The Marine (Seductive Sands Book 3)

by Sammi Franks

  “It’s not safe out on the water,” I explained. Then I realized I’d be lying if I left it at that. “And it’s not smart in general.” I blew out a frustrated breath. “Your brothers would kill me. While money isn’t an issue to you, it’s pretty much all I worry about these days. I sank all my money into this boat. I needed it…” I cleared my throat and pretended that’s why I stopped talking.

  “You needed it to get away,” Isla guessed quietly.

  “I’m a proud man, but I’m out of options. I beg you, please don’t do anything to get me fired, Isla. I mean it.” I stared at her, my brow furrowed, my face no doubt the picture of worry.

  “Say it again,” she urged.

  “Please?” I guessed.

  She shook her head. “No, my name. That was the first time you said my actual name.”

  I laughed. “Isla,” I whispered. I looked up and realized how close we were to the marina. I had to pull down the sails and motor in or we’d hit the docks. I rushed about to throw the fenders in place.

  Once I had everything finished and stood behind the wheel again, she wrapped her arms around me and kissed my cheek. “You have no idea how much tonight meant to me.”

  “Oh, I think I do.” I smiled down at her as I carefully steered us into the slip. I’d worried about how long it would take my erection to deflate. Then I saw both her brothers leaning over the side of the yacht, watching us. Bodhi was rubbing his face. Max was straight up glaring. My dick completely wilted. Problem solved. And yet it seemed a whole lot of new problems were about to begin.

  10

  Isla

  * * *

  “What the hell were you thinking, Isla?” Max asked the minute Hawk pulled the boat into his slip. He stared at me from his perch on his yacht and as I looked up at him, I could see Bodhi snickering as Victoria whacked his shoulder with her arm. “No, seriously.” He looked between the two people surrounding him, his expression not changing. “What the fuck? You run away without telling us, only to come back on this guy’s boat. Something could’ve happened to you.”

  “Yeah, but it didn’t,” I pointed out. “And Hawk was a Marine. I’m probably safer with him than with you.” I wanted to roll my eyes at how protective Max was. I could take care of myself, and had, especially after Bodhi left and then Max followed. I was the one left with our parents. Me. And even with both brothers currently out of the picture, I still wasn’t trusted with the business. It was all ‘when Max comes home,’ this; ‘when Bodhi comes home,’ that. It was never about me, the only child who had obeyed, who wanted to run the empire, who earned higher grades in business school than either of her brothers.

  “Clearly, she’s fine, Max,” I heard Victoria say. “She’s a grown woman. There’s no need to treat her like she’s a child.”

  “I already get that from Mom and Dad, Max.” I glared at him while wearing a sarcastic smile. “Don’t need it from you too.” I turned my fury on Bodhi. “And you not saying something says something. I hope you know that.”

  The smile immediately slipped from his face.

  I glanced over at Hawk and found a conflicted look on his face. I knew part of him wanted me to leave his boat and never step foot around him again because he clearly needed his job. I understood that. As much as I hated to let him go, I could respect his wishes.

  So that was what I did.

  Without his help, I stepped on the dock and walked away. My arms were wrapped around my body, the bitter sea breeze smacking my face and messing up my hair. I honestly wanted to get back to Max’s condo and hop into the shower. I hoped he would continue to stay with Victoria tonight like he had been the past few days. I needed some space and hoped my brother was smart enough to know that. I didn’t turn back to look at Hawk. I didn’t even say goodbye. I knew it was probably rude, but I couldn’t bring myself to care too much. I just wanted to get away. When I reached my car, I felt under the back rear of the vehicle and found my spare key. With it, I opened the door and slid into my car before programming my phone’s GPS to get me back to my temporary living arrangement. I wasn’t at the point where I was calling it home yet. It was a cozy little beach town, but I was a city girl at heart, and so far, even with most of my family here, I wasn’t convinced to give up Seattle for Westport. Granted, Max hadn’t either until he met Victoria.

