Tracking Talia Read online

  Chapter Two

  Talia had known it would be a challenge to get beyond the walls Marshall had built around himself. She was sorry for that. It had taken her eight long, grueling months to extricate herself from her former job. Not that she had any intentions of telling him that. Not yet.

  Good thing she loved a challenge.

  Not being able to reply to the email he’d sent to the secret account had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. The short message—Contact me—had burned in her brain even as she’d deleted it and the account. Marshall had been recovering from his injuries, unable to protect himself, so she’d protected him in the only way she’d known how—by cutting off all contact until she was certain he’d be safe.

  Her eyes drank in the sight of him. He looked so much better than he had last time she’d seen him. He’d been whisked out of the chopper and into surgery. She’d been pulled back in by her superiors to report on the failure of the mission, Marshall’s blood still on her hands.

  She surreptitiously rubbed her palms on the thighs of her jeans. Some days she could still feel his blood coating her fingers. It had taken hours and several threats of bodily harm to finally be told his condition. She’d wanted to see him, but her boss Marvin Craver had refused her request and the request of every other team member.

  That hadn’t sat well with any of them. They were a tight-knit group. Closer than most families. It was worse for her because she loved him. Her boss’s refusal had made her suspicious and she’d shared her thoughts with her team. It had taken them six long months, but they’d uncovered the fact that he was dirty. He was the one responsible for the hits Marshall had taken that day. The local contact hadn’t betrayed them, as they’d been led to believe, but one of their own.

  It had been the final straw for Talia. She’d made it clear she was done with the organization. Officially, she was retired. Her first unofficial piece of business had been to track down Marshall. It had taken her a while to realize he wasn’t at his family’s home, but was staying out on the land. Talia had many skills, thanks to Uncle Sam, and hadn’t hesitated to use them to find Marshall. She’d tapped phone lines and overheard two ranch hands talking about him staying at an old line shack not too far from the main house.

  After that, it had been a simple matter to tap into a satellite feed of the ranch and surrounding land and pinpoint the spot. She’d arrived out by the line shack yesterday, but hadn’t approached it directly. Not sure of her welcome, she’d held back, watching him, soaking in every inch of Marshall Courage. She’d planned to contact him today, but he’d beaten her to the punch.

  He was only three inches taller than she was but outweighed her by about fifty pounds. He was tall and tough. His brown hair had streaks of blond running through it and was longer than it had been. Her fingers itched to run through the silky-looking strands to see if it was as soft as it appeared.

  His face had always been rough-hewn, but now it looked positively hard. His jaw was square, his forehead high. There were more lines radiating from the corners of his pale blue eyes. A muscle ticked in his jaw. Marshall was definitely angry.

  Cocking her hip to one side, she let her gaze slide over his wide shoulders. “Looking for you, of course.”

  He snorted. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you. It’s been eight months.” His knuckles were white where he gripped the rifle.

  Her stomach turned somersaults and Talia took a deep breath. Given her silence these past months, she’d known this probably wouldn’t be the happy reunion she’d envisioned a million times. But still, she’d hoped for some sign that he was glad to see her.

  The lover who’d laughed and smiled with her was nowhere to be found. She just prayed he was still somewhere inside him. “It’s true.” She dragged her fingers through her unruly hair and sighed. “Craver was dirty.”

  His eyes widened and she could see the disbelief.

  “It’s true. Me and Mickey and Jethro figured it out after you…you were shot.” She was proud that she barely stumbled over that. “He was responsible for the fiasco in Columbia. He’s been dealt with.”

  They both knew that was a euphemism for saying he’d been executed. Taking a chance, she moved a step closer. Marshall’s nostrils flared but he didn’t move away from her. Encouraged, she took another step. Then another. Stopping only when she was right in front of him.

  “How did you find me?” She knew she was good. There should have been no way for him to discover her here.

  “Got a flash this morning from this area. Came to check it out.”

