Her Sexy Marine Valentine (11 page)

It made him laugh to realize how tightly wound he'd been when he'd met her. In fact, he didn't think he'd ever been this relaxed or open with anyone. It only made him want her more.

“Bend over.”

“Bossy,” she said cheekily, but did so.

He ran his hand over her and sucked in a quick breath. “You're wet for me.”

She chuckled. “I have been since I watched you fly that helicopter. Seeing you so determined, so raw, Brody, it almost made me come while we were in the air.”

She was trying to kill him. Seriously trying to kill him. No way would he have been able to keep his focus on flying if that had happened. But the fantasy of it made him even harder.

He teased her clit again and her back arched. He wanted to please her; he would please her. In mere seconds she was breathing hard, calling out his name. “Tell me what you want, Mari,” he asked. He would do it, he'd do anything she wanted.

“You, please. Inside me. I need you, Brody.”

Sweeter words had never been spoken he thought.

After sliding on a condom, he tested her opening. She was still so tight. In some way—all right, in many ways—it was as if this gorgeous woman had been made for him. In every way, she was what he needed—and what he desired.

“Brody, please.” She pressed back against his erection.

Having vowed to please her, he could wait no longer.

He eased himself into her and then let her set the tempo. His hand curved along her hip. Keeping the rhythm going with his cock, he reached around and touched her slick heat. Her breath hitched and she did that little humming thing that told him she was almost there. Good thing, since he wasn't far behind.

She mewled and increased the pace. He quickly went to hold onto her hips, whispering every bit of encouragement he could think of. “Is this what you wanted when you were flying with me?” He thrust into her, whispering into her ear, “What we're doing right now? Come for me, Mari.”

“Yes,” she cried. “Oh, yes.” She arched her back, gripping the table hard as she climaxed.

“Babe,” he murmured, surrendering himself to the same sensation, to the staggering emotions he felt for her. This was what it meant to be consumed by someone. That's what Mari had done to him.

It scared him, and yet at the same time he realized he was pleased.

Really pleased.

* * *

M
ARI
STOOD
STARING
at herself in the bathroom mirror. She felt branded by Brody. There wasn't an inch of her body he hadn't kissed, stroked or known intimately in the last few hours, and she loved it. He'd made an ice cream sundae out of her in the kitchen. Now every time she was in the kitchen she'd remember his mouth on her, teasing her, making love to her.

It was magical. And scary. She might have thought she was in love with her ex, but now she knew what it really meant to be in love. What she had with Brody went far beyond the sex. This connection they had, it was what her parents had. And while he didn't seem in any hurry to end their arrangement, she felt as if she needed to put some kind of locked cage around her heart.

It had to be coming. She didn't get to be this happy. And she was. For the first time in a long time, she was well and truly happy. A few days ago she'd promised herself that she'd enjoy every moment she had with him. Fear would not be a part of this equation.

But that didn't keep her from speculating about the end of whatever this glorious thing was between them.

She walked from the bathroom back into the bedroom and pulled one of his clean T-shirts over her head. He'd left a few in her dresser for when they finished work and showered or bathed together. Almost every night they spent it here. Another place where the memories would be strong.

He was sound asleep. She had to confess she was a little nervous. They were having an actual sleepover. It had also been his first flight in the big helicopter since his accident. Would he have one of his nightmares?

Before they'd gone upstairs to clean off after their sundae making, she'd seen him chug a couple of pills along with a bottle of water. She was worried he was getting one of his headaches, so in the shower she'd shampooed him, washed him and then shooed him out, telling him that she needed time to recuperate.

Now what do I do
.

After the awful stories that he'd shared with her, she was worried for him. She tried not to be afraid that he'd lash out while he slept, but they'd flown for some time in the same kind of helicopter he'd been shot down in.

Did she join him in the bed and risk waking him? Or go downstairs and sleep on the couch, and risk offending him? He was trying so hard to make this work.

“Are you going to stand there and stare at me all night, or are you coming to bed?”

She squeaked and then laughed. He pulled the comforter down for her to slide in beside him. “I just had this dream about the sexiest woman I've ever seen, climbing into bed with me. Is that my T-shirt?”

“Yes.”

“It looks way better on you.”

She wasn't so sure about that.

He pulled her in close to him and she draped one leg over his thigh. “I'm nervous about falling asleep,” he said. “But you've worn me out. I don't think I could move even if I wanted to.”

