“I’m not sure. Lexi’s trying to talk her into moving down here, too. How crazy is that?”
“I thought she worked at the Pentagon?”
“Defense contractor in Arlington. It’s a big company; I think they have plenty of contracts down here.”
“Perfect,” Mike muttered.
“We need to lock you two in an empty room. No, scratch that—a room with nothing but a bed. Let you fuck it out,” Brent laughed.
“Jesus,” Christopher groaned. “I know she wants you to stay away from her, but can’t you at least try to make amends or something? Lexi and I are going to be planning a wedding soon. I don’t want Lexi stressed out every time the two of you are in the same room.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m on it,” Mike muttered. All he had to do was apologize to a petite, hotter-than-hell woman who loved to mouth off to him. What a freaking spectacular night this was going to turn out to be.
Chapter 2
Kenley Bristow stretched out on the lounge chair at her best friend’s pool, her damp brown curls drying in the warm October sun. Lexi had all but moved in with her fiancé Christopher, and the two women were enjoying the afternoon together while the guys went to the gun range for some target practice or some other macho, I’m the manliest guy around type thing. Maybe they’d have a dick measuring contest when it was over, she thought with a smirk.
She glanced down at the black bikini she’d worn for the afternoon. It was sexy without being too revealing, hugging her full breasts and hanging just so on her hips. She almost wished Christopher’s asshole friend Mike was around to see her in it. She would not be wearing it to the bonfire this evening, but hell if she didn’t want to give him a taste of his own medicine. That guy was too damn cocky for his own good. She wanted him to see exactly what he could never have.
Kenley had raced down to Virginia Beach a month ago when Lexi had been kidnapped. While Kenley had been looking around the condo Lexi had visited, Christopher and his teammate Mike had stormed in, looking for clues. She’d come out of the bedroom and assumed one of them was Lexi’s boyfriend. They both had massive builds and short, cropped hair in the standard military fashion. But the biggest guy had grabbed her as she exited the bedroom, trapping her against his solid frame, mistaking her for the enemy.
She shuddered at the memories of Mike’s hard body pressing up against hers—his clean, spicy scent filling her nose, her body trembling beneath him. She’d been angry, aroused, and frightened all at the same time. He’s easily captured both of her wrists in one of his large hands, and she’d been shocked at the desire shooting through her and arousal pooling at her core. She didn’t let guys manhandle her that way—she needed someone nice. Safe. Predictable. And Mike was none of those.
Lexi’s fiancé Christopher had shouted at him to release her, but Kenley had already been shaken to the core. She’d been aroused by Mike’s actions. Completely turned on. His power and strength was appealing and enticing in ways she could never have imagined. She’d always dated men who treated her with nothing but respect—who engaged in a polite kiss goodnight and maybe, after the appropriate number of dates, they’d spend the night and have safe, vanilla sex in her bed. It was nice. Unassuming. Pleasant. Maybe a bit predictable and boring. But that’s what she needed—safety, stability, security. Not some guy who’d pin her against the wall in a heartbeat and have his wicked way with her.
Not that Mike had been after that exactly. He and Christopher had seen the door to her condo ajar and immediately rushed in, thinking she was somehow involved in the kidnapping. But as Mike had held her, she’d felt his thick arousal against her belly as her breasts pushed against his muscled chest. He’d wanted her, too. And that made him even more dangerous.
She’d always been attracted to guys like him from afar—rough and tumble, macho, alpha males. She worked with plenty in her job at a defense contractor in Arlington, VA. Former military guys who’d joined the private sector and active duty military officers that worked with her company on lucrative contracts with the Pentagon and Department of Defense were always around. But she never dated any of those guys. She stuck with what was safe, what she knew. Fellow HR employees and accounting and payroll specialists. Maybe the occasional accountant or lawyer. Safe men who had steady, boring jobs like her. Not men who could easily bench-press two of her and jumped out of airplanes for a living.
