Melodee Aaron: Special Collection (MMF, MF)

Siren-BookStrand, Inc.

Heat Rating: Scorching
Word Count: 259,000
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Box Set #43: Melodee Aaron: Special Collection (All 3 books for $3.99)

In The Polyamorous Princess, Princess Allison, coddled daughter of the Emperor of Mankind, spends her days teaching at the University or hiding out in the royal Safe Room. Then two fascinating men enter her life. Second Lieutenant Damon Hyde is a swaggering and respected marine. Lieutenant JG Harrison Douglas is brilliant. The three must come to terms with their new love for one another as they rely on their wits to not only save themselves, but also mankind, on His Majesty’s Starship Boone.

In For the Love of Payne, Sergeant Ike Payne has a murder on her hands and 24,000 suspects. Ike is thrown together with Devon Henson, a young lieutenant, to find the killers and protect those aboard Starship Boone. Their passions rise as terrorists take over the computers and begin a rampage that pulls Ike and Devon, alone and outgunned, into a deadly confrontation. Their survival, and that of everyone on Boone, depends on the Love of Payne.

In Desert Heat, while delivering a spoiled Princess to settle a civil war, Starship Boone crashes in the deep desert. Ike, her husband Devon, the Princess, and Sergeant Jack Ingram are stranded, with little food and less water, to deal with drastic temperature swings and killer animals. Hidden feelings weave through the group and passions rage between the four, testing the limits of love as they fight for survival in the desert heat. 

Click on each cover for detailed blurbs, awards, ratings, excerpts, and reviews for each book in Melodee Aaron: Special Collection.

The Polyamorous Princess (MMF) For the Love of Payne (MF) Desert Heat (MF)

Melodee Aaron: Special Collection (MMF, MF)
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Melodee Aaron: Special Collection (MMF, MF)

Siren-BookStrand, Inc.

Heat Rating: Scorching
Word Count: 259,000
0 Ratings (0.0)
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Cover Art by Harris Channing
Excerpt

 

THE POLYAMOROUS PRINCESS

STORY EXCERPT

 

Allie leaned casually on the bar sipping her vodka on the rocks. Most of the people in the Café were civilians and the few military there were Marines. She saw a man stand up from a table and walk her way. He wore the casual uniform of a Marine officer and was good looking. A big, well-built man, his head well above the others, he had the typical short hair of a Marine. In the darkness, Allie couldn't tell his eye or hair color clearly until he stood in front of her.

"Hi, I'm Damon."

She took the offered hand. She managed not to jump at the electrical tingle that raced up her arm and through her body. "I'm Allie." His eyes were a pale blue and the short hair was blond.

His warm hand gently squeezed hers. "Allie, good to meet you." He laughed easily. "This is about the oldest line in the book, but it's all I can come up with. May I buy you a drink?"

"On one condition. You tell me why that's the best line you can come up with."

He flagged the bartender for more drinks. "That's a deal, but the answer will sound like another line. Since you walked in the room, I haven't been able to think straight."

"You're right, it does sound like another line, but I'll take the drink anyway."

"Thanks, Allie." The drinks came, and Damon swiped his credit card. "Would you like to find a table and sit down?"

"Sure." She led the way to a table on the far side of the dance floor. Damon held her chair as she sat down. She didn't think he'd seen the guards as they kept a discreet distance but always in sight.

"So, Allie, tell me your life story."

She laughed. "We really don't have time for that, I'm afraid." She watched him and thought he looked like the guy who should be on the Marine recruiting posters all over the Empire. His face was all angles and sharp, with a look of firm authority and devotion to duty and honor about him. When he walked, he held his back straight, his shoulders square, and his steps measured and even. Allie laughed to herself. Despite the tired, old pickup lines, she found herself incredibly attracted to him.

"I don't know. I've got plenty of time."

"So, why don't you tell me your life story?"

