Navy SEAL Seduction (12 page)

“Lace.” He did not move, but his voice deepened. “You sure about this, sweetheart? Because I’m dying here.”

Lifting the corner of the sheet, she moved over. “Stay with me, Jarrett. Make the nightmares go away.”

Moving silent as a wraith across the floor, he stopped before the bed and tugged his shirt over his head in a one-handed move. The rasp of a zipper sliding down echoed in the room. When he’d fully undressed, he slid into bed with her.

Jarrett’s palm was warm as he cupped her face, searching her eyes in the dim light. She rested her cheek against his hand, feeling the heat of his body erase the deep chill seizing her bones. Beard stubble covered his cheeks. He looked a little wild and dangerous, but his gaze filled with tenderness.

“You sure about this?” he repeated.

A hint of vulnerability shaded his tone. She sensed the wired tension in him, not from the night’s events, but a deeper, more frenzied sexual need. It had happened when he’d come home from a deployment, all cranked up and craving release.

“Absolutely.” Lacey curled her fingers around his wrist. “I’m scared, Jarrett. Scared that when I close my eyes, all I’ll see is Caroline and...”

“Don’t think of her,” he said roughly. “Don’t think at all. Just feel.”

He kissed her, a gentle, almost sweet kiss. Lacey shut her eyes, concentrating on the sensation of his warm, firm lips feathering over hers, the commanding way he held her, the slight sigh of her own breath as he deepened the kiss and slid his tongue inside.

Beneath the passionate lover had been a considerate man hiding beneath a protective layer of warrior. Jarrett was strong, fiercely loyal, courageous and would fall on his sword before harming her. She missed this, the intensity of passion, and the pleasure.

“I’ll try to take it slow. But around you, I’m always going to lose control.” His deep whisper sent a delightful shiver coursing down her spine.

He left her mouth, trailed a line of soft, warm kisses down her neck, making her shiver. Her body hummed instinctively to the sultry call of his demand.

A small moan escaped her as he kissed the underside of her ear. Lacey clasped his shoulders, her fingers digging into his skin. She explored the length of his body, dropping a hand between them to his groin. The rigid length of his arousal met her palm. She stroked, enthralled by his desire.

A low growl reverberated through his deep chest. Lacey leaned closer. Fisting a hand through her hair, he crushed his mouth against hers. It was no gentle, teasing kiss, but a man staking his possessive claim. His tongue boldly thrust past her lips, tasting her, exploring the wet cavern of her mouth. Moaning, she writhed, needing more.

He kept at it, exquisite sensual torture, the tension simmering just below the surface. As if his life depended on her.

He nipped her bottom lip then licked it in a lingering caress. She opened her eyes, startled at his hot, intent look. Jarrett gazed at her as if she was the most precious thing on earth. As if nothing else mattered, not his being a SEAL. Only her. The sheer tender longing stirred something deep inside her she thought had died the day the divorce papers were signed. No man since their divorce had ever made her feel like this. She needed this.

They were a man and a woman, with this burning need between them.

Very gently, she kissed the inked tattoo, tracing the pattern with her tongue. Muscles quivered beneath her touch, then he shuddered as she lapped his skin, tasting the salt.

Heat smoldered in his gaze as he turned. Never had anyone looked at her with such fire, such stark craving.

Lacey pulled off her sleep shirt. Her body tingled with arousal, hungering for the contact between them. She was naked, shivering as the cool mountain air blew in through the open window, caressing her breasts.

Beneath the warmth of his gaze tremendous heat suffused her. Lacey arched as Jarrett thumbed her cresting nipples. When he bent his head and took one into his mouth, she clung to him, dizzy with need, her core growing wet and throbbing. He swirled his tongue over the taut peak, then suckled her. She was growing hotter now, a fire stoking inside her as the sweet tension braced her body.

As he kept kissing her breasts, she whimpered, her hips rising and falling off the bed.

“You like this, sweetheart?” he whispered.

“Don’t stop.”

Jarrett kissed her deeply, his hand drifting over her belly, down to her feminine curls. She made a startled sound, which he soothed with his kisses, as he slid a finger across her wet cleft.

Lacey held on to him as he began playing with her. Slowly he began to pleasure her. He wanted to absorb her, brand her with his mark of passion. She burned the memory of the erotic bliss into her brain.

Because this wasn’t destined to last and she wanted this memory to last a long time.

