“I love my parents. I do! So much. But–” She stopped short.
“You’ve been strong for so many people for so long. It would be my honor if you would lean on me for a little while.”
“Being on the run with you—leaning on you—is not how I envisioned our time together. If we were ever lucky enough to meet when this Witness Protection Program wasn’t looming over our heads, I was hoping to be on equal footing.”
She rested her fists against his chest. He could see the anguish on her face and it killed him. He took one of her hands coaxed it open, and rested it against his flesh. She looked up at him with a question in her eyes.
The fact is you do have to rely on me for the next couple of weeks while we are in hiding and you recuperate. But in no way does that make you diminished in my eyes.”
She pushed against him. He covered her hand and kept his other against her back so she continued to stay in his arms.
“I’m not letting you go. Having you sleep next to me is something I’ve dreamed about for months. I am humbled at the idea of being able to care for you, only this time knowing you will get well, this isn’t life and death. It’s a dream come true. I’ve faced life and death many times, but I’ve never been as scared as when I thought you were going to die.”
Her beautiful brown eyes filled with more tears as she looked up at him. “You saved me, Clint. Not just by carrying me and caring for me. But it was your will that made me fight to live.”
He shuddered, even now the terror could slice through him too easily at odd times, and he would be back there thinking she was dead. He brushed the tears from her face. “I’m glad I gave you a reason to fight to live. Now fight hard to get well and to get well fast. Because when you’re well I want to hold you, press you against me, and feel your naked flesh slide against mine.”
“That’s what I want. I want it right now.” Her hand slid up his chest, around his neck, and threaded through his hair kneading his scalp. She wrapped her other arm around his torso bringing them chest to breast.
She was wearing a well-worn Hello Kitty sleep shirt. When she’d gotten into bed her breasts had been lovingly outlined, and he could even make out her bikini panties.
“Lydia, you’re killing me.”
“Good.”
“Not good. You need your rest.” She growled. The woman actually growled, and it had to be the sexiest thing he ever heard.
“If I hear one more person say I need rest I’m going to pluck out their nipple hairs.”
He burst out laughing as he winced. At least she hadn’t talked about hair below the belt buckle.
“Easy there. I’m sorry I mentioned rest. I won’t do it again. At least not tonight.”
“You better not do it ever again if you know what’s good for you.” She shifted to the right, dragging her breasts against him. Her pebbled nipples rasping against his chest. It took everything he had not to press his aroused flesh against her pelvis.
“Lydia, you’re making me lose my mind.”
“Good. You have to admit, this is so much better than you sleeping on the floor or me resting,” she whispered the words softly into his ear before scraping her teeth against his neck. He trembled and felt her tremble. How much was from fatigue, and how much was from passion?
“Lydia, morning is going to come pretty early and I drove most of the day.” He let his voice drift off.
“Bullshit, you’re trying to get me to go to sleep. I can’t sleep. I’m too wound up. Make love to me.” He wanted to. More than anything in the world, he wanted to spend hours exploring all the ways they could pleasure one another. But he remembered his conversation with Darius, and knew his priority was to help her get healthy.
“Baby, let me hold you. I won’t use the ‘R’ word, I promise. We’ll just lay here. But you just got out of the hospital. I’m not going to do anything except hold you tonight.”
“Clint, I just got done sleeping for eight hours. I’m a grown woman and I know my own mind. Not only are you disrespecting me, you’re hurting me.”
He listened to her, but he just couldn’t wrap his head around her words. She had just been in the hospital. Then he heard her whimper and all of his resolve went out the window. He knew he couldn’t leave her in need.
“Shhhh, I have you.”
“Thank God.”
“Let’s go slow. I need to savor every moment with you.”
She pushed back from him and before he had a chance to blink, her shirt was over her head and on the floor. She twisted and turned the lamp on. He gulped.
“You’re not shy.”
“Not where your body is concerned. I’ve wanted to see you up close and personal for months.”
****
It wasn’t until he visited the hospital that Lydia really looked at Clint, and when she had, Oh. My. God. The man was amazing. Up until then she only looked at his face, his eyes, his soul. He had been something sent from heaven, a savior, someone to hang on to.
The first time in the hospital, she wrestled with the idea of the man who had been in the jungle with her now being with her in a real life setting. She wanted to eat him up with a spoon. It was totally inappropriate. He’d been there as a friend, as someone who rescued her and wanted to check in on her well-being. What’s more, she’d been sick and shouldn’t let her hormones run wild. But she wasn’t the only one salivating. Every time Clint was in her room, the nurses seemed to have to check her vitals a hell of a lot more often. Now she had him right where she wanted, with his shirt off, sharing a bed with her. Wasn’t she a lucky girl? She sat up.
“You’re gorgeous.” His big hands encircled her waist and slowly coasted upwards until they cupped her breasts.
She grabbed his wrists and pulled him away from her aching flesh.
“You’ll get your turn, I promise. But please, I’m begging you, me first.” She held her breath while she waited, he must have seen something in her expression.
“Baby, if I can’t go first, can’t we do it together?”
“I really need this.”
