“Walk, don’t run,” Melanie called after her.
“Never get where I’m goin’…” the little girl muttered as she clomped slowly up the stairs.
Mac sat back. “Holy shit. Pardon my French, Melanie. That girl’s gonna be hell on wheels.”
“She does make you dizzy,” Carter said, grinning.
Melanie drew a deep breath, and her mouth formed a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Most days, she just plain wears me out. I better follow her. She’ll have emptied every cubbie onto the floor…”
As she walked away, Carter watched until she disappeared, thinking about what Melanie’s life must have been like since she moved to the ranch with a toddler. Couldn’t have been easy, still recovering from her own injuries. Guilt ate a hole in his gut.
“She’s nice. Cute, too.”
“Emmy?”
“No, the woman. That Emmy’s aunt?”
“Yeah.”
Mac grunted. “She’s a good-lookin’ woman.”
Carter aimed a glare at Mac.
Mac held up his hands. “Just sayin’. Things could work out pretty sweet for you here.”
“She doesn’t want me returning to the SEALs—or any job that puts me in danger.”
Mac sighed. “A woman has a right to have a say. It’s why I don’t have one.”
“She’s not my woman.”
“If she said that much, she could be. Guess you have more alternatives than I thought.”
Carter shook his head. “How about you tell me about Charter. Tell me how I’d fit in with this fuckin’ knee.”
As they settled back in their seats, sipping their beers, Carter listened with his head, but inside, he was torn. He had skills. Friends. A way of life that felt familiar.
The ranch was in his past. Something he could pick up again, no doubt, but would he grow restless? The only reason he even considered making it his fulltime commitment was because he wanted a shot at Melanie. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted everything she was—soft, loyal, stubborn. All those letters he’d never responded to, filled with news about Emmy, the things Melanie was learning about ranch life, had revealed a woman hungry to be part of a family. Someone who wanted to be needed. Every time he’d balled up a letter and sent it sailing, he’d felt more than just a little a twinge of guilt. He’d told himself she deserved better, that she’d forget about him. But he’d never forgotten about her.
Jesus, could he be falling in love with her? He knew how to love a brother SEAL. Knew what that felt like. What he felt for Melanie was very different and all mixed up with lust. If he couldn’t be sure where these feelings were headed, he had no business going anywhere near her. She deserved to be respected. And he owed it to Emmy to give fatherhood a try…
“Dude, have you heard a thing I said?”
Carter felt his cheeks heat up. “Sure. If my knee doesn’t heal enough for me to be in the field, knocking down doors, I can train operatives. Organize missions, maybe take charge.”
“Guess you heard enough.” Mac leaned back and took another long draw of his beer. “You don’t have to take the job. But expect me to show up on your doorstep from time to time.”
Carter nodded. “You’re always welcome.”
“I’d like to learn to ride a horse.”
Carter rubbed his knee. “Next time you come, I’ll set you up on a gentle old nag. Something your speed.”
Mac chuckled.
Emmy pounded back into the room, clutching a doll nearly half her size against her chest. The doll’s hair was wild and curly, and the same color as her own. She was dressed in jodhpurs and a button-down shirt, like she was ready for a ride in a dressage ring.
“Isn’t she kind of prissy for a cowgirl like you?” he asked as Emmy turned the doll to face him.
“Just showin’ you what a ’Merica Girl doll looks like so you don’t make a mistake like Unca Wayne.”
“Uncle Wayne gave you the doll?”
Emmy frowned and nodded. “I don’t like him.”
Melanie sighed. “Emmy, that’s not a nice thing to say. Uncle Wayne went to a lot of expense to get you that doll.”
Mac laughed. “Better not give her any prissy dolls, Carter.”
Carter glanced at Melanie whose cheeks were pink from running up and down the stairs. “I think I can do better. Maybe it’s just the clothes. She does look a lot like you.”
Emmy’s shoulders rose and fell. “Don’t have time to play with dolls. Hafta learn to be a cowboy.”
“Why’s that, sweetheart?”
“Someone has ta help Unca Lee ’round here.”
