Traitor. The word resonated in Tuck’s conscience. His guilty conscience. If he hadn’t sat like a damned fool while Reaper talked about Delaney, the man might not have proposed, and Delaney wouldn’t have kissed him.
The night was not supposed to end this way. By now, he and Delaney should have been burning up the sheets. Instead, Delaney would be packing to ship out, with an outstanding proposal on her mind from another man.
Damn. Delaney is shipping out.
He’d gotten used to having her around. More nights than not, they were together. Either at his apartment or hers. With her leaving in the morning, she’d be up packing into the early hours. He had to see her one more time. Apologize for not stopping Reaper and for letting him propose in front of their entire team. There was no good way to back out of what had happened. Reaper would lose face and take a boatload of razzing from the team. Tuck would look like a heel to his friends and the camaraderie would suffer if any of them found out he’d been sleeping with Delaney when his best buddy wanted to marry her.
First things first. He had to see Delaney before she shoved off.
He drove like a madman to beat her back to her place, parked in an alley, and jogged up to her building before she pulled into the parking lot.
Hooking her purse over her arm, she climbed out of her Jeep and turned to the staircase leading up to her apartment.
Tuck stepped out of the shadows.
Delaney jumped and stifled a scream that turned into a string of curses. "Goddamn SEALs. You’re like snakes, lurking in the grass waiting to pounce." She stepped around him.
Tuck grabbed her arm and pulled her against him. "Snakes don’t pounce."
"Okay, slither." She slapped his chest. "How could you let Cory go that far?"
"He didn’t give me a chance to talk him out of the proposal."
"What am I supposed to do now?" She pulled free and stalked up the stairs, stopped, and glared back at him. "He asked me to marry him in front of your entire team."
"It wasn’t all of them." Tuck followed at a safe pace. In her mood, she might push him down the flight of steps. And damned if he didn’t deserve it. "You could have said no."
"What I hate is that I love Reaper," she said before turning toward her door.
"You what?" He took the steps between them two at a time and caught up with her as she shoved her key into the lock. "You love Reaper?" She’d never told him she loved him, much less Reaper.
"Of course I do." She rolled her eyes. "Like a brother."
"And me?" Tuck thumped his chest, anger burning a hole in it.
The starch melted out of her stance and she sighed. "You know how I feel about you."
No, he didn’t. He smoothed a hair behind her ear, his hand drifting down the side of her neck, over her collarbone to trail across one breast. "Like a brother?"
"I’m not into incest." She sighed, caught his wrist, and held him there, her eyes closing as she pressed her breast into his palm. "Does that answer your question?" Her voice had gone all husky and sexy like when they were making love. Then her eyes opened and she stared, challenging him, sparks flying between them.
Tuck took her key from her, twisted it in the lock, shoved her through the door, and slammed it behind them with his foot. Then he tossed her over his shoulder and marched toward her bedroom.
"Put me down, Tuck. I’m not a sack of potatoes." She pounded his back with the flat of her palm.
He patted her fanny. "I know you’re not a sack of potatoes. But this was the quickest way I knew to get you into bed." Once inside her bedroom, he tipped her over and tossed her onto the mattress.
She lay in the middle, skirt hiked up to her hips. "You could have tried asking."
Shit. Even her frown was sexy.
"What time did you say you’re bugging out?" He yanked his shirt over his head and threw it against the wall.
Delaney licked her lips, her gaze raking over his naked chest. "Five thirty. I have to be at my unit, packed and ready to go."
His cock hardened in an instant. "How much time do you need to pack?"
"At least an hour."
With the barest of glances at the clock on her nightstand, Tuck ripped open his button fly and shucked his jeans. "It’s midnight. That gives us four hours. Let’s rock this boat."
Delaney’s hand hesitated on the hem of her shirt. "What about Cory?"
Tuck grabbed her foot, and slipped the strap of her sandal off her heel, then flung it to the floor. "I’m not into ménages."
She pulled her shirt over her head, her breasts bobbing with her movements. "But he may still think I’ll say yes."
