“I am so looking forward to Sam coming home,” Azami admitted. “I try not to worry about him, but I can’t help it. I found myself wanting to contact him via satellite just to make certain he’s alive and well.”

Saber laughed. “Let’s get inside and let the boys handle the rest of this. We can have tea and have a nice long visit. I want you to meet Jesse.”

CHAPTER 20

Debriefing was a lot of bullshit. Sam wanted to leap out of his seat and go find his woman. He’d never actually had a woman to come home to, and now that he did, he had to sit like a kindergartener, wiggling around his chair, anxious to see her—inspect her—and make certain she didn’t have so much as a scratch on her. Fucking Whitney, attacking the compound when there were just a few men and women to defend it. She wasn’t hurt . . .

“Sam, you with us?” Ryland asked.

He wasn’t the only one with a wife. Ryland had to be just as anxious. His son had been a target. He scowled at Ryland.

“He’s got ants in his pants.” Tucker snickered.

“He’s got somethin’ in his pants,” Gator mocked, shoving at Sam’s boot with his foot. “And I don’ think it’s ants.”

“Go to hell,” Sam said good-naturedly. “Like all of you aren’t just as antsy.”

Ryland sighed. “Our women fought off Whitney’s men while we were in the field. It’s getting a little old.” He looked at Sam. “Get out of here.” And I want a full briefing from her later.

Sam’s nod was barely perceptible. He leapt out of the chair and rushed from the room, an arrow shot out of a bow. Laughter followed him, but he didn’t give a damn. Nothing mattered but to get to her. Azami. His. He still didn’t really believe she would be there. He kept expecting to wake up and find she was a dream—or that she’d come to her senses and run back to Japan where her life would make much more sense than his world did.

He sprinted out of the house, to the trail at the back leading into the woods. His five acres were to the west, and he rarely used a vehicle to travel the distance. He had worn a faint path in through the woods. When he wanted to go fast, he often teleported to keep in practice, and that’s what he did now, setting his destination for just outside his home. He wanted to feel that amazing feeling she’d given him just days earlier of coming home. He needed to see the house lit up, telling him she was inside and waiting for him.

Dark clouds churned and spun overhead. Leaves on the trees swayed while some danced through the air with the wind, swirling their way to earth. The trees rose up like giant stick figures, branches reaching out, slowly shedding leaves as the season changed. A bite of cold touched his skin, but no matter how cold it was, nothing could stop the heat spreading through his body at the sight of those Japanese lanterns bobbing up and down the small stream running beside his house, the warm glow lighting the way home.

He stood on the worn path, his heart pounding, love flooding his mind. Azami. Sliding into his mind, holding him close. Her happiness spilled into him, filling him, driving out loneliness and doubts. She stood framed in the doorway, flickering candles dancing behind her, silhouetting her there in the dark. She wore only a short silken robe, her slender legs bare. Her hair fell in a silken waterfall around her face to spill to her waist. Her robe was open, exposing that wondrous, almost luminous spiderweb wrapping around all that bare skin. He really, really wanted to tattoo a couple more spiders to mark his favorite spots on her.

He walked slowly up to the house, his heart in his throat, his pulse pounding, savoring the feeling of coming home to her. Her dark eyes shone like a cat’s in the night, a glitter of excitement—her heart in her eyes. Those extraordinary soft lips were parted as if she was a little breathless. She was so beautiful to him his chest hurt. A lump formed unexpectedly in his throat, threatening to choke him.

He wanted to feel love and he knew she was the one who would show him how. In his life, he had pushed aside his own needs, his own desires until Azami. He wanted to know love at its deepest, most profound, most elemental level. He needed Azami to give him everything, and from the look in her eyes, there was no doubt that she intended to do just that.

The moment he set his foot onto the porch, she launched herself at him. He caught her in midflight, drawing her into him. Her legs clamped around his waist and her arms circled his neck, her mouth settling on his. The world shifted and dropped away, as fire burst through his mouth, down his throat, and into his belly to race to his bloodstream, igniting an urgent need.

Now. Right here. Don’t wait. I need you in me.

Her soft plea took his sanity. There was nothing left in his mind but her. She was everywhere. In his mind, in his heart, wrapped around his very bones. He kissed her over and over, drinking her in, devouring her, while the fire just burned brighter and hotter. He dropped his hands to his jeans, thankful he’d managed a couple of showers on the way home to rid himself of the jungle grime.

“Please, Sammy, hurry,” her small, breathless voice whispered in his ear. Her small teeth bit at his earlobe and then her tongue stroked along his neck. “I’ve waited forever for you.”

He managed to get his pants shoved down enough to free his aching cock. He gripped her hips. “Are you ready for me, honey? Are you certain?”

The urgency of her need was contagious, gripping him fiendishly, so that his lungs burned for air and his c**k throbbed. He didn’t wait for her answer, but pushed his hand between her legs. She was slick and hot, her h*ps already moving urgently. He laughed, the sound sheer joy as he steadied his cock.

“Lower yourself right over me, Azami,” he whispered, taking a gentle bite along her neck. She felt so perfect against his body. “Think of it like putting the sword into its scabbard.”

