by Lea Hart
“So, are you interested in the good doctor?”
“We’ve been hanging out some, but so far it’s nothing more than friendship.”
“Interesting.”
“Not particularly,” Jax replied as he crossed the small strip of concrete that separated their places. “But that’s not to say it couldn’t be if one or both of us decided differently.”
“Any chance of that happening?”
“Hard to say at this point.”
“I’ll be interested to see if that changes,” Caid replied.
“You and me both.”
“Hey, have you heard if Colt is going to take the place upstairs, now that Ace has moved in with Lisa?”
“Last I heard, that was the plan. He got spun up on an op with Team Three since they’re down a man, so he’ll likely move in when he gets back.”
Caid checked his watch and wondered where in the hell Courtney was since he had expected her almost an hour ago. Pulling out his phone, he saw a missed text and laughed when he read it.
“Did your phone just tell you a joke?” Jax asked.
“No, but Court sent me a funny text. She’s at war with a squirrel, and it seems he tried to get the best of her earlier.” He held up his phone and snorted. “The woman resorted to guerrilla tactics and doctored up a piece of turkey with some herbs, which made the rodent pass out.”
Jax took the phone and studied the picture. “Are you sure the thing isn’t dead?”
“Not really and neither is she,” he replied as he took his phone back. “Apparently, she didn’t spend a lot of time researching the effect of valerian root and melatonin on squirrels before she decided to teach him a lesson.”
“And you’re sure this is the woman for you?”
“Definitely.”
Jax collapsed into a chair and leaned back. “Guess being a SEAL isn’t exciting enough for you.”
“Meaning?”
“You’re dating a woman who might accidentally on purpose kill you, should she get a mind to.”
“Only if I really piss her off.”
“Which makes the eventuality almost guaranteed.”
“Not necessarily.” Hearing a car horn, he looked up and felt a spike of adrenaline when he saw Courtney’s car.
“Brother, I have never seen you look happier or more at peace.”
Caid shoved himself out of his chair and then rolled his shoulders. “Every time I’m in that little tornado’s company, it’s all but guaranteed.”
“I pray for you both,” Jax responded as he stood. “I’ll see you tomorrow and promise to ignore any loud noises coming out of your place for the duration.”
“Appreciate it.” He threw Jax a grin and then made his way down the walkway, so he could get a much-needed kiss. It had been twenty-four hours since he’d seen her, and he couldn’t wait for a taste of her lips. “Hey, babe.”
“I think I killed him.”
“Does that mean we need to get in the truck and head for the border?”
Courtney leaned against the top of her car and pushed her eyebrows together. “I only wanted to teach him a lesson and may have gone too far.”
“If we’re not talking about the squirrel, then you need to make that clear now.”
“Of course, it’s about Milton.” She looked from side to side and let out a huff. “Do you think I’m dumb enough to be squawking about capital offenses in the middle of the street in broad daylight?”
“No, but the fact that you didn’t outright deny the possibility ever coming up does make me a little uncomfortable.”
“I thought being uncomfortable was a SEAL’s natural state.”
“It is, which explains why I’m so damn interested in you.”
Courtney let out a little giggle and closed her car door. “You’re such a sweet talker.”
Opening his arms, he gave her a nod. “Get over here and let me give you a good squeeze.” When she bit her lip and sauntered over slowly, he groaned.
The things she did to him.
“Are you planning on hugging me or taking a bite out of me?”
When she got close enough, he pulled her into his arms. “Probably both.”
He ran his fingertips over her face, tracing a path along her jaw, loving the way her body shivered in response. Leaning forward, he pressed his mouth to hers and kept the contact soft and tender.
The air around them condensed and the noises of the neighborhood disappeared as every part of his brain was laser-focused on the kiss. Her lips were warm, her taste was addictive, and the desire she ignited was all-consuming. A car horn broke the spell, along with some unfortunate cat-calls, and he reluctantly released her mouth.
“Guess we got a little carried away.”
“Maybe we should take this inside,” he replied as he let her slide down his body. “You ready to step into my lair?”
She took a step backward and pressed her hand to her chest. “I’m not sure. I guess it depends on what kind of things you plan on doing to me once I’ve crossed the threshold.”
“The only thing you need to know is that you’ll love every single one of them.”
“Promise?”
“With my whole fucking heart.”
“Are we going out to eat later?”
“No.” He took her hands and laced their fingers. “I’m making you dinner and hope you like the romantic shit I’ve got planned.”
“You’re cooking?”
Seeing her almond eyes grow large made him wonder if she was disappointed. “Yeah, I thought it was a good idea, but your eyes being the size of saucers is making me a little worried.”
“I think it’s lovely and I’m just…”
“What?”
“So impressed and a little overwhelmed.”
“In a good way, right?”
“The best way.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “You keep surprising me, Caid.”
“Babe, I haven’t even gotten started.” Her eyes dropped, and he bent down almost immediately. “You okay?”
“Yes, it’s just…I’m wondering when I’m going to wake up and discover you’re really a frog after all.”
