A SEAL's Courage (Military Match #1)(41)

*



He was still stewing over his brother’s words when his phone pinged several hours later. Seated on a bench at Chism Park, staring out over the calm waters of the lake, Trent released the heavy thoughts of AJ and fished his phone out of his pocket. A text from Lauren flashed across the screen.

Dinner at my place 2nite. I’ll cook this time. Ur turn to bring dessert.

God, just the sight of her words on the screen inspired the image of her and set his heart hammering his rib cage. No doubt those words would have been spoken with a teasing clip. Those big brown eyes would have glinted with mischief, and damned if he didn’t ache to kiss that smug smile off her face.

He punched in a quick reply. Deal. What’re u in the mood for?

U ;)

Trent groaned and reached down to adjust the hard-on springing to life in his jeans. He’d stroked himself to orgasm more than once over the last few days, giving in to the burning ache she’d inspired. The idea had been to take the edge off for their date, but she had only to toss something saucy at him and he was hard again. When she actually touched him later? Or looked at him through her lashes, in that innocent yet deliberate way she had? Christ. He’d be hard all damn night.

Nope. My turn 2night, remember? I have plans for you.

And he did. He’d spent far too much time pondering all the ways he wanted to give her pleasure. He wanted to hear her call his name again right before her orgasm took her. Wanted to make her come so hard she forgot to breathe.

Then he wanted to do it all again. And again. And again.

Not fair. :(

Trent let out a quiet laugh and shook his head. Will was right; she flirted with him and thoughts of the war flitted away. Dessert, doll. What’re u in the mood 4?

Surprise me.

Oh, he planned to.

Another message popped up before he could think of a response. U at home?

He darted a glance at the lake, watching the water lap at the shore. No. At the park. Went for a run.

Can you do that now?

He rolled his eyes. Of course she’d worry. Yeah. Doc gave me the ok, long as I don’t push 2 hard. Was slow and pathetic. Not even sure I worked up a sweat.

I take it u didn’t sleep well last nite?

How the hell she knew that, he hadn’t a clue, but it was what had drawn him to her in the first place. She just seemed to understand, and that she did soothed the wound inside. Like she could heal all his broken parts.

No.

Ironically, he’d discovered he slept better next to her. So far he’d spent two nights in her bed, and twice she’d calmed the panic. He didn’t dream any less, but more than once her scent insinuated itself into his nightmares, shifting the pain and confusion.

Not that he’d tell her that. Because he wasn’t supposed to be sleeping with her. Not spending the night with her was supposed to keep those boundaries set firm.

But she kept annihilating his boundaries because he was weak when it came to her. She made him yearn for things he had no right to want. Team members who’d relied on him had died because he’d failed. Hell, he’d failed his marriage. What right did he have to be happy? To just live his life like nothing had happened? And what if he failed Lauren, too?

Firmly shoving that particular line of thinking aside, he punched in another quick reply. What time u want me over?





6?


Sounds good. See u in a few hours.

*



He’d ended up deciding on chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert, because he could feed them to her. Much like the truffles she’d brought by his place that first night.

When he showed up at her place—at six on the nose—and stood on her porch, waiting for her to open the door, he was hard again. Riffling through his head were memories of the last time he’d come over: watching her slip her hand into her panties, those heavy-lidded brown eyes locked on his when she came.

He shoved a hand through his hair. If he made it through dinner without peeling her clothing off it would be a miracle.

When she opened the door, his heart flat-out stalled. Lauren, apparently, had dressed to kill. She wore those jeans that hugged her curves, but her top gained the full attention of every inch of his body. The deep V neckline went clear down between her breasts, the fabric knotted there to draw his attention. More than a little of her breasts mounded along the neckline. The long sleeves had slits that exposed her soft shoulders, making his mouth water with the overwhelming desire to bend his head and taste her creamy skin.

“Wow.” He swallowed in a vain attempt to wet his desert-dry throat and forced his gaze off her chest.

A beautiful soft pink suffused her cheeks, and she glanced down at herself. “I told Steph I had a date tonight. She loaned me this.”

He was over the threshold and wrapping himself around her before he’d even realized he’d moved. He set the box of strawberries onto a side table and braced a hand against her lower back. With the other, he followed the V of that neckline. “You realize this is more of you than I’ve ever seen.”

She shivered in his arms, a whisper-soft breath leaving her mouth. “I wanted something a bit more provocative for tonight. Something sexy I thought you’d like.”

He couldn’t stop the quiet groan that left him and tightened his hold on her, drawing her impossibly closer until he was taking every breath with her and he could feel the pounding of her heart against his chest. “Doll?”