A Christmas Together by Tara Quan Read Free Book Online Page A

wrapped her legs around him, and clung to his shoulders as he rammed her hard, fast, and deep.
    The molten coil snapped. Spasms raked her body. Her inner muscles gripped his arousal in a flurry as she bit down on his shoulder to mute her scream. His hands clenching around her waist, his rhythm turned erratic. His frenzy drove her to a higher crest, her perception narrowing to the inexorable drive of his hard flesh. Then thought ceased, awareness obliterated by an explosion of red and white.

Chapter 4
    Present Day (six years from where they left off…)
    The bitter taste of bile coated Karl’s tongue as he reached his unit mate’s side. The hospital waiting room smelled of latex and disinfectant. He wiped his sweaty palm on his jeans before placing it on the Master Chief’s shoulder. “How is he doing?”
    The battle-hardened soldier sat with his elbows on his knees. Scarred hands covered the man’s weathered face, his answering rasp bearing little resemblance to his usual jovial voice. “He’s out of surgery. The doctor thinks there’s a chance he might walk again.”
    Karl released a pent up breath. “What did Command say about a protective detail?”
    “What you’d expect. The military can’t operate on U.S. soil, and the FBI doesn’t have the resources to protect all our family members. They’re on their own.” The man’s blue eyes bloodshot, he clenched his hands into fists. “I’ve put in my papers. As soon as it’s safe to move him, we’ll disappear until this blows over.”
    Who could blame him? Their cover had been blown sky high. Some defense contractor with a top-secret clearance had leaked an entire database of classified documents. While most of the information now on the public domain might be inconsequential, it brought to light Delta Force’s missions in Syria. Even worse, it identified the handful of servicemen assigned to the elite joint services special operations unit. Tasked to carry out covert missions, they’d fought the terrorists most of the world didn’t know existed.
    Two years ago, his unit had been ordered to retrieve man-portable air-defense systems that had made their way into the Middle East during the Arab uprisings. These shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles were a threat to low-flying aircraft, and the porous border between Syria and Iraq made them of interest to the U.S. military. His unit had tracked the MANPADs to an empty warehouse near the eastern city of Deir el-Zour. After lining the targeted area with C-4, they’d been in the process of high tailing it out of Dodge when a small cadre of Syrian Secret Police showed up to crash the party, hoping to get their hands on the munitions. Too late to disarm the explosives, the blast killed a handful of police officers.
    The Syrian government had blamed the rebels for the attack and vice versa. No one suspected American involvement. But then some jackass decided to become a whistleblower, and Karl’s name along with details of the operation became a matter of public record.
    While diplomacy had prevented any official demand for reparation, the brother of one of the dead officers happened to be part of Syrian Special Forces. He, along with a handful of other disgruntled operatives, splintered off to form a rogue criminal cell that recently broadcasted its intent to avenge the two-year-old blood debt.
    While every member of the unit was more than capable of defending themselves, they hadn’t expected their families to become targets. Master Chief Frost, one of the most senior members of Karl’s Delta unit, hadn’t talked to his ex-wife in ten years and rarely saw their teenage son. The last thing he’d expected was a frantic call in the middle of the night.
    A bomb had gone off in the garage directly under his kid’s bedroom.
    For once, Karl was relieved to be quite alone in the world. Both his parents were dead. He’d never been in touch with his mother’s distant relatives in Lebanon, and if his delinquent