To Dare a SEAL (Sin City SEALs) (10 page)

But she’d stopped seeing the glass as half full a long time ago. People died every day in car crashes, leaving their kids behind. One stupid teenage rebellion, one trip to town, and a monster of a man had attacked her sister.

She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t have a relationship with Jack, especially not a long-term one. Maybe her sister believed she could face anything, including Cade’s long deployments, after what they’d been through. But Natalie refused to set herself up for heartache.

And that was if Jack wanted anything more than to win a bet. Which was a pretty damn big “if.”

Natalie leaned in to her sister. “I might not have all the answers, but I know that I have no desire to find out what baby oil mixed with chocolate body paint tastes like. If you don’t need me here, I’m going to check on Mufasa.”

“Go.” Lucia waved her off. “I’ll take care of them. And if you happen to bump into a certain SEAL…”

Natalie forced a smile. “Thanks, but that’s not going to happen.”

Prince Charming wasn’t roaming the hotel halls, waiting for her. Even if he was, he wasn’t her ticket to happy ever after.

But he could be your ticket to another orgasm. He could take the edge off the loneliness.

She reached the exit and glanced back at Lucia, her beautiful, glowing, pregnant sister. She should return to the party. She should smile, laugh, and pretend the lonesomeness wasn’t threatening to swallow her whole.

But it was.

She turned and pushed through the door. Heaven help her if she ran into Jack now. She might give in and let him win. Right now, she’d risk losing for another taste of the happiness she’d felt in his shower. It would kill her to truly give in to him, to let him claim her in the way she knew he wanted, but she was close to drowning in the surge of memory and pain. If the only way to keep her head above water was to get lost in him, she wouldn’t resist.

Chapter Fourteen

A
ll Jack needed was a fucking crown. Then he would be the official King of Stupid. Only the kingdom’s ruler would bet his brothers that he could talk the woman of his fantasies into his bed—in front of her—and then continue to play truth or dare with her.

Except they’d never touched on truth, they were playing dare or dare. After that first night—when she’d hightailed it out of dinner, and then come screaming his name through the bathroom door, offering one helluva clue that she wanted him, too—after that, he should have changed the rules of the game to truth or truth in an attempt to start something real.

And miss out on the best blow job in the history of blow jobs.

Jack stopped in the middle of the empty hallway. Yeah, that sounded pretty damn stupid, too.

But he knew they had to talk. He needed to admit the truth. This wasn’t just a bet. He wanted more than one night with her. And he needed to find out why she’d refused to give him a shot when it was kind of obvious she wanted him too.

He headed down the long winding hall toward Natalie’s room in the most undesirable corner of the hotel. Only a person smuggling a giant dog in and out three or four times a day would request a room by the stairwell and the catering supply storage. To be fair, she probably didn’t know about the catering supply area when she’d checked in.

He rounded the corner and reached the second set of elevator banks. One set of shiny gold doors opened and out stepped Natalie. She’d traded her bartender’s uniform—jeans, fitted shirt, the occasional skirt that threatened to blow his mind—for a black sundress with thin straps. The top hugged her chest, while the skirt flowed around her legs, stopping above the knee. By Vegas standards, she looked ready for church. But one look and Jack knew precisely where he wanted to see her dress—the bedroom floor.

“Jack?” She froze just out of arm’s reach. “Are you lost? Trust me, the rooms on this floor are nothing like yours.”

“I came—”
To help with your dog. Because Cade sent me. Oh, and the wedding toasts, we should work on those
. “I wanted to talk to you,” he said.

“If that’s your new strategy…” She shook her head and drew a deep breath. “Please, I can’t do this right now.”

Her shoulders hunched forward as she studied the floor. Where was the feisty bartender who could take on a room of drunken sailors? The woman who never begged? The woman who declared victory after a shower?

“Natalie?” He stepped in front of her and was a hair’s breadth away from pulling her into his arms when she shoved her hands into pockets hidden in the folds of her dress.

“I need to check on my dog,” she said, trying to move past him.

But he couldn’t let her run away. Not like this. He stepped in front of her, careful to still give her space. He wouldn’t reach for her or touch her.

“What happened?” he asked. She looked up, and he saw the tears threatening in her eyes. “Please tell me.”

“Sometimes I look at my sister and I see all the mistakes I’ve made.” She spoke softly, her brown eyes staring into his. “She’s so happy now. Against all the odds, after everything that happened to us, to her…she’s moved on.”

She bit her lip and dipped her chin to her chest, lowering her gaze to the floor.

