21 Marine Salute: 21 Always a Marine Tales (153 page)

Some of her hesitance must have shown because he stopped with one hand on his tie. “Brenda?”

Be bold or go home
. She could almost hear Amelia’s devilish whisper.
No—no more thinking about what Amelia would do or would tell you and no more thoughts about Steve
. Brenda had loved him and she’d always love him, but she’d been dragging out the hair shirt of her grief every year to wear like a fashion statement.

New Year.

New beginning…the freedom of it all exhilarated her.

“Why am I the only one who’s naked?” She lifted her brows. “I don’t mean to be awkward, but a gentleman would at least be shirtless by now so I didn’t feel so out of place.”

In a swift move, he’d swooped down and had her mouth open beneath a fierce kiss that promised a sensuality she’d forgotten could exist. She was still trying to catch her breath when he retreated and began to strip out of his suit.

Swallowing, she started to slide off the bed, but he stopped her with a quick shake of his head. “You stay right where you are.” He toed off his shoes and nudged them to the side, his socks followed and then his pants along with his boxers—or briefs—she didn’t catch what he wore and—oh, my….

The man was hard and compact everywhere, and the springy curls dusting his chest were almost pure silver in contrast to the deep bronze of his tan.

Fit and trim just did not do him justice.

Soft laughter pulled her gaze away from the length of his erection tapping at his belly to the deep humor in his expression. A humor that did nothing to disguise his blatant sexuality. “You keep staring at me like that and we’re going to be over before we start.”

“We haven’t started yet?” She’d never been so arch, or open in such a wanton fashion before. Enjoying the freedom of it, she held out her hand in invitation. “I disagree.”

He paused to pull out his wallet, flipped it open and slid out a couple of condoms. “I only brought two.” Holding them up, he almost sounded apologetic.

Biting her lip to keep from laughing, Brenda shook her head. “I like the way you think.”

The locked focus of his attention sizzled over her and, without a shadow of a doubt, the only thing interesting him right then was her. Moistening her lips, she slid over on the bed to make room for him. He stalked her with the grace of a predator and her tummy took another tumbles.

At the bedside, he reached for the lamp. “On or off?”

While she admired his dedication to her comfort and the rigid self-control he demonstrated, it was time for both of them to cut loose. “What do you want?”

Lights off meant he couldn’t see any of her softer bits where her tummy wasn’t as tight or her hips were just a little fuller, or even the not-so-generous lines along her thighs. Yes, she’d always had small boobs, but she’d put on weight over the years and though she’d lost it, her stretch marks gave her away. But it also meant she couldn’t see him and—damn, he had nothing to be ashamed of. He may be retirement age, but she couldn’t recall any man she’d seen recently even half again as young who looked as good as he did.

“I don’t care about the light,” he answered, then he was on the bed, and wrapping his arms around her, his mouth finding hers. Sighing into the kiss, she let him tumble her onto the sheets. He squeezed the rounded curves of her hips before stroking his very capable fingers along her sides to cup and shape her breasts.

The calloused warmth of his palms ignited a second wave of heat and whatever happened, it would be wonderful. He kissed a path down her throat to her chest, spending so much time teasing one breast and then the other, she writhed beneath him. Her thoughts drowned in a sea of sensations brought on by the raw, naked length of him pressing her down into the mattress and the slick strength of his gorgeous muscles beneath her hands.

When he would have continued downward, trailing wet kisses along her belly, she tugged at his hair to pull him up for another toe-curling kiss that seemed to invade her soul. He hooked a thumb in the side of her lace panties and the scrap of fabric ripped.

The sound had him jerking his head up and he glanced down at the lace in his hand with an almost boyish grin of delight. Brenda threw her head back and laughed. Her laughter sparked his and Tom settled atop her and buried his face to her throat. The length of his erection served as an erotic caress where it teased her.

“Oh,” she whispered, caressing his skin. “I thought that only happened in books.”

“I didn’t realize it was that delicate.”

Their words tripped over each other, but when he lifted his head, the flashes of humor peeked through the passionate storm. Another thrill shivered up her spine and she reveled in the abandon she found in the tangle of their naked limbs.

