Dagger's Edge (SEALs On Fire)

by Brenna Zinn

  “Didn’t you ever wonder why I did that?”

  “Did what? Purposely piss me off?” Dagger shook his head. “Nope. Never. I’ve always thought being annoying was your personality. Part of your DNA.” A cringe stole over him as soon as the words left his lips. Acting like a prepubescent fifteen year old boy was not his style. Not at all. If he caught any of his buddies behaving this way, he’d call them out for it.

  So why am I carrying on like this? Next thing you know, I’ll be pulling her pigtails.

  She rolled her eyes and huffed again. “The male species are truly a boneheaded lot.”

  “You’re not helping your case.”

  Color bloomed on her tanned cheeks. She balled her little hands into fists and thrust down her sides. “I was trying to get you to pay attention to me, you insensitive baboon. Even negative attention is better than none.”

  Despite himself, her strong reaction only wanted to make him tease her again. But he was damned near thirty, too old for childish games. Mia was trying to make a point. He understood said point and also understood where she wanted things between them to go.

  In another world where she was just another pretty face in a crowd, he’d happily travel down that road with her, even knowing she possessed a wicked tongue. For all her brassiness, she was the smartest, most intriguing woman he knew. She had balls, spunk, and was funny at times. To top off the list, her packaging was seriously “all that.” Too bad she also happened to be his best friend’s little sister.

  Dagger drank deeply from the beer, savoring the sweet hoppyness of the dark brown liquid, then placed the bottle down on the counter with a thunk. The time had come to man up and set things straight for once and for all. No point in belaboring what he knew he had to do.

  “Mia, I’d be lying if I told you I’ve never thought about you. I have more often than I really care to admit.” She leaned forward, pressing herself against the side of the kitchen island that separated them. “I hope you believe me when I say I’m sorry if I’ve ever hurt you.” He breathed in a lungful of air, preparing for the next few words, then he caught a whiff of her. Coconut oil mixed pleasantly with salt water from the pool. She smelled like summer. Man, did he love summer. “But you and I can never be more than just friends.” Dagger swallowed hard, doing his best to block her scent from infiltrating his senses. “That’s the way it has to be. End of story.”

  He gauged her reaction, half expecting she’d crawl over the island, whip out some vicious cat claws and tear him to shreds. The thought wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

  Instead of appearing disgruntled, angry, or even sad, a sly smile raised the corners of her saucy mouth and a devilish glint shone in her sparkling eyes. Dagger sensed the wheels and cogs of her brain twirling, formulating something he most likely wouldn’t like, nor have a weapon to protect himself against.

  Mia made her way around the kitchen island, taking her time. When she stood within an inch of him, she looked up. Before he knew what she was doing, she raised herself on her toes and licked the tip of his nose.

  “That is not the way it has to be.” She slid her hands down his chest, stopping at his waist. “We’re all alone in this big house, and we’re grown up. I’m old enough to take what I want. What I want, what I’ve always wanted, is you.”

  Chapter Two

  Mia might be many things, but she was not, nor would she ever be a fool. You and I can never be more than just friends. Oh please! That he even attempted to use that kind of line with her bordered on being offensive. But as badly as she’d like to call him on the carpet and tell him to stop being such a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal, Mia bit her tongue and held back. Clearly name calling and smart aleck remarks hadn’t worked in the past. Dean had made it very apparent that quite the opposite was true. If she was going to finally get him to pay attention to her in the manner she wanted, new tactics were needed. Instead of salt, she’d pour on some honey.

  If that doesn’t work?

  She tossed the thought aside and focused on Dean’s rather nice bulge behind his shorts and his breathing, which had become uneven since she stood before him, and placed her hands on his muscle-bound chest. He had jerked the tiniest bit when she’d said she’d wanted him.

  That particular reaction might mean one of two things. Either he was slightly repulsed at her confession or a little bit turned on by it. Hard to tell how to interpret the movement just yet. His other body language outside had spoken an easy to read message since the moment he’d seen her in the pool. He wanted her, too. Didn’t he?

