A SEAL's Secret (10 page)

“My way means I’m going to worship your body,” he told her quietly. “While I have my way, there’s only one thing I want you to do.”

Livi found herself nodding before he even told her what it was. She didn’t care. She’d do anything to continue feeling this good, to feel even better. She started to lift one hand to grab him again but found her hand trapped. Glancing down, she saw her wrists bracketed by her bra straps and realized he’d unhooked it when he’d leaned forward.

She frowned at the black silk, trying to move her hands again. Had he knotted it? Her hands were at least six inches apart, but they were definitely tied together.

Her startled eyes flew back to Mitch’s face, noting his wicked smile.

“What do you want me to do?” she finally asked when she realized he’d stand there waiting until she did.

“Lay back and enjoy.”

That’s it?

It sounded so simple.

But it wasn’t.

It wasn’t just that Livi had spent the last year of her marriage doing most of the sexual heavy lifting—so to speak—in an attempt to make it up to Derrick that she couldn’t get pregnant. It was that for all their apparent desperation to get their hands on her body, she’d never had a man actually worship her.

It should be easy to lay back and let him give her pleasure.

But that required trust.

So, so many levels of trust.

She surreptitiously tried to free her hands, but the slippery fabric wouldn’t budge. Before she could decide if she was worried or not, Mitch began unbuttoning his shirt.

Livi’s breath caught in her chest, her eyes eating him up inch by inch as the dark fabric parted. He tugged the shirt from his waistband, releasing the last few buttons. She wet her lips then sucked the bottom one between her teeth and waited.

He shrugged off his shirt.

She moaned quietly.

He was gorgeous. Despite the calendar saying December, Mitch’s body was a golden tan, the sprinkling of black hair on his chest emphasizing perfectly sculpted pectorals. His waist tapered, angling down to frame a six-pack that made her thirsty for everything he had to offer.

He kicked off his shoes, and Livi hummed.

But then he stopped.

Frowning, she gave him a saucy look.

“More?”

“Lay back.”

Livi glanced at the bed before focusing on Mitch’s pants. His erection was impressive behind that straining zipper, but she wanted to see it free, to touch it, feel it, taste it.

“But—”

Mitch hooked one finger through the fabric of her bra where it rested in her lap. His knuckle rubbed against her panties, right above her mound. Her clitoris quivered, needy, wet and aching.

Livi laid back. Her knees bent and her feet on the floor, she left her hands on her belly until Mitch gave them a questioning look.

Livi’s heart pounded, her pulse racing as if she’d run a four-minute mile. She swallowed hard. Trying not to squirm at the wet heat pooling between her thighs, she slowly raised her hands overhead, resting them on her hair where it pillowed around her like a halo. It wouldn’t have been an unfamiliar position if she were doing crunches, but she’d never had to be in it almost naked.

From Mitch’s smile, he knew that. And he liked it.

Then his gaze shifted to her body. His expression changed, amusement fading into desire. His fingers trailed over her knees, which automatically moved aside so he could step between them. He pressed his palms against her thighs, sliding them upward so they caught on the fabric of her panties.

Was he going to pull them off? Rip them away? Livi’s breath hitched and she tried not to squirm, even though she wanted to. More, she wanted to shift, to press herself against one of those hands and force him to ease some of the building pressure.

He angled his fingers to skim along the elastic at her thighs from the sides inward. Closer and closer. She shifted her hips higher, needing him to touch her, wanting to know what he could do, how he’d make her feel.

But before he got to her core, he slid his fingers back and pressed his palms flat again.

“Tease,” she breathed, her word a puff of air.

“I’ll make you a deal,” he promised, giving her a wink as his hands caressed the flat planes of her stomach. “For every bit of teasing I do, you’re welcome to do your own. Later.”

Oh, now that was a deal Livi would enjoy. Her smile bloomed, but before she could tell him what she’d do, his hands cupped her breasts. He caught her nipples between two fingers, holding and pinching at the same time.

