by Paige Tyler
He chuckled. “I’d like to argue that with you just on principle, but I can’t. You really are frigging amazing.”
She looked away like she was perusing the display in the front window of the shop they were passing, but her reflection in the glass gave her away, and he caught her blushing. He wasn’t sure why, but he liked making Lyla blush.
As they continued along the walkway, Trent couldn’t help but think about last night. All they’d done was hang around her place, eat pizza, and make out some, but he couldn’t remember ever having so much fun with his clothes on. Not only was Lyla beautiful, she was also easy to talk to and sexy as hell. He’d never gotten that fired up from simply kissing a woman before. It had taken all his control to keep from stripping off her clothes and his and getting busy right there on the couch.
But he’d behaved himself. This could be the beginning of something special between them. There was no need to rush into anything. Even so, it had been tough falling asleep last night knowing Lyla was in the room across the hall from his wearing nothing but that old T-shirt.
She looked just as delectable in the sleeveless top and floral print skirt she wore today. Not only did the outfit show off her sleek arms, but lots of leg, too. And he’d always been a leg man.
As they slowly made their way over one of the arching bridges that crossed the river, he and Lyla stopped to gaze at the view of the shop lights reflecting off the water.
“Someone told me once that the River Walk looks a lot like the canals in Venice,” she said, watching a boat filled with tourists pass beneath them. “Do you think that’s true?”
“They definitely have a lot in common when it comes to the canals, the walkways on either side of the river, and the shops,” he agreed. “But there’s something about Venice that puts it in a class by itself. I don’t know. Maybe it’s because it has a history San Antonio doesn’t. Not that it isn’t beautiful here, but there’s just a feeling you get when you walk around Venice and realize there are stones along the canals that have been in place longer than the United States has been in existence.”
“You’ve been to Venice?” she asked in surprise.
He shrugged. “Yeah. Some of the other guys on my Team went over to Italy to train with their Navy Raiders—their equivalent of Navy special forces. The training wrapped up early, so my buddies and I spent some time traveling around Italy and doing the tourist thing.”
She sighed. “Wow. That sounds so amazing. This is going to sound dull by comparison, but the farthest I’ve ever traveled is out to San Diego to find you, and we came back before I saw anything beyond the airport and Interstate 5.”
He turned to face her, resting one elbow on the bridge as he half leaned against it. She’d put her sunglasses on her head and in the setting sun, her eyes were the color of whiskey. “If you could go anywhere, where would you go?”
She gave him a sheepish look. “Promise you won’t laugh.”
“Why would I laugh?”
“Because I should probably say France or Italy or Australia or Japan—and I’d love to go to those places someday—but where I really want to go is Disney World.”
Okay. He hadn’t seen that coming.
“Disney, huh? That sounds cool.” He grinned. “Why haven’t you gone? Is it the money?”
Lyla shrugged, looking out at the water again. “No, it’s not the money. It’s just hard to find someone to go with. Most of my friends at the school where I teach are married or in relationships. I guess I’ve been waiting for the right time—and the right person—to come along.”
“I get that. Hell, right before you showed up at my door, I was telling Nash I didn’t have anywhere to go on leave for the same reason. It’s not much fun going somewhere by yourself.”
She laughed, turning away from the water to look at him. “We really are two sorry people, aren’t we? We both want to travel to all these exotic places but don’t want to go alone.”
Trent was about to tell her he traveled enough in the SEALs and had no desire to do it on vacation, but suddenly the idea of going somewhere—anywhere—with Lyla made him rethink that opinion.
“So, let’s go together,” he said, the words coming out of his mouth before he could change his mind.
Her brow furrowed in confusion. “Go where?”
“Disney World. You said you want to go there, right?”
“Well...yeah, but...” She stopped and thought a moment. “Wait a minute. Are you serious?”
“Of course I’m serious. I’m a Navy SEAL. We’re always serious.” He flashed her a grin. “So, what do you say? Do you want to go?”
Lyla stared at him for a second, her mouth hanging open. Before he could tease her about it, she threw herself into his arms, pulling his head down for a kiss. She probably intended for it to be a quick smooch to express her excitement, but the moment her mouth touched his, that went straight out the window.
Trent slipped his tongue into her mouth to tease and tangle with hers as he wrapped his arms around, pulling her against him so firmly he could feel every one of her sweet curves against his body. Lyla moaned softly, clutching his shoulders and digging her fingernails into his muscles through the material of his shirt.
He glided one hand up her arm then across her shoulder and along her neck, slipping his fingers under her hair to gently massage her scalp while his other hand slid down her back and over the curve of her ass, tugging that most delicious part of her body closer. His cock strained against the front of his jeans.
Lyla sighed against his mouth, her body melting into his, her hips wiggling in slow, tight circles against his hard-on.
It wasn’t until a group of college girls walked by, giggling behind their hands, that Trent realized he and Lyla were getting damn close to yanking their clothes off and making out right there on the River Walk. Maybe they needed to take it down a notch before things got any more out of control.
