A Santini Christmas (17 page)

“
I know what I said. It would cause problems here though.”

“
Problems? How?”

“
Not everyone is like you. Especially women. The complications at work would be tough. It was hard enough last time when Maura and I decided to split ways. Besides, you know what happened last time we brought a woman into the bedroom.”

“
It was one hot fucking night, that’s what I remember.”

Zeke shook his head. Rory was right and with Maura, well, it would go beyond most of his fantasies. But their last experience had been very bad.

“
So, you forget when she started to stalk you? How she threatened me? You always did have a selective memory.”

“
And you remember too. You remember watching me tie Sherry down, don’t you? The way she happily would do anything I told her. You liked to watch when she sucked me off.”

Rory’s voice deepened over every word and Zeke had to take a bracing breath to control his need. His body was throbbing and his cock was so hard he probably wouldn’t be able to walk straight. Rory was one of the best at talking sex.

Rory walked toward him. Anticipation skated along his nerves. Zeke licked his lips. Instead of approaching him, though, Rory veered off toward the door.

“
You think of that when you tell me you don’t want to share her.”

And with that he left Zeke, the door silently clicking behind him.

Even with the A/C on full blast, Zeke felt a small dribble of sweat slink down his back. He closed his eyes trying to calm the heat dancing over his nerve endings. Damn. The man could always control him.

It had always been like that from the beginning and Zeke had allowed it. Rory had his control issues because of his childhood and Zeke could handle it. They weren’t Dom and sub. Zeke was truthful about that when he told Maura. And weirdly for Rory, he only liked to Dominate women. Of course, it fed into Zeke’s need to watch. There was something about watching Rory work over a sub. With the right sub, Rory could send Zeke over the edge. And Maura would be perfect.

She was the right combination of sexy, smarts and submissive. He remembered the first day he met her. Never in his life did he have a reaction like that to a woman. She had smiled at him, her eyes sparkling from behind her glasses and his tongue had stuck to the top of his mouth. He actually stuttered. The only other person who had made him lose the ability to speak had been Rory.

It was inevitable that they get involved. Their arguing had only been foreplay to the bedroom. The sex had been wonderful, stellar. Still, he knew Maura had wanted—needed more. Something he couldn’t give her.

But Rory could.

The naughty thought whispered through Zeke and he shivered. He wanted it more than he wanted his next breath. He wished life was easier, and he could have both of them. The need he had for both of them scared the shit out of Zeke. It almost overwhelmed him at times. He could give into the suggestion, but he wasn’t too sure he would come out unscathed. He also had to think of Maura. He and Rory would still be together, and she would be left alone.

He just didn’t think he could do that, no matter how much he wanted her. Needed her. He loved her too much to take advantage of her. And wasn’t that just a bitch.

With a sigh, he turned his attention back to work. Zeke had learned a long time ago that life didn’t always work out the way you wanted it to.

Infatuation: A Little Harmless Military Romance

To prove her love and save her man, she has to go above and beyond the call of duty.

SEAL Francis McKade never acted on his feelings for his best friend's sister. All that changes at a wedding in Hawaii, but the next morning, he’s called for a mission-one that leaves his world in shambles.

Months later, Kade shows up in her bar a changed man. When he pushes her to her limits in the bedroom, Shannon refuses to back down. One way or another, he’ll learn there is no walking away from love—not while she still has breath in her body.

Warning:
This book contains two infatuated lovers, a hardheaded military man, a determined woman, some old friends, and a little taste of New Orleans. As always, ice water is suggested while reading. It might be the first military Harmless book, but the only thing that has changed is how hot our hero looks in his uniform—not to mention out of it.

The sound of Hawaiian music drifted lightly through the air as Kade took a small sip of his beer. He stood on the side of the dance floor watching the wedding guests. It was one of those days Hawaiians took for granted he was sure, but Kade didn’t. The sweet scent of plumeria tickled his nose, and the sound of the ocean just a few hundred yards away combined with the music to ensure that the entire day seemed magical. The groom, Chris Dupree, smiled like a man who had just finished Hell Week with honors, while his new bride, Cynthia, glowed with more than that “happily just married” glow. Her gently rounded tummy was barely visible, but everyone knew she was pregnant.

“
Never thought he would settle down,” Malachi, Chris’ brother, said from beside him. One of Kade’s best friends, Mal had dragged him across the Pacific Ocean to make the wedding.

“
Really? He’s been with her for years. It only took him this long to convince her to marry, right?”

Mal laughed and took a long drink out of his bottle.

“
Ain’t that the truth,” Mal said, New Orleans threading his voice. Their friendship was an odd one, that was for sure. Mal had grown up as part of a huge family in New Orleans, and was half creole. The name Dupree meant something in circles down there, especially in hospitality. Francis McKade grew up the child of Australian immigrants, both scientists recruited to work for the US Military.

“
At least there are lots of lovely ladies here for the picking,” Mal said, his gaze roaming over the crowd. “There’s something about Hawaiian women, you know?”

Kade said nothing but nodded. He wasn’t particularly interested in most of the women today. The woman he wanted set off signs of being interested in him, but she had never acted on it.

