by Swann, Lara
Three years…what else has changed?
I let my hand linger, reaching forward and wrapping it around his wrist as I took a moment to look in his eyes.
“Thank you, Seth.”
My voice was soft, and I hoped he could tell just how much I meant those words - for everything - because I wasn’t sure I could express it any other way.
Something sparked in his eyes briefly before they became unknown gray depths again and he simply nodded at me, taking my hand again as he led us back towards the car.
Now just to get home in one piece. That should be the easy part, right?
Chapter Nine
Seth
“…backed up along the 580, no movement there. Severe delays expected, avoid the area if you can. We’ll keep you updated…”
The radio switched back to music as I surveyed the harsh red lights glaring at me from the endless cars stacked bumper-to-bumper, fingers tapping impatiently on the steering wheel. I’d been fine for the first hour of deadlock, but now the waiting was starting to grate on me. A quick glance at the dashboard showed me the time was well past eleven and I looked around again at the empty fields to either side of the over-full road, fighting the urge to divert off-road and roar through the country.
The tough little truck could survive it without a problem. The carefully planted fields, not so much. And I didn’t quite think Bella wanted to risk topping this day off with a potential lawsuit. She was starting to shift around on the seat, though - impatient, wriggling curves that kept drawing my eye and giving momentary distraction from the tedium.
“Some day, huh?”
At least her voice had its familiar humor in it now - the way she’d withdrawn after that attack had worried me for a little. But she was made of stronger stuff than she realized, and seemed to be largely over the shock.
Hot anger stirred through me at the thought and I cursed myself again. I should never have let us wander around those areas after dark - they could be bad enough during the day, and I knew better. But we’d been having fun, and some stupid part of me kind of liked the way the trip had lit something up inside her. I hadn’t wanted to draw it to a close.
That’s what you get for ignoring your instincts, idiot.
“Yeah, guess future invitations are out, hmm?”
She laughed and shook her head.
“Or I just let you choose the location. What were you thinking, anyway?”
I gave a wry smile at that, thinking how differently this day had turned out.
“One of the famed beaches we’ve got around here, maybe. Chance to laze in the sand, enjoy the weather…the view…”
One view in particular.
My mind traveled back to its image of Bella in her bikini earlier today and heat shot to my groin again, making me regret letting my thoughts stray. Not that they’d been on much else the whole day. This trip had meant to be a light, relaxing thing - a chance to spend a bit of time with my fiery minx and maybe make a few overtures, start to reconcile a little. I certainly hadn’t had today’s adventure in my mind when I’d suggested it, but to my surprise I hadn’t really minded the change in plan, amusing myself with finding different ways to get under her skin. Of course, she’d ended up reciprocating, until that sweet-sharp tension between us had started slipping into territory forgotten for three long years, both of us steadfastly ignoring the effects of that. But after the whole day of her around me, tantalizing every scent with something I’d once had, my self-control was starting to slip. As the hardness my jeans barely disguised attested to.
There was no way I should be thinking that way, not after everything that had happened, but the danger had only ramped everything up even more. As if some primal part of me was terrified by that near-miss, leaving me desperate to take her, own her, possess her, before it was too late.
It didn’t make sense. But that didn’t change a damned thing.
“Mm, that would’ve worked…I pretty much live in the sea this time of year.”
Grateful for the distraction, I made an act of shuddering and shaking my head.
“No thanks - not unless the water is several degrees warmer than it’s likely to be.”
She raised an eyebrow at that.
“My SEAL doesn’t like the water?”
My SEAL.
And suddenly I was crazy hot again, though I didn’t want to think about what was behind that reaction. Shoving it away, I forced myself back to the light-hearted exchange.
“The cold. Spend enough time freezing as it is - not going anywhere near that by choice.”
I saw her digesting that a moment, then she returned to the original question.
“Well next time, you’re definitely picking.”
“I’ll hold you to that, babe.”
If there was a next time, I wasn’t going to miss that chance.
We crawled along a little further, and I barely managed to disguise my frustration as my eyes kept flicking to the clock ticking up on the dashboard. We were never going to get home at any reasonable hour. Bella huffed beside me, shifting yet again in her seat.
“You would’ve thought I’d be glad for boredom…”
Her muttered comment made me smile, and I couldn’t resist the slow look I gave her.
“Well if you want something to do…I could think of a few things.”
My tone left no doubt what I meant, and I waited for the same rebuttal I’d received all day. Instead, her whole body turned a lovely shade of pink and she glanced away from me, her breathing catching a little. My gaze sharpened instantly, blood roaring in anticipation even as I tried to force it down.
God damn.
Somehow, I wasn’t quite prepared to see the impact my simmering interest had on her. The air thickened between us with every moment of silence and I found my mind going all sorts of forbidden places, suddenly populating with ideas of all the fun things that could be done in a car…
OK, that’s it. No more time trapped in here together.
We were coming up on a small junction, leading off into the middle of nowhere, but I swung the car round and off it, hammering the acceleration a little more than necessary just because I could. The truck had missed actual speed. Bella turned to me, confused.