Livi’s hips bucked, her body hot and tight, right there on orgasm’s sweet edge. He continued gently squeezing her full breasts, her nipples rolling between his knuckles. Her breath came so fast, her throat was on fire. She leaned her head back, closing her eyes and reveling in the feel of his incredible hands.

She felt him move closer, bare skin sliding along her inner thighs.
Oh, please, yes
, her body begged. She wanted him so badly, needed him inside her.

Her eyes flew open when wet heat swirled around her nipple. His stiff tongue circled, teased, flicked, even as his hands still kneaded her so that she felt each rhythmic squeeze deep in her abdomen.

“You like that?” he asked, watching her as he licked.

“Oh, my, yes,” she breathed, arching her back.

He released one breast, shifting her hands so they were cupped behind her head, angling her neck so she could watch. Livi had never watched a man pleasure her before, but she obeyed Mitch’s silent demand.

His eyes locked on hers as he sucked the aching, hard nipple into his mouth. She gasped, feeling rather than seeing him work it between his teeth even as his tongue soothed her.

Her hips undulated, trying to find the right pressure, the right angle, to relieve some of the building tension.

But his chest was pressed against her belly, so she couldn’t find relief. Instead, the need coiled more and more tightly.

He ran his tongue over her breast, swirling a wet path up the other one, sucking the nipple in his mouth. At the same time, his fingers pinched the wet flesh he’d just left. Livi didn’t think she’d ever felt anything as incredible, had ever had anyone so intimately aware of her body as Mitch was now.

As if he heard her thought and just had to show her how much more intimate he’d be getting, his fingers slipped under her panties, pulling the fabric aside. Cool air hit hot flesh, the contrast its own turn-on. Then Mitch pinched her wet, aching bud between his fingers, sliding, teasing, tormenting.

Livi curved her back, needing more.

“You like this?”

She couldn’t even find the breath to say yes. All she could do was moan. A long, throaty agreement because, oh, that felt good.

He must have liked her answer, because he slid down her body to angle himself between her thighs. She didn’t feel the fabric tear, didn’t know if he’d pulled her panties off or they’d simply melted in her heat, but suddenly, his mouth was there.

His tongue touched her bud and slid along its wet length. With that one touch, all of Livi’s thoughts disappeared. Sensation took over. Hot, vivid sensation filled with an edgy sort of need.

He lifted her thighs so they draped over his shoulders, then shifted himself higher, so her hips were off the bed. His eyes locked on hers. All Livi could see was a brilliant blue as she watched him sip at her.

Then his fingers were on her nipples again, plucking, thrumming, playing her. His tongue speared into her core, the throbbing inner walls gripping him as tiny spirals of pleasure burst, collided and expanded into a mind-blowing orgasm.

As she exploded into a million pieces of pleasure, her eyes stayed open, stayed on his. The look on his face sent her even higher, called up yet another climax, this one so powerful her entire body shook.

Everything went black. She could hear her cries, could feel his mouth, pressed herself tighter against his fingers. And she went over a third time, only one thought working through the sensations racking her body.

Super Hottie, indeed.

* * *

G
OD
,
SHE
WAS
AMAZING
.

Mitch sipped, delighting in Livi’s ambrosia as he watched her explode.

He had a firm handle on his body, knew how to use its responses, how to delay its reactions. In part that was training, but mostly it was innate. He liked control.

But his control was being seriously tested right now. Livi’s cries beckoned, tempting him to the edge. The sight of her body, so lush yet muscled, so gorgeously responsive, had him hard and ready to burst.

But it was the feel of her that was seducing him brainless.

She was silk over steel, soft golden skin stretched over well-developed muscles. He’d never realized how erotic a strong woman was. From her full breasts to her flat abs to the corded length of her calves, every inch of her was making him crazy.

He wanted to touch it all. He needed to taste it all.

But with every slide of his hand, every shift of her body, he came closer and closer to that edge.

