Her Firefighter SEAL (17 page)

It was an hour back to Strong, and he had a perfectly good room two minutes down the street. He’d limited himself to one beer. She wasn’t complaining. So... he knew exactly where he wanted them to go. Turning the key in the ignition, he guided the truck out of the parking lot. Reaching over, she loosened his tie and then pulled the fabric free.

“Do you mind? About Katie marrying Tye?” She asked. No, he didn’t mind, not the way she was thinking.

But part of him felt like Tye had taken Kade’s life... He’d fallen in love with Katie, Kade’s fiancée at the time, and married her; he even had Kade’s place on the Donovan Brothers jump team. The man had come to Strong specifically to step in for Kade, to pick up the slack, the pieces, everything and everyone that Kade had left in the lurch. Kade appreciated it, even if part of him wished Tye hadn’t been so goddamned good at it. Such an overachiever.

When he didn’t answer right away, she turned toward him, a mountain of floaty fabric and the small mound of her stomach where the peanut was working steadily on getting bigger. He’d never thought about having kids or a wife. He wasn’t really a family guy, even if he and Katie had faked an engagement. He’d been a different man back then, someone who loved a good joke, who knew how to laugh. How to live. That guy had disappeared into Khost, and hadn’t quite made it all the way out. Looking at Abbie, however, he wished... fuck, he had no idea what he wished for, but he had a feeling that guy might have known.

“Katie’s happy,” he said gruffly. “She deserves that. If Tye hurts her, I’ll kill him.”

“Uh-huh, unless I beat you to it.” Abbie toed off her shoes with a groan, then started working what appeared to be a pair of thigh-high stocking down her legs inch by inch. God help him, but he enjoyed the show. “So you don’t mind giving up your fiancée to another man?”

“You think losing her to a woman would be easier?” He tried desperately not to think about Abbie getting naked next to him while he hit the gas a little harder. The vineyard stretching out on either side of them was nice-looking, as was the sky above them. Thinking about those things was safe. Peaceful.

“Probably not.” She looked down at the pantyhose in her hand. “I shouldn’t toss these out the window.”

“If you want to do it, don’t let me stop you.”

She looked down at the nylons in her hand. It was crazy and irresponsible, but she rolled down the window of his truck and flung them out into the night air like a flag of... something. Not surrender, but maybe of letting go? She hadn’t even been aware of wanting that, but something inside her lightened as the nylons disappeared behind the truck.

Driving faster than he should, Kade pulled into the parking lot of the B&B where Kade had reserved a room. The place was quiet and he was around and helping her out before she could finish grabbing her stuff. He swung her down, then around in a gentle circle before threading his fingers through hers and pulling her inside with quiet confidence, like this was just the way things were meant to be. And it was so much easier tonight to let go and let Kade. Let him takeover, let him lead.

Maybe it was watching Katie and Tye, so perfectly, obliviously happy on their wedding day. She’d almost had that with Will, but then she hadn’t, and remembering the bad parts now made her an idiot. Kade was right. She needed to keep the good memories, let go of the rest. Something in her opened up, loosened just a little like the scrap of nylon flying down the highway.

“You okay?” He looked down at her, dark eyes warm with concern. He was one of the good guys too, beneath his bad-boy exterior, and tonight he was a risk she wanted to take.

“Make me better.”

He nodded, like everything could be that easy. “You got it.”

She leaned against the wall as he fished his key out of his pocket. No bag, no mountain of crap to cart around. Just what he could fit in his pockets and whatever baggage he hid inside. Darn it. Just for once, she wanted to be normal. If she’d said
yes
in high school, this could still have been them, coming back to their room after watching their friends get married. He could have been her husband and the peanut their baby. Not wanting to think about that possibility, she brushed past him into the room.

He didn’t give her much time to look around, but her first impression was that it was pretty. He had a big bed, a gas fireplace, and glass french doors covered with gauzy curtains. Housekeeping had already turned down his bed, so they didn’t have to worry about being interrupted. That was good. Throwing herself onto the bed, she grinned at him.

“Strip,” she demanded.

