Watch Over Me: A Military Romance (Uncharted SEALs Book 1) Read online

  Her breath caught as he removed it. The ocean breeze wafting over her skin did nothing to cool another jagged burst of heat as he unzipped his pants and pushed them down his long, thickly muscled legs. The boxers were a disappointment, because she’d wanted to see everything. The holster strapped to the inside of his calf was an unwanted reminder of his true reason for being here.

  Before she could think to ask him what he was doing, stripping in the open, he turned her body, his fingers finding the tongue of her zipper and sliding it down. With a gentle touch, he moved his hands along her curves, smoothing her dress downward, but caught it before it touched the sand.

  Without his asking, she stepped out of the garment, waiting while he folded their clothing and left it in a bundle next to their shoes. With both of them in their underwear, she felt somehow lighter, less affronted.

  “We deal better with fewer clothes,” he whispered.

  She agreed, but couldn’t manage to unstick her tongue from the roof of her mouth to tell him so. And because she didn’t want to do something foolish like beg him to make love to her, she gave him a sudden flashing smile and darted past him, running toward the water.

  His chuckles followed her, but his steps were unhurried.

  Feeling happier now that he’d managed to break the ice between them, albeit in an unconventional way, she dove into the waves.

  She didn’t get far before strong arms surrounded her ribcage, turning and lifting her. She wound her legs around his hips and tilted her head, relieved beyond measure he was holding her again, and the hands gripping her bottom clutched hard.

  As he opened his stance to brace against a wave, he let go of her ass, and his hands bracketed her cheeks. “Nicky Martir, you are beautiful.”

  Her eyes widened. The way he was looking at her now, his expression so taut, told her how much he meant the words. “You couldn’t have told me that at my door?” she replied huskily. “You’d have saved us both a lot of aggravation. And we might have actually enjoyed our meal.”

  He gave a sharp shake of his head. “I wanted to walk you backward into your room. Straight to your bed. I figured pissing you off was safer.”

  Her mouth curved in a slight smile, and she pinched his nipple then rubbed it with her finger, watching as the tiny tip hardened. “We barely know each other. I know this isn’t smart…” She bent her head and trailed her tongue across the top of his shoulder. Ummm…he tasted salty. “But I’m pretty sure we won’t be able to hold a real conversation until we get past it…” She traced his nipple again, and then glanced upward.

  Shadow darkened his eyes, his features tightened, cheekbones and jaw hardening even more. When he bent his head, she met his kiss, opening beneath it, inviting his intrusion. No, begging him to deepen it.

  Their second kiss went beyond simple intimacy straight to erotic bliss. His tongue stroked into her mouth, sliding along hers, tangling as his mouth suctioned to deepen his caress.

  Her nipples prickled and spiked. Wanting nothing between them, she reached behind her back to unhook her bra, dragging it away and letting it fall into the water. Naked, soft breasts to hard chest, she rubbed against him while the kiss continued.

  She mewed. He groaned. His fingers thrust through her hair and held her head still as he plunged into her, again and again. As they rocked against each other, gentle waves providing the rhythm, heat filled her core, and she nearly wept when she felt his arousal, growing more insistent by the second, pressing against her center. He wants me. Again, relief mixed with joy, and she clutched his shoulders, fingers digging into rigid muscle.

  Deke broke the kiss and rubbed his forehead against hers, breathing hard.

  His hand still gripped her hair, and he was pulling, causing a delicious ache in her scalp and neck. She eased back and closed her eyes. Hoping he was staring at her breasts, hoping he’d decide to act on his hunger before scruples and his mission interfered with this delicious moment.

  He grunted. “Someone might see.”

  “You’re the stealth man. Did you see anyone lurking in the shadows?”

  “No.” His mouth slid along her jaw. He bit her earlobe then nuzzled his nose behind it. “But I’m a little distracted.”

  “A little?”

  He ground against her sex. “More than a little.”

  Yes, little wasn’t what she was feeling. She told him so, which elicited a choked laugh.

