SEAL The Deal (19 page)

Devon put her palm up on Marc’s massive back and gave him a pat. “She’ll love that. Thanks for being there for Sophie.”

The patio got quiet.

Nick took Devon to the yogurt place, the other hangouts he’d talked about. They walked along the Strand and she bought some tee shirts to wear at home. Got a SEAL Team 3 sticker for her car, and a hat. He showed her his BUD/S graduating class logo, introduced her to other Team guys and showed her the beach where they had trained, just down from the Hotel Del.

She’d read about the boat crews and how they had learned to work together, their mission to get the inflatable rafts up and over sharp craggy boulders. Over and over again she watched in silence as Nick cheered the guys on and catcalled a couple of the instructors he knew.

She heard one instructor yell out to the recruits, “You see that guy over there and that fine-looking lady? That’s what real Team guys get to have, but you won’t have any of that. All the best lookin’ women go to the real Team guys, not you sorry assholes.”

Devon didn’t mind the appreciative smiles coming her direction.

“Don’t you look at her. She doesn’t even want to be on the same beach as you baby tadpoles. You guys is pussies. Not men. You’re pussies. That guy, he gets that pretty little thing over there you can only dream about.”

The instructor had a couple of men fall into the surf on their backs, covering themselves with wet sand, letting the waves lap over them, getting saltwater in their eyes and everywhere else.

Nick turned to Devon. “Now, that’s wet and sandy.”

“Why did he make them do that?”

Nick slipped his arm around her waist, under her shirt, his palm just barely touching her beneath her bra without being too obvious. “Because they smiled at you, babe.”

Devon frowned feeling sorry for the young recruits.

“Or because they were slow, or didn’t answer back loud enough, or hit someone with an oar, or got sand in one of the instructor’s eyes when he ran past. Any one of those could earn them that.” Nick searched her face, placing his palms against her cheeks as he tenderly kissed her. “Don’t feel bad, honey. The right ones make it. And for those few, it’s good for them.”

Their kiss warmed her. Standing on the sunny beach with the wind whipping around them both, she tucked her head under his chin, and snuggled in the safety of his strong arms. She looked at the ocean, the beach, the Hotel Del in the background.

Maybe someday this all could be part of her life.

Because part of it already was.

Sunday went by faster than Saturday had. Nick took Devon to Christy’s office and the three of them had lunch together nearby.

Devon was more than intimidated by the blonde beauty Nick seemed so comfortable with. It didn’t matter that she and Kyle were married and had a child. Didn’t matter that Kyle had put his arm around Devon several times, they’d even danced during the liquidation sale when he was in Sonoma County. Devon didn’t like to see Nick’s hands on her, even if it was an innocent squeeze or a quick peck on her cheek.

Christy was tall and blonde, with a model build and gait. She was confident, and Devon could see she was well liked. She knew this extended beyond the obligatory respect their LPO’s wife would get. She was the one who usually took the newer wives under her wing, Nick had told her. When Nick got caught up in a conversation at the bar with another retired Team guy, Christy smiled. “You have any questions you want to ask while he’s out of earshot?”

Devon was taken aback by her frankness.

“I just never knew about any of this. All new to me.”

“We all feel that way at first. You get used to it.” She looked into Devon’s eyes without smiling. “It’s a lot for a woman to take in. Some can’t make it. It’s very hard on everyone, just like in other branches. Gone for long periods of time. Arguments that flare up don’t get resolved for months at a time.”

Devon watched Nick put a foot up on the chair rail and take a sip of beer with the bartender and the other man.

“People get lonely. Babies are born while on deployment. Birthdays and anniversaries, Valentines days are missed. Recitals and graduations happen without the whole family being together. And then, some come home damaged. Wounded in other ways.” She looked across the room at Nick. For a second, Devon saw a shadow cross her face.

“You know what cures them?” Christy said with her smiling eyes.

Devon shook her head.

“You just love them the way they are. You don’t expect them to be anything other than what they are. You just smooth all the rough spots away and you never forget to let them know how much you love them. That’s the cure for all of it, really.”