  And as long as he was in town, she wouldn’t stop pursuing him until she finally knew his feelings about her for sure. If he didn’t come around this visit, she would throw in the towel. Wasn’t twenty years of being hopelessly in love with him long enough? Time had come to settle down, start a family, and get moving on with the next phase of her life. Spending the next twenty years saying no to men, potential possibilities, while waiting for him to finally love her back wasn’t an option anymore.

  Listen to yourself. Are you crazy? Even if everything goes like gangbusters today, he’ll be gone before long. It’s not as though he’s living on the island and the two of you can start dating regularly. He’ll take off like he always does, and you’ll never know when you’re going to see him again.

  Mia bit the inside of her cheek, trying to get herself back into the moment. She had to focus on today and let tomorrow take care of itself. He was here now, be here now.

  Dean carefully removed her hands from his hips and held them. “Mia, you’re my best friend’s sister. You don’t seem to understand what that means.”

  It means my mother and father had sex at least one other time than when Brice was conceived. And here we go again with the bit about being Brice’s sister. When will that lame excuse ever stay dead and buried?

  The comeback quickly formed in her mind and damned near flew from her mouth. Luckily she stopped the flippant wise crack and censored her words before she spoke. “It means Brice cares about us both and has an interest in seeing that we’re happy. I can tell you right now, spending a day naked in bed with you would make me extremely happy. There’s your end of story, bub.”

  Waving his index finger like an annoyed librarian, he retorted, “No. It means you and I will never be a ‘we,’ a ‘them,’ an ‘us,’ or any other sort of couple thing. I’m not going to have Brice want to cut off my nads because I couldn’t control myself around his sister. He might be the male version of America’s sweetheart, but you and I both know he can be downright mean when he’s ticked off.”

  What a huge load of malarkey. Like Brice would even give a hook up between us a second thought.

  Dean’s mighty words about Brice’s wrath and his admonishing finger might be saying no, no, no, but a hint of something—sadness? regret?—haunted his handsome features. Surely, he didn’t mean the nonsense he was babbling. Searching his eyes for more clues as to what lay hidden below the surface, she found herself getting lost in those dreamy baby blues.

  How could it be no woman had ever called Dean hers? The big lug with legs as sturdy as tree trunks was utterly irresistible. Black shaggy hair that curled just beneath a strong square jaw, massive arms that were perfect for holding a girl tight, and a body so covered in cut muscles even other men stared at him with awe, Dean was the epitome of a manly man. Yet, to her knowledge, he had never been seriously involved with anyone. In high school, he didn’t date. Instead, he spent hours either fixing boat motors to help support his mom or hanging out with Brice.

  That was then. And now?

  Was he a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy? Did he have a woman in every port like so many of the other SEALs she’d heard stories about? With his good looks and funny charm, he certainly could have. What woman in her right mind would be able to resist him?

  Her gut told her no, he would never bounce from one girl to another. Not after all the love and care she’d seen him dote over his single mother. Plus, he’d always
been respectful to women. With the exception of his having ignored her since the fateful day he’d met Brice, he went out of his way to be helpful and polite to the fairer sex, unlike so many testosterone-oozing cretins. But then again, what did her gut know? She’d been so wrong about so many things in her life. Why would her instincts about Dean be any different?

  Right now, her gut told her if she was going to get past his feigned aversion to ticking off Brice, which wouldn’t happen even if her brother caught them in his bed, she needed to poke just a little bit more at his pride. Lord, how Dean loved his pride. So what if her attempt at using honey hadn’t lasted very long. Could she help it if salt came so naturally?

  “Oh, I get it. So you’re afraid of Brice.” The prod was so easy to think of. Surely he wouldn’t be able to resist this carrot.

  To her delight, his hand still holding hers tightened. Deep furrows dug into the skin between his brows.

