Infatuation- Harmless Military 7 (3 page)

Shannon awoke slowly, blinking in the darkness. As usual, the first sense that really took hold was her sense of smell. There was a strange combination of plumeria and musky male that had her confused. It took her a second to remember just where she was.

Hawaii
.
Chris and Cynthia’s wedding
. She shifted her weight and came up against a hard wall of muscle.

Kade.

No wonder the bed felt like a heater. The man gave off heat like a steam engine. But she didn’t care. She had Francis McKade in her bed.

She smiled. She knew she looked smug, but who wouldn’t? The man she had in bed had to be every heterosexual woman’s dream come true. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she pulled herself up and rested her weight on her elbow. The man was amazing. Never in her life had she had a man that looked like this in her bed. Hard muscles, tattoos on his back, and damn, but he was like a wonderland made just for her. He was as gorgeous on the inside as on the outside.

Her fingers itched to touch, to explore. They were both tired from their trips over the Pacific, but she couldn’t stop herself. Without hesitation, she gave into her compulsion to touch him.

The moment she touched him, she felt that connection. It had been there from the first and had grown each time she saw him. Now there was something telling her that this was the man for her, the one that could be forever. But sadly, she didn’t think it would happen. His work, her life, it wouldn’t work out between the two of them.

She brushed those unhappy thoughts away and slipped her hand down his torso. She shivered at the feel of his warm flesh beneath her fingertips. Could a man be in better shape? She didn’t think so. His abs were sculpted, and even without trying, she was pretty sure she could bounce a quarter off his ass.

To get a better look at him, she slipped the sheet away from his body. The moonlight was weak, but she could see him. He was tan everywhere. How did he do that? She knew without a doubt he didn’t go to a tanning salon. She looked at the scar on his hip. It was a puckered wound, not very big. She knew a year or so ago, he’d been shot. Mal had told her just that and nothing else.

She grazed her finger over it and then continued down. He had a thin line of hair all the way down to his cock. As she neared it with her hands, it twitched. She glanced up at him and realized she had awakened him. His eyes were barely opened, but he was watching her. The intensity in them was a little scary and very arousing.

“Sorry,” she whispered.

His lips curled up on one side. “No problem. Use and abuse me any way you want to.”

“Yeah?”

He nodded.

She didn’t break eye contact with him as she wrapped her hand around his cock. His eyes closed, and he groaned as she gave it one long stroke. He shifted against the bed as she continued to tease him. Soon, though, that wasn’t enough. She wanted a taste. Slipping down the bed, she settled between his legs and took him in her mouth. The first taste of him spurred her arousal. Sweet and salty, with a touch of Kade, so unique, like the man. At first she couldn’t fit him in her mouth completely, but soon she didn’t care that she gagged once or twice. It didn’t seem to bother him. His groans were growing in volume, and he was shifting against her, thrusting into her mouth. She slipped her fingers down to his sac and began to stroke him. Power coursed through her veins as she continued to tease him. She knew he was close. To make him lose control would be the ultimate conquest, but apparently Kade wasn’t going to allow it. He pulled her up and switched their positions. She found herself on her back, pinned to the mattress.

“You trying to be naughty, Shannon?” His voice was a guttural whisper, filled with so much arousal she could barely control the lust pouring into her veins. He loomed over her as if he was in charge, and well, it was the truth.

“I thought I was being pretty obvious.” Her voice sounded breathless, but it was nothing new. He always did that to her.

His eyes sparkled with a bit of devilment, and she felt her heart skip a beat. “Yeah? Well, I think you deserve some punishment for that.”

He rose to his knees, straddling her hips, his cock lying against her sex. Already she was hot, needy, and from the look in his eyes, he was going to make sure she was out of her mind. For a second he looked at her, then shook his head. He reached over to turn on the light.

“No—”

He ignored her. When he had the light on, he returned to his position. “Got a problem with light, babe? You shouldn’t, not with a body like this.”

He brushed his hands up her stomach, grazing the sides of her breasts, then teasing her nipples with his thumbs. She sucked in a deep breath and moaned as she closed her eyes. She had very sensitive breasts, and just the simple teasing had her pussy dampening.

“Like that, do you?”

He didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he placed a hand on the bed beside her and leaned down to take a nipple in his mouth. The graze of his teeth against the tip sent heat straight to her pussy. Damn, the man was going to kill her. The way he was straddling her, she couldn’t move her legs. The pressure built as he continued to suck one, then both nipples. Her body was hot, her heart beating so hard that she wasn’t too sure she would survive. When he was done there, he started to move down her body, licking and nipping at her skin. She moved against him, and he stopped.

