Tara was greedy, wanting all of him. She guided him on top of her and he gently slid into her. When he pressed all the way inside, she thought she would shatter. He felt good. It wasn’t long before she detonated. Tectonic bursts of color coursed through her brain in a collage of nirvana.
He soon followed and moaned into the side of her neck, taking a while to stop moving.
As they shuddered, she cupped his face and kissed him. She loved how their tongues swirled in a symbiotic rhythm. He lifted his lips from hers and rolled to her side, panting. She propped herself up on an elbow and brushed back his hair with her fingertips. Her finger traced his long lashes.
“I saw colors—blue as your eyes.” She kissed him deeply, and he returned it. When they came up for air, she snuggled into him. This is where she’d wanted to be, ever since seeing him for the first time. She admitted that now.
They both dozed for a short while. Tara blinked her eyes open, loving Ryan’s warmth. She roused him by kissing him awake. “I want you again, smokejumper. God help me, I want you.”
He bit his lip and moaned as she kissed his neck, working her way to his chest. She felt him ready again and she unrolled the condom on him, straddled him and eased him inside of her. Undulating in a gentle cadence, she surrendered to the moment, watching his expression, loving every low moan he uttered. She peaked and he soon followed. She fell to his chest, panting against his neck. “God, Ryan.”
“We make a good team,” he breathed, his chest rising and falling under her.
“Are you evaluating our performance, Mr. Instructor? FYI, red this time, with a touch of gold.”
She felt his heart speed under her. “Do you always hallucinate when you—”
“Never have before.” She covered his mouth with a lingering kiss, then rolled off and nestled her head against his shoulder.
He chuckled. “You’ve never seen red or gold with anyone else?”
“No,” she laughed. She loved the feel of him and the intimacy. Her palm caressed his firm skin, memorizing his muscles, like braille. She’d forgotten the feeling of contentment of another’s warmth in the night, the sound of serene breathing that soothed her to sleep.
She spooned into him and his warm breath was on her shoulder. “I want you with me on fire. Apply to jump school. Fight fires with me.” He kissed her neck.
“We wouldn’t get any work done,” she murmured. A joyful tear rolled down her cheek. She had sailed off Denali in a free fall. So far, Ryan offered her a smooth descent. She sealed the deal by welcoming him into her heart—and fiercely prayed he wouldn’t break it.
Only time would tell if he would guarantee her a safe landing.
Chapter 24
Ryan’s wristwatch beeped 4:05 a.m., as it did every morning, waking him to squeeze in his workout before jumper roll call and breakfast. He’d forgotten to turn off the alarm, being a bit preoccupied last night.
Tara slept as he reached to turn it off. She nestled into him; hair wrapped around her like a goddess. He wanted to make love to her again before life elbowed its way into them.
Before he could act on it, his phone vibrated somewhere on the floor. Annoyed, he raised her arm and inched away from her. He sat up and found his pants in a crumpled heap lying in the corner. His belt lay nearby and he chuckled, recalling how sexy she’d looked, twirling it like a wild rodeo queen.
He wanted her again and considered waking her. Instead he lifted the sheet for a last glimpse, admiring her muscled legs and the gentle way her hip curved as she rested on her side. Her elegant form was an artist’s rendering. And that hair…he’d better duck out of here before he couldn’t get the damn erection zipped up.
Ryan finished dressing and found his phone. He grimaced at the text: Your day off is canceled. Report to the Jump Shack ASAP.
He bent to kiss her. She stirred but didn’t wake. Spotting a notebook and pen on her dresser, he scribbled: Be safe on the Shackelford Fire. Remember what we talked about. R. He picked up her cell phone and tapped her number into his own phone. On impulse he took a selfie and placed her phone on her nightstand.
Letting himself out the door, an uneasiness stirred in his gut. He walked briskly toward the Jump Shack, drumming his fingers and thumb on the side of his leg. He didn’t welcome the unease, especially after his night with an incredible woman.
The siren sounded as he approached the Jump Shack. He sprinted inside just in time for roll call.
Zombie yelled from the Loft. “Shackelford Fire made a run toward the air force base. Storm blew it up. Let’s go, boys.”
Ryan bolted for the Ready Room to change his clothes and suit up. First, he helped Gunnar and Boone suit up and adjust their straps and PG bags on their fronts. Boone helped him do the same and told Ryan he was Jumper-in-Charge for this jump operation—all on two hours of sleep.
It was worth it.
The white Chinook helicopter reminded Tara of a beluga whale with two rotor blades on its back. The loader left the door open after instructing them to buckle in tight. He passed a bucket around with rubber ear plugs. She sat between Angela and Liz along the wall of the sizeable helo, keeping one eye on the open door and the other on the pilot. She grabbed earplugs and passed the bucket.
Angela held a plug in each hand, eyeing Tara. “I’m dying to know what happened last night. Ryan tore out of that bar
