A Marine’s Proposal (7 page)

“No, thanks.”

He leaned in to whisper in her ear in what she guessed was an attempt to be seductive, but his slurry speech and odor of strong alcohol repelled her.

“Come on, babe. I’ve been watching you dance. It’s my turn.”

“No,” she said more forcefully. “I’m here with someone.” She searched for Slade, but couldn’t see him through the crowd.

“I’d give you a much better time than that clown,” he said and then grabbed her hand, forcing it on his erection while he tried to kiss her. She pulled her hand away, pushed him off, and kneed him where he had just forced her hand. When he keeled forward onto her, she pushed him away and he fell onto the sticky dance floor. The crowd moved, but barely reacted, and people continued their conversations. Caitlyn heard some male chortling above the pumping dance music and noticed a group of military men laughing.

She marched over to them, the blood pounding in her veins. “I don’t find sexual assault funny in any situation. Do you?”

“No, no,” they protested, waving their arms. One said, “He was such a big mouth saying how you looked like you wanted it and he was going to give it to you and now look at him.” He pointed to his friend struggling to his feet.

Caitlyn sauntered by him and bent down, “You’re lucky I don’t press charges.” Then she smiled to herself. “I can be a real ball buster.”

“Where have you been?” Slade asked. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“That area was getting a bit crowded for me and I didn’t see you at the bar.”

“There was a guy, where I left you, limping away, holding his testicles.” He narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t happen to have anything to do with that, did you?”

“I have my limits like everyone,” she replied with a sweet smile. “But I don’t want to talk about that on our wedding night. I’ll tell you tomorrow, okay?”

Slade appraised her as if his radar had just gone off. “Ca-ait.” He dragged her name out in two syllables and balled his hands into fists. “What did he do?”

Slade had already turned back in the direction where they had been.

“I’ve taken care of it and I’m not going to let you ruin our wedding night.”

Slade’s nostrils flared and his breathing escalated. “Did he touch you?” His eyes had narrowed to slits and a vein throbbed on the side of his neck.

Uh oh, she’d only seen him this angry once before, when a drunk private grabbed her ass as they were walking home one night. Slade ran back to the PX to pick something up and he arrived in time to see the private harassing and then grabbing her. Caitlyn punched him in the jaw. Slade then ran over and knocked the private out in one punch.

The only way Caitlyn could reach him now in his current state was his way—with directness and reason. “How convincing will this marriage be if we spend our honeymoon fighting instead of fucking?” Her choice of words shocked him enough, so he turned to face her, the murderous glint in his eye replaced by surprise. “Glad I got your attention.” She grinned and took his hands. “Come on, let’s dance the way honeymooners should be dancing.”

Caitlyn coaxed Slade back on to the dance floor. Although he scanned every male in the area at first like a predator eyeing for competition, after two songs, he appeared less inclined to attack anyone who approached. His commanding self-assured stance relaxed when he removed his blue button-down shirt. The fitted white T-shirt he wore underneath it clung to his torso, making her pulse quicken. Aware her eyes were glued to every rippling muscle as he moved fluidly so close to her, she tried to cover up her lingering stare with a flippant remark.

“You're not a bad dancer for a big tough white guy,” she teased.

“You're not a bad dancer for a clumsy little white girl,” he retorted without missing a beat.

“Oddly, I’m only clumsy around you.”

Uh oh, had she revealed too much? Damn the alcohol lowering her inhibitions and the adrenaline from the earlier incident heightening her awareness of her surroundings, focused on her dance partner. The closeness of Slade's body made it difficult for her to think coherently. His masculine physique moving in time with her struck something deep within her, evoking a sensual primal longing she wasn’t sure she’d ever experienced, nor would she ever forget.

Don't stare at him.

The faster beat transitioned into a slower track and she forced herself to focus on the music. Not Slade's body. She fought to avoid eye contact, afraid her guard was down and her true feelings would show. But even without focusing on him with her eyes, his presence was still noticeable. So close. Barely an arm’s length away.