After long moments she saw Clint got with the program, because he rolled onto his back, propped up on both elbows, looking up at her with a seductive smile.
“Do your worst.”
“How about I do my best?” She reached out to touch him, but her hand hovered over him afraid to actually touch. The man had washboard abs. He gently gripped her wrist and placed her hand on his chest.
“Don’t tease Lydia, I need your touch.” Heat and strength were wrapped in soft suede. She opened her hand so her palm could press against all of that glorious flesh. She needed more, in a heartbeat, she found herself doing exactly what he said so long ago, sliding her naked flesh against his.
He groaned; she sighed. “So good, this feels so good, Clint.”
She arched up like a cat, dragging her breasts against his chest so she could get closer to his mouth. It was time for another kiss. She prayed it would be as good as the one in the hospital. She didn’t see how it could be, but at least her breath would be better.
“What are you grinning about?” Clint asked through gritted teeth. “Because Baby you’re killing me.”
She took advantage of his open mouth, meshing her mouth to his. They floated downwards, so he was lying flat on the pillows. His hands skimmed up her back, until his fingers tangled in her hair. She thought she would be in charge, but as soon as their lips met the kiss took over.
Who didn’t matter as much as the velvet sensation of tongues languidly tasting. The pleasure of plush lips pressed against soft, firm masculine lips was sublime. The kiss was so much better than before as her taut breasts pressed against Clint. One hand left her hair and swept down pressing her closer.
“Harder.” She dragged the diamond hard pebbles of her nipples against his chest, reveling in the sensation. She worked one of her hands between them and caressed his abdomen, inching closer to the waist of his sweatpants. The world spun as she found herself on her ba
ck staring up into a face carved in granite.
“Clint?”
****
“My turn.”
Thank God she turned on the light. He wanted to turn her over. He felt the raised edges of the scars on her back. He wanted to kiss every one of them, but he was afraid it would ruin the mood. Later, when they had all night, he was going to spend hours worshiping every inch of her body. But right now was about her pleasure. He felt the fine tremors going through her body, and as much as he would like to believe it was because of their kiss, he felt the fine sheen of perspiration and knew she was spent. The woman needed another twelve hours of sleep.
“Clint, did I do something wrong?”
“Fuck no! You did everything right. You’re doing everything right. Too right.” He pulled at a lock of hair that had gotten caught on her lip and tucked it behind her ear.
“Before you make me lose complete control, I want to savor you.” An expression of vulnerability crossed her face.
“What? Tell me.”
“Don’t you want me to do something? I need to pleasure you. I don’t want you to be bored.”
What kind of men had she been with?
“Baby, with you in my bed there’s no chance of me ever being bored. You tempt me beyond bearing, and I want to enjoy you. Your job is to let me know if I’m doing anything wrong.”
She clutched his shoulders like they were a lifeline. He grasped her hands and kissed them, and then he spread her arms wide. He caressed her arms with the backs of his hands until she arched upwards and sighed.
“Can you keep your hands there?”
“But then I won’t be able to touch you.”
“That’s the idea. You get to touch next time, I promise.” She bit her plump bottom lip, the rose color turning white. He pulled it away from her teeth and watched fascinated as the blood rushed back turning it an even darker red. He swept in for another kiss.
God, she went to his head like the headiest tequila. She flowered open for him, and he tasted the warmth and flavor that was uniquely Lydia. She whimpered and he broke away so he could trail biting kisses down her neck. Her beautiful caramel skin called to him like a siren’s song. He was breaking into a sweat trying not to rush his way to the beauty of her breasts.
“Please.” It was all she had to say and he found himself licking around her nipple, his hands molding her firm flesh. He looked up at her face from hooded eyes.
“More Clint, I need more. Please, don’t make me beg.”
“Never Lydia.”
His lips surrounded the tip of her breast and laved the pebbled flesh while he gently plucked the other nipple. She moaned her pleasure, arching upwards into his caresses. She responded beautifully. He ached. It was going to kill him not to take her tonight. He never had a woman mirror his needs so exactly.
Long minutes he savored this woman. It was so much more than just her lush body and beautiful soul, it was the miracle of having this woman alive when she could have been so easily taken from him. It took everything he had not to grab and clutch and ensure she was real and in his arms.
Lydia moaned as she undulated beneath him, for just a moment he worried he had been too rough, but then above the roaring in his ears he heard her words.
“So good. So good.”
He continued to caress her breasts as he trailed kisses down her sternum, licking his way ever downwards. Her breath hitched. Finally he had to release her, as he eased her panties off.
“Lydia?” Tracing fingers up her smooth thighs he found them closed.
“I uhm.” She cupped the side of his face, and he arched into her touch. “Please Clint, let me pleasure you.” He heard a hint of desperation in her voice.
“Baby, everything we’ve done and will do, gives me pleasure.”
“Truly?”
He felt her relax and gently parted her legs.
“Having your trust pleases me.” His cock pressed hungrily into the mattress at the sight of her. He skimmed the soft petals of her sex, opening her so he could torture both of them. She glistened in welcome, and he gathered up her moisture and brought it to his mouth to taste. Perfection.