  I still wasn’t sure how I felt about that. She seemed nice, and smart, which were two things Max wanted, as I recalled from previous conversations. She also wasn’t going to take his shit, which was something he needed. I knew that she was good for him. The fact that he took to Penelope so quickly was surprising as well. I was actually going to be an aunt, which wasn’t something I thought I would ever be with my two commitment-phobe brothers.

  I pulled into the driveway at the condo and shut off the car. Once I reached the door, I started moving stones. Max had hidden a key for the decorator. I figured I could use that to gain entry, since he’d invited me to stay here. The first thing I did when I was inside was strip and shower. I wondered if Hawk cared that I ran away in his dress shirt. I should probably return it to him at some point. The hot water eased the tension in my back but it did nothing for the tension between my thighs. I wasn’t kidding when I said I wanted Hawk. At first, I thought it was just to hook up with. He was gorgeous and I wanted him, and that was all there was to it. Except, there was more to it. At least, a little bit more. The more time I spent with Hawk, the more I realized there was more to him than muscles. Besides the fact that he was a Marine, he seemed kind and he cared about his job.

  “Come on, Isla,” I muttered to myself as steam rose from the shower and fogged up the glass. “It sounds like you want a relationship with him. You barely even know him, and what you do know is suspect. He’s a Marine, which probably means baggage. Is that something I could handle right now?” Great. Now I was talking to myself. I also didn’t want to lead Hawk on. Not that I thought he thought we would go anywhere. He was the one who clearly was putting the brakes on even something just physical between us. But I was always very clear what my intentions were before I got together with a guy, and if he didn’t agree, we went our separate ways. It was as easy as that.

  The problem with Hawk was that I didn’t know what I wanted from him. I didn’t know if I wanted just one night or a few more. And then there was the fact that I actually started to like him as a person. I knew he saw me as a princess who got everything she wanted. I also knew that was how I portrayed myself so I couldn’t blame him for that. However, I thought he could past that just a bit. He could see the real me.

  I turned off the shower and grabbed a towel, drying myself off quickly before wrapping it around my body. At that moment, there was a loud knock on the door, causing me to jump. Max wouldn’t knock. Maybe Bodhi?

  I rushed down the stairs and whipped the door open. There stood Hawk, squirming with discomfort, as he took in my wet frame and my barely-there towel.

  11

  Hawk

  * * *

  At first, she made me a bit nervous because something about her always made me nervous. She wasn’t like any woman I’d known previously. She was strong-willed, assertive, and took no shit from anyone. These were all really respectable qualities…in a Marine. I wasn’t sure how I felt about discovering them in someone I was ridiculously attracted to. Finding her standing there in the doorway wearing nothing but a towel had my protective instincts kicking in. I grabbed her shoulders and walked her far enough into the condo to shut the door behind me.

  “Dammit, Isla. Is this how you answer the door? Fuck! I could’ve been anyone. You didn’t even check!” I scowled.

  She rolled her eyes. “Seriously, I’m fine.”

  “You could’ve been raped and murdered,” I reminded her.

  “Pretty sure they don’t knock, Hawk.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at me. “So, did you come all this way to lecture me too? If you’d have thought faster, you could’ve done it on the dock and saved yourself a
trip.”

  My lips twitched. “No, actually, I came to check on you. You left without so much as a purse. I was afraid you’d stranded yourself somewhere with no money and no identification.” I reached out and smoothed her wet hair away from her face. I had no idea what made me do it. Then I crushed her to my chest, just so happy to find her safe.

  Isla burst into tears.

  I released her and took a step back to study her. “What’d I do, princess? Did I hurt you? Scare you? Tell me,” I urged.

  She sniffled and shook her head. “No. Nothing like that.” She took a deep gasping breath. “You cared. You cared in a way that was so nice and sweet. No one has cared for me like that ever.”

