Intensity

by Aliyah Burke

  He grabbed himself. “Suck it.”

  She finished her toast and grinned. “If only I could find it.” Then, she walked off, laughing with the rest. Grey met her gaze and lifted a brow. She blew him a kiss. “Sorry, Navy. Did we make you uncomfortable? I mean, we all know Recon dicks are larger, but don’t feel bad. Maybe, someday, you’ll grow one.”

  He crossed his arms. “Haven’t had any complaints, yet.”

  A spear of jealousy shafted her. And she hated herself for being jealous over a man who, by all rights, was virtually a stranger to her. So, she did what she did best. Deflect. “I’ve heard they never do when you’re paying for it.”

  “Play nice, children.” Cooler’s statement had no heat in it.

  They finished their briefing and suited up, getting ready to complete the job they had before them.

  αβ

  Sarah stared at the ticket in her bandaged hand. Two full weeks with Grey. The entire situation had her nervous.

  Gunfire and bombs are fine, but time with my husband freaks me the fuck out.

  The joint op had been a success. An Irish faction had been hired to take the sheikh out. In her opinion, the world would have been better off if the ass had been killed. But, she wasn’t in charge. Reason for that—I’m no good with politics.

  So, here she was, one hand curved about the handle of her duffle and the other her ticket. She stepped out of her shoes and put them in a bin. Her bag, she placed on the conveyor after it. The TSA agent waved her up to the x-ray machine, and she stepped in, putting her arms up in position, ignoring the pain in her ribs. He gazed at her when she stepped out.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I will be.” She shrugged as she gave him a wan smile. “Two weeks of vacay will hopefully be all that’s needed.”

  “Okay.”

  Shoving back into her tennis shoes, she carried on, strolling to her gate. With a groan, she settled back into an empty seat, away from most people. Sarah closed her eyes and willed the aches away. It didn’t take long, and she was in the air on her way to JFK to change planes. At that gate, she again took a seat away from most people, retreating into her own little world.

  “Sore?”

  That voice. It just wasn’t fair. The center of so many fantasies, it could bring her to orgasm with little more than a single word.

  She opened her eyes and found herself snared by an aquamarine gaze. Her belly clenched with raw need and a craving only he could assuage. His loose-fitting jeans hid nothing and emphasized it all. Perhaps because I know what’s beneath there. I can’t believe he’s here.

  His green long sleeves had been pushed up, showing strong forearms. The hem hung partially tucked in his pants, lying in a diagonal over his crotch. Her tongue flicked out as she dragged her gaze back up—leisurely—his hard body. The dark grey skullcap on his head did funny things to her insides. She loved the look on him.

  “A bit,” she remarked as he lowered himself next to her. He smelled of outdoors and adventure. And sin—don’t forget sin. Does sin smell like something? Must be because I smell him and think about all kinds of sinning.

  He raked his stare over her. “Where’s your—” He pointed at his forehead.

  “Make up.” She’d had her head gashed open on the final bit of the op. His stare went on for what felt like forever. “What?”

  “I want to kiss you.”

  More belly flips. Blatant. Honest. Grey, all the way.

  She blinked. “So, what’s stopping you?”

  His eyes flicked to her mouth. “I don’t know if I’d be able to stop once I start.” That deep, smooth voice was nearly her undoing.

  “Oh,” she managed to squeak out. She cleared her throat. “So, we’re going to an island?”

  “You not like islands?”

  “Every place is an island if you want to be technical. The Earth is mostly water and surrounds all the continents.”

  “Have you been to this particular one?”

  “No.”

  He leaned closer. “Good, we can explore it together. I would have been there in Atlanta, but I had to go to DC at the last minute.”

  “I’m still not sure why you want to do this.”

  “Are you so averse to giving us a chance, Sarah? What, think your mother won’t approve? My parents would be fine with it. Well, Mom will be pissed I got married without telling her, but they have never said a bad word about you.”

  “We grew up in the same town.”

