“Really?!” Tiffany’s eyes lit up. She loved the galleries. It was some of her fondest memories.
“Mmmhmm,” he ran his hands across her body.
“Luke! I’m trying to get ready.”
“Okay, okay.” He laughed and let her go.
Tiffany swirled her hair up into a bun and spun around. “How do I look?”
“Good enough to eat.” He smiled suggestively.
“Oh hush!” She rolled her eyes at him and grabbed her purse.
“You won’t be needing that.”
“Why not?”
“Consider this our first date. Anything you want, just point it out.”
“Hmmm,” Tiffany feigned thinking before pointing at Luke.
He pulled her close and let his lips explore hers. She felt herself wanting more, but there was another knock on the door, “Are you about ready? Father has the car waiting.” Adeline yelled at them through the door.
“Coming!” Tiffany called back.
“Well, not yet, but you will be,” Luke whispered so only Tiffany could hear him.
“Shh!” Tiffany blushed and swatted at him.
The three of them walked down the stair and climbed in the car. Sergei started the engine and pulled out of the driveway. Traffic was more terrible than usual.
“What is going on today?” Tiffany stared out the window at the backed-up cars. To her surprise, most of them were turning into the gallery parking lot. “Are they having some sort of special event today?”
“I think the caretaker mentioned that actually,” Ian said from the front seat.
“I don’t remember anything on the calendar. I must have missed it.” Tiffany tried to see a banner announcing the event, but she couldn’t find any.
Sergei parked the car and opened the door for Adeline and Tiffany to slide out. Adeline seemed so self-assured for someone so young. Even after everything she had been through, she was able to put on a brave face in front of the public. Tiffany chalked it up to her breeding. Growing up in a house with Ian Krieger was bound to have some side effects.
“Miss Page,” Luke held out his arm to her.
Tiffany looped her hand through his arm. They entered the glass building. Tiffany could feel eyes on her. Women leered at her with envy. She clutched Luke’s arm tighter and fought to keep her head held high. She felt out of place suddenly. All of the men were dressed in suits, and the women wore long evening gowns. Tiffany felt like an imposter. Around the room, pieces of art were covered in white sheets. Champagne glasses were being carried about by waiters.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Ian take center stage. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming. As I am sure you have heard, my family has suffered a great loss. Today, we honor my children and the young woman who helped save my youngest and my eldest. Today, I present to you the world premiere of Tiffany Page’s art and the last portraits of my children before they were taken from this life. Today is about memory and savoring the moment. I am pleased to present to you this one of a kind series.”
The white sheets fell away to reveal the portraits that Tiffany had painted. Her heart flew to her throat. The crowd erupted in applause. Guests moved from piece to piece sipping their champagne and conversing with one another about composition, color, and the evocative nature of the pieces. Tiffany unhooked herself from Luke’s arm and wandered through the crowd anonymously. Praise of her work bloomed from their lips and engulfed her. She felt touched by their words and by Ian’s gesture. He had brought her into society and given her the exposure and endorsement that would open her future.
Luke found her in the crowd and brought her a flute of champagne, “Thirsty?”
Tiffany felt as though she were about to cry. “I’m getting a little overwhelmed.” She took the glass from him and chugged it.
“Here, come with me.” Luke took her hand and guided her out of the main lobby. He took her into an empty room and let her breathe for a moment. “Better?”
Tiffany sat down on an empty table, “Much. Thank you.”
Luke knelt in front of her, “You look like you need to relax.”
“What are you doing?”
His hand slipped under her dress and slid the silky fabric up over her knees and thighs, “I told you earlier that you looked good enough to eat.” He kissed her thighs gently and trailed his fingertips across her legs.
“I don’t know if we should be doing this.” She struggled to get the words out, but even as she said them, she parted her knees and closed her eyes.
Luke grabbed her hips and pulled her closer to the edge of the table. His fingers reached up and slid her panties to the side. Kissing the inside of her thighs, he teased her. Tiffany felt his tongue trace around her clit, and it made her ache. She waited in agony for him to touch her there. Suddenly, pleasure washed over her. His tongue flicked back and forth causing pleasure to radiate from her center. She felt him fill her with his fingers and massage her as he continued to lick faster and with more pressure.
Tiffany moaned and whispered, “No, stop.” She grabbed his hair and pulled his head away from her.
“What’s wrong?”
Tiffany pushed him on the ground and hurriedly undid his pants. Her mouth wrapped around him and sucked until he was firm and erect. She caressed him and straddled over him. With one hand, she pulled her panties aside and lowered herself onto him. Her body expanded to fit around him. Luke groaned. Her warm wetness squeezed around him. She began to bounce up and down. Pleasure built inside of him with each movement. His hands found her hips and bounced her faster. He thrust up with each of her downward movements to ensure maximum penetration.
