“There’s nothing to tell.” She offered a small grin and snagged a flyaway strand of hair between her fingers. Anything to keep her hands to herself and brain out of bed with him.
But still, the quiet demand in his voice worked over her, and for a second, tore at the need to fall into his arms and tell him every last detail until he promised to fix all her problems for her looked appealing. For all of five seconds. And then reality bitch slapped her with a two-by-four in the form of her grandmother’s old saying.
Chin up, no one wants to see a woman cry.
Her late abuela’s words echoed in her mind. She’d heard the mantra often enough, but the sting of their meaning never went away. The voice grew louder the closer she came to losing everything, and the harder it was to be strong. To make matters worse, the mother she knew as a child would be so disappointed.
“That’s okay. Keep your secrets for now, precious. It won’t be long before I’m pulling them from you.” Dyson’s body heat brushed against her bare arms and shoulders as he stepped behind her and wrapped her in his arms.
She bit her lip, fighting back the urge to lean into him. One sliver of weakness and she would cave.
Letting him close when she was so vulnerable would break her. She knew better than to take their sexcapades over the past months beyond what they’d agreed on—friends with benefits when he was in town.
Dyson was away months on end building his own career in the military. She had no right to burden him with her problems. Besides, she had to keep her head firmly rooted in reality. What they had was casual. Don’t get her wrong, it was fun, but blurring the lines would end the one enjoyable thing she had in her life right now. Besides, nothing good ever came out of letting people that close to her heart.
Her mother had with her father, and that turned into nothing but heartache and more pain than her mother could bear. Love obviously took a hell of a lot more strength than what ran in her family.
“So what did you want to show me?” She turned to look up at him changing the subject.
He knew it too with how he arched a brow as he peered down at her with a knowing look that said he read into her. Let him. Didn’t mean she had to talk.
The fabric of his casual button-down shirt clung to every inch if his well-toned chest and abs. Each ripped muscle was outlined to reveal the hardened Marine beneath. It was all she could do to not reach out and let her hands do the talking along all those delicious contours.
She’d already kissed her way down his chest more than once and knew exactly what lay at the end of that hidden treasure trail. Her mouth watered for she couldn’t help but lick her lips.
She loved how his tousled hair looked so boyish yet sexy at the same time. Only he could pull off that look.
Ugh. Damn it. There went her slutty muse with ideas of burying her fingers in that mussed hair and pulling him closer for a kiss.
He must have read her thoughts with the way a sexy smile pulled at his lips.
A pulse of heat pierced her efforts of beating back her crazy need to feel him pressed against her, his legs parting her thighs. Her pussy contracted and warm liquid wet the thin strip of her thong.
No.
He stepped into her.
“You want me to do every dirty thing I promised and more. Admit it, precious. Tell me to my face you want my massive cock stretching that pussy, making you groan, and cumming all over me. Tell me I’m lying.”
She glanced over his shoulder for a heartbeat. He wasn’t.
“You’re lying.” She tried, but the effort it took to sell it was too high because he outright laughed at her attempt to cover up her truth.
“Now who’s not telling the truth?”
He pulled her flush against his body and hiked up the hem of her dress, cupping her pussy through her thoroughly soaked panties.
Eyes wide, she gasped, clutching his shoulders. “Dyson!” she moaned.
“Hmm. Naughty little vixen,” he purred close to her ear. “I bet you were this wet during the ceremony in front of all those people. I distinctly remember your gaze on my dick.”
Instead of answering, she tightened her thighs around his hand and damn if that didn’t make the situation worse. Pressure against her throbbing clit and aching pussy make me groan and yes, he heard it despite her effort to try and hide it behind and fake cough.
“You like it when I talk dirty to you.” He growled against her lips.
That was no secret. Not that she was trying to hide the truth too hard.
Her whole body ached for him and he found the proof is in the honey.
Nipples spiked against her dress, her clit throbbed with every damn heartbeat and her mouth watered to taste the pre-cum she knew dripped from the thick head of his cock tucked away. She’d say that was a big, fat yes. Yes, she liked him talking real dirty to her.
Suddenly they had too much clothing between them.
She raised her leg and trailed a sand-covered toe up his outer leg.
“That’s it, baby.” He shoved aside the silk of her panties and stroked a finger through her drenched folds with the callused tip of his finger.
Her body trembled.
“I want all of that,” he husked and his lips glided against the sensitive skin of her neck as she smiled.
Wanting Dyson was nothing new, but hadn’t she promised herself she wouldn’t fall into his bed this time? Every mile between home and here was passed with her chanting the new affirmation: No more booty calls with her Marine.
Not her Marine, she mentally slapped her head.
She couldn’t live the life her mother had, damn it.
No. She needed focus not a quick fuck on a deserted beach.
His dark eyes held hers.
“Dyson, this can’t happen again.”
Confusion took hold and his eyes spark with something that told her she was only fooling herself.
She stumbled out of his arms and she could feel him track her steps away from him.
Don’t look back.
Just keep walking.
Damn it. She was so screwed.
