Baby, It's You (Uncharted SEALs Book 5) (10 page)

Carter felt heat rise in his cheeks. “That old b—”

“I asked her to keep an eye out. Don’t blame her. You gonna answer my question?”

“It’s none of your business. Certainly none of hers.”

“Like hell, it’s not.” His dad wheezed on his next breath. “I need to know your intentions… Girl’s under my roof…”

The waitress returned with their beers, and the men went silent. As soon as she moved away, Lee gave him a deep frown.

Carter glared back. “All right. I’ll tell you. I won’t make love to her. Not until I’m sure what my
intentions
are.”

“But you’ll sleep with her, let her fall in love with you.”

“She came to me. Does every night. She’s the one who wants to keep it all about sex.”

His father’s eyes widened, and then his grin showed every one of his pearly dentures. “She’s already in love with you, boy… She’s just bein’ stubborn….” He took a deeper breath. “I’ll tell you what you gotta do…”

“I don’t need advice.”

“Son, you need a manual,” Lee muttered. “With pictures. A set of damn operating instructions.”

His dad waved a hand at Lee. “You’re young. She’s young. You can figure it out,” he said with a snort.

Carter rolled his eyes. “I know what to do, Dad.”

“Huh. So what’s the problem?”

“I don’t want to hurt her again.”

Lee nodded. “Told you somethin’ happened at the wedding.”

“Then don’t,” his father said.

“It’s not that simple.”

“You love her?”

It was on the tip of his tongue to say he wasn’t sure, but he realized, in that moment, that he already knew. His shoulders slumped. “Yeah.”

His father’s lips curved. “Then go after her.”

Carter raked a hand through his hair. “She doesn’t want me to leave. And I don’t think I can stay. Not all the time. I like what I do. I’ve spent years getting good at it.”

Lee leaned forward. “Your friend Mac said his company’s headquartered in Dallas.”

“That’s not an ocean away,” his father said nodding.

“But I could be gone weeks at a time.”

“And home weeks at a time,” Lee said, a brow arching.

“Sounds like excuses,” his dad muttered.

“She doesn’t want me walking into danger.”

His father scowled. “With your bum knee, you won’t be on any front line.”

Carter frowned at his father. “Doesn’t mean I’ll be safe. Even if I’m stuck at Bagram in a hangar, there’s no guarantee we won’t be hit.”

“There are no guarantees in life, son.”

He was surprised his father echoed the same thing he’d said to Melanie.

“I want you settled. I want to know Melanie’s taken care of.”

“I can’t run a ranch if I’m gone half the time.”

“Then hire a foreman… Lee can teach him the ropes…. Much as he hates that side of the business.”

Lee nodded. “I’ll leave the hirin’ to you.”

Carter sat back in his seat, amused the old men had double-teamed to take him down. “You both have this all worked out.”

“Yup. Son, only person you have to convince this’ll work is your girl.”

‡

T
hat night, much
to Melanie’s consternation, Emmy insisted on “Unca Carter” tucking her in and reading her a bedtime story. Not that she could blame the little girl. There was something about Carter tonight. Something she couldn’t quite pin down. He was different.

Maybe he was just more relaxed. After the three men had returned from their “prison break” and Papa had been settled into his bed for a long nap, he’d seemed more at ease, happier even. More watchful, too. Every time she turned around, he was there, his blue gaze raking over her body, reminding her he knew every curve intimately.

She’d been a bundle of nerves, on edge all afternoon. When he’d invited her to ride, she’d turned him down. The last thing she wanted was to be alone with him because she knew she’d throw herself at him, and it was humiliating enough that he’d resisted her nightly invitations, seeming content to cuddle her like she was a pillow, while every stray brush of his fingers set her on fire.

Not that he was immune to a female in close proximity. Every night, his cock prodded her backside, a salve to her wounded pride.

She’d have thought by now he’d be eager for a little relief. She’d promised there’d be no expectations from her side. What was his deal?

She sat on the edge of her bed, still dressed. Waiting for the sound of him moving down the hallway to his bedroom. Maybe tonight she’d have the fortitude to undress and slip beneath her own covers.

Her bedroom door opened, and she glanced upward. Carter filled the space, his shoulders nearly touching each side of the frame. Lord, he was a beautiful sight to behold.

He curled his fingers. “Come. Unless you’d rather I join you here?”

In her bed? Her heart fluttered. No. When he left, she didn’t want any lingering ghosts keeping her awake at night. She pushed up and walked slowly toward him, aware again that his gaze was darker, narrower. Suddenly, she felt like a rabbit quivering beneath a circling hawk. “She make you read two?”

“No, I read her one. Then she told me one.”

“Girl’s gonna be a writer,” she said, slipping her hand inside his. Together they walked toward his bedroom door.

She shot a glance around the hallway, but there was no one there to witness her moment of weakness.

At his door, he dropped his gaze and gave her a little smile. A smile that seemed to be communicating something. His hand tightened around hers.

When he opened the door, she sucked in a quick breath. There were lit candles lined along the dresser top and on the nightstand. The bedcovers were pulled back.

“What’s this?” she asked, suddenly breathless.

“Operation Get The Girl.”

She frowned when she glanced upward.

“The candles were my dad’s idea.” He chuckled. “I’ll tell you later.”

Her gaze landed on the carafe of red wine on the nightstand.

“Lee’s idea.”

