Forged in Fire (Delos Series Book 3) Read online

  Now he had to bring her to him very carefully, or he could lose her before she was ready to take that next step with him.

  “Volunteering for my local women’s shelter is a different form of giving than what I do here,” Dara said. “The difference is, there’s real hope for change back home. Here, I see very little evidence that we can improve the lives of these children. And it just tears me apart, Matt, because all children are innocent. They all begin with clean slates, but over here what’s written on those slates is hardship, fear, and death.”

  “Let’s talk about something else,” he suggested, reaching out to put his hand over hers, squeezing it, hoping she’d find comfort in his touch. “You’re looking whipped. Would you like me to drive you over to your B-hut and call it a night?”

  It was the last thing he wanted to do, but Matt knew he had to offer it. He knew he was right when her blue eyes lost their anguish and grew warmer.

  “Yes, I’d like that. I’m sorry that I’m not very good company tonight.”

  “I like you just the way you are, Dara. Don’t you change one thing about yourself.”

  She managed a brief chuckle. “You are a glutton for punishment then, Sergeant Culver.”

  As Matt helped her out of the Humvee, Dara gazed up at the starry sky. They were parked close to the women’s B-huts, which sat in a large, rectangular area.

  As she climbed out of the vehicle, Dara suddenly knew she wasn’t ready to say good night to Matt. He was so tall and confident and strong where she was not. And the sensual way he was looking at her made her want to lose herself in his deep golden eyes and let him take the next step … the one they were both aware awaited them.

  *

  As Matt stood close to her on the sidewalk, she lifted her gloved hand and placed it lightly against his bomber jacket. His long mane and beard gave him a fierce, primal look, which she actually found exciting. She wanted to lie down with this beautiful man and feel his warm body beside her. Dara’s gaze drifted to his sexy mouth. How she had fantasized kissing it, feeling his warm lips on hers. She saw his eyes narrow as they instinctively moved closer to each other, their body heat mingling in the below-freezing air. The moment was so full of promise that Matt gently slid his hand down the small of her back and pulled her gently forward, giving her the chance to hold back if she wasn’t ready.

  Oh, but she was ready. As the wind blew against her hair, he instinctively lifted his hand and curved the strands away from her face. Dara leaned closer, closing her eyes and feeling Matt’s moist breath against her face. Again, she felt his hand pressing her solidly against him.

  He was so strong, so grounded, that she allowed herself to flow into him, feeling him shift slightly as he leaned down to capture her upturned lips in a gentle kiss.

  His mouth brushed hers, inviting her to respond, and his kiss brought a small sound of pleasure from her. Dara felt him hold her tightly, his erection needing to be free, now pressing against her belly, warming her and flooding her with hunger and desire.

  Again, his mouth grazed hers, nudging her lips open, coaxing her to respond more fully, and she did. Dara slid her other hand around Matt’s shoulder, her fingers against the nape of his neck. She smelled the strong, masculine soap he’d used, that mingled with his own male fragrance. Hungrily, she breathed it in as his mouth moved even more firmly against her own.

  With his other hand, Matt gripped her shoulder, bringing her flush against his chest. Her nipples instantly grew hard; she wanted his mouth upon them, wanted him to tease them, forgetting about the wind, the cold, the possibility of being observed. For once, Dara allowed herself to get lost in the heat and light of Matt’s gentle probing. She could feel him gauging her responses, allowing her the time and space to decide just how far they should go in exploring one another.

  As his fingers dug more firmly into her shoulder, she felt her body arching against him, her lips parting, and boldly she touched his lower lip with the tip of her tongue. That one movement brought renewed urgency to them both, and she felt Matt quiver with need for her.

  Dara pushed closer, her whole body humming, the heat arcing from her breasts down through her belly. She felt dampness between her thighs and knew he could take her at this moment, anywhere, and she would respond freely, because the world around them had disappeared, and only the two of them existed.