She peered over her shoulder to see him bring his wet fingers to his lips and suck her juices off one by one.
He prowled closer with slow, sure steps. “Dyson I… I…uhh, have a long drive ahead of me.” She searched around for her shoes she’d kicked off a moment ago.
It hurt to leave like this, but there was no other way. Slamming the brakes on her ever-growing desire for the sinfully sexy man now was the smartest thing. Didn’t make it easy, though.
Then it happened.
He knew that boyish smile pushed all the right buttons.
And she knew what that meant. Her Marine found a chink in her armor.
Dyson raked a hand through his hair, mussing the thick locks.
“You won’t,” he growled as if what he said was law.
He took his cock in his hand through his pants and stroked it once. “I have what your body wants. You’re not going anywhere, precious.”
Cocky bastard.
He might as well have pulled on live wires connected to her aching pussy with that one stroke.
She shuddered.
As in every cell in her body reacted in unison and fell right into his well-played dominant plan of seduction and screamed ‘fuck me please.’
He knew her too damn well and that was her own fault.
“What if I scream and people hear us?” They were alone on the beach, but still.
“I promise you you’ll scream, moan, groan and beg for more before morning.”
She trembled, knowing they both knew he told the truth. He took personal pleasure in making her scream, moan and beg.
“But before I strip your clothes off and fuck you until you believe how much I want you, follow me. I want to show you something.”
Her brow creased. “Oh? What?”
“If I told you instead of show you that would ruin the surprise. All you have to do is follow me. You won’t be sorry.” His deep, sed
uctive voice strummed all the right chords.
He brushed the back of his fingers down her cheek, lowering his lips close enough she could almost taste the smooth flavor of tequila from earlier on his breath.
“It would be a shame to travel all this way and not find something to ease the stress.”
“Lead the way, I guess,” she said quietly.
He took her hand in his. “Such little faith. I’m going to change that.”
She lifted a shoulder. What could she say? Faith was in little supply lately.
He pulled back, motioning toward a small pool left behind by the low tide. “It’s just over there.”
Thoughts of all she had to lose crept into the dark crevices of her heart and ripped at it just enough to bring her back to reality.
Breathe, Shay. It’s not like he was proposing.
Flights of fancy with Dyson, no matter how much he teased her better judgment with his boyish, sexy grin, or how deeply touched her heart this was a very bad idea.
She took his hand and let him lead the way.
How could she forget the panty-soaking fantasies that stalked her dreams for months? Frustration at not reaching a real orgasm by his hand left her with carnal desires for Dyson she couldn’t find the words for.
She’d lost count of how many times she had to slip a hand into her panties to relieve herself, but it was never enough. Her body knew the difference between her touch and his.
“Shay? You all right? Your eyes kinda glazed over there for a minute, sweetheart.” Genuine concern laced his words as he slipped an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer. She rested her head on his chest, thoughts of his warm embrace and delicious kisses chiseling at her resolve. “You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world all by yourself. Why don’t you let me help you?”
She wished.
Letting him in meant opening herself to the same heartache her mother died from—and that would break her.
Shay drew a breath and raised her gaze to his, teasing him with a smile. For a minute she thought he’d press her for more. To her surprise, he crooked a finger, motioning her over to a small area a few feet away. “Come.” His deep voice washed over her, soothing the tension in her shoulders and back.
He bent over to pick something up along the edge of the tidal pool.
“When we’re out on a mission, there are times we’re placed on standby while orders come down the pipeline. When your cousin is not tormenting us with his pranks, we’ll get to sharing things.” A distant look took over his expression for a moment and for that small fraction of a second she saw a part of Dyson’s soul.
Then it was gone and he smiled down at her with a quirky smile on his lips. “We talk about things mostly stupid things, but once in a while…” She placed her hand in his outstretched one. He turned her hand up, placing his palm over hers revealing a perfectly-shaped sand dollar. “…treasures are revealed.”
Shay blinked several times, fighting back the tears. Not of sadness, but of fond memories and how touching it was of Dyson to remember such a small detail about her. Heck, that her cousin remembered was a miracle.
He must have told Dyson.
It was so beautiful and her favorite of the treasures she loved to gather on the beach as a child. She caressed the face of the sand dollar, recalling the last time she held one. It had been a month before tragedy struck her small family with the death of her father and her mother had found it for her on this very beach. She closed her eyes for a beat and let out a deep sigh.
“I want you to have this one to add to your collection, and every time you see it, I want you to remember something.”
Shay raised her gaze to his and let the beauty of the moment hold her. “What?” she whispered over the sound of lapping waves.
A wicked smile played on his lips a second before he answered, “I’m so glad you asked.” Dyson crushed her lips with his, stealing every ounce of oxygen from her lungs instantly. He caressed the seam of her lips with his tongue, demanding entry.
She obliged.
Shay slipped her fingers into his locks and groaned.
She’d wanted to do that all day.
Taste him.
Devour him.
And let him take her the way only he could.
He countered her sudden possessive claiming of his mouth by taking their kiss deeper until they were almost one.
