SEAL My Home: Bad Boys of SEAL Team 3, Book 2 (SEAL Brotherhood Series 9) (8 page)

“So it worked out.”

“In a way. I would have never found the Navy otherwise.”

“Makes you strong. Good at what you do.”

He’d thought the same thing. But a good SEAL didn’t have to have a rough upbringing like he and T.J. had. He knew plenty of guys with loving families who sent care packages and visited them all the time. He didn’t hold it against them.

He envied them.

“I became the Enforcer, protecting the boys on my floor from some of the other kids who were borderline juvenile delinquents-in-training who liked to pick on the younger ones.” His wiry frame made him agile and he wasn’t afraid to throw a real punch at someone twice his size.

“I discovered I detest bullies. I never quit a fight, often had to be separated by the supervising nuns. My reputation allowed me to stand up for those who were weak, and often just the mere threat of me getting involved was enough to protect my buddies.”

He’d thought he would live there until adulthood, but fate had a way of messing up his community, and a couple of years later the boys were sent off to foster care as the aging nuns began to close down the orphanage.

“The Diocese was in need of money and so this enterprise was considered expendable, especially since there were other agencies which could handle children who needed homes.”

He’d hated that place, but he sorely missed the fellowship of the other boys and mourned the fact that their little team was disbanded. It wouldn’t be until he joined the Navy and the SEAL Qualification program that he’d feel that sense of brotherhood again or learn to trust anyone other than himself.

“What attracted me to the Teams was the brotherhood. The family of men who would do anything for each other. The guy on either side of you who would die for you without hesitation. You can count on it. Unlike real families, you can count on these guys to get you through it. Bring you home if you can’t walk on your own. These guys
are
my real family.”

She didn’t flinch at that, which was a good sign.

“When I heard the motto of the Navy SEALs, “The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday,” I knew this band of brothers was tailor-made for me. I was probably the only one in my BUD/S class who understood just what it meant and welcomed it.”

Her smile told him he hadn’t bored her, which made him glad. He wanted to kiss her in the worst way, but he was going to let her set the pace. “What about you, Megan?”

“I came from one of those families most people envy. I don’t know what’s worse, never having experienced it or having it and then losing it.”

She unhinged her fingers from his, sat up straight, adjusted the clip in her beautiful hair, and stared out the window at the snowy scene outside. “My little brother, my mom, and my dad were killed in New York during 9-11. I was a freshman in college. All three of them had taken a trip to New York, and Dad’s attorney was in the World Trade Center. Everything changed for me. I was robbed of my family and have had to live with that memory ever since.”

“Your grandparents were there for you, then?”

“Yup. Wonderful people. I was lucky, I guess. I lived in books. Books were my sanctuary.”

“And that makes you good at what you do. Made you strong,” he whispered.

Back at the
lodge, T.J. privately let Rory know he could have the room, “Not that you’re thinking about that or anything,” the big SEAL said as they both watched the wives encircle Megan. Lindsay was telling a story that had them all laughing.

Eventually, Megan’s eyes found him and there was that spark again, the unspoken question, the request for alone time, for intimacy. Something in her past had made her cautious with men, and he’d known she was inexperienced but had chosen to take a big gamble with him. Normally he’d be cautious too, but this was something different.

The room was on the fourth floor of the lodge with a view of the slopes lit up at night. On a normal night, he’d have to unfold the blackout shades in order to sleep, but tonight he didn’t mind the filtered blue lights coming from the outside. Large snowflakes floated past the window silently.

He began executing his plan, removing her glasses and her hair clip. Then he pulled off her cotton top, unfastening the silky beige bra underneath and kneeling to help her off with her jeans. She wore red, white and blue starred panties, which made him chuckle. The girl had obviously had a mission of her own in mind, and thank God, it involved him.

She crawled up on the bed naked, and then slipped under the covers. She watched him remove his clothes.

The cool cotton sheets were delicious as she wrapped her legs around his waist and they kissed lying sideways, her soft breasts pressed against his upper chest. From nowhere she produced a foil packet.

“I want you to do it,” he said.

She opened the packet and gently slid the pink condom over his junk, squeezing his balls. Her fingers worked to smooth the latex and then she pressed her breasts around him, allowing him to root there.

His fingers found her opening and he dipped his head between her legs and feasted. Her arms flailed at her sides as he lapped her nude little sex. Then he slowly advanced on her and pressed against the length of her warm lithe body as they lay on their sides. She undulated her hips, wrapping her legs around him again, and pressing against his erection. He kissed her, found delicious little places to lick, nibble, and suck. Her faint female scent was driving him wild. Her little sighs and faint groans making him need her urgently.

Then he was in. Pushing slowly against and through her opening, he rotated their bodies so she was beneath him. He pressed his palms to the sides of her face, spread her hair to the side and angled his hips to fill her deeply. She arched her body, presenting her nipples to his hungry mouth. Back and forth he worked his way in and then out, slowly at first.

When their speed increased she was covered in a fine layer of sweat that glowed in the light from outside. Her flawless porcelain skin looked like marble. He felt the vibration coming from her core, the way her muscles clamped down on him, telling him she was spinning out of control. As she gave herself up to her body’s orgasm, he angled slightly, pulled her left leg over his right shoulder, and rammed deep. Holding still while she dug her nails into his back, he filled her with everything he had.

