Crazy for Her (A K2 Team Novel)

by Owens, Sandra

  The breeze ruffled her hair, the moonlight making it shimmer. He burned with wanting her. If he let the fear take over that his inexperience would ruin tonight, then that’s exactly what would happen.

  He’d survived brutal firefights, camel spiders as big as his hand, and friendly fire. How hard could it be to figure out how to please a woman? It seemed the best thing to do was just worship her body and the rest would follow.

  Moving behind her, he wrapped his arms around her chest and pulled her against him, something he’d been longing to do all night. “Would you like living in Camelot?”

  She lifted her hands and rested them on his arms. “Who wouldn’t?”

  “Dani?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “All I can think about is kissing you.” To start with anyway.

  “Yes, please.”

  She twisted around in his arms. Eyes darkened to the color of forest moss stared back at him. A man could fall into those green pools and never leave. God help him, he was a goner. He brushed his lips across hers, marveling at their softness.

  Though he tried to keep it a teasing kiss, when she parted her lips, he gave in and stroked his tongue over hers. She tasted of spices and wine, and he couldn’t get enough. He rubbed his groin against her, and when she pressed back, he squeezed his eyes shut. Damn, he was too close to the edge.

  “Let’s go upstairs,” he said. Maybe he could cool down between the deck and his bedroom. Or, maybe not.

  “Let’s stay here. I want to feel the breeze on my body when you make love to me.”

  A racehorse’s heart couldn’t possibly beat faster than his did at that moment. “You will, I promise.” Logan took her hand and pulled her—probably too roughly—along behind him.

  “What about the dishes?”

  “To hell with them.” He was going to make love to a woman for the first time in his life and she was worried about the fucking dishes?

  Opening the door to his bedroom, he pulled her inside. She stopped and looked around.

  “Wow.”

  “I thought Maria took you on a tour.”

  “She did, but she said your room was off-limits. I think she was still feeling a little jealous of me at the time and didn’t want me to see it.”

  He didn’t want to talk about his sister. Didn’t want to talk about anything. Words weren’t his priority right now.

  “I’ve always wanted a fireplace in my bedroom,” she said.

  Marry me and you will have one. “When I first saw the house, I knew I wanted it, but it wasn’t until I saw this room that I decided I had to have it no matter the cost.” He’d left the French doors open and the wind blew the sheer white curtains, making them look as if they were doing a kind of slow dance.

  “I want your bed.”

  They were in agreement, then—he wanted her to want his bed. He looked at the four-poster and imagined her in it. Later. They’d get to the bed later.

  Taking her hand again, Logan led her out to the deck. “This is my favorite part of the room.”

  She turned in a slow circle, taking everything in. He looked around, trying to see it through her eyes. On the back wall was a sink and counter, a mini-fridge underneath.

  Half the deck was under cover, and he’d spent many hours under it watching storms stir up the sea, something that, for reasons he didn’t understand, calmed him. A chiminea sat near a chaise longue on the part of the deck with no roof. That was his destination.

  “I hate to keep repeating myself, but wow,” Dani said. “If you’re ever looking for me, try here.”

  More pleased by her words than she could ever know, he smiled. He steered her to the chaise. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll join you in a minute.”

  “I need to check on Regan. As hard as she played today, there’s no doubt she’s in never-never land, but I need to make sure.”

  “There are baby monitors in every room, but go ahead.”

  “Really, where?”

  “There.” He pointed to the monitor next to the sink. Why that earned him a look that appeared to be amazement, he didn’t know. It almost pissed him off. Did she have no idea he would do whatever necessary to ensure Regan’s safety?

  “Go check on her.” His command was more abrupt than he’d meant it to be.

  An eyebrow rose at his tone, but she left without commenting.

  Don’t be an ass, Kincaid. She didn’t know he’d called Mrs. Jankowski and told her to buy ten monitors, one for every room of his home. He’d never known there was such a thing until he’d seen Dani’s.

  His mother had certainly never used one, not that she would’ve spent her booze money on one. Besides, who needed a monitor in a one-room shack?

  Hell. He was working his way to places he didn’t want to go. Logan lifted his face and breathed in the salty air. Soon he would hold the woman he loved close and finally know the secrets every man but him knew. Nothing else mattered.

  Though it was a warm night, he started a fire in the chiminea and lit the candles on the table next to the chaise. Next, he pushed the button on the coffee machine and then flipped the outside lights off. He turned in a circle, surveying the scene. Had he forgotten anything? Christ, he was as nervous as a kid on his first date.

  Condoms! Hurrying into his bedroom, he took one out of his night table and then, deciding to be optimistic, grabbed another. He hoped he’d bought the right size. When the girl had asked, he’d felt his cheeks heat. Hell if he knew. Wanting to pay for them and get out of the store, he’d said extra large, his shirt size. Why hadn’t he thought to test one? Practicing putting one on would’ve also been a good idea. The Navy had passed them out, but his had never left his wallet.

  Returning to the deck, he put the condoms on the table. Too obvious? He tucked them behind one of the candles. Better. What was keeping her? The coffee machine gurgled, and he made two cups with Baileys in them, adding whipped cream to hers. He took a minute to mentally run down his checklist to make sure he had remembered everything.

