SEALs of Summer 2: A Military Romance Superbundle

by S. M. Butler

  “I’m glad you’re here, Luke.” Her smile was so genuine, so beautiful that it stole his breath from his chest.

  “Me too, Ysabeau. You know, I didn’t want to come to Haiti.”

  “You didn’t?” She was surprised.

  “Hell no. Investigating less than successful medical trials is the worst part of the job, especially when it involves a clinic like yours. I was dreading it. But if I hadn’t come?” He shook his head. “Not getting to know you would’ve been one of my greatest mistakes.”

  Her smile changed before his eyes. It shifted from as sweet as a sip of rum on her lips to as hot as a sun shooting rays of promises. He’d gotten a small taste of her passion last night and longed for more. If she still wanted him, he wouldn’t put the brakes on. He doubted he could stop himself if he tried.

  She held his gaze and turned his insides to liquid fire. “It would have been a crime,” she repeated what he had told her after they danced in her kitchen. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Luke Carter.”

  His throat closed up and he had to choke down a half-chewed bite of goat. “Is that a good thing?”

  “A really good thing. You make a girl want to visit San Francisco.”

  “It’s a wonderful place to live too,” he rushed in.

  With her eyes on his, she chewed the salad without answering.

  “Ah look, the l’homard is coming. Lobster,” she explained. “I told them to make sure they aren’t moving on your plate.”

  The lobster had to be the best thing he’d tasted so far.

  Shortly after that, the waitress brought them a plate of something that smelled decadent.

  “This is banana peze, fried plantains,” Ysabeau explained. “One of my favorite dishes. I hope you like it.”

  He took a bite and rolled his eyes. “Like it? I’m in love.”

  She laughed and he thought he’d never get used to such a beautiful sound. “You are in love with a banana?”

  “Don’t laugh at my banana. Even a manly guy like me can admit it.” He winked. “My banana is magnificent.”

  She blushed. He was getting a real rise out of making her blush. Rise being the operative word when her eyes twinkled like that.

  “Um, Luke? Care to share?” Her voice was much too low, too sexy to be talking about fruit.

  He raised his finger, hoping to signal the waitress, busboy, hostess, anyone. “Check, please.”

  *

  On the drive to back to Ysabeau’s house, he couldn’t stop fantasizing about those delectable lips. It had been a long time since he felt nervous excitement bubbling inside him. If he was the one driving, he would have pulled over and kissed her. Right here, right now. Still, he worked to control himself. Rushing was not going to happen. He wanted to take his time getting to know every delicious inch of this woman.

  After she parked in the driveway, he rounded the car and opened the door for her. When she stood up, he pulled her into an embrace. Her body trembled in his arms.

  “I’ve waited all day for this,” he tipped her chin up and kissed her softly on the lips.

  She sucked in a quick breath. Nervous? Scared to death? He longed to know what was going on inside her head.

  He kissed her again, slowly, deeply, his thumb caressing her soft cheek, gently coaxing her to decide what she wanted. It was only a beat before she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, just as deeply. He had his answer. When she sighed against his lips he broke away, just briefly, to see her face. Her eyelids were hooded with desire, her cheeks flushed, her lips parted for more. Want swooshed through him making that don’t rush! order he kept giving himself harder to obey. Leaning back against the car, he cupped her jaw in his hands.

  “So damned beautiful,” he said.

  Passion washed over her face and she kissed him. Her long fingers worked up his neck and into his hair. She tugged his head lower to better reach his lips and he willingly obliged.

  It was a thrill to feel her tongue licking his bottom lip. He opened to her, letting her explore, probe him. He could still taste the last drops of rum on her tongue and he forgot why he didn’t like sweet drinks. She was scrumptious and he was a thirsty man. It was almost more than he could bear to slow himself down. His tongue joined hers, exploring, drinking her sweetness in. Ysabeau’s deep moan was his undoing. Going slow flew out of his consciousness. His hand cupped her breast before he realized it. She tore her lips away. Their eyes met. He froze, waiting to see if she was okay with his touch, waiting to see what she wanted.

