Surrender: A Little Harmless Military Romance (10 page)

"Amanda, baby, are you okay?"

She nodded and reached for him. He might be the one in charge, but she wanted a kiss. She wanted to feel this connection with him. He did as she bid, apparently sensing her need. He kissed her, but it wasn't the ravenous kiss from before. Instead it was slow, sweet, and it had her heart flip-flopping with the way it warmed her from the inside out.

He pulled back and lifted her legs to his waist, settling on his knees. Then he started to move. It was slow, like the kiss, and just as earth shattering. He locked his gaze with her as he moved in and out of her sex, her body quivering close to the edge.

She wanted to look away, but she knew even without any order that this was the connection he needed, just as she had needed hers earlier. Soon, though, his fingers were digging into her flesh as he started to increase the tempo of his thrusts.

"Now, Amanda, come with me."

She was close, but not close enough. He doubled his efforts, the headboard slamming against the wall behind her.

"Come now. I want to feel it. Do it."

The last of the order apparently got her body to respond. In that next instant, her orgasm hit, her body jolting from the release. She bowed up and screamed his name as wave after wave of sensation moved over her body. Just as she was coming down, he started pushing again, and unbelievably, she felt another orgasm approaching.

"With me this time, baby. Come now,
chéri
. Come with me."

She couldn't deny him anything. The tidal wave of pleasure shifted over her, flowing over her, more powerful than the first.

"Yes, that's it," he groaned, then he slammed into her one more time before he shuddered.

Moments later, he released her legs, then collapsed on top of her. She smiled and wrapped her arms and legs around him.

"I am too old for this."

She laughed. "I think you kept up pretty good for an old man."

He chuckled and pulled himself up to look down at her. His smile dissolved, and he kept staring at her. When he said nothing, she let her arms fall to the side.

"What?"

"Nothing, just...I imagined this so many different ways, I just never thought it would happen."

The straightforward way he said it made her believe he was telling her the truth.

"You imagined this?"

He nodded.

"For how long?"

"At least six months now."

She frowned. "What took you so long?"

For a second he said nothing, then his lips curved. "I can't remember now."

He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. This one meant more to her, and she thought maybe it did to him, too. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Naw."

He nodded. “Be right back."

She waited while he went into the bathroom. Once he was out of site, she did a little jig. She had Malachai Dupree in her bed. And apparently he’d been wanting it as much as she had. Which meant she would get him more than once.

Thankfully she was done before he returned. He slipped into her bed then pulled her close.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" he asked.

She looked up at him with a frown. "Like what?"

"Like the ramifications of this?"

She shook her head. “No, I just want to live in the moment. I want to enjoy the fact I bagged myself the sexiest Dom in CP tonight and that he's sleeping in my bed." He opened his mouth but she pressed her fingers to his lips. "No. Let's just enjoy tonight. We'll deal with all the other stuff later."

She could tell he wavered, then he nodded. She leaned up and kissed him.

As she snuggled against him, she enjoyed the warmth of his body and the fact that for the first time in a long time, she was thankful there was someone there, someone who apparently accepted her the way she was.

It was her last thought before she drifted off to sleep.

Mal woke the next morning. It was early, of course. Since he’d been at Annapolis, he had been an early riser. He’d had no choice. Now, though, it gave him a chance to watch her sleep. He couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her. Hell, he couldn’t believe he had spent the night in her bed or that he was still there. The sun was peeking through the blinds, and he realized they had left her curtains open. Thank goodness the blinds were closed.

She was lying on her stomach facing him. She was always so animated, so seeing her like this was different. When she’d been sick, he had watched over her. Now, though, Mal knew her sleep was peaceful. The morning light added an extra glow to her skin. He knew her mother had a little Native American in her which gave her the most amazing tone, but in the morning light, it was stunning. He was afraid to touch her, but not because he might wake her. There was a part of him that worried if he touched her, she would dissolve and he would find out this was all a dream.

He took a chance and skimmed his fingers down her spine, moving the sheet down, exposing more flesh.

She sighed, and he looked up. Her eyes were still closed but her lips curved. And just like that his heart exploded.

“Good morning,
chéri
” he said. Even to his own ears his voice sounded rough.

“Morning.” Her voice was filled with drowsy happiness.

“Didn’t mean to wake you.”

Amanda opened her eyes, barely. He could just make out the green in them.

“Yeah? Then why have you been staring at me forever?”

He chuckled. “You play a good possum.”

“I had to have something to guard against my brothers. They were constantly devising ways to make my life hell.”

“Hmm,” he said, leaning down to kiss her shoulder.

“I guess y’all weren’t too nice to Jocelyn and Shannon, were you?”

“I plead the fifth.”

She turned over, allowing the sheet to slip even further down. God, she was exquisite. Her breasts weren’t huge, but they were just the size of his palms. The golden undertone to her flesh along with her hardened nipples was making his mouth dry. He wanted to touch, to taste.

“I can just imagine you guys being mean to them.”

“Aww, no, you got it wrong, darlin’. Those two banshees are demon spawns.”

Her smile widened. “Really?”

“Swear to God.”

“You better be careful lying.”

He frowned and crossed his heart. “Cross my heart.”

She rolled her eyes. “So, if I call Shannon and ask her if she knows you call her a banshee, she’s going to agree?”

