Possession: A Little Harmless Military Romance

by Melissa Schroeder

  “So, Seal, what’s your plan while on the islands?” Jocelyn asked Deke.

  “Why are you questioning my friends like they’re criminals?” Mal asked.

  Jocelyn sighed. “I’m just asking them questions. The way the women are all making goo-goo eyes at Deke, I have a feeling he won’t be around that long.”

  He laughed, enjoying her. He liked the way the Duprees interacted. They reminded him of his own family. “I’m just here for one more night. I have to get back.”

  She glanced at her brother, and Deke saw the worry in her eyes.

  “No, nothing like that. I have an assignment to decide on. It can’t wait. Either way, I am gone from the group within a month, so I have to get back and get that ready.”

  “But, you’re on vacation,” she said.

  The men shared a smile. Civilians always acted like they had so many choices. “I was asked to teach in California.”

  “Holy crap, like for Seal training?” she asked. “Like they show in the movies?”

  “Yeah, but he might be changing his mind now,” Mal said as he nodded in the direction of Samantha.

  Jocelyn glanced over at Samantha. Deke followed her gaze just in time to see Nathaniel Dupree, firefighter and a man without morals, slip up to Cynthia and ask to be introduced to Samantha.

  Deke frowned.

  “I would suggest if you want her, you better go get her, Deke. You know Nat,” Jocelyn said.

  He took a swig of his beer, shoved it at Mal, and started off in her direction.

  * * * *

  Sam felt her whole body flush with excitement as Deke crossed the floor to her again. Nathaniel kept talking, as did Cynthia, but their words seemed to dissolve into the background. It was an instant reaction she had almost every time. Even when she was so mad at him that she wanted to do him bodily damage, she couldn’t stop the overwhelming need he brought out in her. By now, she should know better. She should have some plan for when she ran into him this way. But she never did. He was the one thing she could always count on in her life. They might be divorced but they knew they would have someone to call on in a time of need. He had been the bane of her existence and the salvation she loved.

  He stopped within a few inches of her.

  “Wanna dance?” he asked.

  She laughed. “Way to romance me, Seal.”

  His face grew ruddy and she couldn’t help allowing her heart to soften just a little more. He was dangerous when he went alpha, but lord, he was irresistible when he was embarrassed.

  He cleared his throat, and she was sure that he was as aware of the attention from people surrounding them as she was. “Would you like to dance?”

  “Not really.”

  She knew what was going to happen if he touched her. Heck, she knew what was going to happen even if they didn’t dance, but she had some pride. She didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of his friends and hers.

  He looked surprised.

  “Why don’t we go for a walk?” she asked.

  He nodded in agreement and offered his arm. She could feel the stares as they walked out of the area. Once they were free of the attention, she relaxed.

  “So, you’re teaching here?”

  She nodded. “I needed a change. They were cutting our benefits left and right. Pay isn’t great here, but there were still as many benefits as in California. And, seriously, how can you not be happy living with this kind of scenery?”

  He shook his head. “You make it sound like it’s paradise every day.”

  She chuckled. “No. Just like everywhere else, we have the same issues. But I do like the slower pace here. And you know how I react to long winters.”

  He nodded, and she knew he remembered her problem with long winters. “Your friends, do they teach, too?”

  “No. Fiona is a message therapist and Zoe is a nurse.”

  “Hmm, does Fiona do house calls?”

  She laughed. “She does, but I don’t think she would be comfortable with you as a client.”

  He frowned. “Why is that?”

  “She knows a little bit too much about you.”

  He made a face. “Women.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, feeling more comfortable now. The vibrations between them were still there, but it was easier to concentrate on catching up.

  “You tell each other way too much about your sex life.”

  She stopped and pulled her arm out of his. “Like you don’t brag about your conquests to the boys? You just said Mal talked about his women.”

  “First of all, my friends aren’t boys. Mal doesn’t count. And second of all, I never brag. Especially when comparing any woman to you is useless.”

  She sighed and started walking again, trying to keep some distance between them. He didn’t say things like that to seduce her. For Deke, it was the truth, and he didn’t hold it back. He never did with her. If he did, he might be easier to resist.

  “My brother is also stationed here.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Should have known. So, did he complain until you moved here?”

  She smiled. Deke and her brother had a love/hate kind of relationship. “No, actually he’s gone a lot because he’s on the IG inspecting bases. So, for the Pacific, that means he has to go to Asia a lot.”

  “Still unmarried?” he asked.

  “Of course. You know he never wanted to settle down.”

  They both knew the state of her parents’ marriage. Her father had never been able to adjust to being a civilian, and it had ruined the happiness that usually comes from retirement—not to mention her father had never really taken his marriage vows seriously. Considering how short and turbulent her own marriage to Deke had been, she often wondered if her family wasn’t cursed when it came to relationships.

  “So, you moved over here with your friends. You didn’t tell me.”

  “I called you to give you my new address. You never responded.”

  She knew with his job, he was gone a lot. It was something she had never gotten used to. Never would.

  “Oh. Yeah, we had a bad mission. Kade was fucked-up pretty bad.”

