by Callie Croix
“Reid?” she whispered a few minutes later.
He kissed the top of her head, drowsy and contented with her snuggled close in his arms. Holding her after that round of mind-blowing sex soothed him on every level. He’d imagined it a thousand times after leaving her all those weeks ago. “Hmm?”
Her fingers stroked the pads of his pecs. “That was really, really good, by the way.”
The comment startled a chuckle out of him. “Yeah, for me too.” He’d never experienced anything so hot in all his life and planned to give her a lot more of it this weekend.
“I’ve got other fantasies, you know. Secret ones I’ve always wanted to try but never had the guts to tell anyone. Until you.”
Fuck. Was she trying to give him a heart attack? “I can’t wait to hear them all.” And then make every last one of them come true. His mind reeled at the possibilities.
He looked down just in time to catch her satisfied smile as she closed her eyes. “Thanks for coming here tonight instead of just talking to me over the phone.”
“Couldn’t have stayed away if my life depended on it.”
The little smile she gave him suddenly faded away. She opened her mouth to say something else, then stopped and traced her fingers beneath his eye. “You must be so tired.”
“You worried about wearing me out? Don’t be. Go ahead and say whatever it was you were about to.”
She shook her head. “It can wait ’til tomorrow. But I’m glad you’ll be beside me all night. I feel safe with you here.”
God, she completely melted him when she said things like that. “You are safe, Bec.” He gathered her closer, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
She sighed against his chest, her breath warming his skin. “And thanks again for saving me.”
He could feel her need for him, in every touch, every word she spoke. And that made him the luckiest bastard on earth. Grinning, he kissed her temple. “Anytime, beautiful.”
Chapter Seven
Standing at the stove the next morning, Becca rolled her head around to ease some of the stiffness from her tender muscles. Her shoulders and neck were tender, and she was a bit sore where the seatbelt had snapped across her chest and right collarbone. Thankfully her face wasn’t bruised from the airbag, just sore. Talking to her father, however, wasn’t helping her relax any.
Holding her phone to her ear with one hand, she checked to see if the crêpe pan was hot enough yet. “I know, Dad, but I’m okay. Really.”
“We’re both worried as hell about this, Bec. Do the police have any leads?”
“I don’t know yet. But you don’t need to worry. I’m handling it, and I’ve got Reid here.”
Her father sighed, never a good sign. “How well do you know him, Bec? I’m sure he’s a wonderful guy, but your mother and I can be there in a few hours—”
“Dad, he’s in the military.” She purposely left out the detail about him being a SEAL. “Believe me, he can take care of me.”
“For how long?”
The question put an unexpected lump in her throat. She cleared it. “For the next few days. I’ll call you if I need you, okay? I just wanted to call you and let you know what had happened. I’ll update you when I hear something from the police.”
He was silent for a few seconds. “All right. Take care of yourself, huh?”
“I will. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Disconnecting with a sigh, Becca laid her phone on the counter and got busy stirring the thin batter. Adding a ladle of it to the sizzling pan, she tipped it with a practiced hand. With a flick of her wrist she swirled the thin batter into a perfect circle before setting it over the low flame to cook. While it set up she stirred the homemade raspberry purée she’d just finished and added a touch more icing sugar. Once the crêpe was ready she flipped it over, gave it a minute on that side and then added it to the finished stack on the plate next to her elbow. The tangy-sweet scent of the ripe berries mingled with the vanilla she’d added to the crêpe batter, making her mouth water.
After turning off the element, she brushed a stray wisp of damp hair from her eyes and collected the dishes and silverware. Reid had been fast asleep when she’d slipped out of bed and crept downstairs for a quick shower in the guest bath before starting breakfast. She hadn’t wanted to risk waking him while she called her parents. She hated withholding information from her parents, let alone the police. The information and vague description she’d given them last night wasn’t exactly awesome. All she really wanted to hear was that they’d caught the assholes.
Should she have told the police about her suspicions last night, despite David’s warning not to? She’d been ready to tell them everything when David had given her that unreadable look. Now she regretted her decision. And she definitely should have told Reid, though in the aftermath of the accident she’d badly needed the escape he’d provided her last night. They’d both been exhausted, and she wasn’t one hundred percent certain the accident had to do with the file. Part of her wanted to confirm it officially before she dragged Reid into this mess. But she had to come clean. After breakfast she’d tell him everything and go from there, then turn the thumb drive over to the police.
Becca rubbed the stiff muscles at the back of her neck. Having experienced firsthand how fleeting and fragile life really was, this morning she was counting her blessings. She was alive and safe, practically unharmed when it could have been so much worse, and the man she loved was back in her life. With any luck Reid would still be asleep when she went back upstairs so she could surprise him with breakfast. Spending a lazy and rainy Saturday with him, mostly in bed, was exactly the kind of therapy she had in mind. With Reid by her side she was probably safer here than anywhere else, and there was still a tiny part of her that hoped the accident was exactly that. Nothing had happened after Reid had driven her home from the accident site, so it was possible she wasn’t in danger anymore.