“
Are you two flipping a coin to see who gets what woman?”

The amused female voice slipped down his spine and into his blood. Before turning around, he knew who she was. Shannon Dupree, youngest sister of his best friend, and the woman who had starred in most of his most vivid sex dreams. He turned to face her, thinking he was ready for the impact, but of course he wasn’t. As usual, she stole his breath away.

She was dressed in red, the main color of the wedding. The soft material draped over her generous curves. Shannon was built like Kade loved his women. Full hips, abundant breasts, and so many curves his fingers itched to explore. Every time he was near her, he had to count backwards from ten and imagine that he was taking a shower in freezing water. Sometimes that worked.

“
What makes you think we’re doing that?” Mal asked.

One eyebrow rose as she studied her brother. "I’ve known you for twenty-eight years, that’s how I know.”

Shannon turned to Kade expectantly, and he couldn’t think. Every damned thought vaporized. It was those eyes. Green with a hint of brown, they were so unusual, and they stood out against her light brown skin. He could just imagine how they would look filled with heat and lust.

He finally cleared his throat and mentally gave himself a shake. Staring at her like a fifteen-year-old with a crush wasn’t really cool. "Don’t lump me in with your brother, here. He doesn’t have any standards.”

“
Except for that stripper last time you visited?”

There was a beat of silence. “Stripper?”

“
Mal ratted you out.”

He gave his friend a nasty look. His last visit to New Orleans hadn’t gone that well. Shannon had gotten very serious about her current boyfriend, and there had been talk of them moving in together. Kade had done the one thing he could to ignore the pain. He got drunk and went out to strip clubs. And Mal had been the one with the stripper, not him.

“
I think your brother had that wrong.”

She glanced back and forth between them. “Whatever. Just make sure you stick around for some of the reception before you go sniffing any women.”

“
Don’t worry about me. Your brother has the impulse control problem.”

Shannon laughed.

Mal grunted. “Both of you suck.”

“
They’re going to be cutting the cake soon, so at least hold off until then, could you?”

With that she brushed past them, and he could smell her. God, she was exotic. Even with all the scents of Hawaii surrounding him, hers stood out. Spicy, sweet...

He took another pull from his longneck bottle, trying to cool his libido.

“
So, who do you have in mind?” Mal asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

“
What?”

“
Man, it’s a wedding. Women are always ripe for seduction at these things. You have to have someone in mind.”

His gaze traveled back to Shannon. She walked through the crowd, her hips swaying sensually as she moved from person to person. Her smile enticed everyone she spoke to. As the owner of a bar and grill in New Orleans, she knew how to work a room. And dammit, she had that perfect smile that drew every man to her. His hand started to hurt, and he looked down to find his fist clenched so tight around his bottle his knuckles were white. It took a couple of seconds to calm himself down. He didn’t have a right to be jealous. She wasn’t his to love, to protect. He’d learned a long time ago that being a Seal and being married just didn’t work out.

He noticed Mal looking at him, expecting an answer.

“
Not sure, mate, but I have a feeling I’ll find someone to occupy my time.”

Shannon shivered as she took a sip of champagne. She tried not to wince at the taste. What the holy hell was she doing drinking it? She hated the drink. What she needed was two fingers of whiskey. It would clear her head of the sexy Seal that had her pulse skipping.

“
What are you doing drinking that?” her sister, Jocelyn, asked.

When Shannon turned, she couldn’t fight the smile. Seeing the transformation of her sister in the last year was amazing. Seeing her happily married with Kai added to the joy she felt for Jocelyn. Even if there was a little jolt of envy, Shannon couldn’t begrudge her the happiness. After the things she had overcome, Jocelyn deserved it more than anyone she knew.

“
I thought it best. You know with the jet lag and all that, I need to keep my wits about me. Champagne should help, right?”

Her sister’s eyes danced with barely suppressed amusement. “It couldn’t be because of one hot Seal with a hint of an Aussie accent, could it?

Shannon closed her eyes and sighed. “That man gets my temperature up. All he has to do is smile, and I’m ready to strip naked and jump his bones.” She opened her eyes. “Is it that obvious?”

Jocelyn shook her head. “Just to someone who knows you like I do.”

And no two people knew each other better. As the two girls in a huge family of men, they had depended on each other. Only fifteen months apart in age, they were more like twins than just sisters.

“
Are you talking about that hot Seal your brother brought with him?” May Aiona Chambers asked as she stepped up to the two women. After meeting her just months earlier at Jocelyn’s wedding, Shannon had instantly liked the sassy Hawaiian. Petite with the most amazing long hair and blue green eyes, she never seemed to have a problem voicing her opinion.

“
Oh, May, please, could you join us in the conversation,” Jocelyn said with a laugh.

“
As my sister-in-law, you should be used to it by now.” She dismissed Jocelyn and honed in on Shannon. "He’s been watching you.”

“
What?” she asked, her voice squeaking. “No he hasn’t.”

“
That Seal, he’s been watching you all day.”

Shannon snorted, trying to hide the way her heart rate jumped. "You’re insane. Does this run in the family? You might want to adopt children, Jocelyn.”

“
No, really, he has. He does it when he thinks you aren’t looking.”