  The damn lenses of the binoculars. It had been a risk to use them, but one she’d willingly taken. She hadn’t been able to resist watching him walking outside this morning. Her own weakness had tripped her up. She’d eaten up any sight of him she could get and it still left her yearning for more.

  No, the view from the binoculars hadn’t been nearly enough. She could smell Marshall, a combination of soap, horse, leather and man that was intoxicating. Her nipples tightened, brushing against the thin cups of her bra. The outline had to be visible through her T-shirt, but she didn’t care. She wanted him to know how much she wanted him.

  She’d spent months of long, lonely nights, her body crying for his. She longed to have his arms wrapped around her, his cock, thick and long, driving into her slick channel, his clever fingers stroking her pussy.

  Cream slipped from her core and dampened her panties. God, how she’d missed him.

  “You’ve seen me. Now what?” The rifle was lowered by his side, but she had no doubt that he could swing it up and use it at a moment’s notice. His feet were spread apart and braced as if for battle. He looked big and fierce and he made her heart pound and her body ache.

  She shrugged and let her fingers walk across his broad chest. “You could invite me back to your place.”

  Marshall felt as though he’d been dropped into an alternate world. After all this time, the last person he expected to find wandering around his land was Talia. He studied her, this time pushing all emotion aside. She looked thinner, her features more drawn. He frowned, not liking the fact that she seemed tired, almost defeated. That wasn’t like her. But then again, maybe he didn’t know her as well as he’d thought he had. After all, she’d dumped him at the hospital and left him without a word. The whole damn team had.

  Her fingers seemed to burn through his shirt to his skin beneath. Her scent filled his nostrils. His dick was full and hard, pushing against the fly of his jeans. He wasn’t sure how he felt about her being here, but he sure as hell wanted her.

  He caught her fingers in his hand and held it against his chest. Hunger, primitive and overwhelming, welled up inside him. His muscles tensed as she shifted closer, her thighs brushing his.

  “What do you want, Talia?”

  “You,” came her soft reply.

  Anger was riding him hard and he pushed her away. “Hell, you want to fuck for old time’s sake? I’m game.” He propped the rifle up against the rocks and yanked his shirt over his head. “What are you waiting for?”

  Part of him hated himself for doing this, but another part of him couldn’t stop. He wanted to see what she would do. Did she want him enough to strip right here and now and let him take her?

  Her lips thinned and her chin tipped up. She grabbed the tails of her shirt and ripped it over her head, tossing it aside. Her chest was heaving as her breathing increased. His Tabby was spitting mad. Good. So was he.

  He ignored the fact that he’d thought of her as his. Right now, the only thing he cared about was getting inside her. Her skin was pale, like fresh cream. She’d always lamented the fact that she never tanned like he did, but burned instead. They’d had to take along a mountain of sunscreen on each mission to keep her from turning into a boiled lobster.

  He crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a bored look. She stiffened, but kept going. Her fingers plucked at the front opening of her bra. The cups slid away, revealing small, but perfectly fo
rmed breasts. Her nipples were stiff with arousal. The tips red and puckered like raspberries.

  Marshall’s mouth watered. He’d always loved raspberries and cream. Reaching out, he snagged her wrist and yanked her to him, half surprised she didn’t try to deck him. Talia had serious skills when it came to martial arts and hand-to-hand combat. You didn’t manhandle her and come away unscathed. Unless, of course, she wanted you to.

  Her tight nipples brushed against his chest and he was lost. He swooped down and captured her mouth with his, starved for the taste of her. They both groaned as their lips parted and tongues tangled. Her hands knocked his hat off his head and then her fingers twined in his hair, her short nails digging into his scalp.

  He slid one hand around to the back of her skull, maneuvering her head to the best position to deepen their contact. It wasn’t a kiss. It was a claiming. Their teeth clinked as they tried to get closer. He sucked all the breath from her lungs and gave her back both his and hers mingled together.