  I hoped she’d stop crying now that we’d determined I wasn’t some overbearing jerk, but instead, she choked back sobs as rivers ran down her cheeks. “Stop crying, Isla. This is nothing to cry about.” I wiped her cheeks, at first using my hands, and then when I realized they’d had little effect, I pulled off my shirt and started blotting her eyes with my wadded-up wife beater.

  Her eyes widened and she gasped. I had a feeling I knew why.

  “Let me finish drying your eyes. I’ll put it back on.” I dabbed at her cheeks again and started to unfurl the cotton.

  “No rush,” she purred. Then Isla looked up at me with those big gorgeous eyes of hers. She ran a hand over my rippled abs and up over my bulging pecs. Then she frowned and froze. “How did you find me? Did my brothers send you?”

  I laughed. “No. They’d be pissed if they knew I was here. I overheard them talking about where you would go. Bodhi bet on you returning to the yacht because you love the water so much. Max figured you were racing off some steam in your car.” She interrupted before I could finish.

  “Victoria. Smart lady. She figured it out.” Isla shook her head. “I’m going to have to keep an eye on her.”

  “Well, she was the one who guessed you’d be staying at the condo. Max decided he was so angry he didn’t want to see you so he’d go stay with her.” I chuckled. “So, the yacht is practically empty if you want it. Only the captain is on board.”

  “Here is good.” She tilted her head. “But this still doesn’t explain how you found the place.”

  Without thinking, I hauled her into my arms again. I loved the way her tiny towel clad body felt against me. “I jog. In fact, I’ve been jogging up and down the shoreline, going farther each day to test my limits. The other morning, I saw your car out front and you were on the balcony.” I cleared my throat. The memory still made my body react. All my blood was racing to my groin. “You were wearing a cami and panties. The wind was blowing through your hair. I didn’t stare or gawk or anything, but a guy remembers that kind of thing.” I blew out a breath. “Okay. You’re safe. I guess…lock up behind me.” I looked at her sternly. “And stop walking around half naked.”

  Her brow arched. “Oh, and why not? What does it matter what I wear?”

  I huffed. “Some guy could take advantage of you!”

  “Yeah, well the one I’m trying to get hot and heavy with is rather cold and limp.” She pursed her lips.

  This was a bad idea, a terrible idea. This might be the worst idea in the history of ideas, but she had challenged me. I’d never backed down from a challenge before, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to start now. I pulled her hips against my pelvis. “Does this feel cold and limp to you?” I stared into her eyes, prepared to take her if she continued to push, willing to walk away if there was any hint of doubt.

  “No,” she whispered weakly. “That feels promising, but…”

  I slowly loosened my grip on her. “But?”

  “I’m not ready to make any promises. I’m not ready to commit to anyone. I haven’t figured out my life yet and it would be wrong to bring anyone else along for the ride. Can you live with that?” Isla unflinchingly met my gaze.

  “You’re direct,” I noted. “I like that.” I bent low and pressed my lips to hers. Tiny shocks raced through my body making me feel jolted alive like I hadn’t felt since before Afghanistan. I inhaled deeply as I broke off the kiss and left my forehead resting against hers. “Here’s the thing.” I grinned. “I haven’t figured out my life yet and it would be wrong for me to make promises I’m in no position to keep. If I get fired, I could be gone tomorrow. Can you live with that?”

  “With you getting fired? No.” She shook her head. “With you spending the night and taking me a good twelve times…I’m all in.”

  “Twelve?” I asked, my eyes wide. “That’s a lot of pressure.”

  “Well, one is too few and thirteen is too many.” She shrugged.

  “A dozen, huh? I’ll see what I can do.” Then I scooped her up into my arms and carried her up the stairs.

  12

  Isla

  * * *

  “Which one is your room?”

  I laughed as I pulled my mouth from his neck. It was nice to laugh during a sexy moment. I didn’t think that had ever happened to me before.

  “I don’t officially have one,” I replied. “I’m staying in the guest bedroom which is to your right, first door.”

  “Works for me.”

  We resumed kissing as he effortlessly carried me down the hall and to the guest room. Somehow, Hawk didn’t miss a step. He didn’t bump into anything, didn’t trip.