"I can do that. I'm Damon Hyde. I guess you can see I'm a Second Lieutenant. I'm thirty-one. I've been on Boone for four years now. I was born on New Moscow and stationed there since I enlisted at seventeen. My mom is Betty, and my dad is Ralph, and I'm the middle of three kids. I've never been married, and I have no children. I like watching and playing baseball, working out, and my favorite color is green. My favorite food is Italian, and I like beer." He pulled a pen and piece of paper from his shirt pocket and wrote quickly. "Here's my service number, my intercom number, birthday, and shoe size if you need any of them."

Allie laughed. "Well, you have a short life story." She looked at the slip of paper he'd given her. "I'll hang on to this."

"Other than a few details that would bore us both to tears, that's it." He smiled at her. "See, it doesn't take long."

"I guess not."

"Don't take this wrong, but your eyes are fascinating."

She'd been watching him. Like her mother, Allie had large breasts, but she hadn't seen Damon look at them more than briefly. He spent most of the time focusing on her eyes. She found it remarkably sensitive and attractive. "Is there a wrong way to take that?"

"I don't know." His face went to a funny, soft expression. "I've never seen eyes that color before."

"Thank you." He had no idea who she was. She considered telling him, but she didn't want to scare him off.

"Don't thank me for being pretty, Allie. God made you pretty, not me."

She smiled at him. "You're smooth, I'll give you that."

He looked down for a moment. When he looked back into her eyes, Allie saw a slight blush touching his face. "I'm really not trying to be smooth. I'm just trying to talk and not babble like an idiot."

"That wasn't very fair of me. I'm sorry."

"That's all right. I guess you get a lot of lines from smooth talkers."

"I've had my share."

A song Allie didn't know came on, and she wondered what it was. Her question must have shown because Damon smiled. "This song is called Diary. A band called Bread is the artist."

"How do you know that?"

He shrugged. "I just like the music that they play here. I sometimes wonder what Mr. Dayton had on his mind when he set the Café up this way."

"You should ask him."

"Yeah, like that's going to happen!"

"You never know, Damon."

He smiled for a moment. "Would you like to dance?"

"Yes, I would." He held her chair and then her hand as they went to the dance floor.

After a moment's hesitation, he slipped his arms around her waist. She put her arms around his neck, and they moved to the slow music. "You're a much better dancer than I am."

Allie's breath was short, but she hoped she managed to hide the fact. "Maybe, but the last I heard, they didn't teach dancing in Marine training." The electric tingles faded to be replaced by major shocks as their bodies touched.

"No, they don't. What do you do to pay the rent, Allie? You don't act like you're military."

“No, I'm not. Technically, I'm a historian, but I do a little teaching at the high school, college, and even a little to the recruits and midshipmen." It was true, but she decided to leave out the princess part. She was afraid to look, but she knew the tingles had her nipples hard, and she hoped they weren't poking his hard chest.

The song ended, and they made their way back to the table. "A historian. That sounds interesting, but I'm just a grunt."

She laughed. "The history of the Marines goes back a long time and is pretty interesting. They were established in 1775 AD, almost five thousand years ago, and are the oldest continuously operating branch of the military."

"There must be a lot of things other than military history to talk about with the prettiest woman I've ever seen."

"Smooth."

"Maybe. You owe me your life history, Allie."

She thought for a moment. "Tell you what, let's go for a walk, and I'll tell you all about it."

"That's a deal."

 

* * * *

 

The bistro was busy today, and tables were scarce. She found a table and ordered. As she waited for her lunch, a young fleet officer approached her. "Excuse me, miss, but things seem to be a little crowded today. I was wondering if you'd mind a little company for lunch."

She looked at him for a moment. He was nothing if not forward. She liked that. "Sure, have a seat."

"Thanks." He extended his hand to her. "I'm Harry Douglas."

"Good to meet you, Harry. I'm Allie." His grip was firm in her hand.

He sat down and smiled slyly. "Should I call you Allie or Princess Allison?"

