Fascinated (Ocean Beach Book 2)

by Lea Hart

  “And that’s how I like you.”

  “Good, ‘cause the way I want you might be grounds for arrest.” He wrapped his arms around her body, laying her down on the island, and grinned. “Which, I’m guessin’ makes you real happy.”

  “More than words can say.”

  Seeing the playfulness and a tinge of fear mix in her eyes let him know he had her exactly where he wanted. She liked the fire they were playing with but understood there wasn’t a whole lot she could do to control it.

  Not that he could either.

  Which is what he loved most about them…the way they were both willing to get close to the flame.

  Peeling her shorts off settled something in his gut; stripping her tank off made his nerves hum. But the taunting smile she pointed in his direction set him the hell on fire.

  Just like he wanted.

  Bending over, he scraped the lace cup of her bra away and took her taut nipple in his mouth, groaning when her sweet flavor hit his tongue. He slid his hand up her stomach and grinned against her soft skin when she shuddered. “You like the way my hand feels against your skin?”

  “So much,” she hissed.

  “Bet you’re going to love what happens next.” He gripped the handle of his knife and slid it out. “Say goodbye to these pretty panties.” Pulling the cotton away from her body, he sliced through them in one deft move and got rid of what lay between him and what he wanted. “Better.”

  “Animal.”

  “Just like you wanted,” he replied, sliding the knife back into its sheath. “Now, I got you right where I want you.”

  She sucked in a breath and then let it out. “You have twenty minutes before supper, so make good use of your time.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He dropped his pants and boxers in one move and leaned over, feeling the hard, warm wood against his balls. Taking himself in hand, he worked his length and saw her eyes sparkle. “Since you put me on a time stamp, it’s going to be hard and fast.”

  “Do what you have to because I won’t be happy if dinner is burned to a crisp.”

  He pressed into her half-an-inch and felt her body resist and then yield. Letting out a breath, he shut his eyes and appreciated the hell out of the moment she gave him what he wanted most.

  Acceptance and surrender.

  She let out a moan, and he gave her another inch and felt his balls tighten. Where the hell was his famous stamina? Apparently, gone, since all he wanted to do was bury himself balls-deep inside Courtney’s body and never leave.

  Arching her back, she gripped his arms. “More, Caid. You always make me want more.”

  “Good,” he gritted out, taking a few long, slow thrusts. Bending over, so the only view she had was of him, he moved deeply inside her body and felt her first small contraction. “You like that?”

  “So much.”

  He gave it to her hard and bit back a shout of utter fucking happiness when she moaned and her ass slapped the island. “How did you get so fucking addictive?”

  “Hard to say,” she replied as her body arched toward his.

  “Maybe you were born that way, and the good Lord put you on this Earth to bring me to my knees.”

  “Seems reasonable,” she replied as her heel dug into his back.

  “You need something, babe?” Pulling out, he left just his tip inside and knew the level of torture wasn’t going be acceptable.

  “I’ll kill you, Caid, if you don’t…”

  Not letting her finish, he gave her a savage thrust and heard her cry of pleasure in his bones as he hit her cervix. “That what you need?”

  “Yeeeessss.”

  He pulled out again and watched her head fall and her long soft hair cascade against the counter and promised himself he’d never forget how fucking perfect his life was in this exact moment.

  Some people never got a moment like this, and he wasn’t going to miss it.

  Pulling her off the counter, he held her tightly against his chest, breathed in her scent, and bit her neck. “You ready?”

  “I hope so.”

  He powered into her and heard her roar when he hit the spot again and again. “Tell me, babe?”

  “What?” she huffed out of breath.

  “How you feel,” he said on a hiss.

  Turning her face away, she buried her face in his neck. “I can’t…it’s too…”

  “Soon?”

  “Yes!”

  He knew he was pushing and asking for something he had no right to, but he couldn’t stop himself ‘cause he wanted her on the edge just like he was. He drove into her slow and steady and made them one with no separation between their bodies, hearts, and souls.

  “You’re my everything,” she cried.

  His heart, brain, and body exploded as her words decimated whatever defenses he’d erected over his thirty-two years around that soft beating muscle in his chest.

  ***

  Why was the man so capable of slipping behind the walls she’d carefully constructed?

  Losing herself in his strength and uncontrolled desire, she let him take over. She’d learned over their short time together that refusing him didn’t get her closer to what she wanted.

  And since there wasn’t a part of him she wasn’t interested in, she slid her hands off the wheel and gave in.

  The slap of his hips against her thighs was the loudest sound in the room with her indecent moans filling in as background noise. The sheen of sweat that covered both of their bodies made the counter slick, and she didn’t know if one of his more powerful thrusts was going to send her over the edge.

  “You with me?”

  “Where else would I be?”

  “You seemed to drift for a minute.”

  Dropping her head to his shoulder, she nipped his skin. “I’m half out of my mind and am hoping I don’t split in half and drift away.”

  “That a good thing?” he growled as he slowed down.

