Читать книгу SEALed with a Kiss - Jill Monroe - Страница 10

RILEY WOULD HAVE LAUGHED at the shocked expression on Rachel’s face if he hadn’t been so surprised by his own admission. Instead he sneaked a quick kiss on her sweet mouth. It invited another. And another.

He could kiss this woman all damn day. So many things to explore.

The sexy fullness of her lower lip.

The scent of honeysuckle that still lingered in her hair.

The way her so, so soft skin warmed beneath the barest touch of his fingertips.

Yet he’d only sampled a hint. There was way more to be discovered about Rachel. And Riley wanted to learn it all.

Except he hadn’t eaten in hours. As much as he hated to leave his bed, and the sexy woman snuggled next to him, they had to do something about food.

“Ready for those steaks?” he asked against her lips.

He felt her tense beside him. Rachel’s eyelids flew open. There was something about her green eyes that got to him. He’d felt it at that initial SEAL speed dating night.

She didn’t see him. She saw through him.

And that was the reason he’d avoided her even though he wanted her like crazy. Every time a woman attempted to delve beneath the surface, what he allowed her to see, she was always disappointed.

Because there wasn’t much. That old adage of what you see is what you get could have been dedicated to him. He liked it that way. Eliminated any complications. Apart from that twinge in the gut he felt when he clued in to a woman’s disappointment when she realized she wasn’t getting much more.

That’s why there was something comforting about dating the superficial and shallow. Quick smiles and good times. Riley didn’t need a person scrutinizing him. Making him feel exposed.

SEALs respected another man’s boundaries. As long as a man did his job on his Team, no one bothered him. Certainly none of his friends gave a shit about his feelings.

That was the thing about soldiers … they liked their armor.

But Rachel was the kind of woman who’d want to learn things about him. Understand him. Hell, he didn’t even want to know himself. Look at him—less than an hour with her and he was already thinking deeply.

Must be lack of food.

With a more forceful kiss to her lips he then jumped out of bed in search of his shirt. He found it crumpled on the floor, and smiled at the memory of Rachel Sutherland ripping it off his body. Rachel. Yeah, even sporting the small scratches on his back, he still found it hard to believe she was the person who gave him a great welcome home. Before his deployment, the woman had barely noticed him.

Naked, he walked to the dresser and pulled out some clothes. Forget his uniform, he only wanted to wear shorts and a T-shirt anyway. After buttoning up his shorts he turned to find Rachel leaning against the headboard, the sheet pulled tight over her breasts.

Even that was sexy.

Her long blond hair was a mess, and he was tempted by the overwhelming urge to sink his fingers into the softness and send his T-shirt to the floor to join his uniform.

Then his stomach growled. Food first. He’d need it for tonight. His night with Rachel. Riley glanced back her way, wanting to catch her tugging her shirt into place or sliding her skirt up her legs. There was something very sexy about watching a woman dress, knowing he’d be doing the undressing later.

Rachel still rested against the pillows. If anything, that sheet was tighter across her body. Had she gone shy on him? Women were known to do that. Some mixed up signals they’d gotten along the way about men thinking they were only good for bedroom acrobatics. He’d have to remember to mention she was smart later.

“You planning on going to the grocery store in just the sheet? Not that I’d mind, but the other customers might be a little shocked.”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Actually, I was thinking I would head back to The Sutherland. I’ve probably given Nate and Hailey enough time alone.”

Riley made a scoffing noise. “I don’t think a month would be enough time for those two. I was thinking we’d at least give them the weekend.”

“Oh,” she said, and the sheet slackened.

Not enough.

Then she smiled at him. A slow warm smile just for him. For a moment, he had trouble breathing.

A genuine smile from this woman was rare. Riley knew … he’d watched her long enough during the SEAL date nights. He’d sneak a peek, fascinated, as she outlined expectations of the men’s behavior. Rachel didn’t take any guff from the sailors clomping through the Tea Room. She didn’t care they were SEALs, they were going to follow her rules. And they’d respected those rules of hers to the letter.

But he’d also caught the easy grin she’d give a man down on his luck, and then steer him toward a beer, a meal in the dining room or a particular woman taking advantage of The Sutherland’s SEAL night. But she’d never turned that smile toward him.

Until now.

He wanted more. More of her smiles, more of her sexy body and definitely more time with Rachel. But first, food.

RILEY HAD ALWAYS STRUCK HER as a man who never took anything seriously, except his job. She’d observed him in the ocean where the SEALs often trained. There, he was all about the mission, yet when it came to life … he was all about the work hard, play harder mantra.

Riley obviously didn’t take food seriously. He was a disaster in the grocery store. They flew by the fresh fruits and vegetables without picking up one. Rachel cringed as he grabbed the first package of meat he saw, but the last straw was when he asked her preference of steak sauce. She should probably have given him credit for asking her first choice, but it was steak sauce they were talking about. And standards.