Allie watched him for a moment. He wore the uniform of a Fleet Lieutenant JG, but his black hair was way too long, and he had a beard. His brown eyes sparkled at her as if he had some secret he wasn't telling. A chill ran through her as she looked into his lively, sparkling eyes. "I guess I can't convince you I'm not the Princess."

"Not a chance." He gave his order to the server. "I am curious why the Princess is slumming it here with the commoners."

She had to laugh at his easy banter. "We do that, you know." Allie decided that if he could be brazen, so could she. "I'm curious how a fleet officer can have hair that long and a beard."

"Fair question. My CO thinks I'm crazy and a genius."

"Are you either or both?"

He waved his hand. "I suspect I'm smarter than some, and I know I'm crazier than some."

"So they just leave you alone then?"

"That's right." He smiled at her, his eyes flicking to her breasts and back to her eyes quickly. "I like them being just a little afraid of me."

Like the rest of the royal family, Allie had a neural implant that allowed her to communicate with the ship's computers directly, as well as with anyone else with an implant. She called up the personnel file on Harry and reviewed it in her head. "Well, long-haired Harry, what is it you do for my father?"

"That's an interesting way to describe my position. I solve puzzles, and I see you're trying to solve one right now." He grinned a little. "Your implant link will tell you that I work in Intelligence as a cryptography specialist. Your facial expression gave you away."

"Well, I guess a girl can't have any secrets around you." There was something about his easy conversation and his confidence that Allie found attractive. When he smiled, his whole face smiled, not just his lips. His eyes twinkled, and she still had the feeling that Harry had some secret he wasn't sharing. The air of mystery was intoxicating.

"Oh, a few." Their lunches came. He glanced at her salad. "Rabbit food."

He had some huge slab of fried meat with fried potatoes. "Maybe, but it won't kill me nearly as fast as that will." She pointed her fork at his plate.

"Oh, that doesn't matter, Allie. We'll probably all die in the war long before diet can kill us."

"You're just a bundle of joy, aren't you?" Her scan of his file said that he was a genius, but a little strange sometimes. Having grown up around Tanya and her sister, Claire, Allie understood that the two often went hand-in-hand.

"Maybe." He wolfed down his meal. "I'm nothing if not entertaining."

She laughed and almost choked on her salad. "I'll certainly grant you that." He was more than entertaining. He was fascinating. She pointed at his plate again. "What is that?"

"This, my Princess, is a hamburger steak, so rare that the chef only showed it a picture of a match." He cut off a small piece and held it out to her on his fork. "Here, try it."

Allie stared for a moment. She rarely ate red meat, but his open and forward manner made her take the morsel he offered. "Hey, that's pretty good."

"You bet it is." He finished the rest in two more bites. "You never told me what you're doing here, so I guess you're not going to. Want to go for a walk after lunch?"

She felt like she'd missed something. "What?"

"I'm going for a walk down around the lake. I thought you might like to come along." He frowned. "I guess I should have asked if you're engaged or something."

"Um, well, no. I'm not engaged or anything like that."

He glanced toward the door of the restaurant. "Your two sidekicks would be welcome. I'm just looking for someone to have a little intelligent conversation with."

"Harry, are you always this direct?"

"Direct? I don't know. I spend all day looking for hidden meanings, and I see no point in hiding the meaning of what I say."

Allie smiled slowly. "All right. You've got a date."

"Oh, no! I'm not looking for a date! Just a little company for a walk around the lake."

 

ADULT EXCERPT

 

Before leaving for the Café, Harry trimmed his beard. He always used some old aftershave with a spicy aroma, and she could taste it on her lips as she kissed and licked his face. Allie often teased Harry about the old brand, but it tasted so delicious, she wanted him to bathe in the stuff now.

She turned to face Damon, and his lips pressed to hers, his tongue moving deeply in her mouth, tickling her cheeks and gums. He had gotten a shave and a haircut. His hair was back to his normal crew cut. She ran her hands over his head, the stubble of his blonde hair feeling rough and soft at the same time. The barber used one of the more modern colognes on Damon. The taste wasn't as intense as Harry's, but the aroma held traces of pheromones that spoke directly to Allie's pleasure centers with promises of passion.