Luke watched as she bit her lit to try to stop from moaning. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she focused on her own pleasure. His thumb found her clit and rubbed in a circle as she continued to bounce. Her breathing was coming in fast gasps. She was close. Luke felt her body seize around him. She froze in ecstasy. He ignored her nails digging into his chest and kept thrusting to make sure she had the full climax. Once she began to pulse around him, he exploded inside of her. The force of his orgasm made him moan involuntarily. He managed a few more pumps before he pulled out.
Tiffany was still breathing heavily. She smiled down at him. Luke smirked at her, “What?”
“I’m just happy.”
“Feel better now?”
“Yes.” She leaned in and kissed him.
Luke stood up, looking for something to clean off with. As Tiffany got to her feet, her knees tried to buckle under her. “That good huh?”
She rolled her eyes, “Hush.”
“Are you about ready to get back out there?” He tossed some paper napkins in the trash and zipped up his pants.
“Give me another minute or two. I just want to enjoy this,”
Luke wrapped his arms around her, “All those people are out there for you, you know.”
“Well, the only one I want to be with is you.” She nestled her head on his shoulder. “Thank you, by the way.”
“For what? The sex?”
“No!” She punched him playfully in the arm. “Well, yes, but I meant for picking me. That day in the rain.”
“To be honest, I’m glad you accepted. I probably wouldn’t still be here if it weren’t for you. Who knows if anyone else would have figured it out in time.”
Tiffany smiled and took his hand, “Okay, let’s go back out there now. I’m sure your father will be missing us.”
“In a crowd like that? I doubt it.”
The two of them were swept up in the crowd as soon as they reentered the lobby. Tiffany was bombarded with handshakes and compliments.
“Give the girl some air!” Ian came over and fended off the most insistent of the group. “Any commission requests will be funneled through my hotel until she gets a more suitable space of her own.
Commissions? People wanted her to paint for them? Everything was happening so fast. Just a week ago, she was barely scraping by,
and now this? She looked around the room in awe. Photographers crowded around them. Tiffany struggled to keep herself calm. Things had finally taken a turn for the better.
Chapter Thirteen: New Beginnings
“Are you ready?” Tiffany glanced back at Hannah.
“Let’s do this!”
Tiffany flipped the closed sign on the door to open. “I still can’t believe this is real.”
Hannah had named her new tea shop Tin-spiration. Decorative tea tins lined the shelves behind her. Bins of fresh spice and dried fruits were placed along the counter. People would come in and tell her what sort of ailments they were dealing with or what flavors they liked, and she would send them home with a tin of something mixed specifically for them.
Tiffany had a loft above the shop so she could see her steady stream of clients and have sessions without being disturbed. Business had flourished after the gallery exhibit. Ian had even let her use their studio for a small time until she had enough saved up to get her own place established.
“Good morning, ladies!” Luke came through the door.
“Morning, Luke!” Hannah went back to counting her inventory.
“Well, aren’t you punctual.” Tiffany gave him a kiss.
“Actually I’ve been here for a while. I was just waiting for you to open.”
“You should have just come to the door. I would have let you in.”
“Yeah, last time I did that, you made me wait until it was exactly eight.” Luke pressed his pointer finger to the tip of her nose.
“I was just playing with you!” Tiffany swatted his hand away from her face.
“How is Adeline doing?” Hannah spoke up from behind the counter.
“Still having nightmares.” Luke’s eyes wrinkled in concern as he thought about his little sister. The past few weeks had been hard on her.
“I’ll mix her up some tea, and you can take it to her. Is that ok?”
“Sounds great. She always loves to try your stuff. Hey, do you have a minute?” He looked at Tiffany intently.
“Uh, sure, come on up.” She jerked her head towards the stairs to the loft, and he followed her up. Once they were upstairs, Tiffany lowered her voice, “Is everything ok?”
Luke pulled her into a deep and passionate kiss, “It is now.”
“Is that seriously all you wanted?” She laughed as he pulled away from her.
“Isn’t that enough of a reason to want to see you alone?”
“It is for you.”
“Hopefully only me.”
“Only you.”
“Actually, I came to ask you something. Adeline’s birthday is coming up soon, well hers and Alaric’s. I thought it might be a good idea to get her out of the house for a bit. Planning on taking her somewhere sunny with a beach, maybe get her mind off of it some. I know she would really enjoy having you there. What do you say?”
Tiffany nodded, “Of course. Anything she needs. Do I need to bring anything?”
“Just your smile.” Luke paused feigning seriousness, “No seriously, don’t bring a bathing suit. Just your smile.”
“Hmm, are you sure this is for Adeline, or is it maybe for you?”
“Okay, fine. You can bring a bathing suit, but that’s it.” Luke kissed the tip of her nose. “I have to get back to the hotel. I’m still filling in for Paul until dad gets a replacement.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it’s hard to do his job from prison.”
“Hey, Tiff?” Luke wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. He stared intently into her eyes.
Tiffany’s heart fluttered when he was close like this, “Yeah?”
“I love you.”
