“Yeah, but I don’t think you broke curfew, or rebuilt the principal’s Mustang in the middle of the gym.”
His self-deprecating grin begged laughter and it bubbled up inside of her.
“Seriously?” She stared at him; his sexy expression gave way to one of pure impudence. “You seem so—I don’t know, marine-ish. Straight-and-narrow kind of guy.”
“Yes, ma’am. The principal busted me for kissing a girl in the hallway one day. Gave us this long, humiliating speech before marching us inside to call our parents. So I got even. He loved that car. And I took it apart, and carried it inside a piece at a time. My parents really didn’t know what to do with me. My brother was a star athlete and went to college on scholarship. It was probably just me wanting to rebel against all of those expectations.”
His sigh sounded bittersweet. “The last straw came when I got picked up for joyriding, the third time that month. Dad left me in jail for the night and wouldn’t let Mom bail me out. I got lucky, though—the cop who arrested me was a retired marine. He told me I could put all my restless energy to good use or begin looking at wasting my life behind bars.”
“So you enlisted?” She couldn’t picture him as the bad boy, the reckless thief. He was so damn upstanding and honorable.
“Not right away. For the most part, I kept getting off easy. But Dad told me that I had one more chance. If I got caught again, he’d leave me in jail, period. We got into a fight, the kind where you say stupid things you don’t mean. I remember being full of self-righteousness up until I saw my mom’s face. Her eyes were red-rimmed and full of disappointment. I had made her cry and it killed me. I went from being full of myself to feeling like a jackass. It took me a week, but I called that cop again and asked him about the Marines. He even drove me to the recruiter’s office. We had a long talk and they told me if I pulled up my grades, straightened myself up and stopped treading on the law, then they might have a place for me.”
“They gave you a purpose. That’s what surfing did for me. I wonder sometimes what would have happened if I’d stayed in my mother’s superficial world. I’d probably be in rehab or something.” Still, no one was perfect, and she did admire all professions.
“My dad was always skeptical and my being in the military terrified Mom. But they watched, helped when I asked, and the day I graduated from Parris Island, they were there in the stands.”
“They sound wonderful.” She envied that affection, the fierce way he looked when he spoke about them and the devotion mingling with respect in his words.
“They were great. They died a while back, Mom first and then Dad. But they got to see me get it together and they weren’t disappointed ever again by me.”
She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. As bothersome as her parents were sometimes, she couldn’t fathom burying one, much less both. “You’re a good man. I bet you really miss them.”
His hands stroked her bare back. “You’re kind to say so, and yes, I do.” Several minutes passed before his husky voice whispered in her ear, “Want to get out of here now?”
Hell, yes, she wanted to get out of here.
Finally they’d be alone.
Just then a man nearby cleared his throat loudly. As they stepped apart, Adrien thrust a guitar out to Rafe. “Come play.” It was a challenge, and it surprised Kelly. What was her old friend up to? If he embarrassed Rafe, she’d never forgive him. Hadn’t the guy been through enough?
The crowd thumped their tables and yelled out encouragement. Rafe looked around the room, amusement and exasperation on his face. Giving her a light squeeze, he accepted the guitar. “You stay put.”
“You play?” She stared after him and he winked.
“I do a lot of things.”
“How did Adrien know?” He had never mentioned music in the letters they’d exchanged; of course, she couldn’t tell him that.
Rafe shrugged. “We were in the gym, hitting the weights, and he told me he had a band. I play, too, so we found out we liked a lot of the same music. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He gave her a peck on the lips and her mouth craved more when he backed away.
She slid up onto a stool and kept her eyes on him. He put the guitar strap over his shoulder and grabbed a chair on the makeshift stage. When his fingers strummed the first chord, she held her breath.
12
RAFE SPECULATED IF a full-on blitz would be needed to get Kelly alone. Still, he did want to be on good terms with her friends, and, after spending time with Adrien, Rafe acknowledged the dynamic there. Adrien did look after her like a brother would, and the marine in him appreciated that.
“You said you wouldn’t have any room for guests tonight,” Rafe said as he took a seat near the chef.
Kelly was staring at him from across the room, her lips parted in the sweetest smile.
“But you said that you liked to play, so I thought we’d put you to the test,” Adrien explained.
Rafe had skills, but he didn’t play in public outside the base. Or, he hadn’t until now. “I know some of the songs, but I’m not sure what you want me to do.” He glanced at Adrien’s bandmates and exchanged easy nods with them.
“Just pick, we’ll follow you.” Adrien settled back in and Rafe tuned one of the strings on his guitar. He glanced over at Kelly and played the opening notes of a Stevie Ray Vaughan tune. It was the first song that came to mind. The band waited a beat and fell in with him almost perfectly by the fourth cord.
The enthusiastic applause at the end of the song encouraged him, and Adrien insisted he stick around for the rest of the set. Kelly gave him a thumbs-up and crossed one leg over the other.
Her beauty struck him each time he gazed at her. By the end of the set, the only person he played for was her.
* * *
IT WAS NEARLY midnight before they left the Bay Breeze. Strolling lazily back to the resort, they followed the moon-drenched beach, carrying their shoes.
