Seasoned Veteran

by Roz Lee

  For reasons of personal safety, he decided against a face-to-face with Sean. Stopping, he pulled out his cell phone. He was scrolling through his contacts list when a triangle of light swept across the walk.

  “Jake.”

  He turned. Siobhan stood in the open doorway, one hand braced against the frame. Her feet were bare, the toes of one curled, resting atop the other. Hope flared bright, but he squished it down before it could take over. She probably just wanted to return his gift.

  “You should go back inside. It’s cold.” That’s the best you can do? What an asshole.

  “I know.” She wrapped her arms around her middle. The luscious body he longed to hold trembled from head to toe.

  It was all he could do to stay where he was, let her say what she needed to say, when every cell in his body wanted to protect her. But the only thing she needed protection from was him.

  “You shouldn’t be alone tonight.” Her words were fuel to the spark of hope he’d tried to extinguish moments before.

  With the light behind her and only the weak glow of the porch light to illuminate her face, he could barely make out her features. What was she saying, exactly? He took a cautious step closer.

  “I don’t want to be alone, not ever again.”.

  The hand she stretched out to him shone pale in the dark night. “Come inside.”

  Shutting the door, he leaned against it, not sure why he’d been invited back inside. Siobhan resumed her seat on the sofa, her knees brought up to her chin, her arms securing them. Her cheeks and nose were rosy from the cold, her eyes red from crying.

  “I was just going to call Sean, let him know you were alone so he could check on you later.”

  She nodded. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m not planning on being alone.”

  He raised his brows. “Oh?” Hope rekindled, but he wasn’t ready to put words in her mouth yet.

  “I was planning on sleeping with my fiancé tonight.”

  He’d never believed in spontaneous human combustion until that moment. Fortunately, he was several feet from the sorry excuse for a tree he’d brought her or it would be in danger of going up in flames.

  “What changed your mind?” He held up his hand. “Wait. You’re talking about me, right? You aren’t engaged to someone else, are you?”

  “I’m talking about you. No one else. Never anyone else.”

  He didn’t dare get closer, not until he understood her abrupt about-face. “A few minutes ago, you wanted me to leave and never come back.”

  “I thought you were proposing to me because of the baby. I wanted you to marry me because you love me, not because I’m pregnant.”

  “Wasn’t that what I said? I could have sworn I said I love you somewhere in there.”

  “You did,” she acknowledged. “But I needed to be sure.”

  He stared at her. “I’m confused. For just a second, could you bring this down to the level of us poor, clueless males of the species? ’Cause I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”

  She smiled, uncurling from the sofa. Picking up the small velvet ring box, she opened the lid. “This jewelry store is in Denver.”

  “Yeah.” What the fuck does that have to do with anything?

  “You bought the ring before you came back to Dallas. Before you knew about the baby.”

  Stars shone and angels sang. It was a Christmas miracle. He smiled. “I did.”

  “So, you didn’t ask me to marry you because of the baby.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Ask me again. Please?”

  He lifted his face to the ceiling, mouthed the words, “Thank you, God.” Pushing off the door, he crossed to her, dropping to one knee in front of her. She placed the open ring box in his hand. Head bowed, he clutched it tight. The words were there, he’d actually said them earlier, but that had been when he was virtually certain she would turn him down. She was giving him a do-over, and he wanted to get it right this time, because this time, she might say yes.

  “Give me a second. I’ve made a mess of everything so far. I don’t want to add this to the list.”

  “Take your time. But if you don’t come up with something in the next thirty seconds, I’m going to take matters into my own hands.”

  She would. That’s one of the things he loved about her, she didn’t wait for things to happen to her. She made them happen. Like the night they met.

  He looked up at her. She gazed back at him with all the shattered innocence of a fallen angel. His fallen angel. God, he loved her. He’d waited longer than most to find the woman who made him want to be a better man, and stupid fuck that he was, he’d almost let her get away.

  “The night we met, you dazzled me. I’d never wanted a woman the way I wanted you. But it was more than a physical reaction, though that was pretty hard to ignore. You were so damned sure of yourself, of what you wanted. That night….” The memory nearly strangled him. He cleared his throat before continuing. “I’d never felt anything as wonderful as you. Nothing. I don’t know how to explain it but to say it wasn’t just physical. I know. The words are inadequate, but I know you felt it, too. I saw it in your eyes. I think you saw it in mine. I shut you out after that. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for doing that to you. I’d spent my life running from commitment, and there it was, there you were. Commitment was written on the wall above the bed in neon block letters.

