Читать книгу Ultimate Romance Collection - Rebecca Winters, Amalie Berlin - Страница 36
ОглавлениеParis, France, three years ago
Bristol glanced up from her sketch pad when she heard the male voices entering the café. Military men. All five of them. That was easy to deduce, even though they weren’t wearing military attire. They were wearing jeans, shirts and dark leather jackets. The five walked confidently and were in perfect physical condition. Boy, were they ever! She wondered what branch of service they represented. It really didn’t matter. Whichever one branch it was, they were representing it well.
The group took the table not far away from where she sat and one of the men, as if he felt someone staring at him, glanced over at her. Bam! She’d been caught. She hadn’t averted her gaze back to her sketch pad quickly enough. For some reason, she knew without glancing back up that he was still looking at her. She could feel his gaze, just as if it was a physical caress. It made her heart beat faster. It seemed that every single hormone in her body had begun to sizzle. Nothing like that had ever happened to her before.
Okay, Bristol, concentrate on your sketch, she inwardly admonished herself. Her father hadn’t paid her tuition at one of the most prestigious art schools in France for her to get all hot and bothered by a bunch of military men. Although the five were extremely handsome, it was only one of the men who had caught her eye. The one who’d stared back at her.
“Excuse me, miss.”
She glanced up and the man was now standing at her table. Up close he was even more gorgeous. Definitely eye candy of the most delectable kind. Hot. Sexy. You name it and this man could definitely claim it. That had to be the reason intense heat was plowing up her spine.
Bristol swallowed deeply before saying, “Yes?”
“I was wondering if...”
When he didn’t finish but kept looking at her, she asked. “Wondering what?”
“If I could join you?”
She wished he could but unfortunately, he couldn’t. She glanced at her watch then back at him. “Sorry, but I work here and happen to be on my lunch break, which will end in less than five minutes.”
“What time do you get off today?”
She tilted her head to look at him. “Excuse me?”
“I asked what time you get off today. I’ll wait.”
She figured that he had to be kidding, but the look in his eyes showed that he wasn’t. “I get off in four hours.”
“I’ll wait. What’s your name?”
This guy was definitely moving fast. But she couldn’t ignore the scorching hot attraction between them, even if she wanted to. And for some reason, she didn’t want to. She liked it.
“My name is Bristol Lockett.”
“The name Bristol is unusual. It suits you well. I like it.”
And she liked his voice. It was deep and husky. The sound made heat curl inside her. OMG! What on earth was wrong with her? She’d never thought such outlandish things in her life. She might not have always been prim and proper but she’d been pretty close to it. She’d been in Paris close to four years and although she’d dated, most of the time she did not. She preferred curling up with her sketch pad and working on her watercolors than going out with any man. But now this ultrafine specimen was making her rethink that decision.
“Are you American or French?”
She blinked at his question. “I’m American.”
“So am I.”
She smiled. And what a good-looking American he was, with a body to die for. She felt as if she could draw her last breath just from looking at him. This guy was tall, at least six foot two or three. And his skin was the color of lightly roasted almonds. His dark eyes appeared somewhat slanted, and as far as she was concerned his lips were perfectly shaped. His hair was cut low on his head and his ears were just the right size for his face. But what captured her attention more than anything were those dimples in his cheeks. Doing absolutely nothing but standing there, he was arousing something within her that no other man ever had.
“And who are you?” she asked, deciding not to let him ask all the questions.
“I’m Laramie,” he said, stretching out his hand to her.
She took it and immediately a spike of heat seemed to burst from his fingers and hit her dead center between the thighs. And when she stared into his eyes and saw the dark heat in his pupils, she knew he’d felt something, as well.
“Are you married, Laramie?”
“No. I’ve never been married. What about you? I approached you because I didn’t see a ring on your finger.”
At least he didn’t hit on married women. Some men didn’t care. “No, I’m not married, either, and never have been.”
“So, Bristol Lockett, do I have your permission?”