With the way her own parents had always been gone when she was growing up—traveling around the world, leaving her and her sister in the care of a nanny or some other relative, she knew she needed to find someone to make her feel safe. Secure. A Navy SEAL who deployed on dangerous missions would never be the man for her—she needed someone who’d come home every night. To give her what she never had growing up—stability. Maybe that uncertain lifestyle worked for Lexi, but it would never work for her.
“You want another drink?” Lexi asked from beside her.
“Yeah, I can grab one.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m getting hungry anyway. I’ll bring out some chips and sodas. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect.”
“So are you definitely coming to the bonfire tonight?” Lexi asked as she stood, readjusting her blue bikini. With her jet black hair trailing down her back, she looked striking. Kenley felt positively frumpy next to her, with her head of wild, windblown curls. A dip in the pool had sounded like a great idea at the time, but now she’d look like a walking advertisement for hair products—with her being the “before” look.
“Didn’t you say the whole SEAL team would be there?”
“I think so, yes.”
“Then the answer’s no.”
“Hun, can’t you move on? So Mike is kind of a jackass. The other guys are nice. And I want you to keep me company.”
Kenley laughed. “You have a very hot fiancé to keep you company. Isn’t that enough?” she teased.
“Yeah, but all the other guys will be there. It’s not like you’re crashing a date or something.”
“Hey, honey,” a deep, male voice rang out.
“You’re back!” Lexi shouted, running across the hot pavement.
“Hi Christopher!” Kenley called out, without turning her head. There was no need to watch their welcome home, make-out session.
A shadow fell over her chair, and she glanced up. Shock coursed through her as she realized it was Mike. She couldn’t see those gorgeous blue eyes through his sunglasses, but she felt the heat of his gaze almost as if it were a caress. He scanned over her from head to toe as her breathing hitched, her chest heated, filling with something she couldn’t quite explain, and warmth seeped through her. Her breathing became shallow, and she was acutely aware of the arousal pooling in her bikini bottoms. Mike hadn’t even said a single word. He’d just shown up, given her a once-over, and she was melting into a puddle right in front of his eyes.
“You look hot.”
“Excuse me?”
“You should cool off in the pool.”
“Already done it, thanks,” she said dryly, leaning back and shutting her eyes. Let him look his fill. What the hell did she care?
“I’m going in.”
“It doesn’t look like you have a suit on.”
“Would you be opposed to skinny dipping? Of course, it’s not as much fun to do it alone.”
Heat surged through her at his suggestion. Certainly he wasn’t proposing they go skinny dipping in broad daylight. She swallowed. Hell. The idea of Mike naked, in all his glory, was entirely too appealing. Those muscles, that thick arousal…. No. Never gonna happen.
“Yo, Christopher!” he called out.
“What’s up?”
“Can I borrow a suit? Kenley and I are going swimming.”
Kenley looked over to where Christopher and Lexi stood. Her eyebrows raised.
“Mike is going swimming,” Kenley corrected. “I’m quite happy here, thanks.”
Mike shrugged, an easy grin spreading across his face. “Suit yourself.” She
looked at him, puzzled, and he winked.
Rolling her eyes, Kenley settled back into the lounge chair. A moment later, Lexi sat down beside her. “Christopher said he’ll bring out some food and drinks.”
“Great. Is Mike leaving?”
“Noooo. I think he went inside to change.”
“What? Why?”
Lexi shrugged, putting her sunglasses back on. “He dropped Christopher off and decided to stick around. Who knows?”
“Well, he can do what he wants. I’ve had enough chit-chat with him for the day.”
***
Mike walked back out from the apartment with a couple of bags of chips and jars of salsa. Hell. The last person he’d expected to see here was Kenley. He’d planned to drop Christopher off but had decided to come in for a quick beer. Then he’d seen her by the pool and bam. He couldn’t bring himself to leave. She looked sexier-than-sin in that tiny little black bikini. Hell, the only thing better would be to see her in black lace. Atop his bed.
