“You’re seeing her again tonight?” his dad asked.
“Yes, but she leaves tomorrow.”
And after that I’ll never see her again. This is my last chance to make her feel beautiful.
His father smiled at the bartender. “Darling, what’s the hottest restaurant in Vegas?”
“Chef Louis’s new place.” She frowned. “But it books up months in advance.”
His father leaned forward. “My son’s a Navy SEAL—”
“Dad,” Cade said. “I’m sure there’s someplace else we can go.” He didn’t advertise his job, and he sure as hell didn’t use it to secure reservations. His old man should know better.
His father ignored him. “My son wants to spend his few days of leave making his girl feel like a princess. Spa treatments, fancy food, the whole nine yards.”
True, but—
Across the bar, Maxine sighed, her lips forming a wistful smile. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks, Maxine.” His dad turned to him as the bartender headed for the landline phone by the register. “Now, son, what are you planning to wear for your final night out with this special girl?”
Cade sipped his beer. “I brought clothes with me.”
“A suit? To take a girl out to the hottest ticket in town, you need to look sharp.”
This coming from the man who’d never expressed an interest in Cade’s clothing choices growing up. Or his own apart from the desire to wear a uniform.
“I don’t own a suit,” Cade said flatly.
“After Maxine confirms your reservation, we’ll hit the mall across the street. Do a little shopping.”
Cade raised an eyebrow. “You want to ditch the baseball game to go to the mall?”
“One thing I learned in the Navy,” his dad said. “You need to make every moment count.”
Chapter Thirteen
“If what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, I need to move here,” Lucia murmured as her masseuse lifted the lavender eye mask off her face. She blinked and opened her eyes to the dimly lit treatment room.
The woman laughed as she adjusted the rubber band containing her brown curls in a messy ponytail. “I’m glad you enjoyed the massage. Please take your time getting up. And just in case you decide to move to this crazy patch of desert, I’ll leave my card beside your glass of water. Or you can just ask for Karen the next time you visit our spa.”
The young woman set a business card on the side table and smiled before slipping out of the room. Lucia closed her eyes, determined to remain in her relaxed cocoon for a few more minutes.
“Sex in the ice room, followed by a massage,” she murmured. “This is the best day ever.”
The shrill ring of her cell cut into her bliss. She sat up, reluctantly slid off the table, and retrieved her phone from her robe.
“Natalie, I’m in heaven and you’re interrupting,” she said, lying back on the table.
“Right now?” The note of hysteria in his sister’s voice caught her by surprise. “You’re with him now and you answered the phone?”
“Not sex heaven,” Lucia corrected. “Massage heaven. I’m in a treatment room at the hotel’s spa. Cade, the guy I met last night, the Navy SEAL, he arranged for a ninety-minute hot-stone massage.”
“He took you to a spa?” Disbelief replaced her sister’s frenzied panic, but she still sounded off.
“He’s perfect,” Lucia declared with a sigh.
“I seriously doubt that.”
She grinned. There was the sarcastic sister she knew and loved.
“If you’re calling to check on me, you can stop worrying,” Lucia said, sitting up and reaching for the water.
“You flew across the country to meet a stranger,” her sister shot back. “Someone needs to worry about you. And if you refuse to do it, I will. What happens if this guy isn’t as great as he appears?”
“Natalie, I’m in control.” Holding the phone against her ear with her shoulder, she slid one arm into the robe. “That’s your secret to life, right? Controlling everything?”
The bitter words felt out of place in the serene treatment room. Lucia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Natalie loved her. But they looked at the world through different eyes.
Natalie had struggled with handing over control to their foster families, rebelling against the idea that strangers should have a say in her life. But Lucia had hoped to find acceptance. And instead had been marked worthless.
“I’m in control,” Lucia insisted. Of finding a way to feel wanted for one weekend.
“How do you know you can control a man you just met?” Natalie demanded. “And he’s a SEAL. You can’t manage guys like him. Believe me, I see them every day. In fact, I just kicked a pair of drunken SEALs out of my bar.”
Lucia laughed. “I think I found a way.”
“I’m serious—”
“So am I,” she said, setting aside the mental picture of Cade’s wrists bound above his head. The restraint had only offered the illusion of control over him. His desire to be a part of her dreams for this weekend had paved the way for trust. Every touch, every kiss, every naughty word that crossed his lips, every orgasm proved that the wanting ran both ways. If he’d just wanted sex, he would have walked away already. He wanted her.
Sure, she dreamed of a guy who’d treat her that way for longer than a weekend. But Cade had been clear he wasn’t that kind of guy. That she’d be disappointed even if he tried to be. She just hoped she wouldn’t be too heartbroken when it came time to tell him good-bye.
“Natalie, I’ve been bold and daring for a long time on a canvas,” she said, pulling the robe on the rest of the way and securing the belt. “But here, with Cade, I’m brave without needing to rely on my paintbrush. And I love feeling like I don’t have to hide.”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt,” Natalie said. “Ever.”
“I’m a big girl. This is just a fling. I told him that from the start.”
A knock sounded at the door. “Just checking to see if you fell asleep,” Karen called through the door. “It happens sometimes.”
