Tempted by a SEAL Read online

  Her pulse thundered in her ears as her chest rose and fell with the speed of her breathing.

  Concentrating on his task, Mack’s eyes remained focused on his hands as he slowly lowered the zipper of her fly.

  The pants were tight. He was going to have to wrestle them off her, over her wide hips, down the thighs she hated to see reflected in the mirror.

  Her legs looked even worse when she was white and pasty, in her opinion. It had been too long since she’d been in shorts, getting tanned out in the sun on summer break.

  Not too mention the imprint of the seams that would no doubt be pressed into her flesh from the tight denim.

  She panicked and reached down, hoping he would get off her legs so she could escape into the bathroom and undress herself in private. “I can do it.”

  Best case scenario, she could flip off the light so when she came back out to the pitch black bedroom he wouldn’t see her.

  Sometimes the dark could be scary. But when naked, it was a comfort. Like a blanket wrapped around her she could hide in.

  But short of privacy and darkness, she’d at least like to peel off the too tight pants herself and avoid the embarrassment of him having to do it.

  “I got it.” He ignored her hands pushing at his, gripped the waistband of the jeans and yanked.

  The pants yielded to the strength of his capable hands, turning inside out, but coming off her with no struggle on his part at all.

  Then he was back, reaching for her underwear next. She realized she was shaking as he slipped those down her legs and tossed them to the floor as well.

  Reaching for the hem of her shirt, Lydia yanked it over her head. She wanted to pretend she had at least some control of the situation.

  She left her bra on. At least it was black lace instead of grandmotherly beige or white. It was pretty for a double-D cup even if it did have a wide back band with four hooks for support.

  He watched her movements through narrowed eyes. He waited for her to toss the shirt aside before he lowered his body over hers.

  She felt his length nudge her entrance as he positioned himself between her thighs.

  Right to business. No procrastinating for him. She had a feeling he dove into all things in his life like he was about to dive into her—without hesitation.

  Lydia’s mind reeled with chatter as she tried to keep herself calm. She’d already seen that he was big, not that she had much to go by in comparison.

  She braced for the first thrust but it didn’t come. At least not as she’d anticipated. He was right there, pressing against her firm and steady, but that was where he remained as he reached down to the juncture of her thighs and spread her with his fingertips.

  He connected with a spot that had her gasping, dragging in an open-mouthed breath as her eyes slammed closed.

  His hands were as talented as they were large. Mack worked her with a firm but gentle touch.

  It soon had her panting and tipping up her hips in search of more.

  Lydia’s first time all those months ago hadn’t felt like this. Or the second that night, for that matter.

  By the time she realized he’d slid his hard length inside her, she was bucking against him, crying out with each exhale.

  He was fully seated inside her when her body tightened, clenching and releasing around his.

  Only then did he start to move. He thrust inside her and at that moment she wanted nothing more. She welcomed each plunge of his body into hers gratefully. Eagerly.

  He moved hard and fast, rocking them both as well as the bed. Each stroke sent the heavy wooden headboard crashing against the wall.

  Finally Mack reached up, gripped and held the top of the headboard with one hand to stop the noise.

  The neighbors might have been spared from the banging but they surely heard her cries of pleasure. His too.

  To start, she’d barely heard his rapid breathing as he labored above her, but that soon changed. As his strokes quickened, deepened, so did the vocalization of his pleasure.

  It built to a crescendo that culminated with a shout as he bottomed out inside her and held deep. She felt him throb inside her as his body shook above.

  They were connected, like they were one person. And holy shit, she wasn’t sure she could even call those other two times sex after having experienced this with him.

  She was still trying to catch her breath and wrap her head around the experience when he slid out of her and rolled to his side.

  He was up and out of the bed before she could protest. She missed the connection immediately. Missing the heat of his body on top of hers, she realized the room was cold, made worse by the fact her skin was damp with sweat.

  Mack returned a few seconds later, washcloth in hand.

  “Here.” He handed the cloth to her.

  She took it, wondering if he’d meant for her to wipe the sweat off her skin with the warm, damp washcloth. Then she felt the wetness seeping between her thighs.

  It was a new and horrifying realization. They’d used a condom during her first two times. There’d been no mess for her to deal with. Not like this. And all over his bed, no less.

  Embarrassed to clean up in front of him, and more embarrassed not to, she swiped the cloth between her legs quickly and then sat up. “I uh think I’ll go to the bathroom.”

  He nodded as she took off for the doorway he’d disappeared through before. She tried not to think of the fact he now had a full view of her naked ass as she ran out of the room, holding the washcloth between her legs the whole way.

  The aftermath of sex was humiliating. But oh my God it had been good during it.

  In the bathroom, with the light on and the door shut so she could clean up in private, she got a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror.

  Her eyes were bright. Her cheeks were flushed. Her hair was wild. She stared at the image of a woman she barely recognized.

  She’d never looked this good. Like ever. Not even after she’d paid to have her makeup and hair professionally done for her yearbook photo.

  If this was what sex did to a person’s appearance, she should do it more often. Much, much more often.