Her heart raced, and a smile spread across her face, “I love you, too.”
He gave her one more kiss before leaving the loft and the store. She had been so involved in his family since everything had happened, and even though they had spent so much time together, she couldn’t help but get butterflies in her stomach when he said her name. The pressure of his kiss lingered on her lips. She couldn’t stop smiling. He had that effect on her.
Jumping up and down a few times, she tried to shake out the excited jitters that buzzed through her veins. She bit her lip to try and stop smiling, but there was no use. Lately, there was only one way for her to deal with the way she felt about him—well two, but Luke had already left. She looked around her loft, full of supplies and possibilities. That day in the rain still washed over her. She looked back on the anger and frustration she had felt that day and laughed. She would have never pictured this. Her past had brought her to an unexpected happiness.
Shaking her head, Tiffany started sorting out her paints and set up a fresh canvas. She channeled her emotions; it was time to paint something new.
The SEAL’s Girl
A SEAL Romance
Chloe Martel
The SEAL’s Girl
Copyright 2017 by Chloe Martel
All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to a person, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Warning: Due to mature subject matter, such as explicit sexual situations and coarse language, this story is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. All sexually active characters in this work are 18 years of age or older, and all acts of a sexual nature are consensual.
Chapter One
Bradley wasn't new to being a SEAL. It was something he'd been doing now for about six years—since right out of high school. At first, it had been really hard, and he'd wondered if it was something that he was going to stick with past just being a job for a few years. But now, he liked it.
While the rest of his peers from high school had gone on to live in party towns where they drank until all of their social relationships were destroyed and left empty save for the cloying smell of stale beer, he had been forging his body and mind in fires they could never imagine. His peers, in Bradley's mind, had taken a road that had been preordained for them. They really hadn't given it much thought, or really looked at the larger picture as to what would really pay off for them. Sure, maybe some of them would go on to land a job at some firm that would actually treat them well for the long haul, but that was a pretty big maybe. For most of these kids, college was just something to fill the time.
Bradley wanted to fill the time with something besides just banal memories. He wanted to really make something of himself. That meant seeing the world and growing up. For Bradley, there had been no better way than joining the military, and no better thing to be in the military than a Navy SEAL.
Of course, being a SEAL had its downsides. First and foremost, the thing that impacted Bradley on the daily was the fact that he'd been stationed out at Twenty-Nine Palms in Southern California. It was a military base notorious for how terrible the conditions were. When airmen were located at the base, they received extra pay. But not the Marines, the branch the base actually belonged to. No, the Marines had to endure the hardship with no extra pay.
And it was a hardship; Bradley knew this to be certain. He'd learned it over his time spent at the base, which had been boring. The hardship had been made more so because of this. Had Bradley had something to do, some kind entertainment, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad. But the stumps, as the base was called in reference to the palm trees in its name, didn't have much going on. The small community that had sprouted outside of the gates seemed to be made mostly of riffraff and other rabble. There were fights, lots of those, but Bradley wasn't the kind of guy to look forward to a bar fight where
he might be stabbed or shot by a crackhead. Tattoo parlors were everywhere, and of course, massage parlors that offered the stereotypical happy ending. The little spit of humanity on the other side of the base's gates wasn't something that Bradley relished even traveling through, feeling like he was a fish swimming in a scummy part of a river eddy. There was just something terrible about the way humanity chose to crawl in the shadow of the Marine's Fort, but, of course, the Marines didn't care. Most of them were so hungry for any action or play they could get, that they would fight a cactus and try to mount a desert rabbit if enough alcohol was involved.
And that's why Bradley was in especially good spirits today. He'd just found out that he'd be leaving the base and moving somewhere else, far away. He wasn't sure yet, he'd been out on the town, at the only burger joint he could stand when one of his buddies had texted him the news. Bradley was anxious to find out what his future would hold as he rode in a taxi back to the gates of the base.
The landscape around him was bleak, as the taxi cruised down one of the roads that connected the base to the small amount of humanity at its front. The desert crags of the local mountains seemed just close enough that he could reach out and touch them. The sun rays streaked across a sky the color of blush tinged with a soft orange hue. Bradley felt like the first day he'd come to the base, so many years ago. It was a feeling that made his feet feel a little lighter, put a spring in his step, and a smile on his face.
Bradley was told he was a more handsome man when he smiled, but he wasn't so sure about that. He figured it was just something people said because they didn't know what else to say. This was one of those times he just couldn't stop smiling, and the woman driving his taxi kept looking back at him with a twinkle in her eye.
“What's the good news?” she asked.
Bradley couldn't help but blush. He wasn't used to having women hit on him. The base, belonging to Marines, wasn't integrated according to gender. Instead, it was segregated with men and female barracks, and very few women anyway considering that the base was an infantry installation, and so few of the women who had made a go at the infantry made it so far. Bradley wasn't sure of the exact numbers, but however many had been able to make it through the Marines' grueling training hadn't been stationed on the base.
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