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and tell his dick to stand down. A swim in the cold pool was exactly what he needed at the moment.
“Ladies,” he said, setting the food on the table between then and making a beeline straight for that cold water. He dove in, surfacing a minute later. It was a little cool but nothing he wasn’t used to. Hell, he was a Navy SEAL. They trained on the water all the time, in all kinds of temperatures and conditions. And the pool was a hell of a lot warmer than the Atlantic in late October.
From the far end of the pool, he saw Kenley staring at him. She couldn’t see much with him standing in the deep end, but hell, just the thought of her eyes on him made him warm all over. And wasn’t that a surprise. He was attracted to her, yes, but she was different than all of the other women chasing after him. She was a challenge—one he very much wanted to accept.
Christopher came down the sidewalk a moment later, two long necks in one hand and a couple of sodas in the other.
“Want a beer?” he called out to Mike.
“In a minute. Just taking a dip.”
Christopher nodded and sank onto the lounge chair with Lexi. Hell, even if Mike didn’t want that sort of relationship for himself, he had to admit they looked good together. He dove back under, swimming the length of the pool. It was so short he could easily make it in one breath. He’d had years of training with the SEALs, yes, but he’d grown up on the water down in North Carolina. His family had a sweet little cottage by the beach, and he’d spent summer after summer as a kid swimming with his dad and his brothers. His mom was always content to watch from the sidelines, but it had been pretty damn picturesque. He couldn’t have asked for a better childhood.
Maybe someday he’d eventually settle down, have a wife and couple of kids. He’d yet to meet the woman that lit that fire in him though, making him want something that lasted forever. Sure he’d enjoy a night or two with an attractive lady, but as for someone he wanted to commit to or spend a lifetime with? Hadn’t happened yet. Didn’t really suit his life as a SEAL anyway.
He surfaced, the sounds of conversation that had been distorted beneath the water ringing crystal clear.
“I can’t just move down here, Lexi,” Kenley said with a laugh. “My job is in Arlington.”
“I know, I know. Just wishful thinking I guess. If I’m here with Christopher, how fun would it be for you to live here, too?”
Mike felt an unexpected twinge of disappointment. What did he care if or when Kenley returned to Northern Virginia? He thought she was smoking hot, but that sure as shit didn’t mean he wanted to marry the woman. Getting her into his bed would suit him just fine. And since that seemed likely to never happen, the most he could hope for would be to steal a kiss. See if she tasted as sweet as that vanilla perfume she always had on. It drove him out of his fucking mind not knowing.
Kenley readjusted her legs on the lounge chair, and he could see the red polish on her toes. Sexy as fuck. Hell if he didn’t want to toss those legs up over his shoulders, bend down, and send her straight to heaven. That wasn’t exactly the type of kiss she’d allow to happen though, he thought with a smirk.
He climbed out of the pool, dripping wet, and stalked over to where she sat. Suddenly, the idea of Kenley, wet and writhing in his arms was too good to resist. If he couldn’t get her into bed, at least he’d get her in the water. See how she looked dripping wet in that skimpy little bikini. She had to know men would be ogling her in that thing. Especially with the knockout body she had.
Without a word, he ducked down and scooped her up from the lounge chair as she squealed. She was so tiny compared to his large frame, he could do whatever the hell he wanted, and she wouldn’t have a damn choice. Not that he’d ever take advantage of a woman, but imaging all the scenarios of him holding her curvy little body to his had him growing hard again.
“You’re cold!” she cried out, squirming. “And all wet!”
He tightened his arms around her, holding her closer to his chest. Her hot body pressed up against him was enticing as hell. One little movement and that bikini top could be off, her bare breasts on display. Fuck if he didn’t want to see everything Kenley had to offer.
“Put me down,” she protested.
He chuckled and strode more quickly across the hot pavement.
“Mike, be nice!” Lexi called out. “Should we stop him?” she asked Christopher.