“You are not destroying anything I make by drowning it in steak sauce,” she told him, refusing to take another step down the aisle displaying row after row of colorful condiments.

“I like steak sauce,” he replied, reaching for a bottle.

She put her hand on her hip. “Okay, let me ask you a question. What if I marinated those steaks in a dark beer, rubbed them with oregano and cumin, then grilled them with fresh chives and served guacamole and aji sauce on the side?”

His hand fell away from the shelf of sauces. “I’d say count me in.”

“So you’re ready to shop my way?” she asked.

Riley took the two steps that had him at her side. He stroked the side of her cheek. And yes, there were the clichéd shivers down her back. What was with this man and her senses? “I just wanted to get the food and then get you alone again.”

More shivers. This man could have her thinking drive-through burgers were a good idea. Almost.

Then she did something she never thought she’d do on her own. She slipped her hand through Riley’s. His long fingers, warm and calloused and strong, laced with hers, gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

Bad move. A woman didn’t initiate hand-holding with a man who didn’t take things seriously. It screwed up the balance. This would definitely be the last time she’d do something as stupid as that.

An hour later, she and Riley sat together on his patio, plates on their legs as they enjoyed the warm evening breeze.

“That was the best food I’ve ever had. Really,” Riley said. “You must like to cook.”

“Actually, I hate cooking. What I like is eating. Eating good food, that is. When you grow up and your mom is a culinary chef, it’s hard to look at food as casual. Each meal must be something special.”

Riley reached over and took the empty plate from her lap. His fingers grazed her bare thighs. “I’ll have to remember that.” His voice a sexy whisper at her ear. Shivers ran down her neck.

She spotted the bulge in his pants. Apparently Riley was ready for round two. She, for one, couldn’t wait.

He’d said the word remember. It made her go all fluttery. Not good. Riley didn’t mean remember as in them having more than just this weekend together. She stood and walked to the railing, giving herself a little space.

The breeze ruffled her hair, and the last of the sunlight warmed her face. “I love San Diego at night,” she said when he joined her at the railing.

His condo was too far away to see the beach, but the complex was beautiful. “Before I came home to help Hailey with The Sutherland, I worked in St. Louis. There are seasons in St. Louis, snow even. It was a nice change from here, but I missed the palm trees. There’s something purely relaxing about hearing the breeze rustle through those big leaves.”

“I know what you mean. I did some training up at Spruce Cape in Alaska.”

“Alaska? Why there?”

“There’s snow in Afghanistan. Gotta know how to deal. Basically they give you a compass, drop you off and say, ‘Meet us here.’ I don’t think I’ve ever been so cold. Thinking about these palm trees kept me warm,” he told her with a laugh.

Rachel turned to look. For all his joking around, Riley held a dangerous and important job. She could only imagine the kinds of peril he faced. The extreme temperatures. The utter discomfort. Rachel felt the overwhelming need to touch him. Comfort him.

She took a swallow of her beer instead.

“Do you regret coming back to San Diego?” he asked.

“Running a B&B is a lot of hard work and unbelievable hours, but …” Her voice trailed off. A lump formed in her throat, which was ridiculous.

Riley leaned toward her, his knee almost touching hers. Not a lot of legroom on this balcony. He seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. It was something more than just polite conversation and the kind of inquiries weekend fling etiquette required.

What was the etiquette on a weekend fling?

Those thoughts could wait.

But not the fact that no one had asked her if she were sad to leave her home and a job she loved in St. Louis to return here. Not until Riley, that is. She hadn’t even questioned it. Her family home was in jeopardy, and she and Hailey had to take care of it. Fix it. It was as simple as that.

Her stomach twisted. There was a reason she hadn’t questioned it. A truth she hadn’t yet faced. A dissatisfaction lay under the surface of her very necessary decision. Okay, those thoughts could wait, too.

Rachel swallowed past the lump, reminding herself of the things she did like about returning to The Sutherland. “There is something really satisfying about seeing our home the way my grandparents would have wanted it. I like hearing the laughter of our guests during breakfast, and reading the comments in the guest book. I feel like I saved something important and special.”

“Saved.”

The word hung between them. Not quite a question, not quite a statement. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“Past tense. You saved it, now what?”

Rachel almost did a double take. Wait … when did this guy get so astute? “I’ll keep running The Sutherland with my sister.”

“But you never wanted to run it in the first place, right? Otherwise you never would have left.”

No, The Sutherland had never been her dream. She hadn’t wanted to escape it the way her sister Hailey

had … the B&B just didn’t fit into her plans. But then she’d been doing a lot of things that didn’t fit into her long-range plans. Like Riley.

