Yeah, the words hurt, but he ruthlessly suppressed the kneejerk reaction and concentrated on listening to her.
“I’ve seen it happen before.” She paused and sucked her upper lip between her teeth. “God, I sound like a baby. I like you a lot, not just as a patient, but the man underneath. The man who finds a smile even when he’s hurting, who makes other people laugh—who listens to me and does what he has to do. Hell, I even like it when you’re pigheaded and stubborn.” Tears sheened her eyes, but she blinked them away and her expression toughened. “I don’t want to get involved and find out in a month or two that it was all about a recovery attachment, and that when you don’t need me anymore—the attraction will go away.”
Well, he had asked.
“You don’t sound like a baby,” he assured her. “You sound like a woman guarding her heart—and I’m all for that. I want to protect your heart, too.” It would be so easy to sweep aside the cotton and explore the warm skin beneath, but he had to address her fear. “I will protect your heart. This isn’t about my recovery, babe. I adore you. I adore the way you don’t take my shit, you give it right back to me. You don’t let me give up, and you never let me think I couldn’t be something or do something—but most of all I love that you see me. Not my missing pieces.”
She’d never made him doubt his masculinity—never let him doubt it.
“The hardest part of any new beginning is not rushing it.” As a counterpoint to his words, he slid one hand up her back, over the cotton, and traced the length of her spine. “It’s admitting that we may not get everything right the first time, or the second, or the third. But I’ve had a lot of doctors, a lot of therapists, and a lot of nurses work with me this year, Noel. What I want from you—with you—is not about my recovery.”
He’d deserve sainthood for the next part, especially with her liquid heat pressed so firmly along his erection. “And nothing has to happen until you’re ready for it. I like feeling you in my arms and in my bed, and I like having you here with me.”
She closed her eyes and tipped toward him until their foreheads brushed. “It does feel good.” Her thighs tightened against him, the flex of muscle as alluring as a caress. “It could feel better….”
His arousal ratcheted up. “When you’re ready.” And not a moment before.
“Rebel.” Dark eyes met his.
“Yeah?”
“I’m ready.”
Crushing her to him, he met her open-mouthed, tongue-thrusting kiss with a groan. It would be fantastic for both of them, and damned if he wouldn’t prove it.
Understanding the sheer power housed in Rebel’s arms was completely different from experiencing the way he held her. He swung her around on the bed as though she were nothing more than a feather—and that was hardly true. She could lift a hundred-and-fifty pounds over one shoulder in a fireman’s carry, one of the requirements for her job. She appreciated strength, but damn, did Rebel make it sexy.
He never stopped kissing her; from tiny, teasing brushes to long, slow, wet ones that left her toes curling and her body humming. She had never been one for a casual affair….
Nothing about Rebel is a casual affair. Intellectually, she believed that, but her heart stuttered, and when she dug her nails into his shoulders, he lifted his head, seeming to sense her hesitation.
“It’s okay.” He smiled and her breath caught in her throat. Flattening one hand on the bed, he lifted some of his weight off her and she shifted her own grip, tugging him down.
“I want this—Rebel, I’m just—”
“Don’t sugarcoat it, sweetheart.” He captured her mouth again, but it was slower—sweeter and all the more sensual. “There’s two of us in this bed. If it’s not good for you, it’s not good for me.”
He was right. They didn’t sugarcoat things. Sometimes a painful truth stung, but it was easier to digest if they didn’t try to disguise it as anything but reality. “I’m not a casual girl. I never have been. I’ve never wanted anyone like I want you—and there’s this little voice in the back of my mind that keeps screaming if we cross this line….”
“Yeah.” He rubbed his nose to hers; the boyish gesture made him seem so young and indescribably gentle. “Onward and upward, Noel—I want our relationship to change.”
With a few words and the most innocent of touches, he’d set her body humming. Rubbing her palm against his cheek, she sighed and the last, flagging remnant of her resistance melted away. “I don’t want to go back either.”
