She disappeared into the ladies’ bathroom, and I decided that the safest option was to stay where I was … doing recon. At least I’d have a chance of avoiding her if I kept her under surveillance.

A long five minutes later, she reappeared with another layer of red lipstick making her look like a vampire’s hard-on. That sort of shit used to appeal to me, but not anymore. I thought she might have gone into the bathroom to cover up her tits, because the UN were pretty strict about their staff behaving appropriately, especially in a Muslim country, and Natalie’s behavior and dress was … not.

But then she was followed out by Caro.

How? What? Holy fuck! She was here! She was really here!

Her papers must have been cleared more quickly than I’d expected. Suddenly Kabul had redeeming features after all.

She looked beautiful. Her long dark hair was glossy, and her simple black dress showcased her hotter than hell figure. Then I saw that she was wearing the shoes I’d bought her in Salerno. My heart lurched and started beating to the rhythm that was all for Caro.

I waited until Natalie had sashayed out of shot, and I caught the irritated expression on Caro’s face as she muttered, “What a bitch!”

“You don’t know how right you are,” I whispered in her ear.

She jumped, then whirled around, a huge smile making her beautiful face glow.

It was so fucking hard that PDA wasn’t allowed in uniform. I was aching to kiss her, touch her, but I couldn’t. It would be dangerous for both of us.

“Sebastian! What are you doing here?” she whispered. “I thought they were sending you to Kandahar?”

“Change of plan,” I said, unable to rein in the ridiculous smile I was wearing. “I have a 24 hour stopover and I heard the Press would be here tonight, so I wangled an invite.” Not strictly true, but I couldn’t tell her my real reason for being here. “I wasn’t sure when you were arriving. But now that you’re here, I’m planning on seducing you behind the potted palms.”

I was joking. Sort of. But then her eyes darkened and her lips tilted upward, a sexy smile playing on her beautiful lips.

“Or somewhere a little more private, I hope,” she breathed out.

My dick twitched in response. “Yes, ma’am.”

“By the way, do you know that tramp?” she asked testily, jerking her head in the direction of my former fuck.

And was that jealousy I could hear?

I smirked a little.

“Her name is Natalie Arnaud. French. She’s a PA for some guy at the UN, but she likes people to think she’s important.”

“And you know her because…?”

Oh shit. Of course she’d ask me that.

“One of your Parisian conquests,” she finished when I didn’t respond.

“It was just a warm body, Caro,” I said quietly.

“I understand that, but she’s going to get herself into a lot of trouble; she’s only dressing like that to impress you, Sebastian—I heard her in the bathroom—so you’d better speak to her.”

Was she serious? Fuck me, she was—and she was enjoying it, if the expression on her face was anything to go by.

“Suck it up, Hunter,” she said, a small smile teasing her lips. “You created this situation; you’ve got to deal with it. And then find somewhere private for us.”

I shook my head, pissed at having to deal with Natalie. I also wasn’t happy that she’d somehow heard I was going to be here. Fucking military intelligence—what part of ‘need to know’ gave them a problem? But I smiled at Caro and threw her a salute. I was about to get laid—so I didn’t care if she gave me orders.

“Yes, boss.”

Then I glanced around, took her hand and tugged her down the corridor that I knew led to the staff area of the hotel.

I had to try a few doors before I found an empty office, pushed her inside, slammed her against the door, and kissed her with all the urgency that 24 hours away from her had given me. She kissed me back, her tongue driving into my mouth, her teeth nipping at my lips, and sucking them hard. Her breasts pressed against my uniform and my dick was trying to punch an emergency evac route through the buttons on my pants.

I yanked up the hem of her dress, dragging my fingers to the edge of her panties, before circling quickly and pushing inside her beautiful pussy, making her cry out.

“Fuck, you’re wet,” I hissed.

She moaned in reply.

“I am so fucking hard right now,” I growled into her ear. “Here and now: yes or no, Caro?”

“Yes!” she grit out, her voice deep and husky.

I unbuttoned my fly, quickly rolling a condom over my erection, while Caro shimmied out of her panties.

“Bend over the desk,” I ordered, gripping her hips.

“Sebastian, the door!” she gasped.

“Fuck!”

I hadn’t set a cordon or secured the boundary—Marine safety 101, for fuck’s sake. I wedged a chair under the handle and spun back to the desk, hauling her dress over her ass and forcing her feet apart with mine.

We didn’t have long before the banquet started, and it would definitely look suspicious if we walked in together. I plunged into her, relieved, happy, fucking delirious to be inside her again when I thought it would be months. Here and now in this cursed city, this dying country, where the body count rose each day. My woman showing me that life could still be worth living.

My breath hissed out through my teeth and I forced myself to make it good for her, too. I pulled out slowly, then pushed back in, circling my hips, watching her knuckles whiten as she gripped the edge of the desk. I felt her tighten around me and I had to clench my teeth to keep from losing it too fast. But when she pushed her ass back to meet me, I couldn’t wait, ramming into her desperately. I could hear her body slamming against the desk, and even though I knew her hips would be bruised in the morning, I couldn’t stop, didn’t want to stop. I wanted to mark her—my woman. I was aroused and disgusted with myself at the same time. Fucking thoughts! And then I lost it, my spine snapping and sparks shooting up from my balls. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see them on fire.

Holy shit, that was the hottest in-uniform sex I’d ever had.

We collapsed onto the floor together and she twisted around, softly brushing the tips of her fingers over my face.

She was flushed and so fucking beautiful, her hair spilling wildly over her shoulders, unaware that her dress was still around her waist. And I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it—but I was getting hard again already.

“Fuck, that wasn’t enough, Caro. I want you again.”

“We can’t, Sebastian,” she panted. “As it is, we’ll be missed if we don’t hurry.”

I knew she was right but I didn’t have to like it. I brought her hand to my lips, sucking her fingers, one by one, insanely desperate to repeat the last few minutes.

“I need you, Caro. Let me come to your room tonight, please, baby.”

“You can’t, I’m sharing with Liz.”

Fuck! The fat British broad.

“Get rid of her!” I whispered, rubbing her arms gently, hoping to persuade her.

Suddenly someone rattled the door handle and I could hear voices outside.

“Fuck it!”

Playtime was over. I peeled off the condom and tucked my dick into my pants, cursing the asshole who’d interrupted us.

“My panties,” Caro hissed, looking around her distractedly.

I grinned at her, finding them hanging from a handle on the desk drawer.

“I think these are yours, ma’am.”

“Thank you,” she muttered, pulling them on and straightening her skirt.

The door handle rattled again and I could hear two guys arguing about who had the key. At least my Pashto wasn’t as rusty as I’d thought it might be.

I helped her up, then opened the door cautiously, but the corridor was empty in both directions.

“You’re good.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’re not so bad yourself, chief.”