifted her leg across his hip, giving him full access to her. And as he eased two fingers into her entrance, feeling that sweet knot swollen once more, he took her mouth, took those melodic sounds emanating from her, drinking them deep into himself, wanting to consume her on every level.

  He slowly entered her, twisting his fingers, widening her, feeling her contractions respond to his strokes as she shuddered against him. And as he moved deeper, her breathing became faster, lighter.

  Lifting his mouth from hers, he recaptured her hard nipple, suckling her, and she screamed, bucking hard against him, clinging to him as she was swept away by another orgasm. He found her center again and stroked her there, feeling her entire body clench around his fingers. Her sobs sounded like music to him as he continued his rhythmic movement, and she came again and again with a violence that staggered him. She was now his, completely, in every possible way.

  *

  Callie didn’t know what time she awoke in Beau’s arms, her body resting against his, the simmering heat once more beginning to build within her lower body. There were no windows to reveal whether it was night or morning. Beau slept deeply, his breathing slow and shallow against her, his arm possessively around her waist, holding her to him.

  Closing her eyes, her head on his shoulder, her arm curved across his narrow waist, she realized she’d lost count of how many orgasms he had coaxed from her. Right now her body shimmered like the radiant heat waves one found moving across the hot desert floor.

  She had to admit it: never had she felt as fulfilled as she did right now. This man knew how to love her, but even more important for Callie was the intimacy they’d shared afterward. Beau was fully present, fully involved with her, and whenever he placed his mouth against some part of her body, she felt his heart and soul engaged with hers. And when he smiled knowingly into her eyes, she felt her heart explode with such happiness, she could barely breathe.

  Not only was he worshipping her physically, which she had never before experienced, but Beau kissed her as if they were long-lost lovers finally reunited.

  When Beau touched her, he seemed to be holding her soul gently within his loving hands. Best of all, Beau caressed her with a tenderness she’d never experienced from a man, and it left her sighing with fulfillment. Now all she wanted was to be close to him, to love him, to hear him groan or growl as he slid deep within her.

  Callie finally understood what bliss was. It was far more than physical gratification. It was when two people were so attuned to each other, their hearts opened fully, transcending the physical world into a whole new sphere of experience.

  Looking up at Beau’s sleeping features, she smiled softly, wanting to lift her fingers and graze his cheek. His face was free of tension for the first time since she’d known him. That deliciously shaped mouth of his was slightly parted, his breathing deep and slow.

  She also thought of how humble he was, and yet how superior he was to other men she’d known. He might have called himself a country bumpkin, but truly he was a warrior of the first order. His mind was sharp and deeply intuitive, with a mature insight into life, and into her. He was complex, layered. There was so much to learn about him … and she couldn’t wait to see Beau continue to reveal himself. The thought excited her as nothing else ever had. He reminded her of a treasure chest that had been placed before her, and she had been offered the privilege of opening it. This was the greatest gift she’d ever received from a man.

  How had she gotten so lucky? She’d been ready to classify him with the rest of the men who’d pursued her for sexual conquest. Now she saw that Beau, by showing her unconditional love, was in a class by himself.

  CHAPTER 8

  Callie stretched languidly as sleep lifted from her. She sighed, feeling Beau’s lips against her brow, placing small kisses there. She slowly lifted her lashes, struck by his tender gaze as he watched her begin to wake.

  “You are so damn beautiful when you start to pull out of sleep,” he told her, caressing her cheek. “I want to wake up like this every morning with you.”

  She purred and leaned into him, her breasts against his chest, feeling his erection pressing into her belly. “Mmm, that feels so good,” she whispered. Then, “What time is it, Beau?”

  He lifted his head, glancing at the clock on the dresser opposite the bed. “It’s 0300. We still have some time left.”


  She gloried in the warm, hard strength of his arm curved beneath her neck, holding her protectively. “I think,” she said, her voice husky, “I dreamed you up, and none of this is real. I’m simply in a wonderful dream.” She saw his mouth turn up, his eyes crinkle with his smile.

  “Well, then, sweet woman, we’re both dreaming the same dream.” He slid a few strands of hair away from her ear, nibbling on the other one.

  A cascade of heat skittered down through her as he licked her ear, and Callie sighed. She felt boneless, sinuous, sexy, and desired.

