One of the workers jabbed a finger at the cargo jet Sebastian had been admiring before. With a nod of thanks, he kept walking, Julia sticking close to his side, and as they crossed the cavernous space, he noticed several more men gathered a few yards away. All three stopped to leer at Julia as if they hadn’t seen a woman in years.
Setting his jaw, Sebastian rested a possessive hand on Julia’s slender arm.
Her head swiveled in surprise, and then a knowing smirk curved her lips.
“What?” he mumbled.
She raised a brow and lifted one shoulder. “Nothing.”
Ignoring that strange rush of protectiveness, he quickened the pace and practically dragged her toward the cargo jet. The large door at the rear of the plane was wide open, revealing dozens of wooden crates and burlap sacks filling every inch of the cargo hold. Two dark-skinned men chattering in loud Spanish were securing a pallet of crates to the wall, strapping mesh netting over it to keep it in place.
Metal rattled as a thin man with dark skin and bushy facial hair descended the set of steps at the side of the jet. “Stone?” he called.
Sebastian nodded. “Ricardo?”
The man nodded back. He spared Julia a brief look before stalking over to shake hands with Sebastian. According to Tate, Ricardo was reputed to be one of the best pilots in the world, having served in an elite fighter unit within the Colombian Air Force. The man ran this cargo airline now, which was apparently his only legitimate business. His other enterprises were rumored to be far more nefarious.
“We’re all set for takeoff,” Ricardo said in surprisingly good English. “Time to get you strapped in.”
Julia looked alarmed. “Strapped in?” she hissed as they followed Ricardo to the back of the plane.
After they climbed the ramp leading into the cargo hold, Ricardo led them to a narrow metal bench spanning the wall adjacent to the cockpit. “Buckle up. Flight duration will be six hours or so.” That was all the man said before he marched off and left them to their own devices.
Sebastian stowed his duffel bag underneath the bench, then sat down and strapped himself in with the crisscross belts affixed to the wall behind him. As he clicked the belts into place, he eyed Julia expectantly. “Better buckle up, Doc.”
Shaking her head, she sat beside him and secured herself. “This can’t be safe,” she said in dismay.
“Safer than flying commercial,” he replied with a shrug.
A whirring noise whined in the air, followed by the rumble of the jet’s engines roaring to life. The cargo hold began to rattle, the crates and bags on board shaking from the vibrations. It was easy to guess the contents of the cargo—along with the smell of gasoline and oil hanging in the air, Sebastian made out the rich aroma of coffee beans, which had him craving a cup of coffee.
It was too damn noisy to hold a conversation without shouting, so he and Julia stayed quiet during takeoff. He noticed her white-knuckling the edge of the bench, and her face was pale as the plane took flight and the wheels retracted with a loud metallic screech.
Before he could stop himself, he covered one of her hands with his own and dragged his palm over her tense knuckles. Julia’s gaze flew to him in surprise.
“Relax,” he told her, a teasing note in his voice. “Ricardo has flown this route hundreds of times. The coffee always reaches its destination, safe and sound. We’ll be fine.”
Her fingers relaxed slightly. “You’re right. I’m being silly, aren’t I?”
“You’re allowed to be.” He tipped his head to the side. “I think this is the first time you’ve shown any fear since we met, and a lot of pretty terrifying things have happened since then.”
She sighed. “I’m still trying to decide if I hallucinated half of it.”
“You didn’t.” He stroked her knuckles again. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this.”
“So am I. God, and to think, if Kevin hadn’t contacted me over the radio I never would’ve known about this virus or that someone is treating human beings like guinea pigs.” She smiled sardonically. “I never thought I’d say this, but a part of me wishes I was still living in ignorance.”
“Me, too.”
A staticky sound crackled in the cargo hold, followed by Ricardo’s muffled voice. “We’ve reached the necessary altitude. You can unbuckle your belts now and take it easy. I’ll let you know if we hit turbulence.”
As he unsnapped his belt, Sebastian noticed the bemused expression on Julia’s face. “What is it?” he asked.