  As we moved, we removed articles of clothing and dropped them where we were at the time, like a sexy version of Hansel and Gretel leaving a trail of breadcrumbs out so they wouldn’t lose their way. I could only hope Max and Bodhi stayed away until I picked them up. Granted, the only article of clothing I had on was a towel while he just had jeans.

  By the time we reached my bedroom, I was completely naked while he had on boxer briefs. I kept tugging at his golden hair. It reminded me of a lion’s mane, wild and masculine, solidifying his position of dominance. He didn’t advertise his life in the Marines but it was written all over his face.

  Even as his hands squeezed my waist, I could feel the brutality in them. I knew he could kill me with his bare hands and walk away without a scratch. It made me feel wetter than I had been before, feeling the power and the control he had in his touch.

  When we reach the bed, he all but tossed me onto the mattress. I let out a surprised squeal as I fell on to the bed and looked up at him with wide, bright eyes.

  “One night,” he said.

  I didn’t have to ask him for clarification of what he meant by that. I appreciated the fact that he didn’t give me a maximum number of how many times we could explore each other’s bodies in that night. I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted him more than once, twice, three times. Hawk seemed like the kind of man with whom once just wasn’t enough.

  I watched him as he looked down on me, his clear, blue eyes feasting on my naked body as though he had been hungry for a long time and was now finally going to eat. I let him stare without feeling any shame. I was proud of my body. All I really cared about was that he covered my body with hands, and that he took off his underwear before I ripped them down the seam.

  “What are you waiting for?” I asked.

  He let out an exasperated grunt. “So impatient,” he muttered. “Let me enjoy this.”

  I felt my heart quicken at his words. Not because they were necessarily the sort of thing I wanted to hear just before I had sex, but because they made me feel special and I wasn’t used to feeling special.

  Slowly, he proceeded to crawl onto the bed before covering my body with his. I could not help myself as my hands wound up and down his arms, feeling the way his biceps twitched beneath my touch. I felt myself getting wetter and wetter as his eyes turned from light blue to dark, and finally a deep midnight shade. I could feel his heart racing as his penis pressed against my thigh. My hands dropped to his boxer briefs, and I slid the last remaining article of clothing from between us.

  He kissed me ferociously, his hands clutching my waist like I belonged to him, like he had complete possession over my body, and I di
d not care what he did with it. I wanted him inside of me now, but he seemed determined to make me wait.

  His mouth dropped from my lips to claim my neck, my collarbone, my shoulder. His hand cupped my breast, his fingers dancing on my nipple, causing it to marble. I felt myself groan at the effect he was having on my body, and I could feel him grin as he proceeded to kiss me lower…my rib cage, my navel, my hipbone.

  When his mouth hit my core, I tensed. I let out a whimper. He expertly brought me to my peak with just his tongue, and I was embarrassed at how quickly I shattered on his face. He lapped me up, waiting until the sensation was too much and I had to push him away.

  “Do you have…” I started to ask.

  “Honestly?” His gruff voice cut me off. “I haven’t thought of having sex in a long time. I don’t have anything.”

  I nodded. Without I word, I threw my body to the edge of the bed, not bothering to hide my exhaustion, before opening up my drawer and tossing him a condom. He smirked.

  “Prepared?” he asked.

  “I’m surprised you aren’t,” I replied, still breathless. “Mr. Marine.”

  He didn’t respond. Instead, he focused on slipping the condom on. When he finished, he crawled back on top of me, looking me in the eye.

  “Are you sure about this?” he asked me.

  “Listen to me,” I told him. “I think you’ll find I’m a woman who knows exactly what I want. And right now I want you, Logan.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Say that again,” he growled.

  “I want…”

  “No.” He shook his head. “My name. Say my name.”

  “Logan,” I said, my voice husky.

  He thrust into me, causing me to grunt. I wrapped my legs around him and he held onto me tightly, as though he was afraid I was going to disappear.