“You have another route?”
“Nah, girl, we’re not getting back tonight. It’s almost midnight - by the time that mess is cleared and we’re on our way home, we won’t be there ‘til the early hours of the morning. No point trying.”
She was silent as she considered that, but I was already handling the car away from the highway, glad for the break from the tedious scenery and the opportunity to feel the road under me again.
It was only a couple of miles before my instincts proved accurate and I found the small cluster of service shops designed to satisfy bored travelers - the neon lights of a motel lighting up alongside. I slanted a glance at Bella.
“Well?”
She looked at me uncertainly, but I could tell she had no desire to get back in that headache. As I shifted the truck into the waiting space, she finally sighed and nodded. There wasn’t much space available, actually - the place was probably full with others who’d had the same idea. I frowned at that, but we headed to the entrance without comment.
It didn’t look too bad, actually, I’d been expecting a slightly sleazy establishment but it seemed clean and well-kept for what it was. The guy manning the desk was clean-shaven and almost professional looking, too. I gave him a smile as he looked up from his papers at us.
“Do you have a room available for the night? Twin?”
The last word had been hard to force past my lips, but I wasn’t going to push too far. Bella started beside me anyway, glaring in my direction.
“A room. Don’t you mean two?”
I laid a hand around her waist, pulling her closer to me as that familiar arrogant smile slipped over my face. She didn’t try to stop me, and I could feel the way her body hitched under my grasp.
Go
d damn, this woman was going to be the death of me.
“You’re not leaving my sight, remember?”
She stiffened in indignation, but it didn’t stop the way she leaned in instinctively as she glanced around the motel and reconsidered. After earlier, she was at least prepared to listen to me. Too bad I was now too distracted by the soft flowery scent of her hair to drag my attention back to the man at the desk, my body suddenly craving the feeling of her underneath me, picturing pushing her against the wall and running my lips all the way down her neck…
One room was a terrible idea. But there was no way I was leaving her alone here tonight—
“We don’t have a twin. Just doubles left - you want one or two?”
I looked back at him, and wondered whether the world was out to get me.
That, or give me everything I needed…
I cut that thought out of my head and answered before Bella could.
“One.”
“Seth—”
Her voice hissed at me but I just turned with an eyebrow up, pretty sure she’d see the necessity in my decision.
“Yes?”
She bit her lip as she considered it, and I could feel the delicious tension in her body, the uncertainty - not because she was worried about what I might do. She was worried about what she might do. The thought made my blood pound something fierce, and I could feel the tendrils of desire making their way through every nerve.
“Okay.”
Her voice was soft, but determined, and I figured she’d made up her mind to resist the intense undercurrents that were sweeping me along regardless.
I nodded to the man and he cast a dubious glance at us before handing over the key - making me remember the swelling on her cheek, and then wonder whether the guy was trying to judge if he’d have a domestic on his hands. It irritated me to be seen that way for the second time that night, but I let it go - answering unspoken questions only made you guilty in most people’s eyes.
I kept my arm around Bella as I walked her to our room, luxuriating in the soft curves under me and trying to tell myself tonight really wasn’t about that. I’d wanted to seduce the girl, sure - had considered taking our banter further so many times today. But now didn’t seem the time for it. We were tired, irritated and had too much going on in our heads from the incident earlier. The idea of a double bed, though…
I let her go as soon as we were in the room, looking around with a small nod. The place wasn’t big - certainly nothing compared to the last hotel room we’d been in together - but it was clean, efficient, and had everything needed to crash for the night. I shut the door and Bella looked at me uncertainly, obviously ill at ease with this arrangement.
“T-shirts and underwear, no snuggling, no taking more than your half of the covers - and I’ll even let you use the bathroom first. Fair?”
She nodded and disappeared into the bathroom without saying a word, and I could hardly believe my feminine tempest had grown meek. But I guess she’d been through a lot today.
Most of the guys I knew would’ve surrendered the bed completely, and I could feel Dale’s disapproval already, but they had the whole chivalry thing going on. Women were for protecting and cherishing and all that shit. Maybe the kind of women they’d grown up with, but I didn’t really see that it made much difference whether you had balls or tits…tits might be softer and sweeter perhaps, but just as treacherous.
Those guys might have smoothed a few of my edges, improved my manners a little - there was no doubt it helped in luring girls into bed - but that didn’t change who I was, and I was only going to go so far.
I shrugged off my jeans and thanked whatever deity might be listening that my interest had at least calmed with Bella’s disappearance. Maybe tonight would be alright after all.
Then she emerged from the bathroom, her light t-shirt barely reaching the purple silken panties I kept catching glimpses of, and I realized I might have misjudged my instructions.
I tried not to stare and soak in every part of her. Honestly I did. For a few seconds.
When I somehow managed to shift my focus to her sparkling emerald eyes, to my surprise they were lit with pleasure, absorbed as she watched my hot gaze devour her. No outrage or objection.