“I had no idea you could play that well.” Kelly’s face shimmered in the ethereal glow. He’d never forget it, no matter what.
“Just something I like to do for fun. No idea why he dragged me up there.” The compliment humbled him.
“He likes you, Rafe.” Kelly put a hand on his arm, head tilting against his shoulder as she peeked up at the sky. The stars glittered like twinkling lights on a Christmas tree. “And Adrien doesn’t like a lot of people.”
“He probably wants me to keep my hands off you,” he teased, but there was a grain of truth to it. Adrien had kept Rafe onstage all night, barely letting him slip away for a drink.
“Maybe. But it’s just his way of looking out for me.” She laughed and danced away, only to turn around and walk backward. His heart thudded against his chest. “But Rafe, the question is, do you want to keep your hands off me?”
He came to a slow stop, watching her as she twirled in place. The air seemed lighter when she was around. Fresh, unfiltered purity took over his soul. His dreams had been filled with her. It was as if an invisible line had been drawn to separate his life from the moment he met her. Life before Kelly and life after.
“No. I want to take you back to my room, undress you and touch every inch of you. I want to kiss you—everywhere.”
She froze in front of him. Her eyes betrayed her surprise. Was it his blunt honesty? He reached for her.
“And I want you to touch me and stay with me for the rest of the night, just you and me.”
He wanted her on top of him, underneath him, in front of him, on the bed, on the beach, in the sun and under the moon.
“No snakes. No parents. No waves. Just you and me,” he repeated.
Trailing his fingers down her cheek, he traced the slender column of her neck, then the rapid rise and fall of her breasts, which swelled above the neckline of her dress. Round, soft
breasts and perfect, exactly like her.
She took a deep breath. “Rafe...”
“Kelly?” Erotic images of her twined with him, answering the demands of his body, demands that had been made ever since he’d laid eyes on her, were all he could think of.
An emotion flashed across her face like a swift-moving cloud, but he couldn’t discern it.
“There’s something I need to tell you.” She glanced over his shoulder, unable to meet his eyes. Obstacles. She was about to place another one in front of them. They could never move forward if they continued to let the past get in the way.
“Is there someone else?” Maybe she still had feelings for her manager? The idea made Rafe sick, but better to know now.
“No. Not at all.” Her eyes finally met his.
“Do you want to be with me?” Rafe had always tried to be direct.
Her eyebrows furrowed. “You can’t possibly doubt that. Though I want to clear something—”
“Stop, Kelly. Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter.” He pulled her against him. Blind desire roared through his body.
“This is important,” she told him, but surrender quivered in her voice.
“Is it about your sister?” Had he read her wrong and it was too soon? Rafe could wait until she was more comfortable with the idea.
“Kind of.” Kelly put her hands on his chest, but she didn’t push away.
“I’m not going to lie,” he said. “I do want you. I’ve never had such an easy connection as I have with you. There’s no way I’ll ruin that by rushing things. I don’t like that this began with your sister. I wish we could put all that behind us, start fresh. Please, let’s leave the past where it is. If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that life is short. And I don’t mean that to make you feel sorry for me. That’s the last thing I want. Spending time with you, however that happens, is all I want right now.”
That pixie smile of hers pulled at the corners of her mouth. “Quite a speech, Marine.” She looked up at him through her long lashes.
“Are you saying yes?”
She nodded.
It was time.
Whatever it was she had to say, he didn’t need to hear it. He knew everything about her. She was sexy, sweet, compassionate, giving and so damn hot. He slanted his mouth across hers.
Her tongue stroked his as he teased her with his quick kisses. His shoes fell to the sand and he immediately picked her up. His leg didn’t protest or twinge once—it was the rest of his body that wanted his attention. The leg could wait. He barely glanced up from kissing her to make sure they were on course for the resort.
Once inside her suite, Kelly’s soft laugh turned into a gasp as he set her down. She rubbed against his body and her hands gripped his hair. She was not a passive kisser, meeting his aggressive need with a need of her own. She danced away from him, a temptress.
Bound by his fierce desire to be next to her always, he followed her into her bedroom. She presented her back to him and pointed to the zipper. Gently lifting her hair, he drew the metal down the curve of her back. Still holding her dress across her breasts, she pivoted to face him and then dropped the silky material.
He sucked in a breath.
She was completely naked. No bra. No nothing.
Every muscle in his body clenched. “You haven’t had panties on all evening?”
“I didn’t want to waste time if we ever did get to make love tonight.”
If he had any doubts about her intentions, or whether she was truly ready, they were washed away by the seduction in her eyes.
She’d just unwrapped a present for him, and he damned well wouldn’t wait one minute longer to enjoy his gift.
He groaned, unbuttoning his shirt and stripping off his jeans. His cock sprang free and he noticed Kelly’s wide smile. His ego appreciated her look of awe, but now that they were without clothes, they were way too far apart.
She danced farther away and raced over to bounce onto her bed. Artless abandon and reckless wanting collided in Rafe. He stalked after her, pausing only long enough to grab a condom from his jeans. He’d bought a box earlier in the afternoon.
