An Honorable Seduction

by Brenda Jackson

  She reached out and tugged at his T-shirt and he assisted by removing his own shorts. Then he rejoined her on the bed. Reaching out, he lifted her by the waist.

  “Wrap your legs around me, Swan. I’m about to join our bodies, to make us one.”

  As soon as her legs were settled around his waist, his shaft touched her core. She was wet and ready. Tilting her hips, he whispered the words, “I love you,” before thrusting hard into her.

  “David!”

  Arching her back off the bed, she provided the prefect position for his penetration to go deeper. They were a perfect fit. They always would be. Not just in lovemaking but in everything they did from here on out. They had become a team.

  He began moving, slowly at first and then harder and deeper, over and over again. The only constant sounds in the room were their breathing and flesh slapping against flesh. The air surrounding them was filled with the aroma of sex.

  He felt on fire, like his entire body was burning and the flames fueled his need, his desire and his love. She was looking up at him, holding his gaze, and he hoped Swan saw the depth of love in his eyes.

  He clenched his jaw when he felt it, the stirring of pleasure in his groin. The feeling was slowly spreading through his body and when Swan gripped his shoulders and dug her fingers into his skin, he continued to thrust inside of her like his life depended on it.

  And when she screamed out his name, he knew the same sensations that were taking him were taking her.

  He drew in a sharp breath only moments before calling out her name. Multiple sensations tore into him, causing an explosion inside of him that had him bucking his body in an all-consuming orgasm. The sensations kept coming until he let go and his release shot deep inside of her.

  He knew right then that he wanted her to have his baby. If not this time, another time. One day, he intended to make it happen.

  Moments later, he slumped down beside her and wrapped his arms around her as he tried to get his breathing under control. After recovering from his explosive orgasm, when he was able to talk, he said, “I feel like I’ve been burned to a crisp.”

  “Hmm, speaking of burning, do you know what I thought was hot?” she asked, drawing in deep breaths of air into her lungs.

  “No, what?”

  “You on that boat wearing nothing but swim trunks and that military belt around your waist. Now, that was hot.”

  He grinned. “You liked that, huh?”

  She smirked up at him when he straddled her body again. “I liked it.” Then her features became serious. “I still can’t believe you swam all that way to save me.”

  He leaned in and brushed a kiss across her lips. “Believe it.”

  He then pulled back and looked down at her. His expression was serious. “I’m a damn good swimmer. I’m known to be able to hold my breath underwater for long periods of time. Longer than what most would consider normal. But I wasn’t sure I was going to make it to the boat, Swan. I told my friends I had to try even if I died trying because the woman I love was on that boat. That’s what kept me going. That’s what fueled every stroke I made into the ocean waters. And when my body felt tired, like I couldn’t possibly swim another lap, I would think of a life without you and for me that was unacceptable.”

  He drew in a sharp breath. For a quick minute, he relived the feel of the cold water as he swam nonstop to the boat to save her, not knowing if he would make it in time. “I had to save you.”

  “And then I rebuffed you. I refused to have that talk you wanted.”

  “I understood. I had been listening to what Georgianna Martin was saying, the picture she painted. I told myself that once I talked to you and told you the truth that you would believe me. I was just giving you time to think about everything. I figured you would realize that I did care for you.”

  She reached up and caressed the side of his face. “You never told me you cared.”

  “I did. Our last night together, when you were asleep, I told you before I left that I loved you. I had planned to tell you the next day when we were together but that’s when you were taken.”

  “And you came back,” she said.

  “That was always my plan, Swan. I never intended to let you go. I love you that much. And just so you know, my entire family is rooting for me. I told them about you and they can’t wait to meet you. My brothers and I are giving Mom a party for her birthday next week. Will you go to Texas with me?”

  When she hesitated, he added, “What I told you about them is true. My parents accept people for who they are and not how they look. Will you trust me about that?”

  She met his gaze and nodded. “Yes, I will trust you and yes, I will go.”

  A huge smile spread across his face. “I can’t wait to introduce you to everyone. And I’ve got the perfect thing for you to wear.” He quickly eased off the bed.

  She pulled herself up. “What’s going on? You plan on dressing me that night?”

  He glanced over his shoulder, chuckling as he pulled a small white box out of his shorts. “Something like that.”

  He returned to the bed and pulled her up to stand her on her feet beside the bed. Then he got down on one knee and looked up at her. “I love you, Swan. I know we have a lot of things we still need to overcome. But I believe we will do so together. Forever. Will you marry me?”

  He saw tears form in her eyes when she nodded. “Yes, I will marry you.”

  He slid the ring on her finger and at that moment Flipper knew he was halfway to having his world complete.

