Code Name: Nina's Choice (Warrior's Challenge)

by Natasza Waters

  “How’s Kayla?” Marg asked.

  “She’s good,” Nina said, seeing Kayla and Ghost’s little boy staring up at his father. That didn’t happen often with a newborn.

  “We need to plan a shower,” Marg said, looking at the girls.

  “Definitely,” Shelly, Ditz’s wife, agreed.

  “Pat, you need to get Ghost out of here. He’s practically standing guard over his son,” Marg ordered.

  Lieutenant Cobbs chuckled, but didn’t take his eyes off of Adam. “I never thought I’d see this day. We’re all home, and it’s been one helluva year so far, but if this is the end note, then it’s a good one.”

  “Hooyah,” Mace said, and the other guys chimed in.

  Ghost watched them, and he read their lips and grinned. “One helluva year,” he said and looked down at his son, protected in his arms.

  Nina felt tears sting the back of her throat. Becoming a mother was the most incredible thing in the world. Seeing Adam brought those first moments back to her and she smiled at Mace.

  He released a slow breath and gazed into her eyes. “I love you, Nina.” Mace’s arms swarmed around her. “You—want another baby, don’t you?” he whispered. “I think we need to make that happen.” He kissed her hard and she melted in his embrace.

  Tony growled behind them. “You have babies here, you don’t make ’em here.”

  The guys laughed and Ghost gave Mace a thumbs-up from the other side of the glass.

  “We all need a drink,” Lieutenant Cobbs said. “Ghost, get your god damn ass out here.” Cobbs tapped on the glass to attract his attention. “Now, SEAL.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “So the date’s December seventh,” Mace confirmed over his shoulder sitting on the couch. “Figures Ghost and Snow White would pick the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Hope Hawaii can withstand a second attack with both of them living there.”

  Tony and Nina chuckled at the thought.

  Nina put the last plate from dinner in the dishwasher. “You heroes better not be deployed on some mission halfway around the world. Kayla would shit a brick if you weren’t there for the wedding.”

  Tony kicked back in the leather chair with a smile only a man with a full belly can achieve. “No promises, Ninja Girl. Duty calls.”

  “Knowing Kayla, she’d be calling the President demanding your return.”

  “We start workups again in the beginning of December,” Tony announced.

  Nina wandered in with two beers and handed them each one. Her long red curls fell around her shoulders when she leaned over. Mace’s eyes took their time wandering up her sleek legs ending at tiny shorts. She didn’t shy away from his gaze. Nina had no hang-ups when it came to her body. She snuggled into his side, and he palmed her soft skin, slowly trailing a hand down her thigh.

  Touching her always made his passion simmer to life. They’d done everything possible to stimulate him to a full erection. The doc said it was all in his head, but the only thing in his head was how he wanted to be inside the woman he loved. Gabbs would be arriving in a couple days, and their lives would be focused on her.

  He circled Nina’s knee with the tip of his finger, lost in past memories. When he’d made love to her on the beach for the first time it had blown his mind. She was wild, erotic and submissive. Their bodies spoke to one another, and his mind released its grip on sanity and abandoned itself to basic instinct. The moment had imprinted itself in his soul. Each stroke had pulled him closer to climax, and lured him into a depth of her he didn’t want to give up.

  Nina’s fingers curled around his, and pulled him from his reverie. His gaze slowly rose, but lingered on her breasts seeing her nipples harden. He turned to look at his best friend. Tony watched them. More so, he watched his hand touch Nina, and what it did to her.

  The windows were open and the warm sultry night air wafted in with a flutter against the sheers he’d helped Nina hang. Music played in the background, and they’d had a few drinks. Life wasn’t perfect, but it was good.

  Tony reached a hand out to her. “Come here, Nina.”

  Her gaze swayed to Tony, and she took a deep breath before she obeyed and walked over to him. He drew her onto his lap, adjusting her so she’d face him. His hands caressed her shoulders with a light touch, following the curve of her collar bone, sending a shiver through her.

  Mace didn’t move a muscle, still as marble with his eyes pinned to them. What the hell was Tony doing? The bulge in his pants receded, while part of him began to seethe.

