“Who were you talking about, sweetheart?” she asked again.
“Cory. He’s stopping by later. He just called.” Andy embraced her. “And look who else I dug up!”
“I see,” she said. “Looks like my plans to finish painting the guest room are flying out the window.”
Jason began to chuckle. “Good job, Andy. Invite me over to keep from having to get your hands dirty.”
“Not true. I cry foul!” Andy protested.
Aimee tilted her forehead in Jason’s direction. “We’re delighted you stopped by. This sort of thing happens every day, so no worries. I’m more than used to it.”
“You’ve done a beautiful job, Aimee. It’s going to be magnificent.”
Jason could see she appreciated hearing that. She studied the beams above her head and the filtering light coming from clearstory windows placed around the perimeter of the upper ridge. The area reminded him of a crow’s nest.
“Some days, it almost feels like a church,” she answered. “So you’re still at Coronado, right?” Her lavender eyes sparkled in the late morning sun.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Jason came out to do Thomas’ honor flight. They were very close,” Andy added.
“Oh yes. That was awful. All the locals remember him. They’ve plastered pictures of him over several of the hangouts.” She examined her feet, and then flashed those lavender eyes at him again. “I’m so glad you could be there for him.”
The conversation came to an awkward close. Jason quickly added, “He’d have done the same for me. He didn’t have family.”
“We were his family,” added Andy.
“Indeed.” Jason held his beer up, toasting it in the air, an action Andy mirrored, just before they finished off their bottles.
Cory arrived just after they’d finished lunch. Jason hadn’t remembered him being such a clown. He teased and danced around Aimee, making her laugh. On several occasions she blushed. He was respectful, but Jason could tell Cory had stopped by to see Aimee, more than Andy.
His former team buddy pulled him aside.
“I should explain that Cory and Aimee have some history.” Jason could see pain in Andy’s eyes. “In fact, they were together when I met her.”
Jason shoved his eyebrows nearly to his hairline. “Whoa. That’s a bit awkward.”
“It’s cool. But I’m just explaining why I give him some liberties. He’s done a good job so far. If he crosses the line, I’ll put him in his place. But Aimee will always be a friend, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“You’re a better man than me, Andy.”
“Nah, I just love her. That’s all.”
“So when’s the wedding?”
“Listen to you! We’ve been so busy getting this place ready. But I wouldn’t have put in for the transfer if we hadn’t talked about it and agreed. Probably next year.”
Jason knew why Andy didn’t have a date. Aimee hadn’t fully decided to marry him yet. But he was going to hold back on telling Andy and let him figure it out for himself.
“You’re a smart man, Andy. The woman always decides,” he said.
Andy sighed, watching the two friends laughing in the kitchen while Aimee was cleaning up. “Ain’t that the truth?” Then he asked, “What about you? Anyone you’ve got tucked away somewhere?”
“You know me. I’m a little slow when it comes to all that. But I have my eye out for something special.”
“As in here, in Florida or California?”
“None of your fuckin’ business, asshole,” Jason whispered.
They both laughed.
“You know, Damon’s out here. He and Martel are coming over Wednesday night for a little party. It will be a nice little reunion. If you dare bring that Something Special around, I’d like to meet her.”
“We’ll see. Way too premature at this point. But I’ll work on it.”
“You do that. You work on that hard.” He gave Jason a crazy grin. I’m counting on you. One by one we’re all dropping like flies. I think you’re next.”
“Don’t count your chickens. But, if I don’t come back tonight, don’t wait up for me, okay, sweetie?”
Andy punched him in the arm.
“Oh, so she lives at the beach.”
“I don’t know where she lives, but I’m going to find out.”
Jason didn’t want to answer any more questions, so he asked if Andy wanted to join him for a walk on the beach. He needed to get away from what was beginning to feel slightly restrictive.
“Go for it. I’m going to stay behind this time. It’s going to get beautiful out there in about an hour.”