She licked her lips. “For what?”
That sexy smile widened. “To be here when you get off.”
Then what? she wondered but decided not to ask. “Sure, if that’s what you want.”
His chuckle made desire claw at her but it was his next words that sealed her fate. “There are a lot of things I want when it comes to you, Bristol.”
Jeez. If he wasn’t standing there she would close her eyes and moan. This man presented a temptation she shouldn’t even think about yielding to. Too bad her best friend, Dionne, was out of town for the holidays and not around to talk some sense into her.
“What about if we share a drink at one of the pubs first?” she asked, and then frowned. Why had she made it sound as if she would be willing to move to the next stage once they shared a drink?
“That’s fine. I’ll be back in four hours.”
When he walked off she glanced at her watch. Her break was officially over but she knew her encounter with this military man was just beginning.
She hurried behind the counter to put on her apron while watching Mary-Ann, another waitress, head over to the table to serve the five guys. More people entered the café, and Bristol was about to cross the room to serve a couple with a little girl when Mary-Ann stopped her.
“They asked for you,” Mary-Ann said, smiling.
“Who?”
“Those soldiers. I’ve given them menus but they want you to serve their table. That’s fine with me. Then I don’t have to commit a sin by forgetting I’ve been married to Joel almost twenty years. Those five are too much temptation,” she said, fanning herself. “I hope you can handle it.”
Bristol hoped she could handle it as well, as she made her way to the table where all five men sat. Hot and heavy testosterone was thick in the air surrounding them. Drawing in a deep breath she approached them with her notepad in hand. “Have you guys decided what you’re having?”
“Apparently, Coop has,” one of the men said, grinning at her. “We’re still deciding.”
She nodded. “Okay, and who is Coop?”
“I am,” the guy who had introduced himself to her earlier said.
She met his gaze. “I thought your name was Laramie.”
He smiled again and she tried not to feel weak in the knees. “It is. My real name is Laramie Cooper. They call me Coop.”
“Oh.”
“Let me introduce everyone,” Laramie said. “First off, guys, this is Bristol,” he said to his friends.
“Hello, Bristol,” they all said simultaneously as they stood to their feet, showing they had manners.
“Hello.”
“I’m Bane,” one of the men said, extending his hand to her.
She smiled at the very handsome military man as she shook his hand. “Hi, Bane.”
“Is that a New York accent?” Bane asked.
“Yes, you would think after being in France for almost four years it would not be so easily detected.”
Bane’s smile widened. “Some things you can’t get rid of.”
“Apparently,” she said, chuckling.
“I’m Flipper,” another one of the guys said, offering his hand. He was definitely a hottie, with blond hair and the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. The color reminded her of the ocean and she wondered if that was why his nickname was Flipper.
“Nice meeting you, Flipper,” she said, shaking his hand, as well.
“Same here, Bristol.”
“I’m Mac,” another one of the men said, leaning across to take her hand. This man appeared older than the others by at least three or four years.
“Hi, Mac.”
“And I’m Viper.”
She glanced at the man who introduced himself as Viper. He was taller than the others and just as handsome. His eyes seemed sharp and penetrating. “Hi, Viper,” she said, shaking his hand.
“Hi, Bristol,” Viper returned, smiling.
“And you know me,” Laramie said, taking her hand.
And just like before, a spike of heat hit her. “Yes, I know you.” She quickly pulled her hand away. “It’s nice meeting all of you and I like all your nicknames,” she said as the men all sat back down.
Bane chuckled. “They aren’t nicknames. They’re our military code names.”
“Oh. And what branch of the military?”
“We’re navy SEALs,” the one named Flipper said, grinning proudly.
He had every right to feel that way. She’d heard about navy SEALs. Some considered them the American government’s secret weapon against any enemy force.
“So, Laramie, I’ll start with you. What will you have?” she asked, getting ready to write on her notepad.
“For now I’ll take a juicy hamburger, a large order of French fries and a huge malted strawberry shake.”
