Free Seduction Under Fire by Melissa Cutler

surrounded by nothing but monotonous desert, she wouldn’t have stood a chance without Aaron’s help, not that she was going to mention it. She was still smarting from his cringe-inducing questions.
    Aaron parked the car and lifted the weapon bag to the ground, where they finished prepping their guns. Each would approach the compound with a rifle and two pistols, carrying a grenade in one pocket and extra ammo in the other. Their goal was to sneak near enough to get descriptions and numbers on the cartel operatives.
    Camille closed her eyes and took a moment to remind herself why she was doing this—for herself, for her family, for Rosalia.
    Lips brushed hers, accompanied by the scratch of stubble. Her eyes flew open. Aaron’s brown eyes stared back, challenging her to resist his charm.
    Or, possibly, to succumb to it.
    Panicking, she tried to move away but Aaron maintained a firm hand against the small of her back. Evidently, all those muscles weren’t just for show.
    She socked him on the shoulder but he was unfazed, pushing his lips to hers while he stroked her jaw, coaxing it to relax and open. She refused, but found herself wondering about his tongue. All she had to do was part her lips and she bet he’d show her exactly how masterful his tongue was. She shivered, thinking about that tongue, those lips, his stubble abrading the skin above her lip, every hard, solid part of him. To her mortification, her nipples hardened in response.
    What a nightmare.
    * * *
    It was all that talk about bucket lists that made him do it. That coupled with the fact that in the past forty-eight hours Aaron had stared down his own mortality more than once. He’d obsessed for two straight years about kissing Camille Fisher and here she was before him, her eyes closed, her face turned skyward, her luscious lips calling to him. Any minute, they could die. So why not go for it while he had the chance?
    Now or never, man. If you want that kiss, you’re just going to have to take it.
    So he did.
    And, good God, she felt better than he’d imagined, pressed to his body, even with her stubborn mouth refusing to yield. She raised her hand to his face, as if maybe she was trying to pry him away, but he knew she needed this moment of connection as much as he did. Taking her wrist in hand, he brought it behind her, tipping her back and thrusting her breasts against his chest.
    Holy hell.
    Then her mouth opened and he seized the opportunity to slip a finger between her parted lips, applying gentle pressure until—finally, finally —her mouth surrendered to his demand. Adrenaline coursed through him, leaving him breathless as he plundered the depths of her, demanding and exploring her warm, wet mouth. Memorizing the taste of her.
    She slung an arm around his neck with a moan and something inside Aaron broke free. Crushing her supple, gorgeous body to his, he bowed her back even farther until they both teetered on the edge of falling.
    * * *
    When Aaron released Camille, he took a couple of swift steps back, probably fearful that she was going to knee him in the groin. Which she would have done had her legs not been so weak. She concentrated on staying upright and breathing. Keeping her eyes on Aaron, who seemed to be struggling toward that same end, a single, fleeting thought darted across her mind—she’d been right about his tongue.
    As soon as she regained her composure, she shot him her best withering glare. “What the hell was that? ”
    “We might die at any time and I decided it would be nice to kiss you first.”
    She grabbed her rifle from the weapon bag. “Don’t ever do that again.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    She didn’t buy his easy concession for a second. The man looked about as remorseful as the Devil. He brushed past her, toward the peak of the hill. Still not sure her legs would carry her, she touched a finger to her swollen lips and watched Aaron walk. Then she realized she was staring at his perfect, firm backside. As if he