She kissed his jaw. It was rough with stubble but she loved it.

“If I hear you make a noise, I promise to get out of bed as fast as I can. I'm nervous for you, too. I don't want you to feel bad if you can't go to sleep. It won't hurt my feelings if you need to go home. I mean it.”

“I was serious. I don't want to move an inch right now,” he said against her hair. “I love smelling you as I close my eyes.” He yawned.

“Go to sleep.” She snuggled into him. “We have a lot more rooms to christen tomorrow. You need your beauty rest.”

“You're beautiful enough for the both of us,” he whispered.

When he said things like that, her pulse raced and her heart beat triple time in her chest. It was all she could do not to climb back on top of him and make love to him for another couple of hours. But she resisted. The guy deserved a break after the phenomenal memories they'd created tonight.

His loving her was honestly one of the highlights of her life.

It wasn't long before his breathing evened out and his muscles relaxed. She allowed herself to close her eyes.

Yes, this is what she wanted. A man who believed in her and thought she was beautiful, one who was consumed with bringing her pleasure. A man who was everything she ever dreamed of for a partner and then some.

No, she wouldn't let fear steal whatever time she had left with him. At least not yet. She'd keep him for as long as he wanted to be here. Maybe that wouldn't be forever, but for now they were in a good place.

“Mari?” She smiled. She thought he'd gone to sleep.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Tonight was one of the best nights of my life. I just wanted you to know that. And there's no place I'd rather be right now. No place.”

Her heart soared. “Me, too.”

13

“
I
MIGHT
THROW
UP
,”
Mari said as she straightened the silverware on the table for the fifth time in an hour. Everything was ready. She'd planned her Valentine's Day dinner party down to the last candied mint. And she'd invited a ton of people. From Brody's CO to potential clients, she even invited her parents from Austin and his dad.

She and Brody were making new memories. And she hoped maybe she could help him with his past disappointments. His dad had said he wasn't sure he could come, but he would try. He was working in Dallas, which was a pretty short flight.

Half of her hoped the man showed up, the other half hoped he didn't. She wasn't sure what she'd say to him. Though she was glad Brody hadn't minded her meddling.

He slipped his arms around her from behind and pulled her in close. “You're perfect. Everything looks great. The house is a showplace. They're all going to be impressed.” He kissed her neck. Oh, how she lived for those touches.

For the past few days Brody had been extrasensitive while helping her. He'd seen her crazy side and survived. She'd bark orders, he'd give her the sexiest of smiles and do whatever she asked. Then at night he'd take her to bed and they'd make love. He told her that he craved her, that she was wreaking havoc on his sanity. That he couldn't stop thinking about her.

And she felt the same way about him. They weren't burning out, they were burning hotter.

Meanwhile, she could finally sell the money pit. Be out from under the horrific weight of debt she felt. Except she'd worked so hard on it she had mixed feelings. Seeing it going to someone else would break her heart. This was the house she'd created with Brody.

They'd had so much fun and there were so many wonderful memories. She hoped tonight would show him that they had what it took. She could let him see how happy her parents were and that some lucky relationships did last. She wanted that with Brody. Smiling, she knew she was ready to share her heart, and that Brody was a man worthy of it.

He squeezed her tight. “Everyone who is coming tonight loves you. Don't be nervous.”

She turned and put her hands on his chest. “I can't wait for you to meet my mom and dad. They're disgustingly joyful together. I'm really curious about these surprise guests they're bringing.”

“I wish I could say I was joyful about you meeting my dad. There's a good chance the guest he's bringing is someone he met last night in a bar or restaurant. Don't let it ruin your night. Just say the word and I'll ask him to go.”

She kissed him. “It's okay. Not to worry. He spawned you, so he can't be all bad.”

“In case I forget to say it later, you're exceptional. And this spread is exceptional, too.” He pointed at the variety of food on the table. The rest was waiting in the fridge.

“Oh, I almost forgot the roast. I need to get it out of the oven.” She pulled away and hustled into the kitchen. That's when it dawned on her. There was no smell of meat cooking.

No. No. No
.

She yanked open the door and gasped. The raw meat sat in the roasting pan.

