Match (Coronado Series Book 5)

by Hart, Lea

  Looking out the window, Cat studied the warehouse and wondered why they were there. “Did you forget something?”

  Parking in front of the door, he turned the engine off and grinned in her direction. “No, this is where the first part of our date is going to happen.” Jumping out, he came around and opened her door. “I want to take you up in the helicopter and give you a bird’s eye view of the coast. Then we’ll land at the Marriott, have lunch at the marina, and then return.”

  “I don’t do well with heights. I don’t mind flying in a very big jet, but seeing how far we are off the ground is not my idea of a good time.”

  “I know…I thought we could do this, so that you could face a fear and know that I will always take care of you. I want you to trust me with your life and be confident that you’re in good hands.” Leaning forward, he kissed her gently. “Please give it a try.”

  “Is this some weird trust exercise that you’re making me go through?”

  “Maybe. I want you to trust me before we become intimate.” Studying their entwined hands, he felt a little foolish. He wasn’t sure why this was important to him, but it was. He could’ve just taken her out on a cruise in the harbor and had a romantic lunch, but he wanted something more. Her faith…in him.

  “All right. But I want you to know that I’m not a very adventurous person. I have no interest in stretching my boundaries.” Leaning her head against his, she let out a sigh. “I hope that’s going to be enough for you.”

  “Love, you are more than enough for me. And I already know what kind of person you are. Remember when we were at the market last month and I tried to get you to try buffalo?”

  “Yes.”

  “I know who you are and what you like, and I have no interest in changing you. Going up in a helicopter is not about change. It’s about trust.”

  “Let’s go and get it over with.”

  Pulling her out of the seat, he wrapped his arm around her as they walked into the warehouse. “That’s the spirit.”

  “Whatever,” she mumbled. She waved to David, who looked like he’d just finished a work out. “Hey, David.”

  “Has hell frozen over? It must have, because you two are not arguing and you’re walking arm in arm,” David replied.

  “Watch this.” Sweeping Catalina into his arms, he leaned her over and dragged his mouth against hers and smooched her good and loud. Glancing over his shoulder, he grinned at his friend. “She’s agreed to take me on, and we’re getting married in April.”

  “Let me up, you fool.” Frank lifted her up and kissed her quickly once more. “We are not getting married in April, so get that thought out of your mind. This is our first real date, and it may be our last.”

  Letting out a loud laugh that sounded more like a snort, David wagged his finger at his friend. “You’re going to be lucky if she doesn’t kill you before the end of this thing.”

  “Shut up,” Frank replied. “Is the chopper ready for me?”

  “Sure is. I checked it myself.” Wiping his face off with the towel that hung across his shoulder, he studied Cat and wondered why she was willing to go up in the chopper, since she didn’t like heights. “Cat, if you want an out, let me know. There is no law that says you have to go along with his crazy ideas.”

  “I know.” Looking out the doors of the hangar, she studied the chopper and wondered if she was going to throw up. “I already said I would.”

  “Let’s go, love, and let me show you what the coast looks like.” Taking her hand in his, they walked through the warehouse and out the doors and stood in front of the chopper. “She’s a beauty, isn’t she?”

  “I can’t believe my sister bought this.”

  “It was one of her better decisions. We’ve saved a ton of money by owning it, and it’s also put us on the top of everyone’s list if someone’s been kidnapped. Our business has tripled, and the Los Angeles office just bought one, as well.” Opening the door, he helped her up and made sure that she was comfortable. “Ready?”

  “As I’m ever going to be.” She watched him cinch up her seat belt and make sure that she was secure against the seat. Leaning over her, he grabbed headphones and handed them to her. “Should I wait to put these on?”

  “Yes, I’ll tell you when. I want to you be able to hear me on the ride.” Jogging around the front, he waved to David standing in the door before he climbed in. “I’m going to go through my checklist, and then it’s up and away. Is there anything in particular that you would like to see?”

