HOT SEAL Redemption

by Lynn Raye Harris

  “Whatever the result,” he said softly, his deep voice stroking her nerve endings, both soothing and arousing at once, “I’ve grown kinda fond of that pip-squeak.”

  She smiled in spite of the hammering of her heart. “She does that to a person.” She pulled in a breath. “You ready?”

  “Yeah.”

  He leaned in to look at her phone, and Bailey tapped the link. She had to scroll past a data table with percentages, but then the result appeared in black and white.

  * * *

  John Doe is EXCLUDED as the biological father of Jane Doe.

  * * *

  “Wow,” she said, sudden tears pricking the backs of her eyes. “I guess you were right.”

  “Guess so.”

  “I’m sorry for everything,” she began, but his gaze snapped to hers and his fingers pressed against her lips. Softly, but firm enough to make her hesitate.

  “No. You did what you had to do. You’re a fierce aunt, Bailey. Kayla told you I was Ana’s father. That’s not your fault.”

  “I don’t know why she lied to me.” She bit the inside of her lip. “She lied about so much, you know? I ask myself who this girl is, who she’s turned into. We were close growing up because we had to be. I took care of her, looked out for her, tried to make things right for her.”

  “You did your best. But we all make our own choices, right? Your sister made hers for reasons you may never understand. Doesn’t mean you didn’t do a good job raising her.”

  “Maybe that’s it,” she said as his words sank in. “Maybe I was more parent than sister to her the past few years. She certainly hid stuff from me like she thought I wouldn’t approve. And I probably wouldn’t have.”

  She pressed her hands to the sides of her head as the import of the test sank in. Really sank in. She wanted to hyperventilate. Wanted to have a good freak-out for once in her life. But she never got the luxury of having those. It was her job to be strong. To do whatever it took to survive and not let life beat her down.

  “What the hell am I going to do now?”

  Alexei’s strong fingers wrapped around her wrists, pulled her hands away from her head. He entwined his fingers with hers. Her body sizzled to life with sparks of excitement that she did not need to feel.

  “You’ll do what you always do, Bailey. You’ll take care of the people you love.” He squeezed her hands. “I’ll help you figure it out.”

  Chapter 16

  Alexei couldn’t sleep. He was restless as fuck. How the hell was he restless when he’d gotten the news tonight that he hadn’t accidentally fathered a child after all?

  He’d known he wasn’t Ana’s father, but there’d been that small sliver of doubt that sometimes crept in when he was alone. Had he fucked up somehow? Gotten drunk and forgotten the condom? Forgotten to pull out?

  But he hadn’t done any of that. Ana wasn’t his.

  He was relieved. And yet he felt a little melancholy about it too. Which was odd because he didn’t want kids. He didn’t want the responsibility of caring for another human being and making sure they had everything they needed. Then there was the problem of possibly fucking up their life by being gone on missions all the time or, worse, getting killed out there and never seeing them grow up.

  Fuck.

  He threw back the covers and stalked to the kitchen for a beer. Maybe that would help. He snagged one from the fridge, popped the top, and took a healthy swig. The sound of a door opening in the hallway made him freeze. He heard her footsteps, and then she appeared in the light coming in the window.

  “Can’t sleep?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Want a beer?” He remembered that she didn’t drink. “Strike that. I forgot.”

  She shrugged as she walked into the kitchen. She was wearing a long T-shirt that hung halfway down her thighs. It wasn’t meant to be sexy, not like the clothing she wore at the club, but it was. Or maybe it was sexy because he knew what was under it. He’d seen everything but her pussy at the club. Hell, everyone at the club had seen everything but her pussy.

  Alexei gritted his teeth and tried not to think about that. It pissed him off, and he wasn’t quite sure why. “Anything else then?” he asked as she climbed up on a barstool next to the kitchen counter. “Soda? Juice? Water?”

  “No, I’m fine. I just… I heard you get up, and I didn’t want to be alone. I think too much when I’m alone.”