  When they finally broke, they were both breathing hard. They stared at one another. Neither of them speaking. They both sprang the same time. Lips smashed brutally against one another. He ate at her mouth, nipping and licking. Tabby moaned and lifted one leg over his hip, grinding her mound against his erection.

  Marshall groaned as his cock threatened to explode. He kept his lips on hers as he reached down and cupped her ass with his hands. She squirmed to get closer as he lifted her. Her legs wrapped around his flanks and he almost stumbled.

  Swearing under his breath, he tore his mouth from hers and shoved her back against the rocks, using leverage to keep them both upright. This was too hard on his bad leg, but damned if he would show weakness in front of her.

  Lifting her higher, he leaned down and captured one straining nipple and sucked hard. There was no light petting, no preliminaries. He wanted to strip her jeans off and bury his cock in her hot pussy, fucking them both into oblivion.

  Tabby clutched at his shoulders, her nails trailing over his back as she moved her sex over his hard shaft. Damn, he was going to come in his jeans if she kept that up. He released her sweet nipple and reached between them, tearing at the button on her jeans. “I’ve got to get you naked.” It had always been like this between them, frantic and overwhelming.

  “Yes.” Her reply was little more than a ragged moan that fired his blood.

  “Help me,” he ordered, pushing her legs from around his waist. She resisted briefly and then dropped her feet to the dusty ground. Marshall yanked the zipper down and shoved his hand down the front of her jeans. “You’re wet and hot and ready for me to fuck you, aren’t you, Tabby.”

  “God, yes.” She squirmed as he stroked one thick finger over her swollen labia.

  He teased her opening and she whimpered with need. He gloried in her ready response to him. It was only fair since she made him crazy. His cock head was slick and his balls felt like they were trying to climb into his body they were pulled up so tight.

  Slowly, he eased his finger into her moist channel. Her inner muscles tightened. He felt her shiver and knew she was close.

  “You want to come, baby?”

  She threw back her head and moaned, her hips pumping.

  Marshall smiled in spite of his painfully throbbing cock. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He pushed a second finger in to join the first and found her clit with his thumb. “Come for me.” He pulled his fingers almost all the way out and shoved them back in, going as deep as he could. His thumb stroked lightly over her clit, teasing it.

  Tension thrummed through her body. Her muscles tightened. Her pussy convulsed, clutching at his fingers. Talia shook and shivered, crying out his name as she came. He felt like a marauding outlaw as satisfaction filled him. He loved the way she responded to him. At least the physical passion between them was honest.

  He watched her as she came. She had her head thrown back, her eyes closed. Her lips were wet from his kisses and parted as she gasped for air. Her breasts jiggled with each breath she took. In this moment, she belonged to him.

  But it wasn’t enough.

  “I’m going to fuck you now.” He pulled back and reached for the opening of his jeans. Her eyes opened slowly. She looked sleepy and sated, yet as she stared at him, he could see a fire igniting inside her. She licked her lips and nodded.

  A crash of thunder made the ground shake. They both jumped. Marshall swore as he felt the first raindrop hit. He swore again when he realized he wasn’t going to get satisfaction anytime soon. A flash of lightning illuminated the dark, threatening sky.

  “Come on.” He grabbed her wrist and started pulling her toward the opening.

  Talia yanked her arm away. Reaching down, she plucked her shirt off the ground and pulled it on. “I need to get my stuff.”

  He shook his head as he grabbed his hat and beat it once against his thigh before setting it on his head. “No time. It’s dangerous for us to be out here as it is. If we get too much rain, this area could flood.”

  She ignored him, darting across to the other side of the clearing. She grabbed her knapsack and slung it over her shoulder. “Now, we can go.”

  Marshall wanted to yell at her for wasting time but she was already headed down the narrow pathway that led to the open rocks. Grabbing his rifle, he hurried after her. He took the lead, angling their path back down to where the horse was tethered. The storm continued to put on a show and the rain increased until it was a steady downpour.