As Harry rubbed against her back, his cock pressed firmly against her ass. His hands slipped around her hips, and he unzipped her pants. He worked them, and soon the pants and her panties rested in a heap around her ankles.

As Harry manipulated Allie's pants, Damon's hands slowly unbuttoned her blouse. Harry slipped it back from her shoulders, tossing it to the armchair. She stood naked, sandwiched between the men she knew she loved.

Damon moved to lift her, but Harry put his hand on Damon's arm. "Let me. You're still weak." Harry lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He sat her softly on the bed.

Allie heard only the drumming of her heart in her ears. Sweat poured from her skin, and goose bumps raced across her flesh. She tried to slow her breathing, in through her nose and out through her mouth, as the men undressed by the bedside. They stood side by side, their shoulders almost touching.

Different men with different professions, Harry and Damon's bodies appeared equally different. Even having lost a fifth of his mass, Damon's shoulders were broad and strong. Hard and resilient, the muscles of his abdomen would make a good anvil. His chest rippled, pectorals flexing delightfully, as he removed his shirt.

Harry had few of the big, bulging muscles, but the strength still showed. When he stretched, Allie saw the lean sinews turn to steel bands as they flexed.

She had seen both men nude before, but this was very different. The two together made her stare. As they stood beside the bed, Allie saw that, while different, they both were delicious, and her mouth watered. As a pair, the sight nearly overwhelmed her. The familiar electric jolts went through her when with one of them became stronger than the pulses of energy Boone could throw at its targets. The energy hit her repeatedly, pushing her passions and senses ever higher.

They crawled onto the bed with her, Harry to her right and Damon to her left. The hot masculine flesh pressing against her body made her shiver with anticipation. Damon's smooth face moved to rub against her shoulder and neck, the touch driving her wild. Harry's soft beard tickled her cheek, then slipped down to stroke her neck, causing her to squirm in response.

Allie wanted to speak. Something in her mind told her she should say something to them. Speak, perhaps, of lust, desire, passion, and love. Her breath came too short to allow her to do more than softly moan. Her heart told her that she needed to say nothing to the men. They knew she loved and wanted them.

Her senses in high gear, Allie could smell the two men, far beyond the simple artificial fragrances they wore. Each man's unique and enchanting scent caused her head to reel. She could sense Harry's calm confidence, somehow, in the salty smell of his perspiration. Damon's musky aroma spoke to her of devotion and honor. Revved up by her senses and passions, Allie's mind couldn't put the pieces together, but it didn't matter.

The men kissed her. First one, and then the other pressed his lips to hers.

When Harry kissed her, his beard tickled her lips and face a little. His soft hair fell against her cheek, and it moved softly as his mouth ranged over her face. The delightful taste of his spicy cologne made her mouth water nearly as much the sweet flavor if his saliva as his tongue darted about in her move with urgent force.

As Damon replaced Harry's lips with his, she sensed the light pheromones he wore beating against the pleasure centers of her brain. The hint of pheromones only accentuated his scent. Even after his ordeal, the musky aroma of the big man flamed in her nose, driving her passions higher.

Harry's lips again met hers, and he moaned softly as she sucked his tongue. His lips smacked quietly as he kissed her.

When Harry pulled away, she lunged after him, but Damon's lips intercepted hers. His tongue moved slowly in her mouth, probing and touching her in every possible place. His saliva ran freely into her mouth, and the sweet passions of want followed his flavor.

 

FOR THE LOVE OF PAYNE

STORY EXCERPT

 

When Ike got back to her office, a Lieutenant waited to see her. She felt a quick jolt that startled her and stared at him for a second too long. She waved at him. He followed her into her office. She sat, looking at him for a moment. She was not easily flustered and found her voice a little more brusque than necessary. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

"I'm Lieutenant Devon Henson from Intelligence. Admiral Reeves placed me at your service."