Devon could see Christy’s eyes tear up.

“I have to say that before I met Kyle, I didn’t know what a real man was.”

Devon knew she would never forget that statement.

Christy took them on a tour of the real estate office. She caught Nick watching as she examined the private offices and the conference rooms. Christy introduced her as a top-producing agent to the manager, Mr. Sims.

Devon could see the real estate small talk was boring Nick, so she thanked Christy and Mr. Sims and left.

They called Sophie. “I’m being fussed over, poked and prodded. And Devon, what do I do when people want to come over to the property to look?”

Devon took Nick’s phone and answered, “You tell them to call me. It’s marked as pending, and we’ve made comments in the listing there is a medical issue, so they shouldn’t do that.”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“Anyone from next door?”

“God, I don’t know. Emma said someone keeps calling and hanging up. She’s got the ringer turned down so it doesn’t wake me, so I don’t know how many calls she’s getting, but a few. Not sure about Rodriguez, though.”

“Well, I’ll be home tomorrow. Get some rest, because we have all those inspections to complete this week.”

After she’d hung up, Devon was ashamed to realize that she didn’t want to go home. She became quiet, saddened by the parting that would happen tomorrow.

“What can I do to cheer you up?” Nick asked.

She knew there was one thing they hadn’t done. She smiled, looking out the window to the side.

“What?” he asked with a laugh.

“I’d like to see your place,” she said. It didn’t have the effect she’d expected.

Nick took in air and shook his head. “Babe, we have a very nice room at the—”

“I want to see
your
place, Nick. I want to see where you spend your time when you’re here.”

She could see he was nervous.

“The decorator is very cheap.”

“Good. I’m glad she isn’t spending very much time there, then,” she returned.

“You know, we don’t really spend very much time there.”

“Good. So you don’t bring girls home, then?” she said with her eyebrows raised. She loved making him squirm.

“Of course not.” He had started to say something else but kept it inside. “You’re not going to be impressed.” His gaze swept between her face and the road ahead. “Really, it’s not impressive at all.”

“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?” She could tell how nervous he was by the fact that he hadn’t stopped squirming in his seat, glancing out the side window, glancing back at her.

“What’s so important about my place?” he finally asked. Devon thought he might refuse her.

“Your bed. I want to see your sucky bed.”

“I think you have a very smart mouth, missy,” he said after he parked and feigned yanking her arm as they crossed the parking lot. Nick was in a hurry, and she liked that. He zoomed to his place faster than she’d ever seen him drive.

“I thought you liked my mouth,” she whispered.

Nick was laughing softly, pulling her urgently. “Five minutes. You get to see my place for five minutes and then we’re going back to the Hotel Del. Agreed?”

When she didn’t answer, he stopped.

She examined her toes. “It might take longer than five minutes, Nick.”

“Man, are you going to get it,” he said as he resumed his pursuit of his front door.

“I’m counting on it, Nick.”

They ran up one flight of steps in the Spanish-styled apartment complex, down a red-tiled outdoor hallway and stopped in front of Apartment 42C.

He slipped his key inside the door lock as she snaked her palms under his shirt. Before he opened the door, he turned and covered her mouth with his. “You might have to be punished for your transgression,” he whispered.

Chapter 21

Nick was hoping Marc had left the place clean enough. It had never mattered before, but suddenly now, holding Devon in his arms, about to bring her into his place, a place he never brought women, suddenly now it was important.

But not as important as feeling her come to life under his kiss, hearing her little sighs and moans as he slipped his tongue along her lower lip and fed from her in a long, wet kiss. His need was off the charts. His fantasies were soaring.

“So, welcome to my humble apartment and my sucky bed.”

Devon squealed. Suddenly he wanted to tie her up with things and make her beg for him. But he doubted she was ready for that sort of play. And he preferred the beautiful room at the Hotel Del, but damn, he was hot for her.

He stood behind her, folding her backwards into his chest and groin, just in case she had any concerns he wasn’t aroused. She took one bold step inside and he closed the door behind them, keeping it dark.

