Explosive Passion

by Dobson, Marissa

  “I think we can come to some terms.” The chill of the cabin had her nipples hardening, sending desire through her as if they were a direct line to her core. “I need to get dressed, it’s chilly.”

  She gathered the rest of her clothes from where they were tossed, quickly dressing before helping him fold the blankets. Sadness clung to them, neither of them wanting their little escape to end. Now they had to get back to the real world and see if things could actually work between them or if it was just a pipe dream.

  It was funny how life could change in less than twenty-four hours, and how her vow to avoid military men like the plague could suddenly seem so pointless. In a few words, Jared had a way of making her see reality, rather than what she wanted to. He was a man she wanted both in her life and in her bed.

  Night had fallen long before Boom pulled the new rental car into a parking spot in front of Wynn’s building. Any hope of arriving early and spending some quality time with her, maybe even enjoying a quiet dinner, some wine, and a romp in the hay were dashed when it took six hours for the rental agency to bring them a new car.

  He was tired, but more importantly he was in desperate need of a shower. Food seemed overrated, but sex he’d never pass up with Wynn. He couldn’t get that woman off his mind, images of her naked ran through his head like a private porno twenty-four/seven.

  “I know the other members of your team were going out to celebrate last night and make it a long weekend, so I really appreciate you bringing me home.” Her words pulled him from his thoughts as he shoved the gearshift into park.

  “It was the best decision I’ve made. I didn’t plan on the car malfunctioning and I know it held you back from the work you wanted to do, but spending that night at the cabin… I wouldn’t change it for anything.” He slipped out of the car before she could say anything and dashed to open the passenger door.

  “Will you stay?”

  He looked into her eyes, seeing the mix of emotions, before shaking his head. She was so easy to read, her eyes gave her away. She wanted to work but also wanted him to stay. “Tonight you’ll work and rest. Then tomorrow I’ll pick you up at seven for a late dinner and either I’ll come back to your place or you can come to mine, but I want you in my arms again.”

  “Thank you. I am excited to get to work, but I’ll miss you tonight.”

  He slipped his arm around her waist. “Me too, but tomorrow when we’re both well-rested and you’ve had time to get some of your ideas down on paper, it will be better.” With a light kiss, he grabbed her bag from the trunk.

  They strolled toward the main door of her condo building, his arm around her waist. “How about I cook tomorrow? We have a quiet dinner here and dessert in bed where I can eat it off your chest.”

  “That sounds better than going out.” The attendant opened the door and stepped back to give them room to enter. “All these years and I’ve never known we are practically neighbors. I’m two condo buildings down, and from my place you can see where my boat is tied.”

  Being back in Virginia Beach made things more serious between them. It wouldn’t be long before his work started to interfere with plans, or Ace found out that his best friend was in a relationship with his sister, or one of a million other things that could interfere came up. No, this is about us, no one else. I won’t let them interfere.

  Weeks flew by with only a few uphill battles but somehow they made it through everything thrown at them. The biggest threat had been Wynn’s brother, who she had done her best to deal with, though she suspected Boom was still dealing with it since he had to work with Ace on a near-daily basis. The one thing she had been worried about from the start, the SEAL duties, hadn’t become an issue yet. Since he was home now, there were no deployments on the horizon, and training happening at their home base, she wasn’t concerned with it at the moment. That could change at any moment, so she took advantage of what she could control.

  Carrying cupcakes from Boom’s favorite bakery in town, she strolled through the lobby of his condo building and up to the elevator. It was becoming a second home to her. If they didn’t end up in her bed, they were in his. Since the wedding, they had only spent a handful of nights apart.

  “Hold that elevator, sweet cheeks.” She had just stepped into the elevator as he came jogging toward her in his camouflaged blue-gray Navy working uniform.

  “You’re supposed to be upstairs, waiting for our afternoon romp in the sack. Remember, you’re the one that said you had an early day and we’d have the whole weekend, so I got Melody to cover the shop so I could spend it with you.” She put her hand on her hip and waited for an answer, when all she wanted to do was push him against the elevator wall and have her way with him. Damn does he look good in uniform!

  “I got hung up with your brother. He’s invited us over for dinner on Sunday, our godchild would like to see us.”

  “Our godchild.” She held her hand out to him. “Give me your cell phone, I’ve got to call the papers and news stations.”

  “What?” He dug into his pocket and produced his phone.

  “If that month-old niece of mine is talking then we’re all going to be rich and famous.” She laughed at her own smart-ass comment. “I smell a set-up. How much do you want to bet Ace is determined to have one of his chats about this relationship and Gwen’s doing it at the house so she can control how things go and try to nip my overprotective brother in the ass before he gets out of hand?”

  “I could practically guarantee it.” He shoved the phone back in his pocket and took a step forward to open the box she held. “Yum.”

  “Not until after you’ve changed and had lunch.” She moved the box to the side before he could reach in and grab one of the cupcakes.

