She didn’t turn on the TV or read the paper. The scandal had broken the day after Malcolm was arrested and charged. The fallout continued—more arrests, more evidence confiscated through a series of raids on his offices and home.
She didn’t care to know what was happening with him. The only thing that worried her now was what consequences the SEALs faced, and that wasn’t something Espinoza could talk about.
At some point, she knew she had to do something—find a new job, buy groceries, clean her house—but she continued to drag around her house.
Her doorbell rang, and she frowned. If it was another reporter asking for an interview, she might explode. She swung open the door but then just stood there, staring.
“Hey, Jessie.”
Her mouth dropped open as she took in his tall frame. Good Lord, he looked so handsome. He wore faded jeans, boots, and a plain black tee that stretched across his muscled chest. She closed her mouth and met his gaze.
His eyes were crinkled at the corners, like he was smiling, but his mouth was held in a straight line.
“Spider.”
He lifted a hand and rubbed the back of his neck. “Can I come in?”
She stepped back and then realized she’d opened the door in her bathrobe. She tightened the belt around her waist and waved him inside. “How are you?” she asked. Why didn’t you call—send word—something?
“I’m fine. You?” His glance roamed around her foyer.
Thank goodness, she wasn’t into clutter. She sniffed the air. Could he smell last night’s pizza?
Again, he halted, looking at her, and she realized he was waiting for her to do something, say something. She glanced down again. “If you like, you can wait in the living room while I get dressed.”
“Take your time,” he said, his tone even.
The moment he walked toward the living room, she sped down the hallway to her bedroom. Only, she couldn’t just jump into clothes. She hadn’t showered. She ransacked her closet, grabbed underwear from her dresser, then hurried into the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, she smoothed back her wet hair, drew a deep breath for courage, and entered the living room.
Only Spider wasn’t there. Had she taken too long? Was he gone?
The sliding glass door was open, the curtain billowing in the breeze. She stepped out onto her patio and found him sitting on the steps leading from the deck to the backyard.
“Nice place,” he said, not looking back.
“Thanks. I bought it as is. Haven’t had time to do anything with it really.” She shook her head. Why were they talking about a house she didn’t give a damn about?
She walked closer and sat on the steps beside him.
“You look pretty.”
She glanced at her jeans and blue-ribbed Henley shirt. Nothing special there. “Thanks.” Inside, she cringed, because she was talking to him like he was a stranger, and she could still recall every detail of the body she’d touched—how soft the hair on his chest was, how hard and curved his muscles were, how his cock felt when it crowded inside her…
“Are you and your friends in a lot of trouble because of what happened?” she asked. The question had weighed on her mind for so long, she felt relief that she could finally learn their fate.
“Nothing my friends won’t overcome. They were all docked some pay, assigned to different teams. Tank is still at Little Creek, but Mojo and Cutter are headed to the west coast.”
“And you?”
“I put my papers in. I have some leave time to burn through, but after that, I’ll be a civilian.”
Her dismay caused her chest to tighten. “Were you forced to resign?”
“No.” He turned his face toward her. “I chose to leave. It was time.”
She didn’t know what that meant. “Guess you’ll be looking for work, too.”
“My commander put me in touch with some headhunters who look for people with my skill set. I’ve already had offers.”
“How long before you have to make a choice?”
“Like I said, I have vacation time. A couple of months.”
Her eyebrows rose. “That much?”
“Yeah. A friend of mine has a cabin cruiser he offered to lend me. I’m thinking about heading to the Caribbean. Maybe I’ll island-hop. Or…fish.”
She pressed her lips together but couldn’t keep a smile from stretching. “You…fishing?”
“Yeah.” He wrinkled his nose. “Won’t be using worms, but I might need someone to show me how to reel in a big one.”
She tilted her head and stared as his mouth almost curved. That was a rather heavy-handed hint. Her heart began to beat faster. “You looking for someone to bait your hooks?”
The smile that accompanied the wrinkles beside his eyes finally tugged at his mouth. “I can bait my own hooks, Jessie, but I’d really like your company, if you’d like to come.”
Relieved the hints she’d read weren’t just wishful thinking on her part, she sighed and leaned against his shoulder.
He reached for her hand and held it between both of his. “I think there’s something between us. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
“I’d like for us to get to know each other better, see where this might lead.”
She chuckled. “You mean, without people tracking us or shooting at us?”
“Yeah. Think about it. You. Me. Sandy beaches. Drinks with umbrellas.”
She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder then glanced up at his face. “I’ll need a couple of days to cancel my papers, pay bills.”
His gaze locked on her. “Come now. We’ll have wifi.”
The way his eyes narrowed made her heart skip a beat. She liked his cool, commanding tone. Hell. She’d call and ask her neighbor to collect her mail. With her hand still held inside his, she moved off the step and stood in front of him. “I’ll pack.”
“Pack…after.” Again, his steady gaze held hers.
Joy filled her. Quietly. Warming her. Her own smile widened.
So maybe there were tears welling in her eyes, but he didn’t seem to mind. He stood and tugged her behind him as he headed back inside.
…
The small cove where they dropped anchor was isolated. Private enough that Jessie decided to forgo a bikini.
As she strode out of the water toward the man sitting on a blanket on the beach, she couldn’t help the sway of her hips. She watched her reflection in his dark sunglasses as she approached.
