Close Quarters (Her SEAL Protector #1) (6 page)

Although he seemed to enjoy her fondling, she suspected he would enjoy her mouth on him even more. Sliding down on her belly, she wet her lips and kissed the head of his cock. She dragged her tongue up and down his shaft, drawing out the moment he wanted most. Her lips even drifted down to press soft kisses to his sac, kisses that made him growl and shift his legs wider apart.

Smiling at his reaction, she decided to show some mercy and give him what he wanted. She sucked the blunt tip of him into her mouth and swirled her tongue around his scorching flesh. She concentrated on that part of him for a while, bobbing up and down and using her tongue to make him groan.

After a while, she slid down farther with each stroke, taking him deeper into her mouth. His thickness and length didn't make it easy to swallow all of him, but she never backed down from a challenge. The gruff sounds Leland made encouraged her. She smiled around his cock. Just as he got a high from making her come undone, she experienced the same powerful thrill while driving him insane with her mouth.

"No more, Jamie." He touched her cheek. "I want to be inside you. I need it."

Sitting up, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand in a very unladylike gesture. He only smiled at that and beckoned her closer. Certain his knee couldn't handle the usual missionary position, she decided to embrace her inner cowgirl and climbed on for the ride of her life.

"Oh!" She sank down on his rock-hard shaft with as much teasing slowness as she could muster. Down and down, inch by inch, she pressed all of him inside her slick passage. Had she ever been this wet? Had she ever been this full? This stretched? Never. Not once.

And it was heavenly.

Hands on his chest and mindful of that injury to his side, she started to move on top of him. Back and forth and swiveling in circles, she tried different techniques until she found one that made him groan. Leland wasn't satisfied playing the role of passive participant though. He grabbed her backside and guided her movements. She surrendered to the push and pull of his hands, throwing herself into the pace he wanted and needed. It was too soon for her to climax again. He had done such a good job earlier with that naughty tongue of his that her super sensitive pearl would need an hour or more to recover.

But that didn't mean she wasn't enjoying herself now. Giving him pleasure exhilarated her. She bounced on his lap, grinding herself against him until he sat up and grasped her hair. He tilted her head back and bared her neck to his teeth. He nipped at her and sucked hard, marking her skin as she rocked slowly atop his cock.

Leland's arms tightened around her. He embraced her as if he feared she might disappear and fell back to the bed with her still in his arms. He planted a foot on the bed, bending his good knee, and thrust up into her with languid strokes. His tongue darted between her lips, and she realized he wanted to make it last.

Their mouths mated sensually as Leland began to shake beneath her. She pushed down on him, taking him deep, and clenched her walls around his pulsing cock. He grunted her name, his lips against her neck, and filled her with his hot seed. "Jamie," he murmured. "God, Jamie."

They remained locked in their embrace for a long time. When he finally let her go, she reluctantly ducked into the bathroom, flicked off the lamp and returned to bed. It didn't escape her notice that he had taken the spot closest to the front door. He held up the covers for her and welcomed her against his side. Tucking her in close, her curled a protective arm around her and kissed her until her lips tingled.

As he stroked her hair and upper back, Jamie experienced a relaxation and calm she hadn't known in years. Tonight, she felt confident there would be no nightmares. She wouldn't wake in a cold sweat and dry heave to the memory of her father falling to his death. She wouldn't remember the crunch of a spring-loaded cam sliding free from a rock crevice. She wouldn't feel the blinding pain as her knees and arms scraped along the cliff as she fell twenty feet with her father, tumbling down, down, down until an anchor finally caught their weight.

She wouldn't see the panicked look in his eyes when he heard the sickening snap of the rope and the twang of a carabiner about to give way. The memory of his sweaty hand clutching her calf wouldn't resurface. She wouldn't hear his steady voice as he squeezed her leg. "I love you so much, kiddo. Be brave, Junior."

She squeezed her eyes shut and willed the awful memory of him cutting the rope and sacrificing his life to save hers to go away. She tried not to hear her shriek echoing in the canyon, but that was a sound she would never forget. One word, just one word, that would haunt her forever.

