SEAL Forever (14 page)

He cleared his throat; her tenderness had brought a sudden swell of emotion. “I missed you too.” He stroked her hair and her nightgown-covered back, and then shifted her body so she lay half on top of him. “I'm terrible with words. They get in the way. I'm better at showing.” He kissed her, putting everything he wanted to share with her in that touch of lips.

A moan escaped her mouth. It was his turn to take his time and explore the beauty of Maura Maxwell, and given her response, this was exactly what she sought.

Her needs rose to his. She was kissing him back as if he were oxygen. Her hands caressed his skin, playing along the muscles on his chest and stomach and then pulling on his biceps…wanting…asking for him to be on top. As he rolled over, he struck his leg and cried out.

“Sorry,” she said. “I'm such a disaster.”

“No,” he said. “You're not. Come here.” Pulling her on top of him, he settled her so that she couldn't tweak his leg, and then they began to play. There was no rushing as he cupped and caressed her breasts, first with his hands and fingers and then with his tongue.

The soft murmurs of pleasure coming from the back of her throat excited him. Her skin was so soft and beckoning, it was hard to keep his hands off of her. As she moved restlessly against him, he lowered his touch to that most tender place between her legs, and finding the rhythm that made her breath race and her body arch made him smile. Again and again he brought her until she was so wet, his fingers were bathed in her essence.

Then he lifted her again, suspending her body above his.

She giggled such a purely feminine sound. “You're so strong. You could probably do bench presses with me all day long.”

“You're lighter than my pack.” He grinned. “Uh, do you have a…”

She nodded and pointed to the drawer next to him.

The box was sealed. He ripped it open and put on the condom, and then he lifted her back into position and lowered her onto his waiting cock, watching as her eyes went wide and her mouth opened.

When he was completely inside of her, she sighed. “Declan.”

Taking his hands from her waist, he said, “I'm all yours. Do with me what you will.”

The smile on her lips was wicked. She moved slowly at first, finding her pace.

He relished the pleasure, something he hadn't enjoyed for a long, long time. His body was so close, so primed, but he held on, waiting for the moment when her back arched and she cried out.

“Declan!”

His name was a call to battle. Grabbing her hips with both hands, he increased the speed, driving himself deeper into her, and then he came. His body shook with the force of the climax. His arms vibrated with effort and he almost dropped her on the bed as he lifted her off. Instead, he managed to tuck her next to his body. God, it was like a marathon.

Words tumbled unheeded from his mouth. “I was on an Op and it went sideways. One of the explosions caught up to us faster than we realized, and it blew my leg off. I don't know what it means, if I'll still be able to be active duty, though I'm pretty sure my operational days are over.” He took a long, slow, deep breath and then let it out. “I'm not ready to face all the emotional baggage that goes along with this, but I do know that I care deeply for you. I thought of you often. I just…didn't want you to worry…and didn't know what to say…about this.”

“You wanted to tell me in person,” she added.

“Yes.” He hugged her tightly. “Be patient with me.”

She pushed herself up onto her elbow and looked at him. “Why wouldn't I? You're still the same man, the person I was falling for.”

He grinned. “I thought I was the only one doing the falling.”

Her fist struck his chest in a playful jab. “Ha, ha. Who wouldn't fall for you?”

“Don't underestimate yourself, Maura. The fact that you're unaware of your own strength, fortitude, and beauty…you're a gorgeous woman inside and out. Most of all, your tender heart…touches me.” Declan felt emotions welling up inside. Maybe this was the time to put it out there, what he felt he had to say to her. “Just want you to know. I'm not the only fish out there. You can do better.” He had to give her an out, as much as it hurt him.

“Declan, I'm not going anywhere. You're the only one I want.” She leaned down and kissed him, teasing his upper lip until he joined in. “I've put away my fishing pole.”

He nodded, his heart full. She wanted to be with him, even given everything going on. He was speechless.

He took his time exploring her body and listening to her moans and sighs before he brought her to completion. One thing was for sure, the passion between them had not faded, and neither had Maura's sweetness.