  Closing her eyes, she tipped her head toward the stars. Her back arched and she pressed into him, silently allowing his hand to stay right where it was. His heart pounded. Leaning in, he kissed her exposed neck, feeling her pulse jump under his lips as his thumb rubbed slow circles over her nipple.

  Her breath came in short heavy bursts. His did too.

  He ran his other hand down her slender back. Heat radiated off her. They were steaming up the muggy night. Thinking time was over. What the future would bring for them was tomorrow’s topic. Tonight was about hot, aching desire.

  He needed her, all of her, and he wanted her to know it. Cupping her amazing butt, he pulled her closer, pressing her soft body against him.

  Big mistake. “Holy shit!”

  “What?” She stepped back. “What happened?”

  The air hissed out between his lips. “Stupid ribs.”

  “Oh no! Did I hurt you?” She rubbed his shoulder as if she was afraid to touch him.

  “Hell, no. Let’s try it again.” He adjusted his stance.

  Gently, she placed her palms on his shoulders. Something flickered across her face. Relief? Her smile was soft, but he sensed a shutdown, as if she welcomed the chance to put a little distance between them. “I think we’d better take you inside. You need to rest that beat-up body of yours.”

  “I’m fine,” he said, wincing when he pushed up off the car.

  “Yes, I can see that. Come on, I’ll help you to the couch.”

  He couldn’t hide his disappointment. The couch. Again.

  As they entered the foyer, Luke’s iPhone started ringing. He checked the I.D. and smiled. “Sunny.”

  “You speak to her. I’ll be right back,” Ysabeau said and vanished down the hall.

  Would he get to hold her again? Or was Ysabeau running for the hills?

  “Hey, Sunny girl. How are you?” he asked.

  “Good. Danny took me and my friends for ice cream sundaes.”

  He winced. “Play nice with Danny. He’s not used to being around four squealing teenaged girls.”

  “Ah, Dad. We didn’t mess with him.” She paused for effect. “Too much.”

  “I bet.” He could picture her lying on her stomach on her bed twirling her short hair around her finger, figuring out a way to bend Danny to her will.

  “When are you coming home?”

  “Next weekend. I promised to give Ysabeau a little more time with her tests.”

  “Huh.”

  He hobbled over to the couch and eased gently into the cushions. “What’s ‘huh’ mean?”

  “Normally, you don’t stay in one place too long. Except home, of course. Danny’s right. You like this doctor chick.”

  Danny was going to get his ass kicked when Luke got home, but yeah, his friend was right. “Sunny! The doctor chick has a name.” And he hoped she wasn’t listening. “Ysabeau.”

  “Pretty name. Do you have your computer yet?”

  He shook his head. Sometimes it took a map to follow a teenage girl’s thoughts. Sunny’s brain jumped around like a long-legged frog. “I’m working on it. Why?”

  “I’d love to Skype with you guys so I can meet Ysabeau face-to-face. Really check her out.”

  “Yeah. No. That’s not happening.”

  She popped her gum. “Too bad. Danny says she’s hot and coming from him, she must really be smokin’. I’d like to see you two together.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Okay, next subject. How are you feeling?”

  “Mega-wonderful. No worries. Seriously, live your life already.”

  “What?”

  “It’s time you stopped being all uber-protector father and lived a little. Maybe you could find a girlfriend, oh wait, I heard this Haitian doctor is really cute.”

  “All right one-tracked-mind girl.”

  “Seriously, Dad. Why don’t you try to fall in love again? It might be good for you.”

  “I’m hanging up now. Get to bed early, you’ve got school tomorrow—”

  “But Dad, Danny rented Psycho. I’ve never seen it and he says it’s a horror masterpiece.”

  “No way.”

  “Ah, come on,” she whined. “Danny is making popcorn the old-fashioned way and everything.”

  “Danny will live. The shower’s a scary enough place with a teenaged girl in the house pre-Psycho. I’ll let you watch it when you’re thirty-seven.”

  “Oh, you mean old like you are.”

  “Hey!”

  “See? This is what I’m talking about. You aren’t a young dude anymore, Dad. You’d better get this Ysabeau to fall for you before you’re too geezerish to catch chicks.”

  “Thanks a lot.”

  “I don’t want you to be alone.” Her voice turned serious. “I love you.”