  Shaking her head, she looked out the window at the bay and tried to smile. “Not really. Take me wherever you would like to go.”

  Leaning over, he kissed her quickly and winked. “Perfect.” Giving her the signal to put her headphones on, he waited until she was set and then spoke into his mic. “Ready?”

  “I guess.” The rotors began moving, and she looked around and wondered again if she was going to throw up. “Is there a barf bag in here? I may need one.”

  Turning around, he grabbed one out of the pocket of the back seat. “I think once we get up, you’re going to love it. The view is amazing and it may give you a new perspective.”

  “I’m okay with the one I have. But this seems important to you, so I’m going to try and be brave and enjoy it. By the way…how many times have you flown one of these?”

  “In a combat situation or for fun?”

  “Either…both,” Cat replied, as she twisted her hands in her lap.

  Covering her hands, he smiled gently at her. “I have flown over twenty-five times in a combat situation and countless hours just for fun. I won’t put you in danger. I promise.”

  “I know. But still…”

  “Still what?”

  “What if something happens and you lose control and we dive to earth in a fiery crash? That would be bad and my mom would be really mad.”

  “This is not a telenovela and we are not going to crash.” He leaned over and kissed her and then slowly took the bird in the air.

  They slowly rose vertically for several minutes. It was similar to the feeling of being in an elevator, and they leaned frontward for a second as the machine began to accelerate, and then moved forward. It seemed like a Disneyland ride because it felt like they could go in any direction. The excitement of being able to see everything was slowly pushing her fear of heights to an acceptable range of abject horror. “How do you know that the rotor things are going to keep going around and keep us up here?”

  “We have the helicopter checked regularly, so I have no reason to believe that we are going to have a mechanical failure. I’ve flown out of the desert in a sandstorm when we had a group of insurgents trying to blow us up with improvised explosive devices and rocket-launched grenades. I can get the bird down if we have a problem. Trust me.”

  “I do; it’s just that I’m…”

  “What, Cat? What are you most afraid of?”

  “Trusting that your feelings won’t change after the thrill of the chase is gone. What if this is all about the hunt for you?”

  “Honey, I don’t go after anything that I don’t want to keep and take care of. I spent sixteen years on the Teams; I’m not a man that needs the thrill of the chase.”

  Hearing Frank’s deep voice in her ear helped calm her nerves. “What’s that over there?”

  “That’s the Naval Air Station at North Island. Birdie and Mark got married there at the Officer’s Club.”

  “It looks so much different from up here.”

  “That’s why I wanted to bring you up. I thought it would be fun to see where you live from a different point of view.”

  Tearing her eyes away from the sights, she studied Frank and felt a millimeter better about being up in the air with him. Clearly, he was capable of flying them around, and he was as calm as he usually was. That was a good sign. This was probably not something that she was ever going to love, but it wasn’t as horrific as she expected.

  “How are you feeling? Is your stomach feelin
g oaky?”

  “It’s doing that swooping thing it does when I’m up too high, but it’s okay.”

  “Thanks for giving this a try, love. I wanted to show you something special and I thought this would be cool for you to see.”

  “It is impressive up here, but I don’t think I need to do this again. I prefer the thick steel walls of a big airplane.” Glancing over, she was impressed and turned on by seeing him handle the bird with so much confidence and ease. Maybe his idea had more merit than she initially gave him credit for. Knowing that he was a decorated naval war hero and partner in a successful company was one thing. Seeing him handle this huge machine was quite another. He wanted to show her things that he loved and that was very sweet. Who knew that bad-boy Frank Loria was a gentle and lovable man beneath all that swagger?

  “I’m going to loop around and show you La Jolla, and then we’ll come back and have lunch.”

  “Thank you, Frank.”

  Glancing over, he raised his eyebrows in question. “What are you thanking me for?”

  “For asking me to come up today. It’s not as horrible as I thought it was going to be.”