  “I saw the look in your eyes the other day at the hospital, Nina.” He coiled his finger through a strand of red hair. “You want another baby, don’t you?” Tony landed a hard gaze on him. “How are you going to do that, man?”

  Mace relaxed and shook his head, realizing this was Tony being Tony. He was being an idiot thinking his best friend was getting too close to Nina. “I don’t know. There’s other ways, I guess.” A flash of heat ignited in his gut when Tony’s finger trailed down Nina’s arm with a sensual sweep. He paused. Did he just see that?

  “I’d think the natural way would be preferred.” Tinman’s head swayed “You are one lucky son of a bitch,” he breathed.

  He couldn’t explain why, but the need in Tinman’s expression affected him, and not in a good way as Tony’s finger circled her navel, brushing her skin with a gentle touch.

  “Stand up, Nina.” Tinman’s gaze rained down her body, and his lids shuttered when her sleek frame rose.

  Tinman hadn’t had that much to drink, but he was acting like it. Stunned, Mace watched Tony rise out of the chair and press his chest against Nina’s back. His hands slid across her hips and then under her shirt. What the hell? “What the fuck are you doing?”

  Tony threw a lazy look in his direction. “You’re still having problems south of the equator, aren’t you?” Tony’s hands drew up Nina’s shirt, and pulled it over her head. “Maybe a surrogate donor could help.”

  “What?” he barked back. “Are you fucking crazy?”

  “Maybe you need to think outside the box, buddy.”

  “You’re gonna end up—” Too late. Tony’s palms caressed the underside of Nina’s breasts and then he palmed them. “Dead,” he finished. Anger sliced like a red-hot blade through him. He launched himself from the couch and snagged Nina’s arm, pulling her away. “What the hell is the matter with you?” Tony stared blankly, only his Adam’s apple bounced with a hard swallow. His jaw slackened with shock when Tony wound his arm around Nina’s middle and pulled her back against him.

  “This woman needs to be loved. I’ll admit I’ve thought about it a hundred times.” He bent his head and brushed his lips against her ear. “I can’t help it, but my cock gets rock-hard thinking about it. When I fuck other women, I only see you. I’ve kept it buried, but I don’t want to anymore.”

  Nina shivered again in Tony’s arms, but this time it looked as if she was actually turned on. Tony’s hazel eyes drilled him with a serious fire burning in them. “Have you lost it, man?”

  “The three of us are close. There’s nothing stopping us from getting closer. Maybe I’m a dick for telling you what I want, but you shouldn’t knock it until you try it.”

  An elevator bursting with an overload of shock hit the basement in Mace’s guts. “You want me?”

  Tony’s laugh echoed in the room. “No man, I just want to make Nina come apart in my arms. I want us both to make her feel good. I know you’re a straight shooter and so am I, but— ” Tony hooked his fingers on the band of Nina’s shorts and twirled his thumb around the button, releasing it without breaking eye contact.

  Mace’s fists cramped so tight the skin on his knuckles almost split. Nina didn’t object when Tony’s hand slid down her taut, flat stomach and into her shorts. When Tony’s fingers reached her sex, her breath came out in a long, slow release. A man—correction, a SEAL—could contain any emotion, but when Tony moaned feeling what could only be her moisture he lunged forward, tearing Ni
na from Tony’s hold. “Get. The. Fuck. Out.”

  Tony took a step back and raised his hands. Mace cranked Nina around. “Is this what you want too? Do you want him?”

  Her eyes rounded. “I only want my warrior.”

  “Is that me or not?” he shouted at her. Tony had worked his way to the door. He scooped up his coat, then stalled. “Son-of-bitch, if I walk over there, I swear I’ll fucking kill you.”

  A flicker of remorse settled in Tony’s gaze. Without another word, he turned his back and the door closed quietly behind him.

  “Nina!”

  “Is it wrong to want that?” she whispered.

  “Not for some people, but I should be enough for you. I am enough for you,” he said, the anger inside him flaring like an inferno.

  “Maybe we need him. Once.”

  He gripped her chin roughly. “I don’t need Tinman to show me how to love you. I can fuck you hard enough to see stars, woman.”

  She swatted his hand away. “You can’t or you don’t want to,” her voice angry. “You’ve given up!”