  “I’ve never been afraid of another man in my life.” True to form, his voice dripped with indignation.

  “Then kiss me.”

  The challenge tumbled from her mouth as any glib remark might—little emotion, all quick banter. Her expectation for his accepting the goad was low. He wasn’t exactly known for doing just anything when provoked, especially when the poke came from her.

  In the milliseconds while she waited for his response through word or action, the world seemed to stop spinning. Her heart suddenly lodged in her throat. Her pulse raced in her veins as though she’d taken some kind of drug spiked with adrenaline. The dare and his reply took on a meaning she’d never intended. But there it was. More than ever before, she wanted his kiss. She needed his kiss. Hadn’t she loved him long enough to finally deserve to have her lips touch his?

  “Please, Dean,” Mia whispered earnestly. She stared at him, hoping he’d read the desperate pleading she tried to convey through her eyes. “Just one kiss.”

  He drew in a breath, his chest heaving slightly for the effort. Without saying a word, he bent his large frame and placed his full lips on hers. Gently, ever so gently, the softness of his perfect mouth pressed against her lips, sending a thrill of excitement throughout her body.

  As though being lifted off the floor and onto a floating cloud, the muscles in the lower part of her anatomy numbed to a wobbly nothingness. Meanwhile, her middle warmed as a dozens of fireflies glowed and quivered within her belly. A pleasurable lightheadedness erased all thoughts save one.

  More.

  Mia craned her face up to better meet the kiss and extend it for as long as she possibly could. This moment had to last. It had to. She’d waited for what seemed like an eternity for it to happen. Heaven only knew if she’d ever get another. When she dared to part her lips to better taste him, she heard a faint groan. To her relief, the sound hadn’t come from her.

  Did his one quiet utterance confirm what she’d hoped? Did he truly want her as much as she wanted him? Needing to know the answers, she mustered her courage and took a tiny step toward him, then reached up until her hands moved over his broad shoulders and connected behind his neck.

  Dean didn’t pull away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, almost crushing her with the sudden ferocity of his movement. Her chest touching his, she could feel the wild, irregular pounding of his heart. The smell of spicy soap, sunshine, and fresh ocean breezes wafted from his tanned skin. She dug her fingers into his overgrown locks. Unlike his hard, chiseled physique, his hair was amazingly soft.

  “Damn it. I shouldn’t be doing this,” he gasped against her cheek after breaking the kiss. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  I don’t want to hurt you.

  Huh?

  The words barely registered in her reeling brain. Why would he feel the need to say something like that? Years of his ignoring her had caused the real pain. There wasn’t much he could possibly do that would be worse than that.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t let you,” Mia said on an exhale. Euphoria and desire stirred within, like an intoxicating cocktail, making her impatient for more. More Dagger, more kisses, more everything. All the indicators showed he was feeling the mood, too. Why was he stalling?

  “How can you be so sure?”

  His voice, so solemn, so sincere, took her by surprise. An effort was needed to work her way through the happy pink fog in her brain and formulate a proper response. “You’re a good man, Dean,” she answered with equal frankness. “I knew that the day you saved Brice from the bullies at school. You didn’t think twice to take on those idiot brutes to help my brother. To me, you’ve always been the knight wearing the white, shining armor. You’re my hero.” The only man I’ll probably ever love.

  Apparently unmoved by her reply, he hesitated. Concern, dark and foreboding, etched into his handsome face. “Sometimes even heroes can let you down.”

  Her mind turned over his statement, looking for its significance. Who had been the hero that let him down?

  Was he referring to his father? He had to be. The man had abandoned Dean and his mother when Dean was only eight years old, leaving his child the one item Mia had seen several times, an old army issued dagger. To her knowledge, Dean valued that crusty knife as thought it were made of gold. He’d even had its likeness tattooed on the bicep of his right arm the day he turned eighteen. The well-inked image was the reason he’d been given his code name.

