Breaking Away (Military Romantic Suspense) (Book 3 of the SEAL TEAM Heartbreakers)

by Teresa Reasor

  “Yeah. I didn’t realize how much help a five-year-old could be. I’ll pitch in with the cleanup.”

  Sam laughed.

  He dipped his head and kissed her again.

  “I’ll get Joy ready for bed so we can relax while we eat.” She released him with such obvious reluctance, he smiled.

  She followed him to the fence and he handed her backpack and jacket to her.

  “I’ll be right back,” he promised.

  The words ‘I love you’ clung to the tip of her tongue. She wanted to say them. But how would he feel about hearing them?

  Instead, she went into the house with Joy. She groaned when she caught a glimpse of herself in her dresser mirror. Her hair lay plastered to her head, and her eye makeup was smeared. Her blouse, still damp, lay against her breasts like a second layer of skin, her nipples pushing against the fabric. Her face flushed hot. To his credit, he’d looked her in the eye the whole time they’d talked, but he’d probably seen plenty during their water fight. What had she been thinking?

  She’d been on a high after conquering a major problem standing in the way of her and Joy’s security. On her own! Despite the lingering disquiet about the credit card issue, she was still flying.

  Sam washed her face and changed into jeans and a t-shirt while Joy put on her pajamas. She was drying her hair with a towel as she opened the door to Tim. All he had to do was look at her and every nerve came alive just waiting for him to touch her. How had this happened? How had she fallen in love with him? She’d believed she’d never want to be alone in a room with a man…ever again.

  Yet, now she wanted to make love with Tim, more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life.

  CHAPTER 30

  The chicken was dry, the peas a little overcooked, but the salad and bread were okay. And none of that mattered a damn to Flash as he sat across the table from Sam and wished they could be in the bedroom, alone, getting busy.

  The message he’d just read on his computer from Captain Jackson had set off his inner alarm. He was running out of time. He was trusting his commanding officer to do right by him, but if he contacted NCIS, they’d sure as fuck pick him up. The thought of leaving Sam, leaving Joy, was like a kick in the gut.

  For the first time in his life he’d found something he wanted as much as getting back to his team. Maybe more.

  From the moment Sam had sprayed him in the chest with the water hose, he’d been hard. The condom he’d slipped into his shorts pocket was burning a hole through the fabric against his hip. He hoped to use that condom tonight…if it was the right thing for Sam.

  He couldn’t push her, not after everything she’d been through. But Jesus—he wanted to. He’d even settle for another petting session.

  “I’m going to check on Joy. She’s gone quiet. That usually means she’s either fallen asleep or she’s up to something,” Sam said as she rose from the table.

  She peeked around the edge of the divider between the kitchen and living room. A smile lingered on her lips as she returned to her seat. “She’s nearly down for the count. She actually squealed like a normal kid today. She loved helping you cook.”

  “I’m not sure how successful that was,” he said holding up a small piece of chicken on the end of his fork. “I think we might use these for slingshot ammunition.”

  Sam grinned “Shhhh…” she pressed her finger to her lips.

  His eyes fastened on her mouth and he tried not to fantasize where it might linger on his body. He’d dreamed about that more than once.

  “Don’t let Joy hear you say that. She thinks they’re the greatest nuggets ever.”

  Flash chuckled. “What we both lacked in cooking expertise, she made up in enthusiasm. She was so covered in flour and other stuff, I thought a water fight might be the only way to get her clean. The shirt she had on may never be the same.”

  Sam laughed. “It’ll be fine. Are you finished?” she asked. At his nod stood and took their plates to the sink. She returned with a bowl and two teaspoons. “Why don’t you serve us up a couple of scoops of ice cream for dessert and I’ll put her to bed. There’s mint chocolate chip.”

  He wasn’t hungry for ice cream. He was hungry for her. But to please her, he dug a couple of scoops of ice cream out of the carton. When she padded back into the room barefoot, he shut the container and shoved it back into the freezer.

