Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Us (Kindle Worlds Novella) (5 page)

“Why don’t you stay the night at my place tonight? We can leave early in the morning and I’ll know you’re safe.”

It felt like forever until she finally sniffled and then nodded her head. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

Chapter 9

Maya

We sat for what seemed like forever, talking to the cops outside of Ace’s.

I didn’t have anything for them to go on, and I didn’t want to give them all of the details about what happened. What if they somehow traced the necklace back to me being a shifter?

The guy didn’t steal anything, or try to take my purse full of tip money, so he was definitely after the necklace.

The police left, basically saying to call if I remembered anything else, but I knew they were writing me off.

I couldn’t stop shaking.

The man came out of nowhere.

He didn’t say a word; he just pushed me down and tugged at my necklace.

If Calder hadn’t show up, I don’t know what I would have done.

He wanted to drive me to his place, but I didn’t want to leave my car behind. I didn’t know what would happen if those guys came back, looking for the necklace in my vehicle. I also needed some time to think. Think if driving to Calder’s was really what I should be doing or if I should just curl up in a ball and hide somewhere.

Calder lived in a condo not far from the base. It was only about three stories high and Mediterranean style with a gated entry. I parked behind Calder’s car outside of a small veranda.

Calder was out of his car and opening my door, helping me out before I could protest.

“You can tell me no if you want me to just take you home,” he whispered, wrapping his arm around my waist and guiding me up the small ramp to the door.

“I want to stay,” I replied meekly.

“Good. I want you here too.”

He pulled his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door, then pushed it open before flipping on the light.

The condo was small, sleek, and modern with an industrial feel. It had tall, white ceilings and wooden floors. The room was open with a small, stainless steel and granite kitchen to the right. To the left was a big screen TV mounted on the wall and a black leather couch facing it.

“It’s not the most comfortable couch in the world, so I’ll take that and you can take my bed,” Calder said, walking down the small hallway and then opening a door to his left.

The large room had floor-to-ceiling windows that looked onto the ocean. A king-size bed with a plush white comforter and dark wood furniture that matched the beautiful headboard.

“Wow. Your room is so clean. Your whole place is,” I said, peering around the space.

“Yeah. I was in a wheelchair for a while and it was easier to get around without stuff all over. Then when I moved on to the cane, it just stayed that way.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, turning toward him.

He shook his head. “Don’t be. It’s a part of my life. A part of me.”

His hand slid under my chin, lifting it up so my eyes met his. “Just like your shifting is a part of you.”

With his fingers trailing down my chin, my entire body felt like I was on fire. I wasn’t thinking about how afraid I was feeling in the parking lot of Ace’s, but how safe and protected I felt with Calder.

Not just safe, but wanted.

Without thinking, I leaned into him and pressed my lips to his. At first he didn’t kiss me back but when he did, he took my breath away, nibbling at my bottom lip before his tongue danced behind my lips.

He wrapped his arms around my waist deepening our kiss as he walked me backward toward the bed.

It had been so long since I’d been intimate with anyone, but right now, I wanted all of him.

I sat down on the bed and tried to pull him with me, but he hesitated before breaking the kiss and pressing his forehead to mine while leaning over me. “Maya, believe me when I say that I want you so bad right now, but I can’t.”

“Is…Is…is it something I did?” I tried to keep my voice steady but I was still tremendously turned on and part of me was hurt. Was I reading the signals wrong? Did this man not want me that way?

His eyes trailed from me then down to his legs.

So that’s what this is about.

I leaned forward, sitting up on my knees. I knew if I said the words, he might not believe me, so I had to show him. Slowly I put my hands on the waistband of his jeans before unbuttoning and unzipping them.

I thought he would protest, but all he did was suck in a breath as I dropped his jeans to the floor revealing his massive erection and his steel prosthetics that started just below his knees with warm skin above it.

I got off the bed and kneeled down to kiss each spot where the metal prosthesis met his leg, then continued kissing and licking a trail up his leg.

His breathing quickened when my lips made their way to his boxers and I tugged them down to reveal his massive length.

“You don’t have to do this, Maya.”