Hard to think of myself as falling for this guy, and yet I am.
Maura blew the suds off of her hands and dried them on a recycled paper towel. Tossing it into the garbage from where she stood, she said, “Two points.”

It had hardly been twenty-four hours, and she was practically lovesick.

“Sorry, I didn't hear you,” he said, patting his lap.

“Just considering telling the world that you've made me a sex addict.” She settled herself instead next to him on the couch. She wanted him naked and available to fulfill her desires 24/7.
Is that normal?

“Welcome to the club.” His arm settled around her shoulders, and she snuggled into his warmth. “They say admitting the problem is the first step to wallowing in it or fixing it. What's your choice?”

“Wallow.”

He grinned at her. “Good choice.” His hands moved under her shirt, rubbing along her spine. “Can I ask you a question?”

“You just did,” she teased as she rolled her eyes. “I'm kidding. Go ahead.”

He lifted the back of her shirt and laid a kiss on the scarred flesh of her back. “You never talk about your scars, but you're obviously comfortable with them. Would you share the experience of how they happened?”

She nodded her head. She wasn't scared of showing her scars, not anymore. But she was still uncomfortable talking about them.

Declan studied her, and then shook his head. “Sorry. If it's too much…”

“No.” She patted his hand. “It's okay. Just give me a minute. I'm comfortable with myself and my body. The scars are part of my life experience. But I, uh, still have difficulty…talking about the accident. It brings me back to that moment like it was yesterday.”

She took a long, ragged breath and let it out. “Okay. As you know, I began gymnastics at the age of three. I loved tumbling, and the beam—I couldn't get enough of it and would spend hours and hours practicing. So in middle school, my parents enrolled me in a gym about two hours from our house that was known for its competitive standing and for making great gymnasts. I competed for them throughout high school—my folks made me go to a regular high school so I'd have friends and a regular experience, but I was hardly there and nothing was normal about my life.”

She shifted in her seat. “It was senior year. I was returning from a gymnastics meet with five friends. We were all piled in there together. None of us were wearing seat belts. We were celebrating, because we'd just slaughtered our nemesis, Knotch—a gym that had turned out two gold medal winners and one bronze—and we were pretty pumped.”

Maura couldn't hold his gaze, so she looked at her hands. The memory came to life again as clear and painful as if it were yesterday. “Betsy was driving, and Elizabeth was in the passenger seat. I was behind the driver, Renee was behind the passenger side, and Chassey”—she swallowed the hard lump in her throat as tears welled in her eyes—“Chassey was in the middle seat. I don't know what happened up front, but our SUV overturned. I can still feel it rolling—over and over. The metal twisted and we were screaming.”

Wiping tears off her face, she continued. “I must have blacked out, and when I came to, I was pinned and my arm was trapped in the wreckage. A piece of sharp metal had cut into my back and I could feel the blood. But the hardest—” She swallowed and coughed, choking on her anguish. “The hardest part was looking up and seeing Chassey. My best friend's body was broken, and her face was turned to me. There was no life in her eyes; all of the energy that made her such a firecracker was gone.” She looked up at him, sobbing.
God, after all these years, it's still hard to talk about it.

“Chassey's head was next to mine for hours, while the firefighters worked to free me from the wreckage.” She held his gaze as if he were a lifeline. “It was like she was hugging me…holding me…while the skin on my crushed arm died and I lost all feeling in my fingers and hand. And I talked to her. Trying to get her to talk to me, but she wouldn't. I knew. I knew the truth in my mind, but my heart wouldn't let go.”

He reached for her.

She let him pull her into his arms. She wept. Declan was only the third person, besides her parents and her last boyfriend, she'd told. The potency was always there, in the periphery of her life, waiting to catch her. And she still missed Chassey.

He kissed her head and rubbed his hand over her back. “I'm here. I'm not letting you go.”

She wiped her face on her sleeve. “Thanks.”

“What happened to the other girls?”

