Protected by a SEAL (Alpha SEALs, Book 6) (9 page)

“Well….”

His eyes flicked up to hers. “Have you ever
ridden before?”

“No,” she said, swallowing as she again
gazed at the massive Harley. One wrong turn and that thing looked
like it could fall over and crush them both. Or slide into a skid
and give them massive road burn and a few broken bones. And that
was the best case scenario.

The cab she’d suggested was sounding better
and better.

“It’s safe,” he assured her. “I’ll take it
nice and slow. Never been in a crash yet.”

“How comforting.”

Brent raised his eyebrows.

“The whole ‘yet’ part wasn’t too
convincing.”

Brent laughed, a deep hearty sound. It was
the first time she’d ever heard him laugh like that. And it
sounded…good. Warmth seeped through her as the rich sound filled
the air. Brent usually had a scowl on his face or a woman at his
side—according to Brianna, at least. She hadn’t seen him so much as
look at another lady all night. It seemed that everyone on the SEAL
team talked about his reputation though. Maybe he was just taking a
night off from his womanizing ways—or more likely, maybe she was
just cramping his style. What would it look like for him to ditch
her for an easy lay? His friends would no doubt give him shit for
it. Not that he seemed to mind flirting with her all night.

“I’ve never exactly had to convince a woman
to climb on.”

Holy hell.

Ella flushed at the innuendo, and she felt
an unexpected pooling of moisture in her panties as her nipples
tightened. Climbing on Brent was something she’d never do. Jesus.
But suddenly images of Brent sprawled out beneath her on his bed
filled her head. All those pounds of muscles beneath her sounded
way too tempting. And the idea of him inside her? Mind blowing. All
that strength and power focused on her wasn’t something she could
handle. Even if he was an expert in bedroom activities. He’d
probably laugh if he knew how inexperienced she was. Even if she
wasn’t exactly saving herself for marriage, she would never fall
into bed with a man like him. She couldn’t be just another notch on
what were probably hundreds on Brent’s bedpost. He’d probably enjoy
showing her a good time, but as for making her feel like something
other than every other woman he’d been with? Not in a million
years.

Brent’s gaze softened. “I promise you’ll be
safe.”

“I can just get a cab.”

“In the middle of the night? Hell, if you do
that, I’m still following you home. I told the others I’d take you.
And sweetheart, I’m trained by the U.S. Navy. I can drive all sorts
of hazardous things without issue. This motorcycle is nothing.”

Yes, he probably could. And she was sure he
loved speedy cars, noisy guns, and fast women. What had made her
think he’d drive her home in some sort of safe, reliable vehicle?
He was a far cry from her last date in just about every way. Older
guy? Check. Bad-ass career? Check. Been around the block, oh, a
million times? Double check.

He wouldn’t try to grope her though. Or
demand anything for driving her home.

Yeah, despite his protests, he was a decent
guy.

“I’m staying at Kenley’s place.”

“I know. We’ve all been there before—it was
the last place Lexi was seen before she was kidnapped.”

“Lexi was kidnapped?” Ella asked in horror,
watching as anger briefly flashed across Brent’s face. “Is that how
she and Christopher met?”

She’d heard some of the stories about how
the guys on the SEAL team had met their women, but she was sure all
Brianna had mentioned was that Lexi and Christopher were old
college sweethearts or something. Rebecca had been stalked by a
client’s ex-husband around the time she met Patrick, and Kenley had
been in some sort of car accident when Mike came to help her,
driving up and down the highway until he located her car off in the
woods. Ella’s own life must look pretty boring in comparison.

“Nah. Lexi’s a hacker. On the Defense
Department’s payroll. Some asshole was trying to make a buck,
stealing Top Secret information from the Navy, and she got caught
in the middle of it. She was sent down here by the Pentagon but got
grabbed from the parking garage by her hotel.”

“Holy crap. That makes Brianna and Matthew’s
story almost sound tame,” she mused.

“There’s nothing ‘tame’ about a man
attacking a woman,” Brent said, his voice steel. “If we hadn’t been
there that night, he would’ve raped her right in the back
hall.”