It was consuming, setting her on fire, every inch of her body crying out for something more. Lacey strained toward him as he teased and stroked, his hands sure and skillful. The ache between her legs intensified and she pumped her hips. Every stroke and whorl sucked air from her lungs until she gasped for breath, ready to burst out of her skin. Tension heightened, spiraling her upward. And then the feeling between her legs exploded. Lacey screamed, crying out his name.

Her eyes fluttered as she fell back to the bed, spent and dazed.

Finally, her breathing eased and she lifted her head. A hint of untamed danger lurked in his eyes.

Then he gave a dangerous smile and pushed her thighs wide open. She felt him kiss the inside of her thigh, then he blew a breath on her hot skin. Jarrett opened her legs wider.

He stared at the wet, pink flesh of her center. “You’re so beautiful, Lace.”

Then he put his mouth on her.

The first touch of his warm tongue made her jerk backward in delighted shock. He slid his tongue between her folds in slow, steady strokes. Stubble on his cheeks slightly abraded her inner thighs. She smelled the hot musk of sex, his aftershave and the night-blooming jasmine drifting in through the open windows.

Lacey cried out, her hands fisted in the sheets, feeling the excitement gathering, the crescendo of sweet tension ready to shatter her once more.

When she screamed his name, he stayed with her until the shudders ceased. Then he looked up with a small smile, wiping his mouth.

“Don’t move, sweetheart,” he whispered.

Move? Her leaden limbs still trembled from the pleasure he’d delivered. Lacey turned her head and watched him get out of bed, muscles on his ass moving fluidly as he went into his bedroom.

He returned and dropped a few foil packets on the nightstand then ripped one open. Jarrett rolled the condom onto his erection and then joined her.

His heavy weight covered her, pinning her to the bed. Silky hair from his thighs sensually rubbed against her legs as he lay between them. This was the moment, then, when she shed all her cares and thoughts and joined with him.

Needing this closeness, wanting to share herself with him.

Jarrett laced his fingers through hers, his gaze fierce and glittering. Slowly he pushed into her. She wriggled, trying to find ease as he penetrated.

He dropped tiny kisses over her face, soothed her with a whisper. Then he thrust forward again. Slight pain accompanied the odd fullness. It had been a long time since she’d had sex and she’d forgotten how big he was.

He stayed still, watching her. A drop of sweat rolled off his forehead, splashed upon her like a tear. Lacey became aware of just how much control he exerted, how much this meant to him.

He pulled back and began to stroke inside her. His muscles contracted as he thrust, powerful shoulders flexing and back arching. This was Jarrett, who would lay down his life for her.

The delicious friction was wonderful, the closeness of his body to hers, his tangy scent filling her nostrils. She pumped her hips as he taught her the rhythm, feeling the silky slide of the hair on his legs. He began to move faster, his gaze holding hers as he claimed her with every thrust into her body, with each soft word of reassurance he murmured.

She could fall in love with him all over again. Emotions crowded her chest as she stroked his back. It felt as if he locked her spirit in his, a closeness she’d never experienced. She focused on his expression, the intent pleasure on his face, the intimacy threatening to shatter her even more.

His thrusts became more urgent. Close, so close...she writhed and reached for it, the tension growing until she felt ready to explode.

Screaming his name, she came again, squeezing him tightly as she arched nearly off the bed. Above her Jarrett grunted and then threw his head back with a hoarse shout. Collapsing atop her, he pillowed his head next to hers.

For a few minutes they lay tangled together, the sheets damp with perspiration, the cool night air sweeping over their bodies. Then he rolled off and held her close, as if fearing to let go.

Jarrett curled his big body next to her slender one, and draped a muscled arm about her waist to anchor her to him. She snuggled against him with a tiny sigh. For a few minutes they remained like that, as Jarrett caressed her damp hair. His deep chest rose and fell with his breaths as she pillowed her head on his muscled shoulder.

“I miss this. Holding you like this,” he said quietly.

“You always were a great cuddler,” she teased.

But he did not smile. He stared at the ceiling, his gaze distant. “It burned into my memory. Every time I went on an op, I thought of you and the times we’d shared. Yeah, the sex, but this, too. Watching you fall asleep and knowing you were safe in our house. That fueled my purpose when I fought. I was fighting for my country, but also to protect you and any kids we would have. It made it more personal and helped on those nights when I wasn’t sure I’d make it out alive.”

Touched by the raw honesty in his voice, Lacey lifted her head and caressed his cheek. “Thank you for all you did, Jarrett. I never did thank you. I always took it for granted that you were on watch. Every time you were home, you always made me feel safe. Sometimes I...”