  “Maybe for our next date, we can try something on the ground with nothing horrible in sight.”

  “That would be a good idea. Maybe just a movie and dinner.” Laughing, she looked out the window and felt her stomach swoop again. Only this time she didn’t know if it was from her fear of heights or her feelings for Frank.

  “Whatever you want, love.” And with that, he slowly turned the bird around and flew them up along the coast toward the town she lived in. Watching her with her eyes glued to the window, he felt a wave of relief. Thank God it worked out. Now that she had started to trust him, it would mean that their union was going to be that much sweeter…and hotter.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Tumbling through the front door with their mouths glued together, they fell on the floor and continued kissing. Tearing her mouth away from Frank’s for a much needed breath, Cat let out a giggle. “I guess waiting for as long as we have has made us a little impatient.”

  Kicking the door closed with his foot, Frank slid Cat’s T-shirt up and ran his tongue along her skin. “I’ve been celibate for eight months. So this first time is going to be quick and probably really unimpressive. But let’s just think of it as an appetizer. I promise to worship you the second, third, and fourth time.” Returning his mouth to her stomach, he growled as he began tasting her soft skin. He’d fantasized about this moment for a long time, and the fact that reality beat the shit out of his dreams made him ecstatic. He felt a hand on his shoulder and lifted his head slowly to see what she wanted. “Yes, love?”

  Rolling out from underneath him, she stood and smiled down at him. “Lock the door and follow me. I’m freezing, and I need a warm shower.” Walking backward, she slipped her shirt over her head and threw it in his face. “You can do me in the shower for your opening act.” Laughing, she turned and ran for the bedroom.

  “Did Catalina Basso just tell me that I can do her in the shower?” Catching up to her, he lifted her over his shoulder and stepped into the bedroom. “Because if that’s what you said, then a long-held dream has come true.” As he released her and she slid down the front of his body, their eyes locked and a quiet hush fell over the room. The only sound was their breaths as he slid his hand up the center of her body. The contrast of his tan skin against the milky, light color of her stomach was more erotic that he could’ve imagined.

  Slowly, she leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to the muscles covering his chest and his heart stuttered in response. Her hands moved to the bottom of his sweater and she pulled his sweater over his head and stared. “Are you okay, love?” The expression on her face told him that she liked what she saw and when her mouth ran along his skin, he knew she was doing just fine.

  “Are you ready, Frank?”

  Pressing his hips into her, he responded. “You tell me. Does it feel like I’m ready?” Staring down into her face, he held her cheeks and noticed how flushed she was. He cupped her chin and tipped it as he held it just where he wanted it and took her mouth.

  The kiss was dizzying and mind-numbing and more ferocious than any he’d given her before. “Clothes, we need to get rid of them.” Stepping away, she slipped her jeans off and went into the bathroom and turned the water on. Before she stepped in, she watched him shuck his jeans and boxers and salivated at the impressive sight. Being retired from the Teams hadn’t changed anything about his body. Walking into the tiled enclosure, she was instantly soaked by the rain shower feature that she’d recently installed. The multiple shower heads pummeled her as the warm water heated her body.

  Eyes pinned to her, he followed her in and stepped close to seal them together. Not stopping there, he pressed her deeper into the shower until he backed her up against the wall. Now there was nothing left between them but want and need.

  The cool tile at her back and the hot man flattened to her front was a shock to the senses. He pressed closer and made her feel safe and protected and, most importantly, desired. Rubbing against him, she meant to tease him a little, but his response was savage. Plastering his mouth to hers, he swept his tongue inside in an unmistakable act of ownership.

  Holding onto his control with an iron fist, he deepened the kiss and brought his hands into play. Her skin shivered under his touch as his rough palms took her. When he found her breasts, he encircled them and scraped her nipple with the pad of his thumb. Her legs faltered, and he held on tighter and consumed her.