  The spark of insight made twenty years worth of Dean’s odd, sometimes inexplicable behavior crystal clear. Her brother most likely had nothing to do with Dean’s avoidance of her. No. His motivation was much darker and deeper than that. If what she thought was true, he’d steered clear because he believed he might end up being like his dad.

  I don’t want to hurt you. Just like his father had hurt his mother—and him.

  The realization caused a powerful wave of emotions to roll through her, almost knocking her off her feet. Of course. The answer had been in front of her all along. All she had to do was look beneath the surface to understand. Oh God. How could I have been so blind?

  “Dean, only you can control your actions. You are your own man.” Mia placed both hands on his cheeks and stared him in the eye, making sure there could be no misunderstanding. “I care about you, you big oaf. More than any man I’ve ever met. And I trust you. I’d put my life in your hands if I had to. I know you will never let me down. What’s happening, right here and now, is a good thing. Don’t you feel it in your bones?”

  “Yes,” he murmured, his blue eyes filled with longing. “I do.”

  With startling force, he claimed her mouth again, but this time, the kiss was deeper, his embrace tighter. He opened his mouth and greedily swept his tongue over hers. Darting and striking, its tip moved within her as though attempting to conquer her from the inside out.

  Helpless to do anything but completely submit to her desire for him, she kissed him back, meeting every flick of his tongue with one of her own. He plundered her mouth, exploring its depths until she was nearly overcome with ecstasy induced delirium. The heat of the kiss, like a wildfire out of control, burned through her all the way to her soul.

  She had expected Dean to be passionate but never imagined how profoundly intense he could be. If this kiss was a prelude of things to come, just what would the rest of the afternoon bring? Absolute bliss? Enthusiastic, sweaty sex the likes of which she’d never dared to wish for? The thought alone spurred a rush of cream to her pussy, further wetting the insides of her already slick thighs.

  His skilled fingers skimmed the top of the towel until he found the tucked in end. A slight tug was all that was needed to undo the simple hold. The thick terrycloth fell silently to the floor and puddled around her bare feet. Dean’s hands, rough with calluses, slid down her back, tracing the curve of her waist as he went. When they finally rested on her hips, he rubbed his palms over the contour of her ass then squeezed.

  “I’ve always thought your ass was amazing. Every guy in school thought so, too,” he said, his vo
ice ragged. “I’ve been around the world a dozen times and seen some amazing looking women. But none has ever topped your beauty. Not a single damned one.”

  Though the summer sun had warmed the entire house to an almost uncomfortable temperature, Mia shivered as Dean stood back and examined every inch of her body. From her head down to her French-tipped toes, his hungry gaze took her in.

  Too afraid to speak lest he come to his senses and decide to leave, Mia stood still and waited for Dean’s next move. She didn’t have to wait long. With one motion, he easily lifted her and placed her bare ass on the island counter. Hands firmly planted behind her and her legs dangling over the edge of the cold granite top, Mia leaned back, allowing him free rein to do as he pleased.

  Instead of coming to her, Dagger turned and opened the door to the freezer. He dug around the frozen meats and vegetables, clearing looking for something specific.

  “Just give me a second,” he said over his shoulder. “There you are.” A triumphant grin turned up his lips when he pulled out a box of Popsicles. “I knew they would be in here somewhere.” He set the colorful package on the counter and sifted through its contents until he withdrew a red frozen treat. While he unwrapped the Popsicle from its wrapper, he glanced at Mia. “Strawberry is my favorite.”

  Disbelief at his sudden disinterest had her head spinning. Was a kiss really all he was willing to give her? What had happened to all the urgency? All the fire?

  “Seriously? You’re going to eat that thing while I’m sitting here butt naked?”

  Something wicked flashed across his face as he waggled the pop in her direction. “If we’re going to do this, and it looks like we are, then prepare yourself. I wasn’t lying when I told you I think about you. Now you’re going to find out exactly what I’ve been thinking about, and things are going to get wild.”

  Chapter Three