  He would get the other half the day she became his wife.

  Sixteen

  Swan glanced down at the ring David had put on her finger last week. Seeing it gave her strength and she definitely needed strength now, she thought as she entered a huge ballroom on his arm. It was his mother’s sixtieth birthday party.

  They had flown into Dallas last night so this would be the first time she met his family. Nervous jitters had tried taking over her stomach but a smile from David was keeping most of them at bay. He was convinced his family would love her and he had told her over and over that she was worrying for nothing. She was the woman he wanted and his family would love his choice.

  “There’s Mom and Dad,” he said, with his arms around her shoulders as she carried his mother’s gift. The same gift he’d purchased that first day he’d come into her shop.

  A man she knew had to be one of David’s brothers whispered something to the older couple and they turned with huge smiles on their faces.

  At that moment, Swan knew David had inherited his father’s eyes and that the smiles on the couple’s faces were genuine. She could actually feel their warmth. David’s mom was beautiful and did not look like she was sixty or that she had five grown sons.

  When they reached his parents, David made the introduction. “Mom. Dad. I want you to meet the woman who has agreed to be my wife, Swan Jamison.”

  “It’s an honor to meet you,” Swan said, extending her hand to his mother.

  Instead of taking it, the older woman engulfed Swan in a huge hug. “It’s wonderful meeting you as well, Swan, and welcome to the family.”

  “Thank you. Here’s your gift. Happy birthday.”

  “Thank you.”

  She received a hug from David’s father as well. Then suddenly she was surrounded and a laughing David made introductions. All his brothers had those same blue eyes and like David, they were very handsome men. She could see why when she looked at the older Holloways; they were a beautiful couple. And Swan could tell from the way Mr. Holloway looked at his wife and the way Mrs. Holloway would look back at him that the couple was still very much in love.

  A few nights ago, David had shared the fact that because his mother had been married to a Navy SEAL for over forty years and had five sons who were SEALs, she counseled a number of SEAL wives who had
difficulties with the frequency and longevity of their spouses’ missions. Swan had been glad to hear that since she would become a SEAL’s wife soon.

  Because David would be leaving in less than four months on anther mission, they hoped to marry within a year. Surprisingly, David wanted a big wedding. She agreed as long as the wedding took place in the Keys.

  The logistics of having a big wedding were enormous, given he had four brothers who were SEALs on different teams. Not to mention his closest four friends were SEALs as well. That meant Swan and David had to make sure everyone would be on leave in the States at the same time.

  David also introduced Swan to her future sisters-in-law and they loved her engagement ring. The three were friendly and she liked them immediately. She was also introduced to other members of David’s family—his grandparents, his niece, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles—it was obvious the Holloway family was a huge one.

  “Now I want to reintroduce you to four guys who are just as close to me as brothers. As you know, they came to the Keys to assist me in proving your innocence. And even when my assignment with you ended, they didn’t leave. They stayed.”

  She had met his four friends that night after the incident on the boat, when they’d had to give statements. She had thanked them for their help but they hadn’t been officially introduced.

  “Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight, sweetheart?”

  She smiled up at him as they walked across the ballroom floor to the four men and their wives. “Yes, you told me. Thank you.” She, Candy and Jamila had gone shopping in Miami. She’d known this was the perfect dress when she’d seen it on a store mannequin.

  Within a few minutes, she had been introduced to Brisbane “Bane” Westmoreland and his wife, Crystal; Gavin “Viper” Blake and his very pregnant wife, Layla; Laramie “Coop” Cooper and his wife, Bristol; and Thurston “Mac” McRoy and his wife, Teri.

  After spending time with the couples, Swan felt that just like her future sisters-in-law, the four women were genuinely friendly and Swan looked forward to getting to know them better. They loved her engagement ring as well and told David he’d done a great job in picking it out.

  “So what do you think?” David leaned down to ask, taking her hand in his and leading her to where his parents, siblings and their spouses were getting ready to take a group picture.

  She grinned up at him. “Um, for starters, I think I need to start calling you Flipper, since everyone else does. And then, Flipper, I think I am one of the luckiest women in the world right now. I love you.”

  He chuckled as he pulled her to the side of the room and wrapped his arms around her waist. “And I, Swan Jamison, think I’m the luckiest man in the world, and I love you.”

  “A very wise woman, my mother, once told me that when you meet a man who puts that sparkle in your eyes then you’d know he was a keeper. You, Flipper, are a keeper.”

  He smiled. “You, my beautiful Swan, are a keeper as well.”

  Flipper then lowered his mouth to hers.