“They’re fine,” Christopher said, laughing. “He won’t let anything happen.”
Goddamn right he wouldn’t let anything happen. Nor would he let her get away.
“Put me down!” Kenley said again.
Mike smirked. They had reached the deep end of the pool, and holding Kenley tightly to his wet torso, he jumped right in.
Chapter 3
Kenley panicked as the cold water surrounded them. She instinctively held her breath, but she frantically pushed against Mike, desperate for him to release her. Everything was distorted under water—her sense of sound, her sight. The pool couldn’t be that deep, but it felt like they were sinking further and further away from the surface, Mike never releasing her from his iron-like grip.
Despite her parents having a condo by the beach, she’d never learned to swim. She loved splashing around in the shallow water of the ocean and walking along the shoreline, but that had been the extent of her fun on the water. Her parents were never around enough growing up to bother signing her or her sister up for swimming lessons. They’d jet off to one place or another every summer, leaving the two of them with the nanny, and she hadn’t known family life to be any different. Every kid must have parents who traveled all the time and a nanny who raised them, right? They’d purchased a condo down by the beach. They’d just never been around to use it.
Her mind returned to the present as the water fully surrounded them, all sounds from the world above muffled and distant. Mike’s feet hit the bottom, and he pushed back up, kicking his legs as he propelled them back to the surface. The rise back up took even longer, and panic swelled in her chest. The sunlight became brighter as they surfaced, and she frantically flailed about, desperate for him to release her. Mike finally let her go as she fought him, and Lexi shouted in the distance, “Kenley can’t swim!”
Tears streamed down her face as Mike suddenly reappeared, his arm snaring around her waist, locking her to him. She threw her arms around his neck, her legs wrapping around his waist as he carried her toward the edge of the pool. He was so tall he could stand here, but she was barely over five feet.
“Shhh, I got you,” he soothed, his mouth at her ear. She shook and clung to him, despite knowing she was safe now. Those few moments of free-falling in all that deep water had been positively terrifying. She couldn’t swim, so she’d never once jumped into a deep pool of water like that. She never would again, either.
Her back met the rough edge of the pool, and still Mike held her to him. His muscular arms were locked around her, and she foolishly cried into his neck.
&
nbsp; “I’m sorry, Kenley,” he apologized. “Are you okay?”
Finally she lifted her head. Concerned blue eyes met her gaze, and Mike swiped a tear running down her cheek. Despite her fear moments ago, it felt good to be in his arms. Too good. He was walls of solid muscle, bigger and stronger than most other men. He held her so closely to him, she knew nothing bad would happen whenever he was around. Even though he was the one who’d jumped into the pool with her, he’d helped her. Carried her back to the side. Held her as she cried.
“You can’t swim?”
“No,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry; I never would’ve done that—”
She nodded, another tear slipping down her face.
“Please don’t cry,” he said, his voice catching. He wiped her tears away, and they stared at each other a moment as their heat intermingled. Suddenly the cool water lapping around them felt very, very hot. Or maybe it was the solid male that was holding her. Mike shifted slightly, his arousal hitting her exactly where she wanted him. He was just as turned on at their wet bodies pressed together as she was. Being in Mike’s arms was suddenly the absolute only place she wanted to be.
Mike leaned in and kissed her, and she momentarily forgot how to breathe. He was gentle and sweet, and he kept up his tender kisses as she tightened her hold. Her breasts pushed against his broad chest, and her hardened nipples rubbed against him through her thin bikini top. Pushing her back ever-so-slightly into the wall, he ground his erection into her core. She gasped as he rubbed against her, exactly where she needed him. He felt so damn good, she didn’t know what to make of it. She barely knew him. She didn’t make out with guys she’d just met. They’d never so much as had dinner together or gone out on a date, and he was grinding against her in the pool like she was his.
A SEAL's Seduction (Alpha SEALs Book 4) Page 2