  His heart twisted. If anything ever happened to her… “I love you more.”

  Hanging up the phone, a wave of homesickness overtook him. No, that wasn’t it—he was Sunny-sick. And lonely. As silly as it sounded, his fourteen-year-old daughter was spot on with her matchmaking advice. Love didn’t come around every day and life itself was too short. Far too short.

  Live your life, Soli had said.

  Hell, the tightening of his pants told him that he wasn’t a geezer and he wasn’t dead. Ysabeau-want pulsed through his system. He popped off the couch and strode down the hallway to seize love with both hands.

  When he knocked on her door, Ysabeau came out of her bedroom wearing a forest-green nightgown made out of silk and light. Her skin was glowing and she smelled of a sweet tropical sunset.

  “Luke—” she barely got out before he silenced her with his lips.

  He kissed her with all the loneliness, hurt, and hunger he felt. She wrapped her arms around his back, holding him tight, matching him kiss-for-kiss. Diving head-first into the deep end of desire, his hands went on a demanding search to touch her. Neck. Shoulders. Arms. When he reached the small of her back, he pressed, drawing her closer.

  Hungrily, he showered kisses down to the sweet spot of her neck. The rumble in her throat did unbelievable things to him. Her breath exhaled through her parted lips until his mouth found hers again. Not softly. He wanted her so bad it hurt. She moaned deeply when his hands skimmed across her breasts beneath her nightgown. He lingered a little longer, squeezing gently, feeling the weight of her breasts in his hands.

  Suddenly, her hands were on top of his. Breathing heavily, he released her, stepping back to read her face.

  “Please, don’t…” she whispered.

  “Don’t?” He looked deeply into her eyes.

  “Oh, please…” she swayed into him, “…don’t stop. I have condoms. Boxes of them. Hundreds and hundreds. I should have told you before.”

  Ripping his shirt over his head, she kissed his collarbones and nibbled on his neck. Then to his utter surprise, she body slammed him into the wall. Even though it hurt like hell, and his ribs would be screaming tomorrow, he liked it. Her thighs wrapped around his hips and lips, hot and urgent, singed his. Her hands roamed his body, needy, demanding.

  With one finger he dropped the thin straps of her nightgown over her shoulders, kissing her soft skin as he went. She closed her eyes and clung to him like a drowning woman. They were both breathing heavily. His lips found her nipple. When he sucked, she threw her head back and moaned. That moan killed him more than her sighs.

  “I want to make love to you, Ysabeau.” His voice sounded like a growl to his own ears. “More than just tonight. Or tomorrow. I need to know if you would consider me, us, together.”

  “I’m yours,” she whispered. “Make love to me.”

  Although he would love to hear that a million times, he said, “Don’t need to tell me twice.”

  He scooped her up in his arms to carry her back to her room. While nibbling his neck she started to giggle.

  “What is it?” he stopped walking.

  “I was thinking about your, um, banana. Is it really magnificent?”

  He grinned. “Yes, yes it is.”

  She kissed him so hard that it was difficult to carry her those last few steps to her bedroom.

  A knock on the front door caused her to lift her head. “Did you hear that?”

  “Bonswa!” A voice called from the entryway. “Kote ou ye?”

  Ysabeau’s eyes flew open. “It’s Gran!”

  Chapter Fourteen

  ‡

  “Manti!” Grann said with a disapproving huff. “Dis cannot be true.”

  “Gran!” Ysabeau yanked the straps of her nightgown back up and fluffed the hair at the nape of her neck. “I, uh, didn’t you say you weren’t coming over today?” Ysabeau’s voice cracked. Her skin was flushed with a fine sheen of perspiration.

  Gran’s light eyes narrowed at Luke. She didn’t say a word.

  Luke threw his shirt over his head. His blond hair was uncharacteristically mussed and he looked…sexy. Ysabeau fought to douse the flames erupting in her belly.

  “You must be Ysabeau’s grandmother,” Luke said.

  Ysabeau blinked. “Gran, this is my…” I’m his for as long as he wants me. “…um, this is Luke Carter.”

  “Pleasure to meet you.” Luke offered his hand, withdrawing it when she shook her head.