  “Newsflash, lots of people marry from their hometown. It’s not like it’s a mortal sin.”

  “What about your carousing with the rest of your SEAL buddies?”

  He laughed. “Sarah, the last woman I was with was you. No one else.”

  That was another point in his favor. “I thought that you would be out with them.”

  “I go out, yes. I drink, yes. But I’ve never taken another woman to bed. And, before you go there, I’ve never taken one anywhere. My cock goes in one pussy, and that’s yours.” He whispered the words in her ear before flicking his tongue along her earlobe. “And it’s missed being surrounded by your heat. The way you grip me. How tight and hot you are. Like you’ve been made for me only.”

  She nearly hung out her tongue and panted. They were called to board, and he stood before offering her a hand. Together, they walked up and showed their boarding passes. He stowed her bag and slid in beside her after she’d taken her seat.

  This time, he captured her hand and laced their fingers. They accepted drinks from the attendant and waited to taxi down the runway. Outside, it didn’t look all that warm with all the snow on the ground, and she couldn’t say how pleased she was to be heading to their vacation spot.

  Once they were airborne, he leaned closer and whispered her name. She turned to meet his gaze and found his mouth on hers. Like the rest of him, the kiss was possessive yet gentle, showing he was aware of her cut lip. His tongue slipped deep into her mouth and tangled with hers.

  “I want to fuck you, Sarah,” he muttered, drawing back from her lips.

  She cleared her throat and looked out the window. Her shallow breathing and tightness in her gut only part of the story. That single kiss had pebbled her nipples and had her pussy clenching with need. His chuckle told her he was well aware of what he did to her. Bastard.

  “What exactly are your plans for when we’re there?” she asked.

  “I didn’t hide what I had in mind. I want to get to know you and allow you to know me.” This time, his chuckle was harsh. “We’ve been married for ten years Sarah. Ten. Most of that time we’re apart, and when we were in the same vicinity, we’re at each other’s throats. Except for a few times where we didn’t talk and just fucked.”

  “Has it really been ten years?”

  He looked at her and lifted her hand to kiss the back of it, lips lingering. “Yes. Do you not remember?”

  “I’d put it out of mind except when the papers would come back to me unsigned.”

  He grumbled. “No mention of a divorce during this trip. Okay?”

  “Deal.” Ten years? Gods, had it truly been that long?

  “You’ve been married pretty much the entire time you’ve been in the Corps.”

  “I’m aware of how long I’ve been in.”

  The attendant returned and smiled at them. “Can I get you two anything else?”

  “Coke for her and coffee for me, please,” he said.

  “Right away.” She left, again.

  “How did you know I wanted a Coke?”

  He tucked some hair behind her ear. “I watch you, wife. When you don’t think I am, I do. I know you only drink coffee as a last resort. You love Coke and would drink it all the time if you could. Never a Pepsi or Dr. Pepper.”

  “And you can live off coffee.”

  His callused palm slid along her cheek. “Yes. I could. And I hate Coke.”

  “That’s a strike against you,” she commented with an upturn of her lips.

&n
bsp; “Yes, but I will make it up to you in other areas.”

  “Is that a promise?”

  “Certified guarantee,” he vowed. “Ten years is a long time. Those two other times don’t count in my eyes.”

  “Are you two taking a vacation or a business trip?” the attendant asked as she handed over the drink.

  “Kind of a second honeymoon,” Grey informed her. “We’ve not seen much of each other these past few years.”

  “How romantic,” she gushed. “Well, I’ll leave you alone.”

  She backed off, and Grey looked over to Sarah, again. “I agree.”

  αβ

  Tioman Island

  Grey stood at the door leading to the patio in their room, staring at the woman on it. Sarah wore a sarong of peacock blue and a small tank of peach. Her hair had more waves in it than he was used to seeing. Granted, it was loose and not pulled back in the functional bun or braid it usually had been put in. Her hands curled around the railing as she had her face tipped back to the sun.