As much as he hated to do it, he slowly pulled back, breaking the kiss and putting a little breathing distance between them. Lyla gazed up at him questioningly, her eyes filled with undisguised lust. Damn, she looked so frigging beautiful right then.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
He lowered his head to trail kisses along her jaw and up to her ear. “Absolutely nothing,” he whispered. “But I think we might need to slow down a bit and take a breath, unless you want to end up as the star of our very own YouTube video.”
Lyla looked around, as if just remembering they were in the middle of the busiest tourist area in the city. “Oh! Yeah, you’re right. That might be a good idea.”
Cupping her face in his hand, he brushed his thumb over her lips. “Am I right in assuming that kiss meant you’re down with going away together?”
Her lips curved into a big smile. “You are.”
“Good.” Trent grinned and took her hand. “Come on. We’ve got some reservations to make.”
As they made their way along the path through the crowd, it occurred to Trent that going on vacation with Lyla at the spur of the moment like this might be one of the most spontaneous—and crazy—things he’d ever done. But he’d learned in the SEALs to listen to his gut, and right now, it was telling him to stop thinking so much and just go with it.
Chapter Six
LYLA COULDN’T STOP grinning as she and Trent walked into her apartment. They’d spent the whole way back from the River Walk talking about their upcoming vacation, and she was so excited she was having a hard time containing herself.
They actually were going to Disney World.
While she really did want to travel to various exotic places, in the end it had come down to a desire to run around and act like a kid again—and meet Mickey Mouse, of course. She’d been worried Trent would think the entire idea was silly, but he seemed to be as geeked about the trip as she was.
“You’re not pulling my leg, are you?” he asked as he followed her over to the couch and sat down beside her.
“Nope. The
re are hotels at Disney. A coworker and her husband took their kids there a little while ago. There are all kinds of different hotels with different themes.”
“Huh,” he said, looking amazed and more than a little intrigued. “What kind of themes?”
She kicked off her flip-flops and curled her feet under her. “Since I haven’t been there, I don’t have firsthand experience, but Amy said they run the gamut from tree houses to ultra-contemporary to ones designed to make you think you’re in Hawaii or in the middle of the African plains with real animals all around you.”
“Damn. Who knew?” His mouth edged up. “Which place do you want to stay?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. We’ll have to go online and see what strikes our fancy.”
“If we want to go this weekend, we’ll have to decide soon so we can make sure we can get two rooms close together.”
Lyla reached for her laptop sitting on the coffee table then stopped as what Trent said hit her. After making out last night and that scorching kiss they’d shared at the River Walk, it was kind of silly to think they needed separate rooms.
“You know,” she said, sitting back on the couch again, “we wouldn’t have to worry about finding rooms near each other if we stayed in the same one.”
A sexy grin slowly pulled up the corners of his mouth. “That’s true. Plus, rooming together would save money, which would give us more to spend.”
“There is that,” she agreed softly. “But convenience and saving money aren’t the real reason I want us to get a room together.”
His eyes smoldered with heat as he leaned toward her on the couch, and his nearness suddenly made her warm all over. “Then, what is your reason?”
She moved closer, too, so they were only inches apart now. “I figured since we’d be spending our days in the parks and our nights in each other’s arms, getting two beds would be a waste because I don’t plan to let you out of mine.”
Lyla wasn’t usually this forward with a guy, but Trent was different. Besides being hotter than any other man she’d gone out with, he was a guy she’d had a crush on ever since she was old enough to be interested in the opposite sex. When he’d joined the Navy and left San Antonio, she’d kicked herself for not being bold enough to tell him how she felt. She wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
“So, that’s how it’s going to be, huh?” he murmured tipping his head down until his mouth was a hairsbreadth from hers.
Lyla swore the electricity between them made her body hum, and he hadn’t touched her yet.
“Yeah, that’s exactly how it’s going to be,” she said huskily. “And I think we’ve both known it from the moment we kissed last night.”
Trent caressed her cheek, his touch warm on her skin before he slipped his fingers into her hair and tugged her forward to kiss her slowly on the mouth.
“It’s what I wanted,” he said after a teasing kiss way too short—and too tentative—for her liking. “But I didn’t want to rush you.”
She smiled. “You don’t have to worry about rushing me. I’m not the little sister of your best friend anymore. I’m a woman. So, you can stop treating me with kid gloves. I know what I want and how I want it.”
Trent gazed down at her with those beautiful blue eyes of his for a long moment then he tightened his fingers in her hair and tugged her closer. This time, when his mouth came down on hers, there was no hesitation—and no teasing. This time, he kissed her like he meant it.
She was so wrapped up in the sensation, she barely noticed when he reached down to grab her hips until he picked her up and yanked her onto his lap. The move left her sitting astride his waist, her panty-covered crotch inches above his jean-covered cock. And he’d done it all without breaking the kiss. She would have been impressed, but she was too busy getting aroused to give it much thought.
She wiggled forward until she made firm contact with the bulge in his jeans then draped both arms around his shoulders and focused a hundred percent on kissing the heck out of the hunky Navy SEAL she was lucky enough to have back in her life.