As Ike looked him up and down a time or two, she thought service might just be the operative word. Henson stood a little taller than she, and he had good muscles, though not like a bodybuilder. He looked to be maybe thirty or so and had sandy brown hair, just a little on the long side. His pale blue eyes were sharp and clear.

They stared at each other for a moment too long before Ike dragged her gaze away deliberately. "Have a seat." She reached across the desk and shook his hand. "Officially, I'm Sergeant Ikira Payne, head of Security. Everybody calls me Ike." Ike felt a chill run through her as their hands touched.

"All right, Ike. I'm Devon, then." He seemed to hesitate for a moment. "I'm kind of new at all this security stuff, though. My main training is in cryptography." He looked a lot more confident than he sounded.

"That's all right. I need someone who can sort through the mess you Intelligence types call files. I need the information faster than I can get it learning your system as I go along."

He smiled a very nice smile. She glanced away for a second to stop staring at his mouth. "That I can do for you, Ike." She looked back and smiled in response.

"Good. Are you certified for a sidearm?"

"Me? Hell, no! The things scare me!"

Ike just stared. This was great. "We'll take care of that. You may need one."

He looked puzzled. "I understood you found the killer's body today."

"Attempted killer, and it wasn't him."

"How do you know?"

"Call it feminine intuition."

He smiled again. "I don't think I've ever known a woman security director before."

She laughed. "Probably not. There are only six of us in the Fleet."

"That's neat. So, what do we do first?"

She glanced at her watch. It was 1135. "We do lunch first. After that, we'll start rattling the cage in sickbay so we can talk to the Ambassador."

 

* * * *

 

As they walked to the mess hall for lunch, Devon occasionally studied the interesting woman next to him. She looked and acted like a Marine. Her walk steady, with measured steps, her eyes moved constantly, watching the people around her. She wore the fatigue uniform of a noncommissioned officer and a formidable blaster on her right hip. Her pockets bulged with things he couldn't see. A large knife rested in a sheath on her right leg at the level of her calf.

Everything about Ike's appearance said she was all business, but Devon sensed something else about her. In her remarkable steel-blue eyes, he saw tenderness down inside. He felt no surprise at that. He thought anyone who made a career of being a cop must have a certain amount of empathy and caring for people.

Ike was a beautiful woman. Her body was trim and firm, no doubt from Marine exercises. When they shook hands, he found her grip strong, and he saw the muscles in her arm working. Her face was pretty, with a cute little nose. Devon always liked long hair on a woman, but somehow, Ike's short auburn hair looked great.

He glanced at her and his gaze moved down her body. Her breasts, waist, and hips were well proportioned. He watched her hips move as she walked.

She turned and caught him staring at her. "What are you looking at?"

The last thing he wanted to do was to get this woman angry. "Sorry. I was just wondering what you have in your pockets."

A small smile flitted across her face. "Right. Just Marine toys." She reached into her left pants pocket and pulled out a small grenade with a radiation hazard symbol on the side. "See?"

The woman had nuclear devices in her pants. "I'll bet you're a fun date."

She chuckled as she dropped the grenade back in her pocket. "You have no idea."

 

ADULT EXCERPT

 

She pressed her lips to his and moved to straddle his hips. His hard cock slipped easily into her pussy, and he moaned softly.

She wanted to make this last for him, but her desires pushed her forward faster than she wished. In minutes, Ike neared climax and bounced her hips to his, never pulling her lips away. Her orgasm thundered across her, and she removed her lips from Devon's from fear she'd bite him as her body convulsed.

Ike collapsed forward onto his chest with his stiff dick still buried in her pussy to the base. Her voice quivered when she spoke. "Damn it."

Devon kissed her ear. "Yeah." He rolled her and was suddenly on top, thrusting slowly into her pussy as his cock made smacking noises in her wetness with each slow stroke.