  Rounding her hip, he let his fingers explore and found the spot that needed his undivided attention. He leaned back and stared into her water-splattered face and touched her. Pressing his thumb into her wet heat, he watched her head tip back as her hips answered him.

  “Don’t stop, Frank,” she whispered as his fingers took control of her body. “You are incredible.”

  His eyes flared as the muscles of his face tightened. A sound escaped the back of his throat and he sounded like a savage on the edge of losing control. The only answer was to plunge his fingers deep inside, filling her, taking her, making her his.

  Body clenching at the intrusion, she tried to hold back. But nothing had ever felt this good, and this wasn’t even the main event. Not wanting to appear too easy, she did her best to hold on to her control, but it was futile. The moment took her as sweet relief swept through her body. He held her as she came and stroked her higher, letting her explode in his arms. Barely able to grasp a breath, her heart almost stopped, as she collapsed into his arms. What just happened had shifted everything she knew about herself, the world, and the man holding her. Not sure if she could recover, or if she wanted to, her head flopped against his shoulder. “You were definitely worth the wait.”

  Burying his face in her hair, he drew in the scent of her as he lifted her and collapsed on the bench in the corner. He stroked her back and she began to stir in his arms. Staring into her cognac eyes, he grinned at her satisfied smile. He kissed her collarbone, and was surprised when he felt her hand drop to his crotch and fist him gently in her fingers. Hissing a breath at the pleasure, he wondered how far she was going to take it. His eyes crossed at the pleasure, and he decided to allow her to torture him for a little bit longer.

  Looking down, she murmured, “You’re beautiful.” Hearing a bark of laughter in response, she glanced up at him. “What? You are.”

  “I’m already seduced—willing and able—so you don’t have to say that.”

  “I want to.” Rubbing her finger over the sensitive tip, she spread the evidence of his desire along his length. Brows scrunching up, she continued to let her hand run up and down and measured his size. “What if it doesn’t fit?”

  Laughing, he circled his arms around her tighter and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Don’t worry, love. We’re going to fit perfectly. Let’s get out of here, and I’ll show you how it’s all going to work out.” He lifted her off his lap and turned off the water. Ope
ning the shower door, he grabbed two towels and quickly dried them off. “Come on, let’s see how a puzzle works.”

  Putting her hand in his, she stepped out and followed him into the bedroom. What a relief to let him lead. She was tired of being the director in her life. She wanted to have someone else be in charge of her pleasure. Walking bonelessly behind him, she knew he was more than capable and thanked whatever god was responsible for bringing him into her life.

  Throwing the quilt off the bed, he gently laid her down and opened the towel that swathed her. He felt like he just unwrapped the best present in the world. Throwing his towel off his hips, he stood before her with his feelings on full display. Not realizing his mistake at first, he noticed her eyes zero in on him and decided to flop down next to her. “Love, I like to be in charge in bed. I hope that’s not going to be a problem.” Cupping her breasts, he heard her sigh. “I don’t care about the rest of our lives together, but when we get in here, I need to run the show.”

  “What does that mean exactly? Do you want to tie me up and spank me?”

  “Only if you beg me.” Looking at her huge eyes, he realized that wasn’t the best answer. “I’m never going to spank you or hit you. That’s not my thing. I’ve spent my whole life protecting people, so the idea of hurting you sickens me. Now, as for tying you up…I don’t think right away. We can decide if that’s something we want to try later on.” Slowly caressing her in a spiral, he bent and took a fat nipple between his lips. Tugging until he heard her moan, he nipped her gently. “I’m going to own your body and your pleasure, and trust me when I say it’s a job that I’ll take very seriously.” Returning his mouth to her breast, he concentrated on the taste of her and the feel and soon discovered how to get her back to curve off the bed in pleasure.

  “I still don’t understand what you mean by being in charge, but I’m willing to give it a try and then negotiate after we’re done.” Arching into his wandering hand, she decided that he could be in charge of whatever he wanted as long as he continued to make her feel the pleasure he was giving her now.