She almost smiled—which was hard to do while kissing—when Trent’s hands slipped around her waist and settled on her butt. Considering the way he’d squeezed and caressed that part of her body last night when they’d been making out on this very couch, she got the feeling he had a serious thing for her ass.
That was cool with her. She liked the idea of a guy paying attention to her behind. It was one of her favorite places to be touched. She pushed her bottom back against his hands to let him know she was fine with it, and was rewarded with a firm massage that made her gasp out loud.
Unable to control herself any more, she yanked at the hem of his T-shirt, intending to drag it over his head. Unfortunately, that was a little difficult to do while they were still engaged in their kiss. She had no choice but to pull away, which made Trent groan in complaint. But while he might be unhappy about her breaking the kiss, it didn’t keep him from helping her get his shirt over his head. Between the two of them, they got the thing off and whipped it across the room. Then she sat back on his thighs and enjoyed the view of the most amazing collection of muscles she’d ever seen in her life. Well-rounded shoulders, thick pecs and biceps, rippling abs. It was enough to make a woman cry with joy. She slowly reached out until the palms of her hands came in contact with the warm muscles of his chest. His heart beat under her fingers, the steady rhythm and the rise and fall of his chest almost hypnotizing her.
“You’re overdressed,” he murmured.
Sliding his hands underneath her top, he quickly stripped it off and tossed it aside. Holding her captive with his gaze, he reached behind her and slowly undid the clasp on her bra. As she slid the straps down her arms and shrugged out of it, his eyes moved lower to catch the reveal. The hungry way he looked at her bare breasts made heat pool between her legs. She had to admit, she really liked having him look at her that way.
Trent leaned forward, his strong arms enveloping her and pulling her close as he pressed his mouth to her neck and began kissing and nibbling a fiery path straight down to her breasts. Lyla arched her back, offering them up to him, moaning long and low as his lips traced a line back and forth from one nipple to the other, teasing, biting, and kissing them until she thought she would go insane.
That was when he got really serious, running his tongue around and around each nipple until they stiffened into hard, tender peaks. Then he drew them into his mouth and suckled them, lavishing them with so much attention she had to wonder if nipple orgasms were a real thing.
Lyla wrapped her arms around him, weaving her fingers in his hair as she closed her eyes and gave herself over to the pleasurable sensations.
But after a while—she wasn’t sure how long—she started feeling guilty for simply sitting on his lap, doing nothing. Maybe it was time she returned the favor. With an impressive show of willpower if she did say so herself, she tightened her grip in his hair and pulled him away from her breasts. Urging his head back until his face was turned up to hers, she touched her lips to his for a quick kiss.
“My turn,” she whispered softly before sliding off his lap and dropping to her knees in front of him.
She’d be lying if she said she didn’t like the way his eyes widened at seeing her in that position.
Lyla placed her hands on the insides of his jean-covered thighs, shoving his knees wider so she could scoot forward. His muscles tensed and flexed beneath her fingers as she got closer to his erection. She was fairly certain his breathing quickened a little, too.
When she reached her goal, she immediately got to work on the buckles, snaps, and zippers standing in the way of what she was after. Trent helped, shifting his weight on the couch as necessary to let her drag his jeans over his hips and down his legs. It took a bit longer to get him the rest of the way undressed, thanks to the biker boots he wore. But, soon enough, she had him standing in front of her wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs that were screaming under the
strain of trying to contain his hard cock.
Trent’s lower body was just as perfect as the rest of him. As she’d suspected, he didn’t have the thick, bulging muscles of a bodybuilder. He was leaner and more ripped than that. As she sat back and took him all in, appreciating how perfect he was, an unexpected realization dawned on her. If she’d thought kneeling in front of him while he was sitting on the couch was nice, kneeling in front of him while he was standing was even better. She’d certainly never been the submissive type, but this position was seriously working for her.
She looked up at him with a smile. “That underwear looks a little uncomfortable. Maybe I should help you get it off.”
She didn’t wait for a reply, though the sexy grin on his face offered a good clue he was all for anything she had in mind. Wiggling forward on her knees a little, she slipped her fingers into the waistband of his boxer briefs, letting the anticipation build as she slowly exposed his hard cock then shoved his underwear down his thighs.
Lyla stared. Damn, he looked good enough to eat. Which was appropriate since that was what she had in mind.
Licking her lips, she wrapped her fingers around his thick shaft, moaning at how hard he was. Getting a better grip around him, she tugged him forward and dipped her head to take him into her mouth. The chuckle he let out quickly turned into a groan of pleasure as she swirled her tongue around the head of his cock, moving her hand up and down at the same time. Mmm, he tasted delicious.
She’d planned to take her time teasing him and making a game of it, but now that she had him in her mouth, that plan got tossed out the window. She couldn’t help it. The urge to make him come took over, and she began moving faster and faster.
She took him deeper then, loving the sensation as the tip of his shaft touched the back of her throat. In between, she caressed him with her hand, making sure she paid attention to all his sensitive spots. And he wasn’t shy about letting her know exactly where those were.