Her body burned with a yearning she’d never felt before. Her skin was hot and tingly. Need rose within. A wild, blinding need that roared inside like an uncontrollable torrent.
She moaned. “I’m right there.”
He drove into her harder, increasing the friction with each primal thrust. “Yes. Come for me, baby.”
The dark sensuality in his tone touched a space deep within, untethering her last restraint.
She clung to him as her body trembled and she shattered. Spreading across the sky like the stars overhead. And then, floating in a blissful, mindless state. She clutched on to Angelo as if he was a lifeboat in the ocean.
“Fuck, Cate.” His relentless thrusts grew more powerful. Feral.
He dug his fingers into her ass, and she yelped. His expression turned still and fierce. A low growl seemed to vibrate from his chest and rumble through hers. He throbbed inside her with his release while the rest of his body stilled.
For several seconds, neither of them moved. Their panting almost drowned the sound of the waves.
Dropping his damp forehead against her shoulder, he kissed her upper arm. She pulled him down onto her, relishing the touch of his muscular body covering hers. Their heartbeats pounded against each other in an almost symbiotic rhythm.
“Damn, girl, you’re addictive.” His breath warmed the side of her neck. “You’re going to make it hard to leave next week.”
Then don’t. She clenched the words at her lips before they escaped. It would only make things more difficult for them both and wouldn’t change anything.
The next morning, Catherine rushed through her routine. Angelo had convinced her into a quickie, promising to cook breakfast while she got ready for work. She lathered herself with a coconut body wash, relishing the way Angelo had touched her minutes before.
The scent of coffee and pancakes greeted her as she descended the stairs.
He slid some blueberry pancakes on a plate for her and placed it on the dining room table. “For you, beautiful.” He kissed the top of her head. Then he pulled out her favorite mug, an oversized one with the MIT logo, and poured coffee.
Her mouth watered. Bed and breakfast with Angelo were the ideal way to start her day. How was it Friday already?
“It smells delicious. Thanks, Angelo.” She sat down and poured some Vermont maple syrup onto the pancakes. He sat across from her.
She took a bite. Sweet blueberries burst on her tongue mingling with the syrup. “Mmm.” She smiled. “I could get used to this. Too bad you’re only around until Wednesday.”
Their eyes locked. She was teasing, but what passed between them was far more intense.
Had they only been together for less than a week? With all the time they’d spent together, it seemed much longer.
As if they were meant to be together.
She had to stop those thoughts before she set herself up for another heartache. Sure, this week she was on a high. But what happened next week after Angelo left? No other way to go except down. Was their time together worth it when it would inevitably crash?
Angelo gulped and speared his pancakes. “Yeah, well, Uncle Sam pays my check, so I go where they tell me.” After he chewed a piece and swallowed, he put down his fork. “Can I convince you to take the day off and do something fun?” he asked with a suggestive wag of his brows.
He was masterful at changing the mood from intense to light, often with a sensual undertone. “Although it is a tempting offer, I can’t.” She frowned. “I took time off last week for the wedding.”
“Okay.” Angelo lifted his mug, her oversized black one that read Math Award in yellow letters. “Great size. I don’t need to refill it ten times.” He took a sip.
She’d kept it since middle school, unable to let it go. Now with it in Angelo’s hand, she had a strange feeling of validation. Like he accepted her nerdy sentimentality—or maybe even appreciated it. He appeared so at home here, like he was a natural part of her life.
“Are we still on for sailing tomorrow afternoon?” she asked.
“Absolutely,” he declared with a nod. “Is a teeny bikini going to be involved?”
“Oops.” She winced. “I haven’t bought one yet. I’ll run to the mall tomorrow morning.”
His eyes widened with an appreciative spark. “I get to watch you try them on, right?”
She’d just taken a sip of coffee and almost spit it out. “Oh no, no, no. Dressing room lighting is too harsh. I’ll find something sexy, okay?”
“Deal.” He toasted her coffee mug with his.
* * *
Saturday morning, Catherine ran to the mall to find a bikini while Angelo prepared a lunch to bring out on the boat. A voice warned that she was getting too close to him. Soaring this close to the clouds could only end with a crash.
She tried to ignore it, instead pictured how the day might unfold. Would they make love on the boat? A small smile spread across her face and her skin tingled with anticipation.
When she reached her front door, the sound of Journey drifted out and the scent of something delicious wafted from her open window. Her place had previously lacked a liveliness without him there. As she opened the door, her heartbeat quickened.
He turned down the radio. “Hey, Cate.” His grave expression didn’t match his friendly greeting.
“What is it?” she asked.
He nodded to a pile of letters on her desk. “I brought the mail in and saw that one.”
When she glanced at the white envelope on the top of the pile, her gut clenched. The meticulous tiny block letters were Trent’s writing. The distinctive tiny capitalized letters were familiar from the previous letters. This time it was addressed to her home, and to Miss Catherine Boudreaux.
Her veins chilled as if injected with a liquid nitrogen. She raised her chin to offset her fear. “You went through my mail?”
“What the hell, Cate?” He looked at her as if her hair had turned bright orange.