“They lived. But I don't think any of us were the same. I left gymnastics, because of my arm. I had to go through a bunch of surgeries. They replaced the bone of my arm and I had a bunch of grafts on it and on my back.” She leaned back so she could look at him. “I might not understand exactly what you are going through, but I understand some of it.”

“I'm glad you shared that story.” His fingers traced the scars on her back. “I like your battle scars. They are part of who you are.”

“Thanks,” she said. “I never thought of it that way. But I suppose if we live long enough on this planet, only the rare soul is without trauma and pain.” She cuddled closer to him. “Are you going to talk about your experience?”

He nodded his head slowly. It was time to let the pain out. He couldn't hide forever. “Though I'm foggy on some of the details. We had planted several charges, ready to blow the place, but we made a mistake. We didn't take into account the type of explosives they had in this…uh, bunker.” He sighed. “I'm sorry I can't be more specific…”

“That's okay. I honestly don't want to know the details that aren't relevant to you. Please…continue.”

He gestured with his hand. “So we set the explosives and the timers and got out of there. But the enemy was on our heels, and when the explosives detonated, we were thrown. I couldn't make a lot of sense of it after that, but all I was worried about was my Team and getting away from the pain. At the hospital, I was able to check in and find out they were okay, and I had to face the fact that I lost my leg.”

Declan was staring at some far-off spot. “Infections meant more meds and additional surgeries, and when I could finally go home, I didn't tell anyone. Of course Gich found out—he always does—and met me at the airport and brought me home.”

“I met him. Gich.” She waved her hand. “It's a long story, but he walked me home from McP's. He seems like a good soul.”

Declan turned his gaze to her. “He is. I've known him for my entire career in the Navy. He's a Sea Daddy to a whole bunch of us.”

“Interesting term…”

“Yeah, a combination of mentor, friend, teacher, nemesis, and a few guys add Antichrist into that mix. Gich can be a handful, though he's one of the best men I know. I trust him with my life, and obviously, now with my lady.” He winked at her and then there was a long pause.

“You know the story I told you about my accident.” She waited for his nod. “I only told that to one other person besides my parents, and that was my last boyfriend. He told me that I was too clingy and emotional, and he dumped me after that. I wouldn't do that to someone. I wouldn't do that to you. I have such strong feelings for you, Declan. As a matter of fact, I think…no, I know that I'm falling in love with you.”

He drew her head toward his and he kissed her. “Me too.” He placed his forehead on hers.

“Glad to know that I'm not the only one. What should we do now?”

“Get naked.”

Maura sighed. Men did not make good patients. There were still bandages that needed to be changed on Declan's leg. According to the paperwork, he was supposed to take the entire dressing off and let his wounds air out. He was being stubborn.

As her hands reached for the edge of the tape, he stopped her. “Don't.”

“I have bandages. We can wrap it later.”

He sighed. “You read the paperwork on my counter.”

“Yep,” she admitted.

Putting his hands over his head, he held the edge of the headboard. “Go ahead.”

She nodded. Slowly, she pulled back the tape and unwound it. Then she pulled off the first layer of wrapping, and then the second, until she reached the gauzy pads at the bottom. “They're stuck.”

He leaned down and ripped them off. Blood oozed out.

Naked, she ran to the bathroom and came back with gauze and first aid wash. Gently, she cleaned the wound, put ointment on the bleeding parts, and then wiped all around the stump. Putting the first aid items aside, she withdrew a small amber bottle and then lifted his leg and propped it on a pillow. Tenderly, she rubbed vitamin E oil onto the healed parts and then started massaging his thigh. Up and down she went, rubbing the healing oil into his skin and muscles and occasionally raining kisses.

He watched her. His breath caught as her bare breasts touched his skin now and then. When she was done, she rubbed the rest of the oil on her breasts and belly and used herself to rub oil into him. It was sensual, and sexy. He reached for her.

She moved out of his grasp, wanting him hard and ready for her when she was done. “Not yet,” she murmured as her teeth caught the tender parts of his inner thigh and toyed with him.

