SEAL The Deal (16 page)

His seduction became more obvious, and it quickly became time for them to leave the party. Taking her hand in his, he addressed Kyle and the rest of them, “Don’t wait up for us.”

“Careful, Devon. He’s got that look,” Malcolm said.

Inside, Devon was beaming.

She could hardly wait.

Chapter 17

Nick knew where he would take her. The lights from Neverland, the legendary place where many of his high school buddies had lost their virginity, were stunning, and he knew she’d love it. They climbed the steep off-road drive, and as they came around to the flat area Devon gasped. Twinkling lights spread before her across the expansive Santa Rosa plain that stretched fifty miles. He angled the car pointing west, pulled onto a gravel shoulder and shut down the engine.

“Beautiful.”

He was looking at her profile, thinking the same thing. He traced the line of her jaw, slipping his fingers around the top of her neck and pulling her to him across the console. His lips sipped from hers. Devon opened to him as his tongue found hers and coaxed her to return the favor.

The cab was feeling cramped and his erection was getting painful.

“Come on.” He grabbed a blanket from the second seat, coming around to lift her out of the car. They walked through the dried grasses to a perfect view, where spread the blanket and invited her to join him. Their shoulders touched as they watched the lights, felt the gentle breeze, and listened to the crickets. The fragrant wild grasses and the sounds of traffic in the distance always soothed him. Tonight, it felt like magic.

Nick had never felt this way about anyone in his life. He had thought of himself as immune to love. He had been so certain that his loyalty to his teammates and his country would forever be most prominent in his life.

But now there was Devon, and it just felt so natural to have her beside him. There was a lot he didn’t know about her. Could she handle a long distance relationship? Playing around with his buddies was one thing, but could she hold up during his difficult deployments? Would the intensity of their feelings survive being apart, with him living in San Diego and her in Sonoma County?

“Thank you for bringing me here, Nick. I can see this is a special place,” she said.

Nick had to smile. “They call it Neverland.”

“Really? Why?” Her eyes sparkled in the reflection of the lights ahead of them. Then she put her hand to her mouth. “Oh. A make-out place, right? Like a
legendary
make-out place?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t—” He suddenly realized he shouldn’t have said it.

She touched his lips with her fingertips. “No. I never even got close to making love with anyone. I’ve barely been kissed.”

“That’s all in the past, baby.”

“Yes.” She looked down, shyly.

“I can’t believe no one tried to get close to you, Devon. You’re beautiful, smart. You’re a good friend to Sophie. Girls like you don’t come along very often.”

“Thank you for saying that, Nick. I have to admit, I’ve never met anyone like you, either.”

The doorway was being breached. Surrender was imminent. But whose? He wanted to give himself to her as much as he needed her to fill all those raw spots and holes in his soul.

“I’d like this to continue after I go back to San Diego. Can you ever see yourself—what I’m asking I have no right to ask. You don’t even know me.”

“I know Sophie and she’s told me some stories. Sophie doesn’t lie.”

“No, she doesn’t. So now I’m afraid of what she said.”

She looked back out to the lights. He saw the moisture on her lips as they began to curl up at the ends. “She said you don’t let anyone in. Ever.”

“Until now, Devon.”

Her sparkling eyes lit up his heart when she turned to face him again. “I was hoping to hear that, Nick. For me, all this sex, it’s something more than just that. I feel like I belong here, beside you.”

“You do, baby.”

They kissed as he lay her down into the blanket. He nuzzled under her ear and spoke the words she wasn’t sure she heard at first. “I’m falling hard and I don’t want to stop. You’d have a terrible time getting rid of me if you change your mind.”

She laced her fingers through his hair, moving on to his temples and caressing the sides of his face. “Don’t stop. I don’t want you to stop. I don’t want to lose this feeling—”

Before she could finish he stopped her as he brushed her lips with a soft kiss and slid his hand up under her shirt. He pulled the cotton fabric off, bending to penetrate the top of her bra with his tongue. She arched to him with a moan that nearly made him come. He removed her bra, then worked on her pants, sliding them down her thighs. Her white lace panties glowed in the moonlight.