  Epilogue

  A year later in June

  Bane Westmoreland leaned close and whispered to Flipper, “Don’t get nervous now. You wanted a big wedding and you got it.”

  Flipper couldn’t say anything because Bane was right. He stood flanked by his father, who was his best man, and twelve groomsmen—namely his brothers, best friends and cousins.

  Only his SEAL teammates knew Flipper had a tendency to tap his finger against his thigh when he was nervous. He stopped tapping but not because he noticed that Viper, Mac and Coop were grinning over at him. But then he figured both Viper and Coop had reasons to grin since they’d both become fathers this year. Viper was the proud father of a son, Gavin IV, and Coop had a beautiful daughter they’d named Paris, since that was where he’d first met his wife.

  It was a beautiful day for a beach wedding and so far everything was perfect and going according to plan. Swan had hired one of the local wedding planners and the woman had done an awesome job. She had thought of everything, including the super yacht that could hold their five hundred guests that they’d be using for the wedding reception. It was anchored in the ocean near Swan’s beachfront home. A fleet of passenger boats had been chartered to transport the wedding guests out to the yacht.

  A ten-piece orchestra sat beneath towering balustrades draped from top to bottom in thin white netting. Chairs were set up on the beach, auditorium style, facing the decorative stage where Flipper and the men in the wedding party stood waiting.

  Suddenly, the music began and all the ladies strolled down the beach and up the steps.

  Swan had chosen her wedding colors of purple and yellow and Flipper had to admit the combination was striking. It took all twelve women long enough to do their stroll. His niece was a flower girl and Coop’s son and one of Flipper’s nephews were the ring bearers.

  Flipper almost held his breath when what looked like a huge forty-foot golden swan was rolled onto the beach. When the orchestra changed their tune for the “Wedding March,” the swan opened and his Swan appeared in a beautiful, dazzling white gown. She looked beautiful, stunning and breathtaking all rolled into one.

  Flipper stared at the woman who would be his wife and felt so much love in his heart. He hadn’t known until now just how much he could feel for one woman. They had spent the past year deepening their friendship and their love. He looked forward to returning from his covert operations, knowing she would be there waiting on him.

  He watched as she slowly strolled toward him. All three of her godfathers participated in walking her up the aisle, passing her off to the other so many feet along the way. Then all three of them gave her away. When Swan reached his side and extended her hand to him, he accepted it while thinking she was his Swan.

  His beautiful Swan.

  The wedding ceremony began. What Flipper would remember most when he looked back was when the minister announced them husband and wife and told him he could kiss his bride.

  Flipper pulled Swan into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. She was his and he intended to keep her happy for the rest of his days. They would be flying to Dubai for a two-week honeymoon and then return to the Keys where they planned to make their permanent home.

  When David released Swan’s mouth, the minister said, “I present to everyone David and Swan Holloway.”

  Flipper knew they were supposed to exit by walking down the golden steps that led to the boat that would transport them to the yacht. But at that moment, he couldn’t deny himself another kiss and lowered his mouth to his wife’s again.

  * * * * *

  Don’t miss any of the sexy alpha heroes of Bane Westmoreland’s SEAL team!

  BANE

  THE RANCHER RETURNS

  HIS SECRET SON

  Only from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson and Harlequin Desire!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from REUNITED...WITH BABY by Sara Orwig.

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  Reunited...with Baby

  by Sara Orwig

  One

  On a Wednesday, the first of August, Luke Weston gazed out the window of his Gulfstream jet as his pilot flew east to Royal, Texas. Looking down at the wide-open, mesquite-tree-covered landscape, it struck him that he was flying directly over the Double U. The ranch that he had grown up on and was now returning home to save.

  As he stared out the window, he wondered if he should let the Texas ranch go once and for all. It was no longer home to him. Ever since graduating from Stanford six years ago, he’d been living in Silicon Valley, where he’d been working tirelessly to build his company into the tech-world juggernaut that it was today. He had no desire to live anywhere else.

  Even so, he couldn’t bear the thought of the Texas family ranch being auctioned off because his drunken father had mortgaged the Double U again and then couldn’t keep up with the payments. Thank heavens, he wasn’t like his dad. But when he was young, his dad hadn’t been a drunk—a scary fact that was impossible to forget. And his grandfather on his dad’s side had been a drunk later in life, too. A drunk who was killed in a bar fight. Bad blood.

  Luke’s thoughts shifted to his hometown friends, especially Will Sanders. Unable to attend Will’s funeral because he had been in Europe, Luke had heard about Will crashing his own funeral in Royal and all hell breaking loose. Who had been impersonating Will? That had been the big question, but answers were pointing in one direction.