“I can buy another pair….” She traced the line of his face and down around his lips. Catching the pad of her finger with his teeth, he sucked on it. Everything in her when low and tight.

“I might rip the second pair, too.” He kissed her palm and began a slow sensual assault along her arm—who knew the crook of her elbow could be an erogenous zone?

“Oh, I’ll definitely buy several pairs then.” She moaned as he found her breast and tugged at her nipple.

“Good.” He stopped talking then, teasing her to the point of madness. Then his mouth returned to hers and the kiss was wild and wet, and paid on the promise of his raw attraction. Vibrating with urgent need, she groaned when he abandoned the kiss—but jerked her eyes open at the sound of foil ripping and he rolled the condom into place.

“God, you do everything well,” she told him with unabashed delight. Her only regret that she hadn’t been the one to caress him before he did that. What would it be like to wrap her hand around him—

He nudged her thighs apart and cupped her sex with the barest amount of pressure. She split apart on a wave of ecstasy that rolled her under so swiftly she could only gasp and grab his forearms, holding onto him lest she drown under the tidal force.

“Sensitive,” he murmured, but the word barely registered because he began to circle his thumb around her clit. Another electric shock. He continued to use his hand and fingers until her body tightened all over again. And the whole time, he watched her. The heat of his gaze added another layer of intimacy and whenever her hips bucked up, he gave her more of the same.

When he took his touch away, she cried out at the loss. But he whispered another word she couldn’t hear, stroking over her thighs then shifted her. It registered what he attempted and she lifted her legs, hitching them around his hips. He gave an approving sound and dropped to kiss the corner of one eye and then the other before pushing into her.

He was as hard and unyielding as his thrust, taking her in a slow, intense, patient fashion—as deliberate in his invasion as he’d been in every other interaction. Gripping his shoulders, she reveled in his changing expressions as pleasure tightened his face into a grimace.

She’d feel it in the morning, but right then she didn’t care how deep he went or how much he stretched her. The sting of adjusting to him was nothing compared to the spasms of pleasure beginning to radiate out as he glided against her sensitive flesh. When he was seated, all the way, they both let out a little groan.

Sweat beaded along his forehead and he teased her lower lip in a brushing caress. “I want to go slow for you.” The tension shaking him told her it took everything he had and she didn’t want him to restrain himself for her.

Scissoring her legs around him, she drew her hips away a fraction of an inch and arched up to meet him. The rocking motion seemed to snap something inside of him and he slammed his mouth down on hers and thrust freely, driving her with a tidal wave of barely restrained need that sent her pleasure skyrocketing.

She held onto him, rocking to meet his rhythm, and sucking on his tongue with every hot, tongue-twining kiss. Pinned beneath him, she orgasmed with a harsh cry, and clamped down on his length, but Tom continued to move, his low groans almost growls. No sooner had she begun to float down than he pistoned his hips and drove her up another peak, following her over, the hard shout of her name another caress that would linger on her pleasure-ravaged senses.

Collapsing against her, he rolled onto his side, taking her with him, but didn't pull out or away. His trembling muscles betrayed the gratifying depth of his reaction to her. Nuzzling his chest, she floated on the lazy river of bliss.

She rubbed her nose over the crisp hair dusting chest, her simple affections adding to the intimacy of the moment. Though she’d said she wasn’t fragile, he’d had to fight bruising her soft skin. He glanced down. The vision of her curled to him, her leg thrown lazily over his, the contrast of her pale skin against his darker, ruddier tan, was a hell of a turn-on.

An odd feeling spread through him and it took a moment to identify the heaviness as contentment. He could get used to this—used to her. More than that, he wanted to be used to her, to take the fresh bond of intimacy and turn it into something familiar and welcome. Snap decisions were nothing new to him, he’d seen the lay of the land, spent an evening talking to her—and even in that fragile connection, he found real value.

“I can almost hear you thinking.” Her breath whispered over his skin in a pleasing caress.

