THE KISS OF A SEAL
New York Times & USA Today Best Seller
Anne Elizabeth
The Kiss of a SEAL
Copyright © 2014 Anne Elizabeth
Kindle Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Special Warfare Operator 1 (SO-1) Lincoln “Link” Tyler has found The One, the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. He can’t keep his hands off of her; and to make the matter more difficult, the thought of her is consuming his whole world. His focus needs to be on his career, but he cannot lose her. Should he feel guilty that she belongs to someone else or should he sweep her off her feet and make this lady his love forever?
Jessa Grainger has the ideal job, helping Navy SEALS optimize their physical abilities. She works at the Gym on the Amphibious Base, but working one-on-one has its disadvantages especially when you fall in love with your assignment. Losing your heart to a SEAL when you’re engaged to a Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) man is an even bigger problem.
Can one kiss change your world? What would you do for love? Or for the forever you crave with The One?
HOOYAH—
To Our Military,
To the Real Love Birds that defied all odds to find Happiness,
And, to My Husband who is now and will always be the Greatest Love of My Life!
How did it happen that their lips came together?
How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill
A kiss, and all was said.
—Victor Hugo
‡
N
ight enveloped their
naked bodies. It wasn’t much in terms of cover, given their current unclothed state, but neither of them cared. Their passion was like an endless circle that seemed to begin again only a few seconds after it stopped.
Her eyes went to the windows. Starlight streamed through the large window allowing diffused light in, but still hiding the outline of their sweat slick bodies entwined in abandon. She couldn’t help wondering if someone would catch her one of these days.
She and her lover were tucked into the back of the gym—away from prying eyes and taking advantage of the plush workout mats. The cushion was better than the best feather bed and she wasn’t just saying that because she and her man had been testing it out as of late.
The workout center on the Naval Amphibious base in Coronado, CA, was atypical of normal places, because it was dedicated exclusively to active duty SEALs for their continuing success and fitness. With three years under her belt working here, Jessa knew the ins and outs of the building and even had her own key. But base security could be a bit dicey after nine p.m. What was it that they would say: all good Civilian Consultants should be tucked into bed after dark. She wasn’t sure that she could abide by that advice or that she was actually ‘good’…especially, in reference to following regulations. With other stuff, well, she had been rocking one particular SEAL’s world very well.
“Stop day-dreaming, unless you’re thinking about me,” said a husky baritone voice of Special Warfare Operator 1 (SO-1) Lincoln “Link” Tyler right before he kissed her. The mind-blowing sweep of lips and tongue transported her. Only he could do this to her. Every kiss reminded her of their first spark. His eyes locked to hers, and the way his gaze embraced her heart and seared her soul was almost like Link was inside her before their lips even met. The experience was intense and completely unique. It made her realize in every fiber of her spirit that no one else’s kiss had ever been like that and the memory would be seared in her being.
No one else had ever captured her heart or commanded her body this way. No man until him. Maybe that was why she had dared to date him, breaking her one golden rule of never dating where she worked. Lincoln broke all the molds. He was the exception to everything, and he was changing her life…drastically. Today, had been the moment she knew he was the one for her.
Desire washed over her and her body responded, arching into his eager arms as her mouth shifted over his. Pleasure flooded Jessa’s senses; she lost herself in the wanton hunger of his touch, which made Link chuckle. “That’s more like it. I thought I had lost my touch.”
“Never,” she admitted wryly, though she knew he could have any woman he wanted. His eyes seemed to trail her, and only her, when she was in his proximity. A lady never missed a heated connection like that. Besides, there were no rules to preclude the contact between a Navy Consultant and an enlisted man.
His fingers played over her skin and her body clenched and released aching for more. She could barely contain the passion that surged through her as his lips laid a path of heat down her neck and his hands stroked over her. “We could get caught…”
“Doesn’t that make it more sexy?” he whispered as his tongue flicked out and teased the sensitive flesh between her breasts before it traced over her nipples. When she squirmed to get away from the overwhelming sensations, he followed up by raking gently over the stiff peaks with his teeth.
Her breath caught. “Lincoln. Please… I could get caught; sure it would probably only be a slap on the wrist, but neither of us needs it. Let’s go out to the beach, no one would get mad if we were caught out there. Everyone has sex on the Amphibious Base. Just last week, I saw Donna and her husband… Wait, that might take us out of the mood. Let’s not think about that.” She braced her hands against his shoulders and pushed. It was a half-hearted attempt and her body language conveyed it.
“Did you have sex on the beach before us? With him?” Link raised an eyebrow.