  God, he knew what that was like lately. “What were you thinking about?” As if he didn’t know. Ana. Kayla. How she was going to get by with an infant to take care of all on her own.

  She shrugged. “A lot of things. And you…”

  “Me?” He hadn’t expected that. “Why me?” His blood started to hum.

  “Because you’re interesting. You speak Russian. You come from a big family and you know your way around a diaper. You stepped up and you stuck by my side even when you didn’t have to. You could have brushed me off until the test results came back, but you didn’t. You started acting like Ana could be yours even while you insisted she wasn’t. And you bought her things I didn’t know she needed.”

  Why was his face growing warm at that recitation of facts? “I didn’t spend a fortune, Bailey. It’s just some stuff.”

  She ran a fingernail back and forth along a crack in the laminate counter. “Maybe so, but you still didn’t have to do it. It was sweet of you.”

  Sweet? He was not sweet. Not usually anyway. He was just… raised right. “Okay, so it was sweet of me. Now what?”

  “Nothing, I guess. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate everything you’ve done. I know we haven’t always seen things eye to eye.”

  He took another slug of beer. His cock was still tingling. Still interested. He really wished it wasn’t, but it most certainly was. Bailey Jones had trouble written all over her. And not in the usual sense of the word, because that kind of trouble he could deal with.

  No, she had commitment written all over her, no matter that she’d said otherwise the first day he’d met her, and that was the kind of trouble he definitely wasn’t looking for. Still, his cock tingled and his balls ached and he wanted to tug her off that stool and into his arms. He hadn’t even kissed her yet. Hadn’t tasted her lips at all. She’d pressed her mouth to his once, so quickly he hadn’t gotten a taste, but now all he could think about was what he’d missed.

  “If you really want to thank me,” his mouth began while his brain pounded out a warning, “you can start with a kiss.”

  Her eyebrows went up. He thought there was a good chance she might get angry and stomp out of the room. After all, he’d told her that she didn’t owe him a thing—and certainly not sex—in exchange for his help.

  But fuck it, he wanted to kiss her. And since he wasn’t going to make a move without permission, there was only one way to get it. Tell her what he wanted.

  She blinked. Licked her lips. He suppressed a groan. His dick was growing stiffer. If she let him kiss her, he’d probably have to go back to his room and whack off before he could get to sleep again.

  Her gaze dropped over his body, and he knew there’d be no hiding his erection for much longer. She trailed her eyes back up again, her long lashes lifting slowly until her amber gaze met his. Was that interest he saw there? Or maybe it was disgust that he’d stooped to such a low. She was used to propositions, most of them not as nice as what he’d just said. But still a proposition.

  “Okay,” she said. “I think I can do that.”

  So maybe it was a bad idea to agree to a kiss, but the truth was she wanted it. She’d lain in bed thinking about Alexei’s body, his naked body that was utter perfection, and she’d once more found her fingers drifting beneath the covers and down toward her wet center. But then she’d heard his door shut and his footsteps head for the kitchen. She’d lain there for five minutes, debating with herself about whether or not to get up and go talk to him.

  Not because she’d expected him to ask for a kiss, or even expected
anything to happen between them. Just because she’d wanted to see him and talk to him. Because this was almost over, whatever this was. He wasn’t Ana’s dad and he wasn’t going to want her and Ana around for much longer.

  Oh, she believed him when he said he was going to protect her from James Dunn. But how long would he keep looking for the man? He had a job, and one day soon he was going to have to go back to work. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn’t have time for her and Ana and their drama. It was a lot of drama.

  She slipped off the stool and went over to his side. He set his beer on the counter and turned to face her. She hesitated for a second and then pressed forward, into him, her palms sliding up his bare chest. Her heart skipped a beat. He was warm and hard, his skin silky smooth to the touch.

  He put his arms around her, held her loosely. She tipped her face up to his. He was taller than she was, her forehead coming up to his chin.

