“Glad to know that I’m not the only one. What should we do now?”
“Get naked.”
Maura sighed. Men did not make good patients. There were still bandages that needed to be changed on Declan’s leg. According to the paperwork, he was supposed to take the entire dressing off and let his wounds air out. He was being stubborn.
As her hands reached for the edge of the tape, he stopped her. “Don’t.”
“I have bandages. We can wrap it later.”
He sighed. “You read the paperwork on my counter.”
“Yep,” she admitted.
Putting his hands over his head, he held the edge of the headboard. “Go ahead.”
She nodded. Slowly, she pulled back the tape and unwound it. Then she pulled off the first layer of wrapping, and then the second, until she reached the gauzy pads at the bottom. “They’re stuck.”
He leaned down and ripped them off. Blood oozed out.
Naked, she ran to the bathroom and came back with gauze and first aid wash. Gently, she cleaned the wound, put ointment on the bleeding parts, and then wiped all around the stump. Putting the first aid items aside, she withdrew a small amber bottle and then lifted his leg and propped it on a pillow. Tenderly, she rubbed vitamin E oil onto the healed parts and then started massaging his thigh. Up and down she went, rubbing the healing oil into his skin and muscles and occasionally raining kisses.
He watched her. His breath caught as her bare breasts touched his skin now and then. When she was done, she rubbed the rest of the oil on her breasts and belly and used herself to rub oil into him. It was sensual, and sexy. He reached for her.
She moved out of his grasp, wanting him hard and ready for her when she was done. “Not yet,” she murmured as her teeth caught the tender parts of his inner thigh and toyed with him.
Teasing her way upward, she inhaled his essence—so male, so him. The musk was driving her wild and she wanted to keep going, but he lost his patience, pulling her upward and into his arms. He rolled her to his good side, his hands and fingers eager to touch her.
“I’m more than ready,” she whispered in his ear as she tormented his earlobe.
He growled and pushed her thighs wide. His fingers assured that she was ready for him. Grabbing a condom from the bedside-table drawer, he pushed it on and was back in position. Kissing her, exploring her mouth with his tongue, he thrust into her.
She moaned into his mouth as he filled her. The pleasure was so intense, she couldn’t stop herself from moving against him, needing more…
He filled her fast and furiously, increasing his pace as she kissed him wildly. Her nails dug into his shoulders as her first climax overtook her. Just as swiftly another built, until they were cascading and she could hardly catch her breath.
She broke the kiss, panting as he threw back his head and called her name.
Her final orgasm slammed through her system as her body sought to drink him dry of his seed.
Carefully, he pulled out, placing the condom in a tissue and dropping it in the wastebasket next to the bed. Then he gathered her close.
His voice was rough as he said, “Thank you.”
“Always.” She knew exactly what he meant. The words were not referring just to the sex; it was the whole experience—the acceptance. Her accepting him made it easier for him, and his accepting her made it easier for her—this was a two-way street. And she could feel the change. Their lovemaking had been more special this time, more intimate than last night. Emotion and openness changed things.
She snuggled her head under his chin and smiled. She loved this man. Wherever things went from here, she’d given from her soul and he’d shared his in return. “Always,” she repeated, and in her mind, she said, “I love you, Declan.”
* * *
Two hours didn’t really count as sleep, but neither of them cared. She had taken a shower as he loaded a movie into the DVD player. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing. I paused the movie at the beginning.”
“Why?” She laughed. “You could have started it. I would have caught up.”
“A movie with battleships and aliens. They filmed most of it in Oahu. Love Hawaii.” He sighed. “Yeah, I had to wait. This is something that has to be seen in order. There’s no rewinding and fast-forwarding.” His head tipped down to hers, touching their foreheads. “Besides, you made dinner and I provided the movie. Did I thank you for getting my packages while I was gone? If I had been deployed, I would have stopped it, but when I get called for a mission, I rarely have time to do more than get my gear.”
“Sweet man.” She laughed. “Yes, you thanked me. Several times.” Maura cleared her throat. “Speaking of mail, Olivia dropped off an envelope.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He waved the notion away.
“It’s not a love note, is it?” She hated to ask, but she was unwilling to let the idea take root and fester.
“Maybe in Olivia’s mind it is. Her standard attempt to draw me back in is writing a check to Naval Special Warfare or NSW-Kids. That’s my soft spot. They help SEAL families quite a bit. Another good cause is the Warrior Foundation too. And when I thank her for her donation or her efforts on the charity’s behalf, she ropes me into a meal. Obligation, I suppose.” He shook his head. “I’ve been very forthcoming that I’m not looking for a relationship or anything else from her. But she seems to be stuck on me. I wish she’d get over it.”
“Sticky spot to be in.”
“Not really. It’s clear to me.” He hugged her tightly. “Many things have been clarified in my life as of late.” He nibbled on her neck and then tickled her playfully. “You are the only woman I want to spend time with.”
She laughed and struggled to get out of his grasp. “Stop! Let me go.”
“Never.” He leaned in and kissed her neck, teasing the tender flesh until she turned toward him and gave him her lips.
“I’m not surrendering.”
