Hot SEAL, Black Coffee

by Cynthia D'Alba

“What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Even though you showed me the safe, I thought you’d like to keep the code secret.”

  “Seriously, Trevor? I trust you with my life, but not with my safe code? Goose.” She tapped the back of his head.

  She pressed the seven digit code and the door swung open. “Okay, you can turn around now.”

  He turned and handed her the case. The safe was small and as she had feared, the briefcase was too wide for the safe’s width, so they had to unload the jewelry pieces and store them individually. Once the door was shut and the shelf back into place, Trevor handed her the towels for her to replace in the closet.

  She shut the door and turned toward him, surprised to find him right next to her.

  “I’m curious about something.” He stepped closer.

  “Okay.” She dragged out the word in confusion. Hadn’t they talked already about everything?

  He slid his hand along her cheek until he could wrap his fingers around her neck. With a gentle pull, he brought her closer and pressed his lips to hers.

  Lightning shot through her veins. She knotted her fingers in his shirt and held on because surely her knees would fail her.

  The first kiss was a simple mouth on mouth touch. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. She was sure her face was flushed and her eyes begged for more.

  This time, he jerked her flush against him, trapping her hands until she could pull them out and glide them up and around his neck. Her breasts flattened against his hard chest. Her bones melted in his embrace.

  He flicked out his tongue and touched her lip. She opened her mouth and he slid inside, caressing her tongue and cheeks.

  Pulling away, he adjusted his head and took the kiss deeper to a more sensual level. He pressed his hard cock to her groin and she moaned as she thrust against him.

  He took another step forward and she stepped back until she was crushed between his granite body and her linen closet door. His hand was at her waist, but he moved it slowly up her side until his fingers rested just below her breast. Her tongue pushed into his mouth, thrilling at his taste. It felt like coming home after a long trip.

  Abruptly he pulled away his mouth and stepped back, his breathing coming in ragged pants. Her hands slid from his neck and back to her sides.

  She swallowed. “Did you find out what you wanted to know?”

  Before he could answer, a voice called from the foyer, “Risa? You home?”

  Risa found her sister standing in the living room wearing a scarlet-red, long, form-fitting dress.

  “What do you think?” Wendy asked. She held her arms out and turned in a full circle.

  “Nice,” Risa said.

  Trevor whistled. “That’s going to knock someone’s eyes out. What’s the event?”

  “The Breast Cancer Gala.” She snorted. “You already forget?” She twirled again. “So, tell me how great this dress looks on me.”

  Risa arched an eyebrow. “I thought you were wearing that black dress, you know, the one you bought last month.”

  “That was last month. I found this baby today and just had to have it.” She fanned out the material in the front. “It’s not too much do you think?”

  “Nope,” Trevor said before Risa could say a word. “You are sexy as hell in that thing.”

  “You look lovely,” Risa said, wanting to bash Trevor over the head…and then bash her sister for, well, being Wendy mostly. She wasn’t jealous over how beautiful her sister looked or how appreciative Trevor’s expression was. It was that Wendy had come at an inopportune time.

  Yeah, she could lie with the best of them.

  “Have you been to the vault yet? What did you get for me to wear with this?” Dramatically she crossed her fingers. “Tiara?”

  Risa sighed. “Yes, I brought the tiara.”

  “Yay,” Wendy said and high-fived Trevor. “Did you see it, Trev?”

  He smiled. “I did. Fancy.”

  “I know. Show me, show me,” she said.

  “Do you really need it right now?”

  “Yes. I want to look through all of Grandma Billingham’s jewelry and decide what I’m going to wear.”

  “Fine. Wait here and I’ll go get all the jewelry.”

  The aroma of fresh coffee tickled her nose as Risa walked back carrying all the boxed jewelry. She found Trevor and Wendy in her kitchen, him with a mug of coffee and her sister sipping from a glass of red wine.

  Make yourselves at home is what she wanted to say. But she caught herself. Wendy and she had always made themselves at home in each other’s condos. This should be no different, even as a tug of jealousy jerked in her belly.

