by Tawny Weber
Hard muscles. Golden skin. Big blue eyes and those sexy man dimples. Long, erect delight.
Worked like a charm.
Soothed and happy again, Lara settled her feet on the balcony railing, wondering if—brotherly worries aside—she’d ever been this happy.
Especially considering that she was pretty much positive that she’d done the stupidest thing of her life. She’d fallen in love with Dominic Castillo. And the weird thing was, that didn’t bother her, either.
She should be terrified.
She should be freaking out.
This was scarier than those goons breaking into her apartment, the one who’d grabbed her and the creep cadre all balled together.
If she were smart, she’d be hitchhiking back to Reno or New York or, hell, even Maryland.
She shouldn’t be chilling on the balcony of a hotel room that she couldn’t afford to pay for, eating fattening croissants and thinking about complex HTML code and various sexual positions.
Lara broke off a piece of pastry, the buttery flakes melting on her tongue as she contemplated it all.
Yeah.
She’d probably slipped around the edge into crazyville.
She didn’t take things easy.
She didn’t do calm and reasonable.
Hell, she didn’t even relax.
Something to blame Castillo for, she decided.
Through the open patio door she heard the swoosh of the hotel room door closing and sighed, pleasure curling around peace in her stomach.
She didn’t need to look to know it was Dominic. It was as if she could sense him now. A little voice in Lara’s head screamed WTF, and she imagined that tiny screamer beating on the walls of her brain, trying to wake the real her up. But she was so happy, that voice was easy to ignore.
A hand, warm and hard, slid over her bare shoulder.
“Hi.” She tilted her head to rub her cheek over his hand, then grinned when it slid past her shoulder onto her breast. “Aw, now, Jimmy, I told you I only tip like that for chocolate. Coffee and croissants don’t merit copping a feel.”
“Cute.” Grinning, Dominic came around to drop into the chair next to her. He snagged a pastry from the basket and popped it into his mouth. While he chewed, Lara let her gaze wander over his excellent form. Clad in fatigues and a tee, paratrooper-style black boots and a camo cap, he must be on a break, not off duty.
Even while she appreciated the view, her lips moved into a half pout. A break meant no sexy times, but seeing him in his military clothes was enough of a turn-on to keep her revved until bedtime. Or at least until six, when he’d walk through the door again for dinner.
“You like it here?” he asked.
Surprised, Lara tilted her sunglasses down to get a better look at his face. Nary a dimple was showing, so he must be serious.
“Here? On the balcony? Here at the hotel? Here in California?” She arched one brow. “Wanna narrow it down?”
“Here. Southern California, close to the base.”
Lara wet her lips, excitement bubbling a nervous brew in her belly.
“Why?”
“I asked first.”
“Yeah, but if you don’t answer first, you won’t find out, will you?” She shot him an arch smile.
“You always get the upper hand that way?” he asked, pouring a cup of coffee and toasting her.
“By being clever? Yeah, it usually works.” She waited, but he didn’t tell her what he was talking about. Clearly, he thought he could out-stubborn clever.
Lara waited until he reached for another pastry, then took the basket just before he could get one.
“You were saying why you wanted to know if I like it here?” she encouraged with a smile.
He gave her a hard stare, looked at the basket, then at her again.
“Curious,” he finally said.
Lara shifted the basket so it was on the edge of the balcony, one quick tip from taking a twenty-story header.
“Just wondering if you might want to stick around,” he said, his expression somewhere between irritated and impressed. “Maybe meet a few people, hang out a little. You’re done with your final project, right? So you have some time?”
See. Clever. She knew her man, knew his weaknesses. Dominic didn’t have many, but unless it was a military secret, he was all about the food.
Lara handed him the pastry basket, then shrugged.
“I’m technically done with the project, but I’d like to add a few more things. I’d love to ask Lucas some advice, though. Can I get his number?”
Yet another odd change.
Lara was used to working alone.
She thrived on her own energy and figured if she ever got a tattoo, it’d read something like Me, Myself and I—why mess with perfection?
But it’d been so cool to talk shop with Lucas.
And shopping with Celia.
But she hadn’t thought to get their phone numbers when she was there, and she hadn’t managed to get them from Dominic yet.
His frown came and went so fast she could almost convince herself she’d imagined it. Almost. Why didn’t he want her talking to his brother?
“I’ll get it for you later. First, though, how about some fun?”
Lara gave a sexy hum, sliding her hand up his thigh. Before she got to anything interesting, he grinned.
“That’s fun, but not quite what I meant. How does dinner out sound?” His fingers teased the edge of her hair in a gesture more sweet than sexual that turned her on all the same. “A few buddies, their wives, margaritas and nachos.”
Lara’s mellow went poof.
Tension ratcheted down her spine and her teeth clenched.
She was having a great time with Dominic, and yes, falling for him was more fact than fiction now.
But getting sucked into his life? Hanging out with his friends? Especially military types who probably knew her brother? That freaked her out more than meeting his family had.
She didn’t know why, but it did.