  Molasses was stamping her feet and letting her displeasure be known when they finally reached her. “Whoa, girl. I’ve got you.” He holstered his rifle in the side holder and untied the reins. Speaking gently to her, he took precious seconds to calm her before mounting. He reached out a hand to Talia. “Get on.”

  Her hair was plastered to her skull and rain ran down her face. At least he had his hat to keep off the worst rain. And he needed it to be able to see where the hell they were going.

  “Are you sure it’s safe?”

  If he didn’t know better, he’s say Talia was nervous. He didn’t know if she’d ever ridden before, but now was not the time to find out. “Get on. Now.”

  She slid her hand into his and he lifted, pulling her up behind him.

  “Hold on,” he ordered.

  Her arms looped around him and her joined hands clasped over his stomach. Her breasts were pillowed against his back, making his dick jump. He ignored the lesser head that had gotten him into this mess and urged the horse forward, starting the wild ride back to the line shack.

  Her grip tightened around him as Molasses picked up her pace. Like him, the horse knew that safety was closer with every step. They were trying to outrun the storm.

  He worried about Talia being more exposed as she clung to him, her face buried against his back. Her knapsack would help protect her back some, but it wasn’t near enough to stave off this heavy rain. He was larger than she and that muscle mass meant more body heat. The temperature had dropped and she was shivering now. That worried him.

  He squinted to see through the deluge. He knew where he was. It was close now. “Only five more minutes,” he called, not certain she heard him above the pounding rain and the increasingly close thunder.

  There was no need to be concerned about Talia. She was tough, a government operative who’d survived in some of the worst places on the planet. Still, he couldn’t help himself. He took it as a personal affront that his woman was cold and possibly scared, not that she’d ever admit to being frightened by anything.

  He let off a long line of cuss words in his head. He had to stop thinking of her like that. She wasn’t his anything. She’d proved that by disappearing when he was injured, by ignoring his email. There was a reason she was here. All he had to do was figure it out. She was eventually going to leave and go back to work and he’d be left out in the cold, like some damn wounded animal put out to pasture.

  Bitterness coated his thoughts but he shoved them aside. She was here now. He’d
take what he could get and set her free when the time came. No way would she want to be tied to him, not now. She had a lot of good years left in the field before she’d retire. She loved the work they did almost as much as he had. That was all gone now and best left buried.

  The line shack came into view and he spurred the horse forward. He didn’t stop by the house, but rode straight into the barn.

  The lack of pounding rain was a relief. Talia raised her head and shook it. Her fingers were like ice when he patted her hand. “Can you dismount by yourself?”

  “Sure thing.”

  It was exactly what he’d expected her to say. She eased off Molasses and he quickly followed. Ignoring his throbbing leg, he made quick work of unsaddling his horse and giving her a quick rubdown. He made sure she had food and water and was settled in her stall before he turned back to Talia.

  She was where he’d left her, her arms wrapped around her body as though she was trying to keep in the warmth. She needed to get warm and dry. The faster the better.

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her back out into the storm. He felt her reluctance to step back out into the downpour. The sky chose that moment to light up. A jagged bolt of lightning hit the ground in the distance. A clap of thunder quickly followed.

  “Almost there.” He kept his voice low and calm, like he would with a spooked horse. Talia gave a nod and started forward.

  His heart swelled as he hurried her across the yard and into the line shack. He closed and bolted the door behind him and released her to hurry to the large, stone fireplace that took up most of one wall.

  Kneeling in front of it, he grabbed a pack of matches from the mantel and lit the tinder that was tucked around the log. Within seconds a cheery fire was snapping in the hearth, spreading warmth around it.

  Marshall pushed himself to his feet and turned to Talia. “Strip.”

  Chapter Three

  Talia was shaking uncontrollably with a combination of cold and arousal by the time they got to the small building Marshall now called home. She’d never been so glad to get out of the rain in her life. As if to punctuate that thought a crash of thunder shook the ground. She couldn’t get enough of looking at Marshall as he’d tended to the horse in the barn or now as he lit the kindling in the hearth.