A Sexy SEAL Novella Anthology (22 page)

Oh, yeah.

Her, too.

“Come inside,” Cari invited in a whisper,
her fingers clenched tight on his bicep, her mouth watering at how
hard it was.

Exercise, she thought, trying to mitigate
expectations. His muscles were hard because he worked out.
Exercised, lifted weights. She shouldn’t expect his dick to be as
hard. It wasn’t like he could bench press with it or anything.

But...

Her hand raced down his flat belly, but
before she could test her theory, Jack’s fingers bracketed her
wrist.

“Hold on.”

“I was trying to.”

His laugh was a warm puff of air against her
skin, the move pressing his chest tight against her aching
breasts.

Then, dammit, he shifted away. He didn’t let
go of her hand, though.

“Here’s the thing. I want you,” he said, his
tone as intense as what she could see of his expression in the
streetlight. “I want to give you pleasure in a million ways, then
to climb inside of you, to feel you wrapped around me when you
come.”

Her breath caught somewhere between her
chest and her throat, Cari swore even her clitoris trembled at
those words.

But before she could tell him that she
wanted that, too, he shook his head.

“Once I’ve had you, I’m going to want you
again. And again.” His eyes were nearly black with desire and even
in the dark of truck cab she could feel the intensity of his stare.
“But it wouldn’t be right.”

Cari frowned. It sounded right to her.

“I’m leaving in three days.”

Was it an army thing?

“Like, you’re being reassigned? Or, what’s
the right word? Deployed?”

She remembered when Rico had been deployed
to Kuwait. For six months, Gina had lived on nerves and Oreos. But
they weren’t at war now, nor were she and Jack just married like
Gina and Rico had been. Cari hoped she wouldn’t be nearly as jumpy
if that was where Jack was going.

“When will you be back?”

“I won’t.”

The foggy pleasure that’d surrounded her
faded just a little at those words. Enough that Cari’s mind gave a
giant whoa.

“What do you mean, you won’t be back? At
all? Ever? I thought you and Rico were in the same unit.”

“I’m not in the Army any longer.”

Oh.

A part of her did a little happy dance. Not
because she didn’t appreciate his service. But because regular guy
jobs probably meant he’d be around more.

But, wait, around where? He’d said he was
leaving.

“And you’re moving?” she asked, shifting a
little on the bench seat. Just enough for air to move between their
bodies and, maybe, cool things off.

“In a way.” His brow furrowed, Jack gave her
a troubled look. “I’ve transferred to the Navy. I’m going to be a
SEAL.”

Cari knew her jaw dropped.

After all, she felt it hit her chest.

But all she could do was shake her head to
try and clear the ringing from her ears and hope she’d heard
wrong.

“You’re going to be a Navy SEAL?”

“I am. I had to finish my tour with EOD
before the transfer, but that’s done. I’m heading for Southern
California next week.”

Oh.

Cari’s fingers tapped a quick rat-a-tat-tat
on her thigh.

Why hadn’t someone told her? Why hadn’t he
made that clear before he’d kissed her? Before she’s started to
fall for him? And, oh God, before she’d started imagining his dick
doing pushups off of her body?

Her fingers tapped faster. There should be
rules about the order of these things.

But even as that thought went through her
head, another one followed, wishing he’d not told her at all. At
least, not until tomorrow morning.

As if reading her thoughts, he shrugged.

“I had to tell you.”

Yeah. Because he was that kind of guy.

Because he
was
that kind of guy—and
yes, because her panties were still damp—Cari took a deep breath.
She had to swallow twice, but she eventually got the words out.

“Come inside anyway.” She shook her head at
his shocked look. “Even if it’s just for one night, I want you to
come inside.”

Jack had always considered himself a careful
man.

He thought things through, considered all
options then made the most reasonable decision based on his overall
goal. Right now, his life goal was simple—to become a Navy
SEAL.

