Reminding The SEAL (Navy SEAL Military Romance) (16 page)

“Lee-Ann, let’s go,” he insisted.

“No!” she pushed hard and fell back against Pete’s car and managed to get inside, pulling up the door.

Pete didn’t waste time. He ran around to the driver side and quickly got in.

“I’m sorry Amy,” Joshua looked at his date apologetically while running towards the Bentley. “I’ve got to deal with this.”

Amy wasn’t pleased, “Suit yourself. I’m going inside.”

“Are you sure?” he was concerned.

“
I
  know how to take care of myself, don’t worry about me,” Amy said acidly. It was obvious she was pissed at him.

As Pete drove out, Joshua trailed behind him, but another car came in and blocked him, allowing Pete to escape. He had no idea where they went and had to stop for a few minutes to think. He knew deep down what happened, and he could not let anyone take advantage of Lee-Ann. He imagined all sorts of things happening and got sick to his stomach.

“If anything happens to her, I’ll kill him, I swear,” he hit the steering wheel with his fist, causing a slight dent.

He thought that, by the time he checked all the motels in Irvine, it would be too late. Then it occurred to him that Pete might take her somewhere secluded. A place he can park the car and have his way. That place was Turtle Rock Viewpoint. That was ten minutes away. He hoped he was right, and sped away on the shortest route he knew.

Traffic was thinning, thank God, so there was little hindrance. There were a few cars there, so he had to make sure of which one Lee-Ann was in. Initially, he didn’t see Pete’s car and was about to leave when he looked across a secluded area and saw a shadow that may be a vehicle. The area was really dark, and unlike the other cars parked with their headlights on, this one had shut off all lights and was just sitting there.

With his heart beating wildly and fear up to his neck, he raced over.  His eyes quickly adjusting to the dimness, and yes, it was the same car. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. He then pounded on the window.

“Open the door, motherfucker!” there was no response.

He could see movement inside the vehicle. For a fleeting moment, he thought that perhaps he could be mistaken and it was not Pete’s car. However, the thought of that jerk doing something to her drove him crazy. He pulled his shirt off. Luckily, he’d been wearing a cotton shirt over his Ts. Using the shirt, he wrapped his elbow with it, and with one swift and powerful elbow strike, he smashed the window.

“Lee-Ann!” he screamed her name while Pete jumped from the passenger side and ran off in the distance. “Oh no you don’t.”

With the speed of a cheetah and the precision of a jaguar, Joshua was right behind. He caught up to him, landing a flying left kick at the back of Pete’s head. The guy went down like a rag dog, sagging to the dusty California ground.

He went back the car to get Lee-Ann who was sobbing, “Lee-Ann, are you okay?”

“Josh?”

“Yes, it’s me,” he yanked the door open and lifted her out. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into her neck. “Oh Josh! He…he…tried to….”

“Shhh, I’m here now Reds. I won’t ever let anything happen to you.”

She rambled against his shoulder, but he couldn’t understand her. He placed her gently in the front passenger seat of the Bentley and strapped her in. When he got around to his side, she was curled up with her knees to her chin.

“Lee-Ann?” he reached over and brushed her hair from her face.

“Josh,” she whispered. “I don’t feel good.”

“I know. I’ll take you home, but we’ve got to get you sobered up before then,” he told her. “Mom and Dad shouldn’t see you this way.”

She rested her head back and closed her eyes. He reached up and switched the roof light on, wanting to see how she was holding up. Her long lashes brushed her cheeks and he got the intense urge to touch them. Her lips were slightly parted, reminding him of how they tasted, sweet and tender. The truth is, he’d never seen anyone as breathtaking as her. Her eyes flicked open and stared at him for a second before they closed and she started snoring softly.

He pulled away slowly, sliding down the windows to let in the night air. On the way home, he stopped once at a gas station to get water. It dawned on him that he should have called the police, but had been too worried to think straight. The hospital was the best place to take her before the drug wore off, and they would report it to the police.