Carter sucked in a deep breath. And there lay the problem. Carter’s heart wasn’t in the ranch. With his dad laid up, without hope of recovering, someone would have to take the reins.
Carter nodded to the doll. “Emmy, you don’t have to be the one to help Uncle Lee. Not for a long time. And not unless you really want to. You like that doll, you go ahead and play with her. You don’t like her clothes, we’ll find some you do.”
Emmy looked a little confused and gazed up at Melanie who hovered beside the sofa.
Melanie’s eyes were misting. “Emmy, why don’t you come with me? I’ll get you cleaned up and ready to eat.” She turned to the men. “Lunch will be on the table in ten.”
After they both left the room, Mac wore a little smile. “Now, that was interestin’.”
“How so?” Carter growled.
“I couldn’t tell which girl you were tryin’ to reassure.” His blue eyes sparkled, wrinkling at the corners. “Never would have thought you’d be any good around kids.”
“I’m not. She’s…different.”
“She’s you. A grumpy cuss. And she’s loyal.” Mac bumped Carter’s shoulder with his fist. “Let’s get in there before the food’s all gone. Think you should have warned them how much I eat?”
Carter pushed off the couch and laughed.
After the house grew still that night, Carter lay in the dark, nude beneath the sheets, thinking about Melanie and Emmy and the opportunity Mac had described. The money was beyond good. The range of missions he’d be involved in would mean he’d be challenged. Something he thrived on. The SEALs hadn’t made him an adrenaline junkie—they’d recruited one.
The door latch snicked, and he drew in a deep breath as soft footsteps drew near his bed. Already aroused, his dick jerked and tightened. “Didn’t think you’d come,” he said softly, reaching across to pull the cord on the curtains to let in the moonlight.
Melanie paused beside the bed wearing only a thin nightgown, her lush figure stretching the material at her breasts and hips. Good Lord, the woman had curves. He flipped back the sheet. “Can’t promise I won’t bite,” he said, his voice deep and growling.
She pinched the material at her thighs and slowly dragged the gown upward, revealing every inch of her soft skin. She hadn’t bothered with impediments either.
“Sure there’s room for me?” she whispered, her gaze going to the sheet tenting over his groin.
“Might have to get close.”
“Sounds…crowded.”
“You will be.”
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth. “You say the sweetest things.”
His lips twitched. “Mel, get over here. Now.”
Her eyelids dipped; her chest rose around a deep, sharp inhalation.
She liked his tone, his words. Carter hadn’t thought she could be any sexier until he realized she wanted him to take control. Impossibly, his cock grew harder. All the ways he wanted to take her flashed through his mind. But first, he wanted her to learn to trust him, no matter how hard she tried to push him away.
He came up on an elbow and patted the mattress. “Get that pretty ass down here. Now.”
She tossed back her hair but edged onto the bed. Already the tips of her nipples were tightly beaded. When she settled beside him, he watched as her gaze tracked over his chest, then downward to the edge of the she
et still covering his hips.
Carter pushed it aside and reached for her hand, guiding her fingers around his shaft. When her grip firmed, he locked his gaze with hers, slightly narrowing his eyes. “I need to know.”
Her brow wrinkled. “Know what?”
“When I had you, at the wedding, you were a virgin.”
She shrugged. “So?”
“You have many lovers since?”
Her fingers tightened like a vise around him. “It’s none of your business.”
“You’re wrong.” He trailed a finger from the base of her throat to the tip of one quivering breast. “The things I want to do…I have to know, Mel. No judgment here. But be honest.”
Her eyes glittered, but she lifted her chin. “I haven’t fucked anyone but you, Carter,” she said, her voice hoarse. “I haven’t exactly had time to get out there.”
If she’d wanted company, she would have made time. Hell, she could have had Wayne. So, why hadn’t she?
But he didn’t ask. Couldn’t think of thing he wanted to say. The swift, sharp satisfaction that filled him wasn’t something he was proud of. Had she lost her trust in men because of how he’d treated her?