She slammed the door shut and turned the oven temperature up to 500 degrees. She'd cook it on high for a bit, and then lower it after about forty-five minutes. If she basted it with broth, it wouldn't dry out too much. They were doing a buffet since there were so many invited, and the roast was only one of many dishes. Still, it was Brody's favorite and she wanted it on the menu. This party was for both of them.

“What's wrong?” Brody asked. Lately, he'd always been there for her. Last minute touch-up painting or shopping, whatever she needed. No man had ever been such a willing partner with her, and she loved it. Loved every second of it.

“Been so distracted running around at the last minute that I forgot to turn on the oven. So dinner may be delayed a bit. Luckily, we have other things to eat. And my parents are always late, so there's that. They'll be the excuse to wait on dinner. It'll be fine,” she said as she tried to convince herself.

“I can order something from one of the local restaurants if you're worried.”

She laughed. “It's Valentine's Day. By the time it would be ready and get here, the roast will be done.” She took a deep breath. “It's okay. Something always goes wrong.” Of course, that meant her warming times for the rest of the food were also messed up.

“I may have to use the oven at your house to reheat the twice mashed potatoes.”

“Whatever you need,” he said.

“Thank you. For being here,” she said as she made her way around the marble-topped island. “It's going to be okay, right?”

“Yes.” He brushed a curl from her cheek and kissed her. “Do you think we have time for a quick run upstairs?”

She frowned. “No.”

“It might help with your nerves.”

There was that. “Hmm. Maybe—”

The doorbell rang. “Who could that be?”

“The party doesn't start for an hour,” Brody said as he glanced behind him. “Did you order anything?”

She shook her head and walked past him. The flowers and baked goods had been delivered earlier in the day.

Peeking through the security peephole Brody had insisted they put in, she frowned. Again.

She opened the door. “Mom, Dad? You guys are early.”

Her mother gave her a nervous smile. “Hi, honey. We wanted to see the house before everyone got here.” Her mom leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“Oh, wonderful.” Her parents were notoriously late to everything. Something was up.

Her dad thrust a giant bouquet of flowers toward her and then kissed her other cheek. “Yes. See the house, and there's something we need to talk to you about.”

“Okay, well come in. I have someone I want to introduce you to.” She stepped back and noticed a couple behind them. “Hi, you must be Mom and Dad's friends.” She smiled.

It was unusual that her parents had invited friends, but then this party was for everyone who didn't have a place to go on Valentine's Day. It was such a weird holiday and extremely lonely for many people. So Mari had adopted a more-is-merrier attitude.

The elegant woman was familiar, but it took Mari a moment to place her. “Mrs. Sangle?”

“Hello, Mari. Your home is beautiful,” she said as she stepped over the threshold. Mrs. Sangle had lived down the street from her family for as long as she could remember. Her husband had died last year, and Mom and Dad had been looking out for her.

“Thank you. It's good to see you,” she said.

The man next to Mrs. Sangle held out his hand. “Hi, I'm Joe Heely. I'm a...friend.”

“Nice to meet you.” She gestured for him to come inside. He was tall with thick white hair. He seemed very distinguished.

“I'm so glad you're all here. This is my friend, Lieutenant Brody Williams.” She knew she was grinning like a silly schoolgirl as she introduced him. “He's been helping me with the house. I could not have finished it without him.”

They all shook hands, and then there was an awkward silence. “Let's go into the family room. It's at the back of the house. It's larger than these front rooms, so I thought it'd be best for us to hang out there until dinner.”

“Um,” her mother said. “That's great, honey. Is there a place that your father and I can speak to you privately? Just for a few minutes?”

They glanced at one another nervously. What the heck was going on? She'd never seen them act like this before.

“Sure. Brody, can you take Mr. Heely and Mrs. Sangle back to the kitchen? Get them a drink. And the cold appetizers are on the second shelf, if you could go ahead and set those out.” She handed him the flowers her dad had given her. “And there's a glass vase in the china cabinet that will work for these. You can just put them on the breakfast bar.”

“Got it,” he said as he gave her a quick smile. “Folks, follow me.”

He led them down the hallway. Her parents stayed behind. “What's going on?” she said quickly.

“Is there some place with a door?” her mother asked. What an odd request.

“My office?” She motioned for them to follow her. Now she was really nervous. Was one of them ill? Tears sprang to her eyes, but she blinked them away. She wouldn't borrow trouble.

Mari leaned on the edge of the desk and her parents sat on the sofa.