For now? She wondered what he planned to have later. From the way he was looking at her, she had an idea. And why didn’t realizing this guy evidently thought she was on his menu bother her?
Bristol went around the table and took everyone’s order. Apparently all five were big eaters and she wondered where they would put all that food and how they stayed in such great physical shape. After turning their orders in to the cook, she began waiting on other tables, but felt the heat of Laramie’s gaze on her the entire time. Every time she glanced over in his direction, he was staring at her. Blatantly so.
Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea for her to agree to have a drink with him when she got off work. She knew nothing about him, other than his name was Laramie Cooper, his military code name was Coop, he loved juicy hamburgers and he was a navy SEAL.
She delivered their food a short while later and watched them eat all of it. She could tell that the five were more than just members of the same military team. They shared a close friendship. That much was obvious from the way they joked around with each other.
Mac was married and had no problem showing her pictures of his wife and kids. It was evident he was proud of them. Bane, she’d discovered, was also married, but from the way the others teased him she could only assume he hadn’t seen his wife in a while, which meant the two were separated. Like Laramie, Viper and Flipper were single and from the sound of things they intended to stay that way.
At the end of the meal when they paid their bill, she was shocked at the tip they left her. She would not normally have earned that much tip money in a week. “Thanks, guys.”
“No, we want to thank you,” Flipper said standing, like the others. “It was nice meeting you, Bristol, and the food was great.”
The others shared the same sentiments as they moved to leave the café. Laramie hung back. “I’ll be here when you get off work.”
She knew now was a good time to tell him that she’d changed her mind about that. However, there was something about Laramie Cooper that made her hold back from doing so. It might have been his smile, or the way he was making her feel, or just the fact that she deserved to have some fun for a change.
For four years she had worked hard at the art academy and come spring she would be graduating. The café would be closing for the holidays and she had the next ten days off work. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing wrong with Laramie being there when she got off. They would just grab drinks at one of the pubs nearby. Besides, after today, she probably wouldn’t see him again.
“I’ll be waiting,” she heard herself say.
She didn’t have to wait. Laramie arrived a half hour before she was due to leave work. He ordered a croissant and coffee while he waited for her. She hung up her apron, wished everyone a Merry Christmas and then headed toward the table where he sat. He stood, smiling down at her.
“Ready?” he asked her.
“Yes” was her reply, although she wasn’t sure what he had in mind and if she should be ready or not.
He surprised her by taking her hand, as if they both needed to feel the sexual chemistry between them. He led her through the doors and onto the sidewalk. Holiday decorations were everywhere. It was hard to believe tomorrow was Christmas Eve. Last year she had gone home for Christmas and had taken her best friend, Dionne, with her. But not this year. Her aunt Dolly had died in her sleep four days into the New Year.
She needed to stop thinking that she didn’t have any living relatives when she had two brothers and a stepmother. She knew they’d only tolerated her while her father was alive and now, with him gone, they had let her know—by not returning her calls or letters—that they didn’t have to put up with her anymore. That was fine. She’d adjusted to being a loner. At least she had Dionne and Dionne’s family. The thought had even crossed Bristol’s mind that she should not return to the United States after graduation and make Paris her home.
“Which pub are we going to?” she asked the man who was walking beside her and still holding her hand.
He smiled down at her. “Which one do you suggest?”
“Charlie’s is a good one. It’s right around the corner.”
They didn’t say much as they walked to the pub. They talked about the holidays. He told her that he and his team would be headed out in four days and they were in Paris for a little R and R.
“Your friends are nice,” she said.
He smiled down at her as they continued walking. “They said the same thing about you.”
She smiled at that, while trying to ignore all that desire she saw in his eyes. She figured if they kept talking it would go away. “The five of you seem close.”
“We are. In fact, we’re like brothers. Viper, Flipper, Bane and I attended the naval academy together and immediately became the best of friends. Mac is four years older and finished the academy ahead of us. He’s been a SEAL longer and likes to think he’s looking out for us.”