  “So how do you want it?” she asked, her voice on the verge of cracking. Heat flowed through her, pooled between her legs. Her sex ached with a need she found surprising. She hadn’t had sex in over a year, but she also hadn’t wanted it. Working at the Pink Palace had kind of burned the desire for a man right out of her. Not in the generic sense, but in the specific sense. She found every man who propositioned her lacking—and that’s what they did. Proposition. There was an expectation that, because she stripped, they didn’t need to ask her on a date or court her in any way.

  Which was sad, because inside she was still the small-town girl who wanted a guy to take her out, talk to her, get to know her a little bit before trying to ram a hand down her pants.

  And then there was Alexei. He was different. He’d pissed her off in more ways than one, but he still managed to be a good guy in spite of it all. They’d talked a lot over the past few days. He’d asked about her life. She’d asked about his. They’d talked about Ana and babies in general. He might not be the kind of guy who wanted a long-term commitment, but she wasn’t convinced she wanted it either.

  Right now she’d just like to be with a guy who knew her as more than a chick he’d watched strip in a bar. Sure, Alexei had seen that too—but he’d never actually treated her differently because of it. He’d growled and grumbled and been a little judgy, but he’d never treated her like she was easy simply because she danced. So many guys did.

  “Maybe don’t ask me that,” he said very seriously. “Because my mind goes places that are way beyond a kiss.”

  She skimmed a hand down his arm, over his hard biceps, back up again. “What kind of places?”

  “Bailey.” His voice sounded strained. “Seriously, I haven’t had sex in a couple of months now. I’m ready for it. More than ready. But I’m not sure you’re the right person to do this with. It’s too complicated between us.”

  Okay, that hurt. She stopped moving her hands on his body and took a step back. Maybe she was the only one affected here. Last night he’d said he wanted her, but maybe he’d changed his mind. Or maybe he’d decided she wasn’t worth the hassle.

  “You asked me for a kiss. What did you want? A peck on the cheek and a pat on the head? Because that’s not what you led me to believe when you said it.”

  He blew out a breath. “I shouldn’t have done that. Asking you for a kiss was wrong. You don’t owe me anything for my help. Besides, I know I’m not in the right frame of mind for a kiss from you. I’ll want more, because I’ve been staring at your body on that stage for two nights in a row. You’re sexy as hell, Bailey—and I want to do things to you that are going to make us both hot and sweaty. Last night you said you weren’t ready for that. I’d rather not find out you only want to go so far when I’m aching from how much I need to be inside you. Like I said, complicated.”

  Oh my.

  Bailey drew in a deep breath. Her nipples tingled. Her sex ached. She wanted to break this tension. She wanted to get naked with Alexei Kamarov. Would it burn her in the end? Maybe. But what a way to burn.

  “I wasn’t ready last night. I am now.”

  He stared at her for a long moment. “It’s the test, isn’t it? I’m not Ana’s father, so now I’m okay?”

  She frowned. Twisted her fingers in the hem of her tee. “Partly, yes. If you’d been her dad—if you’d slept with Kayla—it wouldn’t be right of me to sleep with you too. She’s my sister. For all I knew, she was madly in love with you.”

  “You still don’t know if I slept with her,” he said. “Hell, I don’t even know—I’m pretty sure I didn’t, but there were nights back then…” He shook his head. “Things were rough for a while. Substance abuse is more than a little bit frowned on in the military. I might have self-medicated with sex instead.”

  Her heart throbbed. She had an urge to wrap her arms around him, but she didn’t do it. What if he pushed her away?

  “I’m sorry it was rough for you.”

  “It happens. Just like in the movie, Bailey. Sometimes it’s hard to leave what you do out there behind.”

  He was referring to American Sniper. She shivered a little as she imagined him hurting over things that had happened in a battle zone.

  “I’m not worried about whether or not you were with my sister. Kayla lied to me about a lot of things. I think she pulled you out of her head because I demanded a name and yours was the one that occurred to her. It’s a little more memorable than Joe Smith.”

