by Sybil Bartel
The house had a slight closed-up smell but it wasn’t bad. I’d kept a housekeeper after I moved to Gainesville, mostly to have an eye on the place but also the salary was paid for out of the estate so I didn’t sweat it.
I dumped my bag in the foyer and looked around. I wasn’t sure how I would feel coming back to a house that was paid for with dirty money. But now that I was here, it felt like the same home it’d always been.
Buck walked in and did a cursory look around the open-plan living space then turned to me. The change in his expression made me go still. Hooded, eyes intent, he stared at me as he dropped his duffel. My heart began a furious pounding as short breaths went in and out of my lungs. Slow, predatory, he walked toward me. An inch away, he stopped. His body heat mingled with the scent of salt water and surrounded me.
“Hi,” I whispered nervously.
“Shower.”
He hadn’t touched me but I felt him, everywhere. “This way.” My voice catching, I stepped back to walk around him.
He tracked me until I passed.
I led him to the master bedroom. A year after my parents died, I’d gutted the bedroom that had been theirs and redecorated it from scratch. I’d felt like I was living in a memorial and the everyday reminder of their clothes and personal items was only making me sad. I’d packed everything up and donated it to charity, keeping only the artwork and my mother’s jewelry. It’d been rough at first to let go but after I’d settled in, it felt like I’d made the right decision.
Buck didn’t make a sound but the hair on the back of my neck told me he was right behind me. I stepped to the side of the master bathroom door so he could pass.
Without pausing, Buck took my hand and walked into the bathroom, pulling me in behind him. Keeping my hand firmly in his, he turned on the water in the walk in shower. Realizing his intent, remembering our encounter in the bathroom this morning, my heart leapt with nervous anticipation as my skin tingled, radiating heat from where his large hand clasped mine.
Buck turned to face me and his eyes had turned the color of a storm at sea. He slowly pulled his shirt off. There wasn’t a single muscle not developed on him. I ached to touch him and feel the heat of his skin but he reached out and took the hem of my shirt in his hands. I lifted my arms and he gently pulled my shirt over my head, leaving a kiss where the bullet had grazed my arm.
Dipping a finger into the waistband of my pants, he dropped to one knee. The sight of this man, this marine, muscles rippling across his body, on his knee in front of me, made my whole world tilt. I felt the balance leave my legs and I grasped his hard shoulders for support. My hands looked like doll’s hands on his body. His finger slid across my stomach and chills ran up my spine. When he looked up at me, I saw the question in his eyes.
I nodded.
Holding my gaze, he pulled my pants and panties down together. Large, rough hands caressed my calves one at time, as he lifted each of my feet to free me of my clothes. His gentle touch was exquisite torture, leaving me aching for more but wanting him to slow down so I could commit every single second to memory.
Buck rose gracefully, his fingertips skimming up the sides of my body. When he reached his full height, the back of his hand glided across my stomach while he reached for his belt and deftly undid the buckle. Then his pants and boots were off in one fluid movement.
Standing perfectly still, Buck watched me as I took in the glorious sight of his naked body. Wide shoulders, ridged planes across his stomach, a deep V cut from his narrow hips and the hard length of him standing out from his muscular thighs. My breath caught at the sheer size of him.
Without saying a word, he wrapped a hand around my waist and led me into the shower. The blissful heat hit my body and I dipped my head, letting the spray soak my hair and shoulders. Pushing my hair back, I held my face under the water until Buck gently turned me to face him and reached for the shampoo.
He washed my hair. Cradling the back of my head, he rinsed out the shampoo and took the bar of soap. Lathering his hands, he rubbed across my arms and shoulders. I couldn’t begin to describe the feel of his fingers on my body. His words came back to whisper through my heart and make me shiver. He was right, he did know how to touch me to make me feel good. But he didn’t just make me feel good. He made me feel alive.
Reaching for the soap, my hand glanced across his wet skin and he drew back.
Confused, I looked up at him.