Daddy
.

Leland kissed the top of her head, his lips lingering there while he cupped her face and brushed his thumb along the apple of her cheek. She fed off his strength and the security he offered. Earlier, he had admitted to letting his fear of what a relationship with her might mean keep him from going after her. Deep down inside, she understood she hadn't fought for him because he was too much like her father. She had already been left by the only man who had ever loved her unconditionally, albeit in his own strange way. She wasn't sure she had the strength to go through that again.

But the thought of this one night with Leland being the only one ever was too painful to even consider. Like the pulsing certainty of her heartbeat, she believed the connection she shared with Leland was good and true. He was the one for her.

Now she just had to find a way to tell him what she had been up to in Samana Bay. She hoped like hell he wasn't going to blow a gasket when he learned the truth.

Chapter Five

Leland woke with a smile on his face and the warm, soft curves of a woman—
his
woman—curled up in his arms. He buried his nose in Jamie's hair and inhaled the comforting scent of her. Pulling back, he let his gaze roam her beautiful face in the early morning sunlight. All that time she was spending in the sun and out on the sea had given her skin a bronzed tint that suited her. The dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks enthralled him. For an heiress to a makeup empire, she looked absolutely gorgeous in nothing but her naked skin and the wash of pink morning sun.

Too soon, he would be back on base and then probably shipping out for another tour in some far-flung corner of the planet. He wanted to memorize this moment. Content to simply hold her, he dozed for the next hour or so and considered how they might spend their day. He wouldn't mind wasting the daylight hours right here in bed, but he still needed to find out what had sent Jamie running to the cabin to hide. He would rather not interrogate or upset her in such an intimate setting. They needed to be someplace neutral.

When Jamie finally stirred, he watched her eyes widen with surprise and then she smiled happily and sweetly. "Good morning, Leland."

Nuzzling her nose, he kissed her tenderly. "Morning, sweetheart." He trailed his finger down her cheek and along her jaw. "I thought we might have breakfast and head out to the river. It's not far from the cabin."

"That sounds nice. I'd like that." Like a naughty little sexy kitten, she walked her fingers down his chest until they disappeared under the sheet. "You know what else I'd like?"

He inhaled a shuddery breath as her warm fingers came dangerously close to his morning erection. Her wrist lifted the tented sheet, and she trailed her fingertips down the length of him. He managed to groan out a few words. "I have a pretty good idea."

Loving the sound of her laugh, he rolled her onto her back and climbed over her. He tested his knee to make sure it was all right, and felt no resistance or pain. Happy to be the one taking the lead this morning, he took his time exploring her body. He paid particular attention to her breasts, suckling her with slow, easy tugs of his mouth until her hips were rocking. He slid a hand between her thighs and encountered the rush of wetness that his kisses and caresses had caused.

Watching her face, he ran two fingers through her slit, moving them up and down before settling on the tiny nub hidden there. He swirled his fingers over that spot that made her gasp and nipped at her bottom lip. When he worked two digits inside her, sliding knuckle-deep in her slick heat, she arched off the bed and cried out his name. His thumb moved side to side across her clitoris while his fingers plunged in and out of her. She clawed at his shoulders and begged him for more.

Wanting to come with her, he dragged his fingers from her molten core, wiping that sweet honey on her thigh, and dropped down to kiss her. He pressed her thighs wide open with his hand while ravishing her mouth and thrust home in one swift movement. She moaned and tore away from the kiss, burying her face against his neck. She wound her slim, toned legs around his waist and pulled him in even tighter.

Grinning down at her, he touched their foreheads together while rocking slowly in and out of her. She clenched around his shaft, her slick, tight heat driving him crazy. Monogamy had never been an option for him, but he had always heard it was better this way. He had always been a one-and-done sort of guy. Looking back, he realized it was because of Jamie. He had always wanted her, and only her.