“I’m just wondering how you have all these contacts. You got perfect identity papers done in less than twenty-four hours. You have a pilot willing to sneak you into the States. You seem to have an endless supply of weapons, computers, a safe house. How do you have so many connections?”
“The black ops community looks after its own.”
“For free?” She sounded incredibly dubious.
He laughed. “For a hefty price,” he corrected. “But after the three of us left town, Tate and I found out that our little Nicky was holding out on us. Turns out Prescott is filthy rich. We all cleaned out our bank accounts before we took off, and his cashout was in the seven-figure range. He’s pretty much been bankrolling everything since we went into hiding.”
“Is it family money? Or was he some entrepreneur superstar before he joined the army?”
“No clue. Nick doesn’t talk about it, and we don’t ask. I assume it’s family money, though.”
Julia shifted around so she was facing him. “What about you? What’s your family like?”
His stomach clenched as pain swelled inside it. “Dead.”
“You have no family at all?”
“Nope. My dad died in combat when I was fifteen years old—he was a marine. Mom died of cancer about ten years ago.”
And Tommy. Greg. Lynn.
His heart squeezed so hard he thought it might burst. Christ, he wasn’t allowed to think about them. It still hurt so damn bad, even after all these years.
“No grandparents, aunts?” Julia prompted.
“All four of my grandparents died a long time ago, and my parents were only children, so I’ve got no uncles or aunts or cousins scattered about.” He was suddenly eager to change the subject before she pushed for any more details. “What about you?”
“Parents divorced when I was ten,” Julia replied. “My sister and I lived with my mother, who isn’t the easiest woman to get along with. She’s very controlling, very old-fashioned. My dad actually fought for custody of us and lost. He was a doctor, too, a surgeon at Boston General.”
“Is that why you went into medicine, because of your father?”
She nodded. “I wanted to follow in his footsteps.” Sorrow washed over her face. “He died a few weeks before I graduated from medical school.”
“Ah hell, Doc. I’m sorry.” He stroked her hand again, marveling at how smooth her skin was. “I bet he was real proud of you, though.”
“He was.” She smiled, a faraway look entering her eyes. “But I’m not sure how he would’ve felt about my going to work for Doctors International. He wanted me to work at the hospital with him.”
“Why did you decide to work abroad?”
She focused her gaze on the coffee crates on the opposite wall. “Just wanted to make a difference, I guess.”
There was clearly a lot more to the story, but Julia didn’t continue and he didn’t push. He did, however, regret his change of topic the moment his next question flew out of his mouth. “Why is it that you don’t have a boyfriend?”
She arched a brow. “Why is that you don’t have a girlfriend?”
“Fair enough.” Sebastian grinned. “You first.”
Julia stretched out her legs and leaned her head on the wall behind her. “I’ve dated two men over the past three years, and neither one could handle the traveling I do for work. I’m gone nine out of twelve months of the year—I’m pretty confident I’ll never meet a man who’s on board with that. Nobody wan
ts an absentee partner.”
“You could always find a man who wants to travel with you,” he pointed out.
“True.”
“Maybe a colleague? A relief worker you meet abroad?”
“I don’t date colleagues. Ever. It’s a rule of mine. I’ve seen too many relationships between coworkers blow up in their faces. And I haven’t met anyone overseas who’s sparked my interest.” She shot him a pointed look. “Except for you.”
Damned if that didn’t make his groin stir. Crap. He couldn’t believe she’d brought it up, yet at the same time, he wasn’t surprised. Julia struck him as a woman who always spoke her mind, regardless of any discomfort it might cause.
“Anyway,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand, “your turn. Why aren’t you with anyone?”
“Other than the fact that I’m hiding out from my own government? I’m a commitment-phobe,” he said gruffly.
She laughed.
“I’m serious. I don’t do permanent. I don’t want permanent.” He offered a rueful smile. “I’m not cut out for relationships, Doc. I bore easily.”
“I see.”