“I want to. I want all of you,” I whispered before kissing the tip then taking all of him in my mouth.

He swore, fisting my hair in his hands and rocking his hips forward while I licked and sucked all of his hardness.

This wasn’t what I expected to be doing tonight, but Calder made the rest of my worries melt away. The way he groaned and his body pulsed against me, made parts of my body awaken that hadn’t been in years.

I began to suck harder and looked up just in time to see his eyes roll back as he bit his bottom lip. Never had I been so turned on watching a man. I could already feel the sweet ache between my thighs.

“Oh, Maya,” he moaned.

His eyes drifted to mine and if I already wasn’t wet, my whole body was now pure liquid. I watched his dark eyes on mine as I licked and tasted all of him.

“Baby, I’m going to come,” he whispered.

It was the first time he’d ever used any kind of term of endearment and it made me moan onto his hard length.

I sucked harder until his warm liquid filled me and he stiffened before going completely still. I released my lips from his cock and looked up to meet his beautiful dark eyes as a small smile crept on his lips.

“My turn,” he said before he gently pushed me to my back and then knelt down at the end of the bed.

“You don’t have to return the favor,” I whispered, propping myself up on my elbows.

He pulled down my jeans and silk panties and I mentally thanked myself for remembering to shave that morning.

All I could see was his hooded eyes as he ran his thumb along my center. “I’ve wanted to taste you since the first moment I saw you.”

My whole body shook. No man had ever talked to me like he did. It made me feel wanted and so turned on.

Calder smiled before leaning and kissing a line up my thighs until his tongue flicked against my center as he put my legs over his shoulders.

I moaned just from the little hint of his tongue on me.

His eyes met mine, smoldering as his tongue swirled inside of me. I gripped the sheets under me, biting my bottom lip. Pressure filled my center as he added his fingers to the mix then an immense amount of pleasure when he moved his thumb to my clit and continued swirling his tongue.

Lifting my ass to give him better leverage, he hit my sweet spot and I moaned in pleasure, my entire body shaking.

I thought he would stop at one orgasm, but he picked up the pace of his fingers and his tongue and before I knew it I was coming hard again and again until I collapsed on the bed, aftershocks of pleasure still rolling through me.

Calder put my legs down and stood up. He leaned over me and then cradled my head before pulling my face to his. He kissed me hard, his tongue sliding against mine so I tasted my own sweet and salty mixture.

I moaned into his mouth, which caused him to grin beneath our kiss.

Calder pulled his lips from mine, leaving me breathless as he stood up. “I have to get ready for bed, Maya. I’ll be in the bathroom for a bit but I’ll head out to the couch after. Make sure you get some sleep. You have to be satiated after that workout.”

I smirked, propping up on my elbows. “I’m not going to let you sleep on the couch.”

He let out a breath and stood up, pulling his pants up. I almost frowned, not getting the view of all of his tanned flesh. “It’s fine. I’d feel better sleeping out there. Easier to protect you if I’m near the front door.”

I rolled my eyes. “You can protect me or whatever you need to do from right here. I’ll even let you sleep on the side by the door.”

He looked from the bedroom door to the bathroom door and back again. His eyes shifting ever so slightly.

“What? Do you have some macho guy rule about not sleeping with a woman?” I asked.

Finally Calder sighed and looked down at the floor. “No. I’ve just never slept with a woman since the accident. I take off my legs to sleep and I don’t think you’re ready to see that yet.”

Slowly I sat up until I was right in front of him. I didn’t look at anything else but his eyes. “You’ve seen me as a seal. I’ve seen all of you. I don’t want there to be barriers between us because we’re scared. If there’s one thing you’ve taught me in the short time we’ve known each other, it’s that we need to accept each other and ourselves as we are. So please, let me in to see all of you.”

He nodded slowly. “Okay.”

Without another word he went to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

I pulled my panties back up but not my jeans and stayed in my tank top, removing my bra and tossing it to the side. Making my way under the covers, I waited for him.

It felt like forever that the light shone from under the bathroom door and the water ran.

I almost fell asleep but stirred awake when the door finally opened and he stood in the doorway wearing nothing more than a pair of gym shorts.