  “I know all about dis one, child,” Grann said to Ysabeau. At barely five feet tall, she had to tip her head back to glare into Luke’s eyes. “I’m here ’cause of you, Mr. Carter.”

  He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Please ma’am, call me Luke.”

  “I’ll call you what I please. You call me Gran. Dat’s what everybody calls me. Even de devil himself.”

  Ysabeau shot her a questioning look. Why was Grann acting so rudely?

  “Certainly. Gran,” Luke said.

  He spoke to her angry grandmother with so much respect Ysabeau wanted to kiss him. And the way his eyes held infinite pools of emotion when they cut her way made her want to kiss him. Standing next to him made her want to kiss him. Lord help her. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about his lips?

  Distance. That’s what she needed. A little space between herself and the steaming hot male filling up her senses before she ripped his shirt off again and begged him to take her right there in front of Gran. Sweet Mother, she wanted him. Desperately. She glanced at his face and saw he was struggling with desire too. Her gaze dropped to his lips. Holy Saints, focus on something else! Her eyes dropped lower…not there!

  “I need to speak wid you, child,” Grann interrupted her steamy thoughts. “Now.”

  She blinked at the command in Gran’s voice. Something was wrong. Why was Grann here at this hour instead of snoring in her own home? Ten o’clock was her usual bedtime. Something was terribly wrong.

  “Have you eaten, Gran? I can make you something.” Her voice cracked.

  “No child, just a nip of sherry.”

  “Good. Let’s—” She accidentally glanced at Luke again and felt an electric shiver go through her. Focus! She screamed at herself. “—let’s pour you a glass.”

  “Maybe two.” Grann followed Ysabeau into the kitchen. Switching to Kreyòl she said, “Why is the man still here?” So Grann had heard about Luke.

  As Ysabeau rose on her toes and reached into the cabinet for the bottle she caught a glimpse of Luke leaning against the doorframe, several feet behind her. Why could she still feel his hands on her skin?

  “I’m taking care of him.” Ysabeau continuing the discussion
in Kreyòl. “He was mugged.”

  “He looks fine enough to go to a hotel. I’ve got my car outside. I’ll drive him to save you from having to”—her gaze took in Ysabeau’s nightdress—“put clothes on.”

  Ysabeau grasped the front of the nightdress, cinching it closed. “It’s almost midnight! I’m not sending him to a hotel at this hour.”

  Grann raised an eyebrow and turned her focus on the man in the doorway, eyeing him as if he were a gigantic cockroach lounging there.

  Thinking fast, Ysabeau rushed over to Luke. “Do you want a glass of sherry?”

  His gaze slowly traveled the length of her. “Not exactly what I want at the moment.”

  Ysabeau gulped.

  Grann let out a breath of disgust. “Red and blue auras? One over the other? Is he the patient you asked about? Oh, that big fat—she knew! Holding out on me! I out to slap Deolina into next Sunday.”

  Fear spread in Ysabeau’s core. She pressed a hand to her stomach. “Please, Gran, tell me what’s going on.”

  “Deolina! She finally has a little power and uses it against me? Not telling is like tying my hands so I can’t protect you. She put you in harm’s way.”

  Ysabeau nearly jumped when Luke wrapped his arm around her. “Protect Ysabeau from what?”

  Grann made a smacking noise. “I said dat in English?”

  Ysabeau shivered. She leaned into Luke, letting his warmth ease into her skin and melt the cold seeping into her bones.

  “You’ve got five seconds to start telling us what’s going on,” he growled at Gran.

  Had Luke lost his mind? Nobody so much as raised a voice to Gran, let alone threatened her!

  Gran’s hands were on her hips, her chin lifted.

  “Luke, why don’t you wait for me in the living room—” Ysabeau began.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” His blue eyes were pinned on Gran. “Three seconds.”

  Grann shook her head slowly. “Deo was right. I spilled de tomato seeds. All right, Mr. Carter, let us go.”

  He held Ysabeau even tighter. Not moving. “Go where?”

  “To do a reading. Deo said a spirit is watching over the man, but I didn’t know it was dis powerful. Clear as a sunset, her aura is bleeding all over his. It’s unheard of.”