  The resort here was beautiful, and they had their own villa. But the woman with him was the one who stirred his blood in ways nothing else could.

  “I feel you over there brooding.”

  He joined her outside. Standing behind her, he took the opportunity to touch her skin. He ran his hands up her bare arms. “I’m not brooding.”

  “Whatever you want to call it. You’re scowling, and I’m not even looking at you.”

  “I wasn’t scowling. I was watching you.”

  She leaned back into him, and he wrapped his arms around her.

  “Come for a walk with me. I want to go down and see the sea.”

  “Feeling land locked already, Navy?”

  Grey cocked a brow at her and snorted. “Sea, air, and land, Marine. Now, come on.” He took her hand and led her to the door.

  The warm sun shone down on them as they traversed the grounds, not in any hurry. Grey took her hand and held it as they walked.

  “Are you ever going to tell me why you’re so set against—erm, on staying married?”

  He had to give it to her; she did her best not to mention divorce there. “Believe it or not, Sarah, despite that acerbic tongue of yours, which can flail the skin off anyone if you choose, I like you.”

  “You like me?”

  “Why is that so hard to believe?” He paused and angled his body so he could see her directly.

  She pursed her lips and shrugged. “Not really sure, just kind of a shock.”

  “If I didn’t like you, this wouldn’t be happening.”

  She canted her head to the side. He couldn’t help it; he had to touch her, again. So, he did. Cupping her cheek, he smoothed his thumb along her lips. He stepped closer and slid his left hand around the nape of her neck.

  “So, trust me, Sarah Sorenson. I like you, and while we’re here at this resort, I’m going to prove this to you. I want to stay married to you. I want to tell people at home we’re a couple.”

  “I don’t know what to make of you, Grey.”

  He liked her off her game—when it came to him, anyway. “Kiss me.”

  She placed her hands on his chest and pushed up on her toes. “You confuse me, Grey.”

  “I’m a simple man. Not anything complicated about me.”

  “Not from where I’m sitting.”

  His comment was muffled by the brush of her lips against his. Instant heat surged through him. His cock hardened and pushed against his jeans. Her tongue nudged against his lips, and he allowed her in.

  Her taste was unique, just like the woman. He didn’t know how to label it; all he knew was it was her and extremely addictive.

  Their tongues tangled and slipped along each other. A low rumble dashed up from his throat, and he gathered her close. Her curves against him sent him back to the one week when his life was perfect. This woman, she didn’t even know how much she meant to him.

  She drew back and stared at him. Her eyes were soft, and they overflowed with what he needed to see in her expression. Craving for him.

  “Let’s go,” he rasped.

  “Your trip.”

  “It will be.” He splayed his hand against the small of her back. He encouraged her toward the long dock that extended out over the sparkling blue water. Surprisingly, they were the only ones down there. Sarah slowed as they approached the end. She sat with her usual grace and dangled her feet over.

  Grey ripped off his shirt, dropped it beside her, and dove into the beckoning water. The liquid sluiced over his body, cooling him instantly. He surfaced, slicking his hair back as he treaded water.

  God, she made his heart clench in ways he never thought a woman would.

  Moving easily through the water back to the dock, he stared at Sarah. My wife. At her legs, he smoothed a hand up one silken calf.

  “Coming in?”

  “I suppose I could. I should get a workout in.”

  Her words were an invitation wrapped in sin. She stood and released the knot at her sarong, allowing the flimsy material to flutter to the surface of the dock and join his shirt. Her bikini bottoms were a solid orange. When she stripped off her loose top, the bikini top matched. The material pressed her breasts up and together, giving him dry mouth.

  “How far are we going?” she asked, nudging all their clothes to the side and out of the way. He got it—if someone else came down, she didn’t want their things to get tossed in.

  “Until you get tired,” he said with a grin.

  “Sounds like a challenge, Navy.”

  She leapt over his head, form perfect as she knifed into the water. She rose slowly, a large smile on her face, before moving her hair from her face. “God, this feels amazing. Let’s go.”

