Outrageously Yours (14 page)

Claire’s mouth gaped open.

“And don’t ask me if I’m sure of what I’m doing and don’t tell
me that it’s too soon.” His voice faded away as he thought about what he had
said. His sister accused him of being reckless and impulsive as usual. His
friends urged him to slow down. Their brand of help had been irritating.
Insulting. He was a grown man and he knew what he wanted out of life.

“Don’t you hate it when people think they know you better than
you know yourself?” Claire asked quietly.

“I do,” he forced the words out. And he had been just as
arrogant with Claire. “And I was doing it to you. Which is why I need to back
off.”

She frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“I trust your judgment, Claire. I always have. What you told me
about your diagnosis hasn’t changed how I look at you. I’ve always been
protective of you and lately I’ve been too possessive. You may not believe me,
and this is the only way I can think of to prove it. Starting right now I will
back down. If you want to start seeing each other again, you know where to find
me.”

He slowly rose from his seat, his heart pounding fiercely as
every instinct told him to retract his words. This was a big risk and he wasn’t
sure it was going to work in his favor.

But Claire believed he didn’t see her as an equal. He needed to
show her that he respected her decision even if it wasn’t the one he wanted her
to choose.

“You’re just giving up?” she asked. “You’re walking away?”

Anger flared inside him. Jason leaned over the table, clutching
the sides with his hands. “I am pulling back. Yielding. And it’s not easy. I
want to throw you over my shoulder, take you to bed and convince you that we are
meant to be together. I’m not even sure I have the willpower to turn around and
walk away.”

Leaving had once been the easier option for him, Jason thought
as he forced himself to turn around. Either he hadn’t cared about the outcome or
he had decided he wanted something else in life. This time he was surrendering
all of his control to the one woman who had the power to break his heart.

Jason marched out of the coffee shop and tilted his head back
as a fine mist of rain coated his face. He was tempted to go back into the shop
and argue his case one more time. Sit with Claire and let her do all the
talking. But he’d made a promise and he was going to do his best to keep it.

He trudged back to his car as he considered her words. Had he
been too protective of Claire because of her limitations? He churned the
question in his mind as he walked through the parking lot. No, he’d always been
protective of her, even before he knew about her disabilities. He had taken the
role of Claire’s champion early on. She hadn’t asked for it. She’d never wanted
it.

“Jason?”

He went still at the sound of Claire’s voice behind him. Jason
cautiously spun around and found her standing next to him. Her hair was getting
wet and she squinted as the rain hit her face. The messenger bag dangled from
her shoulder, and she took deep breaths as if she had sprinted from the coffee
shop.

“I know you don’t need my protection,” he said in a rush.
Claire looked startled and he tried to explain. “Kim always complains about how
overprotective I am. I guess it’s because I was the big brother and I had to
show her the way. Once you and my sister became friends, that protection covered
you, as well. I don’t know how to stop trying to look out for you. It’s how I
take care of the people I love.”

“I don’t want you to stop, Jason,” Claire said as her
expression softened. “But I also don’t want you to make the decisions for
me.”

“I’ll try,” he answered stiffly.

She shifted from one foot to the other. “And I’ve made my
decision about us.”

“Already?” This couldn’t be good for him. She hadn’t taken the
time to make a list of pros or cons. Jason braced himself for the impact.

“I don’t want a fling.”

He flinched from her quiet declaration. Two weeks ago she
wanted to extend the fling. Was he already out of her system?

Claire took a deep breath. “I want a relationship that doesn’t
have a predetermined expiration date,” she said. “I’ve always wanted one.”

He spread his arms out. “Then why didn’t you say so?”

Her cheeks turned pink and she glanced away. “Because I thought
I couldn’t keep your interest for more than a week. I knew I was a novelty. It
was a big risk to ask for another week and you didn’t give me an answer. Then
when I heard you with Max...”

“What I did was stupid.” Jason tilted his head back and
groaned. “And I just kept making it worse. I didn’t give you an answer about the
fling because I wanted to see if you really wanted the job with Max. I needed to
know if I had a chance with you.”

“You’ve always had a chance with me, Jason.” Claire stepped
forward and cupped his face with her hands. “If you’d just wanted a one-night
stand, I would have taken it. But I’m greedy. I want more. What do you
want?”