  “Let’s get back to your room.”

  Afraid one of them would have another attack of conscience if they paused, she shook her head. “Here. Now.”

  “I promise you don’t want sand getting anywhere it doesn’t belong.”

  “What about the chaises beside the cabana?” she whispered. “No one will see.”

  He kissed her hard, and then let her down until her feet touched the sandy bottom. Together, they ran out of the water. Deliciously aware her naked breasts bounced, she wished they were both nude. Both completely free.

  Deke pulled a chaise behind the little tiki bar and managed to sneak out a towel from beneath the metal curtain guarding the counter. After he laid it on the chaise, he held out his hand, a silent command for her to come closer.

  A feeling unlike anything she’d ever felt before washed over. Her eyes lowered, shyness and excitement warring as she obeyed. Something in the tightening of his face, in the intensity of his dark, shadowed stare made her feel small and lusciously feminine. She wanted him in control. Wanted him in complete charge of their pleasure. Responding to the gentle pressure of his hands on her shoulders, she sank onto the chaise, following his lead as he placed her hands beside her head, as he spread her thighs and lifted her knees.

  She’d never been this acquiescent, this submissive, but she was as eager to please him as she was for him to surprise her. At this moment, she’d give him anything if only he’d ease the terrible ache growing in her core.

  His hands pressed on her inner thighs, opening them wider, and she moaned, turning her head, because even in moonlight, he might read some of the intense emotions flooding her.

  A finger glided over the tip of a breast. Then he plucked it, pinched it. A hand smoothed up her inner thigh.

  The sensations running through her body were almost too much. She’d been edgy and aroused all evening. When he slid his lips along her crest of her breast, she inserted her hand between them and covered herself, wanting only a moment to regroup and catch her breath.

  Deke leaned back and raked a hand through his thick, wavy hair. “Second thoughts? We could dress. I’ll leave you at your room. This is your choice, Nicky.”

  Breathing deeply to bolster her nerves, she shook her head. She’d never been this tightly wound. Her reactions were out of proportion to the intimacies they’d shared. Get a grip. Good Lord, how would she stand it when it he finally came inside her?

  “I don’t want to stop. But I’m already coming apart,” she whispered, her tummy and thighs trembling. She reached to sink her fingers into his warm, thick hair and pulled him closer. “Please, Deke. I don’t want to wait.”

  Chapter Three

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  “Deke, please.” Her back arched, breasts rising, the tiny points shivering with her shattered breaths. Droplets of saltwater shone like stars on her skin.

  Deke couldn’t help but stare. She was perfect. Lush curves, heavy breasts, and fleshy hips. Sexy as hell as she lay quivering and panting. Perfectly fuckable.

  But her sexy body and aroused state weren’t the only qualities that drew him. She was willful and strong. Things he loved finding in a woman, because he knew he wasn’t an easy kind of guy to be with. Too moody, he’d been told before. But this woman had read through his bullshit and figured out exactly how to rope him in closer.

  She’d lifted her chin. Challenged him. And from that first little gesture, right there at her hotel room door, he’d known he was lost, ruefully self-aware the question was just a matter of whether he would last all the way through dinner, or take her right t
here in her doorway.

  Although doing so had nearly killed him, he’d played the gentleman, which only seemed to irritate her more. Something that secretly amused him. He’d have preferred ordering in and then feeding her by hand, watching her open and close her pretty mouth, feeling her suck his fingers with every morsel until they were both so aroused they finished their meal, feasting on each other.

  A nice fantasy, but here they were. About to make love on oily beach furniture in the shadowed space between the hotel fence and the back of a tiki bar. He hadn’t wanted their first time to be something sordid, but she’d been insistent. At the very least, he could take off the edge before convincing her to move their sex play inside where he could treat her the way she deserved.

  Hell, he’d been so eager to take her, there in the water, he hadn’t been thinking with his brain. His hands curled. They were in the open, vulnerable to prying eyes—something she should never suffer. Exposed to possible danger. Fuck. He let loose a deep sigh. She would think he was a faucet, going hot and cold. She’d likely never speak to him again. He grabbed her hand and gently tugged her up to sit on the edge of the chair. “Baby, we’re going inside. Out here isn’t safe.”