“Natalie.” He closed the space between them and placed his hands on her arms. “Look at me.”

She tensed beneath his grip. But this time, she listened. Her brown eyes glanced at him from under her long lashes. And he knew he had about five seconds before she made the call—fight or flight. Right now, neither worked in his favor.

“There’s no reason you can’t be happy, too,” he said, keeping his tone soft and gentle, as if she were a stray kitten that simply needed a little love and a good home.

She placed her hands on his chest and damn near shocked the hell out of him. Flight—ten to one he’d thought she’d race for her room. But instead she ran her hands over his shoulder and up to his jaw.

“Is that your new tactic?” She touched the sides of his face as if she enjoyed the feel of his stubble scratching her palms. “Planning to win by promising me—”

“No,” he said firmly.

“Because it might work.” She inhaled and appeared surprised she’d let those words escape. But then, she stepped closer, pressing her body flush against his. “Right now, I want to get lost in you.”

“Natalie.” The way he said her name—shit, having the woman of his dreams touch him hadn’t damaged his hearing. He knew that when he said her name it sounded a helluva lot like
I want you
, not
Let’s talk
.

“I feel safe with you, Jack,” she said. “Not because you’re a SEAL. But because you’re
you
.”

He sighed. And shit, he tried to mask his
Oh darlin’ that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me
reaction by reaching for her. He wrapped his hands around her hips and pulled her against him.

He knew she felt safe with him because she knew he was temporary. That whatever happened between them now, it would go no further. He’d never before been so happy yet so crushed to know who he was and what he could—and couldn’t—offer a woman.

“You are safe,” he promised.

Her gaze dropped to his lips. “I’d planned to find someone else,” she said. “In Vegas. For sex. To fight this…this
thing
between us. To fight everything.”

What the fuck?

“That’s not going to happen.” He rocked his hips into her, letting her feel how damn hard he was for her. He was seconds away from abandoning his plans to freaking talk to her and instead push her up against a wall. He wanted to take her right here, by the damn elevator bank. But he knew security cameras monitored this hallway. And the thought of anyone else seeing her face as she came for
him
? Not a chance. He’d get them to her damn room.

“I haven’t had sex in a long time,” she said. “And I thought that if I did, with someone else…”

He growled and took a step backward. He maintained a strong hold on her as he steered them away from the elevators and down the hall.

“But for some stupid reason, I don’t want someone else,” she said, allowing him to lead their dance down the empty hall. “I want your cock—”

Yeah, talking would have to wait until he gave Natalie every damn thing her heart desired.

“Your baby-oil-free muscles—”

“What?” He stopped ten feet from her bedroom door. Was Vegas messing with her fantasies?

“Your mouth.” She rose up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Not a gentle brush of the lips, but a demanding, let’s-get-naked kiss. Her fingers moved through his hair, holding his head tight. And he kissed her right back, determined to erase any lingering thoughts of her imaginary, baby-oil-covered lover.

His tongue tangled with hers, teasing, taunting, and asking for more. She pressed up against him, forcing him back, one step after another, until—shit, they bumped into a wall.

But the woman on fire in his arms, her lips still moving over his, didn’t care. She straddled his thigh and began to rock her hips. His hands traveled down from her hips to the smooth, bare skin of her thighs. And that was all the confirmation he needed. Her dress was too damn close to decorating her waist. As much as he wanted to hear her come, they weren’t doing this here.

In the hall.

On camera.

“Your room key,” he demanded, breaking the kiss. He tried to smooth her skirt down over her legs, but she’d spread them too far. And she refused to stop riding his leg.

“In my pocket,” she said, breathing heavy.

Looking down at the bunched-up black fabric and the smooth bodice, he ran his hands over her waist, searching and searching…bingo! He found an opening in her dress and slipped his hand inside, retrieving the key card.

He shifted away from the wall and reached his hands under her perfect ass. His hands touched her cotton panties, tempting him to explore. But his number one priority was getting Natalie into her room. He lifted her up and fought back a curse as she wrapped her legs around him. And then he took off for her room at the very end of the damn hall.

He reached the door, opened it, and carried her inside, silently thanking the Navy for all those hours of physical training. He leaned back against the door and lowered her down to the floor.

Woof!

Shit, they’d escaped the too public hallway before losing their clothes, but now they had a hundred-something-pound dog to manage. He looked down at Natalie. Those full lips—he wanted to kiss her as he stripped off her dress. He wanted to sink into her and give her the one thing she wanted from him. His cock. Because wasn’t that a miracle? After years of fantasizing about her, watching and wishing he could make her
his,
she’d walked up to him and offered to make his dreams come true.