  As he slid his hand beneath her neck, his fingers tangling through the strong, silky strands of her hair, he angled her to bring her mouth closer. Both of them were breathing hard now, and Dara was lost in Matt’s arms, loving the way he held her. Matt was a first for her. She’d never had such a sensitive, considerate lover.

  Dara moaned as he pulled her closer to his straining body, knowing she couldn’t bring Matt inside her B-hut because men were not allowed in the women’s quarters. But her frustration was already curling through her throbbing lower body, and she kissed him more fervently, wanting all of him and knowing she couldn’t have him, at least not now.

  An MP Humvee slowly turned the corner down at the end of the street and both Dara and Matt pulled away. She looked at him with a combination of frustration and amusement. “Wow. Has anyone ever told you how good a kisser you are?”

  “I’ll never kiss and tell,” he teased, his voice still thick with desire.

  The MPs drifted by and moved on down the street. Safe from curious eyes, Dara stared up at Matt, her body still on fire. “I wish,” she whispered, sliding her hand up his leather-jacketed chest, “this didn’t have to end tonight.”

  “That makes two of us, sweetheart.” Matt threaded his fingers through her hair and watching her lashes lower with pleasure at his touch. He looked around and then met her upturned gaze. “What if I told you there was somewhere we could go to be together? A place that was totally private, where we wouldn’t get chased out by MPs.” He grazed her cheek with his thumb. “Would you be interested?”

  Dara’s heart thudded powerfully in her chest. “Seriously? There’s such a place?”

  “Sweetheart, we’re black ops. This is a huge base, and at one time it had twenty thousand–plus people on it. When Bagram was being built, the operators got together and created a place for them and their ladies. It’s completely hidden, private, and looks like a hotel suite. All you have to do is tell me you’d like to go there with me, and I’ll make it happen.”

  Dara was tempted. She knew she had never wanted a man more. Matt was complex, amazing, intelligent, and, most of all, sensitive and aware of her needs. No man in her life had ever possessed all these qualities—until Matt. She swallowed and looked away for a moment. This man deserved her courage, not her fears, so she lifted her chin and searched his eyes.

  “I—I’ve never done something like this before. I mean”—she opened her gloved hand in a helpless gesture—“not this soon …”

  Matt leaned down, whispering against her lips, “I know, Dara …” He took her mouth with all the tenderness he possessed, loving the fact that she recognized the potential of their union and wanted to do the right thing for them both.

  A whimper caught in her throat as he bent down again to ravish her mouth, his tongue teasing her lower lip, asking her to participate. As he framed her face with his large, warm hands, Dara felt all her fears dissolve beneath the onslaught of his mouth on hers. There was nothing but goodness between them, nothing but desire so hot that she was quivering with hunger and eagerness.

  “You want this as much as I do, don’t you,” he rasped, kissing each corner of her mouth and then drawing away.

  Dara swayed, fully against Matt, her heart fluttering. “Y-yes, I do. But I don’t do one-night stands, Matt. That’s not who I am.” She saw understanding in his eyes, felt his hand brush across her hair, his gaze growing warmer, admiration and affection pouring from him into her.

  “What we have,” he said, his voice heavy with need, “isn’t simple, Dara. I’ve been so damned attracted to you since I first saw you that it’s eating me alive. All I want t
o do is make love to you, hold you, feel you, listen to your sweet cries …”

  Dara moaned and pressed her forehead against the hard line of his jaw, his beard tickling her flesh. “I want the same,” she admitted, breathless, arching beneath his touches as he caressed her hair, moved his fingers down her spine, eliciting more heat, her skin flaring with pleasure beneath his knowing, skilled contact.

  Matt knew where he could touch her and bring her to full arousal. She found herself sinuously moving against his strong, hard body, letting him know without words that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  He choked out a laugh and gently eased her away from him. “Right now, Dara, if we don’t stop? I’m going to come. You have that much power over me,” Matt admitted openly, searching deeply into her widening eyes. “We’re meant for one another. I know it. I feel it in my bones. And I know it’s the same for you.”