“I’ll be right out,” Lucia promised the masseuse. Dropping her voice low, she added, “Natalie, I need to go. But I promise, I’ll text you in the morning.”
A dog barked in the background. And Lucia would’ve sworn she heard her sister mutter, “I’m going to kill him,” just before the line cut out.
She slipped her phone into one of the robe’s front pockets, and then she headed for the door. She’d meant what she said to Natalie. This was her chance to be bold. And the next stop was the salon.
…
“Close your eyes.”
Cade heard Lucia’s voice through the hotel room door. His hands froze on the zipper of his new dress pants. He’d left the rental tux with the concierge after he’d moved his duffel into Lucia’s suite that morning. And his dad was right—he needed a step up from jeans or board shorts for tonight.
So after six months deployed to a war-torn country, he’d spent the afternoon shopping with his dad while his date for the evening visited the spa. When he’d walked back into normal, everyday life, it felt like the twilight zone.
“Are they closed?” The sound of a key card unlocking the door followed her words.
“Yes.” He was standing by the bed, his pants still undone, his new shirt hanging in the closet, and a present for his date on the desk. His hands moved to his sides, and his eyelids drifted shut.
“Don’t peek,” she warned as the door slammed shut behind her. “Okay, now you can look.”
He opened his eyes and turned around. Her long hair tumbled over her shoulders, and her big, loose curls drew his gaze down to her chest.
“Anna, your friend at the salon, called it the Sofia Vergara special. Have you heard of her?”
“Yes.” He’d watched the actress’s popular sitcom with Natalie. And Sofia Vergara’s hair was only one of her many attributes he’d admired. But the sitcom beauty came in a distant second to L
ucia.
For years, he’d played by the rules he’d written for himself since he joined the Navy—nothing serious. He’d never invested beyond a night or two. And in return, whatever emotions or insecurities might have come to the surface instead remained locked away.
But Lucia had let him in. Even before the mask came off, she’d given him glimpses into what drove her passions in bed and out. And after the mask fell, she’d let him see her. The real her.
“Cade,” she asked, her brow furrowed. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s a damn shame you have to wear a dress to dinner. I’d rather see your curls teasing your bare breasts all night.”
She rewarded him with a sensual smile. “We could order room service.”
“No, I’m taking you out.” He walked over to the minibar and pulled out a bottle of bourbon. He needed to feel something other than the unnerving need to strip off her clothes and take her. Nothing kinky. Just plain old missionary, his body hovering over hers, offering him a clear view of her face as he took her.
Claim her.
Except she wasn’t his. And after tonight, she would slip out of his life. There was no way around it. Hell, he’d been trained to think outside the box, but he couldn’t find a path forward that didn’t involve hurting her.
If he tried for more, she’d discover he’d been on a mission to find her that first night. And if that didn’t break the woman fighting for a way forward, crawling out from under a past that had taken too damn much, the fact that a relationship with him would lead to loneliness just might crush her.
He unscrewed the top to the miniature bottle and sat down on a corner of the bed. “Put on your dress,” he said.
She raised an eyebrow, and he lifted his gaze to the makeup on her face. Anna had kept it simple, allowing Lucia’s big brown eyes to shine. And her red lips were a masterpiece, shifting attention away from her cheek to the mouth that featured heavily in his fantasies. He owed his mother’s friend a thank-you call for going all in.
“You’re just going to sit there and watch?” she asked.
“Yes.” He raised the bottle to his lips and took a drink. “I want to walk out of this room hard for you. While we’re out, I’ll be counting down the minutes until we return.”
She turned her back to him and slipped her black cover-up over her head, revealing her black one-piece suit. “Where are we going?”
“A supper club with a reputation for creative drinks, good food, and live entertainment.” He tracked her movements as she drew the straps down her shoulders.
“You’ve been?” She opened the closet door.
“No. The bartender at the place where I met my dad recommended it.”
The suit still covering her, she disappeared behind the door. “How was your afternoon with your father?”
“Better than expected,” he admitted. “He was the one who quizzed the bartender on the hot new places in Vegas. And convinced her to secure our reservation.”
“Your dad planned our night?”
“Yeah. And it was a nice change of pace. Most of the time when I see him, he rehashes the past over and over.” Cade took another drink of bourbon. “Now that the tables are turned and he’s the one left alone, I think he feels guilty for the way things worked out with my mom. She was always complaining about the waiting. And my dad didn’t get it.”
“Get what?” she asked.
“The Navy and relationships don’t mix. My parents are proof of that.”
“Do you visit him often?” She reached out and tossed her suit onto the floor beside the mirror.
“No. I’m deployed or training most of the time. Last year, I spent over three hundred days outside the U.S. And I try to see my mom some, too.” He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. Knowing the woman who drove him insane with a need that bordered on wild stood behind that mirror…shit, his parents were damn near close to the last thing he wanted to think about right now.
“What’s wrong?” she said.
“I can’t see you.”
“I know.” She leaned her head out and wrapped her fingers around the closet door’s edge. “I’ve never done this before. But I want to be bold. And I want to give you a very private Vegas show.”
Oh, fuck yeah.