What were the chances of his friends actually liking her? She wasn’t riding the pity train, but she wasn’t exactly the cute-and-cuddly type. Hell, even her parents hadn’t liked her.
And she knew how these things worked. Dominic would say he didn’t care, that they didn’t have to hang with his friends. But she’d heard him talk about his team—she knew how close these guys were. When push came to shove, he’d pick his friends.
Her stomach knotted as disappointment wrapped its way through her.
If this was his surprise, it kinda sucked.
Anger breaking through her mellow, she dropped her feet to the ground so fast the collar of her robe slid down, baring her shoulder.
Before she could snap at him, Dominic’s smile shifted, his eyes going hot.
Lara wet her lips.
He set down his coffee.
Perfect.
Was distracting her man with sex something she was proud of? Lara debated for all of two seconds before she decided that, hell, yeah, hot sex was a win-win.
So distract away.
She leaned forward to grab a jar off the table, making sure to hunch her shoulders so her robe gaped enough to play peekaboo.
“I think I finally figured out why they sent jam with the pastries,” she said in a slow, musing tone. His eyes tracked her moves as she dipped her finger into the ornate jar, then lifted it to her mouth.
And sucked.
A little smile played around his mouth so his dimples danced, and Lara melted a little.
Damn, those dimples were lethal.
Lara dipped her finger again, scooping up more of the sticky red sweetness.
She made as if to give Dominic a taste, but at the last second, just when she saw his tongue, she pulled her hand back and laughed.
Even as she teased, desire grabbed hold of her. It was an addiction, so heady and strong she didn’t think she’d ever get enough.
“Hey,” he protested.
“My breakfast, my treat.”
“You’re not big on sharing?”
“Depends on what’s in it for me,” she said honestly.
“Pleasure like you’ve never experienced before?” he offered softly.
“Oh, but I’ve experienced a whole lot of pleasure. You’d have to work awfully hard at topping what we’ve done already,” she told him, getting even more turned on thinking about some of their adventures.
Dominic reached for her, but Lara was quick and danced out of reach.
“Bet I can,” he promised.
“Bet I can first,” she challenged.
To prove she could, she held her jam-covered finger up at the same time she used the other hand to unknot the belt of her robe.
Lara lifted one shoulder so the silk slid down, exposing a bare breast. She paused long enough to give him a good look, then switched so the silk slid the other way. It caught for a second on her pebbled nipple, making Dominic groan softly.
Lara stepped forward until she was standing right between his legs. Eyes hot, he reached up. She stepped back and shook her head.
“No touching,” she murmured.
Tormenting was more fun that way.
“You’re playing with fire,” he warned, his hotly gleaming eyes echoing that statement.
“Well, then, let’s see how hot I can get it.”
It only took a twitch of her shoulders to send her robe plummeting. The fabric caught on her elbows, framing her nude body. Lara’s gaze locked on his, so when she glanced down his eyes automatically followed.
Lara slid her jelly-covered finger over her nipple, noting with artistic appreciation that the sticky treat matched perfectly. She took her time, rubbing it around and around to ensure she was sugared up.
With every swirl of her fingers, desire coiled tighter in her belly. Her nipple was hard beneath her finger, her breath short.
Dominic’s hands didn’t leave his thighs, but when his fingers clenched as if he were forcing himself to stay still, she lifted her finger to her mouth.
“Mmm,” she moaned as she licked—not sucked—the rest of the jelly clean. Her tongue swirled up her finger, her eyes locked on Dominic.
“Want some?” she whispered as she stepped closer.
Close enough that all he’d have to do was stick out his tongue to get a taste.
“I want,” he confirmed in a guttural tone. “You know we’re in public, though, right?”
Lara didn’t bother looking around. It’d take someone with wings or high-powered binoculars to see anything worth getting excited about.
“Shy?” she teased.
“I was thinking of you.”
“Oh, because I’m such a modest girl?”
Laughing at the idea, Lara let the robe fall the rest of the way to the patio, standing naked in front of him except for her jelly coating.
“C’mon, big boy,” she taunted. “Show me what you’ve got.”
His eyes not leaving hers, Dominic reached down. She heard a snap, a zipper, then fabric sliding down. Lara wet her lips, wanting to look but not willing to be the first to shift her gaze.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his hands moving, knew he was pulling on a condom. She still didn’t look down, though, liking the extra edge their staring contest added.
As soon as he stilled, she moved.
Straddling him, she locked her ankles behind his back, her heels digging into the seat of the chair for leverage.
Slowly, using muscles honed strong from years of daily dance, Lara lowered, impaling herself on his rock-hard cock. She slid down a millimeter at a time, her core muscles tight, her wet juices coating the way.
Her eyes still on his, Lara gripped Dominic’s shoulders for balance. When he moved, just a small thrust, she shook her head.
“Mine,” she instructed.
God, she loved challenging him. Loved even more that he let her take control.
His jaw tight, he looked as though he was struggling not to grab her and flip their positions. But after a second, he gave a jerky nod.
Lara grinned.
