by Katie Reus
“You were in California for a long time though, right?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I wasn’t home often but that’s where I was stationed for the majority of my career.”
“Do you miss it?”
San Diego was beautiful, but bases were pretty much the same wherever you went. And the Navy had been his home, not a city. “I miss my men and I miss the structure, but I’m adaptable. A nomad, my mom always says.”
Zoe raised an eyebrow. “Your mom?”
“Well I wasn’t spawned.”
She snorted. “I just meant are your parents, or your mom, still alive?”
He nodded. “Yep. They run an alpaca farm in Missouri with two of my brothers. They’re starting to downsize this year, but I don’t know that they’ll ever give it up completely.”
“That’s pretty interesting. So how many brothers do you have?”
“Four total.” He loved all of them, but never could have stayed in Missouri. He’d wanted to see the world too much and the need to protect his country had been an almost inborn thing. There’d never been another option other than the military for him and he’d known it since he was a kid.
“Let me guess, you’re the oldest.”
He shook his head. “Middle child. What about you? Oldest?”
“Nope. Two older sisters and you know Vincent is the baby.”
Sawyer snorted at that. “I’m sure he loves being called that.”
A smile played on Zoe’s full lips and she shifted slightly against his lap. When she did, her hip brushed right over his erection—and she froze, her expression turning to one of surprise.
“You’re really surprised?” he murmured.
Her eyes grew heavy-lidded as she watched him. She shook her head and ran her tongue along her bottom lip, almost nervously as she set her coffee cup down.
He didn’t bother fighting his groan as he watched her moisten that full lip. “What are you thinking right now?” he whispered.
Her gaze narrowed on his mouth and she leaned forward, gently brushing her lips over his. “What do you think?”
Sawyer didn’t want to screw things up with Zoe by going too fast, but damn, the woman was making it impossible not to. When she playfully nipped his bottom lip between her teeth, he knew this was a battle he was going to lose because no way was he turning away from her. From this.
But he was going to take control of the situation. Wrapping his hands around her hips, he lifted her off him until she was sitting on the edge of the island. Her silky robe parted, revealing a light pink slip thing he was pretty sure was called a chemise. Her cheeks were flushed with arousal and he could see the outline of her hard nipples through her clothes.
Keeping his gaze on hers, he slowly slid a hand up her inner thigh. Her breath hitched, growing ragged, and he didn’t stop until he teased the edge of her panties.
He couldn’t see them yet, but his imagination was going wild as to what color they were. “I want to kiss you here,” he murmured, cupping her mound as he leaned in to cover her lips with his. Her legs spread under his hold and he shifted so that he was perfectly in between her thighs. The blinds in her kitchen were still closed, but plenty of natural light streamed in through the cracks in the slats, letting him see her every expression.
She nodded and made a moaning sound he felt all the way to his cock. Touching her was making him crazy. Last night had been a tease of what was to come and now he wanted to see all of her.
When he feathered kisses down her jaw, she arched her back, letting her robe fall farther open. He slid it all the way off, letting it glide to the countertop without a sound.
Her fingers trailed over his chest as he made his way down to her shoulders, nipping at her skin. Impatient to see her breasts again, he pushed the straps down, letting the silky covering pool around her waist.
He had to pull back just so he could stare. Dark brown nipples and perfect, pert breasts just a little more than a handful. Her abdomen was flat and toned, as if she worked out or ran. “You are built for sin,” he murmured, looking up at her as he spoke.
Her dark eyes glinted wickedly as she reached for the hem of his shirt. “I could say the same thing about you.”
Instead of letting her do it, he tugged his shirt off then dipped his head to one of her breasts. Just like last night, she let out the sexiest moan, her back arching into him as she clutched his head with one hand, holding him close. Her other hand moved to his back, her fingers digging into his skin.
He could have stayed where he was all morning, teasing both her breasts, working her into a frenzy, but he wanted to taste between her legs, wanted to see how wet she was, to push her over the edge the way he hadn’t gotten to last night. Reaching between them, he tugged off her panties—black Brazilian cut, he noted—and gently pushed her backward.
“Lay back,” he ordered.
She paused, and he could tell this was a test for her. From the little time he’d known her he understood she liked to be in control. Right now, he hoped she’d let go. When she finally did, he bent down between her legs and sucked in a breath at the sight of her. Completely bare. Her skin was soft and smooth and just the hint of her clit was peeking out from her lips. “You wax?” he rasped out.
“Mm hmm.” She shifted slightly, moving closer to the edge of the counter, as if nervous or maybe just anticipating.
Hell, he couldn’t hold back any longer. Leaning down, he felt fucking barbaric as he inhaled her scent, wanting to imprint it in his mind. God, the woman was sweet. Everything about her. He slid his tongue up the length of her slit and didn’t bother hiding his groan when she jerked against his face.
She moved her feet from the edge of the counter to his shoulders, digging her toes into him as he began teasing and licking. Each time he stroked against her slickness, she let out a strangled sound and arched herself right against his face.