  “Do you want this?” Sam asked, touching the bowl.

  He shook his head.

  No. He wanted her more than he wanted his next breath of air.

  She grasped his hand, led him through the living room and down the hall to her bedroom.

  Flash’s heartbeat tripped into overdrive and his breathing became uneven.

  When she closed the door and locked it, he smiled. “Does this mean you have designs on my body?” he asked.

  Sam laughed. Then stifled the sound with her hand. She leaned back against the door and ran her eyes from his face, down over his chest then paused at the obvious bulge pushing against the zipper of his cargo shorts, a bulge that grew as her attention remained directed there. For a moment concern kicked in to dim his desire. He had to let her maintain control of what happened. Once they got this first time behind them, it would be easier for them both.

  When her gray-green gaze rose to his face again, and she smiled, he nearly sighed aloud in relief.

  “I think about your hands touching me, all the time,” she said, pushing away from the door. “I never thought I’d experience that.” She moved to the nightstand, opened the top drawer and set a box of condoms within easy reach.

  She approached him, the newfound confidence in her long, slow stride sexy as hell. He swallowed, and moistened his lips. He withdrew the condom from his pocket. “I brought my own, just in case.” He tucked it in her hand and sat down on the bed to draw her between his legs.

  “Only one?” she asked.

  He chuckled, delighted by her humor. “I didn’t want to assume too much.”

  Her eyes swept over his face, the look in their depths causing his breath to hitch. She ran her hands across his shoulders. Flash buried his face between her breasts and breathed in her sweet honeysuckle scent. He looked up and she reached for his glasses and set them on the dresser, then tugged at his shirt. He eagerly shed the t-shirt, kicked free of his deck shoes and slid back up on the bed.

  God, he wanted to be inside her, moving, feeling her surround him. Just the thought nearly took him over the edge.

  But he had to let her control how fast they got there.

  Sam slipped her shorts off, leaving on her panties, shirt and bra. She crawled onto the bed. Instead of cuddling against his side as he expected, she straddled his hips and leaned down to kiss him, her hair falling like silk against the side of his face. Their tongues tangled, and he drank in her passion as her palms moved over his chest.

  He ran his hands beneath her t-shirt, unfastened her bra and found her breasts. In the few weeks since they’d touched one another, he’d relived those moments, remembering the texture of her skin, the velvety softness of her nipples, the slender shape of her.

  Though he’d held her, kissed her, and tempted her in every way he could, they hadn’t repeated the touching. He lifted the t-shirt and she wiggled free of it and allowed her bra to slide down her arms.

  He was hungry for the sight of her. He sat up to trace the delicate line of her collarbone, the hollow between her breasts, with his fingertips, then his lips. He was fascinated by the sweet curve where her breasts and ribcage came together, the way her nipples tilted upward begging him to take them into his mouth.

  He tasted one then the other, his tongue feathering the underside of the peak while he sucked. A tremor shook her. Sam ran her hand down the back of his head, and murmured his name, her voice breathy and soft.

  God, he loved the sound. Loved that he could put that note in her voice.

  She nestled her breasts against his chest, aligned her stomach against his, and scraped his shoul
der with her teeth, then sucked. He grew so hard it hurt.

  His mouth found hers. He slid his hand over her buttocks and then touched her through her panties, tempting her, taking it slow, though he wanted to rip the garment from her. When she rocked against his touch, he groaned beneath the kiss and slid his fingers beneath the fabric. She was hot and wet, ready in every way, but she trembled.

  “We don’t have to—” he began, his voice hoarse.

  She reached for his zipper.

  Thank you, Jesus! He lay back to give her access. As soon as she opened his fly, he dragged his shorts and briefs down below his knees. He couldn’t hide or control how much he wanted her. With her gaze resting on his erection, his need grew stronger.

  She tore open the condom and rolled it down over him, her touch squeezing the breath from his lungs.