"Will you?"
"He makes good husband material for a girl interested in that kind of commitment."
Tuck growled, advancing on her. "I seem to recall you telling me you didn’t care about commitment. In fact, you gave me the brush off on more than one occasion."
Her lips twisted, then slid upward in a smile. "I did, didn’t I? And see how much good it did?"
He placed a hand on her leg, his fingers skimming up the insides of her thighs to the hem of her skirt. "Our relationship is purely physical."
"It won’t last." Her breathing hitched as he skimmed his hand across her damp panties. "No...it...won’t...laaast." She bit down on her lip, her knees parting to give him better access.
"With you leaving tomorrow, we don’t have much time left in our short-term relationship."
She shook her head, her chest rising sharply on a gasp as he flicked her favorite spot again. "Then stop wasting time."
One last, teasing stroke, then Tuck ripped the zipper down on her skirt and tugged it over her hips and thighs and off her legs.
Delaney lay on the sheets in her underwear, biting her lower lip, her hand sliding into her panties. "God, I’m wet."
Those words made him want to rip off her panties and drive into her, hard and fast. A thin swatch of silk was all that stood between him and doing just that. But he wouldn’t let their last night together be all about him. He wanted her to be just as turned on as he was at that moment. More so, if he did it right.
He couldn’t believe he’d gotten this far with Delaney, and thanked his lucky stars he had.
When other members of his team had hit on her, she’d shut them down in a heartbeat, earning a reputation for being frigid and unapproachable by most. But when Delaney was alone with him, she was as wild in bed as she was in the cockpit of her Black Hawk. She knew exactly what to say and do to make him hard enough to drive nails with his dick. He lunged for the nightstand and the stash of protection she kept there.
"Losing it, frogman?" With her thumb, she hooked the elastic of her panties and slid them just far enough down until the soft curls of her mound peeked out. For a moment she held them there as if challenging him. Then she slipped off the panties and rolled onto her belly, her legs dangling over the side of the bed. "Three hours and fifty-eight minutes."
He fumbled the packet and dropped it on the floor. "Damn it, Del, you drive me insane."
She glanced over her shoulder, her brows hiking and a smile lifting the corners of her lips. "Insane with lust, I hope?"
"You know it." He ripped the retrieved package with his teeth, rolled the condom over his rock-hard erection and let go of the breath he’d been holding. "Let’s shake this boat."
"Bring it." She arched her back, her damp entrance glistening in the light shining in from the other room.
Tuck grabbed her hips and positioned himself behind her, his member nudging her slick opening, then waited. "Promise me you’ll come back." He didn’t add what they both knew was on their minds. Come back alive. Not in a box.
"Oh, please." She leaned back, trying to make their connection more intimate.
He pulled away. "Promise."
"I promise to do the best I can. But if you deploy, too, you have to make the same promise."
"I promise to do the best I can."
"Deal. Now are you fucking me, or s
hould I start that packing I need to do? Three hours and fifty-five minutes, frogman."
He thrust into her, long and hard. Her channel clenched around him, dragging him deeper. Hands on her hips, he pumped in and out of her, smacking her buttocks for the loud clapping sound she so loved.
"Damn it, Tucker. Harder!" She rocked back, their combined motion forcing the bed to rock on its legs.
When he thought he was getting close, he slowed, bending over her back to cup her breasts, tweaking the nipples.
"Holy hell, Tuck, don’t stop now."
"I want you with me." His hand slipped down to her sex, parting the folds to find the swollen little strip of her clit. He rubbed it, eased himself out, coated his finger in their juices, and slammed back into her, then slathered the moisture on the nubbin of her desire.
Her breath caught, her body tensed and her fingers curled into the comforter. "Now. I’m coming now." Her voice hitched as her body arched and her head tipped back.
Tuck gave her a moment to ride the first wave of her orgasm. Then he backed out of her, scooted her up the bed, and climbed between her legs, sliding back in to take her. He wanted to see the way her green eyes darkened as she came apart.