Carter gave her a sharp nod to acknowledge he’d heard what she’d said. Then he lowered his head to take her mouth, cursing because he felt like he was seconds from exploding in her hand.
Chapter Eight
‡
Humiliated by what she’d just admitted, Melanie released his cock and remained rigid as Carter leaned down to kiss her. He thinks I’m pathetic. Hell, he probably thinks I’ve been in love with him all these years.
But wasn’t she? Wasn’t that why even now, when she knew he was considering returning to a job that had nearly killed him once, she wanted to melt against him, open her thighs, and welcome him inside? How easy would it be to surrender? To forget the way he’d abandoned her—the way he’d fled this ranch—and trust him not to break her heart all over again?
Not that he’d ever made any promises. The fact she’d allowed herself to hope for more was all on her.
She’d seduced an edgy, wary SEAL into making love with her, and had resented him for it ever since. Not fair, she knew. But she couldn’t argue with her heart.
When his tongue pushed against her closed lips, she couldn’t resist. She opened, moaning as he entered to slide against her tongue. Her breath caught. She edged closer to press a breast against his hard chest.
His groan vibrated against her. He smoothed a hand along her side, slipping beneath her hip to caress one buttock.
She wished there was a little less of her for him to mold, that she could be the kind of woman he’d want beyond this moment. She didn’t kid herself this time that he’d want more than a bed partner. She’d learned that lesson the hard way once before.
When he moved again, this time sliding his fingers between her legs, she couldn’t breathe, waiting in agony until he touched her folds and slid a finger inside her.
She cried out, too tense and excited to contain the sound.
“Easy,” he whispered against her cheek. “I’m only starting.”
She gave a nervous laugh. “I can’t help it. I’ll try to be quiet.”
“Don’t. I need to hear you, baby. Fuck, you’re wet.” Again, he pressed his mouth to hers, rubbing in dizzying circles, mimicking the movement of that finger swirling inside her.
Melanie trembled. She parted her thighs and raised her right knee, tilting her hips to take him deeper inside.
But he pulled free.
“No!”
His mouth slid across her cheek. “Not a race.”
They rested against each other as they both drew ragged breaths.
“It hasn’t ever been like this for me, Mel.” He grabbed her hand and flattened it against his chest, right over his heart. “Feel how hard it’s pounding? That’s because of you.”
“You don’t have to lie. I’m here. I’m willing.”
“I’m not giving you some line.” His jaw hardened. “I wronged you. I know that. I was selfish and didn’t consider what you might be feeling when I took off. But I’ve thought about it ever since. I remembered how good and sweet it was with you.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want—”
“I know. You don’t want some guy who’s working on getting himself blown up. But I’m not him anymore.”
“But you can’t say you won’t be there anyway. In some dangerous situation, far from here.”
“There are no guarantees in this life, Mel. My mom wasn’t some SEAL stepping on a roadside bomb, and she’s just as dead.”
“I don’t expect guarantees, but I have to think about more than me. I have a little girl to raise. She’s only just met you. What happens when she loves you and you’re gone?”
Carter leaned his forehead against hers. “I don’t have the answers. Not yet. But I’m trying here. I think… I want to build something…with you.”
Everything inside her yearned toward him. She’d dreamed for years of hearing him say something like this. And maybe she wasn’t being fair. He was a SEAL. Had trained hard. Survived, no doubt because he was so skilled. She could hardly expect him to throw away something he’d worked so hard to attain. Was she looking for excuses to protect her heart? Was she a coward? “Do we have to talk about it now?” she whispered.
So, maybe she’d allowed just a little bit of a whine to escape in her voice, but she couldn’t still the excitement that held her on the edge, kept her shivering against him.
“No, but we can’t deny what’s happening here. Not for long.”
“Think Tilda might poison your coffee if she knew what we’re doing?”
One corner of his mouth rose in a smirk. “She would if she knew all the nasty things I plan to do with you.”
Her breath caught. “You’re nothing but a tease, Carter Vance.”
“Think so? Dare you to say that again,” he whispered beside her ear.