In the aftermath of their lovemaking he watched her face as she drifted off to sleep. He’d lived for his country, for his brothers. And now he had someone soft and female, someone of his very own, whom he could live for, protect, and defend with everything in his soul, making him a better man, if he didn’t fuck it up like he did everything else in his life.

He was grateful. Barring something unforeseen or the world exploding in all Holy Hell, he’d do anything to make this succeed.

‡

M
egan woke up
feeling sore all over and suffering from lack of sleep, but the feeling in her belly, that nervous-butterflies-new-love-feeling, was there. Rory had once again spoken to her heart in the way he made love to her. He was patient, watching her arousal build, adding to the flame and keeping her spinning. She was deliciously exhausted, yet the feel of the muscled body spooning her backside, his possessive arm over her hip and belly, gave her new energy.

She hadn’t been sure he’d react so favorably to her visit. She’d prepared her heart for a letdown in case it came to that, but she considered this to be a good strategy for self-care. If it was bad news, get it over with. If it was good news, well the day would be magic so no need to prepare or plan.

Was it her imagination, or was the sun especially bright this morning? Could she hear the snowflakes fall outside? Everything seemed like it was in slow motion without anything urgent to get up and do. Her whole world was secure in this man’s arms and in the knowledge that he was real and not hiding a past, let alone another wife. Either that, or they all were lying. The likelihood of that?

Nil.

She heard his crisp whisper in her ear, sending a vibration all over her body, traveling down her spine at the speed of light. “I still want you. Can’t seem to get enough.” He pressed her into the mattress and let her hear his ragged breathing, the aching moan of a little boy, now a man, with strong needs and a heart as big as the ocean.

Megan picked over
her eggs. She’d never sat so close to someone who watched her eat, fascinated by her every movement. He’d slipped into the booth at the diner, scooting beside her and pushing her all the way to the wall. Her arms barely had room to move. He wanted to feed her, asked her constantly if she wanted something else, and helped her hold her coffee cup. One muscled arm came over the top of the red tuck and roll design, his hand resting on her shoulder. She’d been kissed at least fifty times during the meal, and she was beginning to get self-conscious.

Their waitress was an older lady who had probably seen young lovers thousands of times. Her appreciative smile widened as she presented them with the bill.

Outside, Rory had arranged to meet up with T.J., Brady and even Fredo so they could get a few good runs in before heading back to San Diego. The idea was to ski or board until noon and then call it a day.

The slope wasn’t well populated yet so Megan watched Rory wave and return up the hill several times. She was reading one of her romance novels when Lindsay and the beautiful Mia joined her.

“You want something?” Mia asked through the tangle of her long dark hair.

“Ice water! Love some water.” She watched Mia strut to the vending machines, the eyes of every unattached male and half the attached ones following her every move.

“Looks like that’s a pretty good book,” Lindsay said.

Megan showed off the cover of the dark vampire male with the nude muscled chest. “They always do that. It does sell books.”

“Hubba hubba,” Lindsay said flashing her glasses up and down on her nose. “Wonder if Brady’ll mind me reading one of those.”

“Have him read it to you. He won’t mind at all. Trust me.” Megan had a roommate in college who was a third generation romance reader, and she’d caught the bug from her.

“Are you riding home with Rory, then?” Lindsay asked. She wiggled her sultry dark eyebrows for effect. Her sequined frames glittered in tandem.

“He asked me. He has to reposition T.J. and Ollie. But it shouldn’t be a problem.

“I think Brady and I can take them.”

A siren sounded as the two Ski Patrol snowmobiles took off up the slope, pulling a stretcher packed with equipment. People in the lodge were drawn to the large windows, watching the slopes for loved ones. Megan placed her fingers over her mouth and stood with them.

One by one, the SEALs arrived at the bottom. All except Rory. Brady crashed through the front door and grabbed Megan’s upper arms.

“Rory’s had an accident. They’re getting him stabilized, but he’ll be airlifted to a trauma center.”

Lindsay spoke up. “Why don’t they just take him to the Naval base?”

“Can’t. He’s really bad.”

“What happened?” Megan asked, her lower lip quivering and her eyes beginning to tear up.

“He crashed into some guy. Or the guy crashed into him. No one saw the collision really. They’re both in pretty bad shape, and they’re worried the older guy might have a heart attack.”

They turned to watch the two litters descend. Two ambulances were ready to transport them off-site.

“Where? Where are they going?” Megan asked.

“T.J.’s going to go with them. He’ll let us know.”

“Can I go see him?” Megan stood on tiptoes to see over the tops of several other guests of the lodge. She watched the tall SEAL standing behind the paramedics, watching everything they did.

Brady put his still-gloved paw on the backside of Megan’s neck, drawing her forehead to his as he whispered, “He’s unconscious, sweetheart. He doesn’t know any of us are around.”

‡

R
ory heard someone
screaming, and he knew they were in a firefight. His throat was irritated and he couldn’t breathe. Golden flames flickered in front of his eyes which he could not get to focus. Someone was pulling him by the left leg, making his body jerk. He was freezing cold. They had captured him. Someone tried to strangle him, restraining him by a firm grip at his shoulders with thumbs pressed against his windpipe. He heard the crack of his palm against someone’s face. He gripped the soldier’s glasses and sent them flying.