  “Mmm, let’s keep dreaming together then,” she laughed, meeting his warm gray eyes. How delicious that she could trail her fingertips across his cheek, run them across his full lower lip, and watch his eyes become heavy with arousal. “I like touching you,” she whispered. “All over. I wish … I wish we had more time together.” She knew that at 0600, she had to be back at her B-hut to prepare for her day at the orphanage.

  “Well,” he offered, catching her fingers in his, “there’s tomorrow night. Shall we continue what we’ve started here?”

  Her entire body flooded with anticipation. “Yes, definitely.”

  “Good.” He grinned, then, with a grimace, added, “Because the day after that, I’m being sent out on an op.”

  Instantly, Callie’s feelings of well-being were replaced by fear.

  Beau saw her eyes widened as he assured her, “Don’t worry, it’s just routine stuff.” He leaned over, and his kiss told Callie what she needed to know: that he didn’t want to leave her any more than she wanted him to go.

  Her mouth responded, her lips parting beneath his, a rush of her sweet breath into him, and he tasted her and inhaled her feminine scent. God, he was desperate to claim her, to let her know that he wanted her for a thousand reasons. But if her response to his kisses was any indicator, Callie was more than willing to give them a chance.

  As he broke the kiss, their breaths becoming heated and quickening, he said, “More than anything, Callie, I want you in my life. I know I’ll be gone sometimes, but I’ll always be coming back here to Bagram, to you, to your arms. And to our bed.”

  Her fears were temporarily pushed aside by the depth of his commitment to her. “I don’t know how this is going to go,” she admitted. “Of course I want you, Beau, but I know your commitment to the Army has priority over us.”

  Although it hurt to hear those words, he couldn’t argue with her. He twisted a strand of her hair around his finger and then released it. “When I met you, Callie, I never dreamed you’d give me a chance to prove myself to you, that I wasn’t just chasing you down to get you into bed. You stole my heart from the beginning, and the more I’ve gotten to know you, the more I want every last damn second I can squeeze out to be spent with you. I’ll give you everything I can. I know the Army owns me for now, but when I come off an op, I’m heading your direction, and if I have my way, we’ll spend as much time together as possible.”

  Nodding, she closed her eyes, burying her face against his neck, her arm slipping across his shoulders, holding him tight against her. She almost said, I’m falling in love with you, but bit back the words. “I want this to work too, Beau,” she whispered unsteadily. “I hope it can.”

  “Let’s have some faith in us and our future,” he urged her quietly, stroking her unruly, mussed hair, moving his hand down her spine. “I don’t have any answers for us yet, Callie. But I’m going to try to think outside the box and see if I can come up with a better plan.” He kissed her temple. “I want you in my life. You have to hold on to that. I don’t want to let you go. We still have some time together here at Bagram, so let’s make the most of it. Okay?”

  “Yes,” she managed to say, feeling her heart starting to break. “When I’m with you, I feel hope, Beau. I feel as if we can do this.”

  His mouth softened with relief. “Then let me hold our hope in my heart, Callie, for both of us. Hold on, will you?”

  “I’ll hold on,” she whispered, leaning up, grazing his mouth with her lips.

  *

  Dara gave Callie a curious look as they sat down in the chow hall later that morning. “You look different. Happier, maybe?” she asked, salting her eggs.

  “Beau and I were at the other Eagle’s Nest last night,” Callie admitted, and saw her sister’s eyes widen with surprise as she stirred sugar and milk into her oatmeal.

  “Really! Well, Matt and I were in the other apartment.” Dara smiled, remembering their night together.

  “I kinda figured you were.” Callie’s mouth quirked. “I didn’t hear a thing. Did you?”

  Dara grinned a bit self-consciously. “No.”

  “Good.”

  “Wow!” Dara suddenly admitted, “I’m shocked—about both of us! What on earth is happening, sis?”

  “Don’t ask me,” Callie grumped. “I’ve already been around the block with one Delta guy. And now I’m a glutton for punishment, and I’m doing it again.” She frowned. “Actually, that isn’t fair to Beau. He’s nothing like Chet. In fact, he’s just the opposite.”

  “I think he’s a good guy,” Dara agreed, “just like Matt. They’re made from the same genetic pool, I swear.”