  “Anyway, you know I couldn’t stay away from you after that. I kept telling myself you were no different than all the others. When the time came, I would walk away from you just like always. Only you were different. Before my plane landed in Colorado, I knew I’d made a huge mistake. I was happy to see Kelly, but I was miserable inside. I’d left my heart here, in your hands.”

  He took her hands in his. “On my daughter’s advice, I bought a ring, hatched that stupid plan with Ashley, and came back to grovel at your feet. Turns out, I’m lousy at groveling. You wouldn’t give me the time of day.”

  He shifted. This is where he needed to get it right. Most guys got one chance, this was his third…his last. Three strikes—you’re out. “Now that I have your undivided attention…Siobhan Flannery, I love you more than I ever thought possible. I’ve used every excuse in the book to push you out of my heart, but you’re still there. You always will be. I can’t imagine my future without you in it. I want to hold you in my arms every night and see your smile first thing every morning for the rest of my days. You own my heart and my soul. I love you. Will you make me the happiest man on the planet? Will you marry me?”

  Lord, she was going to cry. Again. He held his breath, waiting for her to say something. He’d just bared his soul to her, and his bum knee was cramping. If she didn’t answer soon, he was going to have to call someone to help him get off the floor.

  “Siobhan?” he prodded.

  Her head bobbed. A tear streaked her cheek. “Yes,” she whispered. Then stronger. “Yes.”

  His hands shook so much he thought he might drop the ring before he got it on her finger. But being a woman who made things happen, Siobhan helped him slide the glittering band past her knuckles.

  She was his. Thank God.

  Siobhan almost laughed at the play of emotions crossing Jake’s face. Panic when she took her time answering. Relief when she finally got the single syllable past her lips. Panic again when he realized what he’d done. He’d made a game out of avoiding commitment, so proposing hadn’t come easy for him.

  Reining in the guffaws she knew he wouldn’t appreciate, she smiled instead. Reaching out, she cupped his face between her palms. His eyes were glazed, his lips trembling. The idea of committing to one person for the rest of her life scared her, too. But there was one thing she knew would banish their nerves. It was something they’d always done well together. Leaning forward so her lips almost brushed his, she whispered, “Make love to me.”

  There it was—the spark of desire that had shown bright even in the darkened parking lot the night th
ey’d met. It still had the same effect on her—instant meltdown.

  “Your wish is my command.” He canted his head to one side, taking her mouth with a kiss that belied his statement. Jake took command, as she’d known he would, taking what he wanted with such tender demands she gave willingly. His hands claimed her body with fevered precision, mapping her curves like an explorer searching for a long lost trail. Each touch was familiar, yet different—deeper, if that was possible.

  She was breathless when he broke the kiss in order to scoop her up in his arms. Setting her on her feet beside the bed, he made short work of removing her clothes.

  “I want to see you.” He stepped back to admire her as if she were a museum piece. His eyes gleamed as his gaze swept over her. “You’re so damned beautiful.” His voice was reverent as he reached out to trace the swell of her breasts. She stood still, while his hands traveled paths he’d known well before he left. “Your tits are bigger.”

  She nodded. “Tender, too.” Aching for his touch. She drew her shoulders back, thrusting the heavy orbs toward him. But his gaze had traveled lower, to her stomach. She sucked in a breath when his fingers fluttered over the still flat plane. “Our baby is in there.”

  He lifted his head. His eyes were filled with wonder—a feeling she was becoming intimate with. A new life grew inside her. Jake’s baby. Their baby.

  “It’s a miracle. You’re a miracle.” His hand flattened on her stomach, the other on the small of her back, drawing her to him. “I didn’t know what it was like to love until I saw you, then wham, I was done for.”

  His hand stroked her belly, going lower with each circular pass until his fingers brushed her swollen mons. Her nipples were hard peaks against the knobby wool of his sweater. She rubbed herself back and forth, whimpering at the painfully erotic sensations shooting from the throbbing peaks to her pussy.

  “Shh, sweetheart,” he crooned against her neck. His lips, teeth, and tongue assaulted the tender skin at her neck.

  Lower.

  “I’m going to take care of you, tonight and always.”

  “Please,” she begged, opening her legs wider to allow his fingers better access. She couldn’t get close enough to him. She needed him inside her, needed his weight pressing against her, needed all of him.

  She nearly crumpled when he stepped away, but he caught her with one arm while he pulled the bedclothes back with the other. The sheets felt like ice against her back, but watching Jake remove his clothes ignited a roaring blaze inside her. His body was a work of art—all hard planes and angles honed from years of workouts. A man’s body.

  His maturity had intrigued her from the beginning. My very own seasoned veteran.