He reveled in the way her thighs gripped his arms, his torso, and strained toward his dick as he slowly lowered her to the bed.

Mitch unhooked his slacks, his hand on the zipper when Livi gave a low moan, stretching her arms overhead and twisting her body in a writhing sort of undulation. Her lashes fluttered open, those pretty brown eyes dazed as she stared up at him.

Then she smiled.

A slow, sensual smile, and wet her lips.

“Mm,” she murmured, raising one knee and trailing her own fingers along her thigh, across her stomach, over one full, pouting breast and to her lips. Her smile mischievous, she pressed a kiss to those fingers and blew it his way. “Want a real one?”

More than he wanted his next breath.

“Then c’mon. Do me now, Super Hottie,” she invited.

Mitch swore he heard the snap as his control broke. He ripped off his pants, barely remembering to grab a condom from the pocket before he dove onto the bed.

Livi’s delighted laugh quickly turned to cries of pleasure as his hands raced over her body. Squeezing, tweaking, teasing. He took her mouth, needing to taste her.

His tongue thrust in and out, slowly at first, then faster and faster to foreshadow what was about to come. Livi’s fingers dug into his shoulders, her pelvis arching, begging.

His body was on fire. She slipped a hand free from her restraints and swept down, nails scraping gently over his abs, fingers wrapping like a velvet vice around his throbbing dick. He almost came right then and there. Had to grab fast to the edge of the cliff before he flew right over. Not yet, he chanted silently. Not without her.

He angled his body out of her reach. She gave a keening moan of protest, the sound turning into a gasp when he took her nipple between his teeth.

Testing, his fingers dipped, swirled.

Her breath shortened. He felt her body tense, knew she was close. His fingers still working her, he sipped at her breast while sheathing himself with his free hand.

Livi’s moans grew short.

Her fingers scrambled over his body, scraping, kneading.

He drew back a little, breathing a hot puff of air on her wet nipple.

She exploded.

He couldn’t look away. She was incredible to watch. Color painted her cheeks, poured over her breasts. Her back arched as she milked every ounce of pleasure out of her climax.

So what else could Mitch do but make sure she had another one? Before the last wave ebbed, he plunged in.

He wanted to feel that pleasure, needed to be inside her while she came.

She was so tight. So strong.

Her thighs clamped onto his hips, her abs tight and hard as she dug her heels into the bed, her body angled to meet his thrusts. The harder he plunged, the faster and louder she moaned.

She was so responsive.

So perfect.

Perfect for him.

Even as that thought terrified him, it sent a piercing shaft of pleasure though him like a bolt of lightning. Mitch gave over to his body, letting it take control.

Pleasure built, layered, tightened. His focus narrowed to a pinpoint. All he could see was Livi’s face.

All he could feel was need as she continued to meet his thrusts, adding a little undulation on each one. The twisting friction pushed his final button.

Mitch plunged once.

Twice.

He paused and tried to hold back the pounding waves of pleasure, but he couldn’t.

He plunged again.

And exploded.

Over and over and over, he rode the explosion. Colors flashing, his body trembling. Through it all, he felt Livi’s hands, so soft as they soothed his body, rubbed his back. Made his return as much a pleasure as his blastoff.

As he slowly drifted back to awareness, Mitch rolled onto his side, wrapping Livi tight in his arms as he did. Her body trembled, gratifying proof that she still felt the power of their lovemaking.

She blew his mind.

Mitch had never been a selfish man—especially not in bed. He considered it as much a pleasure to send his partner over the edge as he did to go over himself.

He’d never felt like this before.

He didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

But it was definitely a real thing.

His hands cupped her butt, pulling her closer. Mitch buried his face in Livi’s hair.

Everything about her appealed to him.

Everything about her fascinated him.

This was so, so real.

8

“T
HIS
IS
DELICIOUS
. How do you eat like
this
and still have a body like
that
?”

Livi laughed as she swirled angel hair pasta around her fork, the rich scent of tomato, basil and garlic filling the air.