  She nodded, her knees weakening. “Yes, Matt, it is …”

  “Okay,” Matt said, slowly turning her around, sliding his arm around her waist, and keeping her close as they walked toward the B-hut. “I’m taking you to the Eagle’s Nest tomorrow after work.” He walked her slowly because she seemed dazed by their kisses. Or was it the breakthrough they had made on agreeing to love each other? Maybe both.

  “Can we eat before we go to our love nest?” she asked with a shy smile.

  He smiled down at her, imagining how beautiful she would look naked in his bed. “Of course. We can pick up some takeout from my friend’s restaurant. We’ll go to the Nest to eat, talk, and do whatever comes naturally afterward. Sound good?”

  “Sounds very good,” Dara murmured, stopping at the door. Then she gazed up at him and said, “I’m going to make a big admission, Matt. I’m so scared and I’m so excited. And you?”

  “Me too, doubled,” he agreed as he leaned down, cherishing her lips, tasting her, wanting her so damned much. As he drew away, Matt became serious. “Look, if you wake up tomorrow and it’s too much for you, I’m fine with that. Do I want to love you? Yes. But I want you willing, Dara, not fearful. Not wondering if you’re doing the right thing. And if you say no, I’m not walking away. You mean a helluva lot more to me than just that one night you were talking about. Okay? We’re in this together. There are two of us, and we’re both participating in this.”

  Dara felt relief race through her. “Thanks for telling me that, Matt, because this is a huge step for me. I’m slow in developing a relationship with men … it usually takes me a long time.”

  “Yeah, I figured that part out.” He laughed a little, sliding his hand across her shoulders. “And I’m fine if you decide not to do it. We’ll still go out to dinner, talk, and explore one another in other ways. It’s entirely up to you. Okay?”

  Dara reached up, her hand caressing his jaw, and kissed him slowly, absorbing his power as a man. That male growl did nothing but make her want him even more. She had to force herself to leave Matt’s hungry, searching mouth.

  Turning toward the front door, she whispered, “Pick us up for breakfast at 0700?”

  “I’ll be here,” he promised, his voice heavy with need, his eyes holding hers.

  Dara felt an immediate sense of loss as she watched Matt turn and walk down to the Humvee. She wrapped her arms around herself, watching him drive off slowly down the road. Her heart was pounding. She ached, wanting relief and knowing Matt could give it to her. Her mouth tingled as she ran her tongue across her lower lip, tasting him once more. All it did was set up a charge of yearning that nearly took her to her knees. This man knew how to kiss! He’d created a wildfire within her. Dara turned and went into the hut, groaning softly. She wasn’t going to get much sleep tonight, and she knew it. Her body was at the boiling point, wanting Matt. Only Matt.

  As she slowly undressed, she realized that something life-changing had happened tonight. Most miraculous was that it had seemed organic, natural, as if it were finally the right time, place, and person. Dara felt as if she’d known this man all her life. What was she going to do? Right now, her heart was clearly on the side of going to bed with Matt. They were both adults. Of course, her logical mind was shrieking that it was too soon, but her body and heart were urging her to ignore those thoughts.

  And then, the answer came to her. She remembered vividly how she had come upon Matt in the common room at the orphanage as he held and rocked little Aliya. He was letting her sob her heart out as she clung to him as if he were her last hope in the world.

  Matt hadn’t seen Dara, or if he had, he hadn’t lifted his head to meet her gaze. His full focus was on Aliya as he softly grazed her dark brown hair with his fingers, whispering words of comfort that Dara was too far away to hear.

  But she did see Aliya respond, finally releasing all her anguish over the murder of her parents. Yes, Matt clearly knew how to care for another wounded human being. She could feel it tonight in the way his hands roved across her body, in how he’d framed her face, kissing her as if she were the most fragile, beautiful being in the world.

  After seeing how Matt had given Aliya safe harbor, rocking her gently, soothing her with his hands and low voice, Dara could imagine being held by him, though far more intimately. She could feel his large, roughened hands skimming over her body, finding places that would excite her and coax her body to burning life so those fires would consume them both.