Just the rasp of his voice was enough to send a tingling thrill through her body. Her breasts tightened, her belly quivered anew, and moisture seeped to wet her inner thighs. “I need you inside me, Carter. Please don’t make me wait.”
“You don’t think this is happening too fast?” he whispered.
She glared. “This morning, I told myself I should keep my distance. Not let my attraction lead me down this road again.” She gave a little shrug. “By mid-morning, I was there with you in the ravine, taking off my clothes. But fast? Carter, I’ve been waiting for years.”
“I’m sorry.”
She lifted her hand and put her forefinger over his lips. “Shut up. I don’t want an apology. I know what kept you away. And it wasn’t me. I didn’t play in that decision at all.” I wasn’t important enough to you, asshole. I get it. “We already agreed. We have this.” She reached downward and stroked his cock. “I want this.”
An expression crossed his face, one she couldn’t name. But then he smiled. Maybe it was a little thin, maybe strained, but she knew he was interested. The proof leapt in her hand.
“Put me inside you,” he said, his voice thrilling in its darkness.
Without hesitating, she drew him downward, slid the tip through her folds, then flexed her hips to lift herself. He slid inside.
Just an inch. Enough. He was there.
Pretty little Melanie didn’t know it, but she was playing with fire. It felt like forever since he’d fucked anything other than his own fist. One thrust and he’d be deep inside her. She was ready for it—hot, wet, her pussy tightening around him…
He slumped against her. “Wait.”
Her nails dug into his backside. “No!”
“Condom,” he ground out.
“I don’t care.”
“Well, I do.” He pulled free and rolled to his back. “Nightstand.”
She grumbled, but moved away, stretching to pull open the drawer, then swishing her hand around it until she pulled back. Moonlight struck the silver foil p
acket. She passed it to him.
Carter quickly cloaked himself, then lay there a moment longer staring down at his dick. “Mel…”
“Don’t you dare,” she said, her voice small, sounding far away although their shoulders touched.
He turned his head toward her. “How do you know what I’m going to say?”
“Because you sighed. Like your dad does when he has to tell Emmy something she’s not going to like.”
He reached for her hand and gripped it tight. “We should wait.”
“For what? Is anything going to change? Are you?”
He squeezed her hand harder. “I want to do the right thing.”
“There’s not a damn thing wrong with this. We’re consenting adults. You just took care of any unwanted consequences.”
He didn’t like the bitterness in her voice. She’d shown a lot of courage coming to his room, opening herself up to be hurt by him again. He didn’t like disappointing her. “Emmy’s just down the hall. So’s my dad. And I don’t believe I’m saying this, but I want more, Mel.”
She tried to snatch her hand away, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he forced her to her side, facing her away from him, and then scooted close. He let go of her hand and laid his arm over the curve of her waist. “Stay,” he whispered in her ear. “We both need sleep.”
She remained stiff for a few minutes, but then she drew a deep breath and relaxed against him. “Don’t know how much sleep either of us is going to get,” she said.
He smiled. “Promise he’ll stop poking at you.”
A snicker shook her torso. “You’re still wearing a rubber.”
“I’ll remove it. Later.” He nuzzled behind her ear. Surprisingly, he liked this—liked just holding her against his skin. “You smell like pie.”
“Not the smoothest compliment I’ve ever received. It’s my shampoo—it’s peach scented.”
“It’s nice.”
He traced a finger down the side of her cheek, felt the groove from her injury. “Does it bother you?”
“The scar?”
“The memory…”
She let out a long breath. “It’s just so sad. I don’t remember what happened after the flash of fire. I know I was in the hospital. I know they shipped me to Germany, then back to the States. That’s all a blur. But I remember every moment up to the explosion. If I close my eyes, I’m there again, waking up in a strange bed in their house in the diplomats’ sector. Going down to breakfast and catching Daniel kissing my sister. I remember the dress she wore, how pretty she looked. She didn’t kiss Emmy’s cheek because she was afraid she’d mess up her clothes. Cassie kissed her fingertips.”
Baby, It's You (Uncharted SEALs Book 5) Page 6