What had started off nice and easy quickly grew frantic as they chased a shared climax. Jamie urged him one with panted whispers and met every forward thrust of his cock with a swivel of her hips. "Don't stop, Leland," she begged, her voice cracking. "Please.
Please.
"

"I know what you need, baby." He supported his body weight on one palm and his good knee and reached down to strum her clit. The pink pearl peeked out from her delicate folds, tempting him for another taste.
Later
, he promised himself. Rubbing that sensitive nub, he pounded into her. She clutched at his shoulders and the sheets as his cock glided deep and retreated, his pace fast and hard the way she liked it.

With a strangled cry, Jamie shattered. He watched her face with awe. Pupils dilated, cheeks flushed, the slightest hint of sweat along her hairline—she looked wild and wicked, and he utterly adored her. He wanted to burn this vision of her into his retinas so that every time he closed his eyes, he would see Jamie in the throes of passion.

Cupping the back of her neck in one hand and her hip in the other, he stared into her eyes and dragged out his climax. Nothing that felt this good could last forever, but he was damned sure going to try. Her stiff nipples grazed his chest, and she clasped his face between her hands, her mouth hovering right next to his. They didn't have to say a single word to communicate what they were both thinking.

Mine.

The missteps and mistakes of the past no longer mattered. It was this moment, this morning, and this woman—the
only
woman. With a rush of ecstasy that made his head ache, Leland buried himself as deep as he could and shuddered against Jamie. She embraced him lovingly, petting his neck and kissing his cheek and forehead as the spasms of his climax continued.

Lightheaded, he tucked his face against her throat and breathed in the sweet scent of her. He had promised her breakfast and a trip to the river, but he found he couldn't get his limbs to move. She didn't seem to mind in the least. She stroked his back and scratched her nails through his messy beard, making him twitch and shiver. She laughed softly and he smiled up at her.

God, how he wished it could always be like this. Just the two of them curled up in bed on a lazy Saturday morning, enjoying one another and trading lingering kisses. Maybe it
could
be like this. He didn't want to rush into anything, but Jamie clearly wasn't the type of woman to shy away from something a bit unconventional or risky.

Would she follow him to Virginia if he asked? Would she be willing to give this thing developing between them a real go?

His usual bravery eluded him. Now wasn't the time to ask questions like that. Instead, he cleared his throat and asked, "Shower?"

"Only if you join me," she replied, her bright smile making his heart stutter.

"As if I'd rather be anywhere else," he murmured before sneaking in another kiss.

They found a few ways to make the shower rather interesting. When she started to lather up her legs to shave, he took that as his cue to make an exit. Giving her sweet bottom a playful smack, he warned, "You better make that quick. You've got about five minutes before the hot water runs cold."

She flicked his chest. "Like I've never taken a cold shower on a boat? Son, I got this!"

He laughed at her comment and splashed her with a handful of water. "I'll be in the kitchen making breakfast."

"We'll need to pick up some groceries later," she called out as he jerked the curtain shut behind him.

"I'll work on a list." He dabbed at his face with a towel and nonchalantly asked, "How long are you staying?"

"How long are
you
staying?"

"I have to be back in Virginia by Tuesday evening."

"Then I'm staying until Tuesday," she replied easily.

He smiled at his reflection. "All right."

Not trusting himself to say what he really wanted to say without making a fool of himself, he let it go at that and left the bathroom. While he tugged on a pair of jeans and a clean NAVY T-shirt, he decided that he would take her into town for breakfast so they could go shopping together. Technically, it would be their first date. He felt like a damned nervous teenager as he wondered whether to take her to Jolene's café or one of the nicer restaurants that did brunch.

He was tying his sneakers when he heard the shower shut off. Knowing how long it would take her to get dressed, he decided to go out back and poke around in the shed for the fishing poles and tackle box. Snatching up his keys from the kitchen counter where he had left them last night, he slipped out the front door, crossed the porch and descended the side stairs. He crossed the yard to the small shed tucked away along the fence line. It took a few seconds to work the stubby key into the rusted lock. He made a mental note to remind his father the lock needed to be changed.