“Having a little trouble believing this magic we’ve got is real?”
“Never had magic with a man.”
“Ever?”
“That’s what I said.”
“But we have it.”
She pressed her hand to his mouth and pursed her lips. “Don’t talk about it because then it might disappear.”
Nodding, he kept the rest of his thoughts to himself because spooking her wasn’t going to get him any closer to his end goal. “Whatever happens, Court, is going to be a good thing.”
“You promise?”
“Absolutely.” Taking her hand, he led her inside and knew she had the power to fill his heart until his last day on Earth.
All he had to do was convince her it was a damn fine idea.
***
Courtney had never been the center of anyone’s storm.
And being in the vortex of Caid’s wasn’t something she was all that comfortable with.
“Any reason why you’re wiping that counter down with the concentration of an astronaut trying to land his spaceship on the X?”
“If you give me a second, I’m sure I can come up with an answer that won’t be embarrassing.”
“Not ready to take me on?”
She threw the sponge in the sink and turned around. “I am, but the feral look in your eyes has me wondering if I should’ve gotten my shots updated.”
Stalking across the small kitchen, he lifted her onto the island, so they were eye to eye. “I promise not to leave any visible bite marks.”
“Very comforting,” she replied as she slid her hands through his mop of silky hair. “Thank you for a lovely dinner; the salmon you made was yummy.”
“So, you were impressed with my culinary skills?”
“Yes.”
“Are you ready to be impressed by my oth
er skills?”
“Yes.”
“How many of those yeses you got?”
“I have a whole bunch of them saved up.”
“If that’s true, then I’m going to ask better questions.”
She ran her hand over the scruff covering his jaw and leaned in. “Go ahead then and make them real good.”
Closing the remaining space that separated them, he put his mouth against her ear. “Are you going to let me do what I want?”
“Yes, but…” His hand went to the back of her head and cupped it tightly. “I need one promise first.”
“Okaaaay,” he responded slowly. “What is it?”
“No tickling.” His eyes flew to hers, and a mischievous smile lit up his face. “I mean it, Caid.”
“Do orgasms count as tickling?”
“I never should’ve said anything because you’re contrary enough to take advantage of my weakness.”
Lifting her chin, he held it firmly with his thumb. “I’ll never poke a soft spot, Court, but that’s not to say I won’t play with the edge of what makes you comfortable.”
Seeing his chalk-gray eyes turn darker, she nodded. “How close to the edge?”
“As close as we can get without falling into the abyss.”
She ran her finger over his puckered brow and smoothed out the lines slowly. “I’ve never been to the abyss; maybe we shouldn’t rule it out.”
“You trust me?”
Inhaling a deep breath, she felt a shift in the room’s energy as his laughter and playfulness disappeared. “I do, Caid.”
“Good,” he whispered before he kissed her slowly and laid her against the counter.
The cool granite at her back played counterpoint to the heat of his mouth as he kissed and licked his way up her neck. Biting back a moan, she responded to his soft lips as they traveled over her skin.
“So fucking soft,” he murmured as his hand traveled up her leg.
“So fucking hard,” she replied as his wide chest pressed her against the counter.
“Did my librarian curse?”
“Yes, and I’ll probably do it several more times before the night is over.” His laughter vibrated against her skin, and she felt his palm skim the outside of her thigh as he slid it under her skirt.
“I expect you will ‘cause I’m going to do things to your body that your mind won’t be able to handle.”
His hand cupped her ass, and the squeeze that followed had just the right amount of pressure to send a delicious shiver through her body. “What kind of things?”
“The kind that will make getting rid of me impossible.”
Turning her head to the side, she bit her lip. “I don’t know if…” He kissed her quiet and then pushed her skirt up until it bunched around her waist.
“Hush, woman, and let me enjoy the view of you spread out before me like a feast.”
Inhaling, she watched his eyes darken and the rise and fall of his chest speed up. “I might be more of a snack.”
“No, definitely a feast.” He bit his bottom lip and moved his finger down her stomach slowly. “And one so wet and willing.”
“And wanting,” she added as his thumb brushed over the thin material of her panties. She swallowed a groan when he slowed each time he brushed over her sensitive bud.
“You ready, babe?”
“No…I mean yes.” Twisting her head, she pulled his face close to hers. “Definitely, yes.”
“Good ‘cause I’m going to taste every single inch of you until you know without a doubt that I’m the only man who will ever satisfy you.”
“Mmmkay, sounds good.”
“It sure the fuck does,” he murmured, hooking his fingers into the waistband of her panties and slowly inching them down.
She watched his head turn slowly, and her breath quickened as he traced a path with his lips across her skin. Fisting her hands against the cool counter, she tensed when he flicked his tongue across the underside of her knee. “No tickling,” she gritted out. “You promised.”
His low chuckle bounced off the hard surfaces of the room, and he raised his head. “Going to take me a minute to map out your tickle spots, so be patient.”