She shook her head, and let her gaze slide to the palm trees that had been the cause of this whole awkward conversation. Well, awkward for her. Riley still appeared relaxed and sexy beside her.

“So, what now for you?” he asked.

She didn’t know. “How we turned The Sutherland around was featured in B&B Today magazine. Since then I’ve been getting a few calls and emails from other owners asking for help.”

“Hey, that’s great. When do you start that?”

Her knuckles tightened around the railing. “I haven’t called them back.”

“Why not? Sounds like a perfect job for you.”

She shrugged, turning away, though she knew he was waiting for her answer. “I don’t know. Marketing The Sutherland was easy. Well, not exactly easy,” she drawled.

Rachel looked at him then, and he smiled. Slowly. This was a moment. One of those moments when you really connected with someone else. Strange that it was with someone like Riley Wilkes.

“What if I can’t do it?” she asked. “It was just by chance the Navy SEALs train right outside our B&B.” The patio of The Sutherland provided a tableau of males in peak performance as they trained. Apparently a lot of women liked the special view. Add a mojito to the scene of Navy SEALs in action and voilà, extra cash in hand.

“Rachel, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about you it’s that you’re the kind of person who gets things done. I have no doubt you could do it. If a B&B attracted guests in the past, I’m sure you’ll figure out what will make them want to come back in the future.”

He believed it. Riley might be a charmer, but she knew he wouldn’t be encouraging her if he didn’t really think she’d be successful at it. Her family was always supportive, but this, this was something different.

Rachel took a deep breath. “I have thought about it. A lot,” she confessed. “If I took on consulting jobs, I could go all over the country. Make my own hours. But I could keep San Diego as my home base. What could beat the beach? Or wearing shorts in November? Like I said, when I still lived in St. Louis, and it was really cold, I’d stay bundled up inside my apartment. I’m not exactly a nature girl, but I missed being outside. Feeling the wind on my face. The sounds of the birds.”

“Ever made love outside?” he asked.

Rachel choked on her beer.

“Careful,” he said. Warmth entered his gray eyes, turning them almost green.

What Riley had just issued was an invitation … not a question.

No, despite living next door to a beach, she’d never made love outside. She shook her head, her skin heating at the thought.

“Someone will see,” she said. Hating how unadventurous she sounded.

“We’ll keep our clothes on. No one passes by this side of the complex, and if they did, they won’t suspect a thing.” His fingers stole the beer from her hand and placed it on the small table.

“You’ll just have to be very, very quiet,” he told her.

The way Riley made love … that could be a problem.

He was behind her now, his lips just under her ear. Her weak spot. Of course Riley Wilkes would find that.

Her body already ached for more. Rachel’s eyes closed at the caress of his lips. The touch of his tongue. She leaned against his chest. Warm and solid.

“As I followed you around the store today, while you grabbed ingredients, all I could think of was lifting your skirt.” His fingers traced the bare skin above her knee. “Bunching the material in my hand and pulling it up.”

Her heartbeat quickened. Do it. Do it. It seemed to beat with her silent request.

Instead he dropped his hand. “But then I’d get distracted by your breasts. This blue shirt of yours with the little bow in the middle has been driving me crazy. I can’t decide whether to tug at a strap or lift up your skirt.”

“You have two hands, don’t you?”

A deep laugh rumbled from his chest. “Yes, I do. And I plan to put them to good use now.”

One of Riley’s hands cupped her breast while the other found the hem of her skirt, slowing raising it. Rachel moaned low in her throat. She’d never had a lover as good as Riley, never had one make her feel so good.

Her nipple hardened beneath his palm.

“Have I ever told you how much I like your breasts?”

All Rachel could do was shake her head no.

“I love how they get all tight when I touch them. Your nipples—” he stopped to tease one tip “—I can’t wait to suck you.”

She didn’t think it was possible, but her nipple grew even tighter, just the way he mentioned he liked. She longed to have his lips, his mouth, his tongue there once more. Like earlier this afternoon. But they were keeping their clothes on.

“How your body responds to my touch drives me crazy.” Riley pressed the hard ridge of his erection against her backside.

Wet heat flooded her lower body. She wiggled back and felt his erection grow larger. Yeah … she loved driving him crazy.

The hand on her leg kept slowly moving up her thigh. His palm was rough from his job, but she didn’t care. She relished the contrasts. His hard cock combined with his gentle touch devastated her senses.

His hand began to ride up under her shirt. He found her bare skin and she quivered.

Rachel imagined how they looked to any passing stranger. Her body slumped against his, one hand up her skirt, the other under her shirt. And she didn’t care. She wanted this moment with Riley to go on and on.

Where his hand touched, she burned. And that burning was leading right to her panties.

“Yes?” Riley asked, his voice more ragged now. “Here, Rachel.”