His eyes held hers. “I wouldn’t want you to. Just be exactly who you are.”
She laid her lips on his, getting lost in the kiss and the warmth of his arms. The primal urge lay just below the surface, willing and wanting, needing and craving his touch. “We just did it, and we’ll miss the movie.”
“I’ll rewind it.” As he lowered her slowly back onto the couch, the remote triggered the movie. Missiles fired as she pulled his shirt over his head. The sounds in the background became more distant as the kisses transported her, them, to somewhere special. It was a place where they were all alone, making love in the peaceful harmony of bare skin, titillating caresses, and breathtaking pleasure.
Chapter 14
Maura stared through the glass door at her boyfriend. He was holding vigil in his favorite beat-up chair on the balcony, staring at the ocean. Over the past month, their lovemaking had gone from several times a day to nothing. In her opinion that wasn’t optimal, and though she was loath to complain about that fact, she was ready to nag him about his complacency. He needed to get out of his groove and leave the apartment.
His Teammates had stopped by to see him, but that didn’t seem to change anything. She was so frustrated with him that she wanted to scream. Instead she opened the balcony door and went outside and calmly sat down.
“We need to talk,” she said.
“God, I hate those words. Nothing good comes from that phrase. Can’t you start the conversation with something else?” Declan took a long pull from his stout—this one was alcoholic.
She stood up, pulled the bottle away from his lips, and dumped the contents onto the sand. “Things have to change. I’m not going to keep making excuses for you. The coordinator of physical therapy services needs you to schedule your appointments, and you need to get the hell out of here and go to them.”
Sitting down in her chair, she heaved a sigh of relief. “So much for not ye
lling.” She turned her chair toward him. “Listen, I’m not trying to be the bad guy. I support you, and right now you are stuck in limbo. And it needs to change.”
“I know.”
“You know! Then why don’t you do anything?”
He scratched his chin. “Because when you’re in limbo, there’s no rejection. No answers to the questions that could potentially rip your soul out. The more still I am, the safer it is.”
“Seriously?” She could hardly believe her ears.
“Hey! Everyone gets depressed. Haven’t I earned that right…to take a little time off from life?” Declan’s eyes narrowed and the pulse at his temple throbbed.
“No,” she said flatly. “Life is made up of a series of patterns. Once we choose to get in a rut, we stay in a rut. In order to avoid that, you have to fill your life with something. Anything. And your focus is to get better. What happens when you stop working out?”
“Your muscles atrophy,” he said pointedly.
“Yes, and it will take you twice as long to get that movement back. You told me the other day that you were tired of hearing what handi-abled people cannot do. Well, damn it, show the world what you can do.” She stood up. “I’m going to work. I’ll be home at seven.”
From inside the apartment, she added, “There’s stuff I can show you at the gym, if you’re willing. I’ll leave the car.” And then she left. She knew from their conversations that most SEALs trained themselves to use both left and right hands and feet, so they were never caught in the lurch if they should become hurt. Declan had boasted of his skill using alternate limbs. Now was the perfect time to gear up.
* * *
Declan watched her walk away from him. He didn’t like the feeling, and he hated it even more that she’d just bitched him out and kicked his ass. The truth was…she was right. Gich used to say, “If you don’t like something, fucking change it!”
And that was precisely what he was going to do. He could prove to Maura and himself that he had the same gumption inside of him that he’d always had.
Grabbing his crutches, he made his way inside. He called the coordinator of physical therapy and scheduled his appointments, and then headed for the bathroom to shower.
As he passed the mirror, he stared at his reflection. Five days of growth had produced a rather full, dark beard. It wasn’t pretty. Picking up his razor, he started clearing the scruff from his face. A bigger question loomed as he lifted his arm and got a whiff of his armpits. Ugh. When did I shower last?
It was amazing what a shave, shower, and clean clothes—shorts and shirt—did for a person. His place was picked up and he’d eaten a sandwich. The prosthetic he had been fitted with before leaving the hospital was in place. He was healed enough to use it, though didn’t want to. There were no more excuses. He was fueled and ready to move. Now he had to apologize to the woman who had had the guts to kick his butt.
He pocketed his wallet and Maura’s car keys and headed out to visit the gym. Maybe he’d stop along the way and bring her flowers. Couldn’t hurt. They were significantly nicer smelling than he had been.
Declan stood just inside the entrance at the large glass doors and attempted to take in the madness. His eyes adjusted quickly from the bright sunlight to the darker inside, but it was the sight that intrigued him. His eyes widened with delight.
“Miss Max’ll. Miss Max’ll.” Kids flocked to Maura, grabbing at her for hugs and acknowledgment. She was in her element, pulling kids into her arms, laughing with them. Standing there watching her made him feel so proud of her. Maura was doing something special here.
“Did you bring us a new friend?” asked a little boy wearing a harness and brown leather airplane goggles strapped over his eyes. He pointed at Declan and took a few steps toward him.
The prescription of the glass was strong, making his eyes look huge. “I’m Henry.”
“Declan.” Maura rushed to him.
The kids shouted greetings and attempted to maul him.