  “Well, they are good friends and teammates,” Callie offered. For whatever reason, her oats tasted delicious this morning. And she was starving. It had to be because she and Beau had made love three times last night. Her body still glowed with the memory of his hands, worshipping her.

  “Yes, Matt loves him like the brother he never had.”

  “Well, at least you know Matt’s coming home to you,” Callie said enviously.

  “Give yourselves some time, Callie. It’s very possible that Beau’s career will change course.”

  “I don’t know,” Callie admitted. “This is so different for me, Dara.”

  “How is it different?”

  Blowing out a puff of air between her lips, Callie said, “I’ve had enough relationships, unlike you, to know when a man is really into me. With Beau last night … Dara, I’ve never been so well loved in my whole life. He was caring and tender with me, like a dream come true. I honestly didn’t believe men like him really existed.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Dara murmured, giving her a warm, sisterly look. “I know you’ve had some pretty rocky relationships in the past.”

  “Like you haven’t?” Callie demanded archly, lifting a brow.

  Dara had the good grace to blush. “Well, putting it that way, yes, my two affairs ended up being certified disasters. Until Matt.”

  “See? Even your voice softens when you say his name,” Callie observed, smiling.

  “And yours doesn’t?” Dara laughed, amused. “Sorry, but it’s happening to you, too. Every time you mention Beau, your voice goes an octave lower.”

  “He affects me so deeply, Dara.” Callie was now serious. “My heart pounds every time I think of him, or remember his smile, or his sexy drawl—now, that’s a real turn-on for me.”

  “Hmm, sounds serious. As a doctor, I’d say you’re infected, but that doesn’t sound very romantic, does it?”

  An unwilling grin tugged at Callie’s lips. “No, he’s not a virus, Dara.” And at that, both women giggled, their bond even stronger now that they were both in love.

  *

  Beau surprised Callie that evening when he picked her up at her B-hut. He drove her directly to the Eagle’s Nest and announced, “Tonight, sweet woman, I’m cooking for you.”

  Surprised, she said, “Really? I didn’t know you cooked!”

  “I learned when I was a kid—my ma taught all three of us boys the basics, and I started creating my own recipes.” He chuckled. “So today I went over to the base exchange and bought us some groceries so we’d have more time with each other—and to get us off the restaurant merry-go-round.”

  “I like the way you think, Beau,” Callie said approvingly.

  “I haven’t poisoned anyone yet, so I think you’ll be safe.” He flashed her a grin
.

  “This is so nice,” she whispered. “Thanks for doing this.”

  “What? Did you think I was going to tie you to the bed and not let you go?”

  His teasing drawl brought out her own grin. “I really didn’t know what to expect tonight, Beau. I just knew I wanted to be with you.”

  “Same here,” he admitted, darting a look in her direction as he drove into the warehouse parking lot. “I want every moment I can spare to be spent with you.”

  They worked in the kitchen side by side. Beau even had an apron for Callie and tied it around her waist, because she didn’t want to get her brown wool slacks dirty. He had thoughtfully brought veggies for a healthy salad and assigned the job of preparing it to her. She also cut up some cheddar cheese in small squares to sprinkle on top of it. To her surprise, the kitchen was well stocked with spices, plus lots of other items in the refrigerator, not just junk food.

  “We have a couple of guys on our team who could be considered amateur chefs,” Beau told her as he salted and peppered their T-bone steaks, now sizzling in the frying pan. “They’re the ones who really amped up our spice cabinet.”

  “I think it’s kind of nice that you guys have this place,” Callie said. “It gives you a chance to slow down and relax.”

  Beau turned the steaks and thought about how to answer her. “It isn’t always about bringing a woman over here,” he told her seriously. “One guy is going with this Air Force air traffic controller, and they love to play chess. They meet over here whenever he’s not on duty, and they really go at it with one another. They’re good friends and both are married to other partners.” Beau grinned. “I’m a checkers kind of guy. Chess isn’t for me.”

  “Checkers? You know,” Callie said, “I grew up with them, too. My grandparents always played a game on Sunday evenings after dinner. They taught Dara and me how to play, so when we were older, the four of us were able to play together. We’d have checker’s tournaments. It was always a lot of fun.” She smiled fondly. “I often think that sometimes they let us win so we wouldn’t lose all the time.”