She smiled to herself as she pulled a serving tray from the granite island. Part of her still couldn’t believe he’d been there to rescue her last night. Held safe in his arms all night, she’d slept right through without any bad dreams about the accident. Waking up this morning to find his face so close to hers as he slept, her heart had turned over in her chest. It scared her a little. Was she asking to be hurt again by trusting him?
Him cutting contact had wounded her deeply, yet after he’d explained his reasoning she’d somewhat understood why he’d done it. Hard as it was to accept, his job meant there would be things he couldn’t share with her. Wouldn’t, even if he could. It made her wonder if she had the strength to go ahead with this, though the truth was she didn’t have much of a choice. Her heart belonged to him.
Whatever hardships lay in store, it was up to them both to make their relationship work from here on out. He had to try just as hard at that as she did. Something she needed to make clear to him today, because while she understood operational security to some extent, she wouldn’t stand for being shut out like that again.
Once all the crêpes were ready, she ate a couple of them and cleaned up the dishes. Reid was still upstairs. Pulling one of her grandmother’s china plates from a cupboard, she filled four of the remaining crêpes with the purée and topped them with a big dollop of homemade Chantilly cream. A few fresh raspberries with a drizzle of purée on top finished the presentation. She added a large mug of coffee with cream to the tray and tiptoed up the stairs, making sure to miss the squeaky step three stairs from the bottom.
At her bedroom door she paused and let out a slow breath, willing her racing heart to slow down. The thought of confronting Reid about the way things stood between them and sharing the news about the file had her all tangled up inside, but it had to be done. Honest and clear communication took effort by both parties, and that had to be established right now if this
relationship stood any chance of carrying forward.
Carefully pushing the door open, she stepped inside and took a peek at the bed. The drawn white wooden blinds kept the room mostly in shadow, but hints of the gray midmorning light seeped through around the edges. The rain had died down overnight, now a gentle patter on the roof. Reid was stretched out on his stomach fast asleep, dark hair falling across his forehead. His face was turned toward her, revealing the dark stubble she’d felt last night covering his cheeks and jaw, his throat. Those gorgeous full lips were parted slightly, his broad back rising and falling with his deep, even breaths.
Her heart squeezed as she watched him. He was obviously exhausted, and God only knew when he’d last had a decent night’s sleep. Though she’d been up since six, she was hesitant to wake him. He’d been sleeping for a good seven hours now, and he had to be hungry. She could feed him and make him go right back to sleep. Right after she tired him out with a shattering orgasm and cuddled up with him again. A rush of heat gathered between her thighs at the thought.
Setting the tray carefully at the foot of the cream-colored bedspread, she gathered the hem of her thigh-length pink satin robe in one hand and climbed onto the bed. The mattress barely moved under her weight, but even that small disturbance was enough to wake him. Reid’s dark eyes snapped open, finding and focusing on her in less than a second. That razor-sharp alertness softened into a sleepy smile when he saw her.
“Morning,” she whispered, crawling closer to stroke the hair away from his forehead. “Still tired?”
He snagged her hand, brought it to his lips for a slow, seductive kiss. His mouth was hot against her skin. “What time is it?”
“Almost eight.”
He raised his head and stared at the bedside digital clock in surprise. “It is?”
“Yeah.”
He ran his gaze over her face. “How are you feeling?”
“Not bad, just a little stiff and sore in my neck and shoulders. I took a hot shower and some ibuprofen, so it’s a bit better.”
With a satisfied rumble, Reid rolled to his side and reached for her, drawing her into the circle of his arms. She nestled in against him, savoring the beat of his heart beneath her cheek and the hard muscles surrounding her. He nuzzled the top of her head, all that masculine power transformed into a lazy sensuality that created a delicious throb in her core. “Something smells really good.”
“That’d be your breakfast.”
“You brought me breakfast in bed? You’re gonna spoil me if you’re not careful.”
“That’s my plan.” Though she didn’t want to move away from his arms, she also had the overwhelming urge to take care take of him. “You hungry?”
He pulled back a few inches to look into her eyes. “Starving.” The sudden leap of heat in his gaze sent a sensual shiver down her spine.
She smothered a laugh. “Let me feed you first.” Before they got carried away and forgot the breakfast she’d made him. She sat up to grab the tray.
“Mmm. Crêpes?” He licked his lips.
“With raspberry filling. Do you like them?” There were still so many things she didn’t know about him. She looked forward to finding out every little detail she’d been curious about, learn all his quirks.
“Love ’em. Are they homemade?” He sounded impressed.
“They are. With love.”
His eyes twinkled, raking over her appreciatively. “All this and you can cook too?”
She resisted the urge to laugh. “Guess you’ll find out once you taste them.”
He took the steaming mug she offered him, hummed in appreciation when he took the first sip. “Cream, no sugar. You remembered.”
“I’m good with details.”
“Doesn’t surprise me, considering your job.”
Her fingers froze around the fork for a second. He’d just given her the perfect opening to talk about what had happened, but she hated to ruin this tranquil time they’d carved out for themselves. It would all be there waiting for her after he ate.