Teasing her way upward, she inhaled his essence—so male, so him. The musk was driving her wild and she wanted to keep going, but he lost his patience, pulling her upward and into his arms. He rolled her to his good side, his hands and fingers eager to touch her.

“I'm more than ready,” she whispered in his ear as she tormented his earlobe.

He growled and pushed her thighs wide. His fingers assured that she was ready for him. Grabbing a condom from the bedside-table drawer, he pushed it on and was back in position. Kissing her, exploring her mouth with his tongue, he thrust into her.

She moaned into his mouth as he filled her. The pleasure was so intense, she couldn't stop herself from moving against him, needing more…

He filled her fast and furiously, increasing his pace as she kissed him wildly. Her nails dug into his shoulders as her first climax overtook her. Just as swiftly another built, until they were cascading and she could hardly catch her breath.

She broke the kiss, panting as he threw back his head and called her name.

Her final orgasm slammed through her system as her body sought to drink him dry of his seed.

Carefully, he pulled out, placing the condom in a tissue and dropping it in the wastebasket next to the bed. Then he gathered her close.

His voice was rough as he said, “Thank you.”

“Always.” She knew exactly what he meant. The words were not referring just to the sex; it was the whole experience—the acceptance. Her accepting him made it easier for him, and his accepting her made it easier for her—this was a two-way street. And she could feel the change. Their lovemaking had been more special this time, more intimate than last night. Emotion and openness changed things.

She snuggled her head under his chin and smiled. She loved this man. Wherever things went from here, she'd given from her soul and he'd shared his in return. “Always,” she repeated, and in her mind, she said, “I love you, Declan.”

* * *

Two hours didn't really count as sleep, but neither of them cared. She had taken a shower as he loaded a movie into the DVD player. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing. I paused the movie at the beginning.”

“Why?” She laughed. “You could have started it. I would have caught up.”

“A movie with battleships
and
aliens. They filmed most of it in Oahu. Love Hawaii.” He sighed. “Yeah, I had to wait. This is something that has to be seen in order. There's no rewinding and fast-forwarding.” His head tipped down to hers, touching their foreheads. “Besides, you made dinner and I provided the movie. Did I thank you for getting my packages while I was gone? If I had been deployed, I would have stopped it, but when I get called for a mission, I rarely have time to do more than get my gear.”

“Sweet man.” She laughed. “Yes, you thanked me. Several times.” Maura cleared her throat. “Speaking of mail, Olivia dropped off an envelope.”

“Doesn't matter.” He waved the notion away.

“It's not a love note, is it?” She hated to ask, but she was unwilling to let the idea take root and fester.

“Maybe in Olivia's mind it is. Her standard attempt to draw me back in is writing a check to Naval Special Warfare or NSW-Kids. That's my soft spot. They help SEAL families quite a bit. Another good cause is the Warrior Foundation too. And when I thank her for her donation or her efforts on the charity's behalf, she ropes me into a meal. Obligation, I suppose.” He shook his head. “I've been very forthcoming that I'm not looking for a relationship or anything else from her. But she seems to be stuck on me. I wish she'd get over it.”

“Sticky spot to be in.”

“Not really. It's clear to me.” He hugged her tightly. “Many things have been clarified in my life as of late.” He nibbled on her neck and then tickled her playfully. “You are the only woman I want to spend time with.”

She laughed and struggled to get out of his grasp. “Stop! Let me go.”

“Never.” He leaned in and kissed her neck, teasing the tender flesh until she turned toward him and gave him her lips.

“I'm not surrendering.”

His eyes held hers. “I wouldn't want you to. Just be exactly who you are.”

She laid her lips on his, getting lost in the kiss and the warmth of his arms. The primal urge lay just below the surface, willing and wanting, needing and craving his touch. “We just did it, and we'll miss the movie.”

“I'll rewind it.” As he lowered her slowly back onto the couch, the remote triggered the movie. Missiles fired as she pulled his shirt over his head. The sounds in the background became more distant as the kisses transported her, them, to somewhere special. It was a place where they were all alone, making love in the peaceful harmony of bare skin, titillating caresses, and breathtaking pleasure.