“I’m planning.” He didn’t see any sense in beating around the bush. Stroking her arm, he smiled when she spread her fingers over his skin, and above his heart. The weight of it added to the increasing need tightening his gut. He had two choices, coax her into agreement or take down all her objections like a battering ram.

“Dare I ask what you could be planning?” Her throaty chuckle was an invitation and when she tilted her head up, he kissed her long and slow. His body stirred at the promise of a future, but this wasn’t about passion—it was all about Brenda. He wasn’t good with words, but showing her how he felt—that he could do.

By the time he released her, they were both panting. “I’m planning tomorrow, and the day after that….”

She propped herself on her elbow, but made no attempt to escape contact. “Have you figured out what you want to do for your retirement?” Curiosity softened her voice.

“Yes, ma’am.” He’d figured that out far earlier in the evening, but he hadn’t wanted to put the future before the kiss as it were. “What about you?”

“Hmm, no real deep thoughts here.” She gave a little shiver. “Too busy feeling good.”

“My ego appreciates the compliment.” She was exactly the way she should be, her delighted peal of laughter reward enough. He slid out of the bed, dealt with the condom, and returned with a glass of water for her. She pressed her lips to his jaw and he closed his eyes, savoring the gentle feel of her kisses as she nuzzled her way to the corner of his mouth. Another long kiss nearly derailed him, but when he opened his eyes, all he saw was the smile in hers. “I want to run away with you.”

Shock rippled across her face. “What?”

It had come out a little more blunt than he’d intended, but once committed to the course, he decided to play through. “I want to run away with you. We can sail to all those places you wanted to see, and I can fish along the way.”

“Tom, I have a job….”

“So?” Touching his finger to her face, he traced the arch of her cheekbone.

“So it’s reckless and impulsive.” She caught her lower lip in her teeth. “I’m not sure I know how to do that.”

“Me either, but I’m willing to give it a shot if you are. I spent the last several decades committed to my country, to the job, to getting it done. I think I’m due to committing the next few to someone else.”

“I—” She hesitated.

“Hey, you tell me what’s going on in that beautiful head. You can say anything you want. I won’t be offended.”

Exasperation rippled through her satisfied expression. “Do you have to be so damn perfect?” Brenda laughed and shifted on the bed until they were face-to-face. “I have a job and people who depend on me.”

“Okay, well if it’s what you live for and you love it, there’re plenty of places to fish around here.” The one thing he excelled at was adapting to the situation. “But we’ve been grownups our whole lives, so I don’t see anything wrong with going to play and being impulsive. If it’s money—I’ve got a lot set aside. I never had anything to spend it on before….”

“It’s not the money.” She struggled to find the right explanation. “I have a tidy sum and some investments, too. One thing I know how to manage is money. But what do we do? I mean if I quit my job and we run off? Amelia would look after my cats for me, but—what do
we
do?”

“Whatever we wanted. You wanted to see St. Thomas. I want to deep-sea fish. We could do both. We could sail the Bahamas, go to the Cayman Islands, head to Mexico and you can see a Mayan Temple. We don’t have to stay there, either. The beauty of playing is when we’re bored or we’re tired of it, or hell, even if we don’t like it, we can come home or go somewhere else.”

Her expression wavered with indecision. “Tom, we just met.”

He shrugged. “So, we date for a few months and when you’re satisfied I’m not going anywhere, then will you run away with me?”

“How do you know you won’t get bored with me?” It wasn’t an unreasonable question, and he recognized it had more to do with her own insecurity than lack of faith in him. She didn’t trust him yet—and that was okay. If it took five months or five years, he would prove it out for her.

“Less than thirty days ago, I had to face the fact that my future wasn’t charted. I’ve had someone else giving me orders or sending me on missions for most of my life. I didn’t have to make a choice because—they did it for me.” If she understood nothing else about him, she needed to understand this. “The future is this dark road, not clearly defined—I didn’t have any idea what I wanted to do with my retirement. Now I do. I want to get to know you, what makes you laugh, what makes you sigh—what causes your eyes to narrow and your nose to wrinkle. I want to exasperate you and I want to make you smile. The rest of it is just window dressing.”