She waited and watched him as he shed his own clothes. Then, raising one of her knees over his shoulder he bent down and licked the inside of her thigh. His tongue snaked its way under the elastic of the panty to seek and find her slit as he dipped the tip inside her warm opening. Devon grabbed his hair, clutching with her fingers wildly as her hips writhed, presenting her mound to him.

Watching her face under the stars, he slowly pulled her panties off and slipped two fingers inside her. It was heaven to watch her melt with desire. He and only he had opened the door to her garden of delights. It had never been important before, but tonight it was. He vowed he’d be the only man to ever make love to Devon for the rest of her life. If she’d have him.

He sucked her clit as he moved his fingers in and out of her.

“Please,” she moaned.

“Yes. I’m here, Devon.”

“Please, Nick, I need you inside me.”

“Yes,” he whispered. “I want—”

Should he say it? Was it wise?

“Please, need you,” she was moaning.

“I want to be the only one, Devon.”

“You are.”

“I want to be the only one, ever,” he said as he mounted her. He’d brought protection and quickly slipped it over his engorged shaft. The delay sent her into a frenzy.

“You are the only one. I don’t ever want to let you go.”

Nick entered her as she exploded all around him. Her warm sheath held him, pulled him deeper. Her breasts shone in the silvery night air, the red peaks of her nipples knotted with pleasure. Nothing in the world compared to the beauty of this woman surrendering fully to him under the night sky. She loved with complete abandon, and he vowed he would never leave her.

Somehow, they’d figure out a way to make all the pieces fit, just as their bodies fit together.

Somehow.

Devon stroked along Nick’s back, felt the circular scars that reminded her he’d faced death more than once. Another long, thin scar inched from his hip nearly to his spine.

His callused fingers were rubbing her chest, squeezing her nipples as he laid his head against her to listen to her heart. There wasn’t any part of Nick’s body she didn’t love. His thick thighs draped across hers, his steady breathing warming her. She ran her hand down his sides, reveling in the weight of his body on top of hers, right where he belonged.

They had not spoken of love, but she knew what this was. And she was sure he felt the same. She felt protected, honored to be loved by such a beautiful and powerful warrior.

She wanted to spend her life pleasing him. If he’d let her.

Chapter 18

Devon awoke to the feel of Nick’s body spooning behind her in the guest bedroom.

Thank God it wasn’t a dream.

They’d not gotten much sleep, but in spite of the lack, she felt energized. They showered together and barely made it to the kitchen in time to join Marc and the others at breakfast.

“Sophie, you got howler monkeys around here?” Kyle asked her. Sophie nearly dropped her spoon of oatmeal and darted a glance at Devon, whose cheeks immediately warmed in embarrassment.

The catcalls and whistles were making her nervous. Nick wrapped his big arms around her waist and kissed the side of her face. The whole table watched his affection for her, studying every detail unabashed.

Are they like this all the time? Isn’t there anything they don’t know about?

“I think I heard an old hound dog howling last night,” Cooper added.

“No, Coop, that would be the sounds of my tractor giving up the ghost of its formerly inoperable self,” Sophie interjected.

“Yup, Coop sure knows how to make the equipment purr,” Rory added.

“How’s Libby feeling?” asked Nick as he returned to his breakfast.

“Puking 24/7. But I don’t care. On the bathroom floor or anywhere, she’s still the sexiest damn lady I’ve ever met in my life,” said Coop.

After breakfast, Sophie checked Craigslist as well as the Press Democrat ad and found everything was up, as planned. Kyle and Fredo had no sooner placed the liquidation sale sign at the end of the driveway when an old Jeep turned up the drive and beat them to the office.

A young woman with long blonde hair and an infant sleeping in a sling across her chest, followed by her skinny husband, exited the Jeep.  They began to wander through the greenhouse and protected plant area, looking over the signs on the rototillers and stopping to examine the tractor. Sophie joined them. Devon was right behind her.

“You’re our first customers today. Lots of great deals. What can I help you find?” Sophie asked.

The husband shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and shrugged. “I used to come in here and drool over this place. I’ve heard you’re preparing to sell. Would you consider working out something with us? I’m David Hallberg, and this is my wife, Donna.”