He doubted that—because every word he’d just said was a big fat lie. But he’d perfected that line of reasoning over the years, feeding it to the females who attempted to make sense of his love-’em-and-leave-’em ways.
Beside him, Julia suddenly narrowed her eyes, looking far too astute for his liking. “Wait a minute—do you think I want permanent? Is that why you scurried away like a skittish kitten last night?”
“Skittish kitten? I don’t recall it going down that way. In fact, I’m fairly positive that I didn’t scurry.”
“You may as well have.” A defiant gleam lit her eyes. “I think you lied to me yesterday when you said sex wasn’t on your mind. I think you totally want to have sex with me.”
A laugh popped out before he could stop it. “I’m digging the confidence, Doc. Really.”
“Am I wrong?” she challenged.
He supposed he could’ve lied, but Julia was so damn up-front about everything that he felt he owed her the same courtesy.
“No, you’re not wrong,” he admitted.
“But you’re worried I won’t be satisfied with temporary, huh?” She released a self-deprecating breath. “It’s the doctor thing, right? Men always assume that because I’m a doctor, I’m superserious and therefore looking for a serious relationship. But that’s bullcrap, you know. I can do a casual fling. If anything, that’s all I can do right now.”
He couldn’t control the anticipation that rose inside him. He studied her pretty face, trying to assess if she was for real. In his experience, women often said they were fully down for casual, while at the same time secretly plotting how to turn casual into forever. But Julia’s guileless expression and tone of voice seemed sincere.
“You can be satisfied with temporary, huh?” he said slowly.
“Yes.”
“You sure about that?”
The hot air in the cargo hold grew even muggier, thickening with promise. Sebastian’s gaze lowered to those small, perky breasts of hers, perfectly outlined by her white tank top. Her nipples hardened right before his eyes, flooding his mouth with saliva and making his fingers itch with the urge to play with those pebbled buds.
He brought his eyes back north, watching the flush rising in her cheeks, the way she moistened her bottom lip with her tongue.
“Well?” he asked.
A tiny smile lifted the corners of her generous mouth. “I’m sure.”
“Okay, then.”
Before she could blink, he thrust his hand in her hair and yanked her in for a kiss.
He swallowed her surprised gasp with his lips, loving the way she melted into him, rubbing her breasts against his chest like a contented cat, opening her mouth to grant his tongue access. He’d intended for it to be a quick kiss, a sealing of the deal, a hint of everything he’d do to her when they got near a bed, but Julia clearly had other ideas. She broke the kiss, grabbed the bottom of her tank top and whipped the garment over her head, leaving her in that flimsy white bra that didn’t hide a damn thing.
Sebastian’s mouth went dry as a bone, his pulse taking off to another dimension. “What are you doing?” he rasped.
She rolled her eyes, then stood up and unbuttoned her jeans. “What do you think I’m doing?”
It took every ounce of willpower to channel his inner gentleman. “We...can’t do this here.”
“Says who?”
She wiggled out of her jeans and kicked them away.
Holy hell.
She was standing in front of him in nothing but her white bra and teeny pink panties, a picture of pure temptation. His gaze roamed her body—those little round breasts, the tiny tucked-in waist, her long slender legs. Her wavy brown hair cascaded down her back, her cheeks were pink with arousal and her hazel eyes gleamed with challenge.
Never in a million years would he have guessed Julia Davenport capable of stripping to her underwear in the back of a cargo jet.
“You’re just full of surprises,” he murmured.
“And you’re just full of excuses. Come on, Stone, I don’t have all day. Take off your clothes.”
“Aren’t you bossy.”
“I’m a doctor. I’m used to giving orders.”
Any hesitation he’d had floated away in the coffee-scented air of the fuselage. Sebastian wasted no time peeling off his T-shirt, kicking off his boots and shucking his pants. His erection strained against the front of his black boxer briefs, and Julia’s gaze instantly zeroed in on the telltale evidence of his arousal.
She took a step toward him, her blatant appreciation bringing a jolt of pure male satisfaction. “You like my body?” he said gruffly.