She shook her head. “Is this supposed to be a seduction?”

“They thought I needed a little coaching.”

She couldn’t help it. She laughed. “Is that what today was all about? Them pulling you aside to give you advice?”

Carter grinned. “I guess it was.”

“Those rascals.”

His gaze turned smokier. “Come here.” He tugged her hand to bring her against his chest. His hands settled on her hips then rucked up her shirt. He sent it sailing.

Melanie drew another deep breath, sure he could hear her pounding heart. “So they know?”

“That we haven’t
done it
, yeah.”

Melanie grimaced. “Oh no. You explain I wasn’t the reason…”

“I told them I wanted things to be right between us before we took the next step.”

Melanie was afraid to meet his gaze. “I haven’t changed my mind.”

“I haven’t explained my intentions very well. I’m hoping you’ll rethink your position once you hear me out.”

“Then shouldn’t we be waiting?” she asked, waving a hand at the candles.

He shook his head. “You need to know I’m all in, Melanie. That I’m committed to making us work.” He tucked a finger inside her waistband and tugged her closer still. Then he went to work unbuckling her belt, unbuttoning her jeans. His hands slid into her loosened garments and cupped her bottom. “My dad said there are no guarantees. But he told me something else. I have to follow my heart.”

“That what you’re doing now?” she whispered, gazing up shyly, finally locking her gaze with his.

He nodded. “I love you. Simple as that. Everything else is just…details. Distractions.”

Oh hell. He loved her. Suddenly, she wished he’d hurry. That her bra was gone and her panties on the floor. Because she wanted him inside her before he spoke another word. “Hurry.”

His lips twitched, and he stood back. He tugged off his shirt, dropped his pants. But she wasn’t standing still. They were both nude inside a minute. On the bed ten seconds later.

She glanced down. He already wore a condom. “Whose advice was that?”

“My idea,” he said, pushing her to her back and rising over her.

She liked the way he looked, braced on his arms, his cheeks and jaws tightening. She lowered her lids halfway and opened her legs, bending them at the knee, then opening herself. Inviting him to come inside.

“Put me there,” he whispered.

Without hesitating, she reached out and stroked his shaft, glorying in how hard it was, how hot. She tilted his cock toward her sex, lifted her hips, and captured the tip. A mew escaped as he pushed, entering her, stretching her. He pulsed inward, pulled back, glided forward again, and already she was overcome with the sensations—his hardness filling her empty space, his motions drawing her to enter into the rhythm he set.

Soon, they moved in perfect counterpoint, pressing together, apart, together again. Each stroke deeper, slower, until, at last, her body held every inch.

He bent and kissed her, his mouth suctioning against hers, his tongue probing. All the while his hips moved against hers, circling, followed by deep thrusts, until she was breathless and nearing the peak.

She dug her fingernails into his shoulders and wrapped her thighs around his hips, lifting herself against him, needing him closer, deeper… And then she was there, stiffening beneath him, her head digging into the pillow as wave after wave of ecstasy washed over her.

He disentangled himself from her embrace too soon, and she clutched at him, but he was already moving downward, kissing her nipples, his palms molding and massaging her flesh. Her pussy was still pulsing in the aftermath of her orgasm when he slipped fingers inside her and tongued her clit.

She cried out, unable to still her cries as another wave crested. Then another. His mouth latched around her tiny nubbin and sucked, and she thrashed her head. “It’s too much. Carter…
Carter
!” She came again.

Mindless now, she barely noticed that he’d turned her. Not until he’d pulled her to her knees did she come back to herself. He nudged her folds, found her center, and slammed deep.

Melanie sank her back, lifting her bottom to take more. She fisted the bedding to hold herself in place as he pounded so hard the headboard banged against the wall. But she didn’t care about the noise. She fought for breath, felt the deep tremors in her channel as he drew another orgasm, this one so strong, so consuming, darkness pressed around her.

Carter gloried as
the pressure built and built, until at last he couldn’t deny himself a moment longer. With one last stroke, pleasure exploded, come erupting in rhythmic spurts that stole away his breath. Long after he’d emptied himself, he continued rocking against her soft ass.

She’d collapsed against the bed. Her hair tangled and sticking to her face. Her lush pink mouth was swollen and open; her breaths were every bit as jagged as his own.

He was loath to stop moving, but he knew he must. She’d admitted she hadn’t had sex since the last time he’d had her beneath him like this. Years. She’d be sore. And the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. He pulled free.

She didn’t stir as he rolled to the edge of the bed and sat. He removed the condom and dropped it into the wastebasket. Then he turned back to her. She hadn’t moved. Carter frowned and slid beside her, turning her gently in his arms until she rested against his chest. Her eyes were closed. She was sleeping.

“So much for that conversation,” he whispered. He kissed her forehead and lay back, holding her against his heart.

*

Sometime later, Melanie
awoke. The candles had burned down, filling the corners of the room with shadows. Biting her lip, she glanced slowly upward. He was awake, his smoky gaze studying her face. She didn’t know what to say.
Thank you? Oh my god, was it as good for you as it was for me?

Instead of blurting something embarrassing, she gave him a smile. “Didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“You passed out.”

The dark humor in his expression had her narrowing her eyes. “Feeling proud of yourself, I see.”

“Yeah. I am.” His smile faded, and he touched her chin, lifting it an inch. “You okay?” he asked in a gruff voice.