Sophie and Devon exchanged looks as if Divine Intervention was a fact.

“We would, as a matter of fact,” Devon began as she grabbed Sophie’s arm in an effort to silence her. “But we’re asking one point one. That’s a very fair price, and we were hoping for multiple offers.”

The couple looked at each other for a moment, and then the woman spoke up. “My grandfather has just passed away and left me some money. It’s always been our dream to own a nursery, especially here in the Valley. We have a good amount of cash to put down, but we’d need a loan or have to have you carry a note for the rest of it, depending on your sales price. Is that possible?”

“Getting a commercial loan would be nearly impossible, I’m sorry to say,” Devon replied.

“We’d have over half in down payment,” the girl said, juggling the baby in her sling.

“I’ll take the difference in a note,” said Sophie.

Devon nailed her with a stare telling her to shut up. She continued, “If you qualify, it looks like Sophie would consider it.”

Before a handful of people arrived at the sale, Devon had written a contract for the nursery. Although she knew darned well there were many hurdles and inspections to sort through, Sophie was showing them around as if it was final. Devon knew she’d have to counsel her friend to be careful not to place too much reliance on the young couple, whose funds were not even verified. Devon had seen it dozens of times before.

Sophie had also promised the tractor and several pieces of equipment, furniture and statuary inside the office to the young couple, placing red SOLD stickers on them. Devon finally felt she had to draw her aside.

“You’ve got to stop this, Sophie.”

“I can give it away if I want to.”

“But that’s not the point. We’re here—everyone’s come here—to help you liquidate, to earn enough money to buy you some time. You remember our discussion about the notice of default?”

“I saw that in the contract.”

“We had to disclose it. We have to disclose it to anyone making an offer.”

“Not the asshole next door. Can’t wait to see his freakin’ face—”

“Sophie, listen to me. You’re not being smart. Don’t count your chickens until they hatch. Let’s be conservative.”

Sophie angled her head and gave a wry smile. “That what was going on all last night?”

Devon was embarrassed again. It did draw her back to the lovemaking and how he commanded every cell of her body. It was hard not to grin. She tried and failed. “Okay, so your brother is a good kisser.”

The two women shared a laugh.

“I’m so happy for you, Devon.” Sophie gave her a hug. “I’ve never seen him so totally bonkers. He’s running into things and can’t concentrate. You’ve done a good job tying him up with those golden handcuffs Marc keeps telling me about.”

“Well, we’ll see. We’re taking it one day at a time. First thing is to see this job done right, and get you into escrow, raise some cash, and make sure everything stays on track. That’s my job. You’re going to have to listen to me and let me handle this sale for you. Don’t get your hopes up too much, okay? I don’t want to see you disappointed.”

“Hell, Devon, all I got left is hope.”

Sophie’s coral lipstick looked ridiculous this morning, Devon thought. She’d applied more makeup than she could remember seeing Sophie wear, ever, especially her attempts to cover the grey bags under her eyes.

“No, you’ve got us. All of us.” Devon pointed to the shirtless SEALs who were escorting customers and carrying flats of plants like waiters in a fancy restaurant.

By noon, Rory and Marc were out by the highway, swinging their shirts and directing traffic up the driveway. A steady stream of cars was directed up the hill and customers parked all over the property. The event was starting to take on a carnival atmosphere. Country western music blared, waters and sodas were generously handed out, and sales went through the roof.

A television truck from a local station made its way up the driveway and a camera crew filmed the event. The SEALs posed behind dark sunglasses for the woman reporter, who also interviewed them. The reporter didn’t bother to interview Sophie, even though she tried to interject herself.

Devon had posted the work crew antics on her Facebook page, sending a link to her office inviting other agents to stop by. She continued taking pictures of the crowds and uploading them throughout the day. The numbers continued to grow until nearly everything was cleaned out.

Devon watched Sophie walk unsteadily, but on her own, through the vacant racks and inspect the black plastic that used to be covered in five gallon containers of cuttings she’d started and plants she’d started from seed. Devon knew the reality was sinking in that her dream of supporting herself by creating a boutique nursery was coming to a close. When Sophie leaned against a post and wept, Devon started toward her, but Marc came to her side and carried her into the house.