  Sam removed her panties, giving him a chance to kick free of the shorts and briefs.

  She ran a hand down the center of his chest and followed the thin line of hair that bisected his stomach and led to his sex. He was so masculine, so powerfully built, and so aroused. He took her breath away.

  Her throat grew dry and she swallowed. She wanted him covering her, filling her. But what if she panicked?

  Tim turned on his side and guided her close. He brushed her hair off her face and ran the back of his fingers along her cheek and jaw. “I want you, but if it isn’t right for you yet, I understand.”

  “It is. So much more right than I ever expected.” It was. He was. She loved this man and felt certain he cared for her. Which was much, much more than she’d ever known in her entire married life. Her body ached with wanting him. “Please you finish what we started?” she asked.

  “Ahhh…honey. The whole point is to finish together.”

  His kisses took on a tender, unhurried quality, despite the unsteadiness of his breathing and the feverish way he molded her against him. He tempted her with his body, then ran a hand between them to tempt her with his fingers. When he turned to cover her body with his own, she ran her hands up his back and clung to him, though sudden dread spread tension throughout her body.

  “This is me, Sam. You say the word and we stop.”

  Looking up into his eyes, though his body was ready to possess hers, she knew he’d sacrifice his needs for hers. The momentary fear eased. She worked her hand between their bodies and guided him inside her.

  Carefully, he pushed into her, settling himself so deep, there was no space left between them. The moment seemed more intimate than any she had ever experienced. She wanted him to stay poised above her forever, protective, passionate, wanting her, filling her.

  He seemed completely content to do just that. Until he moved.

  With his slow, gliding withdrawal, and returning thrust, she caught her breath and rolled her hips in response.

  His murmured, “Oh, God, Sam,” completely ripped away the rest of her restraint.

  She captured his rhythm, a fine mist of sweat coating her skin as every muscle in her body tensed and released. She was hovering on the brink of something more, reaching for it.

  His thrusts grew shorter, deeper, more intent, as though he couldn’t get close enough. With every movement he hit that sweet spot inside her, driving her mad, promising her more.

  Release rolled through her so intense she cried out. With one final thrust, she felt the throbbing pressure of his climax, and was overcome by another gentler aftershock of pleasure strong enough for her hips to jerk and her breath to catch. She buried her face against his bare shoulder, clinging to him until her breathing eased.

  He raised his head to look down at her. “Are you okay?”

  She smiled. “I’m perfect.”

  He grinned. “Yeah. You are.” He lowered his mouth to hers in a long, slow kiss. “I should have gone slower, but I wanted you so much.”

  “In case you missed it, I wanted you, too.”

  “I did get that idea a time or two.”

  His understatement triggered a laugh.

  “I don’t want to move, but I need to deal with the condom,” he said, his voice husky. He eased out of her, then paused to kiss her. “I’ll be right back.”

  Sam smiled as she watched his muscular behind disappear into the bathroom. A feeling of triumph, of rightness built within her. She’d made love with him. And she’d only had that one moment of uncertainty. And he’d understood.

  She tugged down the blankets and slipped beneath them. He appeared in the bathroom doorway and paused to stretch. Her heart nearly turned over as she watched the smooth movement of his muscles, the way they worked together. The balanced, measured way he placed his feet as he strolled back to bed. The blatancy of his male nudity, and his confidence with it.

  What would it be like if she could wake up to him every morning?

  She folded back the blankets and he slipped in beside her and invited her in close to his side. She rested her head upon his shoulder and bent her thigh across his.

  He ran a caressing hand up her thigh. “What happened today?” he asked, his lips finding her temple and lingering there.

  She didn’t try to pretend she didn’t understand what he was asking about. She hadn’t shared her financial issues for fear he’d offer her money or something, and he’d already done enough. “I had a meeting at the bank this afternoon to refinance the house. The loan officer was trying to intimidate me into a loan I couldn’t possibly make the payments on. And I found out someone had stolen my identity and opened a credit card in my name.”