“It’s not a very high-calorie meal,” she said with a shrug. Just dried pasta, a quick homemade sauce and wine-sautéed chicken breasts. Derrick hadn’t liked it, saying it wasn’t spaghetti if it didn’t have meatballs—not surprising from a man with a ball fetish. “I tend to stick with fresh ingredients and simple preparations. Nothing fancy. Besides, I exercise for a living, remember?”

He gave her a long look, his blue eyes traveling over her body like a hot caress. Dressed in flannel sleep shorts and a thin tank top that showed as much as it concealed, her hair bundled up in a messy ponytail and her feet bare, Livi knew she wasn’t at her best. But that expression in his eyes made her feel as if she was perfect.

“Your body is a credit to your career,” he said as he toasted her with his fork. “And this meal a credit to great flavor.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Livi smiled, pleasure wrapping through her at his praise.

“It’s great. Fresh, healthy, delicious.” As if to prove his point, Mitch ate his last bite and eyed hers. Still on her first serving, which was a quarter of either of his, Livi leaned forward to scoop half of her chicken and what was left of her own pasta onto his empty plate. As she settled back into her cozy spot on the floor, she rested her elbows on the glass coffee table, her chin on her knuckles and her heart on her sleeve.

What a night.

Had she ever been made love to like that? It took all of a millisecond to review her history and come up with a resounding “never.” The first time had blown her mind. The second had been a surprise—apparently Super Hotties didn’t need much downtime between rounds of pleasure—that’d quickly turned to delight when Mitch gave her the same free rein with his body as he’d demanded of hers the first round.

Livi had collapsed on top of him after that one, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

They’d opted to eat in the living room instead of on stools at the kitchen counter. For ambiance, she’d turned on her version of Christmas lights—a string of blue, green and purple bulbs draped along the ceiling. Mitch was spread out comfortably across her couch, but Livi had chosen to sit cross-legged on the floor across from him to enjoy the view.

And what a view he was.

Unselfconsciously naked but for his navy-blue boxers, he didn’t appear to have an ounce of spare body fat. Instead, he was pure, gorgeous muscled perfection.

And he knew it.

No wonder the man oozed self-confidence. He obviously didn’t let anyone push him around. Probably because nobody had the strength.

It wasn’t a physical thing.

She had muscles, and without being conceited, she knew she had a rockin’ body. That was her job.

The confidence to stand up, to keep anyone from pushing her around? That didn’t come from healthy eating and strength training. She wished it did.

Of course, that wish came with the question...

What would she do if she had that sort of confidence?

Who would she face down?

What would she change?

Wanting was so easy.

But going for it?

That
was another story.

Then again...

Her eyes trailed over Mitch’s body, her mouth going dry.

She’d wanted Mitch. Probably more than she could remember wanting anything or anyone else in her life.

And she’d had him.

Oh, my, she’d had him in so many delicious ways.

But had she gone for him? Was it enough that she’d gone along for the ride, if she ended up exactly where she wanted?

It could be.

But that was the easy way.

She watched the play of muscles as Mitch lifted his fork, his bicep rippling effortlessly, his abs tightening when he twisted to set his plate on the table. Her eyes dropped to the only part of his body not showing skin. She’d never wished for a tighty-whitey kind of guy, but she’d bet they’d offer a better view right now.

She wanted to see him naked.

Wanted to feast her eyes on every single one of his muscles. To stroke, pet, lick them. She wanted to watch him grow, to see if she could inspire him to new lengths. Long, hard new lengths.

She let out a shaky breath.

Maybe hard was a whole lot better than easy.

She gave a little shiver.

“You cold?”

Livi blinked, then mentally replayed the question.

Cold?

Oh, my, no.

“Just hungry,” she told him quietly.

“Oops.” Mitch shot a rueful glance at his clean plate.

But she wasn’t hungry for food.