“Don’t use the word banshee. She does know some voodoo.”

Amanda laughed, and he couldn’t stop himself from leaning in to taste her. It started simple, just a brush of his lips over hers, but soon he couldn’t resist dipping his tongue into the warmth of her mouth.

He was already hard, but he grew harder. He wanted her with a need that almost scared him. And amazingly, while the Dom in him wanted to bust loose, to grab the control completely from her and make her submit, Mal wanted something else, something…just for them.

He kissed his way down her neck, then glided his mouth over her full breast. She arched up against him, a moan escaping from her. He continued his path down to her pussy. She opened easily for him. The flavor of her arousal exploded across his taste buds.

He pulled her clit into his mouth, sucking it slowly. She arched up, urging him to take more, to give her release. He wasn’t ready for that.

Instead, he moved away and without saying anything, he turned her over on her stomach. She giggled before she hit the mattress. He loved that sound. He hadn’t heard something like that from her in over a year.

She looked back over her shoulder at him, a slow smile curving her full lips. Just like the night before, he felt his heart roll over in his chest. Never before had a woman been able to undo him with only a smile.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, but he heard the thread of amusement in her voice.

“I think I promised you a spanking.”

She lowered her eyes, but not before he saw the excitement. He raised his hand and smacked her once, enjoying the sound of his skin against hers. He knew what it did to women who were spanked, knew the way the sting of the slap would filter over her body. He raised his hand over and over, leaving her full, heart-shaped ass pink. She was squirming against the bed.

Her arousal spurred his. Hell, the fact that she was in bed with him left him aroused. Now he was losing the last of his control.

He reached for a condom, ripped it open, and had it on in record time. Mal reached for her then. He flipped her back over and pulled her on top of him. The gasp that filled the room was one of the most erotic sounds he had ever heard.

“Take me in.”

He wanted to watch her, to see her pleasure with the sunshine filling the room.

She did, slowly slipping down onto his cock. She leaned her head back as she started to ride him. Slowly at first, then she increased her rhythm. He was near his orgasm, but he didn’t want to be there alone.

“Amanda, baby, look at me.”

She did, without question. One night and just the tip of the iceberg of their D/s relationship, but her immediate response told him they were already in sync.

Her hair fell forward as she looked down at him. Mal gathered what control he had and slid his hand down to her sex.

“Come with me,” he said as he pressed against her clit. He watched in awe as the orgasm swept over her. Her inner muscles clamped down hard on his cock. The pressure pulled his own release from him. He shouted her name as he thrust up into her one last time.

Moments later, she collapsed on top of him. He groaned.

She lifted herself up and looked down at him. “I’m sorry.”

She was grinning at him, so he knew she really wasn’t. “You don’t look very sorry.”

“Well, I’m not. I think this is the best morning I’ve had in a long while.”

He smiled, but while he was looking at her, he felt his smile fade. He didn’t regret last night. It was hard to regret something like that. But he did worry about her, and if she was attracted to him or the fact he was a Dom.

“Stop it,” she ordered.

“What?”

“I can see your mind churning up all kinds of excuses that maybe we shouldn’t be together.”

“No, not that.” He picked up her hair and started playing with it. It was soft and silky. He loved the way it felt against his skin. “It’s just that I wonder if you’re ready for this.”

“I wasn’t a virgin.”

She said it so sincerely, he laughed. “I know. You had never submitted, and we didn’t talk much about it beforehand.”

“I’ve researched it.”

“There’s more to it than just reading books and articles.”

She nodded. “And that’s what you can teach me.”

He opened his mouth but she stopped him.

“Let it go, Malachai. Everything will be okay.”

She kissed him then slipped out of bed. She picked up a tiny pink robe. “What would you like for breakfast? French toast?”

“You’re going to cook for me again?”

“Yep. And you can handle our next meal. How does that sound?”

He nodded, and she leaned down to give him a quick kiss.

“Stop thinking, Dupree. If there is one thing I have learned over the last two years, it is to live in the moment. No regrets.”

With that she went into the bathroom, closing the door. He lay there thinking of her words. She had been a woman who had led a charmed life, the daughter of a general. But she had heartache early in life losing Kyle the way she did. It had broken her in some way, and there was a point he knew her family had been seriously worried about her mental state. Amanda was strong, though, and she pushed through the pain and moved ahead with her life plans. Her friendship with Addison had helped, both of them dealing with grief in different ways, he thought with a smile. Well, they approached it differently but came up with Double A Floral Design. Amanda rearranged her life to work toward the goal, and Addison, well, she let her creative side go crazy. He always wondered what color her hair would be.

So, live in the moment? He could do it for a while, but not long. He didn’t know what it meant to her, but he was playing for keeps. He knew she might not be ready right now, but he would move her into the direction he wanted.

She came out of the bathroom with a smile. “Get your ass out of bed, Seal. I need some help cutting up the strawberries.”

She practically danced out of the room. Slowly, he let his lips curve as the warmth of his happiness filled him. She wanted to learn how to be a sub…although she was pretty good the night before. He was okay with that, moving slowly. Being the man who would give her the first taste of submission was enough for him right now. He would live in the moment, that’s for damned sure.

Because at the end of the day, all that mattered was that she was with him. For now.