She didn’t hesitate but pushed herself down onto him. He was thick and hard, invading her feminine sheath, meeting that tight, exquisite resistance that squeezed him like a fiery hot velvet fist. He felt the rippling and bunching of her muscles as she lowered herself over him, her breath coming in ragged gasps, soft little moans like music in his ears.

He waited until she was fully seated and he was stretching her, pushing up against her cervix, giving her body a few moments to adjust.

She lifted her face to his again for those long, almost desperate kisses. He found himself eating at her mouth, drawing out all that welcoming sweetness. The wind rushed around them, blowing her hair in a whirlwind, cooling the heat of their bodies, but only fanning the flames into a fire-storm.

He caught her h*ps as he pulled his own h*ps back. “Ride me, honey. And it’s going to be a wild ride.”

She answered him by holding his neck tighter and lifting herself to drop back down over him, sending red-hot fire streaking through his c**k and spreading through his groin into his belly and down his thighs.

“I need you wild, Sammy. I feel a little wild.”

That breathless confession was all it took. He forgot about holding on to control and took her hard and fast, his body slamming deep into hers, over and over, driving like a jackhammer, a steel spike, while the flames poured over and around him. Hunger clawed at him, making him a madman. Hot friction sent sensations careening to every part of his body while he pistoned into her tight, hot core.

Azami’s breath rushed from her lungs in raw gasps as Sam’s hands controlled her hips, driving her up higher than she imagined possible. There was no controlling the pleasure rising, pouring over her as he pumped hard and fast. She clung to him, her anchor in the storm of passion, her body tightening until she was strung out on a torturous rack. She heard her soft little pleas and couldn’t stop herself, her moan rising to a crescendo as he thickened, stretching her, filling her until she thought he would find his way into her womb.

The explosion, when it came, was mind-numbing, her body clamping down hard on his, gripping with surprising strength, rippling around him, squeezing and grasping greedily, so that his seed jetted deep into her. She had known exactly what she was doing when she’d come to him begging for his body and she was fully committed to their life and their child—should there be one.

She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes as the aftershocks took her again and again. She could breathe again now that he was home and safe. The world was right once more.

Sam held her, leaning his back against the wall, staring out at the last of the lanterns bobbing in the pond before they succumbed to the water pouring in from the small series of waterfalls. It took a few minutes to find his breath. He buried his face in her silky mass of hair.

“All I could think about, baby, was getting home to you,” he admitted.

“That’s good.” She nuzzled his neck. “I don’t want you to go away for a long, long time. Let’s just stay here and make love forever.”

He laughed softly. “Two great minds thinking alike. I like that.” He carried her inside, kicking the door closed behind him.

Azami pulled back to look at his face. “I’m sorry, Sammy,

I should have greeted you properly,” Azami said, her long lashes sweeping down to veil her cat’s eyes. “I do have the bath ready for you. I just couldn’t wait. Not even to let you relax.”

He smiled at her, bending his head to find her mouth for another earth-shaking moment. “Silly woman, no welcome home could have been better.” He carried her on through to the steamy bathroom. The air was scented and just the memory of their first ritual bath together made his c**k jerk to attention all over again. “I know tradition is important to you, but we can bend a few things here and there as needed. And making love to you anytime, anywhere, is always a priority.”

Her lashes swept up and her eyes gleamed at him. “Thank you, Sam. I needed to hear that.”

He put her down, but kept her locked to him with one arm. “I hear you’ve been busy while I was gone.”

“A little. With this and that.”

He bent his head and kissed her. “That’s no answer. I want details. And Ryland’s going to want a report.”

She looked up at him with that composed, serene look he found as sexy as hell. Sam drew her into the shower and took the handheld nozzle to begin their ritual, holding her still with one hand so that she knew he intended to have things his way this time.

“Don’t give me that cute look of yours. It’s not a great feeling coming home and finding my woman was out defending our home while I’m stuck in the jungle.”

“Really?” Her eyebrow shot up and she leaned her head back against his chest while he took his time soaping her br**sts. “I would have thought you’d be very happy you don’t have to worry about me—or any of the others—when you’re away.”

He dropped another kiss on top of all that thick silky hair. “I suppose you have a point.” His fingers traced the spiderweb down to her belly. “Tell me.” He couldn’t help that his voice had gone a little gruff.

“I found all the women extremely intriguing. Their individual gifts are amazing. Dahlia in particular. She actually built a wall of fire between the compound on the western facing slope and those trying to gain access. It was comical when I saw the video surveillance after. Whitney must have forgotten just how enhanced these women are.” She squirmed a little as he brought his hand—and the nozzle with water—between her legs.

She gave a small gasp as he directed the spray against her clit. “Sammy, I can’t think properly when you’re doing that.”

He kept up the pressure for a few more moments, until she was moaning, her h*ps moving subtly. He went back to washing her, enjoying the feel of her skin against his palms as he washed the inside of her thighs.

He bent his head to place his lips against her ear. “I plan to eat you up, Azami,” he informed her. “Take my time and just enjoy myself.”