“Yes,” she said, and his finger looped over the elastic, helping her panties slide down her legs.

“Ahhh, do that wiggling thing again,” he told her.

“This?” she asked, wiggling. She drove herself against his rock-hard penis.

“Yes,” he groaned into her hair. The hand under her shirt moved lower, and for a moment, Rachel just enjoyed the feel of his hands moving and caressing her thighs. Her hips. Her backside.

Slowly he moved closer and closer to the center of her. Do it. Do it. Her heartbeat quickened even more.

She wanted Riley’s fingers between her legs, and she wanted it five minutes ago. “Touch me,” she urged. Although it was more like an order. Whatever. The man was military. He was used to taking orders.

And Riley did. His fingers slipped between her legs, past the curls and over the slick heat of her clit.

“That feels so good,” she said after she caught her breath.

“I’m not done yet,” he whispered against her ear. A promise.

His fingers slid lower, until they were in the moist heat of her. Her legs began to shake.

Riley’s hand retreated. “Gotta stay strong,” he urged. Then he slipped into her once more. She lowered her head against the railing, but her legs didn’t give.

“Riley, if you’re waiting for me to say something like, go … go!”

He sucked in a breath. “As much as I hate to break the mood here, I don’t have any protection. This hadn’t been my plan when we stepped out here to eat.”

Rachel almost groaned in frustration.

She took a deep, calming breath, knowing she was about to offer something to Riley she’d never suggested before. She just wanted him so much. The man held her body in a fever pitch. “It’s okay, it’s not the right time of the month for me.” Thank you, thank you, thank you.

His hand stilled. “I just want you to know I’m totally healthy.”

She nodded in understanding.

“The military tests and—”

“Riley, stop talking and get inside me.” Another order.

The hand that had been steadying her hip, left her. Soon she heard him fumbling behind her. His pants.

“Lean farther over the railing, Rachel,” he said.

There were the shivers again. Rachel leaned, feeling the night air brush her bare backside. The tip of him touched her slick heat, and she bit her lip. This was going to be so good. With one thrust he was inside her.

“Oh, Rachel. This is amazing.”

He was right. It was amazing. She didn’t know if it was their quick pace, the slim chance of being caught or just the decadence of making love while being caressed by an evening breeze … but sex had never felt this good.

Riley’s fingers teased the curls between her legs, then her clit; at the same time his cock plunged into her body. He circled where she was most sensitive as he moved in and out of her. She tightened around him, drawing him deeper.

He thrust faster. “Rachel,” he moaned. And suddenly waves of pleasure overtook her senses.

She felt his muscles tighten, knew he was about to come and arched her back, allowing him in deeper. With a groan, he exploded.

If he hadn’t been holding her up, she would have fallen. It was an effort to draw in breath. Riley slumped above her, and the wood of the railing cut into her forearm. But she didn’t care. Something about experiencing the best orgasm of your life took away the concern about simple things like oxygen and splinters.

Riley seemed to be just as affected by their lovemaking as she was because he was slow to move. Good.

“You told me I had to be quiet, but there at the end, you were the loud one,” she teased once she caught her breath and had her panties back in place.

“I’ve never done that before,” Riley admitted, looking a little stunned.

“Made love outside?” she asked as they made their way through the French doors and into his condo.

“No, not used a condom.”

She stopped. “Wait … what? Really?”

He looked chagrined. “When they had the safe sex talks in school, I paid attention.” He entwined his fingers with hers. “Plus, being the youngest of six kids, I’m not too eager to add to the Thanksgiving dinner table. I still eat at the kiddie snack trays in the basement.”

“Wait, what?”

“Well, second kiddie table. We’re all in our twenties. There’s a third table for the under-twenty set. We’re a big family.”

Her jaw dropped open. “Six? We all assumed you had no family. I’ve never heard you talk about any of them.” Rachel would have called those words back if she could.

They underscored how little she knew about the man. How little she’d tried to get to know him.

Riley shrugged. “Navy gave me the chance to be my own man. I wasn’t Mike and Nick’s kid brother or the little boy who had to be watched by his older sisters. Besides, once one story comes out, others follow. Soon I’ll be popping out the baby pictures of my nieces and nephews,” he told her with a mock shudder.

Rachel laughed, as she knew he meant her to. Yeah, proud uncle didn’t really fit with Riley’s image. Or rather the image he worked to portray. She needed to tread carefully here or she’d find herself growing more curious about the man, and therein lay danger. “I always wanted to grow up in a big family. Seemed like so much fun.”

“Well, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. My mom only had time to put my name and birthday in my baby book. I don’t even think there’s my weight and length.”

Rachel frowned. “That sounds kind of sad.”

He tugged her flush against his body. “Hmm, you can show me all the sympathy you want in the shower. I have big plans for you in there.”