A SEAL's Courage (Military Match #1)(4)
When the luscious spasms finally subsided, she collapsed back onto the bed and opened her eyes, lying there a moment, limbs deliciously heavy, while attempting to regain control over her breathing. The shadowy ceiling came back into focus, and the quietness of the house seeped around her.
The unbearable loneliness crept up right behind it. The way it always did. The one thing missing in this scenario was the warm, masculine body against her side. She longed for the pleasure to have been shared and for strong arms to hold her while she slept, and their lack left an emptiness deep inside.
Now, staring up at her ceiling, all she could see were the similarities between her and Mary. Mary had been a sweet woman with a heart of gold. She’d given Lauren a good life and had made her feel loved. But Mary had never been willing to take risks, had never put herself out there. And then she’d died alone, never having found her true love. What if Lauren ended up the same way?
Determination expanded inside of her. She pulled her hand from her panties and moved into the attached bathroom. After relieving herself and washing her hands, she strode down the hallway and into the kitchen. There on the counter sat the notepad she wrote her grocery list down on. She pulled it close, grabbed the pen beside it, and started making a list of all the things she’d never done but had always wanted to.
1: Lose my virginity
She paused, frowning down at the pad. Accomplishing number one would require finding the guy first, though.
Her conversation with Mandy two evenings ago came flooding back.
Go talk to Karen and decide for yourself, she’d said. You shouldn’t lose your virginity to some jerk you meet in a bar.
Mandy was right. If she really wanted to lose her virginity, she needed to put herself out there.
She turned back to her list, making another note.
2: Call Karen at Military Match.
*
Lauren eyed her image again in the full-length mirror beside her dresser. A week had passed since she’d made the decision to call Karen at Military Match. Tonight was her first date. Turned out Mandy was right. Talking to Karen had all but made the decision to sign up easy. The woman had impressed her. Karen had a firm vision for her business, one with her clients’ needs at heart.
Over the last week, as she’d waited for tonight to arrive, she’d also added a few more things to her list. She wanted to make out with a guy in public, and she wanted to get drunk. Just once. After all, wasn’t that what college kids did? She hadn’t, and she wanted to know what it felt like.
She’d also made a decision about tonight’s date. She had every intention of checking off a few items from that list, and if she was doing this, then she was going all in. Tonight she was going to seduce her date. Have a hot fling for the first time in her life with a decent guy.
She’d need help, though. She hadn’t a clue what to wear, and she was so nervous she couldn’t stand herself. So she’d called Mandy and Steph for help. She’d planned her entire day so that she wouldn’t have to worry later. She’d gone to the bakery extra early this morning to make certain all their orders were filled and the shop’s shelves were packed. She’d left Lauren’s Chocolates and Pastries an hour earlier than usual, so she’d have extra time to fret over what on earth to wear.
When she got home, Steph and Mandy waited on the porch, arms loaded. God bless her best friends.
Now, an hour later, Mandy had taken care of her hair and makeup. Steph had brought over the wardrobe. Mandy, at least, hadn’t gone over the edge. She’d dolled up her usual perfunctory makeup and forced her to take her hair out of the ponytail she usually kept it in.
Steph, however, had gone completely crazy. Tonight’s outfit was something Lauren wouldn’t normally have been caught dead in. The zebra-striped blouse Steph had chosen lay open down to the button between her breasts. The V of the thin black sweater overtop was cut almost to her belly button. The black jeans at least she was comfortable with, but they were tighter than she would have preferred.
She turned to frown at Steph in the glass’s reflection. “Are you sure this is the right look for tonight?”
“You’re just lucky I decided to let you wear jeans and not that skirt I brought over.” At Lauren’s frown, Steph looked up, meeting her gaze in the mirror. “You want to get laid, right?”
“Yes, but…” Lauren eyed her reflection again. As a divorce attorney for a local firm, Steph was the more adventurous and confident of their trio. She had no qualms about wearing something formfitting and low cut, and she had the perfect hourglass figure to pull it off. Lauren, however, had always been tall and gangly and just this side of awkward. She’d never worn something so risqué.
“Uh-uh. No buts.” Steph frowned in admonishment. “If you want to get laid, babe, you’re going to have to leave behind your schoolmarm wardrobe. I still think you should’ve gone with that skirt instead of these jeans. Show a little cleavage and a little thigh and he’ll be following you around like a lost puppy.”
“We’re just meeting for coffee. It’s not like we’re going to a club or anything. That skirt was way overdone.” And too damn short for her tastes. “You realize I’m going to break my ankle in these heels, right?”
The heels were gorgeous, and they did make her legs look awesome. She felt sexy. Her and heels, though, had never gotten along well. More than likely she’d trip over the sidewalk and fall flat on her face. As usual.