He bent to her and languidly licked, soothing and then igniting with his fingers and his tongue. Lydia moaned his name, and he redoubled his efforts. Stroke after stroke he took her higher until she arched into him and sobbed in ecstasy. He moved up and embraced her trembling body. She cuddled close to him like a kitten who just found a warm blanket. As soon as he thought that, she started to purr, and he realized it was the sound of delicate snoring.
“Ah Baby. You rest.” Then he gave a soft huff of laughter, thankful she hadn’t been awake to hear him use the ‘R’ word, he didn’t want anything plucked.
Chapter Seven
Considering he was in the Navy you’d think he’d have enjoyed steering a boat, but not on the interstate. At least it was mostly flat, he couldn’t imagine driving this in the Rockies where he grew up.
“Why are you frowning?”
“I’m not frowning. I’m concentrating.”
“Why are you concentrating so hard? It’s a beautiful day.”
Clint spared a quick glance for Lydia. They were on a two lane road near Tallahassee, and he was happy to see her sitting up and her color looking so good.
“It is a beautiful day, especially now my navigator is awake.”
“That’s a bunch of hooey, you needed a navigator as much as you needed a dress. The last time I tried to tell you which way to go, I almost had us going in the wrong direction.”
He laughed. She was directionally challenged.
“But I can pour you a cup of coffee, if you’d like.”
“I would love it.” Clint didn’t know how Finn arranged such a fully equipped RV, but it was fantastic. There had even been coffee beans and a grinder in the galley. He really owed his team mate.
“You know, I don’t know how he does it.”
“Who?” Lydia continued to pour the coffee into the mug for him.
“Finn.”
“What does he do?”
“Not only does he get us a vehicle in the middle of the state where we need it, but he even has the bag of coffee beans I like stocked in the galley. He’s scary.”
Lydia handed him his coffee. “I bet they say that about you when you find the information they need on-line.” She settled back into the passenger seat and he could feel her staring at him.
“Okay, I see your point.” God she had gorgeous legs.
“Have you heard from them?”
“I spoke to Dare a couple of nights ago.”
“I like the men you work with. I hoped when I joined the police force I would find the same sense of unity.”
“How is it you didn’t notice the trouble your father got himself in to?” Damn, he felt like such an asshole asking the question, but it had been bothering him ever since he had found out what classes she took in college.
“Papa’s involvement started in middle school so it was just a part of life. There were a couple of odd things I thought about when I was taking the Criminology classes, but I was trying to double major and graduate early, so I laughed it off. I figured it was just my over-active imagination. I was so stupid.”
“Not stupid, just a normal kid. We always believe the best out of our parents.”
“I can’t believe I wore blinders like I did. I feel like I was a partner to his crimes.”
“You can’t feel that way, Lydia. If you’d really suspected something and turned a blind eye, then you would have a reason to feel guilty.” He glanced at her and saw she was considering his words.
“Hey, look at the sign. It looks like we finally found the perfect greasy spoon.” Clint took the exit and grinned. He parked next to a big rig truck in no time. He loved the name of the place, Tal-A-See-It-Burgers.
Lydia turned quite a few heads as they made their way in. The yellow sun dress set off her warm brown skin, and the fall of black curls down her back made her
look like a beauty queen. Clint put his arm around her as they were guided to a booth near the window.
The waitress put the menus and napkin wrapped silverware in front of them. Lydia immediately unwrapped hers and looked at the spoon. She gave him an arch look.
“Okay, okay, I don’t even know where the saying comes from. But when Mom and Dad would pack up my sister, brother and I on a road trip they would always look for some diner. The trick was to find one where there were a lot of truckers, because they would know where to find the good food. Dad used to call them ‘greasy spoons’. Even more of a score is if they had a cool name. So this should be great!”
“I’m sold because the utensils are clean.” They looked up as the waitress came over and brought them glasses of water.
“I’ll be right back to take your orders.”
Clint grinned when he saw breakfast was served all day. They left the hotel in Georgia at noon. Lydia slept in, and Clint enjoyed the morning just holding her. They ate some muffins and bananas stashed in the RV, but he was ready for a heaping plate of food. He’d love to see Lydia really eat a full meal as well.
When the waitress came back he ordered the steak and eggs.
“Do grits come with that?”
“You bet they do, handsome.”
“I’d love a side of buttermilk pancakes as well.” The waitress grinned as she wrote down his order, then she turned to Lydia.
“Now don’t disappoint me and say you just want fruit and coffee.”
Lydia laughed. “Oh no, I believe in eating. I want your pecan waffles and some bacon. But please don’t hold it against me if I don’t finish.”
“You’ll get points for trying. Coffee and orange juice?”
“I’d love some milk too,” Lydia said as she handed the woman her menu.
“Coming right up.”
The food came hot and fresh and fast. Clint lost the fight over the maple syrup.
“Mine.” Lydia said as she poured it over her waffles. “You’ve got a mountain of food, you can just wait to drown your pancakes.” He laughed. He did it a lot around her.
Her Loyal Seal Page 8