When she tried to clamp her legs around his head, he pressed on one inner thigh and chuckled against her. At the motion, she jerked even harder than before, making his dick ache. He was going to slide into her soon, but first he desperately wanted to taste her release on his tongue. The need was damn near primal. He wanted to see her completely undone because of him, to see her lose control.
Right about now he wished he had four fucking hands because he wanted to touch her everywhere. As he slid a finger inside her, she grabbed onto his head, her inner walls clenching tight around him. All he could think about was how amazing it would feel to have that tightness wrapped around his cock. But first… He sucked on her clit, the action making her cry out in surprise and desire.
“Just like that.” Her voice was a shaky whisper.
He could barely hear it over the sound of blood rushing in his ears. Years ago, he’d endured twenty-five weeks of BUD/s—the most intensive training in the world, and become a Navy SEAL. His skill set was vast, he could survive on pretty much any terrain on the planet and could navigate practically blind in the dark ocean. He had a sixth sense about things, as did most guys in special forces, but right now, if someone walked up behind him with a weapon, he wasn’t certain he’d sense them coming because all his focus was on Zoe.
Her pleasure.
Her taste.
The sounds she was making with each stroke of his tongue.
The woman was making him insane, his erection pulsing insistently between his legs. He slid another finger inside her and she came apart underneath him, jerking and moaning incoherent words. Sucking harder on her clit, he increased the pressure when he could tell she liked it and started thrusting his fingers, in and out.
Each time he stroked inside her, her walls tightened harder and harder around his fingers as her orgasm punched through her, her toes digging into his back as her fingers did the same to his head.
When she fell limp against the counter, he slowly pulled his fingers out of her. With his gaze on her heavy-lidded one, he slid his fingers between his lips. It was like the action set something off ins
ide her. Her eyes sparked with pure hunger.
No longer lax, she pushed up and grabbed for the buckle of his pants, her breathing erratic. Yes. As she worked it free, he pulled a condom from his back pocket. Before he could think about opening it, she snagged it from his hands and tore it open.
As she did, he shucked his pants, his erection springing free, a heavy club between his legs. When she sucked in a breath he saw her looking at his hard length, eyes wide. Just as quickly she grinned and reached for it, ready to roll the condom on.
He stilled her, grasping her wrist before she could. “Next time.” Because he was on a razor’s edge right now. He wanted to feel her gentle fingers wrapped around him, but he wanted her tight body even more.
Taking it from her, he quickly rolled it on, his hand shaking—actually shaking. The counter was too high, something she seemed to realize at the same time he did.
“Living room.” Her voice was breathless as she reached for him, linking her fingers behind his neck and wrapping her legs around his waist.
He locked his arms around her and tugged her close, savoring the feel of her breasts rubbing against his chest as he crushed his mouth to hers. Teasing her lips open, he flicked his tongue against hers, her taste making him crazy.
From the party, he knew the layout of her house so he moved quickly across the tile—until she lifted up against him and impaled herself on him.
He sucked in a breath, his head snapping back from hers. Groaning as he filled her, she arched her back against him, her nipples stroking his chest with the movement. They weren’t going to make it to the living room. “Wall or floor?” he managed.
“Wall.” He loved that she didn’t even pause in her answer.
He barely made it to the nearest kitchen wall before pulling out and thrusting back in, hard. Using the wall to brace them, he held onto her ass and began a steady rhythm, pounding into her. “Can you touch yourself?” he managed to rasp out. Because he wanted her to come again while he was inside her.
Her breathing was erratic as she reached between their bodies and started strumming her clit. It was insanely sexy that she was so comfortable with her body, the sight of her touching herself making him harder if that was even possible. His balls pulled up tight, the base of his spine tingling as the buildup increased. God, he was close. With her tight body wrapped around him like satin, it wasn’t going to take long. Not this first time.
Dipping his head to hers, he kissed her again before blazing a path down her jaw to where her neck and shoulder met. He tilted her head to the side as he raked his teeth over her skin. When she shuddered he realized how sensitive she was there.
“Come for me,” he murmured as he pulled out of her again, almost fully, before sliding back in with a groan. She was so damn tight. “I want to feel you coming on my cock.”
It was like his words set something off inside her. Her breathing hitched and her inner walls, which had already been incredibly tight around him, started rippling. She buried her face against his neck and bit down lightly, groaning against him as she found another orgasm.
That was all he needed to let go. With a cry, he climaxed, emptying himself, thrusting into her over and over until he buried himself completely inside her sweet heat. Breathing erratically, he stayed where he was, not inclined to leave for a while.
Eventually she shifted against him, making a soft groaning sound. He managed to pull his head back from hers to find her looking completely sated, her dark eyes filled with warmth.
She grinned that smile that held the power to bring him to his knees. “We’re so doing that again.”
Hell yeah. “Are you on birth control?”
She nodded and he found himself grinning right back at her as he imagined sliding into her heat without a barrier. “Good.” He was clean and figured they could have that conversation later but if she was on the pill he knew it wouldn’t be long until they got to that point.
Slowly he pulled out of her and disposed of the condom. When he turned back from the garbage he found her sliding the silky straps of her nightgown back up her shoulders. In their haste she’d never taken it completely off, just let it pool around her waist.