“I know, just, Jesus…. That was the scariest
thing that’s ever happened to me—and it wasn’t me, it was Brianna
being attacked. Just in comparison—kidnapped….” Her voice trailed
off. Had something happened to Lexi when she’d been kidnapped?
Brianna had been lucky in a sense that Matthew and the guys on his
team had stopped her attacker moments after he’d cornered her. But
he’d pulled her into the back hallway at the cocktail lounge and
pushed her up against the wall when no one else around. Slid his
hands up her skirt. Intended to take whatever he wanted.

Shit. Did she really want to work there
again?

“Are you okay?” Brent asked, looking
concerned.

“Fine,” she said, frowning.

“I shouldn’t have mentioned the whole
kidnapping thing.” His brow furrowed, and for the first time, she
noticed the small crinkles around his eyes as they stood in the
lamplight. She’d been with him all evening, but this was the first
time they’d stood so close just talking. The first time she could
really study him. They’d been focused on the game at the pool hall
and busy eating pizza moments ago. Now it was just…them. No
distractions.

Brent’s large size, the scruff on his jaw,
and the gruffness in his voice all should have been intimidating as
hell. Not to mention his less than stellar reputation. But
inexplicably, she felt safer with him than anyone.

“I was just thinking about that night with
Brianna.” A shudder racked through her, and he frowned. “Anyway,
let’s do this. Like you said, it’s getting late. You’ve got
training in the morning, and I’ve got to pack for my flight.”

He eyed her, seeming to reconsider if he did
want her on the back of his bike. There were worse ways to get
home, she figured. And if she had to sit close behind him, wrapping
her arms around his solid strength? Well hell. She’d just have to
get over her fears. She’d enjoy the ten minute ride home if it gave
her an excuse to be close to Brent, and then she’d get on with her
life. No sense in standing around here all night, avoiding reality
when the morning would be here before either of them wanted.

She’d go back to Florida, Brent would
disappear to wherever his next deployment was, and that would be
that.

Life went on.

***

Brent glanced back at Ella a few minutes
later. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the cool night air,
and she looked like some sort of biker’s fantasy come to life in
the pink top, curve-hugging jeans, and black leather jacket.
His
jacket. Hell. He’d let women ride on the back of his
bike before. He fucking loved the feel of their arms wrapped
tightly around his waist, their breasts pushed into his back, and
their thighs snug on either side of his. So what was it about Ella
that had him stiffly gripping the handles, trying not to enjoy
himself so damn much? She brought out a chivalrous side he didn’t
even know that he had.

Never ridden a bike before, he thought with
a smirk.

She’d probably never been with a man before,
either. She was just so damn innocent.

That must be her appeal, he decided. Maybe
she wasn’t a virgin, but she couldn’t have been with that many men.
Hell, she was only twenty-two or so. But he sure wouldn’t mind
showing her how pleasurable sex could be. What would it be like to
teach her, he wondered?

Get a grip, Lover Boy.

No one said she was a virgin, and even if
she was, he’d never taste her sweet flesh. Never sink his cock
between her creamy thighs. Not when he’d promised himself he’d
fucking stay away from her.

He revved the engine and felt Ella squeeze
her arms tighter around his waist, nestling closer to him.

Fucking hell. He was going to be hard as
steel by the time they made it home.

“Ready to go?” he shouted above the roar of
the engine.

“Yes!”

His groin tightened. She was answering his
damn question, not screaming in pleasure. But the idea of her
writhing beneath him, shouting his name, screaming her release was
a damn spectacular image. Hell, just the fantasy of it might be
enough to get him through tonight. He sure the hell wouldn’t be
chasing after his nightmares when he had a wet dream come to life
behind him. Even if he was simply dropping her off, his imagination
would take care of the rest.

Glancing to his left, he pulled onto the
nearly empty street. He was dying to speed off into the night
again, but he knew Ella was scared. He’d take it slow and steady on
the drive home. For her sake. He wasn’t exactly used to putting
someone else’s needs before his, but something about Ella made him
want to do right by her. Always. And hell. When was the last time
he’d driven a woman home only to leave her at her front door? It
was almost like having a female friend. Not that he was having
purely friendly thoughts toward her.