“Someone’s feeling romantic.” But he pulled his jacket off and hung it on the back of a chair, his eyes darkening in anticipation.

“Are you holding out for romance?” Because it had been years since she’d romanced anyone, and her skills were rusty.

He locked the door and moved toward her, tossing his key onto the bedside table. “Maybe one of us should.”

She shrugged, one of the thin straps holding her top up sliding down her arm. His eyes followed. “It doesn’t last. Let’s just have sex tonight.”

“I could persuade you,” he growled.

“I’m stubborn, and I’m all romanced out.”
Truth.

“Yeah, but I’m good.”

He wasn’t. He was so, so bad.

“You’re wearing too many clothes.” She went on the offensive.

“That’s something I can fix.” He stripped with quick efficiency, pulling off his shirt. God. His chest was a work of art. He had scars and the dog tags, but he also had muscles she could have admired for hours. Unless, of course, she was feeling impatient, which she was.

“Keep going,” she demanded.

He grinned at her. “We’re not taking turns? Because I think that’s only fair.”

“If you want turns, you should have suggested strip poker, not sex.”

“Sex was your idea, not mine.”

Right. She eyed the impressive erection tenting the front of his pants. “I don’t see you minding.”

“You’ve got me there.” Grinning, he unbuckled and unzipped, shoving his pants and his boxer briefs down his thighs. At some point, he’d managed the miraculous and lost his shoes and socks. “You’ve got your peep show. Now it’s definitely my turn.”

She could work with that. Wriggling an arm behind her, she found the zipper and tugged it down.

~*~

T
he front of Abbie’s dress slid down, thank you Jesus, revealing a peach-colored corset bra. The satin barely cupped her gorgeous breasts, stopping a few teasing inches above the curve of her pregnant belly. The peach color made his mouth water almost as much as the woman herself.

“You look good enough to eat,” he said hoarsely.

“Don’t let me stop you.” She smiled, a wide, happy smile, and rose up onto her knees, shimmying the dress down over her hips and—
hello­­
—a truly wicked blue thong. The front of her panties skimmed over her mound, teasing him with feminine curves.

“I don’t match,” she said, shooting him a glance full of mischief.

Like he cared. “Get naked and we’ll both match.”

“Good idea.” Somehow she wriggled free of her dress, kicking it onto the floor. He should probably rescue it, but his heart was in his ears, and his dick had other ideas because, sweet baby Jesus, she reached around behind her, feeling for the clasp of her bra, and her breasts spilled over the edges of the satin cups.
Abbie
. Screw the clothing, because she was all he could think about.

Getting naked.

Over him and
on
him.

The bra hit the bed. “I’m a lucky man,” he groaned.

“As long as you know it.” She crooked her finger at him. “Come here, Mr. Hotshot SEAL, and show me what you’ve got.”

You
, he thought.
If I’m damned lucky.

He’d always been good at logistics. Before she could hook her fingers in her panties, he was on the bed, Abbie stretched out on top of him. “Hello,” he whispered, finding her breast with his mouth. Running his hands up her ribs, he cupped her sweet skin, rubbing his thumbs gently over her nipples.

She inhaled roughly. “Kade.”

He loved the way she said his name, part demand, part plea, which meant he just needed to keep finding ways to make her say it. Scream it. Holler it with pleasure.

“Tell me how you want it,” he ordered, and she wriggled against him, the satin of her panties stroking his dick.
Damned lucky
, he thought again.

“How about
now
?” She stared down at him, riding him in a long, slow move that was surely going to drive him out of his ever-loving mind.

“I can work with that,” he groaned.

“You feel so good.
More
.” She ran her hands down his shoulders and over his chest, finding his nipples with her wicked, talented fingers.

“You’re dangerous,” he said roughly.

“Shhh. The complaint department is closed.” Leaning forward, she nipped his ear, and the combination of sexy and laughter in her voice was absolutely, fucking perfect. She was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen, and he had no idea why she’d picked him. He could come just like this, with her beautiful body riding him like he was her own personal cowboy.

“Uh-oh.” She froze. “We’ve got company.”