Her voice drifted off. She snuggled back into his arms, disturbed by the thoughts rolling through her head.

Sometimes I miss you so much I wonder if I still love you. I know part of me will always love you and never forget you. No matter what.

As she began to doze off, she heard him whisper in such a faint voice she wasn’t sure if the words were real or imaginary, “As long as I’m here, I’ll do my best to make sure nothing hurts you or Fleur. You’re mine, Lace. No matter what the damn papers say. And I always take care of my own. Always.”

CHAPTER 11

J
arrett awoke in the grayish light of predawn, aware of the soft female body curled up next to him, her silky hair spread over his pillow.

Stealing all the covers. Just like she did when they were married.

He grinned, gently slid his arm away from her slender waist and rolled away, glancing at his impressive morning erection.

Not today, buddy. Let her sleep. Didn’t you get enough last night?

Hoo-yah, yeah, they did after both dozing off, then waking again. Three condoms worth, but with Lace it would never be enough. He could make love to her 24/7 and never tire of her sweet, sexy body.

Or those delightful whimpers she made when she was about to come.

Or how she enjoyed stroking her fingers across his back as she nibbled on his rear end as if he were a gourmet feast.

With a sigh of true regret he’d have to skip out on a morning session with her, Jarrett pressed a gentle kiss against the curve of her smooth backside and slid out of bed. Naked, he padded to his room and dressed in his running clothes.

The air was cool and crisp outside, a welcome relief from the humidity. He set out to run his usual path along the perimeter of the wall. Feet slapping against the earth, he kept his gaze sharpened. At the gate he greeted Marcus, who told him he’d seen nothing unusual during the night.

He hovered by the spot where the body had hung last night. Jarrett squatted down by the grass beneath the mango tree. No blood droplets on the ground or in the grass. She hadn’t been killed here, but dumped here. He’d seen enough dead bodies to know Caroline had been dead for more than a day before someone left her here and he’d bet his Trident that it wasn’t Jean.

He glanced up at the wall, frowning at the sharp slivers of broken glass. Whoever hoisted Caroline’s body over the wall would have to come into contact with the glass and the body itself had shown no signs of post-mortem cuts from the glass.

The wall abutted a large stretch of hilly forest that belonged to a farmer who grew corn and beans. But Lacey told him the man had abandoned the farm to live with his son in New York.

Anyone could access the land. He squinted as he looked at the mango tree’s long branches. Some extended over the wall.

Jarrett climbed the tree and looked over the wall. Then he climbed down, deeply troubled. There was no way in hell someone could have carted Caroline’s body over that wall.

Lace would have to know about this.

By the time Jarrett returned to the house, drenched in sweat, his muscles burning and his heart racing, the sun had begun to peer over the horizon. The smell of frying bacon and eggs greeted him as he went into the house.

He started for the kitchen and ground to a halt in the doorway. Rose sat at the kitchen table, her head buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking.

Rose turned, looking startled. He noticed the dampness tracking her cheeks. “Morning, Mr. Jarrett. I didn’t think you’d be up this early.”

He joined her at the table. “Rose, what’s wrong?”

The housekeeper wiped her eyes with a paper napkin from the holder on the table. “Nothing. I kept thinking of that poor girl. It’s gotten bad, bad, bad.”

She had found the body, he remembered. Rose told Lacey and the police she had gone to dump peelings into the compost heap near the wall when she saw Caroline Beaufort’s corpse.

“Did you hear anything last night, Rose?” It made no sense that no one in the entire complex had seen or hear Jean paint the warning or dump the body.

Rose shook her head, but her gaze flicked away. “It was so horrid. Things are bad, bad, bad here,” she said in her singsong accent in French. “I wish Miss Lacey would leave with that precious little girl. I’d hate for anything to happen to her. Miss Lacey has been good to me and many others. Folks are talking and saying she needs to get out now, before worse happens.”

He wiped sweat off his face with the edge of his T-shirt. “What folks?”

Her gaze flicked away again.

“Rose, tell me,” he urged. “Who’s been talking?”

“Just folks around this place,” she muttered, twisting her hands. “I have to get to that bacon before it burns.”

She fled to the stove and compressed her mouth as she flipped the bacon.

Jarrett went upstairs, wondering about the housekeeper’s closed-mouth tightness. He showered and dressed in clean khaki shorts, a Navy T-shirt and sandals and went into Lacey’s bedroom. Time to awaken sleeping beauty.

