raining over her skin. She began to assert herself as her body wound tighter and tighter, lifting higher, grinding harder, riding him with a faster rhythm. His breath caught in his chest and she took him deeper, increasing the friction, deliberately contracting her muscles around him, drawing a harsh groan from him.
“Son of a bitch, Briony, you’re going to kill me before we’re through.”
She wanted to drive him to swearing. With anyone else it wouldn’t have seemed right-or sexy-but with Jack she knew she was pushing his limits and he was letting her. He didn’t like giving up control-not even sexually-but he let her set the pace, do what she wanted-maybe needed-to do.
She looked him straight in the eye and smiled, a sultry, sexy smile of sheer bliss. “You know what, Jack? This is
His heart jumped in his chest. His cock thickened and jerked in answer.
Her fingertips slid over his face, traced every beloved line. When had he become so necessary to her? She felt love mingling with the terrible cravings of her body, and if it was possible, love for him increased her pleasure even more. She rocked forward and took his mouth, tongue sliding over his lips, teeth teasing and nibbling. His mouth opened, hot and hard and tasting so good. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, all the while rocking and writhing and keeping a steady rhythm designed to drive him as crazy as she could manage.
And then his mouth moved against hers, and he was all at once dominant, hands tightening on her hips, forcing her body into a different, much harder and faster rhythm. She felt the instant flare of excitement-the heat rushing like a fireball through her body to tighten every muscle and heighten her pleasure even more. She tipped her head back in invitation as his mouth wandered down her throat to her breasts, teasing and nipping and driving her insane. She could feel her climax building and building, his mouth and hands and body pushing her closer and closer to the edge. He filled and stretched her, their combined bodies hotter than she’d imagined possible, as he picked up the pace and deliberately pressed into the bundle of sensitive nerves.
Briony bit back a scream and let herself go, muscles clamping down tightly, taking him with her, milking him dry, while her body rippled and quaked with a shocking orgasm. Jack gave a husky groan, as he emptied himself into her and dragged her against his chest to hold her in his arms, while they rocked together, clinging, his face buried in her hair, hers in his shoulder. They stayed that way a long time, just holding each other, while their hearts stopped racing, bodies still one-both feeling at peace.
“We have to get some rest,” Jack prompted finally, reluctantly letting his arms slip away. “We have a long night in front of us.” He poured water onto a small towel. “Lie back and I’ll clean us up. You’ll have to get dressed and sleep in your clothes. We’ll need to be ready to move.”
Briony should have felt embarrassed to have him gently wipe her thighs, but she felt loved and cared for. His eyes remained dark with emotion as they dressed and she lay down beside him, his arm tucking her close to his body, the cover pulled up over them. “Thank you, Jack. I needed to be with you.”
His kiss was gentle. “We’re going to get out of this. All of us will.”
She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep-reassured by the confidence in his voice and the warmth of his arms.
“You did what?” Jack hissed. “Damn it, Ken. That was dangerous.”
Immediately Briony stirred and sat up as well, looking from one brother to the other. “What’s wrong?”
Ken sank down beside them, rifle cradled in his arms. “Sorry we woke you, Bri, but we’re going to have company soon.”
“What’s going on, Ken?” Jack demanded.
“I got suspicious when the damned helicopter never made any sweeps. Why would they do that? I didn’t put it out of commission. They may have wanted me to think I did, but I knew better. So while I was sitting up in the rocks, cooling my heels, I got this idea about Dr. Whitney and his files. Just suppose he managed to find a map of our property and he studied it and knew if we went for this canyon that we had a way up through the pass.”
“Son of a bitch,” Jack grated.
“So I took a little trip up, and sure enough, we’ve got company waiting.” Ken flipped open his canteen and drank, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Can we take them?”
“They have the better position and a helicopter, Jack.” Ken glanced at Briony, went to speak, and closed his mouth.
“Don’t do that,” Briony said sharply. “I’m not a child and I don’t wilt because it gets rough. I want to know what’s wrong.” She captured Jack’s hard gaze with her own. “Am I a part of this family or not?”
“You know damn well what you are to me,” Jack snapped. “The only real way out of the canyon is the pass. We didn’t think anyone knew there was a way up. The canyon is a box, and essentially we’re trapped here. There wasn’t a pass at all until we made one.”
“So how did they know?” Ken asked. “No one’s been here.”
“He guessed. The bastard guessed,” Jack said. “He’s a fucking genius, and he looked at the map and figured out exactly how we think. The canyon’s a natural trap. He knew we’d lead them here, and he put his men up above to sit and wait. We make the climb-it’s steep and dangerous and will sap our strength, and they’ll shoot us like ducks in a pond.”
Briony took a deep breath, inhaling to try to catch the scent of danger. She smelled pine and fir and night air, but not soldiers. The temperature was falling rapidly, as it often did up high in the mountains. She shivered and reached for Jack’s pack, pulling out a jacket to wrap around her.
“We’ll be fine,” Jack assured her.
“I know. I’m just cold.” She wasn’t certain how true what Jack said was, but she wanted it to be true. Fear was a constant companion, familiar to her and therefore easy to rise above. She shrugged it off and tangled her fingers with Jack’s.
“We don’t have a lot of choices,” Jack said. “If we try the pass, it’s tantamount to suicide. Maybe with both Ken and me giving you a lead, protecting you, you might make it, especially if they don’t want to kill you.”
She shook her head. “I’m staying with you.”
“I could protect the two of you,” Ken offered. “It makes sense, Jack. You know we have to get her out. It comes down to who’s more important. Briony is carrying the babies. I’ll lie up on the pass with the rifle… ”
“The hell with that. We go together or not at all,” Jack snapped. “If you think I’d run when they were gunning for you, Ken, you don’t know me very well.”
Briony shook her head violently. “I’m with Jack. Absolutely not.”
“It was an idea.”
“A stupid one.”
“What about going back?” Briony interrupted, her fingers digging into Jack’s palm. “We could go down the mountain-get some help.”
Ken shook his head. “No way. They have us boxed in with heavy artillery.”
“We stand a chance if we try to hold out right here and wait for reinforcements to arrive,” Jack said. “We can radio the team and they’ll move as quickly as possible.”
“Twenty-four hours at the most. Twelve probably. If we’re lucky they could be here by morning. We have the ammunition. We might do it,” Ken agreed. “We’ve got enough C4 and you’ve already rigged some wires. It might be our best shot, Jack.”
“What’s wrong with the idea?” Briony asked. “Neither of you like it much.”
“They can just as easily bring in reinforcements too,” Jack replied. “Whitney has access to much more sophisticated equipment if we stay too long. We can’t give him that kind of time-not unless we have no other choice.”
There was a small silence. Ken sighed. “I’ll climb up as high as possible and see if I can get a clear enough signal to call for help.”
“Wait.” Briony held up her hand. “You have to climb the cliff anyway to get a signal? Isn’t that dangerous?”