“Now, naughty girl, you can’t move.”

She opened her eyes and frowned at him. When she opened her mouth to respond, he placed one finger against her mouth.

“You’re the one who awoke the beast, so you get to live with the consequences.”

She wanted to tell him to go to hell, but there was something so...sexy about him commanding her, telling her what she could and could not do. Unlike her brother, Chris, she had never been into BDSM, but with Kade, the possibility was titillating. And dammit, arousal deepened his accent. That alone made her toes curl.

He apparently took her silence as agreement. “If you agree, I’ll reward you. If not, I’ll stop. And you will regret it.”

She nodded, not knowing which would be better—the reward or the punishment? Which would be worse?

He traced her lips with his finger. The callus felt odd against her mouth. “No coming unless I say so.”

She agreed with another nod. Then he tortured her. Slowly, he worked his way down her body. She had never known a man so skilled with his tongue. Who would have thought that a tongue could arouse her by just flicking over her flesh, dipping into her belly button? By the time he settled between her legs, she was pretty sure he’d touched every inch of her stomach.

He drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes. Then he sighed. When he looked up at her, the need in his gaze had her breath tangling in her chest. In all her encounters, she had never had a man stare at her with such yearning. Tears burned the backs of her eyes as she tried to control her emotions. To know she was that special to him, that this was that special to him, made her want to cry happy tears.

“I’ll never get over how you smell. Every bit of you is delicious,” he said.

He lowered his head, and without taking his gaze from hers, he set his mouth on her sex. He used his fingers to part her labia and slid his tongue into her. At that moment, she gave into the man, allowing him complete control. She was already halfway there to begin with, but now, he had her body doing whatever he wanted. She would give anything to come, to be allowed to have her release. In and out he worked his tongue, lapping at her as if she were a delicious treat he adored. He slipped two fingers into her as he began to tease her clit. He rolled his tongue over the tiny bundle of nerves, then between his teeth, gently pressing down. Pressure soared, her body shivered with her impending orgasm. She felt the rush of heat flood her sex, but he pulled back. She made a noise that was halfway between a growl and a moan.

“I didn’t say you could come.”

She wanted to yell at him, but he gently slapped her pussy. The act would get a normal man yelled at, but he had her so aroused, ribbons of lust slipped over her flesh and down into her bones at the action. He did it again, and her body responded even more willingly.

“Damn,” he said. Without explanation, he set his mouth against her, slipping his hands beneath her rear end and pulling her up. Relentlessly, he assaulted her senses, pushing her almost to the pinnacle but pulling back just in time to keep her from reaching it. Over and over he teased, pushing her right up to the edge, but not allowing her relief. She moved against him, pressing her cunt as hard as she could against his mouth. The way he was holding her, she really couldn’t get leverage.

By the time he lifted his head and set her down on the mattress, she was out of her mind. The only thing she could think of was release. She would do anything to feel the rush of her orgasm.

He slipped his fingers into her sex. “Come for me, baby. Do it.”

The order sent her spiraling into her orgasm. Her body convulsed as she screamed as ripples of euphoria washed over her. She could do nothing else. She arched off the bed and allowed the orgasm to take over. Just as she was coming down, he sent her over again as she writhed against his hand.

She was still shivering moments later when he grabbed a condom and donned it. Without any words, he flipped her over onto her stomach, pulled her up to her knees, and entered her from behind. His hands gripped her hips as he thrust in and out of her with such force that the headboard banged against the wall. After her two intense orgasms, she thought another would be impossible, but he smacked her ass. The action sent a mixture of pleasure and pain. He did it again, thrusting even harder into her, and she screamed as another release slammed through her. After a few more thrusts, he shouted her name and followed her.

Several minutes later, he pulled out of her, got rid of the condom, then settled beside her on the bed. He pulled her into his arms, and she cuddled closer.

“Hoo-rah,” he said, his voice filled with sleepy satisfaction.

“I have to say I agree, Seal.”

He chuckled then kissed her forehead. It was sweet, not sexual at all, but it had a lump filling up her throat. She slipped her hand up to his chest, could feel his heart beat against it. Shannon tried to stay awake, wanting to savor every moment they had together, but soon his even breathing relaxed her, and she drifted into sleep.

· · · · ·

The sun was barely peeking through the curtains when
Anchors Aweigh
woke Shannon from a dead sleep. She heard Kade curse then grab the phone.

“Yes, sir, McKade here.”