  He frowned. “I guess it’s also possible mine was one of the only last names she knew. The guys tease me about it sometimes. I also end up explaining why they call me Camel.”

  “Camel?” She thought of the desert beasts—ugly and sorta elegant at the same time—and didn’t know how anyone could compare Alexei to a camel. Unless it had to do with his ability to keep going…

  Oh…

  “Kamarov. Camel. The first sound is the same when you come at it like an American with no knowledge of Russian.”

  She blushed a little. “Guilty, huh?”

  He smiled. “Yeah, guilty. But how would you know the correct way without being told?”

  “So it’s KAH-ma-roff, right?” she asked, mimicking what he’d said.

  “Yeah, that’s it.”

  She waited. Sighed. He didn’t move. Didn’t say anything to indicate he’d heard her say she was ready. “All right then. Guess I’ll go back to bed.”

  She turned on her heel, confusion and disappointment swirling together, and started for the bedroom. She could lie in bed and toss for a while, or maybe she’d take care of business herself. And maybe that was better. Less complicated, as Alexei would say.

  He caught her arm and she stopped, though she didn’t turn around again. He moved closer, behind her, until she could feel the press of him against her backside. His hard body, his harder cock behind his athletic shorts. He didn’t hold her tightly. He put both hands on her upper arms. She could escape if she wanted.

  She didn’t want to. She pressed herself backward, a little harder, rubbing against his cock. His breath hitched in.

  “I want you, Bailey. That’s not an issue. I just can’t promise you anything in the morning. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I didn’t ask for anything,” she whispered. “I haven’t had sex in a long time either, Alexei. Over a year. You seem safe. And nice, though I know you hate that word. Maybe I want what you want out of this—to feel good and walk away when it’s done. I’m a big girl. I know what I’m getting.”

  His grip tightened for a second. He reached up to push her hair off her neck. Softly, gently. Goose bumps rippled down her spine at the brush of those fingers on her skin.

  “One night. We feel good together. No promises in the morning. Is that what you’re saying?”

  Bailey bit her lip. Could she do that? Of course she could. She was a grown ass woman. She could handle it.

  “That’s what I’m saying.”

  “We shouldn’t do this,” he said. “But we’re going to, aren’t we?”

  She nodded, her breath catching in anticipa
tion.

  A moment later, his mouth skimmed over her throat. A big, solid arm went around her and pulled her even tighter to his body.

  She tipped her head to the side, seeking his lips. He let her go and turned her, tugging her against him again. Their mouths met in a clash of tongues that was anything but tame—there was no turning back now.

  Chapter 17

  Holy hell, kissing Bailey was like walking into an inferno. The fire was out of control and raging, and all he could do was take more of it. So much more, until he thought he would combust. His cock didn’t waste any time before turning to stone. His hands slid down her body, grabbed two handfuls of delicious ass through her T-shirt, and lifted her until she put those legs around him.

  That’s when he realized she wasn’t wearing any underwear. Alexei groaned as her slick heat met his bare abdomen. That sweet pussy he’d wanted to see was right there, naked and hot and wet, and he couldn’t wait to slide his tongue into it and taste her.

  But first he couldn’t seem to stop kissing her. Her arms were around his neck, her mouth on his. Her tongue stroked his, tangling and dueling. Their kisses were deep, sucking kisses that only heightened his excitement. He didn’t want to stop, and yet he had to stop if he wanted more of her.

  A vague part of him seemed to stay apart, wondering how the hell this was happening. He hadn’t made a conscious decision to stop her from leaving the room. One second she was walking away and the next he was launching into action, grabbing her arm, stopping her.

  He’d told himself it was a mistake as soon as he did it, but it didn’t feel like much of a mistake at the moment. She hadn’t had sex in over a year.

  Jesus.

  He needed to change that—he was going to change it. There was no turning back now, no way in hell he was letting her go, no matter the small voice at the back of his brain that told him this thing with her wasn’t going to be as cut-and-dried as he thought.