Hot SEAL (18 page)
Authors: Lynn Raye Harris
Changed his mind? No way. “It’s been ten days. And I’ve been busy, Ivy. After action reports, moving me and my team to DC from Virginia Beach, getting briefed at the new job.”
It sounded lame, he knew, but the truth was that moving an entire SEAL team to DC took time and effort. They were a part of HOT now, and he didn’t mind that at all. Surprisingly.
His father, even more surprisingly, was proud as a peacock. The general knew about HOT—and he’d nearly busted his buttons over the idea his son was leading the first SEAL team under HOT’s direction. It was definitely a departure from their usual encounters. Dane didn’t imagine that meant they were suddenly going to be chummy-chummy, but maybe it was the beginning of something.
Just like he hoped this was the beginning of something.
“You could have called,” Ivy said.
He could have. He heard the hurt in her voice and thought maybe he should have. But the days had been packed and he’d only returned to the area this morning. “What I need to say has to be said in person.”
“All right.”
Dane held out the flowers. “You love tulips.”
It took her a moment, but she reached for them. “I do. Thank you.”
Dane swore beneath his breath. He couldn’t do this polite back-and-forth bullshit, working his way up to the point while watching her face for signs of anger or sadness or hopelessness. Not when his heart felt like it might burst out of his chest because it hammered so hard for her. “Ivy, for God’s sake, I missed you.”
He thought her eyes grew a little misty. “It’s only been a few days.”
He shook his head. “No. I
missed
you. For four and a half years. Dumbest thing I ever did was give up on us.”
People stood and stared over their cubicles now. But he didn’t care. He had things to say, and he didn’t care who heard them. The floodgates banged open on their hinges.
“I, uh… I missed you too.”
He blinked. “You did?”
“Yes, I did. Why else would I fall into bed with you after not seeing you for so long?”
“Oh my,” someone said.
“You go, girl,” someone else said.
“Hell yeah,” another voice offered.
“I’d fall into bed with that,” a male voice replied, and Dane looked up to find Ace hobbling down another aisle with a cane. He looked a bit strained, a bit pale. But he was alive, and that was a good thing. He’d saved Ivy’s life, whether he believed it or not. Without Max, Ruiz would have gotten to Ivy another way—and maybe they wouldn’t have found her in time.
“Thanks, dude. I appreciate that,” Dane said, reaching out to shake Ace’s hand. The other man grinned as if he hadn’t expected such a response—but then he shook Dane’s hand with a strong grip, even if it wasn’t quite as strong as it had once been.
“Eh, just trying to help.”
“You are
not
helping, Ace,” Ivy said. “Now sit down and shut up.”
“Honey, I was making sure you didn’t continue the conversation without me. I
got
to hear this.”
Ivy helped him into his chair even though he fussed at her not to do it. When he was settled, she patted him on the shoulder and then wheeled him a little closer to Dane.
Dane wanted to laugh. Instead, he watched Ivy and thought how much he loved this damn woman. She cared about people, and she was brave and loyal. She wasn’t perfect, but then neither was he. They had plenty to work out, but this time he was determined to try. Because he needed her. He knew that now. Pride had gotten in the way before. Pride and fear—and he wasn’t letting them win this time.
“I want to try again, Ivy. We can take it slow if you want. I’ll ask you out. We can date, take our time. Maybe we’ll spend the night together in a couple of months or so. See how that goes.”
She was staring at him like he’d spoken Klingon or something. Then she laughed. “I’m sorry… take our time? Since when has that ever worked for us? And if you think I’m waiting two months to go to bed with you again, you are
so
wrong. What kind of man shows up looking like”—she waved a hand up and down his body—“
that
and says we’re going to take it slow?”
His heart thudded hard. A hot wave of possession curled inside his gut, urging him to claim her. He held out his hand. He didn’t say a word. She stared at it for a long moment.
“If you don’t leap into that man’s arms, I’m doing it for you,” Ace grumbled.
Ivy laughed—and then she reached out and took Dane’s hand. He didn’t know what she thought he might do, but he wasn’t one for half measures. He tugged her to him and then swept her up and into his arms. She gasped when her feet left the ground. And then she buried her head against his neck and laughed softly.
“What is this, Dane? What has gotten into you?”
“Romance, honey. This is romance.”
She tilted her head and caressed his cheek while her officemates cheered. “This is crazy,” she whispered.
“I know, baby,” he whispered back. “But that’s how I feel. Crazy for you. I love you, Ivy. I’ve always loved you.”
She sniffled. “I love you too, Dane. I never stopped.”
“Hallelujah,” he said. He stared at her fiercely. “It’s going to work this time, babe. We aren’t giving up. This is too precious not to fight for.”
