i 8383b91bded90ce1 by Unknown Page A

instant before he smoothed his angular features.
    "Well, jeez, Josh. You don't have to look so shocked."
    "Whoa. Time out." He formed his hands into a T. "It's not like you have some wild reputation, but everyone knows you've dated, and you exude...physical confidence."
    "A defense mechanism to keep creeps from seeing me as some virtuous challenge."
    His hands fell to cup her shoulders, calloused fingers rasping a gently abrasive arousal against her oversensitized flesh. "So you're not sure what works for you."
    "That pretty much sums it up." Although the musky scent of him mixing with the subtle smoky air was working well for starters.
    "All right. We can amend that first ground rule."
    They could? Which meant he intended to go through with this. Relief shivered through her. They would really sleep together again. If she could ever shut him up. Why wouldn't the man just get to it, already?
    Didn't he know the anticipation all but had her shaking?
    Or maybe he did know just that.
    His fingers started a light massage along her neck much like the tantalizing hair wash earlier. "Tell me when I'm doing something right and don't hold back from nudging me in another direction if I'm a little off."
    His hands slid forward until his palms rested just above her breasts, while his fingers continued caressing the base of her neck.
    She swayed in a fog that had nothing to do with smoke from the fire. "Uh, won't that be kind of weird?
    Me barking orders at you?"
    "I like it when you get bossy, Captain." His hands inched lower, not low enough to ease the ache in her tightening breasts. "And I can guarantee you won't be barking, but I'm mighty damned hopeful you'll be shouting."
    She wanted to shout at him right now to strip away her bra and touch her. Still, drops of insecurity threatened to douse the fire within her that so desperately wanted to spread. Lower. Soon. "What if I don't? Shout, I mean."
    "That brings me to the most important ground rule of all." His hands stilled and he stared into her eyes, into her soul. "Honesty. If we don't hit it just right this time, then okay, we'll try again. And again." His husky promise rumbled between them and over her skin as sensuously as a caress. "You said you enjoy the process, right?"
    With a lone, sure finger, he flicked aside her bra strap from one shoulder, then the other. Only a slight swipe from him would peel away her bra altogether and expose her to his touch, his mouth. She yearned.
    And still he waited.
    He wanted to hear from her. Fair enough. If he could stretch the need so taut inside her with a few simple strokes and this new honesty between them, she wasn't sure how much more of his "process" she could take before she imploded.
    But she wanted to find out.
    Alicia arched up to bring her face closer, which conveniently brought her breasts right into the perfect cradle of his palms.
    Her lips a whisper away from his, she nipped his bottom lip. "How about process this, Colonel."

Chapter 7
    Processing things came easy to Josh. Most of the time. Not so much now.
    Alicia bemused him, frustrated him, dazzled him at different times. Any one of which he could handle. But all at once? He hadn't been this disoriented since his first inverted spin in navigator training.
    More than ever he needed balance to handle the situation, handle her, without mistakes. Yet finding level ground now wasn't as simple as taking a few deep breaths and checking an instrument panel. Today, he was flying totally by instinct, instinct being the only weapon he had left in his arsenal when dealing with this woman.
    His mouth dropped to the curve of her breast. He wished he had a more romantic setting than some dank rusted-out hut and smoky woodstove firelight, but they weren't guaranteed forever.
    Josh drew deeper on her through damp fabric. Alicia's breathy sigh proved as encouraging as any words.
    He peeled the plaid sports bra up and off, tossing their dog tags into a tangle. He broke contact with her skin for