He wound his way through the sparse traffic
on Atlantic Avenue, the main drag along Virginia Beach. Hotels
lined the road, with people coming and going from them even at this
late hour. When he paused at a light, he could hear the waves
crashing in the distance. What would it be like to drive up to the
secluded north end of the beach with Ella? They could see every
star in the sky from out there and watch the jets screaming across
the night sky from Naval Air Station Oceana as they conducted
training exercises. He could lay Ella down in the sand and take her
under the stars. Bring her to pleasure again and again. Taste that
sweetness between her thighs. Feel her tight heat pulsing around
him.

Yeah, right.

Maybe in another lifetime, he thought with a
smirk.

Traffic cleared the intersection, and before
the light changed to green, he glanced back at Ella again. “You
doing okay?”

“I’m good.”

He revved the engine as the light changed to
green and felt her arms tighten around him once more. Her soft
breasts pushed against his back, and he muttered a curse under his
breath. Heading off toward the condo development where Ella was
currently staying, the salty air blew in from the beach. It felt
spectacular at the moment, but the team had drills on the water at
oh-dark-thirty tomorrow. At the rate he was going, he’d be downing
a whole damn pot of coffee just to stay awake. Then again, he’d
felt calm all evening around Ella, the usual seething anger and
regret strangely absent since he’d spotted her at Anchors. Maybe
he’d fucking sleep like a baby for a change.

Ten minutes later he pulled into the parking
lot, not liking the fact that some of the lights were out. It
wasn’t safe for a woman to be walking around alone here at night,
and his gut churned at the knowledge that Ella had been staying
here all week. Had she gotten home late any nights? Was someone
lurking in the shadows? He had half a mind to call the management
office now and give them shit for it. If she didn’t have a close
parking spot, she’d be out here all alone. Then again—had she even
rented a car? Maybe Matthew and Brianna had been chauffeuring her
around the entire time.

He shut off the engine and steadied the bike
as Ella climbed off. Her small hands on his shoulders as she
steadied herself felt so fucking innocent. The night air felt cool
without her soft little body snuggled up against his, and he ground
his jaw. Since when the hell did he enjoy snuggling with a woman?
What was next—he’d take her inside and spoon her all night?

He swung his leg over his Harley and stood
at his full height beside her. She fumbled with the helmet, and he
reached to assist her, his fingers brushing against her soft skin.
He’d been with a hundred women, but standing here in the parking
lot face to face with Ella felt strangely intimate.

He was gentle as he undid the buckles,
careful not to scrape her skin. Her silky hair tumbled free as he
plucked it off her head, and he resisted the urge to run his
fingers through it. To tug her head back and kiss those soft lips.
To take control, push her back against his Harley, and take
whatever the hell he wanted.

He rested the helmet on the empty seat and
grabbed her purse from where he’d tucked it aside.

“I’ll walk you to the door,” he said,
putting his hand at the small of her back to guide her.

Jesus. If the other guys on his SEAL team
could see him now, they’d think he’d lost his fucking mind. The
type of women he usually walked to the door had their hands all
over him. And he’d be too busy grabbing their ass and kissing them
senseless to notice. Hell, just last week he’d practically fucked a
woman right on the back of his goddamn bike. She’d been unzipping
his pants, trying to free his aching cock, and he’d had to haul her
inside before they got arrested for indecent exposure. They’d had
sex on her living room floor, and he’d been out the door again in
less than an hour. This felt like some kind of junior high school,
G-rated date or something. Not that he dated. Or did anything that
earned an innocent “G” rating.

“Home sweet home,” he said as she slipped
off his jacket at the front door.

“Thanks for the ride. For tonight,” she
added, almost as an afterthought.

He nodded, feeling a strange need to
swallow. He’d left her before, down in Pensacola. Hopped out of her
car and barely even glanced back. Why did tonight feel so
different?

“My pleasure,” he said coolly. “Be safe down
in Florida.” Their fingers brushed as she handed him back his
jacket. Her skin was so fucking soft, and she still smelled like
those damn Easter lilies. And she was close. So close. Maybe if he
could taste her, just once, he could get her out of his head. Get
on with his life. Forget the way he’d stood up for her down in
Florida, like she hadn’t been on his mind every day since.