Not trusting him, she wiggled back and was immediately stopped when he gripped her firmly and lowered his mouth. “Ohhhhh,” she moaned, melting beneath him as he groaned. Lifting her head, she saw his wide back and tight ass reflected in the window and couldn’t decide which thing was sexier.
When his eyes met hers with a hungry glance, she decided the way he wanted her was the sexiest of all. And whatever he was doing with his magic tongue was pretty freaking sexy too.
It was also making the room shake, so she gripped his wide forearms and prayed that when she fell into a million pieces, she’d eventually be able to put herself back together. Feeling his smile against the most intimate part of her, she sucked in a breath as the usual flash of trepidation crawled across her body.
Was she enough?
Would she take too long to peak?
Good ol’ performance anxiety reared its ugly head, and the last thing she wanted was to wear the poor man out. Closing her eyes tightly, she let out a breath and then gathered her courage. “Caid, you know it might take a while, and you don’t have to…”
His head lifted immediately, and he gave her a lazy grin as he ran his tongue over his lips. “I don’t have a plane to catch, woman, and this isn’t a goddamn race, so lay back and enjoy. I got you and am very happy to spend all night with my face right where it is.”
He flipped her skirt over his head and went back to work. At least she figured that’s what it was, though she couldn’t be sure since he was making all the same sounds one did when they were eating something delicious.
Like chocolate ice cream.
She let her head fall against the counter and took him at his word. He said he had her, so maybe she should just enjoy the bright colors bursting behind her closed eyes. Letting herself sink into the pleasure of his tongue making slow laps across her bud, she found the flicker and pulse of her release shimmering near the horizon.
Then it got closer, and she gripped his hand. “Caid, I might…”
“Do it, Court. Give me everything and show me all that fire you have is the real thing.”
Wanting to close her legs and let go in equal measure, she felt his hand press firmly against her thigh. “I…”
“Fucking come for me, woman.”
Letting the last vestiges of her control go, she closed her eyes and felt tears stream down her face as she trusted his words were real and did as instructed. Her body flew apart, along with several carefully constructed walls, and she prayed that when she fell back to Earth, Caid would be there…holding her tightly.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Caid didn’t know what the tears streaming down Courtney’s face meant, but if he had to guess, he’d say her loss of control had something to do with it.
His feisty mama didn’t want him to see her soft underbelly and the way she gave herself over to him probably had her freaking the hell out. He kissed her thighs and then pulled her close and wiped her tears gently with his thumbs. “You okay?”
“Yes,” she replied with a sniffle. “Don’t look at me, though.”
“Not possible.” A snort-giggle was the next sound that came out of her, so he bent down and pressed their mouths together.
“That’s never happened to me,” she said against his mouth. “I’m not a crier; it’s just that…”
“You let me take you to a place you’d never been before.”
Nodding, she ran her hand over his cheek.
“Won’t be the last time, so I expect the more it happens, the easier it will be.” He slid his hands under her body and pulled her up. “In fact, I’m about to take you there again in just a minute.” Cupping her ass, he lifted her off the island and felt her legs go around his waist. “That was the sweet part of the evening; you ready for the dirty part?”
Her finge
rs dug into his shoulders, and she smiled. “I think dirty will be a lot easier to handle than sweet.”
“Then I guess you’re going to love what I’m about to do to you.” He spun around, hit the light switch with his elbow, and strode down the hall toward his bedroom. The moonlight sliced through the shades and he decided it was enough light for what he wanted to do.
Which was to fuck the hell out of his woman in a way that would bind them together irrevocably.
Dropping her in the middle of the bed, he grinned when she let out a laugh and bounced softly against the striped comforter. “Getting in you can’t happen fast enough.”
She rolled on her side and got up on her knees. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he replied with a growl as he dropped his shorts and tore his T-shirt over his head. Her hungry eyes raked over his body, and he guessed she was a lot more comfortable when she was making the moves. “You got a lot of challenge in those pretty eyes of yours.”
“Maybe so, but I figure it’s only fair since you stripped away all my armor earlier.”
“I think you got it back in place.”
“For now,” she replied as her hand went out.
Her fingertip slowly moved up his shaft, and he sucked in a long breath. “Not so fast, woman.”
“Fair play, Caid.”
He pushed her back against the bed and stripped her skirt off along with her panties. “Take your shirt off.” Her chin went up, and he knew she was fighting with herself to do as she was told. “If I say it again, then it’ll be ripped off your body.”
Her eyebrow lifted along with the foot she pressed against his chest. “So, it’s going to be like that?”
“Sure is,” she replied as she anchored herself against him and pulled her shirt off. “Any more orders you want to sling at me?”
“Bra!”
“Keep it on?”
“I start counting and that pretty lacy thing isn’t going to last.”
She lifted her back and undid her bra, throwing it at him in one smooth move. “Happy?”
“More than words can say.” Seeing her beautiful breasts revealed in the moonlight gave him quite a few feels, and he decided the two months he’d waited for the privilege was time well spent.