As on the Observation Deck, she felt herself fixated on his eyes. Ike tried to hold herself from climaxing again and she soon felt Devon tense and his thrusts become faster and harder. As he made a final powerful thrust into her, they climaxed together, their screams and moans blending in passion.

Devon removed his now semi-rigid cock from her and lay beside her. "Now it's my turn to say damn it."

"Yeah." Ike turned to face him and touched his face with her fingertips. They lay together, staring at each other until Ike felt his dick stiffening against her again. "I'd like to do something for you that you may like. However, you may not like it. Tell me if you don't like it or if I hurt you."

He looked puzzled. "I will."

She positioned his hips on a pillow and knelt between his spread legs. Retrieving a lubricant from the nightstand, she applied it to her fingers and made slow, gentle circles around his anus, applying the lubricant and relaxing him. "I want to massage your prostate gland, and I'll put my fingers in your ass to do that. If it hurts, tell me."

He nodded at her as she smiled and continued to press ever harder on his opening. She gently slipped her index finger in him just a little and he twitched. "Is this hurting you?"

"No. It was just a bit of a shock."

"All right, but tell me if it hurts." She smiled. "Or if it feels good." She resumed working her finger slowly and gently in his ass and she could feel him relaxing. She could see his cock, stiff as steel and pointed at the overhead.

After several minutes of working her finger in him, she slowly inserted her middle finger, as well. She moved her hand back and forth, penetrating deeper into his ass. When she had both her fingers to the second knuckles in his ass, she curled her fingers upward toward the base of his cock and felt his soft, spongy prostate.

As Ike watched his face, Devon's eyes slowly closed as she gently rubbed his gland, massaging the two lobes and tracing the cleft between them. "Are you all right?"

"That feels amazing."

"Good." She continued to rub inside him, applying more pressure and watching his reaction. "Most men can cum from having this done. Would you like that?"

"Yeah." The rise and fall of his chest was quick and shallow. She slowly but firmly moved her fingers back and forth on his prostate, increasing her speed. He moaned softly. Ike listened and watched to make sure they were moans of pleasure and not pain. "God, that feels so good!"

"Can you open your eyes?" He slowly opened his eyes and his gaze locked to hers. "I'm glad you like this."

"It's fantastic."

"Tell me if I hurt you." She rubbed harder and faster. His ass clenched her fingers and he shook all over.

Devon's voice sounded shaky, trembling as much as his body. "Yes, Ikira, yes! Faster!" Ike smiled at him and moved her fingers faster and pressed harder. "Yes! God!"

When he climaxed, the cum shot from the end of his cock and splattered against his chest and stomach. Ike slowed her movements and eased the pressure as he shook like an earthquake. As she slowly removed her fingers from his ass, he trembled and moaned, no longer able to hold his eyes open. Ike leaned over him. She slowly licked his seed from his body. When she kissed the head of his dick, he jerked like he'd been shocked.

 

DESERT HEAT

STORY EXCERPT

 

Miranda came to the cave mouth and sat down beside Ike. "Devon said it went away."

"Yes. Why are you staying up all night?"

Miranda felt herself shiver a little, but not because of the cold. "I guess I'm a little scared."

"A little scared? Maybe I should give you this rifle, then. I'm a lot scared."

"I didn't think anything scared you."

"I used to think that." Ike sighed. "I found out last year, when Devon almost died, there are many things that scare me. I also found out it's all right to be scared."

"That's what Devon and Jack said, too." She paused a moment. "I guess Devon was really tired. He was asleep before I left to come out here."

"Stress. That can wear you out, and sleep is the best medicine."

"Devon's such a neat man."

"I like to think so." She playfully elbowed Miranda in the ribs. "He's also taken, kid."

"I don't mean it that way!" Miranda did feel attraction to Devon, but she wrote it off as a crush.

"I know." Ike fell silent for a moment. "He reminds me of your dad in some ways."

"If you mean Daddy is crazy about my moms the way Devon is crazy about you, I can see that."