A month into their island-hopping voyage of discovery, and she knew she’d never tire of this, or of him.
His hair was a little longer and sun streaked. And she loved the scruff of his two-days-old beard. He was bare chested and wore knee-length swimming trunks. Already, she was hoping he’d shaken out any sand that might be on that blanket because she was going to have him, out here in the sunlight.
“You lose your suit?” he asked, grinning.
She’d stripped in the water and let both halves float away. It was worth it to see that wicked smile. “You’re wearing too many clothes,” she said, arching a brow.
“Am I?” He shrugged, then leaned back and shoved down his trunks.
When he tossed them away, she stepped over him then lowered herself, her knees resting beside his hips. “Doesn’t that feel better now?” she asked and rocked her hips, sliding against his erection.
“Feels…amazing,” he said, reaching up to push back her hair. He framed her face between his hands and pulled her down. His kiss rubbed against her lips, and she opened, letting his tongue stroke inside.
Then she lifted her hips, reached between their bodies, and guided him inside her.
“Even better,” he whispered against her mouth.
As she took him inside, he gripped her hips, setting the rhythm as she rocked forward and back. After only a couple of minutes, his hands tightened on her, and he rolled until he covered her.
Jessie opened her legs and let them dangle in the air as he stroked, h
er eyelids drifting downward. Lord, she loved the feel of him moving inside her, filling her. “I love you,” she blurted, then blinked open her eyes, because she hadn’t meant to say it out loud. Not yet.
He stopped moving and came down on his elbows. “I love you, too. What are we going to do about that?”
So she hadn’t spooked him. Good to know. And she had some ideas about what they should do. Fantasies she’d allowed herself to dream. “I’m open to suggestions.”
“I have an idea,” he said, his gaze watching her expression. “Let’s get married in St. Croix.”
She gasped. He’d just jumped straight into her favorite fantasy. “When?”
“Tomorrow. We’ll pull up anchor and head there tonight.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, smiling and scratching her fingers in his scruffy beard.
His crooked smile made her heart flutter. “Baby, I’ve been sure since the day I met you.”
Her heart tapped faster. So had she.
“I’ll shave…” he said then gave her his “sexy” look—half-closed eyes, that wicked smile.
“Well then, how can I say no?”
He narrowed his gaze further. “Is that a yes?”
She laughed. “Yes, yes, yes!” She flung her arms around him and hugged him. “Yes,” she said as he began to move again, driving harder, tunneling deeper. “Yes!” she shouted as stars burst and the earth moved beneath her.
Afterward, they lay sprawled on their backs on the blanket, holding hands.
“I’ve never felt this happy,” she said.
“I’ll make it my life’s mission to make sure you feel this way every time I love you.”
She laughed. “I’m not talking about sex, silly. I’m never felt like…I belong with someone. That I’m safe…and complete.”
Spider rolled to his side and rested his head on his hand. With his free hand, he smoothed over her curves, pausing to plump her breast then cupping her mound. “I want kids.”
She nodded. “At least two.”
“I want to get a house in the country.”
“I’d like that,” she said. “And I want a boat.”
He smiled. “Caught the bug?”
“I have. We could vacation in the islands for the rest of our lives, and when we retire, we could sell everything and island-hop.”
He frowned. “All those kids we’re going to have might like to have a place to come visit.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, I guess we could buy a place on the beach.”
He kissed her again. “Come on, let’s go before you burn.”
“Too late.” Jessie let Spider pull her to her feet. They swam, side by side, to the boat but didn’t pull up the anchor right away.
Instead, they set the boat to rocking.
About the Author
Once upon a time, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Delilah Devlin, lived in South Texas at the intersection of two dry creeks, surrounded by sexy cowboys in Wranglers. These days, she’s missing the wide-open skies and starry nights but loving her dark forest in Central Arkansas, with its eccentric characters and isolation—the better to feed her hungry muse! For Delilah, the greatest sin is driving between the lines, because it’s comfortable and safe. Her personal journey has taken her through one war and many countries, cultures, jobs, and relationships to bring her to the place where she is now—writing sexy adventures that hold more than a kernel of autobiography and often share a common thread of self-discovery and transformation. Delilah Devlin is a prolific and award-winning author of erotica and erotic romance with a rapidly expanding reputation for writing deliciously edgy stories with complex characters. Whether creating dark, erotically-charged paranormal worlds or richly descriptive historical stories that ring with authenticity, Delilah Devlin “pens in uncharted territory that will leave the readers breathless and hungering for more…” (Paranormal Reviews) Ms. Devlin has published nearly 200 stories in multiple genres and lengths.
Also by Delilah Devlin
BURNING UP MEMPHIS
HOTTER WITH A POLE
RAPID ENTRY
FIVE WAYS ‘TIL SUNDAY
FOURNICOPIA
A PERFECT TRIFECTA
TWICE THE BANG
ONCE IS NEVER ENOUGH
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. References to actual persons, living or dead, is not intended or inferred.
Copyright © 2019 by Delilah Devlin. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.
Entangled Publishing, LLC
2614 South Timberline Road
Suite 105, PMB 159
Fort Collins, CO 80525
[email protected]
www.entangledpublishing.com
Edited by Alethea Spiridon
Manufactured in the United States of America
First Edition March 2019
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