So by all rights, he should not be thinking
about getting Cari naked and licking his way down her body. Even if
she was okay with a one night—or even a three night-stand, he
wasn’t. Not with her. Jack was trained in explosives. He recognized
the volatile heat between them, and knew the destruction it could
cause. To their emotions and to his plans.

But as he stepped into Cari’s apartment
behind her, he simply didn’t care. None of it mattered. Not when
she was right there, a few steps ahead of him.

“Welcome to my home,” she said quietly,
turning to face him in the entryway.

Jack set the bins against the wall inside
the door, then let it shut behind him. Before his eyes could adjust
to the dark, Cari flipped a light switch. But instead of bright
overhead fixture, tiny blue twinkle lights gleamed a doorframe,
giving him just enough light to see her face, to watch her
expression.

There was no doubt on her face, no worry in
her eyes. He wanted to think he’d have left if there had been. But
the need churning in his belly was so strong that he wasn’t
entirely sure.

She gestured, as if to invite him to follow
her into the living room. Or the bedroom.

But Jack couldn’t wait.

Trying to keep his hands gentle, he grabbed
her by the waist and pulled her close. He took her mouth. Lips,
tongue, teeth, he used them all in a kiss that rocked through his
system like a missile, shooting straight for his throbbing
cock.

More.

That was the only thing going through Jack’s
mind.

He had to have more.

Keeping her body tight against his, he
wrapped his hands around that tiny waist and lifted her as he
turned them both to capture her slight body between his and the
wall. There, he could anchor her hips with his, giving his aching
dick a feel of the pleasure to come.

His body holding hers where he wanted, his
hands were free to touch. To feel. To pleasure.

The concept of an enticing buildup shot to
hell by the needs pounding through him, he aimed straight for the
target. His palms closed over her breasts, his hands cupping the
full globes. Cari trembled, her tiny mewling moan lost in his mouth
as he squeezed.

Even as they learned the shape of her, his
fingers itched to rip her dress off, to get it the hell out of his
way so he could feel flesh, touch skin. Hot, bare skin.

He traced the edge of her bra through the
fabric of her dress, then tucked the tips of his fingers under her
bra so he could rub the back of them over her nipples. The soft
fabric slid erotically between the pebbled flesh and his
knuckle.

Cari’s moans were coming faster now. She
pressed herself tighter against his erection. Her hips undulated,
their movement restricted by the pressure of his body holding them
against the wall. Her tongue danced uninhibitedly over his as her
short fingernails scraped enticingly over his shoulders, down his
arms until she reached his hands.

His mouth still hot on hers, Jack opened his
eyes to watch Cari as her hands closed over his, pressing them
tighter to her breasts. Message received, he squeezed her nipples
between his knuckles and watched.

Her eyes flew open, her body trembling as
she shuddered. Her thighs shook as he moved his hips, giving her
just enough room to slide one leg free. She wrapped it around his,
pressing her core against his thigh and moaning.

Jack almost came.

Knowing he was too close, he slowly lifted
his mouth from hers and shifted away.

As soon as he did, her hand raced down,
fingers closed around his erection, squeezing as he throbbed with
need.

Then, her breath coming in pants, she slid
out of his arms and stepped around him. Turning, Jack’s eyes never
left her.

But before he could suggest they find the
bedroom, Cari crossed her arms in front of her body, her hands
grasping the fabric of her dress. In one swift move, she pulled it
over her head and let it fall to the floor.

Holy hell.

His mind went blank.

His body, already rock hard with need,
turned to steel.

She was incredible.

Lush curves accented by slender lines, her
full breasts rose over the ribbon-trimmed lace bra that matched the
tiny scrap of lace between her thighs. Against the forest green,
her skin seemed to glow like dimly-lit silk.

With that pixie hairstyle, her huge eyes,
she was the prettiest woman he’d ever seen. Long waisted and even
longer legged, she was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen.

“I want you,” she said, her words husky, her
movements smooth as she skimmed her palms up the sides of her waist
to cup her breasts.

Jack’s mouth watered.

He reached out, replacing her hands with his
own but before he could do more than weigh those full breasts, she
pushed him back.