“Good manners, boys!” reinforced Maura. “I’m pleased to introduce a new friend to play with. This is Master Chief Declan Swifton. Why don’t all of you show Declan your routines?”
“Yay!” they shouted, rushing back into place.
At least three dozen adults helped kids of varying ages and needs climb onto equipment and get hooked into devices. Some children were missing limbs, or hands or feet or ears or eyes, a few children seemed very hyper, but here—in this wonderful place—they were just kids. Perfect in every way they needed to be.
“C’mon!” shouted a little boy, and then he and the others were moving through the most incredibly complex gym circuit Declan had ever seen. It could give the SEALs a run for their athletic prowess.
“What are they doing?” he asked curiously, moving closer and stepping onto the thick mats.
Maura spoke quickly, her excitement evident. “Parkour, a wonderful school of movement. The kids are taking themselves on and over or under obstacles using their bodies and the equipment to propel themselves forward. When I was healing, this is one of the ways I found my strength and my joy in athleticism again.”
All the kids wore harnesses and gloves to help them move swiftly. “Amazing!”
“Yeah. It’s like flying.” She turned to face him. “Want to try it?”
“Heck, yeah!” he said and then stopped. He turned to her. “I need gloves.”
She laughed. “I just happen to have a pair in your size in my pocket.”
“You knew I’d come.”
“Mm-hmm. I cannot imagine a Navy SEAL being beached for long. You have too much spirit in you to give up.” She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.” And he truly was. As she led the way toward the mats, Declan knew he had met his match in Maura Maxwell—a woman who could hold her own going toe-to-toe with him—and he was grateful that she was in his life.
* * *
Declan slid into the passenger seat of Maura’s car, buckled in, and let out a happy sigh. The afternoon had been one of the best in a long time. It’d felt good to have his heart pumping hard and his lungs straining for air. Granted, he was out of shape and had found himself panting in places, but he’d mostly mastered the course after a few tries. The fact that it was geared toward kids helped, and those angels had been right there with him. A couple of them were far faster than he was. He chalked it up to their proficiency on the course. He’d bet he’d catch them next time.
His prosthetic ached, and he longed to pull it off. He could too. Maura wouldn’t care.
“What are you thinking about?” She pulled the car onto the main road and headed for the 5.
“I’m thinking about how to get faster. Those kids are speedy.”
“Really? Well, if you think you’re going to beat Tats and Kyle, I hate to burst your bubble, but they keep getting faster too.”
“We’ll see.” He shifted in the seat, noticing their surroundings. She’d hopped onto the interstate and was pulling off onto the Coronado Bridge, driving them into Coronado proper. “This isn’t the way home.”
“Nope. I’m hungry, and the best way I know to top the word fun is with stopping here.” She pulled the car up in front of the gelato shop that was around the corner from McP’s Pub.
This was the last place he wanted to be. It made him more uncomfortable than he cared to admit. At least if they went to Danny’s, they could eat a decent burger in the intentionally darkened interior. It was easy to be anonymous in there.
“Ready for an icy cold treat?”
No. I’d rather be going inside the pub for a beer than for some sticky sweet concoction. He’d never had a sweet tooth. He was more of a salt guy.
Looking down, he sighed. He’d prefer wearing pants for his first public adventure. Not that these clothes were going to change people’s reacti
on or his reality.
A finger dug sharply into his ribs. “Move it, Swifton. I’m hungry.”
He looked at Maura. How could he explain? There was just no getting around it. She had revealed herself and her trials to him. Couldn’t he suck it up for a twenty-minute ordeal of ice cream? Hadn’t he just dealt with a whole room full of kids? So why should it matter what anyone thought now? He muttered under his breath, “It doesn’t.”
“What?” she asked, completely oblivious to his internal debate.
“Nothing,” he said in a sullen voice. “Let’s go. There’s no denying a woman her chocolate.”
“You’ve got that right,” she said with an overly bright smile.
Dang, is this woman continually chipper or what? It’s darn annoying…and pretty admirable too.
He watched her get out of the car, and then he pulled the door handle and hauled himself out. It took a series of small movements, but he was standing, looking at her shapely bottom as she entered the shop.
Slamming the door behind him, he followed her. Maybe they had stout-flavored ice cream.
The door was open, and a small sign that hung from the uppermost point said, “Bring your appetite in, leave your contrition behind.” He stepped inside and felt the cool air immediately slap his face and neck. Keeping his pace going, he didn’t stop until he was behind Maura. His eyes scanned the room, assessing, making sure there were no threats, as he usually did.
A tug on his shirt had him looking over his shoulder. Nothing was there.
Looking lower, he saw a young girl with an older one trailing behind her. “Mister. Mister.”
He turned to face her, unsure what to expect.
“Are you a cyborg?”
A smile tugged at his lips. “No.”
“I’m three years old, and she’s six.”
“What’s your name?” he asked. Where were the parents? These kids had to belong to someone.
“I’m Micki and she’s Mary Lou.” The six-year-old joined the younger girl, who was obviously her sister; their faces were practically identical, as was their shiny, wavy hair. “Can you add sparkles to that?” she asked, gesturing to his prosthetic.
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