His upper body was well defined with broad shoulders and a few barely there scars on his chest. A large anchor tattoo was etched above his left pec.

The man was sex on a stick and I was lucky to be in his presence, let alone that he wanted me. Not just for my looks or to flirt with the bartender. He knew my secret and still didn’t stay away

Slowly he walked toward the other end of the bed and sat down with his back to me. He unhooked his legs before setting them near the side of the bed. He then slid under the covers, lying down on the pillow next to me.

I didn’t know how he would react but I had to take a chance. Slowly I slid over to his side of the bed and put my head on his chest and my legs over his. The area where his legs ended was just above the knee. Sliding my thigh against it, I could feel the soft skin with the slight edge to it where his scars were. He winced from my little touch.

Without even thinking what I was doing, I trailed my hands down his chest and whispered. “You’re amazing.”

He laughed. “Is that because of the multiple orgasms?”

I shook my head and sat up, leaning over him. “That and everything else. You’ve gone through so much and yet you’re still this loyal and fierce protector. You’re one of the strongest men I’ve ever met, no matter how much I see you suffering; you still put others before yourself.”

He tucked a fallen strand of hair behind my ear. “I could say the same thing for you.”

“I’m not a hero,” I muttered.

“To me you are. You saved me Maya. More than once. Not just that day in the ocean, but I’ve finally felt more alive than ever the more time I spend with you,” he whispered, sealing his words with a small kiss.

With that I laid back on his chest and he put his arm around me, pulling me close.

I’d never felt so safe, even after the craziness of the night and fell asleep immediately, looking forward to waking up in Calder’s arms.

Chapter 10

Calder

I couldn’t remember the last time I had a woman in my bed.

Waking up to see Maya’s brown hair on my chest instantly made me hard.

Since she was still sleeping, I took the chance to get up and put my legs back on before heading to the bathroom.

Normally I would have just used my arms to maneuver there, but I didn’t want to chance Maya waking up and seeing me.

What would she think if she woke up and saw me crawling like that?

She may have said she wanted to see all of me, but feeling me was one thing, once she saw all of the broken parts of me, I didn’t know what she’d actually think.

I shook the thoughts out of my head and secured my legs on. I wanted to head out early to Mexico.

I’d already gone online and rented us a villa near the beach. Maya may protest something that nice, but I couldn’t go on without planning something. I knew some of the places were seedier than others in Mexico and needed to plan ahead. I’d seen enough of that shit in other countries when I was stitching up SEALs.

When I got out of the bathroom, my eyes immediately went to the bed.

Not seeing Maya, my heart instantly sped up and my fists clenched.

A loud commotion came from the kitchen. I threw open the nightstand drawer and grabbed my gun before heading into the kitchen.

I didn’t know what I expected to find, but it wasn’t Maya standing over my stove, flipping pancakes.

The smell of butter and fried batter hit my senses and I slowly set my gun down on the bar stool before I approached the stove.

Maya stood there with her hair in a messy bun, revealing a small tattoo of a butterfly on the back of her neck.

She was wearing nothing but the thin tank top and pair of panties she wore to bed that showed off all of her glorious tanned skin. I guess I expected her to put on her jeans. But, damn, she was beautiful in all of her half-naked glory.

“Are you making me breakfast?” I asked, whispering low in her ear as I wrapped my arms around her waist.

She gasped and jumped back, practically hitting me in the face with her spatula. “Oh my God, Calder you scared the shit out of me!”

I laughed. “Sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to. I got worried when I didn’t see you in bed.”

She nodded against me and flipped one of the pancakes onto a plate. “I know. I heard you go through a drawer or something and then creep into the kitchen.”

“You heard that?” I raised an eyebrow.

She looked at me out of the corner of her eye and smiled. “Besides being an excellent cook, I also have a great sense of hearing and smell. I think I got it from my father’s side. That, and you’re not exactly quiet.”

I turned her around so her body pressed against mine. Her heat against my already aching dick and I wanted to bury myself in her. But instead I looked into her dark eyes. “You’re more than just all of that. I don’t think I’ve ever had a woman make me breakfast. Not even my mother. She was more of a takeout lady.”