He dipped his head as though he were about to kiss her again, and paused—searching her gaze. “So, we’re good?”
“I think so.”
Leaning away fractionally, he lifted his brows. “Still good?”
Laughter bubbled up inside of her and she widened her thighs, easing him against the cradle of her legs, but he kept staring at her. “Yes. We’re good.”
Another slow descent, followed by another hesitation so close, his breath tickled her lips. “How about now?”
“Madre de Dios, Marine! Kiss me already.”
“So demanding,” he said, but instead of her mouth, he pressed his lips to her cheek and left a trail of heat all the way to one earlobe. “Did I ever mention how sexy you are when you give me orders?”
Conflicting sensations of amusement and desire shivered over her skin and she groaned a laugh as he latched onto her earlobe.
“Oh, someone likes that.” He traced each whorl with his tongue. The light touch sent a wave of need racing down to her belly and up again. The bed dipped and he shifted, the molten path of caresses moving to her throat. And then chill air raced over her breasts—he’d pushed her shirt all the way up and she had to let him go to tug it the rest of the way off.
“Beautiful.” The way he exhaled the word made her feel powerful. He cupped her breast and teased the nipple with gentle strokes of his thumb. Tremors radiated out from the caress, and then he switched his attention and his mouth locked around her neglected nipple.
He drew out the slow, decadent torture—and there was nowhere he didn’t touch her. Easing her thighs farther apart, he slid his hands beneath her hips to lift her. She was naked and exposed, and anxiety raced along her nerves. Her words died unspoken the moment he touched his lips to her sex.
Gentle and firm by even measures, he rolled her clit with his tongue. The flicking brushes amped up her need from desperate to screaming. Then he scraped his teeth lightly over her and the pressure shoved her over the edge. Ecstasy crashed over her, but he didn’t let up and no sooner had the first orgasm began to ebb, than a second rolled over her.
The intensity obliterated thought and she rode the waves as he plundered her with the most carnal kiss of all. Starbursts of pleasure continued to explode through her system.
Still floating when she opened her eyes, she became aware of the tears on her cheeks and a look of concern on Rebel’s face. Sniffling, she gave him a watery chuckle. “I’m a crier—sorry.”
“Never be sorry for being you.” He kissed the tears one by one and her pulse raced all over again. “Ever.”
She’d just had two of the best orgasms of her life and she wanted him all over again. Fisting his hair, she dragged his mouth to hers. He gave into the demand, but took control at once and when he finally came up for air they were both panting.
“Can you reach the drawer, sweetheart?” The weight of his erection pressed against her stomach and she understood the request. Fresh eagerness flooded through her and she twisted to reach across the bed for the nightstand. Rebel nipped her shoulder, a gentle love bite, and then he groaned.
“Are you okay?” She started to glance at him, but he eased his weight up until she was on her belly and he let out a little sigh.
“You have the most amazing ass.” He began caressing a path down her spine with his mouth and she shuddered.
“You already did that.”
When he nudged her thighs apart again, she almost whimpered, her sex so sensitive at the moment, eve
n the little brush of air sent her nerves haywire.
“I know, but anything this gorgeous is worth repeating—” And he might have said something else, but his touch sent her tumbling into an orgasm so fast, she almost forgot to breathe. When she floated to earth, the sound of foil tearing alerted her and she rolled onto her side, drinking in the sight of him.
All sinewy muscle and gorgeous heat, he was gorgeous. She let her gaze travel down to his hips and to the hard length of his cock. She’d always tried to give him his privacy, avoided ogling him in any way. But she didn’t have to anymore. Licking her lips, she smiled.
“Wow.”
“See something you like?” He laughed, and confidence echoed in his tone—but the look he turned on her was dark with passion—and so vulnerable.
“You have no idea how much,” she whispered. Even his thighs were nothing but corded muscle standing out in stark relief. The veins strained along his arms. And his mouth—God, his mouth—curved into a sexy grin.