“We've been trying to get in touch with you for several months,” her mother said. “But you've been so busy we haven't managed more than a three-or four-minute conversation.”

Mari blew out a breath. They were going to lecture her about being a bad daughter. She deserved it.

“Yeah. Sorry. After the breakup, I just needed some time. You guys always seem to have it so together in the relationship department. It's tough when I can't seem to get it right.”

“We're divorced,” her father blurted.

Mari's hand slipped off the desk and if she hadn't been perched on the edge she would have fallen. “What?” she squeaked.

“Last year, actually. Very amicable,” her mother said. She grabbed her father's hand. “We're still the best of friends and love each other dearly. But we haven't been in love for a long time.”

This was some weird nightmare. A. Horrible. Horrible. Nightmare.

Wake up, Mari.

“I can see this is a bit of a shock,” her father said. “We didn't want to spring it on you tonight, but there was never a good time. And we've been with our new partners for a while now, and we wanted them to meet you.”

Her parents were divorced. How did this happen? She'd spent her entire life admiring their deep love. And here they weren't in love anymore.

She sniffed. “But if you love each other, you make it work,” she said on a whisper. “You always told me that.”

“We had, we still have a wonderful relationship based on trust and friendship. But for the last twenty years or so, neither of us has had the passion for one another that one should in a marriage,” her mother said.

“Passion isn't what makes a marriage. How many times did you tell me that? When I came to you for advice and you said that a solid foundation isn't built on passion alone.” Anger boiled deep in her gut. They'd lied to her. All of these years they hadn't been happy. Her whole life had been a lie.

“It isn't the main ingredient for a successful relationship,” her dad said, “but it is a necessary one. For happiness, you need to be passionate about that other person.”

Her parents were talking about passion? “Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I refuse to accept this. You two need to work it out. All marriages go through tough times. You told me that, too. You've never had a rough patch. Ever. And at the first hint of...maybe one of you is going through some kind of midlife crisis you just give up.” Her voice rose. Never had she been this upset at her parents. Not even when they refused to let her date when she was sixteen. Not even when they refused to let her go to an out-of-state college even though she had a scholarship.

They'd always been protective and loving, sometimes to a fault. And now this. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Mari, watch your language,” her mother said.

“Watch my language! I'm not twelve, Mom. You can't tell me to watch my language when you guys have been lying to me for this long. And now you're saying that your marriage was a sham? Really? Which means you've been lying for years!”

“Screaming never helps anything,” her mom said. “And our marriage wasn't a sham. We've been talking about this and we didn't see the sense in hurting you and your sister, or breaking up the family unless we each found someone else. But we didn't.”

“At least, not until last year. Your mom met Joe at one of her art classes. And Janet and I have been growing closer since her husband died. We decided that before we did something we would regret, we'd go ahead and divorce.”

“Wait, so does Daisy know yet?” Her sister would have called her surely. No way she knew.

Her parents glanced at her. “Well, she was our mediator for the divorce. We asked her not to say anything to you until we had a chance to talk to you in person.”

And they'd chosen tonight.

Oh, my god
.
My parents brought dates to my party
.

“Those people out there? You introduced them to me—tonight? What is wrong with you? Do you have any idea how important this was for me? I can't believe you've done this on the one night when I needed you.”

Mari twisted her hair around her finger. Disaster. “Listen to me. I have very important people coming tonight. Clients I'm trying to impress. You're not ruining this for me. You will go out there and pretend to be happy. You'll be the old you. Not these people I don't understand at all. If you ever loved me, you'll send those people home that you brought with you. I mean it.”

She stormed out and slammed the door.

The doorbell rang.

Not now. She pasted on her everything-is-perfect face and met Brody at the front door.

“You okay? I heard yelling.” He was so sweet. Tears threatened again. “Mari? Babe, what happened?”

She shook her head. She was going to show him what a wonderful loving relationship her parents had. What a joke. She sniffed and blinked several times. “I will be fine.” After taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly. “Let's just get through this.”

She opened the door.

“Mr. and Mrs. Harker, so good to see you.” Mari introduced the couple to Brody. “This is the couple I was telling you about. They want a redesign of their kitchen and dining area.”

Brody shook hands and hung Mrs. Harker's jacket in the hall closet. The doorbell rang again. The handsome man on the doorstep had to be Brody's dad. He was an older version of the man she so cared about.