Woof.

But first—

“Do we need to take the dog out?” he asked.

“He’ll settle down,” she said, slipping her hands beneath his T-shirt and running her palms over his abs. “I took him out earlier.”

His jaw clenched as she brushed his nipples. He’d never been happier to hear those words.

“And this won’t take long,” she added, stepping her feet apart until the wet fabric of her panties pressed against his thigh. He could feel just how damn ready she was through his cargo shorts.

“Is that a challenge?” he asked. He wanted to draw this out, make this moment last.

“No. I’m just so close.” She rocked her hips, riding him in earnest. “Hold on to me. Please, Jack.”

He ran his hands up her thighs, lifting her dress to her waist. He felt like a teenager, driving her closer and closer to an orgasm with layers of clothes still between them. But even though she’d issued a warning—
orgasm approaching!
—he planned to draw this out.

He ran his hands over her ass, first on the outside of her underwear and then beneath. His dick pressed against his fly, begging to join the party. But first he wanted to touch her. He gave her ass a light squeeze.

“Oh God!” she cried, her fingers digging into his chest. Her hips rocked back and forth, searching for release.

Shit, I’ll have to add that to the mental list of ways she likes to be touched.

“Look at me,” he said, his gaze locking with hers. “Every time I walk into your bar, I’m going to picture you like this. Writhing, ready, so desperate to come. Darlin’, I’ll wait until your shift ends. Then I’ll take you into the back room.”

“This time,” she gasped, “I’m going to tie you up.”

“Is that how you like it?” His grip tightened on her ass. But her hips bucked, fighting his control. Still, he held tight and pulled her against his thigh. “I don’t know, Natalie, I think you like the idea of me calling the shots.”

“No, I…oh Jack!” she cried. “I can’t…it’s too…oh, wow!”

His lips parted as he leaned against the door, bracing his body to take the full force of the wild, wanton, screaming woman coming hard against his thigh.

“That…” she murmured as her movements slowed. Her hips maintained a gentle thrust against him, as if she wanted to ride out the aftershocks. “That was so close to perfect.”

And shit, he wished that were true. But there was so much left unspoken. So much left undone.

“I think we can do better,” he said, issuing a challenge because he needed to keep her here, with him.

“I don’t know. I’m going to remember that orgasm for a long time,” she said, stepping away and leaving behind a very wet spot on his leg. Her brown eyes shone wild and bright as she smiled at him. “And I bet you will, too. What just happened—it would make a great bedtime story. If you’re alone and need…”

He raised an eyebrow as he pressed his hand against the front of his cargo shorts.

She laughed as she reached behind her. One second the black dress was holding tight to her breasts, and the next, it was decorating the floor at her feet.

“What do you say, Prince Charming? Ready to create another naughty story?”

Chapter Fifteen

“P
rince Charming?”

Jack directed the words at her breasts. And she couldn’t blame him. She’d walked off the elevator and thrown herself at him, desperate to feel anything other than the lingering hurts from her past. She’d focused on the need building in her body, demanding an orgasm.

She’d told him she wanted his cock and then proceeded to use him as her personal sex toy. Maybe that made her a horrible person. But how much lower could she go on the awful-person scale? As a teen, she’d driven away every foster family who tried to care for her and Lucia. She’d pushed her sister away after the incident because she couldn’t find a way to solve Lucia’s hurt. And she’d guarded her heart to the point that she’d locked it up and buried the key.

“Natalie,” he said.

She focused on his voice, his words, and the way he moved his hand over the front of his shorts. She pushed the questions away, saving them for a time when she didn’t have an orgasm-inducing Navy SEAL in her bedroom. The loneliness couldn’t touch her. Not when he was here, looking like he wanted to devour her.

“What about the bedtime version of little red riding hood and the big bad wolf?” She slipped off her underwear. “We could take turns playing the wolf. Or you could be the hero who rushes in to save the day.”

“I’m not your Prince Charming. You made it clear yesterday that I’m just a man.” He grabbed the fabric at the back of his neck and drew his shirt over his head.

“It’s my nickname for you,” she admitted. “You’re good with words.”

He froze with his thumbs hooked into the top of his jeans. “About that. I honestly came here to talk.”