His tongue swirled around hers, swallowing her moans.
She could feel the hard length of his cock pressing into her and the need for the pleasure he could give her pulled a whimper from her lips.
Dyson wrapped his arms around her, their bodies melded together from lips to hips.
“God, I can’t get enough of you, woman. What have you done to me? I wake wanting you and fall asleep dreaming of tasting you on my lips.”
“Let’s go or we’re both in danger of me laying you down in the sand and making love to you right here. While I have no objection of bending you over right here, no one else gets to see what’s mine.”
Before she could give her thoughts on the matter or the idea of kinky beach sex, Dyson scooped her into his arms and turned away from the water, heading back toward a grouping of palm trees. He covered the short distance in a few strides, moving them into the protection of the low-hanging fronds where no onlookers could see them.
She sent him a quizzical look. If there was one thing she knew about Dyson, it was his ability to keep ninety-nine percent of what went through his mind to himself. He took being the strong silent type to a completely different level. But that didn’t stop her from pushing him for an answer. “Why did you bring me all the way out here for a sand dollar? You could have easily given it to me back at the party.”
“True, but I couldn’t have done this in front of two hundred guests…” He pushed closer, placing his hands low on her hips, easing her back against the closest tree. He bent to claim her lips again, only this time more languid as if savoring every second.
He pulled her lower lip between his and sucked delicately; nipping the flesh with his teeth just hard enough to turn the slow heat he’d started between us a notch hotter.
She squeezed her thighs to alleviate the sudden assault of pleasure. With nothing more than her silk panties to help with her relief, the pressure wasn’t enough.
“Wrap your legs around me, baby.”
Her breath hitched. Dyson pushed her skirt high over her hips, palmed her silk-clad ass and hauled her up against his body with the palm tree as a support behind her.
She met his gaze just as the hardened length of his cock pressed into the wetness between her legs.
He met her gaze with a knowing grin.
There was no hiding how he affected her. Only the thin linen material of his pants and her moistened underwear kept him from entering her.
Dyson leaned into her, his lips so close to her own.
“Kiss me, Dyson. I need to taste you.”
“Soon, baby.”
Dyson eased a hand into her low-cut top to free a breast. “No bra. Naughty girl. So beautiful and ripe. You wanted me to find you and strip you.” Warm air hit her nipple, hardening the tip.
“I’m not stopping you. I’m ready for whatever you want.”
And she wanted him to take her.
Drop to his knees and lick the cream from her body and devour her completely like he’d done so many times before.
She tilted her hips and gaped from surprise when the tip of his hard dick nudged against her sensitive clit.
“Such a tease,” he grunted, letting his head fall back.
She popped the two small hidden buttons holding her halter top together. Her other nipple begging for attention.
Begging for Dyson to pinch and suck.
“I’m going to take my time with these.” His husky voice, laden with desire, reached across their entwined bodies. Her senses flooded with everything that made up the gorgeous, dominant Marine holding her so close as if he was afraid of lo
sing her. The taste of him on her lips, the feel of his corded, work-hardened muscles beneath her hands and between her legs. The pure masculine scent that made her want to do things right here, right now.
She lost herself in his touch.
Dyson wrapped his lips around one of her nipples. She couldn’t look away, fascinated by the way he beaded it to an even harder state. He slipped his fingers beneath the material of her panties, pulling her ass cheeks apart to allow him closer to her core. He rocked into her.
She shuddered. “Again,” she rasped, barely managing the single word before Dyson delivered another shockwave to her system.
His large hands skimmed her thighs and she held his gaze when the sound of his zipper opening hit her ears.
She gasped when the thick head of his shaft pressed against her folds.
Holding her open with both hands on her ass, he rocked, letting his massive cock glide through her juices and not stopping until the tip hit her clit.
He did it again.
On the third time she cried out. “Fuck me already, Dyson. Just fuck me and make me cum.”
His laugh was low and gravely.
Tortured.
Like she felt.
She clawed at his back, tightening her thighs around him.
“Let me close, Shay. Let me in, and I’ll give you everything I have. Just for you. God, only for you, precious.” His voice was a gravely, seductive murmur at her ear and she knew he wasn’t talking about getting between her thighs.
Dyson captured her chin in a gentle hold. She was on edge—desperate for release. Desperate to lose herself in him.
“Don’t be afraid of this, of us, Shay. One more night is all you need. Give me that. Give us that. Don’t run away.” In a soft, raspy voice he added, “I can see you need this, precious. Stay with me tonight.” Golden rays of light captured the sequins on the lower part of her halter top. The myriad of colors bounced around them as if mirroring the emotions of his words.
Something rooted her to this moment with him and it wasn’t having him between her legs. She should be a hundred miles away from here already, but her heart said something different.
Fear clawed at her mind, yet her heart seemed to be the one making all the decisions. A shoulder to lean on in Dyson—maybe even shed a tear or two on—was more than she could hope for, but to burden him with her problems seemed unfair. The man already carried enough weight of his own with his rank in the military. He didn’t need her problems.
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