"Maybe that's it. I'm not really sure myself."

Miranda decided to ask the starting question. "How often do you and Devon have sex?"

Ike laughed. "Nothing like being blunt. Actually, we don't have sex that often. We make love a lot, though."

"Now you sound like my moms."

"I guess I do. Sex is a big part of our love." Ike paused. "We're in love, and sex has nothing to do with the matter, really. To answer your question, as often as we can. If I had to pick a number, probably two or three times a day."

This wasn't going to work. Miranda's attraction for Devon took on proportions much bigger than a crush when she thought of him and sex at the same time. "I need to stop talking about sex!" Miranda wiggled in her seat. "I've watched you, and I wonder how you cope with his memory problems so easily."

Ike paused for a long time. "I do it because I love him. It's not that bad, though. Mostly, he has problems remembering times and dates. He can remember our first date, almost like he has it written down. I had to tell him about five times the party was at noon."

"That's what I mean. I think I'd get frustrated and lose my patience."

"No, you wouldn't." Ike paused again. "I love him, and he needs just a little help sometimes with things." She hesitated several moments. "That's a tiny burden to have him in my life." Miranda saw tears freezing on Ike's face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"That's all right." She wiped at the ice crystals. "I'd give anything I have to make it go away. He hates it and beats himself up on a daily basis because he forgets so much."

"That has to be hard for him, and hard for you to watch."

"You have no idea. I try to help him without him knowing I'm helping him, but it doesn't work sometimes. The biggest thing for me is remembering that when he gets angry, he's not angry with me or even himself, just with the limitations."

Miranda hesitated. "I'm a little surprised he hasn't been relieved from duty."

"Please, don't tell anyone, but he should have been. That would crush him. Your father and Q, as a personal favor to me, have looked the other way." Ike sniffed. "He's OK doing the things he and I do together, but he can't command. He forgets too many things. He had no idea how long you talked to him."

"I won't say anything. Will it ever get better?"

"Claire hoped it would get better with time, as his brain learned how to do things again, but that hasn't worked too well." Ike sat silently for a time. "I don't know if he's worse, but he's no better."

"I wish I could help."

Ike stared into the dark desert. "I wish someone could."

Miranda watched Ike for a while. "Can I ask you something about love?"

Ike shook herself a little. "Sure."

"How do you know when you're in love?" Miranda paused, thinking. "I guess what I mean is, how did you know that you were in love with Devon?"

"I'm not sure I can put it into words. I just knew." Ike watched the scanner for a moment. "I think I knew, down inside, I loved him for a long time before I admitted it to myself. It made for terrible timing, but I finally admitted it when he was shot and I thought I'd lost him."

"What do you think about Jack?" Instantly, Miranda wanted to take the words back. She knew she had an attraction to him, but didn't want anyone to know.

"I think he needs a lot more dates than he's been having." Ike laughed.

Miranda breathed a sigh of relief. Ike missed the connection. "I think you're right. Did you mean what you said about him being a chauvinist? He doesn't seem that way to me."

"Yes, I did. He can be so protective that he gets a little irritating sometimes. Then again, I'm not attracted to him. I guess some people would see Devon's protectiveness for me as irritating, too."

"One woman's overprotection is another's love."

"That's it. Jack's a great guy, though. He's one of the best Marines I have ever known." She chuckled. "He's so good in security because he looks like a door with a head on it. He never has to tell anyone to settle down more than once."

A chill ran through Miranda as she thought about his strong arms around her when they danced. "He's big."

Ike looked her face for a moment. "What's wrong?"

She tried to force her face to a neutral expression. "Nothing. Just a little cold from the wind." Miranda watched as Ike stared at her. "You said you've known him for thirteen years."

"I have." Ike looked back at the scanner. "It's a shame Jack hasn't found a woman who sees that overprotective streak as love, though."

"I think he will."

"Of that, I have no doubts."

