Chapter 34 The Inevitable End

Chapter 34 The Inevitable End
Tessa wiggled, boldly peeling off the shirt she wore, then wrapping her arms around Dane's neck. Her cold-roughened nipples stabbed against his chest as she started to nibble the sensitive skin below his ear. Her passion amazed him. The knowledge that he'd been her only lover enflamed him.
Dane pressed her close, knowing full well that he should discourage her. Instead, he welcomed her, tangling his hands in her long, silky hair, his knee sliding intimately between hers, holding her still as his mouth sought hers. It was wrong, but the line between right and wrong had wavered a long time ago. So had he.

He caught her bottom lip tenderly between his teeth, loving it gently, then releasing it as his tongue swept deeply into her mouth. Her breath came out as a sigh as his mouth traveled lower, caressing first one breast, then the other. She arched against his leg, rubbing, seeking friction. His hands teased, dropping to her abdomen, then trailing down to find her most tender place. Her hips undulated slightly as his thumb stroked the hot little nub, coaxing a shudder from her. A low, deep moan escaped her throat. Encouraging. Gratifying. Confirming he knew exactly how much pressure to exert to drive her wild. And exactly when to stop to keep her from going over the edge without him.
He recalled his promise, tamping down control over his rising passion. For the rest of the night, he was only going to pleasure her. He watched as she writhed with delight in his arms. So damn beautiful.....
He thought about how she'd changed, evolving from innocent to seductress over the past days, changing him as well. Three mere weeks. Once in a lifetime. How could he ever let her go?

She had entered his dark world like a bright promise, reminding him of the life beyond this assignment. A life he had started to think would never be his own again. Then her fingers dipped low, encasing his steel with a velvet grip. With practiced hands, she measured the length of him, tightly, without reserve. She'd learned quickly what he'd liked and hadn't hesitated to please him, tease him. Torment him. Her hand slid slowly, firmly down his shaft.
"I want you, Dane," she whispered. "Please."
He gave up, slamming away all recriminations, yet acutely aware that time was running out. Fumbling in the drawer beside the bed, he snagged a foil packet, ripping the edge with his teeth and quickly, efficiently, protecting her.

Not for the first time, the thought came that she could already be pregnant. His fault if she was. Except for that first night, he'd taken responsibility for birth control. She obviously hadn't had to worry about it before he came along
Tessa's impatient hands hovered over his, helping, tugging. She cupped his sac, weighing, squeezing lightly. It was more than he could bear. With a growl, he rolled, taking her beneath him and burying himself completely with a swiftness that shocked them both. The slight resistance of her body, the excruciating tightness of her sheath was an exquisite, nearly painful sensation.
At his urging, Tessa wrapped one leg around his hip, taking him even deeper. She moaned. Expectant. Begging. Waves of extreme pleasure rocketed through his veins as deep thrust followed deep thrust. She was ablaze with desire. All wet. All heat. Her nails bit into the flesh of his shoulders as Dane plunged into her yet again, demanding more. Demanding everything.
In a thousand years, he knew he'd never get enough of this woman. He had conquered her body as surely as she had conquered his. And still he wanted more.
"I want you, Tessa. All of you."

He hadn't meant to speak. But set free, the words seemed to resound around them. A deafening sound that triggered an avalanche of raw passion.
Outside, the storm raged. A brilliant burst of lightning flashed, illuminating the room for seconds, capturing their movements in pulses of strobe. Tessa let out a cry, taking them both over the brink. Dane collapsed over her, his mind reeling as his body pumped on without conscious effort, draining him, cleansing him.
The sound of a lone gunshot shattered what would have been their lover's afterglow, followed by the rapid-fire chatter of a machine gun.
"Stay down," Dane ordered, swiftly rolling off the bed, dragging her with him to the safety of the floor.
"What's going on?"
"I'm not sure." It was an honest answer. He grabbed his jeans. The shots had definitely been fired somewhere on the grounds. But by whom?

Another burst of gunfire punctuated the charged silence. Echoing, then fading. The raid wasn't supposed to start until morning. Damn it. Has something gone wrong? Had some idiot pushed forward the time schedule? Or had someone settled a personal problem?
Dane checked his watch, listening for more shots, but the night remained eerily quiet. He debated staying put, but knew Bogen would expect him at the main house. Without Tessa. Dane thrust clothes at her.
"Put those on quickly, and keep down."
With shaking fingers, Tessa slid into the sweatshirt and pants. Reaching under the bed, she found a pair of sneakers and quietly slid them on. She watched Dane creep back to the window and peer cautiously beneath the curtains. Muffled shouts drifted in from outside.
"Promise you won't leave me," Tessa whispered, hearing the quake of trepidation in her own voice.

Dane merely nodded, motioning for her to be silent. Tessa didn't know what to think, other than the fact that she was scared. Did the gunshots mean law enforcement had finally arrived? Was she going to be rescued?
She glanced at Dane, wondering not for the first time how her ultimate rescue would affect him. Questioning if she still wanted to be rescued. Whether she wanted to be free. When had things stopped making sense? Stopped appearing in black and white? The shades of grey were hard to judge, even tougher to decipher. In the past few days hse'd tried not to look too closely at her feelings for Dane. Tried not to read too much into their lovemaking or into the fact that she craved the one-to-one, personal contact of their physical relationship. She knew she cared for him. Knew she shouldn't. At what point had she become unable to distinguish whether he was a bad guy or a good guy? He'd saved her....
Her heart constricted painfully at the thought of anything happening to him. He was her rock, the solid foundation she'd clung to. Without him, she wouldn't have endured this ordeal. Because of Dane, she'd maintained a grasp on reality, held back the hounds of hell nipping at her sanity over the past weeks. She wasn't ready to lose him now.

But lose him she would.... eventually. It was inevitable.