“Yesterday was breathtaking.” Jason could still see the bright orange glow in the back of his mind. He was anxious to replay, if not relive some of that encounter.
Aimee broke away from the kitchen to lead him upstairs, giving him one of the two rooms on the Gulf side. “Cory will either sleep on the couch downstairs or up here in the other guest room. But I’m warning you. He snores, although maybe now not so much. He’s stopped drinking.”
“So I’ve heard. Good for him. That’s not an easy thing to do. You and Andy must have helped with that.”
“Timing. Everything is timing,” she said before she left the room.
Jason hung up a shirt he’d brought, laid out his shaving gear, then put on a light-weight windbreaker, and headed to the surf.
He thought about Aimee’s comment.
Everything is timing, isn’t it, Thomas?
Instantly, he was transported to Africa, the Nigerian village that caused all the carnage. The mission suddenly became doomed in failure when an elder objected to the SEALs evacuating young girls who had essentially been brought to the village as slaves and were to be married off to some of the older, more wealthy members. The “brides” were a gift from a local warlord, in exchange for their cooperation.
State didn’t have all their facts in order. He’d been told it wouldn’t be the last time they’d sacrifice their lives for faulty intel. But, at best, what had been a very tricky op, now ratcheted up ten clicks, with no one to help the little squad who had been sent out to pick up the girls. They’d learned, in a life or death situation not to rely on the local Afrika Corps. And since it was thought that too much of a show of force would draw out the bad guys, they had a skeleton crew. That meant shooters and medics.
But in fact, the opposite turned out to be true that day. In the shootout that occurred, two girls were re-captured, two others were killed, half of Kwanda Freescott’s men were incapacitated, while the leader and the two girls retreated back into the brush and disappeared.
Afterwards, Thomas was helping one of the girls into the back of the van they were using when a sniper picked him off with a glancing shot to the head that did enough damage to end his life. Jason was there within seconds, regardless of his own safety. He held Thomas, told him the evac team was on its way, described the land where he was going and how there would be greeters to welcome him, and urged him not to be afraid.
As his best friend’s life drifted away, Jason wept. Even in the community of brothers so tightly woven together into the tapestry of that force for good, he felt all alone for the first time.
He’d been sitting just past the surf, watching the oranges swirl and outline the billowy clouds. Jason could see how Thomas would love it here. It wouldn’t bring his friend back, but he decided to explore the community, just as if his friend was doing it himself. He owed that to him. The two of them had talked about spending some time on Kauai, but Jason never got the chance to share his ancestral home.
Another lifetime, brother.
He sensed someone was behind him and turned, finding the woman he was hoping to see at the beach tonight.
He scrambled to stand, but she stopped him.
“No! Don’t get up,” she said. Her nerves were still on edge. But, without the floppy hat and the huge sunglasses, the woman he saw in front of him was a vibrant, natural
beauty. His body immediately warmed to her presence, as it had done last night.
“Then come, join me,” he said in a whisper.
She halted and, thinking better of it, slowly took a seat where he’d been sitting. He gave her space right next to him.
“I’m Kiley,” she said as she extended her hand.
He placed one palm beneath hers and then the other on top. “I’m Jason.” After giving her a slight squeeze, he withdrew, placing his hands in his lap. He was going to move very slowly, since he didn’t want to raise her fears again.
“I came down here when I saw you, because I still feel I need to apologize for my behavior last night.”
“Don’t worry. You don’t owe me anything. I probably came on too strong, but I wanted to convince you that I had no ill intentions.”
She nodded. “No, I was the idiot.” She let out a huge sigh. “My life has been a basket of snakes, lately.”
Jason hated snakes.
“You don’t have to tell me anything, Kiley. I just want you to be safe. I don’t really need all the details.”
“Of course you don’t. Why would you?”