When he got back into the car, Lee-Ann was awake but barely so. “Where are we going?’ she barely managed to ask when he headed in the opposite direction from home.

“To the hospital,” he told her.

“No, Josh,” she said, her voice slightly slurry. “I…I…don’t’ want to go…go through that…embarrassing.” The last word was a whisper. “Please.”

“Lee-Ann, I think you should report this,” he pleaded.

“No, please…please,” she reached over and rested her hand on his arm. The warmth of it seeped up his shoulder.

“Okay, but I don’t like it.”

Chapter Six

Her head ached. Lee-Ann opened her eyes slowly and stretched. Her feet connecting with something hard. She groaned as she wondered what was on her bed. Her head felt a bit heavy, but she managed to raise it to look at her feet and what was obstructing it. It looked like a dashboard, so she closed her eyes and breathed, thinking she must be dreaming.

With a sigh she turned, but something felt off. Her eyes flew open and widened at the sight of a man beside her. She was about to scream when they settled on his nose and then his lips. It was Joshua, but what was he doing in her bed? Wait…they were in the Bentley, but why? She sat up abruptly, causing a slight vibration. Joshua’s eyes opened and looked at her questioningly.

“Are you okay?” his voice was gently.

“Where are we? Why are we in the car?” she sounded like a frog.

He sat up and brushed a lock of her hair away from her cheek. The touch of his finger left a tingle. He was looking at her with something strange in his eyes and she liked it. A fluttering sensation filled her chest and she felt her breath stop.

“You don’t remember what happened?”

“No,” she whispered hoarsely, not able to look away from him. “Did something happen?”

“Why’d you…,” he started to ask. “Never mind.”

“All I remember was coming back from the restroom and having my drink and…I can’t remember. Why can’t I remember? It’s not like I had any alcohol. They were virgin cosmos.”

Joshua sighed, “Lee-Ann. You can’t do this anymore.” He took her hand and twined his fingers with hers. “We should stop this now.”

She looked down at her hand in his and her heart started beating faster. “What do you mean?”

“Stop punishing me. It’s only hurting you in the process.”

“I don’t understand Josh,” she’d found her voice and it raised a decibel.

“Going out with guys to get back at me, Lee-Ann.”

Her mouth opened and then snapped shut. She didn’t know what to say. Was it true? Was she doing all this to get back at him? What about Pete? Did he come to get her away from Pete?

“What happened to Pete?” she asked.

“Reds, he’s bad news. Do you know what he did to you?” he clenched his jaw and his lips became thin.

“No,” she quietly said. “I don’t remember anything.”

“He drugged you and then…then…he,” Josh could not finish. His voice became tight and he turned his face away.

Lee-Ann was scared. Did Pete rape her? She reached between her thighs and felt her vagina. There would be signs there…wouldn’t it? She felt like she was suffocating and she started hyperventilating. What if he got her pregnant? Or a disease!

“Lee-Ann,” Josh turned around and held her shoulder. “Calm down, nothing happened.”

“Are…you…sure?” she said between breaths.

“Yes, luckily, I got there in time. Now, breathe easy,” he pulled her over to him and patted her back while she rested her head on his shoulder.

She was scared. What if Josh hadn’t been there? She clung to him, trying to fight the stinging behind her eyelids, but in vain. Her tears welled and flowed down her cheeks.

“Hush, Reds. I told you, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

He pushed her shoulders gently so he could look at her. With both thumbs, he brushed the tears from her cheeks, then brushed back her hair from her face. It was more like a caress and Lee-Ann felt safe. She flung her arms back around his neck and hugged him close. He’d always been there to protect her and she always resented him.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just wanted you to see me as a woman.”

“Is that why you do these things, because you want me to notice you?” She said nothing, but shook her head in assent. “Don’t you know? I’ve always seen you that way?”

She didn’t believe him and thought he was only trying to make her feel better, but she said nothing. He told her that the reason he didn’t take her home was that he didn’t want her mother to see her that way and that he called to tell their parents they were together at a party. He gave her a rundown of the night’s events, including what she said and that she asked him not to go to the police.