Marc had done a decent job. No dirty dishes in the sink, no dirty laundry or clean unfolded laundry anywhere. It actually didn’t smell half bad, either, since Marc had left the sliding glass door open a crack.

He took her hand and gently pulled her across the living room. “Kitchen, living room, Marc’s room,” he pointed as they walked. “And my room,” he said as he opened his bedroom door.

“And the sucky bed?”

“And yes, my lonely bed, where I sleep. And dream of you.” He kissed her again.

He’d forgotten to make the bed, but it wasn’t too bad. She stepped inside and her fingers traced over the top of his dresser, over the picture of Sophie, one of their parents she recognized from Sophie’s place, and a picture of her. It had been taken the day of the sale, with Sophie’s floppy hat. She was stained with water from one of their frequent hose duels. He’d looked at that picture ten times a day. It was the way he always thought of her. He liked her disheveled, non-professional, and all his.

His fingers stroked over the soft flesh of her most fine butt cheek under her skirt. “You see, there’s really nothing to see,” he said as he dropped to his knees, turned her so he could kiss the insides of her thighs under the cotton fabric. He deftly slipped her panties down until they dropped to the floor like tissue paper. Parting her knees and letting his fingers slide along her velvet flesh, he found her core as he kissed her belly button. 

He inserted two fingers inside her after rubbing down the slit of her sex, focusing on pressing on her nub with his thumbs. Devon groaned and leaned into him further, reaching around to sift through his hair.

Nick felt her shaking with what he hoped was anticipation. He removed her top, undid her bra and looked at her fine body in the shadows while he quickly got rid of his own clothes. He drew her back towards his bed. The length of their bodies touched. He turned her toward his single mattress on the bare bamboo floor, gesturing down.

“And this would be the sucky bed,” he said in a whisper. He thought she’d like that, but she was quiet.

Then she answered him. “Show me, show me what you dream about doing in this bed. I want to make it memorable.”

Memorable. Here?

“When I think about you at night, when we’re separated. I want to think about us together. Here.”

Okay.

“Oh, God, Nick. Surprise me.”

He had to laugh to himself. After all, everything he did to her was new and
thank God
it had been a surprise.

“Make love to me, Nick.”

“With pleasure.” But he hesitated because he couldn’t get her comment out of his head. He was such a dumbass, because she saw the smirk on his face and she stepped back and frowned. He was on the verge of laughing and he knew it could cost him greatly, but he couldn’t stop.

“Nick?” she said, starting low and slow and her voice rising.

Oh what the fuck!
“It’s just, well when you made that comment about surprising you, well—”

“How would I know the difference? she finished for him. “That what you mean?” Her voice was not at all soft and friendly. Boy, had he blown it.

“I’m sorry. It was just a stupid thought,” he said, leaning on one hip and holding out his arms. “Sweetheart, I love doing anything, everything with you. I love that it’s new for you. I mean, I
really do
.”

His treading water thing wasn’t working. He could see by the expression on her face that he was drowning, and any minute she’d decide to hold him under. He could see the
Oh Shit
moment coming—and yup, she didn’t disappoint.

“So I’m not as experienced as other women you’ve been with? I don’t know how to do certain things you like, that what you’re saying?”

“No! Fuck no, Devon.” He tried to walk over to her, but she backed up and kept an arm’s length away. “I love everything you do, the way you do it, too.” He knew it was bad, really bad when they started comparing themselves to other women. But before, when these little discussions came up, he was halfway out of a relationship and sort of grateful. He even liked it when the girl broke up with him, because it was easier on him that way. And yes, there was the wonderful makeup sex when they changed their minds, but hell, women were complicated. If they wanted sex, give it to them. As long as there weren’t any strings.

What the fuck are you thinking?
He could not believe he was actually having this conversation inside his head. He didn’t want to break up with Devon. He wanted—he wanted—Oh crap, here he was about to go down the rabbit hole.

“I love everything you do because I love you. You are what makes it special for me, unlike anyone else I’ve ever known.”