Smooth, strong, athletic legs wrapped around Tuck’s waist and Delaney dug her heels into his ass, forcing him as deep as he could get. The pressure erupted in an explosion of sensations that spread in waves outward from his cock to the tips of his extremities. He stayed buried inside of her, his dick throbbing his release. When he could draw in a new breath, he collapsed on the bed beside her, rolling her over to face him, maintaining the connection.
As they lay in each other’s arms, Tuck stroked the swell of her breast, bringing the nipple to a hard little peak. He wanted to say it. The "L" word perched on the tip of his tongue. He bit down to keep from letting it slip out. Passion was one thing. Love was entirely different. What was it he felt for Delaney? He wasn’t sure, but his own track record with that elusive emotion hadn’t given him much hope of finding it. Still...Delaney had come the closest. "Del, you know how I feel about you, don’t you?"
She sighed, snuggling her face against his chest. "Umm. You think I’m hot in bed, and that I’m a good helicopter pilot."
He snorted softly. "More than that."
Her eyes opened and stared up into his, a smile playing at her lips. "What more does a woman want?"
"What with Reaper asking you to marry him..."
After a long pause, she said, "I’m not getting married anytime soon."
"And I’m not a good candidate for the institution."
She leaned up on her elbow and stared downward. "Tuck, you can’t judge yourself by your parents’ lack of commitment."
"Yeah, and what’s your excuse for avoiding tying the knot with some poor schmuck?"
Her eyes darkened. "I have my reasons."
Reasons she hadn’t wanted to share. A jab of anger pinched his chest and he stiffened. He wanted to demand she tell him why she was against marriage. She knew his rationale. Why didn’t she trust him with hers?
"I’m leaving tomorrow." Her hand smoothed across his chest. "Don’t be mad now."
Delaney was right. He didn’t want her to leave angry at him for pushing an issue that shouldn’t be an issue at all. They weren’t committing to each other, so why should he care if she didn’t tell him her reasons for avoiding marriage? "Fair enough. Just know this. Despite my feelings on long-term commitment, I care. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you."
"And accepting Cory’s proposal would be bad?"
Tuck let out a sigh. "Reaper’s a good man and he’d love you to his dying day. But he’s not the man for you." He stroked his finger along her arm, letting it trail over the side of her breast. "You wouldn’t be with me now if you thought you had a chance to make things work with Reaper, would you?"
"No." She dropped her gaze.
"Then why string him along?"
"You have a point. And you care." Her hand slipped down his chest to his cock. "Why don’t you show me how much you care, big guy?"
"Before I do, what are you going to tell Reaper?"
"Nothing until I get back from deployment."
"You’ll let him suffer that long?"
"You didn’t tell him about us." She gripped his cock and slid her hand to the base, relenting. "Maybe by the time I get back, he’ll be in love with someone else."
Reaper did have a reputation for rushing into things before thinking about them. If Tuck hadn’t been so immersed in keeping his relationship with Delaney a secret, he’d have seen it coming. "I should have made our relationship more public."
"No." She shook her head. "It’s hard enough maintaining a tough-gal persona in front of my peers. Most of the men in my regiment resent me being there."
He’d been just as hesitant to let on that they’d been together. Problem was that he’d had such a deep distrust of women from a very young age. Delaney was the first woman he’d ever told about his crappy family life. Perhaps because the three of them had started out as friends, he hadn’t wanted to reveal how far past friendship they’d progressed, afraid if he committed to their relationship, it would fall apart. Like his parents’ had.
Delaney sighed, her hand rising to cup his face. "Look, I know you have issues with marriage and commitment. And it’s understandable, given your family. But not all marriages end in divorce."
"You’re saying my father, who’s been married three times, and my mother, going on her fifth husband, isn’t normal?" He laughed without humor. "Why Cory would be idiot enough to propose is beyond me. Aren’t there studies to prove more than fifty-percent of marriages end in divorce?"
"That gives people a fifty-fifty chance of it working." She shook her head. "Sometimes you have to take chances. Sometimes they pay off."
"Or get you killed."
