Finding Carly (SEAL Team Hawaii #5)(67)

Suddenly, Carly wondered if she measured up to the mysterious man’s expectations.

“Before he left, he told me how much he liked you,” Jag said, reading her mind.

“He did?”

“Said he was going to ‘stop fucking around and solve this shit.’ And that’s a direct quote. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t putting the effort in before now, just that meeting you made it even more personal.”

Carly nodded.

“I think it was the hug,” Mustang said, grinning.

“I can’t believe you did that!” Lexie shook her head. “He still scares the hell out of me. No way would I have ever made that move.”

Carly shrugged. “It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. If I’d thought about it, I probably wouldn’t have done it.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think that man needs a woman’s touch more than anyone I’ve ever met,” Elodie declared.

“Jody,” Kenna said with a nod.

“Who?” Carly asked.

“Jodelle. The woman who we all think Baker’s interested in,” Lexie said.

“All right, we’re going,” Mustang declared. “We aren’t going to stand around and gossip about Baker’s love life.”

Carly laughed, as did the other women.

“Party-pooper,” Elodie grumbled, hooking her arm with her husband’s.

The group headed down the stairs toward the parking lot. Carly waved at her friends and said she’d be in touch soon.

The second the door shut behind Jag, he said, “I know you’re hungry. I figured we could stop on the way back home. You craving anything or you want me to pick?”

This man. He was always so in tune with her. “You pick,” she said easily.

Jag nodded and pulled out of the parking lot and turned right to head back toward Honolulu.

“I know I said it before, but I had a very good time today,” Carly said.

“Good.”

As they drove, she quietly studied Jag…and realized she loved him. She wasn’t all that surprised at the revelation. She’d never felt as close to a man as she did with him. He was everything she’d ever wanted in a partner. It was almost a scary thought, because she didn’t want to do anything to fuck things up between them.

Intellectually, she knew she wasn’t at fault for how things ended up between her and Shawn. That was all on him. He was the asshole, as Jag was so fond of telling her. But a small part of her couldn’t help but worry it was at least partially her fault. That somehow, she’d made him change the way he had.

As if he could feel her negative thoughts, Jag reached for her hand and said, “I enjoy spending time with my friends, but I can’t wait to get home and just chill with you.”

Her doubts disappeared in a flash. “Same,” she said fervently.

It was time. Time to show him how much she wanted him. If he didn’t make a move to sleep with her tonight, Carly would. She wanted this man, more and more every day. She was so ready to be with him in every way a woman could be with a man.

Instead of being nervous about her decision, Carly felt as if a weight had been taken off her shoulders. Tonight, she’d make love to her man and tell him exactly how she felt about him. It was a risk, but one she had a feeling would pay off tenfold. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Jag, and the rest of her life would start tonight. She couldn’t wait.





CHAPTER SEVENTEEN





Carly sighed in frustration. Nothing had gone the way she’d hoped after leaving the ranch. They’d stopped and had a late lunch on the way home, and Carly had thought she and Jag were on the same wavelength as far as intimacy went.

But when they got home, he seemed to withdraw. They still snuggled on the couch, but he didn’t even try to make out with her. When Carly tried to entice him to touch her by practically shoving his hand under the hem of her shirt, he’d gotten up to get them refills on their drinks.

She was beginning to get a complex…but she wasn’t giving up. Not yet.

Remembering the advice Kenna had given her about climbing on top of him when he came to bed, Carly decided that would be her next attempt. She’d make it very clear that any reticence she might’ve once had was long gone.

She headed into the bedroom around the same time she usually did. When she changed, she wore the usual oversized shirt, but felt a little racy leaving off her underwear.

As she lay in bed waiting for Jag, Carly knew she was being stupid. She and Jag were both adults. She should just talk to him. Tell him outright that she wanted to make love. But for some reason, she couldn’t. Maybe it was fear of rejection. Maybe she was a bit intimidated by Jag, sexually. She obviously still had a bit of insecurity when it came to intimacy. But that didn’t mean she didn’t want him. She did.

So she was going to take control. Make sure Jag had no reason to doubt she was ready for sex. Her heart raced in her chest, and she smiled. She’d left the bathroom light on, as usual, and couldn’t wait to finally fulfill some of her fantasies tonight.

Half an hour later, Jag entered the room. He was quiet, as usual, so as not to wake her. But Carly definitely wasn’t asleep. She’d even touched herself while thinking about the night to come, making sure she was slick and ready for her man.