“Then I’ll have to hold you to keep you from falling.”

He pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her yet still keeping an agonizing inch between them. She entwined her fingers around the back of his neck, touching his warm damp skin, and rested her head against his shoulder. Her movement pulled them closer together so now their bodies touched and neither pulled away. The heat coming from his body sent her heart racing and she hoped he couldn’t feel it pound against his chest. She inhaled and the masculine scent of his sweat that drew her in, reminding her of other hot and sweaty activities they could do together.

Stop thinking about him this way. You're going to screw everything up.

She closed her eyes and focused on every moment of this dance, not knowing if she could ever get this close to him like this again. All the areas where their bodies met—his strong hands on her lower back, her hands around the back of his neck, her breasts against his chest. Her nipples had hardened with need, wanting more from him, and she was aware of how moist she’d become in between her legs. She hoped he wouldn’t scent her arousal, which would give her desires away. Yet a part of her wondered if she moved her hips an inch or two closer, would she feel his excitement as well.

Keeping an emotional distance was almost impossible with the physical barriers breaking down between them. When the slow song ended, she was both thankful and murderous for a reason to pull her body away.

“I can't believe we've never gone dancing before,” she said. Why was her voice so throaty? “Isn't it fun?”

“It's all right,” he muttered.

“Oh, you're full of it,” she poo-pooed, trying to brush away desire that had inflamed her as he held her close. “I know it's not some crazy Slade outdoor activity, but I can see you're having a good time.”

“Then don't spoil it,” he said with a half-smile.

He grabbed her and spun her around. She gasped out of surprise and then laughed as she caught her balance. Although a part of her warned he was just playing the part of a honeymooner the way she had suggested, Slade distracted her from any logical thought or insecurity as they danced. Her body followed his expert rhythm, which put far more illicit thoughts in her head. Her body screamed its need for him, reminding her how perfectly they connected.

When they took a break for a drink, the little voice inside her came back, warning her not to read more into this unless she wanted to wind up hurt and alone. Her emotions warred with her body's needs after she drank a fruity cocktail and returned to the dance floor, her need for him immediately escalated. Caitlyn had to put an end to itbefore she dismissed all warnings and threw herself at him.

She declared, “My feet hurt. Mind if we go back to the hotel?”

“Of course not, I'm doing this for you.”

“No you're not. We're both having fun. Why would you say that?”

Slade shrugged. “Because you wanted to dance. The only reason I know of guys going out to dance is to pick up women or because their woman wants to go dancing. Or if they're gay.”

Caitlyn scoffed, “Surely that's not true.”

“Oh yeah, name one guy who likes to go dancing just to dance.”

Caitlyn gazed up to the sky as she tried to think of someone. Yep, all the single guys they knew went clubbing to pick up women.

“See?”

“Oh shut it,” she said. “Come on, let's go. But you're full of it. I know you had a great time and are just being too macho to admit it.”

****

Back at the hotel, Caitlyn pulled back the comforter and plopped down on the bed propping up against three of the six fluffy pillows. She turned on the TV.

“I'm surprised you didn't grab the room service menu,” Slade teased.

“Ooh, good idea,” she cooed. “I thought I'd see what's on. I'm not ready for bed yet. Maybe there's a movie.”

“Scoot over,” Slade said.

Caitlyn's heart raced with him lying on the bed with her. They'd hung out on each other's beds countless times in the barracks as they didn't have couches, but the romantic ambiance of this hotel room lent a very different vibe to the situation. The bed wasn’t the standard-issue military twin bed squeezed in for practicality, not comfort. King-size and covered with fluffy white beddinga rich down comforter and sheets of such high-quality, the soft cotton linen was as smooth as silk. She searched the hotel room for a cot or something else that would suffice. They wouldn't actually be
sleeping
in the same bed together, would they?