“Don’t look at me like that. I want to be here when I come.” He cupped her sex possessively, his thumb gliding over her clit and sending electricity skating through her.
Gasping, she dug her fingers into the covers. She wanted to touch him, too, but the angle wasn’t conducive to that. He nudged her thigh a little higher and suddenly she understood. The awe and raw heat in his expression mesmerized her as he angled his body, the tip of his cock teased at her entrance and urged her thigh another inch higher.
Frank appreciation burned in his eyes and she reached out, covering his hand on her thigh with her own. “I need you, Rebel—” It was the right thing to say, because Lord knew she needed him. He thrust forward and filled her. The angle made it tight and he went deep. It took her a moment to adjust, but she never looked away from him. His face went taut with bliss and when his eyes opened, and their gazes clashed, she melted all over again.
The connection to him—the one that had always hummed in the background every time they’d shared the same place—pulsed with life. He stilled, buried to the hilt and leaned in for another long, wet kiss. The man holding her captive in an intimate embrace had long since taken her heart—and she could admit that now. He’d had her from the beginning.
She met his rhythm, rocking with him and not once did she let go of his hand or did he look away from her eyes. Fire began to consume her, and when his muscles bunched and he began to strain, she was coming all over again. One single brush, and one last push from him and her muscles clamped down, the orgasm bursting over her, bliss filling her, and he swallowed her cries with another wild kiss.
He shuddered his release and collapsed against her, whispering her name over and over again like a litany. He held her heart, took her body and, very shortly, he’d be so embedded in her soul she would never be able to let him go.
Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks. She’d always hated being a crier where sex and pleasure were concerned, but he didn’t tease her or look distressed. He simply eased out of her and rolled onto his back, pulling her into the shelter of his arms, comforted and took care of her. How could she not love him? Pressing her lips to his chest, she snuggled and pillowed her head on his chest.
“That was….” he managed after a long time.
“Wow,” she finished. “Course, I didn’t get to really do anything….”
“Woman, you’ve had your hands all over my body, driving me mad for months.”
Pressing another kiss to his pec, she grinned. “So—your idea of therapy is orgasm-based?”
A pause and then the bed shook with his laughter. “If it gives you ideas, then by all means.”
Chapter Six
“Hey, Derek.” Rebel grasped the other Marine’s hand for a quick shake. “Thanks for coming out early.”
“No problem. Kara filled me in. So just point me where you need me and let’s get this done.” The resident tech god was a relative new addition to the Mike’s Place staff, but his engagement to Kara had been scuttlebutt even in the hospital wing for more than a week.
“Fantastic.” The last few days had blown past him like a drunk dream and he never wanted to be sober again. Noel had spent the whole weekend with him, and he’d sucked it up and gone out to help her finish decorating the trees for the tree run. Despite the cold dread in his gut when he’d gotten started, it hadn’t taken him long to shake off the lingering unhappiness.
Being with her helped make a lot of tough crap bearable. She made him feel ten feet tall and capable of anything—making love to Noel let him fly. “So,” he blew out a breath and rubbed his hands together in anticipation, “the plan is to coordinate the lights to the music. I’ve got all the songs on here.” He dug the thumb drive from his pocket. “There are three playlists—the first for the run has all the kid-friendly songs, the second is for the official party that evening, and the third—”
“Got it, man.” Derek gave him a thumbs up. “You realize you’re going to give the rest of us a bad name by going so far over the top.”
“If you’re going to do it, go big or go home.” He’d always believed in that philosophy. “I strung the rest of the lights this morning with some help from Zach’s baseball team.” He pointed to the group of teenagers finishing up the last tree. They’d made it a competition. Because each set of songs would light up a different set of the lights, they wanted to get a string of each kind on every single tree illuminating the path.
By the time they were done, they could probably land a 747.
Derek dragged some cases over to the makeshift control station they’d set up. The booth was disguised behind two thicker firs and also housed a backup generator in case they needed it for the lights.