Pulling back the covers on her, he sat on the bed, enjoying watching her sleep. The smell of her floral perfume and the musky scent of sex lingered in the air.

He tickled her rib cage.

Groaning, she pulled the covers tighter.

Jarrett kissed her cheek. “Good morning, sleepyhead. Still not a morning person?”

Opening one eye, she smiled. “Not after all the exercise you gave me last night.”

Lacey rolled over, opening her arms. He kissed her, long and deep, and she could feel his arousal.

“I’m actually awake. I woke up after you left. Gene’s coming back with Fleur by 0900 and then he and Sam are moving their things into the guesthouse.”

He hated giving her this news so early, but better now than when Fleur was around. “I checked out the mango tree where Caroline’s body hung. Whoever put the body there last night did so inside the compound.”

Briefly he explained about the wall and the broken glass and lack of bloodstains.

Lacey sat up, holding the sheet to her breasts. “It couldn’t have been Jean. That sounds much too sophisticated for him, unless he had help.”

“Maybe.” Jarrett changed the subject. “When do you want to leave for town? Do we have to drop off Fleur when she comes back home?”

She yawned and stretched. “No school for today because of elections. Everything is pretty much shutting down so people can vote. Even the hardware store isn’t opening to the public, but I know the owner, and he promised to open just for us for an hour. I thought after we buy the paint we could all use a break and visit Ace and Aimee at the Coco Bay resort. I have a permanent VIP guest pass to use the spa and the facilities.”

Sounded good to him. And he could pull Ace aside, have a private conference and discover if his friend had any news. The hour they had before Fleur returned sounded even better. Jarrett pulled off his T-shirt and began shrugging out of his running shorts.

A slow smile curved her sweet mouth. “What are you doing, Lt. Jarrett Adler? Did I give you orders to get naked?”

“We have an hour. Let’s not waste it.” He finished undressing and joined her on the bed.

“Aye-aye, sir,” she murmured, going into his arms.

* * *

They went into town and visited the hardware store, and Lacey asked questions as Jarrett selected two gallons of white paint. He lingered nearby as the owner talked with Lacey. But no one remembered selling red paint in the past month. Business had been slow, the owner told Lacey. No one wanted to do any home improvements. Things were too tense with the elections.

They returned home without incident. An hour later when Gene’s SUV pulled into the driveway, they were downstairs in the living room. Gene ushered Fleur into the house and Lacey ran to hug her. She smoothed a hand over her daughter’s face.

“Did you sleep okay at Sally’s house, pumpkin?”

Fleur nodded. Jarrett was relieved to see the shadows gone from her eyes.

“Gene played LEGOs with us and made a house. He’s real good at building, Mommy.”

Jarrett shook Gene’s hand. “Thanks, man.”

“Anytime.”

As Lacey brought Fleur into the kitchen, he drew Gene aside. “I have an assignment for you and Sam. Need you to go over the compound inch by inch and see if you can find any evidence that someone stored a body here for a day or so. Question Marcus. Get his records of anyone who’s brought a truck into the compound. Caroline Beaufort wasn’t hung from the tree by someone who stole over the wall, but someone inside.”

He noticed the man looked bleary-eyed. “Get any shut-eye?”

“Nope. Was up all night. Stayed outside their bedroom.”

Clapping a hand on the man’s shoulder, he told him to get some rest after moving into the new guesthouse.

Jarrett went into the living room and sat next to Fleur. “Your mom thinks it would be a grand idea to run away for the day and have a little mini vacation.”

Fleur clapped her hands. “Yay! No school!”

“But you’ll have to make up for it tomorrow and do all the homework Mrs. Daily gives you,” Lacey warned. “Promise?”

The little girl nodded so hard, her pigtails bounced.

Lacey pointed down the hallway. “Go find your swimsuit and change into your play clothes. And bring Mr. Bunny, too.”

Jarrett murmured into her ear as Fleur raced away. “I promise to be a good boy, too. And do all the homework you give me. And I’ll let you play with my Mr. Bunny later tonight.”

Enjoying her little shiver of pleasure, he went upstairs to pack.

* * *

The Coco Bay resort was nestled in a forested hillside near the main road. Jarrett showed the security guard the pass Lacey handed him, and the man opened the front gate. To his disappointment, he found out Aimee and her brother were gone for the day to the capital to get supplies.

The streets were calm with elections taking place, but Aimee wanted to be prepared in case they had to go into siege mode after elections. If the popular democratic candidate won, it was a real possibility.