  But she hadn’t looked or felt like this after the last time so maybe it wasn’t just sex. Maybe it was Mack . . .

  He was out there, waiting she assumed while she was in here. She needed to rectify that situation.

  Lydia finished cleaning up, rinsing and wringing out the washcloth before leaving it on the vanity by the sink for him to put in the laundry basket, wherever that was, later.

  Opening the bathroom door slowly, she was struck with a bout of uncertainty and shyness.

  What now? Did he expect her to leave? Should she get dressed but stay to chat? What was the protocol here? She didn’t know.

  The postcoital procedure in this situation was all new to her. The only other time she’d done this they’d been in her room so it was up to him to leave or stay.

  He’d stayed for a second round of mediocre sex and then left, and by then she’d been ready for him to go.

  But now . . . she didn’t want to leave, but she sure didn’t want to stay if Mack didn’t want her to.

  Talk about confusing. She’d just have to take her cues from him—if she could figure out what this man of few words was thinking.

  Lydia eased her way through the doorway. She saw he’d turned down the bed and was halfway under the covers. The half she could see—his rock hard chest—was enough to have her staring.

  She stopped, uncertain of what to do next, until he flipped the sheets back and scooted farther over to one side of the bed.

  Hoping that was the invitation to join him in bed that she assumed it was, she moved forward and sat on the edge of the mattress.

  While she was still sitting up he reached behind her. She felt her bra release—all four hooks and he’d done it more quickly than she could have herself.

  Too late to preserve her last item of clothing, she let him slide the bra off her shou
lders and down her arms.

  That decided her next course of action. He obviously wanted her to stay for at least a little bit longer, and she wanted the camouflage of the sheets.

  She slipped her legs beneath the covers and slid down lower under the sheet.

  “Hit the light.” His command sounded relaxed, casual. Almost sleepy.

  Were they going to sleep now? Her, here, with him naked?

  “Okay.” A little shocked, she did as he’d asked.

  The room plunged into darkness, lit only by the pale light of the streetlamp outside filtering through the closed blinds.

  It looked like she’d be staying the night. Unexpected but not unwelcome. She really didn’t have to be at her mother’s until the morning.

  Good thing she’d never called to confirm she was coming tonight.

  She settled in a bit lower beneath the covers, lying on her side facing away from him while wondering how she’d ever fall to sleep in a strange bed with a strange man. A man who just moments ago had been inside her. The memories alone were guaranteed to keep her awake for a while.

  He groaned and pulled her against him.

  She felt his renewed erection press against the back of her thigh while he slipped his hand between her legs.

  He connected with a spot that had her moaning and definitely feeling wide awake—as if she would have ever been able to sleep with him next to her anyway.

  Nope, neither one of them would be sleeping anytime soon. Not with the way he was pressing so tantalizingly between her thighs while spooning her.

  One well placed thrust, accompanied by the lift of her top leg and he slid easily inside.

  Pressing a kiss to her neck, he worked his lips up to her ear. “Stay the night.”

  His demand, strangely delivered at a time when she had no plans to go anywhere, took her by surprise. “Okay.”

  “Good.”

  He didn’t seem like the stay the night type. Or the kind of man who was into spooning, for that matter. Then again, this had ceased to be spooning the moment he’d plunged into her.

  There was no more talking after that. He grabbed her face and angled it toward him so he could claim her lips as he did the same to her body, driving her once again to heights of pleasure she’d never imagined existed.

  She realized during a random thought between gasps that before she’d been with a boy, while Mack was most definitely a man.

  The difference was glaring and oh so amazing.

  Her only hope was he wasn’t a one-night stand kind of guy. After tonight with Mack, she’d never be able to go back to having mediocre sex with anyone else again.

  CHAPTER 5

  It didn’t make any sense.

  Or maybe it did.

  Hell, what did Mack know? He was obviously messed up.

  Bringing a woman he’d just met home to his apartment where he never brought anybody was out of character enough. Then inviting her to spend the entire night with him—that was also so unlike him it was worrying.

  But what was most baffling was that he’d gotten possibly the best sleep of his life.

  That’s what confused him most.

  A stranger was in his bed. Another person tossing and turning and breathing, all right next to him.

  He shouldn’t have conked out like he’d been drunk or drugged, but after that second time with her, that’s exactly what he’d done. He didn’t open his eyes again until the morning sun was creeping through the blinds.

  Perhaps he was overanalyzing the situation. The explanations were obvious and harmless enough if he thought about this logically.

  Good sex—and damn, had it been good—erased stress and made a man tired.

  And he was more used to sleeping in a room with his teammates than he was sleeping completely alone. Mack had gone almost directly from racking out for five months with half a dozen guys from his old unit in Fallujah, to sharing a room with two other guys from his new team for three weeks in Nigeria.

  Given all that evidence, it was logical that it wasn’t Lydia or any feelings he might or might not have after sleeping with her that had him sleeping so well next to her.

  In fact, the more he thought about it, the more his sleeping so well with her here was simple. He’d given his body what it needed—sex—and then fallen into a familiar situation—sleeping with someone else in the room with him.