“You need anything else?” Reb had a physio appointment and then a meeting with Luke and James to finalize the other piece of the night.
“Nope, I’m good.” Derek chuckled. “Go meet Kara before she horsewhips me for making you late.”
“If Noel stops by….”
“Nothing to see here, man. I know the drill.” Derek waved him off with a laugh. “Like I said, Kara already filled me in and I think the ladies plan to keep her distracted.”
Crap. Of course his plan hadn’t stayed secret. Very little did around the hospital.
Seeing his grimace, Derek snorted. “You’ve been grinching it up this year. Everyone’s been waiting for you to get the hell back into the Christmas spirit.”
Rebel scratched his jaw. “Yeah, took some time.” It took Noel.
“Not a problem, unless you miss your therapy session and make my fiancée mad at me.” Derek jerked a thumb toward the physio wing. “Move it, Marine.”
“Don’t get your panties in a twist.” But Rebel didn’t rush off, instead pausing to survey the trail. He’d hated the lights the first night he’d seen them outside his window, but now…. Lingering long enough to make Derek yell again, he still arrived at his therapy session with minutes to spare.
Kara went over his checklist. Complicit in the evening plans, she had taken care of the last three items he needed, including one detailed piece of information. “This is going to cost you, you know.” She waved a folded slip of paper at him after she’d finished torturing his muscles and he’d finished his fifth-of-a-mile run without a single stumble.
He lifted his brows. “Extortion? After you agreed to it?”
“Oh yeah. I want the secret of the Tweety Bird.” Kara’s eyes danced.
“Ahh.” He nodded. “You good at keeping secrets?”
“Yes!”
So he told her. Kara’s whoop of laughter would have been reward enough, but he tucked away the slip of paper for later.
“All right, this is what I have from his commanding officer.” Luke handed over a stack of letters. “This is from his mother.”
“His mother?” Rebel was impressed. “How did you…?”
“Lauren.” James chuckled. His fiancée was so damn down to earth, it was easy to forget she was a certified movie star with a dedica
ted fan base. “Turns out, his mother was a huge fan of hers and when Lauren explained to her what we wanted to do, she was more than happy to donate copies.”
“Thank you.” He sorted through the stacks. “What’s this one?” The third stack didn’t hold any identifiable marks.
“His college professor—turns out he was taking distance courses through one of the Internet colleges. Those are his papers.” Luke settled in his chair, a smug grin on his face. “Becca tracked them down after we spoke to people in his unit. Will all that be enough?”
Distracted by the first paper on the top of the school stack, Rebel nodded. “I think so—mind if I borrow your office for a couple of hours?”
“Not at all.” Luke stood. “We’ve got to meet some of the trucks coming in to pick up the donations and then lunch. You want us to bring you something?”
Rebel shook his head and waved them off. “I’m meeting Noel at two.”
Luke paused and put a hand on his shoulder, and Rebel shot the man a questioning look.
“Your reports are looking solid and you’re scheduled to move to long-term maintenance.” A retired captain, Luke Dexter had taken an active interest in Rebel from day one. Part of that was due to Lieutenant Essex, but the rest—that was just Luke.
“Yes, sir.” He’d known it was coming, but hadn’t realized how soon.
“When you get your discharge papers, come talk to me.” The older man squeezed his shoulder. “I have a job that was tailor-made for you.”
A job—at Mike’s Place—where Noel worked. Hell yes, he was interested. “Yes, sir. I will absolutely come to see you.”
“Good man. Take all the time you need in here and hit the intercom if you want anything. Barbara is working the front desk, but she can help if you need her.” With that, Luke left him to it.
Immersed in the words, Rebel lost track of time. It was well after two when the door opened behind him and he glanced up from the desk he’d all but taken over to find Noel entering with a pair of carryout bags and a tray of coffee. “You’re an angel—oh, hell.”
Have Yourself a Marine Christmas (Always a Marine) Page 7