Kelly wasn’t the only one who had planned ahead.
As much as his body insisted he move faster, he forced himself to slow down. This was a moment to savor. She rolled up onto her side, a tanned leg stretched out to him. He caught her foot and eased her onto her back. She gazed up at him with unabashed lust.
“What are you doing?” Her white teeth peeked out as they scraped over her lower lip.
He grinned. “I’m enjoying,” he said, and tugged her toward him, resting her raised calf against his chest. He massaged a path back and forth from her knee to her ankle. Soon, the smooth skin of her upper thigh beckoned to him. Teasing fingers caressed the softness there and behind her knee, trailing up to her hip.
“And I’m touching.” Rosy nipples centered in the middle of white breasts were a sharp contrast to the rest of her honey-brown skin.
Tracing around her belly button, he loved the way her stomach tightened. Her ribs flexed with an indrawn breath. His palm curved over a firm, full breast and grazed her nipple.
It peaked instantly and she squirmed, thrusting her breast into his hand.
“You are so beautiful.” His voice was rough with need. As much as he wanted to dive into her like a starving man, he had to take his time. No rushing. Kelly deserved so much more.
One part of his body disagreed, but he ignored it. Kissing her would be a mistake—the minute his lips touched hers, he’d be ready to drown in her.
Whether he bent or she rose up, he wasn’t sure, but her arms now embraced him, her leg sliding across his thighs as they finally came together.
His mouth was on hers.
She tasted of cinnamon. Her lips were warm, welcoming. It wasn’t in his nature to be gentle, but he held every wild urge at bay as he tightened his hold on her.
At her low moan, he captured her lips, swallowing the sound. Her next gasp ignited his blood and a sweet heat rubbed along his cock. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the need for a condom buzzed, but he wasn’t ready yet.
After watching her for the past few days, he craved the taste of her, the feel of her, and his hands roamed her pliant body. Her nails left wild trails of fire along his spine. His cock was hard as steel. She arched into him, pleading for release.
With a grimace, he forced himself to stop. She let out a cry and began to come after him, but he held up the condom as words had failed him. Her lips were swollen from his kisses and a faint redness from his stubble showed on her chin.
“Let me help you with that.” She plucked the condom wrapper from his fingers and tore it open. He shuddered as she wrapped her hand around him; he feared it’d be all over right then and there. It didn’t help when she rolled the latex down with a gentle caress. He bucked his hips and she answered the beckoning by straddling him.
“Rafe?” The catch in her voice spoke of emotion, desire, everything he definitely shared. “I want you now. No more waiting.”
“Always in a rush,” he teased, biting back a groan as she squeezed him at the base of his cock and better positioned her knees on either side of him.
Fighting the urge to sink into her, he slipped a hand between Kelly and himself, and tested the ripe, intimate folds of her skin, pleased as her eyes darkened in response.
“We can take it slow next time,” she gasped.
Rolling her hard nub between two fingers, he watched her eyes close and her jaw drop open.
Delicious sensations flowed through him as she cried out and he caught her. Pressing his fingers inside her as she met every stroke, a second cry racked her body. Her pure, unbridled passion destroyed the last ounce of his control. Never in his life had he wanted a woman more.
&nbs
p; He pushed himself deep inside her. She rose up obediently, her fingers digging into his shoulders.
Her wild hair was completely untamed, flowing as she rode him up and down. Relentless. Eyes filled with lust, panting hard now, she neared another climax. Stroking her hips, her shoulders, he then cupped her breasts, thumbs tweaking her taut nipples.
“Yes,” she called out as she clenched his cock.
He thrust, drinking in her primal sounds of pleasure. Again and again he pushed into her softness, the pain in his leg nothing compared to the burning fire racing through him now.
“Open your eyes,” he commanded as he increased the speed of his thrusts. The hazy, erotic gaze she gave him was all it took to lose himself in her. His body rocked back and forth, joined with hers, until they were both spent.
Rafe tucked a couple of curls behind one ear so he could see Kelly’s lovely face.
“For a guy with a bum leg, you’re not so bad at this sex thing,” she said, and smiled up at him as she curled into his chest.
“I’ll show you my bum leg,” he warned as he reversed their positions so that he was on top. She giggled as her head hit the pillow. “No laughing.” He nipped at her chin and then followed that with a tender bite of her lip. Her eyes took on that erotic haze again.
“Yes, sir. Tell me what you want, sir.” She held her hand up in a fake salute. “Is it fifty push-ups or something else?”
This woman had him so wound up he didn’t know which way was up and which was down. This connection with her was far beyond anything he’d ever experienced.
Rafe growled and his tongue and teeth found her neck. “Definitely, something else,” he whispered.
* * *
KELLY ROLLED OVER, hearing the sound of the ocean against the shore. Thoughts of the waves tickled her brain. With the storm on its way, the waves would be amazing. She sat up. The sun was a pale pink promise hanging against the edge of the sky. Her body ached in the best way imaginable.
Mission: Seduction Page 9