The ‘him’ that her lover was referring to was Scott ‘Goody’ Goodman—the man she was engaged to. In essence it was a camouflage technique, so that men didn’t hit on her. Goody was a real person, a friend from college and they were really engaged; but it wasn’t a true man/woman relationship at least not by her standards. It was more like two friends that were…safe port in a storm without the benefits. She shook her head. “No. I didn’t break any of the rules…until you. You know, it had been a while…since I had sex with anyone.”
“A long time.” He nodded and then looked up at her from underneath those long dark lashes. “Sex, huh?” Those beautiful eyes and his rich caramel skin were a gift from his Italian mother. Link had shown her pictures of a stunning woman that could have been Sophia Lauren’s sister. The charisma and charm had been transported from her visage to that of her handsome son.
She rolled her eyes. “Made love. Damn, you’re such a romantic.” And, he was. She liked that about him. The big bad warrior had a soft spot for enduring words, romantic dates, and long gazes. How could she resist it, or him? And, how had she never known that
this
was what love was supposed to be like?
“You look like you’re studying me.” Lincoln was a very candid soul. She liked that about him.
She was studying, too. Today had been a revelation, a turning point. Link had dressed down several Teammates for disrespecting her. He didn’t know that she had seen it and it might not seem like much, but the depth of his emotion had made her realize that these rendezvouses were not a ‘roll in the hay’ or some ‘fly-by-night’ experience, instead this was a real love affair. He was hooked on her, the same way she was hooked on him. They were really…a ‘they.’
“I am looking at you.” She didn’t want to reveal how much she knew about him, yet. So, she stroked her fingers along his jaw and asked, “What attributes did you get from your…father?”
“Seriously! We’re laying here naked and you want to know about my family.” He chuckled. “You’re a piece of work and confusing as hell. But, you asked!”
“Never mind!” It did seem ludicrous to her when he said it like that. But, she wasn’t ready to have the relationship talk or to force their discussion to focus on determining their status. It was enough that she knew, in her heart that Link cared deeply for her. Convenient, since she was falling in love with him.
He put his hands up. “No. You asked.” Link pulled her into his arms and they snuggled into the cushioned mat. “My dad was a frogman—I know you know that fact—so he taught me a love of the Navy and SEAL Teams. He was a stickler for honor and taking responsibility, and very adamant about the need to take risks.” He kissed the top of her head. “We have the same physical build, ahem, roughly. And, he’d probably tell you that I’m the tadpole he always wanted.”
“Tadpole?” she asked quizzically.
“Yeah. Family thing. SEAL thing—frogs and tadpoles…”
“Ah. Right. I’ve heard some instructors yelling that before. I just never made the connection.” She settled her chin on his chest. “What do you want to do after the Teams?”
“A million things. I’ve considered opening my own consulting firm, business strategies or designing weapons or being an architect or master carpenter. I love building things. Last fall, I rewired my cousin’s house in upstate Washington. The thing hasn’t burned down, yet, so I assume it was pretty good.”
She smiled.
He was quiet for a few minutes. “I want a family. That’s important to me. I’m not going to wait until after the Teams.” There was something implied there.
She didn’t want to tackle that subject, not now. There were things she had to deal with first. She decided to change the topic and allowed her hands to wander. She always wanted him, as his hands found her she needed him again. Was this desire ever going to mellow-out? She hoped not. Lincoln was like no man she’d ever known.
“Keep moving those hands that way and we’re done talking.”
“This place has sound-proofing.” She said, teasing his sensitive parts.
He tickled her roughly and she squealed. His teeth tugged gently at the necklace holding a tiny gold circle—a college graduation gift from her older brother—and the flesh raised with goose bumps even as her body leaned in his for more. “I think we should christen a few other places. There are no secrets here, nothing worth getting flustered about by Command. Now, if we have sex in CO’s office, I can see that being a problem.”
“Lincoln!” His mouth covered hers. Any further protestations died in her throat. She wasn’t ready to be that bold. Or, was she?
When he released the tortured flesh of her lips, his tongue bathed it tenderly before moving back to her breasts where his mouth fastened on her nipple. The sensitive nub sent electricity zipping throughout her body as she threw back her head in pure heavenly bliss.
She could do this forever, be in his arms and give her body into his tender care. Why hadn’t she met anyone like him before? Same background. Same values. Same dedication to passion. Her life with him had never been better.
Her back arched and her body was on the cusp of releasing as his fingers cupped her between her thighs and his thumb gently undid every last little bit of control she had over her senses.
She didn’t want to let go. She had to hold on…to this moment…and the unending pleasure. But, the sensations were too big and encompassing and with a roaring release she came. Wave after wave of pleasure so white-hot consuming that the satisfaction was almost painful.