Livi was pretty sure if she waited, Mitch would feed that hunger without any prompting from her. He’d probably come up with an even better way to do it, too. Something creatively sexy, like he’d done when he’d tied her wrists together. She shivered at the memory, delighting in the idea of waiting, in letting him take control.

But there was something about Mitch that made her want to prove herself. Livi wanted him to see her as an equal. As a source of as much pleasure and excitement as she saw him.

Even more, she wanted him to feel the helpless need for her, that intense craving that she had for him. There were so many levels of need. She didn’t just want him to need her body in a way that any woman could fill.

She wanted him to need her to answer the desires she, and she alone, inspired. The ones she stirred up through her actions, through her imagination and through her demands on him.

“Want dessert? I thought I saw strawberries in the fridge.”

“Strawberries are nice,” Livi replied in the same quiet, contemplative tone as before.

As she said it, she realized nice would never stick with a man like Mitch. Nice was okay, but forgettable. Nice could be replaced with good or okay or not bad.

Livi wet her lips and slowly got to her feet.

She would never forget Mitch.

She didn’t want him to ever forget her, either.

Which meant she had to go for it and get beyond “nice.”

Her eyes locked on his, she moved around the coffee table to stand beside him. A part of her, the one that always wanted to hide instead of talk to people, whispered for her to take the plate and pretend she was simply tidying up.

Livi took a deep breath and hushed that whisper.

Instead, she crossed her arms over her stomach, grabbed the hem of her tank and pulled it overhead.

His brows shot up.

What was the worst he could do?

Say, “No, thank you.” I don’t want my body worshipped right now.

Determined, she leaned forward and hooked her fingers in the elastic band of his shorts, then tugged.

“You’re not going to find strawberries in there,” he said with a husky laugh. But he didn’t stop her. Instead, he angled his hips so she could slide the fabric off.

“I’m not hungry for strawberries.”

“What are you hungry for?”

Even his words pushed her, challenging her to say aloud what she wanted. She glanced at the smooth length of his already hardening erection and skimmed her finger around the satiny head.

“I’m hungry for a different kind of dessert,” she told him with a wicked smile, straddling his long, hard body, delighting in the feel of him between her thighs.

“Is that a fact?” he asked, his voice even huskier.

“Oh, yeah.”

Livi shimmied down his chest, over his hips until she straddled his thighs, making sure to slide the pebbled tips of her breasts over his flesh as she went.

“Livi...”

Before he could finish his sentence, she took him into her mouth. And oh, my, what a mouthful he was.

Livi lost herself in his taste, sliding her tongue along the thick fullness of his cock. He was so big, so hard. So yummy.

“Livi...”

She sucked on the head as if she could draw his essence into her, as if she could absorb and share some of his power.

His fingers tunneled into her hair, tangling in the ponytail, gripping her scalp.

She didn’t know if he was trying to hold her closer or pull her farther away. She didn’t care. Her teeth scraped along his length.

He hissed, arching his hips.

She blew a puff of cool air on his wet flesh.

His free hand fisted into the couch cushion.

She slid her mouth up, then down. Sucking and sipping.

“Livi.”

This time he didn’t trail off, didn’t lose track.

Instead he jackknifed himself into a sitting position, grabbed her by the waist and flipped her around so she was still straddling him, but facing his feet. She heard the fabric of her sleep shorts rip before she felt the cool air on her hot core. Before she felt the even hotter spear of his tongue sliding over her swollen flesh.

Her hair falling over her face and shoulders now, she let it blanket her as she leaned down to once again delight in her new favorite dessert, Mitch’s engorged erection.

Heat swirled, tension built with every flick of his tongue. Livi wanted to fly over, needed the satisfaction that his fingers promised as they teased and tempted.

But not until he came first.

Determined, feeling as if her every hope of keeping Mitch’s attention after this one orgasm rested on who came first, she ran the edge of her teeth gently around the head, her hand sliding along the shaft in the same rhythm in which his tongue worked her.

She felt him tense.

He grabbed her hip with one hand, as if to warn her to slow down.