“Please,” he growled. “Do it.”
He held his breath as she stepped out from behind the mirror. A slip of black lace dangled from her fingers. His gaze roamed over every naked inch of her body as she leaned down and her breasts fell forward. She stepped one foot into her panties, then the second. Slowly, she curled up and drew the black lace over her calves up to her thighs.
His hands tightened around the bottle to keep from reaching for her. So he’d translated Natalie’s ultimatum—the clothes stay on—into the clothes going back on. He wasn’t touching. Or tasting. Not yet.
But later, when they returned to the room, he planned to prove how much he desired every inch of her beautiful body. He’d save his regrets for daylight. And he’d keep them out of her reach. Tonight, he would hand this goddess one undeniable truth.
“You’re beautiful,” he said as she pulled the thong into place and reached for her dress. “If you don’t feel like a goddess, I promise you will by the time the sun rises.”
“But tonight we’re following your Post-its.” Her red lips formed a playful smile. And her eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief as she turned her back to him. Slowly, she pulled the dress over her head.
“All night I’m going to be picturing what’s beneath your clothes,” he said. “Knowing that I’m the only man in the room who can name the color of your panties.”
Her hands stilled, the fabric bunched at her waist. “Most people don’t look at me and wonder about my underwear.”
With her back to him, he couldn’t read her expression. But he had a feeling doubt had extinguished her playful smile. And it threatened to throw the brakes on daring and bold.
“I’d bet about half the men at the restaurant tonight take one look at you and think how it would feel to fuck your breasts,” he said. “And I’m the lucky bastard who plans to find out.”
She let out a sharp laugh. “Just say the word and we can tackle fantasy number one right now.”
Yes.
Little Miss Temptation threatened to ruin his strategy for the evening. But he’d been trained to tackle hurdles when it came to getting from point A to point B.
“Put your dress on,” he said. “I’m taking you out first.”
She shimmied her hips—a move that spoke directly to his dick—and pulled the dress on. The undone zipper left her back and her thong exposed. He savored each second before she pulled up the zipper, but she surprised him and first bent over to slip her black heels onto her feet.
“I fucking love it when you’re bold.” He leaned back, the bottle in one hand as the other pressed against the erection threatening to break free from his new pants.
“I’m glad you like the view,” she murmured, securing the ribbons around her ankles. But her tone distracted him from her movements. He’d expected flirtatious, but she’d said those words with an honesty that cut into him. If he called her over, he could have her on the bed, her dress bunched at her waist while he showed her just what the view did to him.
“I like you. In bed and out.” He drew his hand away from his crotch and stood. “I’ll get ready, and then we’ll head out.”
He walked into the bathroom and pulled the door shut behind him. Marble covered every surface in the space. His bedroom in Coronado would fit inside this room. He placed his hands on the edge of the matching sinks and stared into the mirror.
Over and over, he’d played the altruistic card.
This is for her.
Make her feel beautiful.
But he was in this for himself, too. And the sex was only one piece of the picture. He had a job that demanded his all, and he gave it. Teammates, friends, family on both coasts, and a dog waited for him in Coron
ado. His life was far from empty.
Yet right now he couldn’t escape the loneliness. He’d found it easy to ignore, at least until this weekend. Until Lucia.
One more night in Sin City with a woman who left him wanting beyond reason. That’s all it could be. His job would eventually take all he had to give and then some.
Chapter Fourteen
“Which door will you choose?” The hostess’s words echoed in the empty, quiet hallway.
If someone had told Lucia earlier that one of the hottest new restaurants on the Strip was literally hidden like an old fashioned speakeasy, she would have laughed. She’d tried to bite back a giggle during their third elevator ride to find the place. But Cade’s remark—I’ve had an easier time finding terrorist cells—had pushed her over the edge.
Now that they’d arrived, she watched the hostess turn in a semicircle and gesture to the six sets of nondescript double doors. The woman’s long black dress draped over her tall, slim figure, a departure from the typical short-and-tight Vegas uniform. And her wild mane of tight blond curls combined with her dramatic, dark makeup took the look to the far side of eccentric.
“Do they all lead to food?” Cade asked, his fingers toying with the gift bag’s handle. He’d sparked her curiosity earlier when he’d plucked it off the desk in the hotel room.
“Yes,” the crazy-haired woman said. “But each room offers a different experience designed to tease and tantalize. Which one will you choose?”
The door that leads to a private place where my date can slide his cock between my breasts?
She bit her lower lip before the words slipped out. On any other night, Vegas’s hot new restaurant’s creative spin on the whole dining experience might be fun. But tonight, Cade’s long, thick length was the only thing she wanted teasing her. The way he’d watched her, the sound of his voice—her Navy SEAL transformed anticipation into an art.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her close. “If I’d known dinner came with surprises, I would have chosen someplace else. But we’re here now. And if we want to eat, we have to choose. It’s your call.”
She pushed the erotic images to the back of her mind and focused on the doors. If the man who’d spent the past twenty-four hours making her wildest dreams come true—the man who listened when she told him she didn’t like the unexpected—wanted to take her out to dinner, she would do her part and pick a door.
To Tempt a SEAL Page 10