Cutting a bite of crêpe, she neatly spread the whipped cream over it and held it close to his mouth. Reid swallowed another sip of coffee, took her wrist in a gentle grip and leaned toward the fork. His gaze held hers as he parted his lips and accepted the morsel, making her nipples go hard against the slippery satin covering them. She wanted to feel that wicked mouth sucking the throbbing peaks. God, he was a sensual man.
A deep, approving groan rumbled up from his chest as he chewed the mouthful, his eyes heavy-lidded with pleasure. A rush of blood centered in her clit, making her pussy tingle and swell. Becca shifted on the bed, struggling to keep her libido under control. The man tempted her naughty side without even trying.
“Oh, damn that’s good,” Reid murmured, licking his lips.
Fascinated, she watched his tongue pass over his lower one, catching a tiny bit of raspberry sauce. She almost leaned down to lick it up herself. Instead she cut another bite and offered it to him.
He stopped her with a gentle grip on her wrist. “Have you eaten?”
“Downstairs earlier.”
He searched her eyes a moment, as though trying to decide if she was telling the truth or not, then released her. She brought the fork to his mouth again, enthralled by the sight of the food disappearing between his lush lips. Lips that had lavished her with kisses and plenty of deliciously naughty words while he brought her hottest, most erotic fantasy to life. He hadn’t been much of a talker in bed before last night, but wow. She’d never known she could get that hot.
Reid seemed to truly savor the meal as he ate, as though he relished all the different flavors on his tongue. Maybe it did taste that good to him, considering he must have been eating a lot of MREs in the field. “You didn’t have to make me breakfast,” he said quietly between bites, gazing up at her with slumberous eyes.
“I wanted to.” She needed to take care of him in whatever way he’d allow her to, and since coddling a man like him was totally out of the question, she’d have to settle for little gestures like this. It was part of the way she expressed her love.
She smiled ruefully when he took the fork away from her. “Control freak.”
“Yeah,” he agreed with a slight grin. “And you love that about me, especially after last night.”
Well, he certainly had her there.
Becca watched him eat the rest of the crêpes in silence while the rain fell soothingly on the roof, surrounding them in a cozy cocoon. When the food was gone he took one last sip of coffee before taking the tray from her and leaning over the side of the bed to set it on the floor. When he turned back to her, his eyes smoldered with unmistakable sexual heat. “That was amazing. Now come here and let me thank you properly.”
“You don’t need to thank—”
“Bec. Come here,” he said softly, reaching a hand out to her.
Just the way he said it in that dark, velvet voice turned her on. Smiling, she scooted forward until she kneeled next to his hip and leaned forward. Reid curled a hand around her nape and kneaded the tense muscles as he drew her up to meet his kiss. She moaned softly at the pleasure/pain of his grip, matching the slow, tender stroke of his lips and tongue. He tasted of coffee and sweet raspberries. His magical fingers massaged all the tender spots while he kissed her, making her go weak and pliant. The unhurried, sensual kiss lit up every nerve ending in her body. Her breasts ached for the feel of his hands, for his mouth sucking the tender centers. Her sex swelled and throbbed, needing to be filled.
She cradled his cheek with her palm, rubbing against the bristly haze of stubble. The other slid around the back of his head into the softness of his hair, rubbing his scalp as she pressed harder against his hot, sculpted chest. Reid growled in response, stroking her tongue more firmly. Panting, Becca pulled away to stare at him. He was breathing h
ard too, his ripped chest and stomach exposed by the sheet lying around his hips. The thick ridge of his cock strained against the restrictive covering, making her mouth water. She had to taste him, make him as wild as he’d made her last night.
She curved her hands around the tops of his shoulders and pressed down, telling him to stay still. Rather than fight her, Reid flashed a sexy little smile and lay back against the pillows, allowing her free reign to do whatever she wished. She hardly knew where to begin.
She explored every ridge and hollow of his defined upper body with her hands. As a SEAL he had to keep in prime condition, but seeing all that honed muscle up close did things to her libido. She didn’t think she’d ever get tired of the view. His skin was almost hot to the touch, his muscles humming with raw power that he worked constantly to maintain. His discipline awed her, as did his commitment to staying in the Teams. Very few men ever made it that far.
She swallowed, staring at her fingers as they trailed over the contours of his pecs. “Sometimes I can’t believe you’re real,” she whispered.
A guttural growl answered her. “It makes me so fucking hard when you look at me like that.” His voice was rough, heavy with arousal.
Through the sheet she wrapped her hand around his swollen cock, squeezing him until he inhaled. Starting at his neck, she kissed her way down his body, nipping beneath his ear gently, loving the way he tipped his head back and tangled his fingers into her hair to hold her closer. She licked over the prickly spot her teeth grazed, soothing the tiny sting before she nibbled her way toward to his collarbone. She kissed a path along each roped arm and across his chest, licking the taut beads of his nipples, nuzzling the thick pads of muscle as she went. Her hand slipped beneath the sheet to lightly graze the length of his straining cock, the skin silky smooth and hot beneath her palm.