He was silent as he listened for a moment or two.

“Understood. Have you talked to Dupree?” He waited. “Okay. Expect us on the next plane we can get out of here.”

He turned off the phone and glanced at her. “Gotta go.”

She nodded. As the sister of a Seal, she understood. She knew there would be no discussion about where he was going, what he was doing. And he had no control over what would go down and when.

She gave him a kiss. “I understand. Did he talk to Mal?”

Kade studied her for a second. “Yes. So, more than likely, he’ll be looking for me.”

Again, he was studying her, and she couldn’t stand it any longer. “What?”

“I…I thought we might have more time.”

She sighed. “You might want to have more time, but you know the military. You get what you can and be happy for that.”

She couldn’t look at him, not right now. It hurt too much to think of him going away, of being in danger. Shannon had been through this before with both Mal and Kade, but this time was so much different. This time she had so much more to lose.

He slipped his finger under her chin. “Don’t be mad.”

She frowned. “I’m not mad. I just hate thinking of both of you in danger.”

He nodded and gave her a soft, quick kiss. It was really innocent, but she felt the heat, the need behind it. It curled her toes and had her heart turning over. Then it turned hot, his tongue slipping between her lips and stealing into her mouth. Kade started to ease her back, but she stopped him. He pulled back just far enough to talk.

“What?” he asked.

“Don’t you have to find a flight?”

“It can wait.” His lips curved. “I need one more taste of heaven.”

The way he said it had her resistance crumbling. As she allowed him to ease her back onto the bed, she told herself to enjoy the moment. There was time enough to fall to pieces after he left.

Four months later

“When did he say he was going to be here?” Verna asked as she settled against the barstool.

Shannon looked at her. She saw the expectant look on her employee’s face and inwardly cringed. Damn Mal for flirting with her employees. Verna didn’t hold a torch for him, but since his last visit, Shannon could tell Verna had been itching to get her hands all over him. If he chased off another employee, she was going to shave his eyebrows off.

“Not sure. He’s driving in.”

“Kade’s not coming?” Verna asked.

Shannon couldn’t help but feel the sharp slash at her heart. Verna didn’t mean anything because no one, as far as Shannon knew, had guessed she’d spent Kade’s last night in Hawaii with him. Almost every time Mal had come into town in the last few years, Kade had come with him.

“Not that I know of.”

She finished wiping down the counter and walked back to her office, not wanting to talk anymore about Mal’s visit. It was a slow night. Off-season in New Orleans and the weather sucked. A bad storm had hit just thirty minutes earlier, which meant they would probably be left with no customers. Seemed like everyone was staying in. She shut the office door and then collapsed into her desk chair. With a sigh, she indulged in a little pity.

Four months and no word from Kade.

When he had left, he had said he would get in touch. And he had. There had been a few texts, two calls, then nothing. She tried not to panic. After years of Mal in the Seals, she knew exactly how it went. This time was different. Her worry had kept her up at night and rode on her shoulder during the day. Probably because she had no one to talk to about it. She hadn’t even told her sister what had happened the night of Chris’s wedding.

She had known they were back because Mal had called to tell her both of them had been injured. Mal had played it off, as usual, but she had sensed something had gone wrong. They had lost one member of the team. It had hit them all hard, she was sure. What she didn’t understand was why Kade had not called. It wasn’t like him at all. Even if it had just been a one-night stand, it wasn’t like them to stay away this long. She had worked through the pain and anger, and now…she just wanted an answer. But she apparently wasn’t going to get it. Her texts and calls were still being ignored. Whatever she thought they had shared had been an illusion, or possibly just one-sided.

Before she could get too depressed, she heard her brother’s voice booming out from the bar area.

“Where is my gorgeous sister?”

Excitement had her jumping up from the chair and running out to see him. He was drenched, but he had a big smile on his face and his arms open wide. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t think to. The entire family was close, and these last few months had been hard on all of them. She ran to him and jumped into his arms. Tears stung the back of her eyes as he hugged her tight.

“It’s so good to see you,” she said just loud enough for him to hear. Her voice wavered a bit, and she was afraid she just might start crying.

He gave her one last squeeze and then pulled back. Up close, she could see a new scar on his lip.

“Bad assignment?” she asked and was embarrassed that her voice caught.

He nodded. “But I came out of it with flying colors. Not like the losers I brought with me.”

He motioned with his head behind him, and she followed the direction. There, on the steps leading down into her bar, stood Kade. A rush of relief came first, her heart now happier to know that he really was okay. She knew Mal wouldn’t have lied about something major, but he might have hidden the injuries Kade had suffered.