“This is the first I’ve heard you talk about your parents.”

I took a step back, running my hand over my short hair. “Not much to say. My parents were blue-collar workers in Philly and spent most of their time on the job. I was a latchkey kid who started making his own lunch at age six and had his first job at fourteen. I’ve worked my ass off for everything I have. It’s why I joined the Navy so the military would pay for college and med school. I’m more than grateful for everything I have because of it.”

Maya smiled. “And I admire you for that. But for once, why don’t you let me do the work and you sit down while I serve up these pancakes?”

“Do you think I’m going to just sit down and let you do that?” I raised an eyebrow.

She leaned in close, pressing her lips to my ear. “You did last night.”

***

I wanted to jump in the shower with Maya. However, the mood shifted when I had to move my shower chair out of the way, so she could get in comfortably. There was no way I could actually stand in the shower with her anyway. So I waited until she was out then I quickly took my turn.

Once we were both dressed, I grabbed my bag and we headed out to my car.

The girl had an entire wardrobe and beauty products in her car so she didn’t even need to stop at home. I never understood women, but I couldn’t deny that the pink little dress she changed into had me wondering what else she would pull out of her bag.

“Wow. This is the first time I’ve seen your car in the light. A Beamer?” Maya asked, sliding her bag into the trunk

I smirked, closing the trunk lid before walking to the passenger door and opening it for her. “Like I said, I’ve worked my ass off for everything. This was kind of a gift to me once I was injured. I needed something that would work when my legs didn’t and BMW offers a great mobility assistance package.”

I shut the door behind her and slid over to the other side of the car, opening the driver’s side door.

Maya’s eyes went to the special shifter in the center console where I put my hand after staring up the car.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?” Maya asked.

“Like you pity me.”

She shook her head. “I’m not. I was just curious how it works.”

I laughed. “Just ask questions, okay? I’m not usually an open book, but for you, I can try.”

“You don’t have to answer any questions that make you feel uncomfortable.” Her words trailed off.

I glanced over at her before I pulled onto the street. “You can ask me anything and I may have a few questions for you as well.”

“I can’t promise I’ll answer all of them,” she muttered

“Fair enough. How about something easy. How’d you learn to make such damn good pancakes?”

She laughed and it was a melodious sound that had me adjusting myself. “I was raised by Gran. She’s originally from Texas and was raised on southern cooking. Everything she made was from scratch and I spent most of my life alongside her in the kitchen. I swore that if I ever had to rough it, I could make a gourmet meal out of whatever I found in the woods.”

“Sounds like you’d make a great SEAL. Uh, Navy SEAL that is,” I corrected myself.

“I think the animal seal has something to do with that too. I’ve always been able to stay warm when other people are cold and I’m hyper aware of everything. I never knew exactly what it was until I turned eighteen and BAM, this seal tail came and added to all of those other things.”

“I think I’d be scared shitless if I just one day had a tail,” I replied.

She sighed. “I was. I also gave up my life as a swimmer when I found out. I had more questions than answers. Since I’ve met you, for the first time in my life, I’ve actually gotten some answers. I feel like I’m on the brink of knowing something amazing. I’m so excited yet so scared at the same time.”

I moved my hand off the shifter to take hers and then put it back so our hands stayed intertwined on top of it. “Whatever happens, you know I’m going to be right here with you. I’ll always protect you, Maya, even if you don’t think you need it.”

“What if I’m not the one that needs protecting?”

I laughed. “I know you’ve got my back too.”

“So does this make us teammates or something?” she asked, squeezing my hand.

“I don’t think teammates give each other orgasms.”

I glanced over to see a slight blush creep across her cheeks. “I know. Let’s see where this goes. I’d like nothing more than for you to say that you’ll be mine, but I also know you have a lot of stuff going on right now. Let’s just take this trip, enjoy each other, and see what happens. How does that sound?”

She leaned over and ever so slightly brushed her lips against my cheek before whispering, “I think that sounds like a plan.”

It was going to be one hell of a long road trip if she was going to keep doing that.