“Mmm-hmm.”
Those hazel eyes devoured his bare chest, his abdomen, his crotch, his legs. Everywhere she looked, his skin burned. Desire built in his groin, thick and relentless. With a growl, he tugged her into his arms again and kissed her roughly, loving the way she moaned against his lips.
Excitement pounded in his blood and skated over his flesh. “Wrap your legs around me,” he ordered, then cupped Julia’s surprisingly plump ass and lifted her up.
She hooked her legs around his waist and dug her bare feet into his ass, kissing him with fervor as he carried her over to a nearby pile of burlap sacks. It was as close to a bed as they were going to get, and the scratchy burlap sure as hell beat the dirty, oil-streaked floor.
He laid her down on the makeshift bed, then stood over her for a moment, admiring the view. “Christ, Doc, you’re beautiful.”
She blushed. “I thought I was too skinny.”
“Doesn’t mean you’re not beautiful.” Sweeping his tongue over his bottom lip, he gestured to her chest. “Unhook the bra.”
Her fingers flicked the front clasp and parted the two cups, revealing a pair of small, lily-white breasts tipped by dusky pink nipples.
His mouth watered again. “Now take off the panties.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. Gripping the elastic of her pink panties, she dragged the fabric down her legs.
Sebastian focused on the narrow strip of brown curls at the juncture of her thighs. His heartbeat took off again. Wrestling his gaze away from all that female splendor was damn near impossible, but he forced his legs to transport him back to the bench, where he plucked a condom from the zippered medical kit in his duffel.
When he returned to Julia, he was already sheathed and more than ready to lose himself in this woman.
A tad impatient, he lowered his body over hers and captured her mouth again, making her moan with the hungry demands of his tongue. Her short fingernails gouged his bare back, and she began rocking beneath him, murmuring nonsensical words that made him chuckle.
It wasn’t until he positioned himself at her entrance that she seemed to regain her senses. “Be gentle,” she blurted out. “It’s been a while for me.”
He couldn’
t fight his curiosity. “What’s a while?”
Julia hesitated before answering. “Two years.”
“Almost a year for me,” he confessed.
“Really?”
He nodded.
Her sweet smile had his heart doing a strange little flip. “So apparently you need this as much as I do,” she murmured.
He pushed a teasing inch into her wet heat, and they both released soft groans.
“I need it bad,” he agreed in a hoarse voice, so unbelievably aroused he feared he might be a little too quick on the trigger.
Knowing release was dangerously close, he focused on Julia’s pleasure rather than his own. He kissed her neck, eliciting a breathy sigh from her lips. Gently cupped her breasts, and listened to her breath hitch. Teased her clit with his thumb, making her eyes go hazy with arousal.
“How do you... You’re...” She trailed off, then moaned when he feathered his thumb over her swollen nub at the same time he drove his cock in deep.
“How do I what?” he prompted, absolutely loving the look of exquisite pleasure on her face.
“Know exactly how to make me feel good,” she choked out.
“I’m just listening to your body, baby.”
He nibbled on her earlobe, doing his best to ignore the throbbing erection that was demanding he quicken his tempo. He refused to let go until Julia toppled over the edge, and luckily, that didn’t take long at all. As he felt her inner muscles clench around him, he picked up the pace, continuing to rub her clit as he thrust into her with long, smooth strokes. The moment Julia cried out in release, he squeezed his eyes shut and gave himself over to his own climax, stunned by the shock waves of pure bliss that rocked his body.
Gasping for air, he collapsed on top of her. Pleasure continued to course through his blood, heating his body and fogging his brain. He could feel Julia’s heartbeat hammering against his chest. Knew she was equally affected and bowled over by the encounter, because her eyes were full of wonder when he peered down at her.
“Wow,” she said, her voice tinged with awe. “That was... Wow.”
Raising himself up on his elbows so he wouldn’t crush her, he brushed his lips over hers before withdrawing from the tight clasp of her body.