In the next instant, irritation replaced it. There he stood in her bar, larger than life, if a little more ragged around the edge. Dammit, he should look apologetic. Still, she couldn’t say anything. Not with an audience.

“You know Kade, of course,” Mal said, his voice dipping a bit in a threatening way. She glanced at him, wondering if he had guessed what had gone on, but if he did, he hid it well. “I don’t believe you’ve met Chief.”

She realized that there was another man there beside Kade. She guessed he was older than both Mal and Kade by just a few years. Tall, blond, he was assessing the room like most of the Seals she’d met. His gaze roamed over her customers. He had his arm in a sling, telling her more than just Mal and Kade had been injured. When he focused his attention on her, she felt it to her toes. His gray eyes were as intense as the man. Damn, these men were dangerous.

“Chief,” she said.

“Deke, ma’am.”

She smiled. “Then you must call me Shannon.”

He looked at her for a second, then a slow, sexy smile curled his lips. Dangerous was too simple of a word for the Viking god standing in front of her.

“Certainly.”

Mal made a disgusted sound. “That’s enough of that.”

She hadn’t truly looked at Kade until now. He hadn’t said a word. Now, though, she turned her attention to him. If it had not been melodramatic, she would have gasped. He’d lost weight. He had a fresh scar above his right eye, and his eyes, those beautiful blue eyes, were cold. The sparkle was gone. He offered her no smile. As she allowed her gaze to drop, she noticed he was favoring his right leg.

“Hey, Kade.”

He hesitated. “Hey.”

She could barely hear him above the noise in the bar. His voice was low and gravelly and very un-Kade-like.

“I was hoping that you had room to spare for us,” Mal said.

Shannon tore her attention away from Kade and looked at her brother. He was smiling at her with the same puppy dog eyes that made most women melt. Not his sister. She was ready to say no and send them to her mother. She didn’t need to deal with three injured surly men, especially one who had just about broken her heart. But there was something else in Mal’s expression, something a little desperate. Their mama could fit them, and she would definitely fatten Kade up and baby the three of them. For some reason, though, Mal wanted to be with her.

She nodded. “Sure. You know my house is big enough for y’all.”

Mal kissed her cheek. “Do you have to close up?”

“No, she doesn’t,” Simon, her bartender said. He was watching her like a hawk, and she knew that he sensed her hesitation. “Go on, boss. I can handle this.”

She smiled. “Thanks. I’ll just get my things.”

Mal nodded.

“You know the way and you have a key. I’ll catch up with you in a minute,” she said.

He ushered the other two out. She felt Kade give her a look, but she couldn’t return it. Her emotions were too raw, too…unbalanced. She didn’t know what she would do. If she did, she would surely yell or cry. Or both.

She walked back to her office with Simon on her heels.

“So that’s the guy.”

She glanced back at one of her best friends and sighed. She should have known that he would figure it out.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been moping around since you returned from the wedding.”

“I have not,” she said, lying through her teeth as she pretended to shut down the computer.

“Yeah, sure. This is Simon, child.”

She sighed and looked at him. He was a year older than her and ten times prettier. Long brown hair, blue eyes, and a dimple in his chin made him irresistible to both men and women. Being the tramp that he was, Simon had no problem with either of them.

“Simon, how many times do I have to tell you that you’re white?
Really
white. When you talk like that, you sound stupid.”

He rolled his eyes. “And you’re stalling because you don’t want to answer me.”

“Yes, he’s the reason I have been out of sorts.”

Simon snorted. “Yeah, sure. ‘Out of sorts.’”

“Anyway, we had a little fun in Hawaii. Apparently it meant more to me than to him.” She shrugged, trying not to lose her composure. “No big deal.”

“Oh, hun, of course it is. I can tell by looking at you. And I really think you’re wrong. I know Kade. He’s been in here for years mooning over you. A guy that is that infatuated just doesn’t have a one-night stand with his brother’s best friend. Especially someone like Kade.”

She had thought so, but apparently she had been wrong. Very wrong. “Well, I haven’t heard from him in months. So I am assuming that the infatuation is over.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but she held up her hand. “No more. I don’t have time. Could you get Chef to prepare some of that jambalaya to go for me? Enough for the three of them—which will be a lot. Those Seals are going to eat me out of house and home. Oh, and can you handle tomorrow night? I know it’s a lot to ask, but I thought maybe I should stick around the house. I feel like Mal has something to tell me.”