  Slapping his arm, she tried to move closer when he tantalized her with a near-withdrawal of his body. “You know I can kill you in your sleep.”

  “Don’t think your dirty talk is going to get you what you want.”

  Sliding her hand down, she gripped his and laced their fingers together and leaned back, watching his face soften. “Please…”

  “I’ll give you anything you want, babe; all you have to do is ask nicely.”

  Running her mouth along his skin, she tasted the salty sweat that covered his bicep. “Give me everything you have, so I can fly.”

  “I’d love nothing more,” he replied, gripping her hand.

  His eyes dropped to where his body met hers, and there was no mistake his focus was on what she needed. Letting her eyes run down his body, she saw his abs ripple as he changed the angle, depth, and intensity of his thrusts.

  Everything went into overdrive, and she let herself fall against the counter as he hit the spot again and again. His hips hit her clit with unrelenting precision, and just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, he yanked her closer to the edge.

  “I promise not to let go, Court.”

  She closed her eyes and felt her body pulse, throb, and flutter as she shrieked with pleasure. The orgasm took over, and she felt his arms go around her, holding her together just like he’d promised as he shouted his own release.

  His big body dropped against hers as they shared the same air, and both breathed deeply. “You…”

  “Say it…”

  “Are the…”

  “Love of your life?”

  “Yes, Caid Adams. You’ve managed a miracle and made me fall for you.”

  “Good,” he groaned, “because being the only one in love would suck.”

  “Indeed,” she replied as the sound of the timer on the oven went off. “Dinner’s ready.”

  Bending down, he placed a trail of kisses over her shoulder and then along her cheek. “I worked up an appetite, so that’s good.”

  “I’m going to get cleaned up and then we can e
at.”

  “Don’t put too much effort into it, because I plan on dirtying you up as soon as we’re done with supper.”

  She kissed his cheek, slid off the counter, and flicked off the oven. “We’ll see.” Striding down the hall, she heard his laughter and knew the man was going to get what he wanted, but it didn’t mean she had to make it easy.

  ***

  Courtney walked back to the kitchen and noticed that Caid had put on some music and had made a salad. She watched him slide a bowl on the table and didn’t know what she’d done to deserve a man like him. “Thanks, honey.”

  “We’re a team, babe.” He pulled out her chair and swept up his hand. “Come sit that fine ass of yours down ‘cause giving you screaming orgasms makes a man hungry.”

  She pressed a kiss to his cheek and then ran her hand down his chest. “Good thing I made an extra-large casserole.”

  “Sure is and I don’t plan on leaving any leftovers.”

  Taking her seat, she gave him a smile. “How was your day, dear?”

  “Not bad,” he replied as he served them both a generous portion.

  She leaned forward and ran her thumb over his forehead. “What’s bothering you?”

  “Looks like I may get spun up a couple of weeks early.”

  She lifted her fork and ate a big bite and focused on the delicious melty cheese instead of Caid’s announcement.

  “Say something.”

  “Seems you’ve done the impossible and made yourself essential to my happiness, and I’m going to…”

  “Miss the hell out of me.”

  Lifting her eyes, she nodded. “Yes.”

  “Just know, it’ll only be half as much as I miss you.”

  “Do you know anything about the deployment?”

  “We’ll be heading to Al-Anbar and working out of the base there.”

  “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

  “At least ninety days, but probably a lot closer to a hundred and twenty.”

  “So, I’ll see you next year?” she asked quietly, feeling her stomach drop. Seeing the lines deepen in his forehead, she knew the answer. Studying her plate, she swallowed and knew this was the moment she needed to show him and herself she could handle it. “Well, then, I guess we’re going to be spending as much time as we can together before you go wheels up.”

  “Nothing I’d like more.”

  Nodding, she covered his hand and squeezed. “Tell me what you love about being a SEAL.”

  “I like being the one to stand between evil and good. Always have, and I’m guessing I always will. I got my first taste of it on the playground when a five-year-old asshole thought he could flip my sister’s skirt up.”

  “Can kids that young really be evil?”

  “Of course, given the right circumstances, and as far as I remember, the kid grew up with the worst possible set of parents.”

  “What else made you want to join the Teams?”

  “I was fifteen when the towers were blown to smithereens and knew almost instantly that when I turned eighteen, I was going directly into one of the branches of the armed services.”

  “Serve and protect.”

  “Always. Since I was never a great student, it was a no-brainer, and there hasn’t been a moment over the last fourteen years that I’ve ever regretted.”

  “Not many people can say that about their first and only job.”

  “Luckily, my job has allowed me to have a new specialty every couple of years if I’m so inclined.”

  “And have you been inclined?”

  He finished his last bite and then nodded. “I have a dozen specialties and am always learning new shit, so the only boring part of my job is when we have to wait around for orders.”

  “You’re lucky to have found what you wanted to do so early in life.”

  “Can’t disagree; I just wish I was at the beginning again and not near the end.”

  “You’re too young to be at the end of your Naval career.”