She was feeling better by the time they went home. Barbara didn’t suspect anything, so she went directly to her room to shower and go to bed. She didn’t awake until late afternoon. Joshua was gone when she went down, rummaging through the kitchen for food. The after effects of the drug Pete had given her made her feel nauseous and weird. She wondered why she told Joshua not to take her to the police. Perhaps out of embarrassment?

The other issue she had was whether or not to tell Gracie. She was her best friend. Gracie would never knowingly do anything to hurt her. Pete was supposed to be her brother’s friend from college; therefore, she would feel some amount of responsibility for what happened. Telling Gracie about it would only make her feel bad, so she decided not to.

However, that plan failed as well. When her phone rang that night, Gracie was bawling and mumbling that it took a good fifteen minutes before Lee-Ann could understand what she was saying. There was some hiccup on Gracie’s end and blowing of her nose.

“Calm down, Gracie, what’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, we had no idea he was like that!”

Lee-Ann fell silent, then took a deep breath before replying. “How did you know?”

“Josh didn’t tell you?” Gracie squeaked.

Lee-Ann hand gripped the phone tightly, her knuckles turning white. Her voice cracked as she asked, “What about Josh?”

“He beat Pete to a pulp, almost landing him in the hospital,” Gracie told her.

“OH MY GOD! Is Josh in jail?” she hadn’t seen him since she woke up. Was that where he went?

“No, he’s fine. Pete said he wasn’t pressing charges. Pete is scared that he might be a registered sex offender if this gets out,” Gracie paused. “Lee, he may have done it before, but I swear my brother was as shocked as I was to find out. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Gracie. Look, I’ve got to find Josh, to make sure he’s okay. Don’t worry, I don’t blame you, okay?”

“Okay, later,” Gracie said. “Lee, I love you.”

“Love you too Gracie. Bye.”

She hung up feeling uneasy. She called Joshua’s number but he wasn’t answering. Then, she called Cory. He had no idea where Josh was either. Gracie said he was okay but he’d been gone all day. By ten o’clock that night, her mind was in overdrive. She had no idea where he hung out so it would be useless to go looking for him. Briefly, it crossed her mind that Pete may have done something in revenge.

After her mother and stepfather went to bed, she hung around downstairs for a while. She tried to distract herself by watching television, but soon got bored. She went for a walk in the garden, on the opposite side of the pool. The white bird feed stood stark against the dimness. A slight glow from the garden lights reflected off the stone path flanked by rows of multicolored roses.

There was a cool breeze rustling the trees. Lee-Ann inhaled deeply, allowing her shoulders to relax. Another night, similar to this one, came to mind. After Josh had dragged her from one of the parties she sneaked off to attend, they’d had one of their heated arguments. She’d told him how much she hated him and his father, that she wished her mother never married Timothy. She didn’t mean a word of it, but she could see the way Josh’s eyes had changed color. How his jaw had set, and she knew he was hurt. He hadn’t come home that night, and for the first time, she found herself worried about him.

She skirted the house and came around to the poolside where she sat for a while. The water was almost tempting for her to dive in but she resisted. If she went swimming now, she might wake her parents. She laid back on the lounger and closed her eyes, trying not to think about her stepbrother and the amount of worrying she’d done in the last few hours. It was slowly dawning on her why she was so worried and why, she’d always rebelled against him. It wasn’t easy to admit, but she knew that she never really hated him.

As she was falling into a doze, a shadow fell across her. She sat up abruptly and opened her eyes. He was standing there looking down at her. She sprang to her feet and flung her arms around his neck, something she seemed to be doing a lot lately.

“Where have you been?” she pushed him away. Her eyes narrowed and her lips twisted angrily. “Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”

“Not now Lee-Ann. I’m not in the mood to argue,” his voice was gruff.

Joshua turned and started walking towards the double glass doors leading into the house with her following close behind. He headed up the stairs, two at a time, but she paused to close the door, so by the time she started climbing the stairs, he was already at the door to his room. She had to run the rest of the way.