  Her fingers wrapped around the edge of the seat, and her shoulders curved. Her chin dropped to her chest. “Is going inside really for my safety, or are you playing with me? Are you a sadist?”

  Ah, hell. Deke went to his knees in front of her. He reached out to cup her cheek, but she jerked away. “I’m not a sadist.”

  Her mouth curved downward. “I guess I’m tired anyway.”

  He studied her face, as much as he could see of it in the moonlight. Her eyes were downcast so he couldn’t read her emotions there, but her breaths were shallow, blowing through pursed lips. Not a good sign. “I’ll go get our clothes.”

  When he returned, she was standing, faced away. He placed her clothing on the sand beside her feet, and turned away to dress himself. When he looked her way again, she was closing her zipper.

  At a loss as to how to salvage the moment, he fisted his hands on his hips. “I’m sorry, Nicky.”

  “Don’t be.” She strode toward him, stopping directly in front of him then lifting her face to glare. “Today’s been…interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever been with a guy who could go from hot to cold so fast. I have to admit, I’m confused.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want you.”

  Her mouth twisted. “I’m underwhelmed with that admission.”

  He huffed out a breath, irritated with his inability to express himself in a way that didn’t make her angrier. “Dammit, Nicky.” He grabbed her hand and, ignoring her gasp, held it against his cock. “I’m so goddamn hard, I can’t think. I’ve been this way since you untied your swimsuit top and asked me to apply sunscreen.”

  Her fingers trembled in his grasp and he slowly unwrapped his own, releasing her. But her hand remained snug against him, fingers spreading and squeezing. His cock pulsed, and he closed his eyes, savoring the sensation of being stroked.

  When he opened them again, he found Nicky looking at him, uncertainty gleaming in her eyes.

  “Is this all you want from me?” she whispered, her hand giving him another squeeze.

  He shook his head, because he really didn’t know what more he could accept. Being here on this island was a job with a limited window of opportunity. When they returned to Virginia, they’d both go back to their own worlds. But his silent answer seemed to satisfy her.

  She nodded curtly. “Good.” She dropped her hand, and stepped sideways, around him, leaving him as she walked back toward the hotel.

  He turned and sprinted after her retreating form. “Wait. That’s all you have to say?”

  “You want a poem? Hearts and flowers?” She gave a cute, girly grunt. “I’m not that kind of girl, SEAL-boy.”

  His strides didn’t shorten as he caught up to her. He caught her hand and lengthened his strides, pulling her behind him again, eager to get her alone, because once she was safely inside her room, he didn’t intend to stop. Not until they were both sated.

  “Like I said,” she grumbled. “Hot and cold.”

  And back to boiling. He tightened his grip and walked faster.

  She arrived at her door breathless and slipped him her key card. Once he’d opened the door and done his little safety check, he directed his attention back to her, laser focus sliding over her body, head to toe, leaving her feeling singed everywhere his gaze touched.

  He turned on the lamp beside the bed then strode to the overhead light switch, turning it off. Then he went to work on his buttons, jerking his chin in her direction. “Get those off.”

  Although she’d never been spoken to like that before by a man, she didn’t need to be told twice. His delivery was harsh and graveled, his words straight to the point—and she found she liked it. But she didn’t dare betray her inward grin. She couldn’t have him feeling too confident. Already once tonight, he’d taken her to the edge of her endurance. Her pride wouldn’t allow her to reveal the extent of her desire. She narrowed her gaze and took her sweet time stepping out of her shoes, removing the few pieces of jewelry she’s worn—earrings, a thin bracelet—and setting them on the bedside table. By the time she reached for her zipper, she saw he was already nude and he’d folded his arms over her broad chest.