A quick, sharp movement and he shook his head once with tight control. The hard lines of his face set, he continued to wash me, sliding his hands reverently across my stomach. His fingers trailed up between my breasts and out over my collarbone in a touch so delicate, I was wild with hunger. My breasts aching for his attention, he swirled his fingers around the top and down the sides, carefully never going where I needed him to.
I bit back the urge to cry out but I couldn’t stop my back from arching into him. “Please,” I begged.
His face darkened, his chest moved with a sharp inhale and he skimmed a thumb under my breast.
My lips parted, my head fell back and I closed my eyes in anticipation. Then...nothing. Hot water beat down on my body but no Buck. I opened my eyes.
His expression fierce, Buck watched me as he soaped his own chest.
I reached out but he caught my wrist, spun me around and tucked me to his side. He rinsed himself off one handed, shut off the water, then grabbed a towel. Gently rubbing the length of my hair, he dragged the soft cotton over my shoulders and around my breasts. He wrapped me up then tucked a second towel around his waist.
I drank in his every movement as I watched the water drip down his body, desire licking my nerves in sharp, painful points.
He brushed a lock of wet hair from my face. “I don’t have any condoms.”
Is that why he held back in the shower? “Oh.”
His finger traced my jaw. “I’ve never been with a woman without one.”
The thought of him with other women was a knife to my heart. I understood what he was saying but I didn’t want to think about it.
Buck searched my eyes. “Even if I did, I’m not sure I would want to use one.”
The tremor started in my legs and worked up. “What are you saying?”
“I want you to be mine... I want you carrying my child.”
The sentence swirled around my heart and pooled low in my belly with a fierce longing, but my mind reached out and fixated on two little words that when said together, became something colossal—not sure. “Thinking and knowing are two different things,” I barely whispered. Thinking he didn’t want to use a condom was different, much different than knowing he didn’t.
Buck didn’t hesitate. “I know what I want. I want a life with you. What I don’t know is how you feel about that.”
My thoughts scrambled, fragments of reality mixing with my hopes and dreams, and my conscience spoke before I had a grasp of its meaning. “Before, when I was younger, I always thought I would get married.” But the past three years had buried the girl I once was.
“You want to be married first?” Voice calm, eyebrows raised, he asked the question as if marriage didn’t scare him.
Oh my God. Was he asking me to marry him? An impossible image of Buck holding a child flooded my mind and a feeling I couldn’t describe filled me with a yearning I’d never had before this very moment.
“Marry me tomorrow,” he breathed.
“Is that what you want?” Hope had mocked me before.
He cupped my face. “I want it all with you.” His voice dropped to a rough whisper. “I want to be inside you, I want you to be my wife, I want you carrying my child... I want to come home to you.”
Tears filled my eyes. “Promise?”
“Always,” he promised.
“There are so many things I want to say to you.” But right then I couldn’t think of one. I only wanted him.
“You have my whole life to tell me.” His lips were on mine and the storm of desire between us f
lew into a hurricane.
My hands went everywhere I could reach to touch him. His tongue plunged into my mouth, taking me, claiming me as he tore my towel off and picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he grasped the back of my thighs. Two strides later he dropped his towel, tumbled us to the bed and roughly threaded his hand through my hair. Giving a hard tug, my lips were torn from his and his mouth latched onto my throat, biting then kissing his stings.
I moaned in desperate pleasure and a guttural sound erupted from his chest. Shoving my legs apart with his thighs, he sucked my breast into his hot mouth and scraped his teeth across my nipple.
“Arrhhh!” My nails sunk into the flesh of his back.
“Who do you belong to?” he asked in a fierce growl, moving to my other breast.
“Please,” I sputtered, aching, arching, needing more.
Holding his body inches above mine, his hot tongue rough against my sensitive flesh, he barely grazed my nipple as his hand skimmed down my body and found the slick heat between my legs. His fingers plunged into me, caressed deep, then he retreated. “Who?”
I cried an unintelligible sound and shuddered. Grabbing his hips, I tried to pull him into me.