Next time, it was coming off. He wanted all of her bared to him. “Are you hungry?” he asked, picking up his discarded pants.
“Starving,” she murmured, stepping toward him. He pulled her into his arms, loving the way she leaned into him, kissing along his chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Want to order something or head out? There’s a cute little Cuban restaurant not far from here that serves breakfast.”
Her curls tickled his nose as he kissed the top of her head. “I’ll cook for you,” he said. She had enough in her refrigerator he could easily whip something up for them.
“That’s the hottest thing you’ve said all morning, and that’s saying something.” She groaned slightly as if she didn’t want to pull away from him before snagging her fallen robe from the floor. As she did, her doorbell sounded. They both paused and a frown tugged at her lips. “I’ll get it,” she said when he went to go with her. “Seriously I’ve got my alarm set and I’ll look through the peephole. It’s probably just a neighbor.”
Sawyer didn’t like it but he also didn’t want to come off as a domineering jackass and insist on going with her to answer the door. But… Fuck it. Technically he wasn’t guarding her anymore via Red Stone, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to stop watching out for her. There was no way in hell he could just turn off this part of himself, not when it came to Zoe’s safety. “I know you’re capable of taking care of yourself but whoever planted that knife is still out there.”
Zoe looked as if she wanted to argue, but just nodded. “It might be overkill but okay.”
It went against all his instincts not to just take over and look through the peephole, but he let her go first. When the bell sounded again, she grumbled under her breath as they reached the door. Lifting up on her tiptoes, she looked through, then let out a real curse.
Her mouth pulled into a thin line as she looked at him. “It’s Vincent.”
Perfect damn timing. Sawyer looked down at himself and grimaced. “I’ll put my shirt on,” he said quietly, striding toward the kitchen as she disarmed her alarm system.
It was going to be awkward enough with him being here this early in the morning and he didn’t think Vincent would appreciate seeing him half-dressed. Not that he really cared what the other man thought.
The only one whose opinion mattered was Zoe.
Chapter 7
Before opening her front door, Zoe glanced in the mirror above her foyer table and winced. Her lips were slightly swollen, her cheeks flushed and her hair was a little out of control. Which wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary but she released her hair from her clip and tried to finger comb the curls so she didn’t look as though she’d just had sex against the wall. It was no use.
Setting the clip on the table, she took a deep breath and opened the door to find her brother there scowling. What was wrong with him? “Hey, Vincent. Kinda early for you to be here. Everything okay?”
“Is that Sawyer’s truck in your driveway?” he demanded. He wore running shorts, sneakers and a long-sleeved Nike Dri-Fit shirt he loved so much, as if he’d planned to go jogging.
She didn’t bother looking past him to see the offending vehicle. “Would you like to come in, have some coffee?”
Vincent just growled and stomped past her, his expression dark. “Where is he?”
“Seriously, on what planet do you think I’m going to let you come in here and go all caveman about my personal life?”
Vincent’s pale blue eyes that looked so much like their deceased father’s flashed angrily. “Personal life! You just had a big scare yesterday, Zoe. You’re probably feeling emotional and vulnerable and he’s taking advantage.”
“Emotional and vulnerable? Okay, what happened to my brother? Because he doesn’t use words like those.”
Hi
s jaw tightened. “I’m serious.”
“So am I. And I’m a big girl so if this is the only crazy reason you stormed over here this morning, then you can go right back the way you came. I appreciate your concern, but…” She trailed off when Sawyer appeared in the arched entryway of the dining room. The dining room was connected to the kitchen so he’d have heard everything clearly. She inwardly winced.
Silence stretched out as the two men stared at one another, Vincent’s hostility seeming to grow each second that passed. She wasn’t sure what to say that wouldn’t set off her brother’s normally long fuse. Before she could figure it out, Sawyer stepped farther into the foyer.
He held up his palms in that universal sign for peace. “Look, Vincent—”
“Is this about Audrey?” Her brother’s voice rose with each word, his body vibrating with anger.
Sawyer’s lips pulled into a thin line, his expression tense. She couldn’t read what he was thinking other than he seemed annoyed by Vincent. “Are you kidding me?” His words were clipped.
“Who’s Audrey?” Because she wanted to know whatever had happened between these two. It shouldn’t surprise her that a woman was the reason for their past issues. Still, a strange sense of jealousy settled in her bones. After everything that had happened with her ex-boyfriend, she didn’t like the sound of this.
They both ignored her.
Sawyer’s expression was frustrated as he looked at Vincent. “You think it’s impossible that I could be attracted to Zoe, a smart, beautiful woman?”
“No, my sister’s a fucking catch, I just don’t like you sniffing around her.”
Okay, Vincent calling her a catch was kinda sweet, but what the hell? Sniffing around her, like what, she was a bone and Sawyer was a dog? Sweet Lord, this was ridiculous. “Vincent—”
“And I don’t like your timing,” Vincent continued, taking an angry step closer to Sawyer. They’d both been in the Teams but they’d never been on the same one as far as Zoe knew. Still, whatever had happened must have been bad for this kind of reaction from her brother.