“Don't worry,” he clarified as if sensing her unease. “I'll grab a pillow and sleep on the floor.”

“Oh, I don't want you to do that!” Caitlyn noted the pitch in her voice and tried with a more neutral one. “I mean it's gross down there.”

“We'll figure it out,” Slade said.

Caitlyn flipped through channel after channel, searching for a show in English they could watch.

“Good God, woman, just pick something!” Slade said.

“I'm looking!” she protested.

“Give it to me,” he said, reaching for the remote.

“No,” she pulled it away quickly and laughing. “You're already acting like a husband. Nice acting.”

“Give it here,” Slade rolled toward her, laughing.

“Equal rights in this marriage.” She laughed again.

“Oh yeah?” Slade pulled her arm toward him, bringing her closer. Then he straddled her as he tried to wrestle the remote out of her hands.

Caitlyn giggled as she squirmed beneath him, switching the remote from one hand to another to torment him.

“Stop squirming. I know where you're ticklish,” Slade said.

“Not all the places,” Caitlyn began, but stopped herself. Had she'd said too much?

“Really?” He arched one eyebrow. “Guess I need to work on finding them all.”

Caitlyn bit her lip as she pictured how he'd go about exploring her body for more. In her distraction, Slade got a grip on the remote and yanked it from her hand.

“Play fair!” she protested and looked him dead in the eye.

Only when she saw the humor that glinted in his eyes replaced by one filled with hunger, she forgot why she was protesting.

Caitlyn froze as her eyes searched his, which had darkened with unconcealed need, and she was unable to deny the longing within her. In this moment, she forgot they were only supposed to be friends; he was a man she desired with all her being. The predatory nature of his gaze indicated he felt the same need. 

Time ceased to move forward when Slade broke eye contact to focus on her lips. Caitlyn realized she had parted them unconsciously. Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it, too. His focus was on her mouth and when he leaned down, a small sigh involuntarily escaped her lips.

Her eyes closed without any conscious thought on her part. Without sight, all her other senses awoke with a heightened awareness. She caught his masculine aroma in his body scent, the shaving cream and after shave combined with the heat lingering on his skin from their night dancing. While the sounds of the city traffic and nightlife, which was winding down, crept in from outside their hotel, inside she heard the sounds of their heavy breathing.

The warmth of his breath touched her face. Her breath caught in the agonizing moment as she waited for him to close the distance, the prolonged anticipation was too much too take. If he changed his mind now, she might not ever regain her sanity. She almost opened her eyes.

But then she was awarded with a soft, fluttering touch of lips brushing hers.

Relief flooded her. She resumed breathing.

She leaned up to respond, pressing her wanton lips against his. Her acquiescence with her lips seemed to encourage him to continue and he pressed his body down onto hers. When their lips touched again, he alternated between slowly savoring her bottom lip and then furiously exploring her mouth to claim it as his own.

Caitlyn had fantasized about this moment for so long; now that it finally happened, her body knew exactly what it wanted—more. She wrapped her arms around his back, down to his waist, pulling him closer to her to fill the growing need inside. She met the passion in his kiss as their tongues intertwined. Despite how well they knew each other, this was unchartered territory and they explored each other with fascination. She tasted the whiskey on his tongue, which lent to the dangerous yet exciting appeal of their forbidden kiss. A kiss that might undo their best laid plans.

“Oh, Caitlyn,” he murmured as his lips moved to kiss her face, her sensitive neck, which she bent to accommodate his sensuous lips.

Her lips longed for his to be on them again, but the rest of her body now lit on fire as his tongue traveled down her skin leaving a trail of nerves exploding in erotic flames. She ran one hand over the close cut of his military haircut and then down the back of his neck over his muscular shoulder blades, carved to perfection from hours of rock climbing outdoors. His broad physique made her feel tiny underneath him.

Slade's hand found her breast and he fondled gently. He tormented her with sweet kisses down her neck, nibbling her shoulder.