She focused on his hands, not wanting to look at his face. He was here to win a bet. If he told her otherwise, she would have to kick the half-naked, very hard Navy SEAL out of her bedroom. If he wanted more than a win, if he wanted her to unlock her heart—

No, this only worked if the silent promise stood between them. This was a game. He wasn’t here to claim her and keep her in his life. She couldn’t open herself up to that possibility.

“Forget the fairy tales,” she said.

He shook his head. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Take off your pants and climb on the bed,” she ordered. “Listen to me. And you just might win.”

She’d accept defeat on this one. Bringing him to his knees and walking away—that plan had one major flaw. She wanted to run toward him, dragging him to her bed. Maybe she couldn’t have the happy-ever-after ending. But she could have these moments locked away in her memory.

“I didn’t come here because of that stupid bet,” he said, placing his hands on his hips.

“You don’t want to win?” she challenged, shifting her weight. She refused to run away. This was her room. But he needed to lose the clothes. Standing completely naked in front of a half-dressed man left her too close to vulnerable. “To beat your brothers?”

“I do,” he said. The muscles in his arms flexed as if he was working overtime to keep from reaching for her. “But I want you—”

“Then come get me,” she demanded. She didn’t need to hear any more. He wanted her, and she might lose her mind if she didn’t feel this man inside her soon. Now. She needed him
now
. Before she changed her mind. Before she woke up to the fact that sex with him might leave her stranded on the road labeled hurt. And if she lost her footing, she might stumble head over heels into rejection.

She turned and climbed on the bed. She stretched her arms overhead and reached for the headboard, then arched her back, thrusting her breasts up into the air.

“Ah, hell,” he said.

She heard a rustling. Keeping her arms overhead, she lifted her head and watched as the naked SEAL set his sights on her. He held a condom in one hand.

“Good to know we’re on the same page,” she said as he reached the foot of the bed.

“Are we?” He tossed the condom beside her on the bed and raised an eyebrow.

“Need help putting it on?” She nodded her head to the square packet resting by her left hip.

“We’ll get there.” His gaze ran up and down her body.

Was he debating where to start? Not that it was his call…

“I’m ready for you
now
,” she said. “I don’t need more foreplay.”

“What about me?” He wrapped his hand around the base of his cock. “I need a warm-up.”

She stared at his long, thick cock standing at attention as she drew her knees up and planted her feet on the bed.

“You only need to answer one question, Jack. Do you like me like this?” She rocked her hips up as her feet pressed into the bedding. “Or like this?” She lowered her hips and straightened her legs until her feet reached opposite corners of the bed.

“Like that,” he growled.

Maybe she looked ready and willing to submit with her legs spread as if bound by imaginary satin sashes to opposite corners of the bed, and her arms reaching overhead. But nothing was holding her down. And she was still calling the shots.

“I dare you to climb up on the bed,” she said. “And let me prove you wrong. We’re done playing.”

“We are?” He placed one knee on the bed between her spread legs. Then he reached up and placed one hand on either side of her breasts. His other knee touched the bed as he shifted his upper body over her. Slowly, he lowered his hips until his cock brushed the trimmed curls between her legs.

“You need a condom,” she said, forcing her eyes to remain open, her gaze locked with his. She wouldn’t be the first one to look away and lose herself in the moment.

“Not just yet.”

“Jack—”

He allowed his hard length to slide back and forth over her, teasing her clit. And she gasped.

“Don’t move, Natalie. Let me play.”

She tilted her hips and felt his cock glide over the part of her body that was wet and ready to draw him in. Smiling down at her, he pinned her to the bed with his lower body.

“I wish I had those black silk ties right now,” he murmured, shifting back and forth without offering her room to move.

She gritted her teeth, fighting back the threatening orgasm. But oh God, with his cock swirling over her clit…the mental picture from his story…those ties…

“Condom,” she gasped, lowering her hand and searching the bedspread beside her hip for the packet. “Now.”

“Not yet,” he growled.

He rocked faster and faster, pushing her so close to coming. But she couldn’t let him win this round. Abandoning her search for the condom, she waited until he lifted his hips and reached between them. She wrapped her fingers around his wet, slick cock and began to pump, gliding her thumb through the moisture at the top.

“You’re ready.” She kept her eyes locked on his face, watching as his resolution faded. “You don’t need a warm-up.”

“Fuck.” He closed his eyes and let his head fall back. His biceps bulged as he worked to keep his upper body off her and thrust his hips into her hand. Once. Twice. And then he groaned as he came.

I win this round. The warm-up round.

She eased her hand out from between their bodies.

But once you recover, I’m going to let you win the game and claim victory.