  She nodded. “Looks like he recovered.”

  “Thanks to Shannon.”

  They walked side by side for a while. It was nice

  “I can’t believe you moved over here.”

  “And, I can’t believe you seem so interested.”

  He stopped again and stared at her. “I’m always interested in you, Samantha. You know that.”

  Seeing him there, with the sun setting behind him and the waves crashing against the rocks, she couldn’t fight it, didn’t want to. They were wrong for each other. They had bad tempers, they fought too much, and neither of them was ready to negotiate. Compromise wasn’t in their vocabulary. But the need that always seemed to ignite when he was near was too strong. She stepped closer and rose to her tiptoes. Slowly, without closing her eyes, she brushed her mouth against his.

  “It’s the same for me.”

  He skimmed his fingers up her arms. “We said we wouldn’t do this again.”

  She drew in a deep breath then released it with a sigh of pleasure as he slid his fingers over her pulse. “We always say we won’t do it again.”

  He looked up at her, those gray eyes dark with need. His lips curved slowly. The breath she had been taking tangled in her throat. Her heart did the slow roll it did right before it fell at his feet.

  “I have a really nice room with a great view.”

  She laughed. “Really?”

  “Yeah, why don’t I show you?” He stepped back and held out his hand. She looked down at it, knew that this was her decision. This time it was all up to her.

  She looked at him and smiled. It was insane and it was really stupid, but just like always, she couldn’t resist him. All of the barriers she had built crumbled when she saw the curve of his lips. There was something wrong with her—with both of them—but she didn’t care.

  With
out a word, she threw away all her worries and took his hand. He raised it to his mouth. Keeping his gaze on hers, he touched his lips to her fingers.

  “Come with me.”

  Chapter Three

  Pleasure crawled through Samantha’s body as she felt Deke's fingers dance over her flesh. He knew just where to touch her, how to make her feel the greatest pleasure. He had known from their first night together. No man before or since could tap into what made her tick. And the only thing he was doing was trailing his fingers down her arm.

  It wasn’t like they could do anything. They were riding the elevator up to his room with five other people, and while they always played games, they did not go for that. Not since they got caught in that hotel in San Diego.

  “I want to thank you for your service,” an older woman said to Deke.

  Sam shifted her feet, but he pulled her closer. She had always felt odd when people thanked Deke or her brother. Both men always seemed to be unfazed by it and, as usual, Deke handled it.

  He nodded. “You’re welcome, ma’am.”

  The doors opened on the twelfth floor, and he led her out. He hadn’t let go of her hand since she had given it to him. She followed him willingly. By the time they got inside his room, her body was humming. He shut the door and crowded her back up against it.

  Without waiting, he slammed his mouth down on hers. The rush of heat that always simmered between them exploded. It was never different, never easy. His tongue plunged between her lips, and she reveled in it. She loved this, loved the way he made her feel when they ignored the world. When it was only the two of them, it worked so well.

  He tore his mouth away from hers and pressed up against her. He settled his hands on the door behind her. As he nuzzled her neck, she took in the scent of him.

  “Have you been playing with anyone?”

  He always asked. It was always the same answer.

  “No. You?” she asked. Why did her heart clutch at the idea? Because she loved him, would always love him. And for her, she didn’t know if she would ever find another Dom. She never seemed to want to even think about it.

  He shook his head. She should have known. They might drive each other crazy, but they had the one thing between them that was essential for a Dom/sub relationship: trust.

  “Are you up for play, babe?”

  God, she loved that. His voice dipped as he said babe, elongating the vowel. She loved when his dominant streak was allowed to run wild. She was always the beneficiary and happy for it.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He shuddered. Her heart did a little dance. There was something so delicious about affecting him this way. He stepped back from her.

  “Then I expect you to strip out of that dress. Now.”

  His voice never rose. It stayed steady as he gave the order, as it always did. He took off his jacket and slipped it over the back of a chair. He tugged another chair out and sat down to watch. She hesitated. It had been a year since they’d seen each other, and the move had been stressful. She’d added another ten pounds, and to a woman of her small stature, it definitely showed.

  “I’m waiting, Samantha. Unless you’d rather we stop.”

  She didn’t want that. Not in a million years. She pulled the dress over her head then dropped it on the floor beside her.

  He glanced down at her feet. “I like those shoes.”

  Oh, God, he was too sexy. The way those eyes watched her feet. Deke had a thing for feet. Not a freaky thing, but he loved when she wore high heels and had her nails painted.

  “Hmm, I really like those pink toes.”

  His gaze traveled up her body, slowing down at the belly ring she had. “When did you get that?”

  She couldn’t tell from his voice if he liked it or not.

  “I-I got it after I moved here.”

  His mouth kicked up on one side. “I like it.” Then he finally made eye contact. “I like it a lot. But, I think you left a few things on.”

  She had forgotten her panties and bra. She hadn’t done it on purpose, but her brain was kind of frozen. Or melting. Melting was a better description of what her brain was doing right now. He always did this to her when he started giving her orders.