My jacket still hung open around her shoulders, the large fabric reaching down to mid-thigh and flapping against her hips. It looked perfect on her. Seemingly unaware of my thoughts, she shrugged it off and held it out to me, offering it back.
I wanted to tell her to keep it. To put it back on. To never take it off.
They were nonsensical thoughts and instead I accepted it back, hanging it over the back of the chair already holding my jeans. I was beyond telling myself to cut it out. I stepped towards her almost unconsciously, my body moving with that slow, seductive grace I couldn’t help when I was so focused on something. It was like every part of me narrowed down to that one point of attention, noting every intake of breath, every beat of her pulse in her neck, everything I wanted. Everything I was going to make mine.
Then she looked up at me and the light shifted against her face. The stark bruise on her cheek, now that she’d removed her make-up, stole my intent. I stepped close and raised a hand without thinking, cupping her chin and running a light finger over the discolored skin.
“Fuck, Bella…”
Her wide eyes looked up at me, and the expression there had nothing to do with that bruise. Her skin was flushed with the same need pounding inside me, her breath catching as I held her caught with just one light touch. The way she reacted to me drove me crazy, made me wild as I had been that night years ago.
All thoughts disappeared as my mouth dipped towards hers and I took the kiss I’d been waiting a lifetime for. She moaned into my mouth, arms coming around my shoulders and body melting against mine as I’d dreamed of so many times. My hand slipped to hold her neck, the other coming around to run down her waist, her hips, her ass. The t-shirt did a poor job of stopping me, and I paused as my hand enjoyed the contrasting sensations of rough fabric with smooth skin underneath, the hint of panty lines making me nip at her lips.
I only kept us like that a moment, unable to hold the chaste kiss when I wanted to taste her so badly. My tongue slipped into the warm softness waiting for it, her mouth parting easily as I took what I wanted. Then we were together - her hands all over me, exploring as they slid under my t-shirt and ran across the hard, ripped muscles of my chest. That made her moan, and she fell closer towards me, my own hands encouraging the way she leaned against me. I wanted to touch and caress every part of that hot, forbidden body - push her onto the bed and show her all the things I’d been thinking of on those cold, distant nights alone.
My cock was harder than I could ever remember, just from that kiss, and I couldn’t believe what she was doing to me as I grunted and maneuvered us closer to the bed. This was what I wanted. Needed. One last, hard fuck to get the thought of that tender, delicate body out of my system.
We landed easily, her breath leaving her in a delightful way as I held myself just above her, mouth whispering along her lips, chin, cheek, neck. My tongue flicked out, marking her, tasting her, and I fought the urge to use my teeth as well - claim her in the raw, primal way I was longing to.
“God…Seth…”
Her voice was light, dazed, and so hot for me. It shot straight to my cock and I pressed a leg between her thighs. That was enough to make her buckle under me, hips moving of their own accord as I flashed her a glance full of all the power swelling inside me, born of desire and need. I could see what it was doing to her, knew from the way her hands clutched at me that she wanted more. Needed everything I did. As if we were made for each other, bodies fitting together in perfect harmony.
Growling at the romantic crap that refused to leave my mind, I lowered my head to her heaving breasts and took them in my mouth through the t-shirt. She gave a strangled sound, fingernails clutching into my back as I lavished her with my tongue.
Fuck, yes.
I hadn’t imagined this was how the evening would end, even when I extended that initial invitation - but it was everything I’d wanted. The chance to finally finish what we started, and I reveled in that just as much as her body. All those dissatisfied regrets…closure.
I shifted, bringing my lips back to hers and she kissed me with a ferocity to match my own. I could feel the way she shuddered beneath me, the power of this affecting her as deeply as it did me. Her hand held the back of my head as I came up, the military grade buzz-cut not giving her anything to grip, but I loved the feel of it against her fingers anyway.
I met her eyes and the rest of the world disappeared, caught in the vortex swirling between us. She paused, gasping for air a little as she looked at me, and my stomach tightened at the flicker I saw there. I tried to lean back in to continue that divine kiss, but she spoke first.
“Seth…wait. What is this - what are we doing?!”
Something inside me screamed in rage at the interruption, at her god-damn never-ending questions and what they might mean. But the echo of our first night came back.
“Seth…what is this?”
Now, as then, there was no way I could answer it. I didn’t have words for the depths of emotions rampaging through me. But I knew what it had to be. There was no choice - nothing else available to us. This was the end.
“This is…one last night of fun, babe. One fucking fantastic way to bury that pent up history…the goodbye we should have had.”
The last became a murmur, but I couldn’t help expressing it. This could never have worked, I wasn’t built for it and I knew it - but leaving after that hot night of passion, without a word…that wasn’t how it should have gone.
Her eyes flashed for a moment, and I saw the heat and need there, the desire seducing her as it had done me - until my words sent a wave of shock and pain ripping through that, the sight of it hurting me as much as her.
“I…no, Seth. I can’t.”
I looked at her, not understanding for a long moment, until she started to wriggle under me, shaking her head.