  “Here it is.” She held out the boxes.

  “Hope you don’t mind,” Trevor said, gesturing with his mug.

  She scoffed. “Of course not. I told you the first night to help yourself.”

  “See? I told you she wouldn’t mind,” Wendy said. “Now, let me take a look.”

  Trevor sipped his black coffee and studied the twins. Other than a birthday and parentage, they shared almost nothing in common.

  Risa was gorgeous, in her own quiet way, while Wendy was flamboyantly attractive.

  Risa’s wavy dark hair held a glowing luster. Her green eyes were perfectly shaped. And when she smiled, her whole face lit up.

  Wendy’s blonde hair was long and straight. Her green eyes lacked all the personality Risa’s had. Her smile and personality did sparkle, but he didn’t feel the pull he did with Risa.

  Sure, now that he compared, their noses were similar, as were their mouths, but that could be so with any siblings. And they were both smart, as evidenced by their successful careers.

  Nope. No comparison. Risa was the complete package, in his humble opinion. Wendy, while a stunning woman, was a pale imitation of her sister.

  Wendy set the tiara on her head, and Risa laughed. As they continued to try on the various pieces, he sat back and thought about the kiss. The one that’d blown his socks off.

  He’d wondered if the chemistry between them was still there. He’d suspected it was on his end ever since she’d said his name last night, but on her side? He hadn’t been sure until about ten minutes ago. Now, he was.

  Time and distance hadn’t dimmed their sexual attraction at all. For him, maturity and life experiences made him realize how exceptional Risa was and how unique his feelings were for her.

  He could even forgive her for breaking up with him. Looking back, he could clearly see it had been for the best, for both of them, even if she could have picked a better time than the start of Hell Week.

  Sexual chemistry was one thing. They had had, and apparently still had, enough chemistry to launch rockets. However, commitment was a totally different animal. Even if he believed himself ready for a lifetime commitment—and he wasn’t one-hundred percent sure he was there yet—he had no idea if he could let the past go and let her back into his closed circle. And, without a shadow of a doubt, this was not the time to discuss or even think about the future. He had to get through the week and the weekend. Only after could he then face whatever decisions had to be made.

  “Thanks for picking up all the stuff.” Wendy started piling up the boxes containing the jewelry.

  “Um, Wendy,” Risa said, “I think it’d be better if you left those here and get everything just before the party.”

  Wendy frowned. “Why? It’ll be fine in my condo. I have a safe.”

  “I know, but I’m responsible for all that.” She wrinkled her nose. “Make me happy. Leave it here until Saturday.”

  Her sister winked. “And besides, you have the hunky guard living here to protect the jewelry, right?”

  Trevor grinned and saluted with his mug. “Here and on duty.”

  Risa gathered up the boxes to return to the safe. “What are you doing tonight? Got a date?”

  “Nope. Had one with Everett Livingston, but he canceled.”

  “Why?”

  “Something about hi
s grandmother and dinner with the family. Doesn’t matter. I’ll see him tomorrow anyway. We have a double date with his little brother and our cousin.” She grinned. “I think we made a love match by introducing them.”

  “Really? That’s nice,” Risa said. “Opal Mae is such a sweet girl, but Aunt Alice didn’t do her any favors with that name.”

  Wendy rolled her eyes. “No kidding.

  “Everett your date for the event?” Trevor asked.

  “Yep.”

  “Dates two weekends in a row. Sounds serious,” he joked.

  “Heaven forbid,” Wendy gasped dramatically, and then smiled. “Not really. Everett looks good, knows how to behave in public, never cusses, and has tons of money.”

  “Ah. I see. The perfect arm candy,” Trevor replied.

  “You know it. Don’t have to see him during the week, and he shows up in time to buy me dinner on the weekend.” She chuckled. “Besides, I feel responsible for Opal Mae and Roy’s future. I don’t want to put Opal Mae in a tough situation with the Livingston family. I worry about her though. I think she might be more serious than Roy.” She waved her hand. “But who knows? What are you two doing tonight?”