  “Bullshit,” he yelled and grabbed her, dragged her down the hallway and threw her on the bed. His entire body vibrated with adrenaline, just like before a battle. He could lose his life in warfare, but he could not lose the battle to his stubborn mind. It resisted like a prisoner of war. He would not let this destroy their relationship nor allow someone else to walk in and take what was his. He wrenched her legs apart and leaned over her, brushing the strap of her bra and exposing her breasts. With his target in sight, he clamped his mouth onto her nipple and sucked deeply. Nina yelped and arched at the same time. Mace moved off the bed and tore off his clothes. Boots went flying without benefit of being untied, his shirt landed on the bedside lampshade, his pants, shorts and socks a heap on the floor. Quick and efficient as only a SEAL can be, he then attacked her remaining garments. Her shorts were flung across the room and with a quick pull he tore her panties from her hips. “You want to be fucked hard, babe?” Nina clenched the sheets above her head, her siren eyes never leaving his. The fire in his veins burned hot. His hand snaked out and wrapped around her waist, snapping her to his body. “You belong to me.”

  Mace heaved her onto his lap, pulling her back taut to his chest, draping one beautiful leg across each of his thighs. Her hand pressed his shaft against her wetness, stroking him. His heart thudded so hard he could barely breathe.

  He twined his biceps around Nina’s upper arms and his hands roamed down her flat stomach to the moisture between her thighs. The patient man of honor was set adrift, and he pressed his mouth against the skin of her shoulder and bit her. Nina’s nipples grew hard and her ass ground against him as his fingers brushed her bundle of nerves. He circled the tip of her nipple with the pad of his thumb and then pinched it, eliciting another groan from her.

  With an easy swing he had her on her back and planted a hard kiss on her mouth. “It’s time for makeup sex, babe.”

  His thumb slowly slid from her throat down the center of Nina’s body, his palm resting for a second against her flat stomach. With a wet tongue he circled her breast and sucked. His thumb moved down to her mons, and he hesitated while he flicked the tip of her nipple.

  Nina hissed out a breath. “Don’t tease me.”

  “I’ll do what I fucking want with you,” he growled back. With a slow, seductive arc, he thumbed her nub, then palmed her sex. “You are dripping wet, Nina.” She rotated her hips, transferring her moisture to his inflamed head on an erection as hard as granite. Lowering himself, he kissed the tender skin of her inner thigh. Nina squirmed as his lips neared her needy nub. He paused, and her breath came in impatient pants. Her stomach muscles flexed anticipating his mouth. With the lightest brush, the tip of his tongue twirled around her firm bundle of nerves and she bucked hard. It was like someone flicked a switch inside him, and he grabbed his cock and pumped it.

  Drawing a sensual line along her slit, then flattening his tongue, he tracked back and forth with a tempo that made her tense and shiver with every pass. Passion took the reins from his anger and his mouth sucked on her sex like he was French kissing her.

  Nina’s body went rigid against him and he circled the entry to her channel, dipping the tip of his tongue inside her. Nina moaned her pleasure. “Baby, do you wanna cum?”

  She nodded and let out a stuttered breath. “Oh God, that feels good.” She trembled with restraint.

  Mace tightened his grip on her thighs, spreading them wide. “I want to be so god damn deep in you I can’t find my way out.” He cracked the nightstand drawer and pulled out a couple condoms, tearing one open and rolling it over his erection. Moonlight strayed in the window, illuminating the pure, honest desire in her eyes. His lips crashed against Nina’s. With a thrust of his hips, his erection penetrated deep into her channel. “Nina.” A low growl of pleasure escaped his throat. His head rolled back, their only contact his thick shaft surging into her as he tried to control his instincts, building the fire to blistering levels.

  “More.” Nina’s breath stuttered. “Harder, Mace, please,” she begged.

  He responded with a primal groan. One hand shot to her waist, the other encircling her wrists, anchoring them to the bed above her head, but he wouldn’t give her what she wanted. He felt her arms strain against his. If he let her go, she’d dig her fingers into his ass and her impatience would rip the orgasm from both of them. With his body strung tight as a bow, he buried his shaft in her, and her hips met his every plunge.