“Strip,” she insisted. “I want you naked,
now.”

Jack ripped his clothes away so fast he
barely remembered to grab his wallet. He dug out the condom, but
before he could slip it on, Cari took it from him.

“I’m naked and you’re not,” he pointed out,
his words husky with need.

“Mmm, good point.” She took the foil wrapper
between her teeth, her eyes gleaming in the dark as she reached
around behind her.

Jack’s eyes locked on her chest, his breath
coming faster, his pulse pounding as he waited for her bra to
fall.

“Oh, baby,” he murmured when it did.

She was gorgeous.

Her fingers danced down her sides, flicking
under the slender straps of her panties and with a simple twist of
her hands, sent them sliding down those amazing legs.

Jack’s breath stopped.

He was pretty sure his heart was about to
follow.

He wanted in there. All he could think was
how much he needed to be inside of her.

He reached out, intending to grab her, to
deal with protection and find his way to heaven.

But she dropped to her knees in front of him
before he could.

She smoothed the condom on, her fingers like
silk on his skin, her breath hot and tempting. When her hand slid
lower, cupping and squeezing, Jack growled.

He yanked her to her feet, trapping her
between his body and the wall.

“Now,” he demanded, teeth clenched. “I want
you now.”

“Take me,” she breathed, her head falling
back and her smile wickedly inviting.

He slid inside her delicate warmth.

Her feet dug into the small of his back, her
body angled, her back arched. Jack slowly pressed deeper, reveling
in the feel of her wet heat closing around him.

Arms braced on either side of her head,
fingers digging into the wall, he plunged.

Harder.

Faster.

Deeper.

She met every thrust with a breathy
moan.

Her nails dug into his shoulders, her
breasts pressed into his chest, her nipples sharp and demanding
against his skin.

His body so tight with need that he wasn’t
sure he’d last much longer, Jack added a little twist to each
plunge.

His tongue echoed the move, wrapping around
hers before his teeth scraped her bottom lip. His mouth raced over
her warm cheek, then he buried his face in the curve of her
neck.

And bit.

“Jack,” she cried as she went over.

Unable to hold back any longer, Jack
exploded in a fiery burst of pleasure. He rode the waves, one after
the other, as they poured over him.

Cari’s moans were softer now. Her breath
came in jerky gasps that had her breasts rubbing over him like an
erotic massage. Relaxing, yet stimulating him to wonder how long
it’d be before they could do this again.

And as he finally regained his own breath,
he swore he heard something click. As if a lock had opened and he
was, finally, home.

And he never, ever wanted to leave
again.

“You had sex how many times?”

“Six.”

Not sure if it was a good thing or a bad
thing that Gina was actually goggling at her, Cari lifted the
second bin and carried it to Gina’s van by herself.

Every step was an aching lesson in pleasure.
Her thighs felt raw, her sex so sensitized that the feel of her
panties against it was turning her on.

She set the bin in the van carefully as if
it were a bomb. And waited.

One.

Two.

“Six? Seriously?” Her Doc Martens thumping
down the sidewalk, Gina jammed her fists on her jean-clad hips and
leaned forward to inspect Cari’s face. Whatever she saw there had
her shaking her head in awe. “You are
the woman
. How’d it
happen? I mean, I caught the heat vibes last night but I didn’t
think Jack would act on them.”

“But you thought I would?”

Cari adjusted the strap of her messenger
bag, trying to decide if she should be offended.

“Jack’s old-fashioned. If I’d had to guess,
I’d figure even if you stripped naked and did the boogie woogie,
he’d have said he didn’t do that on the first date.” Fishing the
keys out of the pocket of her hoodie, Gina rounded the VW before
Cari could remember if she’d danced or not.

“So?” Gina prompted when they were both
strapped into the van. “I take it you like the guy. So what happens
next?”

Cari blinked, her arms tightening around the
messenger bag in her lap. Before she had to answer, though, Gina’s
cellphone rang.

“Hang on,” she told Cari, starting the VW
and pressing her Bluetooth at the same time.