One hand in my hair, his tongue on my nipple, his fingers hovering at my entrance, he went completely still.
“Answer me,” he demanded.
“You,” I panted. “I belong to you.”
“Never forget it.” His mouth, his body slammed down and in one fierce thrust he buried himself completely inside of me.
“Blaze.”
A possessive groan ripping from his chest, Buck cradled my face then pulled back and drove himself deep inside me again. “This is my home.”
I shattered into a million pieces.
* * * * *
For more books from Sybil Bartel,
please visit the author’s website:
http://sybilbartel.com/
The marine kept his promise but Layna couldn’t escape her past. Now it’s up to her to save them both.
Read on for a sneak preview of
IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE,
the sequel to
IMPOSSIBLE PROMISE
Bagram Air Force Base, Afghanistan
“IED, head trauma, BP dropping. What else you got for me, Sergeant?”
“Tourniquet on his right leg, burns on his right side, heart rate at one-seventy-seven, pulse ox at roughly ninety. He’s also got an IO on the left humerus.”
“Thank you, Sergeant. Can you hear me, Marine? What’s your name?”
“He’s been unresponsive for...two minutes, thirty, Doc.”
“Any medications given, Sergeant?”
“Oral fentanyl.”
“Thank you, Sergeant. We got it from here. Get him rolled, people. Pelvis is stable, significant soft tissue injury to the left leg. Watch that arm laceration. Breath sounds bilaterally. He has a palpable femoral pulse, heart sounds normal, narrow pulse pressure. Let’s get him into surgery.”
Chapter One
“Miss me, Sugar?”
I shrieked, my body lurching a foot off the lounger. Grabbing my untied bikini top, I barely managed to keep myself covered as my other hand flew to my forehead to shield my eyes. Sun-bleached hair, bright green eyes, gorgeous tanned muscles—my only friend in this whole world gazed mischievously at me.
“Talon!” I couldn’t decide if I should kick him or kiss him for sneaking up on me.
His sultry chuckle washed over me. “Hello sweet island girl.” He shamelessly flirted, brushing my hair aside.
I grinned like it was Christmas morning. “You’re here.”
Talon gave me his million-dollar smile. “Yeah, Sugar, I’m here.”
Ignoring the traces of melancholy in his voice, I quickly tied my top and threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “What are you doing here?” I hadn’t seen him since he’d traded another man’s life for my freedom.
Talon’s hard arms tightened around me and he stood to his full height, literally sweeping me off my feet. “Aw, Sugar,” he chided softly. “Is that any way to greet an old man?”
Pushing the memories of three months ago aside, I smiled up at him. “You’re not old,” I said, playing our game.
“True enough, but you didn’t answer my question.” He tried to frown but it didn’t stick.
I was so happy to see him, I smiled wider. “You didn’t answer mine.”
His face softened and his Southern accent turned to warm honey. “Christ, Sugar, have a heart. I can hardly ’member my own name when you look at me with those big brown eyes, smilin’ like you won the lotto.”
I laughed and snuggled into him. Sun, sand, surf and coconuts, no one smelled like Talon. Inhaling deeply, I almost couldn’t believe he was here.
He kissed my forehead. “There, ya see, Sugar? I knew ya missed these arms holdin’ ya tight.” His voice went quiet. “It’s been too long.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, “too long.”
We stood like that for a minute.
Then Talon abruptly stepped back and his hands went to his hips. “So, what’s on the agenda for today? Sunnin’ and watchin’ your sexy little ass by the pool?” He scanned my yard and the intracoastal beyond then trained his eyes back on me. “Nice view.”
Ignoring his flirty comment, I dropped back to my lounger. “You got it, unless you have a better idea.”
He reached behind him and pulled his T-shirt over his head one handed. Sculpted shoulders, ripped muscles, washboard abs—even though Talon was no longer in the Marines, his body was active-duty perfect.
Kicking off his flip flops, he lowered his six-foot frame gracefully onto the lounger next to mine and a crooked smile hit his lips. “You propositionin’ me? Cuz I got mad skills.” He winked.