  Trevor looked at Risa.

  She answered with a shrug. “Probably nothing. Dinner in, watch a movie maybe. That okay with you, Trev?”

  “Sure. I know my digestion will be happier near the jewelry I’m supposed to be watching.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Wendy said enthusiastically. “Let me run home and change clothes and I’ll be right back. Find us a good movie, Risa.”

  “Super,” Risa said as the door slammed behind Wendy.

  “Before she comes running through the door again…” Trevor reached out and pulled Risa to him. “I had had more plans like this.” He lowered his head and she met him halfway. Their mouths met in a clash of lips, teeth and tongues. His heart swelled in his chest, as his cock swelled in his jeans. She ground on him and he groaned.

  “I know how to kill people so it looks like an accident,” he said against her lips.

  She laughed. “Tempting, but she’s my sister.”

  He rested his forehead on hers. “Think she’ll stay to the end of a movie?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  “Think you can find something short to watch? Maybe a thirty-minute sitcom and tell her it was a movie and she slept through it?”

  She snorted. “I can try. Now, let me go so I can find something for the three of us to eat.”

  “Nope.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders. “Where you go, I go.”

  She gave him a sideways glance. “Well, that could get interesting.”

  “That’s sort of what I have in mind.” He pumped his eyebrows for effect, then kissed her again.

  In the distance, the elevator dinged.

  Trevor raised his head. “Can you please lock the door in the future?”

  Risa grinned and slipped from his arms. “She has a key.”

  “Damn it,” he said under his breath.

  “Stay in here and keep her company.”

  Wendy breezed through the door before he answered.

  “I’m going to lock up these,” Risa said, pointing to the boxes of jewelry. “Then I’ll see what I can find for dinner. Keep Trevor company, okay?”

  “Sure. Hell, we haven’t seen each other in forever,” Wendy said, fluttering her eyelashes. “Hey Trev, remember the time Risa and I hid your clothes while you were skinny dipping?” She pulled Trevor down onto the sofa beside her.

  Risa shook her head, gathered up the boxes, and said, “We swore we’d never tell him that was us.”

  Trevor laughed. “Like I didn’t know.”

  As soon as Risa left the room, Wendy’s friendly expression fell away. “What are you doing?”

  He frowned. Her whispered question had been just short of anger.

  “What do you mean? My job.”

  “Your job involves kissing my sister?”

  Hell, the clueless one actually noticed? “Umm…”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought. You think I wouldn’t notice her mouth looked all kissed and swollen?” She punched his shoulder. “Damn you, Trevor. She almost went crazy the last time you two split. Depressed for months. Don’t do this to her.”

  “I’m not doing anything. We kissed. So what? We’re both adults.”

  “That’s not the issue.” She looked toward the door and back to him. “I beg you. You don’t know what it did to her the last time. And then when you were overseas on missions? Shit. She would bury herself in books and projects, and I know she did that to keep you out of her head. Now, here you are again, all mister Nice Guy, flying in, saving the day, and flying out again.” She shook her head. Her jaw was locked tight. Her lips a straight line.

  He pulled in a deep breath and checked the door to make sure Risa wasn’t standing there listening. “Let’s get a drink.” He jumped up and headed for the bar. There he grabbed the bottle of bourbon, filled a glass, and took a gulp.

  “What in the hell are you doing?” Wendy asked. “Give me that booze. You’re supposed to be on duty.” She put air quotes around on duty. She pulled the glass from his hand and took a drink, followed by a grimace. “Ick. Where’s the red wine? And why are we over here? And why do you need a drink?”

  He made a face. “You give me a headache, Wendy.”

  She gave him a mean scowl. “I’ll give you more than a headache if you hurt my sister, asshole.”

  “I won’t.” He poured her a red wine. “I promise. I’m not here to hurt her. I’d never hurt Risa.”

  “Not on purpose,” she hissed. “But kisses and touching? And ohmigod, don’t tell me you’ve slept together.”