  Her fingers went still as she stared at him. Her mouth dried. In the golden glow of a single lamp, his body was a beautiful, burnished brown, except for the pale stripe of skin across his hips. Her gaze went straight to his sex, already fully awakened, and jutting from his groin. Perfectly proportioned with his large, muscular body. Oh my. Her thighs pressed together at the renewed urgency cramping her core.

  He strode toward her, more intimidating naked than he’d been clothed, and she fought to breathe, lifting her hair clear of her zipper as he circled behind her and slid down her zipper. She trembled as he quickly pushed her dress to the floor and hooked his thumbs in the sides of her panties to drag those off, too.

  Standing naked, she shivered in the cool conditioned air as he circled her again, his head bent as he studied her body. Not politely, either. His hands touched everywhere his gaze went, smoothing over her bottom, her hip, lifting her breasts one at a time. Slipping between her legs to cup her mound. Feeling as though she’d been thoroughly inspected, she didn’t know whether she should feel flattered or outraged.

  When he stopped right in front of her, he lifted her chin with a curved finger. “I can’t be…polite.”

  She didn’t reply, simply giving him a steady glare. Was she really ready for this?

  “Just so you know. It’s been a while for me, Nicky.” His jaw tightened and he stepped back. “I want you in the middle of the bed. Be sure to pull the covers all the way down.”

  “Are you always this romantic?” she quipped, shaking back her damp hair.

  “I’m never this desperate.”

  His voice was a deep sexy rumble that filled the air between them. She blinked and a wash of pure percolated heat swept over her. His words weren’t an apology for his lack of finesse, but a satisfactory explanation in her mind. He felt the same way she did—so taut with sexual desire not much was needed to snap the thread of her self-control.

  While she stared, he opened his hand. A condom rested in the center of his palm. She watched fascinated, oddly jealous as he quickly fit it to the tip of his cock and rolled it down, giving himself a quick up and down stroke before glancing at her again.

  The moment had arrived. This time, she didn’t feel a single sliver of doubt. She wanted him. Although they’d only just met, getting it on felt inevitable.

  He made a growling sound, which made her jerk, and she hurried to the bed, aware of his gaze following her. She pulled back the covers and tossed them to the floor. When she glanced over her shoulder, her breath hitched. He was right behind her.

  Strong arms encircled her waist. Rough hands cupped her breast and mound. His bristled cheek
rubbed against hers. “This first time’s going to be a little rough and fast.”

  Nestling back against his hard body, she whispered, “And the second?”

  His breath gusted on a choked laugh. “I’ll take it slower. Give you everything you want.”

  “Rough and fast is good,” she rasped.

  He twisted behind her, and easily lifted her, laying her on the bed. Before she could move to make room, he crawled right over her, nudging apart her thighs. His hands wrapped around hers, holding them beside her head. His cock pushed against her folds.

  Not needing any further prompting, she opened to him, surrendering. She slid her feet up the mattress, bending her knees, spreading them, inviting him closer.

  With a flex of his hips, he sank inside.

  Nicky’s jaw lowered. Her eyelids drifted downward. The pressure of his large blunt head entering her was surprising. Glorious. His girth filled her, stretched her. Friction quickly heated her channel.

  He began rocking, the push-pull of his hips drugging to her senses. Her pulse caught his rhythm, drumming against her temples. Moisture flooded her, welcoming him and easing his insistent intrusion.

  All the while he moved, he stared down into her eyes, his features darkening, his nostrils flaring. “You’re so fucking tight, baby. So hot.”

  “Please, please, don’t stop,” she gasped, a prisoner of his intense look.

  “Not a chance.”

  His hands released hers, and she reached up, sliding her open palms over the rounded muscles of his chest then gliding around his ribs to rake her nails down his back.

  An action he appeared to relish, because he stroked faster, making deep, growling sounds of pleasure that made her smile. And then suddenly, he halted, sliding from inside her.

  She cursed, digging in her fingernails, hoping to keep him close. But he shrugged them off, kneeling between her legs, hooking his arms beneath her knees, and lifting her bottom from the bed. His cock nudged her again, found her center, and plunged deep.