Her hands turned clammy. “Did you open it?”
He flinched. “It wasn’t sealed.” He cocked his head and stared at her. “I was trying to be helpful.”
“Helpful?” She repeated with widened eyes. “Did you read my mail?”
He glanced away. “It was open.”
His reaction was confirmation that he had. Violation piled on top of violation. Trent’s letter at her home address compounded by Angelo’s invasion of privacy. Her ribs felt tight, lungs constricted.
“You can’t do that, Angelo. That’s so off limits.” Her heart beat so loudly, drowning out the sound of the music. “These letters already bother me, but your reaction makes it worse.”
“I’m not trying to freak you out.” He turned his hands palms up. “I wanted to make sure he wasn’t threatening you. I want to protect you.”
“You don’t have to protect me.” She gritted her teeth and rubbed her forehead. “I’m not part of some SEAL mission.”
“I know that.”
She should stop. Anxiety pierced her tone as emotions whirled out of control. Trent’s letters. Her confusion about Angelo. Her fears about what happened once he left—which was creeping up soon.
“Just because you’re in my life for a week, doesn’t mean you need to play this role.” Her fears tumbled out in a maelstrom of anxiety she’d been suppressing. “What’s the point when you’ll be gone soon? Then what happens—I sit here alone, searching around my place all paranoid that someone is out to get me?”
“Cate?” He reached a hand out to her and then lowered it.
She strode into the living room and turned to face him. “What’s going on between us is getting confusing.” She motioned between them. “Too intense for a fling. And with all your SEAL wariness, it’s messing me up. We’re better off sticking to what we know this is.”
He was right behind her. “And what is that?” He stared at her with furrowed brows.
“Sex.” She raised her hand and avoided his gaze, instead staring at the weave in
the taupe rug, one of the many locations in her place where they had made love. “Good sex for a few days before we each go back to our own lives.”
When she glanced at him, his eyes flickered with pain. A blink later and it was gone, replaced by a neutral expression.
“Is that all you think it is?” His tone was low. Measured.
It’s not what she wanted it to be, but she’d never admit how much this past week had affected her. Fantasies had spiraled into a longing for something more.
Impossible! He’d soon be off on another mission, leaving her behind. She was a fool. A dreamer. It would only exacerbate the hurt when he left.
The same as ten years ago.
No. She wouldn’t let herself go through that anguish again, pining for someone like she had been for years.
“That’s all it can be.” She fought to keep a tremble from her voice. “You all but said it yourself from the beginning.”
He didn’t say a word, just stared at her with those intense eyes. She couldn’t look at them.
Just sex, ha! Was she trying to kid herself? She couldn’t even handle that. Her attempt at keeping things casual had already blown up in her mind. What a disaster. One that would leave her just as crushed—if not more so than in the past. She had to stay strong and protect herself.
“Maybe you should leave.”
“Why?” His tone conveyed surprise.
Because it will be easier to get over you that way.
She took a deep breath and exhaled, crossing her arms over her chest. Not the time to waver. If she didn’t protect herself from getting hurt again, she deserved the pain that she invited.
“This was probably a bad idea.” She stepped away from him. “Yes, I think you should leave.”
Angelo
What the hell had just happened? Angelo’s gut twisted as if an unseen enemy had rammed him with the butt of a rifle.
Sure, he shouldn’t have read the letter, but the curiosity had driven him mad. It had been right there tormenting him. It was unsealed. He had to read it to gauge the threat. It was mostly confused ramblings from an incoherent mind and a messed-up drawing of what appeared to be a brain and hands.
Angelo stared at her, trying to read her body language. She’d adopted a defensive stance with crossed arms and raised chin. Although she stood as straight and hard as a statue there in her living room, a part of her appeared like she might crumble.
“Why do you want me to leave?”
“Because why bother when this only complicates things?” She brushed her hair out of her eyes with a frustrated wave. “You’re leaving next week.”
It was as if he’d been punched, beaten, and kicked while he lay on the ground trying to cover his internal organs.
Why was she pushing him away? Hadn’t she been on board with them spending time together?
Maybe he’d never know. Who could understand women?
Ah, maybe it was the impending goodbye. He’d seen plenty of goodbyes turned ugly in the Navy. As a departure approached, someone could get drunk and lash out at their closest buddy. Lashing out was easier than saying goodbye. Especially when you weren’t sure you’d ever see the person again.
He kept his tone gentle. “I’m here now, Cate.”
“Exactly. Now. What happens when you’re gone? It will be like ten years ago. You left, and I stayed here. P-pining for you.”
That catch in her voice showed her vulnerability. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms. But that might be the worst thing considering she’d asked him to leave.
Instead he said, “I didn’t know you felt that way.”
She kept the defensive pose, but her eyes conveyed pain. Pure, raw, and brutal heartache. From him? How could he have caused her such anguish?
“It took a long time to get over you.” Her tone softened. “Seeing you here again, I don’t know if I ever truly did.” She forced a smile and shrugged. “You’re the one who got away.”
His stomach twisted. “Cate.” He hated hurting her. What could he say?