They reached the pub and saw it was crowded with no tables available. It seemed everyone had decided to begin celebrating the holidays early. “I have an idea,” Laramie said, tightening his hand on hers.
“What?”
“Let’s go someplace private.”
An uneasy feeling crept over her, but it was overpowered by exciting sensations that settled in her stomach. Their hands were still joined and his fingers felt warm and reassuring.
“I want to be honest with you about something.”
She swallowed. “About what?”
“Usually I spend the holidays alone, but I want to spend them with you.”
She held his gaze a minute and then asked, “What about your friends?”
“They’ll be in touch with their families.”
“But you won’t?”
He didn’t say anything for a moment and then he said, “My parents are still alive. I’m their only child. But we’ve never spent the holidays together.”
She found that odd. Christmas was the one holiday she never had to worry about being alone. Her mother had always made it special and after her mother’s death, her aunt Dolly had been there for her. She’d even spent one Christmas with her father. It had been the first and last holiday they’d spent together. This would be the first Christmas that she had no one. She thought it sad that Laramie had never really spent his holidays with family.
She saw the sincerity in his eyes, in what he’d told her. He wasn’t trying to feed her a pity line but was telling her the truth. She felt it in her heart.
“I can think of a place we can go,” she suggested.
“Where?”
She knew it would be crazy to invite him, a perfect stranger to her home, but she was about to issue the invitation. “My place. It’s not far from here. Just so happens I was going to be alone for the holidays as well and would love some company.”
His hand tightened on hers. “You sure?”
Was she? She had never done anything so daring in her life.
She wasn’t a child. She knew the obvious signs. Desire was thick between them. Spontaneous combustion as volatile as it could get. She dated infrequently and most guys who’d hit on her had tried to work her. But she would say that Laramie was the first guy who’d tried and managed to elicit her interest. He was also the first guy she was trusting to this degree. She had never invited a man to her home before. There had to be a reason for her doing so now.
“Yes. I’m sure,” she said.
From the way his lips spread into a smile, she knew her response had pleased him. “All right then. Lead the way.”
That smile made her heart miss a beat as they continued to walk along the sidewalk. Like she’d told him, she didn’t live far and they arrived at her studio apartment in no time. “It’s small,” she said, opening the door. “But it’s the right size for me.”
She stepped aside and he entered. She immediately thought her apartment might be just the right size for her, but with him inside it, it suddenly appeared small.
“Nice place,” he said, glancing around.
Bristol was glad she was a neat freak. There was nothing out of place. “There’s a bottle of wine over there if you want to pour us a glass,” she said, removing her coat and hanging it in one of the closets.
“Okay,” he said, removing his jacket. She took it and hung it in the closet, as well. She tried not to notice how perfect his abs were and what a broad chest he had. She also tried not to notice the sexual chemistry between them, which had increased now that they were alone and behind closed doors.
“Do you need to let your friends know where you are? Won’t they be worried when you don’t return to your hotel?” she asked him.
He shook his head as he grabbed the wine bottle and glasses off the rack. “No. They’ll figure things out.”
“Okay.” She sat down at the table while he poured the wine into their glasses. And then he joined her there. “I know this isn’t champagne but let’s make a toast.”
“To what?”
“To what I believe will be the best holiday I’ve ever had.”
Deep down she believed it would be the best she ever had, too. Their glasses clinked and then they took a sip. She met his gaze over the rim and immediately, a deep sexual hunger flared to life in her midsection. From the hot, penetrating look in his eyes, the same hunger hit him, as well.
Bristol placed her glass down the same moment he did. And then he stood and reached out to her. She went into his arms willingly and he lowered his head and captured her mouth in his. The moment she felt his lips on hers, a deep, drugging rush of desire filled her to the core.
He was using his tongue in the most provocative way, making shivers of need course through every part of her. She had never been kissed like this before and he was an expert.