Something small and pointy poked him in the stomach. Fist? Head? Butt? He couldn’t tell which part of the peanut was doing the jabbing, or maybe Baby just wanted to turn somersaults. Whatever it was, it must have had a direct connection to his heart, because he felt each tiny kick right there. Imagine that.

“She’ll go back to sleep.” He hoped.

“Or maybe this is the last night of uninterrupted sex I’ll ever have,” Abbie said throatily. “In which case, you should make it very, very good, okay?”

“I’m always up for a challenge...” He lifted her up, ignoring her squeak of surprise, and settled between her thighs, stroking over the soft skin with his thumbs.

“Kade...” She laughed, protesting, but didn’t move.

“This is step one of my very, very good plan. Work with me here.”

He slid her a little higher and ran his tongue over her where she was wet and slick. She tasted so damned perfect, and the sexy whimpers she made just about undid him. He licked and explored, learning each hidden inch, and she groaned and moved with him, her fingers tightening on the pillows. He pushed her higher, closer, working one finger, then two deep, inside her.

“Oh, God,” she groaned, and he decided he had his orders to not stop.

“Step two,” he said roughly and kissed her more. More deeply, digging his tongue into her folds and giving her everything he had. And then, when she was so close that he could feel the tiny quivers against his lips, he eased her down and slid up until he was deep inside her. God. She felt so damned perfect.

She cried out, like she felt it too, moving and trembling until she collapsed against his chest and he caught her there with one hand as he followed her over the edge.

~*~

S
till buried deep inside her, he gave in to impulse.

“Marry me.” He’d get to keep her and, added bonus, the peanut.

His first clue that he shouldn’t have repeated his high school mistake was the way she stiffened. Second clue? She swung off him.

“No.” She didn’t even look at him as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and started scooping up clothes.

“That’s it? That’s all I get?” He might not be a
Cosmo
-reading, card-carrying member of the female sex, but even he knew a proposal merited more than a two-letter response. This was familiar territory too.

“Getting married isn’t some kind of game. It’s hard work.”

His clothes hit him in the chest. “I know that.”

“Really? Because the way you throw unromantic proposals around, I was wondering.”

“Did you want your name spelled out in fireworks or four hundred white fucking roses? I was seventeen.”

“I wanted you to make an
effort
.” She stood up and dragged on her panties.

“You’re nothing
but
effort.”

“The condom broke. You proposed. What was I
supposed
to think, Kade? That a little tear in the latex opened your eyes to your deep and heartfelt feelings for me?”

It hadn’t been like that. Sure, he hadn’t planned on proposing five minutes after he’d pulled out of her body. He’d been thinking in vaguer terms, like
after college
, but the broken condom had been a fact, and he hadn’t planned on letting her down.

“I wanted to take care of you,” he said, pulling her back against him. “I wanted to fix the problem.”

She tugged. “And I wanted to be loved.”

He held on. “I loved you. Don’t ever doubt that.”

She gave him a look that said she not only doubted him, but was certain she was right. He’d failed her that night, but he damned well wasn’t going to fail her now. Somehow, he’d figure out how to convince her to take a chance on him.

“I can’t do this again,” she said.

He had no clue what she’s talking about, but this time he wasn’t letting her leave until he did understand. “Explain.”

“Be in a marriage where I’m just friends. Will was a great guy.”

Those words made Kade want to dig him up and kill him himself, which in turn made him feel like shit because,
hello
, the guy had died in service, inhaling super-heated gases into his lungs. He was a bona fide hero, and he’d undoubtedly wanted to give Abbie every last damn thing. He’d just died too soon, which meant Kade got a second chance.

A second chance he’d blown.

“We had sexual chemistry,” she continued, not done blowing a hole in his ego. “At least in the beginning. And we thought we loved each other. We really did, but then things changed, and we became more friends than lovers.”

What was wrong with friends?

“I want more than hot sex,” she said. “I want it all—the romance, the passion. I want to be some guy’s everything, and then I want to feel the same way about him.” She paused for a moment. “And that’s the funny thing. I never thought that was what I wanted but... I guess it is.”