Her comment was a bit on the snarky side and Jason didn’t like the tone. He squinted, looking down on her, wrinkling his brow. She was damned hard to figure out. He decided he better stop trying. He sensed something might be wrong with her or her situation. She was damaged, somehow.
“I’m sorry. I can’t seem to help lashing out at you. It isn’t you; it’s my situation. But that’s all I’m going to say.”
He didn’t believe her. “You sure?” He grinned at her shocked expression. “For someone who doesn’t want to talk about it, you seem to bring it up a lot.”
She attempted to get to her feet. He’d just pushed her over the edge.
Dammit!
He held onto her forearm, but only with enough firmness to let her know he wasn’t going to let go. If she insisted, of course he would do so. He wanted to make it clear she still had the control.
“Stay. Don’t go.”
It was too awkward for her to continue to rise, so she collapsed back down onto the sand, and withdrew her arm from his grip.
“Can we start all over?” he asked.
Looking into her warm eyes, he saw intelligence, honor, strength and something else he couldn’t quite figure out.
She nodded, not looking at him.
“Where would you like to restart this from?” he asked.
Her glance at his lips gave him a most delicious signal. He slowly moved his face closer to hers until he was about two inches from her. He licked his lips and then pressed them against hers. He felt her jolt, and then soften to him.
He separated and angled his chin in the opposite direction. She matched his movement and met him halfway again, where their lips touched. She opened to him but he didn’t take advantage.
Instead, he cupped her cheek with his hand, stroking down the side of her face, his fingers sifting through her hair.
Should I stop?
He was fairly certain she’d agree to anything he asked of her. The idea thrilled him. And he understood what a gift that was.
She held his hand in both of hers and kissed his palm. “Come inside. With me,” she whispered. “Please?”
Her shyness moved him. He was falling off a cliff like one of those deep dives off the rocks back home. His body was soaring through the sky as if he was a bird.
They held hands as she led them to a bungalow three houses to the left of the beach access path. She pressed her back against her sliding glass window, and before letting him inside, she drew her arms up around his neck and pulled him down to her in a full-blown passionate kiss that lasted several minutes. His hands roamed down her backside, and over her arms, while his kisses were placed under her chin and beneath her ear. He loved her faint flowery scent and the way her delicate breathing grew strong and robust, as the woman came alive in his arms.
He pressed her lower torso to his hardened groin, and she moaned into his ear.
She broke off their embrace, opened the door, and stepped backward into her living room. He followed her every movement and closed the door behind him.
The interior of the little home smelled like her. She had a candle burning on the kitchen counter, which gave off a golden angel-light. But his eyes were focused on the movement of her body as she continued to walk backwards, drawing him into the bedroom, where she dropped his hand and began to remove her top.
He stopped her.
“Let me,” he whispered, kissing her ear. “I want to do it all.”
“Oh my God,” she sighed before she wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulder and drew her knees up around his waist.
He chuckled. “Clothes are awkward. If you’ll just have a little patience, I’ll have you naked and wet in two minutes. And that’s being slow.”
His fingers probed the waistband of her jeans, sliding over her smooth buttocks. Once, again, he drew her in, and showed her what a good fit they were, and once again, she moaned.
He pulled her oversized tee shirt over her head, as she undid his fly. Her fingers found him just as he removed her bra. She slipped his pants down over his hips just before he knelt in front of her, slowly sliding her jeans over her well-developed hips. The scent of her arousal caused a deep pounding in his chest. He placed one hand between her legs, and lazily let his forefinger travel the length of her opening, spreading her moisture.
With her hands pressed into the tops of his shoulders she leaned forward and widened her knees, allowing him access to slowly insert two fingers. He kissed her breasts and then let his tongue leave a trail down to her belly button as her breathing became ragged. She gripped his shoulders nearly to the point of causing him pain.