 

ADULT EXCERPT

 

Jack lifted her body from the sofa a little, and his hand reached to her back to release her bra. When his mouth encircled her nipple and sucked, she shook with the pleasure. His hand moved to her other breast, and he rolled her breast in his palm, sometimes pinching the nipple between his thumb and fingers.

His other hand moved and unfastened her pants. The roughness of his calluses passed down the skin of her legs when he pushed the pants from her body. As he brought his hand up, his fingers flicked over her pussy.

The teasing tickle of his fingers made her jerk, and she thrust her hips at his hand. His fingers slipped into her pussy and danced over her clit.

She moaned. "Yes..."

Jack pulled his lips from her nipple with a pop, and then kissed down her stomach, his tongue licking and tickling her waist. He licked deeply into her navel, and she vibrated with the sensation.

His fingers moved, his thumb pressing on her clit as he eased his fingers into her pussy. When he curled his fingers, he pressed against her, and her body writhed with the motion. In her fit of thrashing, she missed when he moved, but Jack suddenly pressed his mouth to her pussy, his tongue replacing the thumb that rubbed her clit.

She gasped as he swirled around her, sending trembling shockwaves across her mind and body. She missed the smell of his body, but her breath moved so fast through her nose and mouth, the air didn't have time to leave any scent behind.

As she ran her hands over his head, the perspiration there left her hands moist. She couldn't resist pulling her hand to her lips, and the salty fluid carried the spicy taste of him to her again. She ran her hands through his brown hair again and again, tasting him when her hands picked up his flavor.

Jacks lips closed around her clit and sucked. Her hips thrust up into his face, and her back arched high on the sofa. She screamed, but sounds carried no meaning. She twitched when the waves of her orgasm washed over her, and she gripped his hair, pressing his face harder against her.

She thrashed as he sucked her clit and worked his fingers inside her. Her climax hit her repeatedly, like none she ever experienced masturbating. Instead of vanishing in a few minutes, her orgasm built in strength as it went on and on. The flashes of light she saw behind her clenched eyes might have been from the climax or lack of oxygen. She didn't feel herself breathing as she shook in the velvet grip of the orgasm.

Jack let her clit pop from between his lips. Then, he pulled his fingers from her with slow, deliberate motions. Before exiting fully, he stroked her G-spot one final time, and she collapsed back onto the sofa. Sweat soaked her body and made her chill just a little.

He stood beside the sofa when she opened her eyes. She watched Jack pull his shirt from his shoulders and drop it to the floor. The sight made her gasp. His chest glistened with perspiration, defined the chiseled lines of his muscles. As he panted, the muscles worked, and she saw the way they moved. It made her mouth water.

He worked his belt and let his pants fall to the floor. His erection stood out from his body and made her almost drown with the flow of moisture in her mouth.

She reached to touch his cock, but Jack took her hands in his. He moved to the sofa, kneeling between her legs as he spread them. Jack leaned forward and again pressed his lips to hers.

As his tongue moved in her mouth, she tasted her juices on his face. Much stronger than when she licked her fingers while masturbating, the flavor mixed with the spicy taste of his body to create a new, delectable compound that defied her ability to describe.

The soft beard he grew since the crash tickled her face as he kissed her. The sweat on his face that clung to the beard left cool places on her skin as it touched her.

His hips moved a little, and the head of his cock pressed firmly against her pussy. She didn't know what to expect or what to do, but nature hadn't failed her so far. Miranda lifted her knees, and his dick moved slowly into her.

As his cock slipped inside her, she trembled with the combined excitement and pleasure. The warmth of his dick felt far better than the cold toys she used when masturbating. Filling her completely, an energy flowed from him to her. Like science experiments in school, the energy moved across his dick and into her pussy like electricity forced through a wire too small for the current.

Heat grabbed her body as the power forced the contact area between them to white heat, and then beyond. His thrusting pushed his cock deeper into her, trying to increase the contact, making the area larger to cool the heat. Her pussy flowed with wetness, trying to extinguish the heat threatening to consume them both.

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