  “If we had—and we haven’t—that would be none of your business.”

  When he took a step away, Wendy grabbed his arm. “I’m serious, Trev. You hurt her and—”

  “I was going to ask what you thought about pizza,” Risa said from the doorway, her gaze shifting between the two of them. “Think you can let go of Trevor long enough to tell me where you want to order it from?

  Wendy produced a theatrical sigh. “If you insist.”

  She kicked a foot up behind her and booted his ass. Then she walked into the kitchen.

  “That wasn’t what you think,” Trevor said.

  Risa held up a hand. “Doesn’t matter. Don’t want to talk about my sister.” She followed Wendy into the kitchen.

  He knew he was in trouble, but he couldn’t help wondering if Risa might have been a little jealous—but of Wendy? Her own sister? How could she think he would kiss her, then turn around and also be attracted to her sister? And worse, how could she think he would be making moves on both of them?

  Trevor knew tension. Hadn’t he and his team felt it before every mission? The tension in the room as they waited for the pizza delivery felt as thick and heavy as a wet blanket.

  Still, he had to give Wendy credit. She was the one who kept the conversation flowing by asking about his missions. He answered with as much as he could say. Then she moved on to his team. When he explained about the team, and how each guy had a different signature drink, she insisted he tell her each drink and about the man who drank it. When he got to Dirtman and his dirty martini, he then had to confess that Dirtman had landed a home renovation reality show on some obscure cable channel.

  “When is it?” Risa asked, her first contribution to the discussion.

  “Thursday night at seven or eight. I’ve forgotten. But like I said, the show is on some obscure channel.”

  “Which one?”

  “HNS. I think that stands for the Home Nation Station.”

  Risa looked it up on her phone and smiled. “Got it.”

  “Oh, I want to watch it too.” Wendy looked at him with an arched eyebrow. “Is this guy cute? Is he single?”

  Trevor shook his head and laughed. “I have no idea whether he’s cute. None whatsoever. Single? At last report, Dirtman is single, but your match-m
aking brain hasn’t factored in that he lives on the beach in California.”

  Wendy gave a careless shrug. “I can move.”

  Risa swatted her sister. “You cannot. Who would I work with?”

  “Oh, come on, Risa. Dallas has more than its fair share of excellent plastic surgeons. Sad to say, but I’m replaceable.”

  “Not to me.” Risa grabbed her sister’s arm. “Don’t even joke about moving away.”

  As Trevor watched and listened to the sisters’ squabble, he saw family. His SEAL team had been—and probably always would be—a type of family for him. But he missed his parents and his brother. His dad’s health scare had brought him home, but in the short time he’d been back, he felt his roots settling into the dirt, and he liked the feeling. His years of service had kept him on the move with no ties to hold him down. It’d been a good life, but he was ready to move on to the next stage of his life.

  If only he knew what that was.

  “Remember that, Trev?” Wendy asked.

  “Sorry. Zoned out for a second. What should I remember?”

  “Do you remember when you and Risa broke up right after the homecoming dance during our senior year?”

  He glanced at Risa, who arched a brow. He wondered exactly what they’d been talking about while he’d visited old home week in his head.

  “Of course. Why?”

  “Remember what you did? You asked out the cutest girl one year behind us.” Wendy knocked Risa’s shoulder. “You were livid.”

  He grunted. “Not so livid that she didn’t turn down a date with what’s-his-name. You know. That guy who was a brainiac like her.”

  “Tim McClure.” Risa said, lifting her chin. “Such a gentleman.”

  Trevor narrowed his eyes. “Not so much of one at the end of the night when he parked at Emerald Lake and wanted to make-out.”

  Risa gasped. “How did you know about that?”

  Trevor cleared his throat. “I may have followed you.”

  Wendy snorted and slapped her hand over her mouth. “You did not.”

  “Trevor!” Risa’s eyes were wide. “You followed us?”

  He lifted his hand as though taking a pledge. “Hand to God, it’s true. I was about ready to pull you out of that car when the engine started and he took you home.”