He deepened the kiss and her mouth became locked to his. She couldn’t hold back the moan that erupted from deep within her throat. Nor could she hold back the sensations overtaking her. She had been kissed before, but never like this. Never with this much possession, this much overwhelming power.
Moments later he ended the kiss and pulled back slightly to look down at her. A sexy smile touched the corners of his lips and the arms around her tightened, bringing her closer to him. “I wanted to kiss you from the moment I saw you. I had a deep yearning to know how you tasted.”
Wow! She wasn’t used to having such carnal conversations with a man. “Is that why you kissed me the way you did just now?”
“Partly.”
“And the other reason?”
“I just wanted the feel of my tongue in your mouth.”
And then as if he hadn’t gotten enough of doing that the last time, he lowered his head and captured her mouth again. On a breathless moan she parted her lips, giving him the opening he needed. He slid his tongue inside, mating it with hers, over and over again.
When he finally released her mouth, she looked up at him with glazed eyes. “What are you doing?” she asked, barely able to get the words out. Never had a kiss left her so off balance.
“Starting our celebration of the holidays.”
She could feel blood rushing through her veins with his words. She hadn’t expected this so soon. She figured they would share a drink today and then tomorrow he could come back for lunch. But it seemed he had other plans, plans she was giving in to. She couldn’t help it. So many sexual sensations were taking over her mind and body just from his kiss. She knew there was no way she could stop from wanting him. He sealed her fate when he began kissing her again and she felt herself being lifted into his arms.
He was carrying her someplace and she knew where when he placed her on the bed. What happened next was amazing. In record time he had removed both of their clothes, as if needing to be skin to skin with her was paramount. As if needing to see her naked body was essential.
In a way she understood, since seeing him standing there without a stitch of clothing was doing something to her, as well. He represented such virility and masculinity, and coiling arousal was throbbing deep in her core. Never had she wanted to make love to someone so badly. Never had she felt this filled with need. And she could tell from his huge erection that he wanted her. His desire for her was obvious.
She watched as he put on a condom before heading back to the bed. She reached out and glided her hands up his tight, sculpted abdomen and chest, loving the feel of his skin. Heat curled inside her with the contact.
“You touch me and I will touch you,” he warned, grazing his jaw against her ear, while growling low in his throat. It amazed her that he would respond to her touch this way.
“I want you to touch me, Laramie.”
She couldn’t believe she’d said that. But there was something about Laramie Cooper that she didn’t understand. Namely, how he could make her lose her common sense. How he could make her nerves dance and her brain race. How he had the ability to make her want to have things she’d done without in the past. And how he made her want him with a passion.
She needed to make him aware of something. Make him understand and she heard herself saying, “I’ve never brought a man here before.”
She felt the intensity of his gaze all over her body.
“There’s a first time for everything, don’t you think?” he replied, slowly moving back toward the bed.
With each step he took, she felt her womb contract. He was staring at her with dark, penetrating eyes and her body heated under his intense regard. She’d never had a one-night stand in her life. Always thought she was above that. But at that moment the only thing she wanted was this man, who had the ability to mess with her mind and senses.
There was something else she needed to tell him and it was best if she did it now. “Laramie?”
“Yes?”
“I’m not on any type of birth control.”
If she thought that revelation would stop him dead in his tracks, she’d been wrong. He kept moving toward her. “I have condoms. Plenty of them. Around a dozen or so. And if we need more we’ll get them,” he told her.
Get more? Did he honestly think they would use more than a dozen? Her heart began beating way too fast as she wondered just what kind of stamina he had. Would she be able to keep up?
She was about to find out.
He joined her on the bed and began kissing her again while touching her all over. Sexual excitement churned inside her, sending an intense throb through her veins. She slipped her arms around his muscled back, loving the manly feel of him.
“I’m dying to taste you,” he whispered, just moments before shifting his body to place his head between her legs.
She gripped tight to his shoulders as she felt his hot tongue inside her, stroking and licking. He was unwavering in his determination to taste her like he wanted. Sensations she’d never experienced before rushed through her and instinctively, she made sinfully erotic movements with her hips against his mouth.