“Everything,” Jason said as he bent down to claim her mouth
with his. “I want it all.”

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from A SEAL’S PLEASURE by Tawny Weber.

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1

C
HIEF
P
ETTY
O
FFICER
Gabriel Thorne had yet to find a challenge he couldn’t meet, beat or defeat.

And today’s game was no different.

Ignoring the noise, the intense stares and the heavy expectations, he assessed the field, making note of all of his options even as his mind calculated risks and probabilities. There were three easy shots, ones that would assure him an advance. But Gabriel had no need for easy.

A quick glance at the clock assured him that he did have a need for speed, though.

He leaned over the pool table, slid the cue between his fingers and, in a practiced move, placed a machine-gun shot right in the center of the waiting balls, sending them all flying home to clear the table.

“And that’s how it’s done,” he told his scowling opponent.

Gabriel easily read the fury in the guy’s face, but kept his grin in check while the other man yanked his wallet from his slacks pocket.

“Another round,” insisted Jase Jeglinski—otherwise known as Jackrabbit to the SEAL team.

“Another time.” Gabriel tilted his chin toward the billiard-ball-shaped clock on the wall, ignoring the mutinous set of Jackrabbit’s jaw and the guy’s clenched fists.

Even if he’d let one fly, Gabriel would have reacted with the same easy disregard. Because there was nothing Jackrabbit could dish out that Gabriel couldn’t take.

The easy confidence he’d been born with had been carefully honed to a razor-sharp edge in his years in the military.

“Dude, do you ever lose?” another of the men surrounding them asked in awe.

“Romeo? Never.” Scavenger laughed as he collected his own winnings from the other three men. “I warned you not to bet against him.”

Gabriel shook his head. Leave it to Scavenger—aka Petty Officer Shane O’Brian to anyone not on the SEAL team—to make sure the odds were as even and fair as possible. Sooner or later, he’d learn that it didn’t matter what he did—life just wasn’t gonna turn out fair. But Gabriel figured it was his job to watch his buddy’s back, not to offer up that particular lesson.

“You keep him around to carry your ego?” Jackrabbit asked with a laugh that held no amusement as Scavenger expanded his praise to include Gabriel’s legendary success with the ladies.

“Nah. I keep him around because he can turn a tin can, a pile of sand and a couple of rocks into a tactical communications device that will get our ass out from behind enemy lines,” Gabriel retorted, only half joking since he was sure the communications specialist could do just that.

He ignored Jackrabbit’s skeptical snort because he understood it. A SEAL team wasn’t a team simply because the group of men had been assigned together. They had to work together and prove themselves to establish real trust.

Gabriel, or Romeo as he was more often referred to, Scavenger and their pal Irish, aka Mitch Donovan, had been reassigned from Virginia to the West Coast less than seven months ago and had been otherwise deployed for most of that time. So while they were a part of the team on paper, until they’d deployed on a mission with the rest of the men, he knew they were still proving themselves.

“So that’s the shooting range, the pool table and what was the other one?” Tall and dark haired with a muscular build that leaned toward lanky, Lt. Taylor Powell gave Jackrabbit an amused look. “Beer guzzling, wasn’t it?”

“He can’t win them all.”

“Sure he can,” Scavenger disagreed with a friendly smile. “I’ve never seen him lose a bet.”

“All that means is he only takes sure bets,” Jackrabbit said with a growl, obviously still pissed.

Gabriel didn’t blame him. Losing sucked. Or so he’d heard.

“Ops, bets, women,” Scavenger said in a musing sort of tone. “We’ve served together for six years now and I’m pretty sure he’s won them all.”

To prove his point, he continued regaling the others with a few of Gabriel’s exploits.

Gabriel ignored the stories and the ensuing laughter as he racked up the balls for whoever wanted to play the next round. He didn’t need to defend himself. His record stood solid on its own. Jackrabbit would see that soon enough, since they were heading into training together next week.

He’d learn that Gabriel was used to winning.

Define your path, stand your ground. That was what his grandfather had taught him. That and to never let anyone else’s actions define his own. Simple rules that’d defined his life. Because of them, he’d survived leaving the reservation and living on the streets after his grandfather died. He’d got out of the slums, he’d joined the Navy, he’d become a SEAL. Because of those rules, he’d never met a challenge he couldn’t meet, beat or defeat.