Delaney laid against the curve of Tuck’s body, committing to memory the male, musky scent of their lovemaking, the feel of his hard muscles against her softer ones, and the way his breath warmed the back of her neck.
Four o’clock in the morning and she hadn’t slept a wink, preferring to savor every last moment with Tuck. She hadn’t packed, hadn’t notified her landlord, hadn’t done anything to prepare for her deployment.
She was headed to Afghanistan. Not that she was borrowing trouble, but she might not come back. As a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, she’d be flying into enemy territory to deposit and pick up the Special Operations forces, be they Army, Navy SEALs, or marines, on some of the most dangerous and highly classified missions imaginable. The chances of being shot down by the Taliban were high.
Meanwhile, her heart would be back in Virginia with Tuck.
She’d known from the start that Tuck had commitment issues given his family background plus he was a Navy SEAL first, anything else came second. Including her. But sometimes she dreamed of hearing him say those three words she’d longed to hear.
I love you.
Three of the most powerful words in the English language dictionary, as far as Delaney was concerned. As she headed into the warzone, she’d have to content herself with the knowledge Tuck cared about her. Possibly loved her, but wasn’t willing to admit it and jinx their bond.
Delaney had committed one of the ultimate mistakes she’d told herself she’d never do. Falling in love with a man in the military. Now it was too late. There was no going back. Her heart belonged to Tuck.
Cory and Tuck fell into formation on the pavement outside the Ops tent where their commander worked. Gunny called them to attention, then performed an about-face to hand off to Skipper, Commander Raymond Janek.
The man stood like a tree, six-feet, four inches of hard muscle. He stayed as fit as any of the younger SEALs standing before him, and demanded no less from his team than he did of himself.
Without preamble, Skipper announced, "We’re headed to the sandbox. Report with your deployment bags here at Zero-five-thirty in the mornin
g. That gives you exactly twenty-two hours to shit, shower, shave, and pack. I suggest you get to it. Am I clear?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" The team yelled in unison.
"Dismissed."
The team fell out and ran for their vehicles.
"Nothing like buggin’ out on short notice," Cory said as he jogged alongside Tuck toward his vintage ‘67 Mustang. "It’s probably just as well. I’d hate to be stuck here, coolin’ my heels waiting for O’Connell to get back with her answer." He stopped beside his Mustang. "I don’t know. I’m thinking she might say no." He shook his head. "You think she could love a man like me?"
"I know she loves you. Question is like what?"
"What do you mean like what?"
"Does she love you like a lover, a brother, or a friend?" Hell, Tuck knew, but why burst the guy’s bubble now?
Cory’s brows dove together. "What did she tell you?"
"I heard what you heard. She’ll think about it." That still angered him. She could have come right out and said no.
Cory exhaled a long breath as he pulled out his keys and jammed them into the lock. "I hope that’s a good thing. Means she wants to think about it. I hope by the time we get back from the desert, she’ll say yes. As it is, I don’t know if I can wait that long."
"Guess you’ll have to."
"She give any clue as to where she’s headed?"
"You know this stuff is classified." Tuck glanced at a spot over Cory’s shoulder.
"Yeah. But I was hoping she’d trust us enough to tell us, or scuttlebutt would get back to someone on the team."
"I wouldn’t ask. No sense puttin’ her in the position."
"You’re right. Guess you’re the better man. I’d have asked, if she hadn’t run out so fast. And she didn’t answer her cell phone later. Lord knows I tried to call her ten times."
A wash of guilt tightened Tuck’s chest. Her phone had been in the kitchen, the ringtone specific to Cory ringing several times.
They’d ignored it.
Tuck had a fifteen-minute drive to get back to his house. He made it in ten, grabbed the bag containing his deployment gear, extra uniforms, boots, undergarments, and toiletries that he kept stowed in his hall closet. After a quick look around, he left everything as is. The less anyone knew about his movements, the better. He didn’t know where in the sandbox he was going or how long he’d be gone.
Uniform Desires (Make Mine Military Romance) Page 14