  “I was hoping to have you for lunch.” He placed his hands on her hips, gliding them up slowly.

  “Maybe that’s what I meant.” Before she could act on her urge to have him right there, the elevator doors opened.

  “Damn, if I’d have known I’d have had you right here.” With his hand in hers, he stepped out of the elevator and took her with him. “I’ve thought of nothing but this weekend together all week. Just me and you, in the middle of nowhere…” His words cut off when an older woman with her gray hair back in a strict bun stepped out of her condo.

  “Evening, Jared.”

  “Mrs. Maple, I’d like you to meet Wynn Diamond. Wynn, Mrs. Maple. She’s a fabulous cook, and before you stepped into my life she always made sure I was fed.”

  She offered her free hand to the older woman. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Maple.”

  “Please call me Lilian.” She lightly shook Wynn’s hand before letting it go. “I hope you’re feeding him more than just cupcakes. That boy has a nasty sweet tooth, but he needs real nourishment.”

  As if her words reminded him of the cupcakes, he reached for the box again, easing the lid open. She sidestepped, keeping the cupcakes just out of his grasp. “Don’t worry, I’m making him lunch before he’s allowed to touch these.”

  “Good.” She nodded. “I’ll see you again soon. Right now, I must be on my way to an appointment. You take care of him, you hear?”

  “It was nice to meet you, and don’t worry about Jared. He’s in good hands.”

  “No doubt, child, no doubt.” Mrs. Maple laughed as she continued past them.

  While he opened the door to his condo, she leaned close. “You have her wrapped around your finger, don’t you? Letting her bring you food when you know damn well you can cook.”

  “But she’s a better cook than I am.” He pushed the door open. “Give me ten minutes. I want to shower and change, then I’m all yours.”

  “I’ll get lunch together. We’ll eat here before we head out on the water.” She tossed her overnight bag by the door before she forced herself toward the kitchen, when all she wanted to do was follow him into the bedroom.

  Since he showed up in her life, she was making up for all the sex-free months. Her desires ran deeper than e
ver before, controlling her actions, instead of the other way around. If she wasn’t working, she was thinking about him. Not all her thoughts ran sexual, but they all contained him. He was her drug; she always wanted him around. How she would handle it when he had to deploy, she wasn’t sure, but she was committed. If the times they had together were always like this then she’d find a way to make it work. Thick or thin, he was hers.

  With the sandwiches made and sitting on the table, she glanced at the clock. Ten minutes had passed since the water had shut off. What was taking him so long? “Boom?” She strolled back to the bedroom, expecting to see him spread out on the bed naked and waiting for her.

  “I’ll make arrangements.” He sat on the bed and with a trembling hand rubbed his eyebrows. “I’ll be in touch soon.” He ended the call and tossed the phone on the bed.

  “Babe, what is it?” She went and knelt down in front of him, her hands on his forearms. The tight muscles under her fingers told her there was anger heating within him. “Jared, look at me.”

  Seconds ticked by until he finally did what she asked, yet he remained silent. “Please tell me what’s wrong. If it’s a deployment, we’ll reschedule our weekend. Things will be fine.” The words left her mouth and fear spiked within her. Their first deployment together…she knew what to expect from Ace and Lucky’s, but being the girlfriend instead of the sister changed things a little.

  “Not a deployment.” He tried to push her to the side so he could stand but she held on tight as he rose. “My fucking family.”

  “Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it together,” she reassured him.

  “I’m not dragging you into their drama.” That shook her enough for him to sidestep her and move to the window.

  “Not dragging me into it? I thought we were in this together. You’ve dealt with my shit, put up with Ace, and now you’re going to push me away?” She was no longer afraid, only angry. He was pushing her away without even telling her why.

  Refusing to go to him, she rose to sit on the bed. When she looked into his eyes she could see pain, but she refused to force herself in where she wasn’t wanted. She’d let him digest whatever the call was about and when he was ready he’d tell her. At least that’s what she kept telling herself when all she wanted to do was scream.

  The first bit of turbulence had hit their relationship in spades and Boom unconsciously tried to push her away. It didn’t matter that he did it for a valid reason, it still hurt her just the same. His family was so screwed up he didn’t want anyone else to have to deal with that, not if he could help it.

  “Damn it.” He dragged his hand over his buzz cut. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Then what did you mean?” She kept her tone hard, hiding her emotions.

  “The call was from my mother.” He clenched his fist, just thinking about the call made him angry. “My father was in a car accident…it’s bad.”

  “I’m sorry.” She shot off the bed, came to him and pressed her body against his, holding him tight.

  “I’ve got to go to them. I’m sorry. Our weekend will have to be rescheduled.” He ran his hands up her back, needing to feel her against him while he gathered the strength to deal with the curse he called family.

  “Don’t worry about the weekend, we’ll do it later. Your family is more important.”

  “No, sweet cheeks, you’re wrong there. You’re more important.” He kissed the top of her head. “They’re an obligation I must deal with. It’s worse than a deployment, at least then I know what I’m getting into. My family is a whole different can of worms.”