  Matt’s capacity to love, to give compassion to that hurting child, to give love to her, filled her with yearning. Dara had to have him deep within her. Even if it was for only three days, she had to risk her heart for this man who had mesmerized her. And best of all, he could actually allow himself to be vulnerable when it counted the most.

  Dara knew now that she would give herself three nights with this him, because that’s all that they had. There was no promise of tomorrow, not in this place, or in their situations. There were no guaranteed happily-ever-afters.

  But just thinking of three incredible nights in Matt Culver’s arms, his body wrapped around hers, holding her, enticing her, teasing her … it could be enough.

  CHAPTER 6

  The next morning, Matt put himself on full guard as Callie and Dara left the van to enter the orphanage. It was a cold November day and the sky was threatening. Although it didn’t rain much, he thought it might happen sometime today.

  It was 0900 and outside the fence surrounding the orphanage was a sidewalk adjacent to a busy four-lane street. He saw Afghan national soldiers carrying rifles, but their presence didn’t make him feel any safer. Too many of them had turned on their American military counterparts over the years. He didn’t trust any of them.

  A vegetable market was open a block away, where a lot of women bustled around, their bodies covered in black head-to-toe burkas. They carried huge cloth sacks that hung over their arms. Markets were favorite places for the Taliban to plant bombs so they would kill many people in one location. Grimly, Matt remained observant as Dara and Callie hurried through the rear door Mohammed was holding open for them. After the women were safely within the two-story building, he checked the fence. Any traces of disturbed soil could mean someone had hidden a bomb there during the night. And any child out in the playground could step on it. As he walked the fence, his raised M4 was a signal that he’d shoot anyone who looked even remotely suspicious or threatening.

  Matt scoured the entire length of the fence and then turned to the playground equipment, slowly walking around each one, again looking for churned soil. Few men could climb the ten-foot-high iron fence, but Matt put nothing beyond the industrious and ingenious Taliban. For all he knew, Mohammed might be Taliban and simply posing as a friend until he was activated by his handlers.

  Once Matt finished his external check of the property, he went inside. He put his M4 on the safe setting and slipped it across his back, always conscious of not scaring the kids. He could hear the children and Callie laughing as he walked down the polished white-tiled halls.

  Then he found Maggie’s office. She
was in there, deep in high piles of paperwork. In some ways, the orphanage’s director reminded him very much of Dilara, his mother. She was always surrounded by stacks of papers begging for her attention, and Matt knew she cared about those precious pieces of paper because each one represented a child in her care.

  Matt smiled at the busy director, and she lifted her head in greeting. “Hey, finished with your duties already, Matt?” she teased, gesturing for him to sit down in one of the two chairs in front of her dilapidated metal desk.

  “All clear,” he murmured, “at least for now.”

  “Coffee’s in the kitchen.”

  “I’ll get a cup in a second.” He sat down. “I talked to my mother, Dilara, last night, about Aliya and her baby sister.”

  “Really! And what did she say? Can she help us?” Maggie asked hopefully.

  “I think so.” Matt pulled a paper from his pocket and reached across her desk, handing it to her. “My mother is in contact with our volunteer Delos director, Jason Doering, who’s in charge of the Farm Foundation in that village. He’s going to the chief of that Shinwari village to find out about the woman who recently lost her baby. If the chief is open to the idea, he has to talk to the mother and see if she wants to take in two little girls. Delos will give a dowry for each child, ensuring that the widow will have money to raise them.”

  “That’s so kind of you, Matt. Thanks so much for giving it a try.”

  “As soon as I hear from my mother, I’ll let you know what’s next. The Delos contact’s name, number, email, and sat phone number is on that paper.”

  Maggie read it. “It would be amazing if your family’s charity could help us out.”

  “We’re all working to help the same people who need it,” he said.

  “Well, we appreciate it so much. And speaking of Aliya, I have an update. She slept well for the first time last night since arriving here. Before, we’d find her up all night, wandering round the halls. I think she was sleepwalking, and maybe looking for her family.”