It was what he did.

It was who he was.

Maybe it hadn’t always been that way, but it was now.

And now was all that mattered.

Gabriel glanced at the clock again, noting how fast time was flying by.

“C’mon, boys. We’ve got a party to get to.”

Not that Irish would be docking points for them being late to his little shindig. But Gabriel figured their commander’s bride-to-be might be a little put out if half of her fiancé’s team was late to their engagement celebration. And Gabriel made a point to never disappoint a lady.

As one, the eight men strode out of Olive Oyl’s bar with a wave here and a shout-out there to familiar faces. Outside, the cool air washed over them in welcome as they straddled their motorcycles. Not nearly as comfortable as they’d be in jeans or even in uniform, some of the men tucked their ties into their shirts, a couple of them stowing their suit jackets into their saddlebags.

Gabriel, who hadn’t bothered to put either on yet, simply unhooked his helmet. Before he could pull it on, the deceptively lanky guy on the Indian Chief next to him tilted his head.

“Watch your back,” murmured Mr. Wizard, as the team called Taylor. “Jackrabbit’s got a hard-on to take you down.”

“Ain’t gonna happen.”

“He’s just superstitious,” Scavenger remarked from the other side, his words pitched low enough that nobody beyond the three of them could hear over the roaring engines. “He figures your luck has to run out eventually and he doesn’t want to be on a mission with you when it does.”

Scavenger really believed that? Damn, the guy was gullible. In the act of unlocking his helmet, Gabriel exchanged looks with Taylor, who was rolling his eyes.

“Jackrabbit can keep his hard-ons and his superstitions to himself,” Gabriel stated, pulling his helmet on to put an end to the conversation.

But as he kicked the Harley to life and put it into gear, Jackrabbit angled his bike into the lead, deliberately cutting off Gabriel. Forced to admit that Mr. Wizard had a point, Gabriel bided his time. As soon as they hit the freeway onramp, he throttled hard, letting the bike fly around traffic. He kept it just under one hundred miles per hour, not needing to look at the speedometer to confirm since he knew the bike as well as he knew his own body. All it took was a glance in the rearview mirror to assure him that the team had accepted his challenge.

And the race was on.

Grinning into the wind as it beat against his face, Gabriel took the scenic route—off the freeway, along the beach, through every twist and turn he could find. Might as well make it interesting.

By the time they’d caught up in the parking lot of the fancy renovated manor house, he’d wrapped himself in a tie, pulled on his suit jacket and was adjusting his cuffs.

Gabriel waited until everyone had dismounted and they were all ready to head in to the party before clapping Jackrabbit on the shoulder.

“Why don’t you just accept it, bro? I always win.”

* * *

T
ESSA
M
ONROE
EASILY
ignored the appreciative looks and heated stares as she crossed the elegant ballroom surrounded by the glitter of crystal, the sweetness of white roses and the tinkling melody of good cheer.

Her long brunette curls swayed over milky white skin, the rich purple of her silky dress perfectly fitting the posh ambiance of the ballroom.

The setting suited her.

Of course, she looked just as good in the gym wearing skimpy, yet breathable cotton. Or on the beach in a tiny bikini. On the slopes wearing layers, behind her laptop while she interviewed relationship experts for her latest column or on a date with the latest in her string of male conquests.

Simply put, she was a woman used to being admired.

So used to it that she barely noticed. Instead, she admired the huge manor. Lit up like a beacon, the chandeliers glinted as music played softly in the background. The ballroom was so filled with people that Tessa welcomed the cool March night air wafting through the open doors. She could see the torch-lit paths leading from the gardens to the beach beyond, but didn’t think anyone had ventured out yet.

It was a lovely party that suited Olivia Kane perfectly. And Tessa wanted her best friend to be safe and happy. But Livi was making a huge mistake. Tessa knew it; she was terrified of it. Yet she couldn’t do a damned thing about it. Not without putting her friend’s happiness—and more important, her health—at risk.

So Tessa did something so unusual, so out of character, that she had to focus on it with all her being. She ignored her instincts, put aside her personal prejudices and, God forbid it became a habit, for the first time in her life she tried faking it.