  “We’ll get through it. I’ll be right by your side.”

  Every muscle in his body went stiff. “No. You’ll stay here.”

  “What?” She looked up at him, her eyes filled with uncertainties. “I thought you’d want my support.”

  “I do, but not there. You don’t understand my family or what you’d be getting into.”

  “I don’t care about them. I want to be there for you. What’s wrong with that?”

  “You’ll have to deal with their hatred toward me. I had planned for you to never have to deal with them.” His mother’s cruel tongue had already been wagging enough on the phone, degrading him. He didn’t want her to have to deal with that.

  “I want to be there for you.” She ran her hand up his chest. “You have no idea what you’re about to walk into or if your father will make it. If you’re going home to a hostile environment then you need me. If you’re worried things will change between us because of your family, don’t be. They have nothing to do with what’s between us.”

  “You have no idea what you’d be walking into. They won’t curb their hostility just because you’re there. It could be worse and I have no doubt that they will try to take some of it out on you. You shouldn’t have to deal with that.”

  “I’d walk through fire for you, aggression from your family is nothing compared to that.” She ran her finger over his cheek. “Where are we heading?”

  “Minneapolis.” Saying his hometown sent dread through him. He didn’t want to go there or see his family. Though if his father was actually dying, as his mother claimed, then it was his duty. Fourteen years.

  “Guess that means I should make plane reservations while you pack. If we have time I need to go to my condo and grab a few other things before we leave.” She rose up onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips.

  “I’m going to owe you big for this.” He hugged her tight, not willing to let her go yet. “Leave the dates open, we’ll fly back as soon as we know how my father is. If he’ll live we’ll be on a plane back tonight.”

  “However long you’ll need,” she reassured him. “Where’s your laptop? I left mine at home.”

  “On the coffee table in the living room, my credit card is in my wallet.” He nodded at the dresser, trying to get his thoughts in order.

  “I’ll deal with it. Are you okay?”

  “Going home after fourteen long years of having little to no contact with any of them makes me sick.” He leaned his head back against the wall, making a solid thump as it connected. “One of the men on the team said going home always makes him feel like a child again, but for me it’s sickening. They call and I jump, even after all they’ve said and all I know they’ll do when I arrive.”

  “You go because even through all the shit they’ve put you through, you still care about them. I’ll apologize for saying this upfront, but everything you told me about your parents…they’re assholes and don’t deserve shit from you, yet I support you going because I would do the same in your case. You’re better than them and this shows it.” She cupped the sides of his face and their gazes met. “This right here, how you feel…it’s only going to get worse when you arrive. That is why I’m going with you.”

  “I don’t deserve you.” He hugged her tight to him, lifting her slightly off the ground.

  “Don’t think this won’t cost you,” she teased. “I still want that boat trip out to the middle of the water where you’re going to make love to me under the stars, just like you promised.”

  “When this is done I’ll do that and so much more.” When she started to move away to go make the reservations he pulled her back until she was pressed against him. “Wynn…I love you.” He had felt it for a while now, but had kept it to himself so he wouldn’t scare her away, at that moment it just felt right.

  “Oh, Jared.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing their faces as close as their height difference would allow. “I never thought I could feel like this, but I love you.”

  Her declaration gave him the courage he needed to face his family. It was funny, but fighting terrorists was easier than going up against his family and their disapproval. With her by his side, he’d take them and the world on single-handedly. Watch out, here we come…

  A cool breeze cut through the air, spraying a white powder mist of snow into the air from one of the many piles still littering the area. While th
e weather had just begun to turn cold in Virginia, it was already cold and occasionally snowy in Minnesota. There was nothing there that Boom missed, his hometown had too many skeletons that needed to stay in his past.

  “Miss Diamond?” A man in a suit came toward them, his hand outstretched.

  “That’s me.” She accepted his hand. “The car?”

  “Right there, just as you requested.” He danged the keys in front of her. “If you should require anything else…”

  “I’ll let you know, thank you.” She looked back at Jared, who remained silent. “If you’re ready?”

  “As ready as I will be.” He laid his free arm at the small of her back as they made their way to the sleek black car that waited for them. “Do I even want to know how you managed to do that and avoid the rental car agencies?”

  “His brother has a shop in the Mall of America, and I do custom work for it occasionally. I made a deal with him if he could have a car waiting for me outside the airport. I figured it would save time. He also has a rental apartment downtown that we’ll be staying at, it will allow us to avoid a hotel and have some privacy.”

  “You shouldn’t have had to call in favors on my behalf.” He tossed their bags into the trunk.

  “Don’t.” She leaned into him. “It was nothing and allowed us to get out of here quickly. You still have time to see your father before visiting hours are over.”

  “How did I get so lucky?” he whispered, his lips hovering just above hers.

  “I’m the lucky one.” She closed the distance, pressing their lips together, and set the keys in his hand. “You drive; you know where we’re going.”