Over and over he laved her womanly core with greedy intent, making her whisper his name over and over. Suddenly, her body exploded like a volcano erupting and she surrendered to the pleasure he’d given her.
Before the last spasm left her body, he had shifted to position his body over hers, and then she felt him enter her, stretching her to accommodate his size. She inhaled the scent of him—the scent of them—and then used her tongue to lick his shoulder, needing to taste the texture of his skin.
He pushed his shaft as deep inside her as he could go and then he locked their legs together. He began moving, thrusting back and forth, in and out. He established a rhythm that sent sexual undercurrents all through her body.
He looked down at her, held her gaze as he made love to her. She clung to him, holding tight to his shoulders as if they were a lifeline. His languid, deep, hard thrusts were driving her over the edge and making every nerve ending in her body zing brutally to life.
He threw his head back and growled her name as he continued to make love to her, indulging her with his words. Her skin sizzled where their bodies connected and the more he stroked inside her, the more her body awakened to the aching hunger he was feeding.
And then he called her name again. Together they were slammed with another orgasm. He gathered her in his arms, touched the side of her face with his fingers as they rode the tidal waves of ecstasy together.
The next morning it had felt odd waking up with a man in her bed. They had made love practically all evening, only to get up around eight and eat some of the soup she’d made the day before with French bread. Then they had gotten back in bed and made love all over again. All through the night.
No personal information was exchanged. None was needed. She knew the next three days would be considered one and done. Chances were, they would never see each other again. They were taking advantage of the now.
“You’re awake?”
She glanced over at him and saw desire in the depths of his dark eyes. “Yes, I’m awake.”
“Good.”
He got out of bed to put on a condom then returned to her. “And what if I wanted breakfast first?” she asked, grinning.
He grinned back. “And do you want breakfast first?”
She shook her head. “No. I want you, Laramie.”
And she did want him. She had to keep telling herself this was just sex and nothing more. When he left here the day after Christmas he wouldn’t be coming back, nor would they stay in touch. The only thing she would have were her memories. Regardless, she could not and would not ever regret any time spent with him.
After making love that morning they dressed and went out to grab breakfast. He surprised her with his suggestion that they get a Christmas tree. That meant they had to purchase ornaments, as well. He refused to let her pay for anything. Like kids, they rushed back to the house and decorated the tree. Their tree.
Since most restaurants were closed for the holidays, she decided to prepare Christmas dinner for them. That meant grocery shopping, which she told him she wanted to do alone. She knew from their earlier shopping trip how he liked to spend money and she wanted Christmas dinner to be her treat.
When she returned to her apartment he was waiting for her. The minute she opened the door and glanced over at him, heated sexual attraction consumed them. She couldn’t put her grocery bags down fast enough before he was ripping off her clothes, making love to her against the refrigerator.
He surprised her on Christmas Day with a gift, a beautiful scarf and a pair of earrings. The gift touched her deeply. He’d apparently gone shopping when she left to get groceries.
She surprised him with a gift, as well. A pair of gloves, since she’d noticed his were well-worn. He said he enjoyed Christmas dinner, but most of Christmas was spent in bed making love rather than eating.
The next morning, the day after Christmas, she awoke to find him dressed and ready to go. Ready to walk out of her life. She hadn’t expected it to be so hard, but it was. She knew she had fallen in love with him. Not with the sex but with the man.
He kissed her deeply, wished her the best in her artistic dreams and thanked her for making this one of the best holidays for him, ever. And then he turned and walked out the door...without looking back.
She’d quickly gotten up and stood at the window to watch him leave. He’d called a cab and, as if he’d known she would be there at the window, before getting into the cab he looked over his shoulder, saw her, blew her a kiss and then waved goodbye.
She blew him a kiss and waved back. And as the cab drove away she knew at that moment that Laramie Cooper had taken a piece of her heart with him.