“Josh, wait!”

“You’re going to wake Mom and Dad,” he said in a low tone. “Go to bed Lee-Ann.”

“No, not until you talk to me.”

He reached for the door knob and she held out her hand to stop him. That’s when she noticed his hand was bandaged.

“What’s this?”

He pushed her hand away and pushed the door open, stepping into the room. He was about to close the door, but she pushed passed him and entered as well.

“Reds, I’m in no mood to argue.”

“Who’s arguing? Let me see,” she gently said and reached for his hand. The bandage was makeshift, something he picked up at the pharmacy.

“It’s alright, I put something on it,” his voice husky.

“Why do you do it, Josh?”

He pulled his hand away, “Do what?”

“Fight for me?” she reached for his hand once more and brought it to her cheeks. Her eyes stung and filled with tears. With wide glossy eyes, she searched for his eyes, but he avoided her. “Why do you always fight for me? Answer me?” she cried.

“Reds, don’t…don’t’ cry…I’m fine,” he whispered. She turned his palm towards her lips and kissed the bandage, then each finger. “What’re you doing?” he asked.

“I’m sorry,” she croaked. “For all the times’ you’ve had to fight for me.”

She moved and carried her arms around his waist, hugging him close. When she lifted her face to look at him, their eyes met and what she saw there made her pulse race. She tipped and gently kissed his lips. He looked keenly at her for a moment, then their lips met again. She pressed her breast into his chest as she parted her lips to meet his tongue. He growled deep in his throat before breaking the kiss.

“Josh, make me into a woman,” she reached up and whispered against his ear.

His hand gripped her shoulders and gently pushed her away, “No.”

“Yes, please. It has to be you.”

“I can’t do it Lee-Ann,” he insisted and turned away.

“Why not?”

He turned back abruptly to her and looked at her intently, “Because sex is not something to be taken lightly. You can’t go back.”

“I know,” she pushed the t-shirt she was wearing over her head. With trembling hands she pushed her shorts down and stepped towards Josh, whose eyes were fixed on her breasts. “I want it to be you.”

“Are you sure about this?” his voice was so hoarse the words hardly came out.

In answer, she reached for his good hand and placed it on her breast. The other hand she brought to her cheek and rubbed against it like a cat loving rubbing against its owner. With a groan, Josh gently squeezed the breast his hand rested on then he bent and kissed the tip. A bolt of electricity shot through her chest at the contact and she gasped.

Gently, he kissed the other nipple before touching it with his tongue. He stopped and looked into her eyes, maybe for confirmation, she didn’t know, but she kissed his chest. He swept her up in one fluid movement and laid her on the bed.

With tenderness, Josh ran his fingertips over her lips, then trailed them along her neck and down her cleavage. His lips followed close behind leaving a blazing trail of fire in their wake. Lee-Ann closed her eyes and savored his caresses. She’d waited for this, anticipated it, and even resented him for not giving her what she wanted most…himself. Her eyes flicked open at the thought, but the sensations ricocheting through her were too much and she lost focus.

Josh was kissing her belly button and going down to her thighs. Her breaths were now coming in gasps as she could hardly breathe. He reached for her pink cotton brief and pulled them down, tossing it on the floor. She knew it wasn’t sexy, and she flinched at what he must have thought about it. But she quickly forgot about it when he kissed her pubic hair and gently parted her thighs.

“Oh,” she breathed as she felt him kiss her labia.

He used his thumbs to part her folds, then stuck his tongue out to touch her clitoris. She jumped at the contact and groaned loudly. He did it again and she twisted her body from the pleasure which shook her. His tongue sank into her making her gush sticky substance over his mouth.

His lips ran along the inner flesh of her thighs and down her legs, then back up. He then lifted himself and removed his shirt, dropping it to the floor, followed by his jeans. Smoothly, he slid atop her, covering her body with his, cupping her face and taking her lips captive. His tongue played twister with hers. She felt his manhood brushing against her pelvis. It was hot and hard, and she wondered about it. Would it hurt badly?