Big bad sexy SEAL was teetering on the edge of control.
She liked that.
It was incredible to realize that she’d pushed him there.
Then he got sneaky.
His eyes didn’t leave hers as he leaned down a little to take her nipple into his mouth.
Lara whimpered.
Desire exploded, shooting in and out, spinning through her from her core to her nipples. Her heart raced; her thighs shook.
He tweaked the other with his fingers, then reached between them to work her the way only he could.
Lara bit her lip, trying to keep her rhythm steady.
But need was getting tighter, coiling like a spring deep in her belly.
Dominic lifted his head and grinned.
Dammit, he knew he was winning.
Lara leaned forward and licked his bottom lip, then sucked it between her teeth.
His eyes glazed.
She changed her rhythm, sliding, undulating, swirling and using her hips as though he was a stripper pole.
His breath came faster.
Lara was right there on the edge. She could barely focus because passion was demanding its due.
The only thing that kept the orgasm at bay was sheer stubborn will.
She wanted—no, she needed—to know that she could do to Dominic what nobody else could. She was desperate to know that she could do him in a way that would cement her in his memory, forever making him remember her as the girl who broke his control.
Pulling her hands off his shoulders, she arched her back, cupping her breasts in each hand and lifting them as an offering.
“Damn,” he breathed. Just before he exploded.
With a keening cry, Lara flew after him. Her orgasm racked her body with tremors so strong she could barely keep her balance.
She didn’t know how long it took, how many times she came.
All she knew was that when she opened her eyes, Dominic was grinning, his hands covering hers and his face totally relaxed.
Yeah. She was in love.
But she felt too good to care.
* * *
DOMINIC LAY ON his back, breathing as though he’d just hiked ten miles through the desert with a twenty-pound pack on his back—on water rations.
Damn.
First the balcony, now the bed. Two hot sessions in less than an hour. Hell of a morning break.
Every time he thought things between them couldn’t get any hotter, Lara took it up a notch. A few more of her notches and she just might kill him.
But what a way to go.
He couldn’t remember ever being this fascinated, this hooked, on a woman before.
Hell, he couldn’t remember spending three weeks with the same woman before, either. What was it about Lara?
He sure wished he could figure it out.
The sooner he did, the sooner he could get his fill and move on.
The trouble was, it didn’t seem to be any one thing.
At this rate, it might take forever to get his fill.
He reached over, his hand rubbing the soft flesh of her back where it dipped.
Then, with a deep breath, he smacked her butt before angling to a sitting position.
“Damn, you make break time great,” he said. “I’m gonna grab a shower, then head back to base. I’ll pick you up around seven for dinner, okay?”
Lara opened her mouth as if she wanted to protest, then she snapped it shut again.
“What?”
She frowned before sliding from the bed to grab her robe off the floor. Dominic watched her long limbs as she bent over, deciding that no matter what angle, she simply didn’t have a bad view.
“Is Phillip back yet? Safe?” she asked as she belted the flimsy silk.
Dominic debated. She’d asked that same question daily since they’d arrived in Coronado. It wasn’t as if it was classified information, so he had no reason for not telling
her.
Except that the minute he did, he knew his hold on her was gone. She had no reason to think he was protecting her if her brother was safe.
Despite the fact that it flew in the face of his plan to give her that family connection, he’d been able to justify it for the first week while the team returned, then over the few days of debriefing. But now? Keeping it from her simply made him a creep. A desperate creep, at that.
Dominic sighed, running his hand over the short stubble of his freshly buzzed hair.
All of a sudden, he felt very naked.
Reminding himself that he was his most convincing in the nude, he offered Lara a charming smile.
“He’s safe. Back on base, even.”
He waited for her to ask to see Banks.
He half expected her to grab her duffel, shove her clothes in, tuck that laptop under her arm and wave goodbye.
But all she did was stare.
Green eyes didn’t blink as she slowly frowned.
Dominic had an urge to grab a blanket off the bed.
“Lara?”
She wet her lips, then tilted her head as if to say, “What?”
“You heard me, right? He’s back. He’s fine.”
Fine being relative, of course.
Banks had withstood some pretty intense questioning. The kind that came with a side of torture. The guy had never been what anyone would call chatty, but the past few days in the barracks he’d taken silence to new levels.
He was hurting, even though he denied it.
He was suffering, even though it didn’t show.
The guy couldn’t have made it through debriefing without a psych eval, so he was either as fine as he said or a hell of an actor.
Dominic called it bullshit.
Which meant Banks needed help.
He needed family.
Just like his sister did.
“He’s not going to this little dinner party you have planned, is he?” Lara asked, crossing her arms over her chest and shooting her hip to the side in a straight-up combative post. Dominic had been in combat enough to recognize the vibe, even if it was wrapped in blue silk.
He damn near sighed.
He was a man who appreciated the simple, the easy.
He had a reputation for bouncing from hot chick to wild woman to sexy siren, all without a hint of conflict.
And here he was, smack-dab in the middle of it.
Naked.