So Livi sped up.

She felt his juices rising, felt his body preparing to explode. Triumph surged, adding its own layer of pleasure to the delight his tongue was offering.

“Livi, now,” he growled against her clitoris.

“Make me,” she challenged right back.

“Damn it.”

She would have laughed with triumph, but her mouth was full.

Then it wasn’t.

Livi gave a startled cry as Mitch moved her so fast the room blurred. One second she was straddling his body, ready to take him into heaven.

The next she was belly-down on the couch, his body poised behind her, seeking entry.

Livi angled up and welcomed him in.

The second he hit her wet heat, he lost it.

His explosion sent her flying, her body shattering into a million pieces. And each one of those pieces was filled with satisfaction and delight.

* * *

“H
OW
DO
YOU
DO
IT
?”

Her lush body curled naked in his arms, her fingers tracing random patterns on his chest. Mitch didn’t figure Livi was referring to his holding her upright against the shower wall while he’d poured himself into her welcoming body.

But since that was the last thing he remembered before dropping into bed with her, he wasn’t sure what she did mean.

“Do what?”

“All of it.” She propped herself up on her elbows, giving him a superb view of her breasts through the tangled blonde curls falling over her shoulder. “I mean, it can’t be easy to juggle everything, to handle all the responsibilities and challenges in your career.”

Her words trailed off as Livi bit her lip and looked away for a moment. Was she trying to figure out how to ask him about that career?

His body, so wonderfully relaxed just a moment ago, tensed in anticipation.

What he did was classified. From the code he used, to the places he went, to the targets he engaged, every real aspect of his career was top secret. Which meant he didn’t talk about it, except with his fellow teammates, and then only if they were serving on the same mission. Hell, he didn’t discuss ninety-five percent of what he did with his father or grandfather, and they were both active duty superior officers.

And this was why he usually kept his liaisons short and sweet, he thought with a sigh. Livi was different. He wouldn’t tell her anything, but for now while she was naked and vulnerable, he’d sidestep lightly. Then later, he’d make sure she understood the parameters.

“It’s my job. I chose it. I train for it. I do it. That’s all there really is to say.” He kept his tone light and easy but steeled himself for her reaction.

“That’s what I mean,” she said, putting her weight on one elbow so she could gesture with her other hand. The move did intriguing things to his view, but not enough to ease Mitch’s tension. “How do you do that? You’re amazing. You do the impossible and simply accept that it’s doable. You must face insurmountable odds, but you have such an even temperament. Then there’s everything you must have faced. But you still smile. Is it innate? Were you born with that confidence or is it something you’ve built over time, layer by successful layer?”

When he could only stare, shocked to his core, Livi’s shoulders drooped a little. She wrinkled her nose then shrugged, as if dismissing her own question.

“I suppose it’s a crazy question. I guess I’m just...” She hesitated. “I’m fascinated by what makes people strong. Probably a quirk of the job I do, I guess. I’m always interested in building layers of strength. You’re one of the strongest, most self-assured people I’ve ever met.”

That wasn’t what she’d been about to say, but he let it go. Mostly because he was stunned by her words.

“You humble me,” he said quietly. “And you make me sound much more—much bigger—than I am.”

This time Livi’s head shake was emphatic, her brow furrowed in a stubborn frown.

“Oh, no. You’re definitely all that. When I first saw you at Roz’s, I called you Super Hottie in my head,” she told him with a shy sort of laugh. “But it’s not a joke. You really are a superhero. You’re the leading man who saves the world. I don’t think it’s because you’re a SEAL, although I’m sure that adds to it. I think it’s simply who you are. Strong, confident, sure.”

“You’re mixing up personality with my training,” he decided. “I’m one of the best because that’s what being a SEAL means. That’s what we’re trained for.”

“If you weren’t a SEAL, you’d still be one of the best,” she argued. “I’ll bet you were the best all through school. I’d wager you excel in whatever you do when you’re not being a SEAL, too.”