  The only thing that seemed to be missing was the woman. Too tense to sit, he walked to the railing and looked out over the gulf. The wind was picking up, and there were dark clouds in the distance. Rain was headed their way, but he estimated it was at least an hour away.

  Warm hands slipped under his shirt and he stilled. They slid over his sides, up his ribcage, and then over his back. She tugged on his shirt. “Take this off.”

  Logan turned. “Well, look at you.” She’d changed into a short silk robe. He didn’t think she wore anything under it, fervently hoped not. The robe barely covered her bottom and was so thin he could see the outline of her nipples. Any minute now he was going to embarrass himself and start drooling.

  She tugged on the hem of his shirt. “Off.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Logan pulled it over his head and, forgetting he was standing at the railing, tossed it over his shoulder. He leaned back and glanced down. It had caught on the umbrella stand, waving in the wind like a flag.

  “I surrender,” he said.

  Her eyes gleamed with amusement. “I wonder what Mrs. Jankowski will think about that.”

  “That I was struck stupid by the most beautiful woman in the world?”

  “I don’t know, are you?”

  “Yes.” It was the simple truth. The wind blew the bottom of her robe open and he had a brief glimpse of dark, springy curls. His cock must have a direct line to his eyes because it immediately sprang to attention. Shit, he was going to last all of sixty seconds when it finally happened. He should have jacked off when she was checking on Regan.

  Her gaze roamed over his chest, which did nothing to help his condition. “You’re beautiful, too.”

  “Men aren’t beautiful.”

  “I beg to differ.” She reached up and with one finger traced the dark arrow of hair on his belly,
stopping at his waistband and pulling on it. His erection was obvious even with the loose trousers.

  She glanced down and smiled. “I think he’s happy to see me.”

  Too damned happy. For sure, every drop of blood in his body was now crammed into his cock. If they didn’t slow things down, he really was going to embarrass himself. Glancing over her shoulder, he eyed the coffee.

  “Coffee!”

  She jumped and he realized he’d yelled it. “I made us a cup with Baileys. Yours is the one with the whipped cream. Why don’t you have a seat, and I’ll be right back.”

  Logan walked past her, straight to the bathroom, closing and locking the door. Hell, she probably thought he’d lost his mind. He stripped and did what he should have done earlier. Afterward—for extra insurance—he took a quick cold shower. Slipping his trousers back on, he leaned his forehead on the door and took a deep breath. “You can do this, Kincaid. Just muddle your way through it.”

  “Are you sick?” she asked when he returned.

  “Scoot up.” He slipped onto the chaise and pulled her back against him. “No, why would you think that?”

  “You looked pale before you ran off.”

  That was because of where all his blood had gone. “I just had to take care of something,” he said, and almost snorted.

  She ran her hand over his arms, then reached behind her and touched his hair. “Your arms are damp and you hair’s wet. Did you just shower?”

  There was no way he could explain. “I meant to tell you at dinner that the rescue mission was a success.”

  “That’s wonderful. All your men came back safely?”

  “They’re on the plane now, heading back to the States.”

  “I’m so glad, but you’re trying to change the subject. Why are you wet?”

  He rested his chin on the top of her head and tried to think of a plausible answer.

  “Tell me,” she said softly.

  Maybe it was the gentle tone in her voice, maybe because he thought she’d half-guessed the answer, or that he didn’t want to lie to her, so he told her the truth. “I took a cold shower.”

  She pressed her head against his shoulder and peered up at him. “There’s only one reason a man does that. I thought . . .”

  He waited for her to finish, but she remained quiet, her eyes searching his. “What did you think?”

  “I thought you wanted me, that we would make love tonight.”

  “I do, and we will if you’re sure that’s what you want.” He kissed the top of her head.

  The wheels were turning; he could see it in her eyes. She was puzzling out why else he would jump in a cold shower. He knew the instant the answer came to her.

  “You rushed off because you thought—oh, my.” Her grin stretched from ear to ear. “Has it been a long time since you’ve been with a woman?”

  His burst of laughter sounded harsh to his ears. “You could say that.” Damn, she wasn’t stupid. He shouldn’t have said it like that.

  “How else could I say it? What aren’t you telling me?”

  In an attempt to distract her, he brushed her hair aside and nuzzled the skin below her ear. She put her hand on his chin and pushed him away. Turning halfway around, she leaned back on his leg and shook her head. “I want to know what you meant.”

  The little wrap she wore rode up, almost revealing the part of a woman he’d never touched, and, God above, he wanted to touch it more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. He grew hard again, but thankfully his hand and the cold shower had taken the edge off.

  Tearing his gaze away from the secret he wanted to discover, he picked up his cup. The coffee was lukewarm, but he didn’t care. As he gulped it down, he wished he’d made it all Baileys with only a splash of coffee.

  “Talk to me, Logan.”

  He put the cup down and leveled his gaze on her. The stubborn set of her mouth said she wouldn’t rest until he spilled his guts. Could he trust her with his secret? Would she laugh if he told her? If she did, he would get up and walk out of her life forever.