She sucked in a sharp breath and released it with an audible whoosh. “I’m not some young girl with a schoolgirl crush anymore. I won’t make the same mistakes.”
He swallowed a lump that formed in his throat, and it seemed to settle in his gut with a hollow thud. “Is that what you think this is—a mistake?”
She lifted her hands and dropped them. “What else can it be?”
He struggled with the answer, not sure himself. He ran his hands over the back of his neck. “Back then, we were so young and our relationship so new. It didn’t make sense to try to make things work.”
He’d seen many relationships unravel within months of enlisting.
“I know. Our lives veered into different directions.”
He stared into her eyes, getting lost. Fuck, there was nobody like her. “But if you think that means I never cared about you, you’re wrong.”
She avoided his gaze and her bottom lip trembled.
They were ten years older now. More mature. With more life experience. Could they handle more of what the world threw at them if they faced it together?
The lump seemed to crawl back up into his throat. “What about now?”
Her eyes glistened as she shifted her gaze to the window. “What about now? Nothing has changed. You’re still in the Navy, and I’m still here, now with a career.”
It was a crazy idea, but he couldn’t walk away from her without trying. Even if it meant she’d laugh in his face. He took a step closer to her. “What if we try to make it work?”
She stared at him with wide eyes. “Are you serious, Angelo?”
Right, he was an idiot. What the hell was wrong with him? She’d told them it was a mistake and he was about to propose a long-distance relationship. Why suggest something like that when it was bound to fail? And then he’d hurt her all over again.
“No, you’re right.” He stepped backwards. “Our lives are too different.” After walking through the kitchen, he grabbed the doorknob and turned. “I’ll leave you alone.” He stepped outside but held on to the knob. “Do one thing for me, okay?”
The conflicted expression on her face gave him a glimpse of hope. Did she have any regrets about asking him to leave? She straightened. “What is it?”
“Have a friend or a relative stay here. Or at least have a neighbor check on you.”
“Angelo...”
“It was wrong to go through your mail. I was worried about you, and I still am.”
She exhaled. “I appreciate the concern, but I can’t live my life in fear.”
When he caught her eye, an overwhelming sense of loss hit him. With anguish in her gaze, she appeared to be just as devastated.
“Will you do one more thing for me, Cate?”
“What?”
His heartbeat amplified. “Give me a kiss goodbye?”
It felt like years passed as the silence engulfed him. She swallowed and then nodded. He released the doorknob and strode over to her. What was she thinking? He tried to read her thoughts in her glistening eyes. Was there any hope for them?
No, just pain—which he’d inadvertently caused. What a shit he was. He couldn’t cause her any more.
Cate parted her lips. He cupped her face with both hands and slowly lowered his mouth to hers. When their lips touched, vibrancy bolted through him. She melted against him in the way he loved, clinging to him. With all that passion in her response, it couldn’t be over, could it?
Don’t read anything more into it. It’s one last kiss goodbye.
He pulled his lips from hers with great reluctance. “Take care of yourself, Cate.”
“Goodbye, Angelo.” Her voice softened as low as a whisper.
As he walked to her front door on slow, heavy feet, he listened for her voice. Hoping she’d say “wait.” Call him back.
She didn’t.
He closed his eyes and took a mournful breath. It was over. After he reopened them, he pulled her key out of
his pocket and placed it on her counter. He walked out of her place and closed the door behind him.
Chapter Fifteen
Catherine
Catherine attempted a difficult Sudoku puzzle on Monday morning to force Angelo from her mind. She’d dropped her head into her hands. Had she overreacted out of fear and made a huge mistake?
Her body still tingled from his touch. How would she ever forget the way he’d made her feel?
Raising her chin, she repeated her explanations to herself. It was better off this way. Their worlds were too different. It would have ended in a few days anyway. She saved herself more heartache.
And deprived herself of some tremendous orgasms.
She’d spent the rest of the weekend back to her typical, boring, pre-Angelo life. Sleeping alone was torment. Not only did she miss him, but she had Trent to worry about. It was hard to understand the severity of the threat. Angelo was over cautious, the university under. Where it lay was probably somewhere in between.
What she had to do was file a police report at work today. She looked at the latest damn letter from Trent. In addition to a letter was a drawing. It looked like a brain with hands all around it.
She headed to the university, hoping it would absorb her. She checked her email and jotted down a few top priority tasks on her to do list. Although she worked with technology, crossing things off paper held a certain amount of satisfaction. Somehow, it made her feel more productive, even on days with multiple interruptions. She wouldn’t leave the office until she’d crossed off three things—even if she had to add a minor task first so she could cross it off. Yes, she was deluding herself, but it was a routine, and she liked structure.
Time to face the inevitable.
She entered the security office and stepped up to Frank’s desk. “This letter was sent to my house.”
Frank took the letter and read it. He glanced at the drawing and grimaced. With a grunt, he folded up the papers and returned it to the envelope. “I’ll forward it on.”
That wasn’t good enough for her. Not this time. “Has anyone else reported such personal correspondence.”
Angelo: A Second Chance Navy SEAL Romance Page 13