  Together, they struck out, and he didn’t try to talk, just enjoyed being in her company. On the way back in, she stopped a short way from the dock and watched him, just her eyes above water. Instantly changing direction to get to her, he swam close.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted up enough to kiss him. Her taste poured into him as her tongue thrust deep. He nipped at her lower lip before dominating the kiss, taking what he wanted from her. She hooked her legs around his waist and rocked against him.

  Electricity speared him. “Sarah,” he muttered, sinking one hand into the wet collection of hair at the back of her head.

  “All night,” she admitted. “All night on that fucking plane I wanted nothing more than your cock deep inside me. Then, when we arrived here, I thought it would have happened. But, you came here instead.” She held his gaze. “I feel you against me, Grey. You’re hard. What’s the problem?”

  “The problem is, once I start, you and I aren’t leaving bed for a few days. Well, we may hit other things in the room, but we’re not going out. And I’d love to take you here in the water, but there are people on the dock, so if you don’t mind giving them a show, I’m in.” He ground his hips into her, ensuring there was no doubt to his meaning.

  She flicked her tongue along his lips. “I don’t want to prune.”

  He flexed his hand and brought her close for another kiss. He would never get tired of kissing her. With his free hand, he dipped it below her bikini bottom and sank two fingers into her heat.

  Her trembled whimper nearly took him down. “So fucking long,” he said, moving them back to the dock with his legs. She bucked against him, pushing his fingers in farther.

  “How’s the water?” a man called from the dock.

  “Great,” Grey replied, scissoring his fingers. “Wouldn’t you say?” he asked her.

  “Let me come or stop touching until we’re out of here.”

  He removed his hand and caressed her ass. “I want your cream on my tongue, so you have to wait.”

  She glared at him. “Ass.”

  His grin wasn’t pleasant. “You know it.”

  They made it back to the dock, and he released her, allowing her to climb the ladder first. He was glad his trunks were baggy, for they hid
his erection. Somewhat. The woman who was there with the guy zeroed in on his crotch, and he ignored her.

  “Americans?” the man questioned.

  “Yes,” Grey answered.

  “We’re here because she wanted to get away from the cold of Maine.” He smiled, his pasty skin needing the sun, which fell unfiltered from the sky.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “Name’s Jack, and that’s my wife, Lisa.”

  “My wife, Sarah, and I’m Grey.”

  Her smile was polite, but he knew Sarah wanted to be anywhere but there.

  “Look, we’re here with some other couples from school. We’re having a party a little later in grounds. Stop by and join in.”

  “That sounds like fun; what time should we be there?”

  Grey nearly choked when Sarah asked that question.

  “Later afternoon. Probably around four.”

  He slid his arm around her. “We’ll see you, then. Enjoy the water, it’s wonderful.” He guided her away. “You’re going to be too sore to walk by then,” he said.

  “Good thing all I have to do for a party is sit in a chair, then, isn’t it?”

  He lengthened his stride, and they covered the ground back to the villa in record time. He strode up the steps and unlocked the door. The moment they were inside, he hauled her against him and slammed his mouth over hers.

  Frantic motions tore clothing to fall to the floor. Still possessing her mouth, he lifted her, used the door for purchase, and pushed his cock deep into her with a single stroke. Her moan combined with his as pleasure rocked over him.

  Her heat, tight and familiar, nearly burned him. He placed a hand on the door and released her mouth to bury his face in her neck. His skin prickled with his synapses going haywire. “Only you, Sarah,” he groaned, pulling out until the head of his cock was left inside her.

  She grasped a fistful of his wet hair and tugged. “Move.”

  He slammed into her, nipping her neck as she gasped and shuddered around him. A rumble escaped as his restraint faded to nothing. It had been well over two years since he’d been with his wife, and his need dominated everything. Over and over, he drove deep into her, bringing out the most luscious of cries as she rocked on him, taking what he gave and asking for more. Her throaty voice, begging him, only added fuel to his fire.