On his haunches, he leaned back to observe her arousal as his fingers slid in and around her opening. Her eyes were shut, her lips flushed out into a plump O, driving the need to taste her. She widened her stance farther, mewling soft squeals as his tongue probed and drank from her elixir. His tiny lapping movements made her shudder. She squeezed her right breast, keeping her grip tightly onto his left shoulder. She seemed starved for what he fully intended on giving her.
Abruptly, he picked her naked body up, and walked her on his knees onto the bed. His fingers splayed out and touched her perfect body. His knee nudged between her legs and she raised one thigh, arching to meet him. He crawled up over her, placing his hand under her neck and then holding her head while he devoured those lips, giving back the same intensity he was dishing out.
He angled his hips, his growing erection persistently working against the lips of her sex, probing and testing for an opening. When at last he found her, he moved his arm to the arch in her lower back, elevating her pelvis so he could thrust deep, holding her tight against him.
Jason had not thought to ask her about protection, so he stopped. Her body began to move beneath him, her hands gripping his butt cheeks, begging him to go deeper. He leaned over and whispered, “Should I—?”
But she put her hand over his mouth. She stared into his eyes.
“Fuck me.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Chapter 6
Waking up in the pink glow of early morning, with his huge, muscled, and fully sleeved arm still holding her body against his hip was awkward. The level of feasting on each other’s passions was so intense she wasn’t sure she could look him in the eyes. He had demanded she show him how to please her. He guided her to what he wanted her to do. Though her pheromones were raging wildly, it was the most intentional lovemaking she’d ever had. His body was a love-making machine.
She felt his tongue touch the side of her neck before she felt his enormous hands capture and claim her left breast. He squeezed her nipple, which made her arch up and feel the dull ache for him again, spiking her body back to life.
Because he was so massively strong, he had no trouble moving her body up and over him, planting her on his cock, maneuvering her up and d
own just the way he needed it. With her eyes closed, she focused on the feel of his girth, on the sweat forming inside her thighs as they moved together.
“Open your eyes, Kiley,” he whispered, still moving her slowly up and down on him.
She timidly obeyed. She’d never found it so hard to make eye contact with a sexual partner. Jason demanded it.
As if he knew what she was thinking, he murmured, “I like to watch it on your face when you come.”
The wave of pleasure flooded over her like the ocean, tickling and sparking every cell in her body. She moved her knees, bringing her legs in front, sinking in deeper to his thrusting motion beneath her.
Her eyes began to flutter as if she was going to faint, but it was her body’s warning. She was about to experience an orgasm unlike she’d ever felt before.
Jason sat up, bringing her with him, and then pressed her back into the bed. Moving her legs to his shoulders, he undulated his hips in a circular back and forth that coated and touched everywhere inside her channel.
She threw her head from side to side, and then rose her chin to the ceiling as he picked up the pace. He stopped long enough to caress her neck with his probing fingers, following up with soft kisses. He gently bit her earlobe. She grabbed his ass with her right hand and squeezed as hard as she could. He drilled her deep, relentlessly, and at last slowed so she could feel her own orgasm punching into motion, milking him. Her moans spurred him on, pressing her limits and making her explode. Her body shuddered with full release.
In between thrusts his sweet kisses continued the slow burn as her body completely gave him all the power.
Finally, his heart-breaking moan claimed whatever holdback she had felt, when he released into her. His fingers clutched at her scalp as if needing to attach. His other hand rose her pelvis up to receive every drop he had to give.
The healing, sensuous dance didn’t satisfy her. She was hungry for more. It was the perfect way to begin a day.
After their breathing slowed, he carefully extricated himself from the tangle of sheets and her limbs, returning with a cool towel. The damp cloth felt heavenly as he began to dab her forehead. She felt delirious with the levels of abandon he’d brought her to. His warm smile as he worked to soothe her burn was something she couldn’t take her eyes off of. He gently spread her legs and held the cool towel against her swollen lips, and then gave gently kissed her.
Escape To Sunset: One Night Stand Romance-Hiding From The Mob (Sunset SEALs Book 4) Page 5