  “The bra, Samantha.”

  She always hated her full name—except when Deke said it in that voice. He rolled his voice over the syllables in a way that made her want to get naked. It didn’t matter where they were. And she knew most of the time he didn’t do it on purpose.

  She slipped her hands up her back and undid her bra. She let it slip down her arms, and with a toss, she added it to her dress on the floor beside her. He rose then. It wasn't common for him. He usually took his time, but there was an energy around him that told her that there was something really new about him tonight.

  He stepped up close to her. Again, the musky scent of his aftershave hit her, but there was that hint of him. Deke. She could be blind and know his scent anywhere. It haunted her dreams.

  He skimmed his fingers over her breasts and her nipples tightened further.

  "Ah, still so responsive. So needy for my mouth."

  Gawd, how could a woman resist a man who could talk like that? The one who could had to be a lesbian or dead. And she wasn't so sure in that quarter. He leaned down and took a nipple in his mouth as he teased the other with his fingers. He moved his other hand down her back, slipping it into her panties and pulling her against him. His erection was easy for her to feel. She shuddered.

  When he pulled back, he was breathing a little more heavily. He took one step back, then another. "The panties."

  She bent down, but he stopped her. "Turn around so I can see your ass."

  She did as he ordered, but he said nothing as she stepped out of them.

  After she straightened, she waited for the next order. She was already dripping wet.

  "Come here, Samantha."

  She turned and walked over, reveling in the way his gaze ate her up as if he was starved to look at her. When she stood in front of him with nothing but her heels on, he said, "Take my shirt off."

  She should have known. It was one of her favorite things to do, and he would remember that. He always remembered.

  With practiced ease, she worked the buttons loose of the dress shirt, pulling it out of his pants. Then, she slipped it off his shoulders.

  There was a fresh scar, one on his shoulder, and she looked up at him. He shook his head silently. He would tell her, but now was not the time.

  She took the shirt and laid it carefully over the chair where his suit jacket hung.

  "Sit down on the chair."

  She didn't know what he was thinking, what he was planning. It had been over a year since they had played. When they spent a lot of time together, they worked out the scenarios, but there were times like this one that had no course except the one that he set forth.

  She did, feeling especially decadent sitting there naked.

  Deke moved in front of her, and not for the first time, she thought of a panther. The man moved with the grace of a male ballerina, with a dash of lethal predator. He wouldn’t be happy to hear her description of him. But that was always the way she saw him, from the moment she’d met him.

  “Spread your legs.”

  She did, anticipating. She didn’t know what was next, but she knew Deke, and she knew he would give her everything she desired.

  He dropped to his knees in front of her and rested his hands on her thighs. The calluses on his fingers rubbed over her flesh, and she closed her eyes. God, that felt so good. He leaned forward and kissed her belly. He traced his tongue over her skin and then she felt his mouth cover the belly ring. He gave it a tug with his teeth before moving down to her pussy.

  But, instead of diving in, he took his time, kissing her inner thighs, building the natural heat between them. She wanted to slip her hands into his hair and play with it, but he wouldn't allow for it. Not right now. She knew better. And that was the crux of their issues. They knew each
other so well, and what they knew always turned them on. He liked to dominate her, and she loved to be dominated. With every beat of her heart.

  He worked his way to her sex and then licked her. She was so sensitive already, dripping with arousal. She would be embarrassed, but they had never had that between them. There was no room for it. He pushed her thighs further apart as he set about to drive her crazy.

  He dove into her pussy over and over again. That wicked tongue of his knew just how to push her, just what would get her to the edge, and then he would move away. A few moments later, he pulled back and looked up at her. She opened her eyes to see him licking his lips.

  "You always were the tastiest treat, Samantha. There are times when I’m out in the field, when life is really shitty, that I get that memory stuck in my head and the taste comes back to me. It always pulls me through whatever I'm doing." His voice had deepened to a gravelly whisper. She trembled.

  He leaned up and kissed her. She tasted herself on his mouth, the need she had for him, the desire. Deke had done it on purpose, of course. He wanted her to know why he craved the taste of her, what drew him to her. He rose to his feet.

  "Scoot up."

  She was breathing heavily, and her legs barely cooperated. She could hardly move in the chair, and she wondered just what she would do when he asked her to stand.

  "Unzip me."

  She did, of course, in anticipation. As soon as the pants were undone, his erection sprung free. That was the one thing of his uniform Deke always left out. When he was in mess dress, he hated to wear underwear. She leaned forward, but he stopped her with one word.

  "No." She looked up at him with a frown. "You do not anticipate what I will have you do. For that, only your hand."

  Damn the man. He knew her too well. She loved oral sex, getting it and giving it. But she did as ordered, moving her hand over his long, hard cock.

  "Slowly," he ordered in a not-so-steady voice. She did as he commanded, dragging her thumb over the tip. He shuddered and leaned down for a kiss, cupping her face.

  When he pulled back, he asked. "Want a taste of my cock? Huh, baby?"

  She nodded, her body already responding to the idea. He straightened. "Suck me, Samantha, and make it good."