  “Trust me,” she said, as if she could read his mind.

  Did she understand what she was asking? No, how could she? But she was like a starved dog with a bone and wasn’t going to give it up without a fight. And he wanted to tell her his secrets. Either he was a glutton for punishment, or it was the right thing to do. The words spilled from his mouth.

  “I’ve never been with a woman before.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  You’ve never had sex?”

  “Define having sex.”

  This was not a conversation she could have prepared for, and Dani had trouble believing him. The look in his eyes grew wary. My God, he’s telling the truth. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

  He held up his hand. “This has been very intimate with a certain part of me, so I can’t say I’ve never had sex.”

  “You have any wine up here?” She needed a minute.

  His face blanked. “Red or white?”

  “Red, a Cabernet if you have it.”

  Easing away from her, he went to the outdoor kitchen. Her gaze followed him, noting how the white silk trousers rode low on his waist. Shirtless, he was a sight any female would sigh over. Tall and muscled, with those lean hips and that face, a woman passing him on the street would think, I want him. She sure as hell wanted him.

  How was it possible he’d never been with a woman? She’d almost said, yeah, sure, when he made his surprise confession, but his guarded expression stopped her. What had it cost him to admit such a thing? There had to be a reason, but she couldn’t imagine what it could be. She was going to find out, though.

  He returned with two glasses of rich red wine. “Thanks,” she said, and took one. “Aren’t you going to sit back down?” she asked when he just stood there, staring at her.

  “I don’t think so. It was a mistake to tell you. I don’t know why I did. Let’s just call it a night.”

  “Oh, no you don’t.” She scooted up. “Sit, Logan.”

  If she let him escape now, the subject would be closed forever. He would go back to being nothing more than her bodyguard, and she wanted more than that from him. How much more remained to be seen, but he was already putting up a barrier between them, and she wasn’t going to allow it.

  “I’m not leaving, so you may as well sit down.”

  He grumbled something under his breath but did as she asked. When he was situated, she leaned back against him. God, his chest was hard. She couldn’t wait to explore his body—something she fully intended to do before the night was over. First, however, she had to get to the bottom of his claim. What was he? Thirty? Wow, a thirty-year-old male virgin and one of the hottest men she’d ever seen. It boggled the mind.

  “Why?”

  “Let it go, Dani.”

  Was he kidding? There was no way she could let it go, and she had the feeling he needed to talk about it. Why else would he have told her in the first place? She took a sip of the wine she hadn’t really wanted and put it aside. The stubborn man wasn’t touching her like he had been earlier.

  Hoping he would start talking, she stayed quiet for a few minutes and listened to the sound of the waves hitting the shore. When he remained silent, she took his free hand, brought his arm around her waist, and entwined their fingers.

  She twisted her body a little and leaned against his arm. “Tell me why. Please.”

  He stared at her for what seemed like a long time, his eyes unreadable. His mouth thinned into a firm line and her heart sank. He wasn’t going to talk. Her mind sorted through what she knew of him.

  From what she knew of boys and young men, all they thought about was sex and how to get it. So, if he’d never been with a woman, the reason had to go back to his teen years. Had he been sexually abused? No, he said he’d never been with a wo
man. Had a man abused him? That had to be it.

  “You’re trying so hard to guess the reason, smoke’s coming out of your ears. Whatever you’re thinking is probably wrong.”

  “Then tell me.”

  He took a deep drink of his wine and set it on the table. His chest rose as he blew out a sigh that sounded like surrender. “Turn around. I don’t want you to look at me. I don’t want to see the disgust in your eyes.”

  “All right.” She settled back against him, keeping hold of his hand. The wind had picked up and she smelled rain. Sending a little prayer to the heavens that it would hold off and not interrupt him, she waited for him to start talking.

  “I made a vow when I was fifteen not to have sex with a woman until . . .”

  He shifted behind her and she wondered what it was he didn’t want to say, almost asked, but her instincts told her not to speak.

  “Until it was with the right woman,” he said softly.

  Oh God, he’d decided she was the right woman? After fifteen years of waiting? It almost seemed like a burden. Should she feel honored, or run in the opposite direction like there was no tomorrow? He started speaking again, so she shelved her thoughts. She would examine how she felt about being the one later. Right now, he needed her to listen.

  “Two things happened within days of each other that caused me to make that decision. The first, I won’t talk about. Ever. The second one—”

  His hand tightened on hers and she understood he was having trouble getting the words out. She pressed her lips together to keep from saying he didn’t have to tell her. Whatever this secret was, he’d carried it inside him for years and she thought it was slowly crushing him.

  “I almost raped a girl.”

  The confession was rapid-fire, as if he couldn’t get the bitter taste of the words out of his mouth fast enough. Dear God, if this was the secret he was willing to talk about, then the one he refused to ever speak of had to be really bad. Dani tried to think of the right thing to say.

  He pulled his hand from hers. “Obviously, I’ve shocked you. Go to bed. I’ll send you home tomorrow with Buchanan. He’ll protect you until this is over.”