  “That feels so good, baby.” His heart hammered in his chest with her body meeting every plunge as he drove her with long, luxurious strokes until she shook. A familiar sensation, too many months gone, but not forgotten, bit at his core. A light sheen covered their bodies. His need for Nina climbed the scales. He growled and pulled out, wanting it to last a little longer. Lifting Nina, he drew her back on the bed. Spooning her, and pulling one leg across his hip, Mace covered his head in her moist heat. A fierce craving to be one with the woman he loved shattered the blocks of resistance, and he plunged inside her. Nina cried out his name. Her arms swung back and cinched around his neck. Need scrambled to its highest peak. Mace pinched her nipples between his thumbs and fingers and rolled them.

  “Oh fuck, Nina.” His words vaulted from him, knotted tight with pleasure. Nina’s channel milked his shaft, and his hips rolled faster, his stomach coiling. He couldn’t get deep enough. It was so fucking good, he was losing his mind. “God damn, I love you,” he shouted as he came. Nina’s body shuddered hard as he strummed her clit, bringing her with him. Together they tumbled into a seizure that left them shaking and panting.

  When their senses returned, he opened his eyes and laughed out loud when she snaked around, rolled him onto his back, jumped on top of him, and peppered his face with kisses.

  Nina rested snug against his chest. Mace caressed her hip and gazed out the window into a cloudless night and a half moon shining down on a peaceful San Diego. He was in no hurry to leave, he never wanted to leave her again. He’d seen all the phases his buddies had gone through when they’d found their wives.

  For him, meeting the right girl wavered like heat on the desert sand somewhere in the distance. He knew she was out there, but ignored it for years. Now he understood. Falling in love for a SEAL was like passing through some kind of doorway into a room of contradiction. Every time he’d have to leave Nina, he’d have to suppress his heart so the ache didn’t take his mind off the next tango that wanted to see him gutted on the ground. There would be regrets, lost moments, missed holidays, and for her—fear. No woman loved a SEAL without living in fear. Some couldn’t get to the finish line, others were stronger. His gaze dropped to Nina’s peaceful expression. Nina was strong. He just had to keep his ass alive long enough to come home to her and Gabbs. “I love you, you know that, right?” he said.

  Her lips curled into a sweet smile as she opened those amazing eyes of hers. “I do, and I’ll never stop loving you.” She cupped
his jaw, and he bent his head to kiss her softly. “Mace?”

  “Yeah, babe.”

  “He did it for us.”

  Being reminded of Tony’s actions caused a knot in his stomach. “What do you mean?”

  “I asked for his help.” Nina shifted and propped her head with one hand. “I begged him to do it. He didn’t want to.”

  Mace leaned back. For some reason he wasn’t as shocked as he thought he should be. “You asked him to do that in front of me? Why?”

  “You might be all hero, hotness and mild-mannered most of the time, but inside you is a warrior that won’t be defeated. It’s basic instinct. I took the chance that you’d fight for me and the challenge would crash through your barrier.”

  It had done that, all right. “You’re saying I owe him a thank you instead of a date with my fist?”

  Nina rolled onto her stomach and slowly leaned in to brush a kiss over his lips. “I’m saying you have the best friend in the world. He was willing to sacrifice that friendship for us.”

  “How far did you ask him to go?” The look in Tony’s eyes when he touched Nina was pure, unadulterated lust. His phone beeped with a text, and he threw his arm back to feel around until his fingers found it. It was from Tony.

  Mission accomplished? I love you guys.

  He quickly sent a message back.

  Affirmative.

  We okay?

  Talk later.

  Roger.

  Mace turned the phone so she could see the texts. “He’s a good man. It might be selfish, but I sensed you’d given up, and sooner or later you’d give up on us.”

  He mulled over her words, and didn’t disagree.

  “I never thought I could ever feel this happy with someone.” Her thumb traced his bottom lip. “It took me a long time to make the decision to apply for the job at Base Command. Leaving my family behind was hard. I never expected to walk straight into the arms of you.” She gazed up at him with a warmth that speared his heart. “You’ve never judged me. I can be weak or strong, and you’re confident enough to accept all that I am.”