  He felt good about that reasoning.

  Crisis averted. It definitely wasn’t that he needed her in particular next to him to be able to sleep.

  Sure, her hair was soft and smelled so good he hadn’t minded laying his head on the same pillow as hers.

  Yes, her skin was the softest he’d touched in recent memory.

  And damn, there were parts of her so hot and wet and tight he was hard again already just remembering being inside her.

  But it was just sex.

  Yup . . . a man could get that anywhere.

  There was one problem with that theory. He had gotten it elsewhere and he hadn’t found himself inviting those females to stay the night.

  In his bed.

  Sharing one pillow.

  He drew in a breath and decided on his next course of action. He knew one good way to stop his mind from reeling. Slipping into her for some morning fun seemed the most logical thing to do.

  Since she had spent the night, he might as well take advantage of it.

  A niggling in the back of his brain had him silently cursing as he remembered that his time wasn’t his own today.

  He twisted to glance behind him at the clock on the nightstand. He needed to see how many hours he had before this brunch he didn’t want to go to.

  One quick look told him it was still early. There was more than enough time to reap the benefits of having an overnight guest and still shower and ride over to his father’s house for brunch.

  The obligation was the perfect way out, which might be every man’s dream after having a one-night stand. He had a plausible excuse to get her out of his place early. He had somewhere he had to be. And the commitment was legit too, not some made-up excuse.

  The problem was, he’d rather spend the day with Lydia than meet his father’s new bride and her daughter.

  At least there’d be food and hopefully booze.

  His bedmate stirred, breathing in deeply, before letting it out in a sleepy sigh.

  Beneath the covers, she straightened one bent leg. At the same time she reached one arm above her head. She groaned with the stretch that had the sheet slipping down to expose her bare breast.

  He watched the action, enjoying it immensely. Reaching out to lay his hand on her hip, he said, “Good morning.”

  With another sleepy groan, she rolled to face him. “You’re awake.”

  “I certainly am.” He smiled and pressed against her leg to prove how awake he was.

  Her eyes widened, which only made him smile wider.

  He couldn’t remember a time a girl he’d had sex with had entertained him so, especially after the act was done. Just her reactions to him alone were an unending source of amusement.

  Time for both of them to enjoy being together some more. He rolled on top of her. She was obviously on board with his plan. She spread her legs and wrapped them around his hips, making it very easy to rock into her.

  Lazy morning sex—this was definitely something he could get used to starting the day with.

  He enjoyed it so much, he didn’t last as long as he would have liked or long enough for her to come. It was barely a couple of minutes before he felt the point of no return and he finished with a full body trembling release. He stayed inside and enjoyed her warmth until he slipped out and had no choice but to admit it was over.

  As he rolled off Lydia, he decided he’d make up for the quickie in a little while. After a nice hot shower. Or during. Either way. He still had time.

  Lydia turned her head to see him. “You’re . . . energetic for so early.”

  “It’s not all that early.” Mack
lifted a brow. “And is that a complaint?”

  “No. Just an observation.”

  “I’ve got a place where it will be easier for you to observe.” He rolled to the edge of the mattress and stood. Walking around the bed to her side, he reached down to pull her upright by one hand. “Come on.”

  Those big brown eyes widened again. “Where are we going?”

  “The shower.” He had plans for that massaging shower head he had a feeling she’d enjoy.

  She clung to the sheet with her free hand, trying to keep it wrapped around herself as he hoisted her to her feet.

  Unfortunately, that sheet hid some of his favorite parts of her body. Once they were in the shower, that wouldn’t be so.

  He tugged her behind him toward the bathroom as she continued to clutch the sheet to her chest, insuring she was taking it with her. He’d let her have her security blanket for a little while longer but not for too long.

  Smiling, he knew he’d win in the end. She could drag that thing with her all the way to the bathroom, but not into the shower stall. There, he’d have access to every inch of her slick, wet body.

  A shiver ran down his spine as he imagined sliding into her beneath the hot spray of water, her body gripping his as she came.

  Yeah, he was definitely up for some shower sex. As soon as he got his soapy hands on her, she would be too.

  CHAPTER 6

  “So . . . ” Lydia glanced down, grinding the toe of her shoe into the bedroom carpet. “I guess I should get going.”

  She’d far rather stay there with Mack. Maybe cook something for his breakfast and impress him with her prowess in the kitchen.

  Her culinary experience might make up for her lack of experience in the bedroom. Not that Mack had complained about that. Nope.

  Still, she was an excellent cook. It was the one skill she’d gotten from her mother.

  She thought how she wouldn’t mind showing it off for Mack, when she could wrestle her mind to focus on anything besides how damn good he looked without a shirt.

  All hard, cut muscles. Washboard abs. Big, bulging arms that had held her just an hour ago. Arms she wished she could have wrapped around her again.

  A scene formed in her mind as she watched him pull a collared shirt off a hanger in his closet. He tugged it on over his head while she imagined how the day would be if she had nowhere to go. If she could spend a lazy Sunday here with him.