He wanted to say more. She could tell by the look in his eye, but apparently thought better of it. He left her alone, and she finished shutting down the computer. It would take a few moments to prepare herself to face off with Kade. And they would…have a face off.

But first, she wanted to know what made him look that way, and just why the hell he looked so sickly.

· · · · ·

“Your sister’s a looker,” Chief said from the backseat.

Kade barely held back the growl that rumbled in his chest. He couldn’t help it. Seeing her had brought about so many emotions that he still didn’t have under control. The possessiveness hit him out of left field. And what right did he have to feel that way? Four months had passed. Even if he had reasons for staying away—good reasons—they didn’t mean anything right now. She wasn’t his, never would be.

Mal laughed. “Hey, watch yourself, Chief. There’s a good chance she’d beat you with your injured arm.”

“You’re not going to warn me off her?” Chief asked.

“Naw, if she doesn’t want you, she’ll let you know. Right, Kade?”

He glanced at his best friend, trying to figure out if there was another meaning. He had been tossing out strange comments for over a month now. But every time he looked at Mal, he appeared relaxed and gave Kade no hint of any other meaning.

“Sure. After running a bar for a few years, Shannon can handle herself.”

Chief sighed. “Not that I can do anything about it tonight. I’m so damned tired from the trip. Damn bones are creaking.”

“That’s because you’re old, Chief,” Mal said.

“You got that right,” Chief replied. “Although something did smell good in the bar.”

“If I know Shannon, she’ll be bringing us something home to eat, and I am sure it will be jambalaya.”

Kade would normally welcome a bowl, but he hadn’t had much of an appetite since returning from their mission. He knew the commander, along with his doctors, were worried about it. Mal pulled up to Shannon’s house and parallel parked in front of it. She had one of the historical homes in the Garden District with the iron work fence, the famous balconies, and a garden Kade’s mother would definitely kill in two weeks. He had always loved the house, probably almost as much as Shannon did. It always felt like he was coming home when they visited.

“Wow, this is your sister’s?”

Mal nodded. “Yeah. It was our grandmother’s years ago. She sold it and moved north. Shannon bought it a few years ago after Katrina. She had to repair a little bit here and there, but it is looking pretty good.”

They grabbed their gear, and Kade felt the familiar twinge of pain in his knee. After pulling in a few breaths, he followed Mal and Chief up the walkway and into the house. It was dark and panic settled in his chest. He thought after three months, he would be over this stupid fear. Now, though, he felt his heart hammering against his ribs and his throat was closing up.

Mal turned on the lights in the foyer and tossed him a glance. Checking on him again. Like he was some kind of damned invalid. He had never told Mal about his new problem—problems—but he knew his friend sensed it.

“Why don’t you take the guest room down here? The stairs are going to be a bitch on your knee.”

He nodded and headed off to the room. He needed a shower and a shot of whiskey. Or maybe two whiskeys. He pulled off his clothes with just a few twinges. When he was finally naked, Kade stood there, looking at himself in the mirror. He was a fucking mess. The injuries were healing, but there were still times he was amazed he got through the day without losing it.

He glanced down at his knee and cringed. It was swollen again, but nothing that a little ice wouldn’t fix. He didn’t need to look at the marks on his back. Even though they had healed, he could still feel them as if he had just been injured. He probably always would.

He heard the front door open just as he stepped into the shower. The house was old, and the wood flooring made it easy to hear movements. He heard her approach the guest room, hesitate, then after a moment or two, she walked away. With a sigh that was half regret and half relief, he picked up the soap and the rag. The hot water pounded on his back, releasing some of the tension that had been keeping him on edge.

He could admit that he’d been worried about facing Shannon. He had avoided it for months, broke off any contact after the total fucked up mess their assignment became. He knew she deserved an explanation, but he’d taken the cowards way out and not called. Hell, he didn’t even email her. And there was one thing that he hated being and that was a coward. He would have never thought it would happen to him. He’d taken life in the Seals as one of the greatest adventures. Now, though, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to put his gear on again.

He closed his eyes, trying to stamp out the feelings that thought brought about, but it didn’t help. Every time he did, images from the firefight, of watching one of his best friends get shot, feeling the bullet piercing his skin...

Fuck
. People who thought that you didn’t remember things like that were fucked in the head. They didn’t seem to understand that people would live with the memories the rest of their lives. And fuck, he didn’t need to go back there, didn’t want to remember how screwed up everything had become and how all of them had come back with more than just a little baggage, including the coffin of one of their own.

He pushed aside the irritation and the damn fucking vulnerability that seemed to choke him constantly and finished his shower.