  “Jesus!” He turned toward her, a scowl darkening his features.

  Sam shook her head. “I’m going to file a police report tomorrow. After I found out about all that, and the twelve hundred dollars a month the loan officer was expecting for a two-year loan, I really needed a moment to calm down.” She ran her fingertips over the light swirls of hair on his chest. “So, I slipped into the bathroom and called you.”

  His expression relaxed and his arm tightened around her drawing her against him again. “You should have told me. I could have come to the bank and sat in on the meeting. I can do intimidating without even opening my mouth.”

  She smiled at the thought of how Mr. Taylor might have dealt with him. Not very well, she’d bet. “It’s important I learn how to stand up for myself. After I spoke to you, I went back into his office and kicked butt.” She clenched her fist and pumped it in the air.

  Flash laughed. “I’m not surprised. You can slay me with just a look.”

  She ran her fingertips over his beard-covered jaw. “You have a soft spot for me.”

  “More than that, honey.”

  She pushed herself up on one elbow to look down at him.

  His eyes had never looked a clearer blue. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  CHAPTER 31

  Why wasn’t he nervous or freaked out about this love stuff? He studied Sam’s features. The freckles across her nose. How her eyes changed from gray to green with emotion. It felt right to love her. For him. But was it okay for her?

  Maybe he should have put more thought into this. But he loved her. And making love with her had been everything he’d needed and wanted. He’d tried to make it as good for her as it had been for him. And holding her close now, feeling her skin against his…they deserved this.

  But if something happened to him, and she learned about his background later, the sense of betrayal might destroy her feelings for him. He’d kept so many things from her.

  “I promised to tell you what happened to me while I lived on the street. And I need to tell you now, so you’ll really know me. Know who you’re with.” He swallowed. “I should have told you weeks ago, but I never expected…so much.” He grasped the hand resting on his chest, raised it to his cheek and brushed his lips against it.

  “I know you care about me and Joy. That’s enough.”

  Did she think she deserved so little? He held her gaze while he continued. “I’m a mutt. I never knew my father. My mother co
uldn’t even tell me who he might have been.”

  “Do you really think that would change how I feel about you?”

  “No.” He didn’t. She was too caring to be shallow. “No. But I’m concerned if anyone finds out about my early years they may try to stir up trouble for you and say I’m not a good influence around Joy.”

  She hesitated for a moment. “What happened to you occurred years ago, didn’t it?”

  “Between the ages of seven and fourteen.”

  “When you picked the wrong guy’s pocket?”

  “Or the right one, as it turned out.”

  She tugged the pillow up behind her against the headboard, leaned back against it and pulled the sheet up to cover her breasts. “Tell me, but it won’t change the way I feel.”

  God, she looked so—he was tempted just to forget this stuff and ease his way back inside her. He grew hard again just thinking about it. Bending his leg to hide the tented sheet, he ran his fingers through his short hair and folded his hands beneath his head to keep from reaching for her.

  “Social services took me from my mom when I was seven and put me in a facility, an orphanage, for a while, until they found someone to take me in. I was a handful. I’d been forced into things to help supply my mom and her boyfriend with drugs.” He looked away. “I’m not going to go into detail. I don’t know how I came out of it whole. Or how I avoided getting killed.” He shook his head.

  “I ran through a few of foster families, and when I was eleven eventually ended up with a couple with two boys. Their oldest was sixteen. Michael, a star athlete. He punched on me some, but not enough to throw up any flags. The other one, Xander, was fourteen and sneaky, did some shoplifting and other stuff. He put the loot he stole in my room and made sure his mom found it, so I’d get the blame.”

  “I realized pretty quick they wanted to get rid of me. So I tried to keep my head down and do what I could to stay out of their way.”

  Sam’s eyes glazed with tears and Flash sat up to draw her close. “This is just the past. It can’t hurt me anymore, and I don’t want it to hurt you, either.”