I laughed. “I’m sure you do. I’ll bet plenty of women can attest to that.” I might’ve rolled my eyes.
Every muscle that had been sinuous and relaxed a moment ago went rigid and ominously still. “You forgettin’ you’re one of ’em?” he asked impassively.
The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. Part of me wished I could forget, but a kiss like that? I mentally shook the memory away. “I’m with Buck,” I reminded him sternly.
Talon studied me for a moment then nodded. “Just checkin’.” He leaned back and closed his eyes.
I stared at him, not sure what just happened. Talon always pushed the envelope, but there was an edge to him today. My eyes dropped to his chest then skimmed the hard planes of his abs. I’d surfed with him, run the beach with him, I knew every cut angle on his body was hard earned.
“Like what you see?”
I quickly averted my eyes and changed the subject. “Trouble finding my place?” I asked, sugary sweet.
He opened his eyes and gave me an incredulous look. “Now that’s just insultin’.”
Not only had Talon never been to the house my parents left me in Miami Beach but I lived in a gated community. He’d obviously gotten past the guard but that wasn’t what was bothering me. “Why are you really here?”
“I missed your smart mouth.” Board shorts low on his narrow hips, his hands behind his head, he was the picture of ease but I knew better.
“Bullshit.” I wasn’t stupid, I knew who sent him. “Buck wanted you to check up on me.” Sadness enveloped me as the memory of our last conversation gnawed at my heart.
“Always so suspicious, Sugar. Can’t I just miss ya?”
He could, but he didn’t. Talon never lacked for female companionship. “Fine.” I sighed. “I’ll let it drop for now but I know you’re lying.”
Talon’s green eyes sparkled as his hand went to his chest. “Callin’ me a liar? You tryin’ to wound my pride?” He may have sounded affronted but the telltale gleam of humor in his expression gave him away.
“Nothing wounds you.” Talon kept everything, especially his emotions, in check. He was the least reactive person I knew, which wasn’t saying much.
“Oh Sugar, now there’s where you’re wrong.” Talon grabbed my hand and stood, taking me with him. “Little island girls who choose my best friend over me? Now that’s plenty woundin’.” A wicked smile spread across his face.
It was all the warning I got.
Sweeping one arm behind my knees and catching my back with the other, Talon tossed me in the pool so fast I didn’t have time to scream. I surfaced only to see him dive in. When he swam toward me, I tried to splash the shit out of him but I wasn’t fast enough.Cradling me to his chest,
he grinned in victory. “You splash me, you splash yourself.”
I didn’t bother to struggle. Besides him being a wall of muscle, he’d trained with Force Recon. I wasn’t getting down until he decided he was putting me down. “You threw me in,” I accused with a fake pout.
“Yeah.” He chuckled softly before dropping his voice to a whisper. “I like you wet.”
“Talon!” I shoved at his chest, hard. “Buck would destroy you for a comment like that.”
Laughing, Talon released me. “Tell Deer Hunter what I said when you see him next. Give him somethin’ to think about.” He winked.
I swam away. Talon nicknamed everyone and despite Blaze already having the nickname Buck, Talon called him Deer Hunter. I was sure there was a story behind it but I didn’t know it. There was a lot I didn’t know about Buck. I was head over heels in love with him but I’d only met him and Talon four months ago. After spending a few weeks together, Buck declared his intent to marry me then shipped off to Afghanistan for his third tour.
At first, I was fine. Buck and I had video chatted a few times and I’d been happy. But as the weeks stretched into months, I’d become despondent. I’d been on my own since I was sixteen and I didn’t think the separation would be an issue, but having Buck near me, for even a few days, had ruined me. I craved him—his touch, his smile, the intense way he looked at me. I missed him more than I missed my parents and that scared the hell out of me.
“Hey.” Talon came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Nothin’ doin’ Sugar, nothin’ doin’, just givin’ you a hard time is all.” My back to his chest, he pulled me to the edge of the pool.