“I know that,” she said softly. And then she pressed her lips to his, and everything felt right.
EPILOGUE
Ivy rolled over in bed and found Dane propped on an elbow, watching her.
“What?” she asked, yawning. She was tired but happy. What a night.
“Nothing.” He slid a finger down her arm and smiled. “I like looking at you.”
“More than looking, if last night was any indication.”
He laughed. “Oh yeah, more than looking.”
She slid her arms around his neck and arched into him. “That was a cheap shot, wearing your whites. No woman can say no to a man in Navy whites.”
“That’s what I was counting on.” He grinned and waggled his eyebrows.
She pressed her body to his, naked skin to naked skin. Oh, that felt so nice. He hadn’t put her down yesterday. He’d told Ace she was taking the rest of the day off, then he’d carried her outside and put her in his car. He’d driven her to the house he’d rented in suburban Maryland, and then he’d carried her up the steps and straight to the bedroom. There, he’d performed the sexiest striptease any woman had ever been treated to before worshipping her body with his hands and mouth and bringing her to orgasm again and again.
To say Ivy was sated was an understatement. But she wasn’t oblivious. She carefully traced her fingers over the bruising on his face.
“How did you get this black eye?”
Dane looked up from where he'd been pressing his lips to her throat. “Some asshole fired at Matt and me in the sub. We hit the deck—and I hit steel.”
Ivy swallowed. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say anything about someone firing at you.”
He squeezed her. “Yeah, well you scared the shit out of me when you attacked Ruiz, so maybe we’re even.”
Ivy dropped her gaze and studied his chest. She hadn’t told him everything yet. The words were still hard to say. “My mother was a Ruiz,” she said softly, her throat hurting. “Miguel is my uncle. He tried to rape me, Dane.”
Dane crushed her to him. “Oh honey. Shit.”
She sniffed. “It’s okay. Nothing happened because you and your guys showed up… but he killed my mother.”
He tilted her head back and searched her gaze. “I thought she died of a drug overdose.”
“She did, but she was smuggling drugs in her stomach. One of the packets broke. I never told you that part because I was ashamed. I felt like it was my fault.”
He brushed her hair from her face. “How could it be your fault, Ivy? You were a kid.”
This was the part that hurt. “She wanted a better life for us. She went back to her family in hopes of getting that life.”
Dane looked angry. “Yeah, and her fucking brother forced her to do something dangerous. That’s not your fault.”
“I know.” She tongued his pec and he shuddered beneath her lips. “I felt guilty for a long time, but I’m working on it.”
“You can’t be blamed for any of it, Ivy. Your father leaving, your mother smuggling drugs—none of it is your fault, do you understand? If they had been thinking of you at all, they wouldn’t have fucking done
any
of it.”
Warmth and belonging flowed through her like hot honey. “You’re so good to me. Good
for
me. I love you, Dane.”
His hands skimmed down her sides, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake.
“I won’t leave you, Ivy. You mean too much to me. I’d take a bullet for you.”
She shuddered. “I hope it never comes to that. Something happened to me in Florida… I realized how empty my life has been without you in it. As much as you terrify me, as much as you confuse me—nothing is better than when we’re together.”
He kissed her long and hard, until she was hot and melting in his arms. And then he rolled her beneath him and entered her in one long thrust. Ivy moaned with pleasure. They began to move together, bodies and breaths mingling, heartbeats in tune, until she couldn’t hold back the tide any longer. She came in a rush, crying his name as her body splintered into a million tiny pieces.
Life was complete with this man. Unpredictable and a touch frightening, but complete.
“We’re going to make it this time,” he said after they’d recovered.
She traced a finger over the glistening muscles of his chest. “We’re still in very demanding jobs. Are you certain you’re okay with that?”
The smile he gave her made her heart ache. “I am. But I’ll leave the Navy for you, Ivy, if you want me to. I have to finish out my commitment, but I’ll leave when it’s over.”
She put a hand over his mouth. Did she want that? Sure, part of her did. But loving Dane was trusting Dane. Letting him go and knowing he’d return. Letting him be who he was and supporting him.
“No, you won’t. You’re a SEAL.”
“I don’t have to be—”
“Yes, you do. And I understand that.”
“God, I love you. So fucking much.”
She laughed. “I know. I really do know it, Dane. I’m not scared anymore.”
“There’s nothing to be scared of. I’ve got your back. Always.”
“And I’ve got yours.” She pushed her fingers through his hair. He’d cut it since she’d last seen him, but she thought even if he was bald he’d be sexy. “But there’s only one requirement.”
His brows drew together. “What’s that?”
“You have to wear those Navy whites at least once a month.”
“Honey, if you strip me out of them, I’ll wear them every day.”
Ivy laughed. “Deal.”
~
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Hot SEAL
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