  Her mouth watered when his cock sprang free of his briefs. Her thighs fell open—inviting, anticipating.

  The cocky smile on his face said he knew exactly what to do with her offering. Climbing onto the bed, he stretched out beside her. Using one elbow to prop himself up, he placed one big, heated palm on her stomach. The heavy weight of his erection rested against her hip. She reached for it, only to be stopped by his strong fingers clasped around her wrist.

  “In a minute, babe.” His gaze skimmed her from neck to toes then back up, stopping where his hand claimed her. “I’ve missed you, missed your body. I want to take my time.”

  “It’s been so long.” She stroked his chest to make her meaning clear.

  “No one knows that more than me, sweetheart. Be a good girl, put your hands behind your head.” She did as she was told, willing to play his games for a few minutes.

  His fingertips skimming up her torso made her groan. “Patience, little one. I won’t leave you unsatisfied. I promise.”

  He bent, placed a chaste kiss on one distended nipple. “Some of the few benefits of getting older—for a man—are stamina and patience.” His next kiss to her nipple could only be described as leisurely. In no hurry at all, he made love to her breast, teasing with his tongue, grazing the tight nub with his teeth until she was a whimpering mass of need. She arched her back, begging for more. Patience be damned.

  The dark scruff of his beard abraded the tip as he looked up at her. “Don’t move unless I tell you to.”

  She raised her head, her gaze locking with his. The banked flames there sent a surge of power through her. She would follow his orders, but she was the one in control. His delay tactics were as much for his enjoyment as they were for hers.

  Letting her head drop back to her folded hands, she answered with a contented sigh.

  It seemed like an eternity, during which Jake explored every inch of her body, kissing, tasting, claiming, before he finally spread her thighs wide and drove deep inside her.

  No protection. Skin to skin.

  She tilted her hips to take more of him.

  “Christ, Siobhan,” he hissed. His cock pulsed inside her.

  “Jake,” she breathed, not daring to move again. “You make me feel…whole.”

  Propped on his forearms, his hands bracketing her face, he rained kisses on her eyelids, her cheeks, the corners of her lips. “I want to stay this way forever.” He shifted his hips just enough to heighten the sensation.

  “I’m good with that,” she said, stroking his back from shoulders to his firm ass. Images of him carrying her around all day, his cock buried in her pussy, her legs locked around his hips formed in her mind. She giggled.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked, smiling down at her.

  She described the picture in her head. “It’s funny, but I’d do it if I could. I don’t want to be apart from you ever again, Jake. Not for a minute.”

  He flexed his hips, pulling almost all the way out, slowly filling her again. “You won’t be. I’m going to keep you pregnant, so you’ll always have a part of me inside you. I can’t wait to see you big and round with my baby.”

  “Jake.” Her voice was nothing more than a whispered emotion.

  “We need a code word, like a safe word. Only when you say it, I’ll know you want me to make love to you.”

  “Seasoned veteran.”

  He smiled. “Sounds like one of your book titles.”

  As if he’d turned the key to her imagination, words, scenes, and characters flew through her mind. “Only if you’re my hero.”

  “I never want to be anything else, babe. Just say the word. I’m at your service. Twenty-four/seven. Anywhere. Anytime.”

  She looped her fingers at his nape, pulled his face down to hers. Her gaze took in the lines so dear to her, the hint of gray peppering his temples, his lips, wet and waiting. Just before their mouths touched, she said the words. “Seasoned veteran.”

  Other Titles by Roz Lee

  Mustangs Baseball Series

  Inside Heat

  Going Deep

  Bases Loaded

  Switch Hitter

  Free Agent

  Lothario Series

  The Lust Boat

  Show Me the Ropes

  Love Me Twice

  Four of Hearts

  Under the Covers

  Also:

  Sweet Carolina

  Still Taking Chances

  Making It on Broadway

  Lost Melody by Dolores W. Maroney

  About the Author

  Roz Lee has been married to her best friend, and high school sweetheart, for over three decades. Even though she’s lived on both coasts, her heart lies in between, in Texas. A Texan by birth, she can trace her family back to the Republic of Texas. With roots that deep, she says, “You can’t ever really leave.”

  Roz and her husband have two grown daughters they couldn’t be more proud of, and are currently raising a thirteen-year-old Labrador Retriever, Betty Boop, who isn’t aware of her canine heritage.

  When Roz isn’t writing, she’s reading, or traipsing around the country on one adventure or another. No trip is too small, no tourist trap too cheesy, and no road unworthy of travel.

  www.RozLee.net

  Table of Contents

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