With her brightest smile plastered on her face, she pretended she was perfectly thrilled as she made her way to her dearest, oldest friend’s side to celebrate what could be a huge, painful mistake.

Marriage.

Tessa shuddered.

She had to say something. At least get Livi to consider what she was jumping into. Not just marriage. But marriage to a military man. A SEAL.

Her mind simply boggled.

“Livi...” Her voice trailed off as the rest of the words disappeared somewhere in her throat before they reached her tongue.

“Yes?”

Her blond hair twisted into a cascading crown of curls down the shoulder of her lipstick-red dress and her huge brown eyes dancing with happiness, Livi looked better than Tessa had ever seen her. Tucking her arm into Tessa’s, Livi offered a bright smile, hers as genuine as the sweetness shining from her face.

How the two of them were such good friends was baffling, since the only thing sweet about Tessa was her taste in desserts.

“About all of this,” Tessa said, waving her hand to indicate the party. But once more her words trailed off as she looked into Livi’s face.

She glowed, as if she were lit from within with happiness. Joy shone in Livi’s eyes, pleasure curved her lips and her entire being simply radiated delight.

Crap. Tessa sighed. She couldn’t do it.

“Can I get you more cider?” she offered instead, gesturing to Livi’s almost empty glass with her own champagne flute.

“Oh, no. I’m fine. Isn’t it lovely here?” Practically bouncing in her Louboutin shoes, Livi gazed around the beachside manor. “I’d so love to have the wedding here, but there aren’t spots available until November.”

Before Tessa could suggest she hold out, since November was only eight months away—didn’t it take years to plan these sorts of things anyway?—Livi continued.

“But obviously we can’t wait that long,” she said with a soft laugh. Rubbing her hand over her silk-covered, flat belly, she added, “Mitch’s mother would really like it better if we were married before the baby arrives.”

And that settled it.

Tessa offered a passing waiter a smile big enough to make him trip in his rush to bring her another glass of champagne. As soon as she’d exchanged flutes, she knocked back half of the bubbly to hide her grimace.

“Now, that’s a sight made to make women swoon,” Livi murmured with an appreciative sigh. “You know, we work with good-looking, incredibly built men all the time, but these guys give new meaning to the word
fit
.”

Ready to be distracted, Tessa put her worries aside. Because if there were one thing she made a point of appreciating on a regular basis, it was men. So much so that she’d managed to turn her enjoyment of the male species into a career writing about the games between the sexes.

Sometimes when she was alone late at night she wondered how long she could finesse her talent for flirting into a viable profession. When the clock ran out on that option, what would she do? Emulate her mother, who’d flirted her way through six—and counting—marriages so far?

Tessa shuddered at the thought.

More than ready to be distracted and play, Tessa followed her friend’s gaze in search of a worthy opponent.

And damn near spun on her five-inch Giuseppe Zanotti heels and ran the other way.

Her heart skipped, bouncing in her chest a few times before plunging into her stomach. It had plenty of company there, as it tangled up with a wild jangle of anticipation, nerves and lust. She tried to swallow but her throat was too dry. Her tongue, usually quite nimble, was glued to the roof of her mouth.

She shifted her gaze to the gardens beyond the French doors, pretending she found the sight peaceful. Fingers clenching and unclenching around the stem of her glass, she took a couple of deep breaths and focused on pulling the soothing air down to her belly until she found some semblance of calm.

Then she looked back at the group of men who’d just walked into the mansion.

Her heart raced again. Emotions spun through her, too fast to identify. It didn’t matter. She didn’t care what they were. Only that they spun right back out.

“Why is he...they here?” she asked, hoping Livi hadn’t caught her slip of the tongue.

“The team? You don’t think Mitch would celebrate our engagement without his SEALs, do you?” Livi asked with a laugh. Then, before Tessa realized what her friend was going to do so she could have grabbed her arm to stop her, Livi gave a big ol’ exuberant wave.

As one, the men looked their way.

But Tessa only saw one man.

Taller than the rest, his shoulders broad and tempting beneath a lightweight sport coat the same vivid black as his eyes, he wore a simple dress shirt under his jacket, yet managed to look perfectly elegant.