He guided the black SUV along the curved driveway and parked in the VIP parking lot. The hotel featured outcroppings of white, two-story buildings scattered along several acres. Lushly landscaped, it looked like a tropical oasis, with pink-and-white bougainvillea flowers blossoming amid palm trees.

Lacey took Fleur to the women’s dressing rooms to change into their bathing suits while he surveyed the pool deck.

It had a wooden deck with a kidney-shaped pool offering a stunning vista of the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Beneath the scattered shade of coconut palms, guests lounged in the green chairs set on the white sand near the shoreline. Smiling bartenders stationed at a grass hut Tiki bar mixed drinks from a well-stocked bar as waitstaff in turquoise-and-red tropical shirts and white shorts served guests red, orange and green drinks with colorful umbrellas and fruit.

The Coco Bay Resort was a paradise, set far away from the violence in the capital and the grimness of last night’s murder scene.

Several wicker couches with white cushions and throw pillows lined the pool deck near the railing overlooking the beach below. Jarrett found one next to an empty table with chairs and a wide umbrella to shield them from the sun. He set down their bags. The sea seemed smooth as a mirror, no frothy waves, but plenty of people enjoying the warm water.

Lacey and Fleur returned, carrying their backpacks. His gaze caressed his ex-wife, staring at the black bikini that barely covered her very nice rear end, and her generous breasts. She was all curves, smooth skin.

He’d kissed every inch of that luscious, delectable skin last night. And again this morning...

In her one-piece bathing suit with dolphins on it, Fleur jumped up and down, her excitement evident. “I want to go into the ocean.”

“Not without me and a life preserver,” Lacey warned, setting the backpacks down on the chaise longue.

“I’m too big for a life preserver.”

Lacey bent down and tickled her stomach, making Fleur giggle. “You’re never too old for a life preserver, daisycakes. Maybe when you learn to swim I’ll let you go into the ocean with a raft. But only if an adult is with you.”

Impish mischief glinted the girl’s gaze as she turned to Jarrett and tugged on his hand. “Will you teach me to swim, Jarrett? Please?”

He melted at the eagerness on her face. “I already planned on it, Fleur. In the pool first, and then when you’ve learned the basics, we’ll go into the ocean.”

He turned to Lacey, who unscrewed a bottle of suntan lotion and was about to spread it on her arms.

“Hold off on that. I booked you an hour-long massage,” Jarrett told her. “You go relax at the spa, and I’ll take care of Fleur.”

“But...well...okay.”

Longing showed in her eyes. She grabbed a shirt and shrugged into it and donned her sandals.

“You need it. Go,” he told her.

He peeled off his T-shirt. He wore his Navy-issued swim trunks. Lacey’s gaze swept over his chest, down to his flat torso. Jarrett grinned and flicked his towel at her. “Go. Stop ogling me.”

“I can never stop ogling you, Navy Boy,” she murmured, heading for the spa.

Jarrett took Fleur to the shallow end and had her sit upon the first step. The water was slightly cool and refreshing.

“First things first, Fleur. I’m going to teach you to blow bubbles.” He put his face into the water and showed her.

When he lifted his dripping face, he saw the five-year-old, her arms folded, with a very Lacey look of scorn. “That’s for babies! I know how to blow bubbles.”

He grinned. “Show me what you know so far.”

If he wasn’t careful this kid could steal his heart.

An hour later Lacey returned to the poolside, her expression dreamy and her step lighter. She joined them at the pool, sitting on the edge and dangling her feet into the water.

“Mommy! Jarrett taught me how to kick and float on my back! He said I’m a natural in the water.”

Lacey slid into the pool and hugged her little girl. “He’s a good teacher, daisycakes.”

With a special look at him, she winked. “In many things.”

Jarrett grinned, remembering what he’d taught her last night. Warmth settled over him as Lacey began showing her how to swim underwater. This was the kind of life he’d imagined for himself: having a family, his lovely Lacey at his side. Relaxing with them on his day off, enjoying the closeness they shared.

Fleur was a sweetheart of a kid, and he was glad to see her being a child instead of so solemn all the time. Sunshine beat down upon his naked shoulders as he splashed water at Lacey and Fleur. They both laughed and squealed, trying to evade him.

Jarrett drifted into a contented daydream; a life with Lacey, waking her up each morning with soft kisses, making love, and at night, helping Fleur with her homework. Then at bedtime, they’d both tuck her in, reading her favorite story.