  “Thirty-two is ancient when it comes to special operators, and I likely only have another year or two of being operational.”

  “Would you be interested in a command position if they offered it to you?”

  “Not sure.”

  Brushing her leg against his, she watched his head pop-up. “Am I making you uncomfortable by asking about it?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Your face got all scrunchy, so I wasn’t sure.”

  He let out a laugh and leaned across the table. “I never much like thinkin’ about ending my days on the Teams, but the idea of not being separated from you is making the whole thing a lot easier to think about.”

  She raked her finger over the ropey muscles of his forearm and twisted her lips together. “Are you trying to tell me something, Senior Chief?”

  “I see us being together for the duration.”

  “The duration of what?”

  “Our time on this Earth, woman.” He slid his hand along her cheek, cupping the back of her neck. “You didn’t think otherwise, did you?”

  “We’ve been seeing one another for less than a month and have only just begun getting to know one another. For all we know, once these happy sex hormones dissipate, we won’t have anything worth holding onto.”

  “You really think that?”

  Pressing her lips together, she shook her head. “Not really but thinking that you could be my one true love is crazy.”

  “Not really.”

  “Tell me what your schedule is for the next couple of days.”

  “Your abrupt change in subject tells me that you’re not ready to talk about the future.”

  “I don’t want to jinx anything.”

  “Alright, I can live with that. And to answer your question, I have a training op tomorrow and should be back late tomorrow night and will likely be spun up sometime next week.”

  Her heart flipped over, and she did her best to keep her expression neutral. “I guess that means we should make the most of the next couple of days.”

  “I’d sure like that ‘cause I’m going to need a bunch of sweet memories to keep me warm.” Standing, he held out his hand. “Which means you need to dance with me.”

  “Now?”

  “There’s a good song playing, so get up and let me hold you close.”

  She did as he asked and the moment he started moving to the music, she knew that the time they had on Earth might not be quite enough.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Caid rolled over and wondered where in the hell Courtney had gotten off to. Running his hand over the sheet, he noticed it was cold and couldn’t imagine what would’ve made her get out of a warm bed at five in the morning. He shoved himself out of the covers and wiped his hand over his face, wishing like hell he had a couple more weeks at home.

  Something he never expected to be interested in.

  Until meeting his brown-eyed beauty with more fucking appeal than any one woman should be in possession of. “Courtney, come back to bed and give me my mornin’ lovin’.”

  Nothing.

  Not a sound in the house.

  Grabbing his boxers from the floor, he shoved them on and then went to see where his woman had gotten off to. When he walked into the hall, he saw the light from the kitchen spilling across the floor and figured she was working on some research.

  He stood in the doorway of the kitchen and grinned, watching Courtney’s slim fingers fly across the keyboard of her computer. She silently sang along to whatever was playing in her headphones, her long legs were propped up on a chair, and he thought it was a crime that they weren’t wrapped around his waist. Walking into the room, he bent down and was surprised when she startled at the sight of him. “Good morning.”

  Pulling off her headphones, she gave him a smile. “I was in the zone and didn’t see you come in.”

  He picked up the mug that sat next to her computer and took a slug. “What pulled you out of my arms so early in the morning?”


  “I wanted to finish this piece of research before I went to the library today.”

  “Do you have a crazy deadline with one of your authors?”

  “Coffee is fresh.” She pushed her chair back and kissed him on the cheek before filling a cup. “What time do you have to be on base?”

  “O800, which gives us roughly two hours to have a couple of rounds of dirty morning sex before we need to be out of the house.”

  She handed him the full cup and smiled. “I thought the mornings were reserved for sweet, slow lovemaking.”

  “We can have a little of each, and it will be up to you which one we start with.” He threw her a wink and then took a big gulp of the strong brew. “What are you working on?”

  “The events that led to the rise of power for the Albanian mafia in Brussels and their links to jihadist groups in both the Middle East and Africa.”

  “What a great subject to delve into at five in the morning.” He drank half his coffee and then set it down. “You never told me how you got into the whole side hustle doing research for authors.”

  “When I was working on my masters, a research assistant gig became available, and I took it. Turns out, I’m pretty good at it, and one thing led to another, and I’ve had pretty steady work since I graduated.”

  “Ever think of doing it full-time?”

  “No, because I love being a children’s librarian and would miss the kids terribly. Leading a child to the right book at the right time can change their life, and on occasion help them figure out who they’re going to be. The books we read as children stay with us for the rest of our lives, and I love having a chance to inspire as many kids as I can.”

  “A worthy thing to do with your life.”

  “Not as much as your super-hero gig, but I guess it will have to do.”

  “Helping a kid find the right path is as super-hero as it gets.”

  Looking down, she pressed her heel into the floor. “Not really, but it’s lovely that you said it.”

  Putting his arms around her waist, he pulled her close. “Got no reason to sweet-talk you since I’m pretty sure you’ll go along with just about any suggestion I make.”

  “You know it’s closer to the fifty percent mark, but I don’t suppose you meant that inflammatory statement to be accurate.”