Loch and Key (13 page)

Damn, he wanted her so fucking bad.

He turned his attention to her lower body, watched the erotic sight of his hand beneath her sweats as he rubbed her mound through her underwear.

Her hips rose and fell against him, her thighs clenching and unclenching against his hand. He needed more. Knew she needed more. Easing his fingers back up, he slid them beneath the cotton to find her bare, smooth flesh.

Unable to hold out any longer, he delved between the swollen folds of her sex and found her slick and hot.

“Oh God
.
”

She gasped when he pushed a finger deep into her sheath. Damn, but she was tight.

He added a second finger, penetrating her in smooth strokes that sent them both so damn close to the edge. He knew what would push her to find that release she craved, and eased his thumb around the top of her sex to find the swollen kernel. He found it, stroking her clit with easy, confident strokes as he penetrated her with his fingers. Her body began to tremble and she moaned, riding his hand.

Almost in awe, he kept thinking how fucking sexy she looked.

It had clearly been a while since she’d been touched this way by a man, and she’d chosen him. A stab of pure male triumph and possessiveness surged through him. He lowered his head and claimed her mouth. Wanted to taste her cries of pleasure as she came.

It happened the moment he sucked her tongue into his mouth. Her body bucked against his hand and she cried out, shuddering beneath him as her body orgasmed.

He deepened the kiss, keeping that connection until she was limp and breathing raggedly. Only then did he lift his head and stare down at her.

She watched him through narrowed eyes, her green gaze bright with pleasure and amazement. With her breasts still rising and falling with each ragged breath, he pulled the cups of her bra back up and her T-shirt back down.

As much as it nearly killed him, he dragged his hand up and out of her sweats.

Not moving his gaze from hers, he sucked his fingers into his mouth to taste her. Shock flared in her eyes, but was quickly replaced with heat.

“Brett,” she whispered. “You don’t have to stop.”

God, but he was tempted. Especially with the sensual feminine taste of her on his tongue now. But as much as her words said otherwise, he knew it was just the moment talking. Next time. This time had been about her. Small steps.

“But I will.” He leaned down, pressing a small kiss to her mouth. “I’m going to take a shower.”

Before he could change his mind, he climbed over her and off the bed, damn near tripping over himself to get the cold water turned on.

He’d stripped and was about to climb into the shower when Kenzie came into the bathroom.

His jaw clenched at the sight of her. Her eyes were still bright, her cheeks still maintaining that orgasm blush.

She didn’t say anything, just pulled her shirt over her head.

“Kenzie,” he choked out. “You’re not helping my situation here, sugar.”

She smiled and continued to strip until her curvy luscious body was naked. He couldn’t help but let his gaze slide over her. The large, round breasts he’d been sucking on minutes ago, her belly that wasn’t quite flat but soft and amazing to kiss. And then the smooth mound of her sex that clearly she must wax or shave—which shocked the hell out of him, seeing how gun-shy she was with sex.

Though right now she was anything but hesitant. She walked past him, completely unconcerned by her state of undress, and reached into the shower to adjust the temperature.

“That’s better,” she murmured.

What the hell was she up to? Surely she didn’t want to shower with him? He didn’t argue as she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the shower with her.

The water sluiced down on them as she reached to cup his face, pulling his head down so she could kiss him.

He let her take control, sensing she needed this aggressive moment for her own benefit more than he did. Not that he minded. Damn. Having her wet, naked body flush against his.

Not breaking the kiss, she drew one hand from his face to his shoulders. She explored the hard muscles and he flexed instinctively beneath her touch.

But she didn’t stay there for long, instead her hand traveled farther down his abdomen, before finally reaching her target destination. When her soft fingers curled around his dick he about came on the spot.

“Kenzie.”

“Let me.” She buried her face against his neck, while she slowly stroked him.

With his hands braced behind her on the walls in the shower, he let her stroke him into an amazing, complete and mind-numbing orgasm.

With his blood thundering and his brain starting to function again, he became aware of her laughing softly.

He couldn’t help but let out a choked laugh of his own. Who knew if they were even amused by the same thing?

“I feel like I just tripped and fell into my teen years,” she confessed breathlessly.

He grinned. Yeah, they were definitely laughing about the same thing.

“Me too. That was amazing.” He removed his hands from the wall to cradle her face, lowering his mouth to hers in a slow, tender kiss.

She held onto his shoulders, kissing him back, her soft curves flush against his body.

He lifted his head a moment later and stared down at her. Her braids were wet and heavy, plastered to her breasts, her entire body slick and pink from the hot water.

Feeling surprisingly gentle, he reached for the soap and began a slow, thorough journey over her body. Discovering her every hill and valley without the blinding heat of desire.

When he’d finished, she took the soap from him and returned the favor. Her touch was light and confident, but far from clinical. She seemed to be drinking in every inch of him as she washed. Her eyes were wide and her lips parted slightly.

“You have a beautiful body, Brett.”

He couldn’t resist lightly swatting her bottom. “Thank you, but I think you stole my line, sugar.”

“Mmm maybe.” She set the soap down and glanced up at him, water trickling down her face. “In your letter you said something along the lines of there being no other women. That was a charming guy lie, right? Just trying to win me over? I swear I won’t be upset.”

That line in the letter, he’d hesitated before putting that in, wondering if it’d make him sound like a complete loser.

“It wasn’t a lie,” he admitted with a brief smile, staring down at her. “On the ship, for six months, it was basically a cruise of abstinence. When I got back all I could think about was you.” He shook his head, hating how he’d handled things. “And I blew it and let you go. I went out for a few weeks, determined to find someone else to sleep with—”

“Actually, maybe I don’t want to hear this.” She gave a halfhearted laugh and turned off the water, reaching to open the shower door.

He stopped her, catching her wrist and turning her back to face him.

“I figured out pretty quick that it wasn’t going to happen. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I couldn’t even muster up a tenth of the desire for another woman that I felt for you. I stopped trying,” he admitted. “I figured it could only be so long before someone came along and got me all riled up again, and I’d just wait it out, but it never happened. Then you walked back into my life and I knew I couldn’t let you walk away again.”

Her gaze searched his, as if looking for any sign that he was lying. A combo of surprise and dismay registered in her eyes before she glanced away.

This time when she slipped out of the shower, he didn’t stop her, but followed. He grabbed a towel from under the sink and started a slow patting down of her body.

“Why don’t you do permanent? Not judging by any means, only curious.”

He hesitated. “I’ve done permanent. It just doesn’t work for me.”

“You’ve been in a serious relationship then?”

“Some consider marriage pretty serious, some not so much.”

The heat that had been spreading through Kenzie as he patiently dried her body chilled a degree.

“You were married?”

“Only for a couple years and it was pretty early into my Navy career.”

Why it shocked her at all was silly. He had to be in his mid-thirties. For a man not to have been married was a little more uncommon.

“She couldn’t handle being a Navy wife,” he continued without much emotion. “Couldn’t handle having her husband gone for months on end. She craved attention too much, not to mention craved other things.”

It would be hard, but if you loved somebody you dealt with it. Kenzie pressed her mouth together and shook her head.

“She cheated then?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thank you. I’m not the first guy this has happened to. A lot of Navy spouses can’t handle it.” He gave her arse another pat and then turned the towel on himself. “And girlfriends for that matter. I had a serious girlfriend before my wife, and one several years ago after I’d divorced.”

Kenzie was a bit surprised to realize she held no jealousy hearing him talk about his past with women, simply an honest curiosity. She reached for her clothes and started to dress again.

“What happened with them?”

“Somewhat the same deal. One ended up sleeping around with what seemed like every guy in town while I was gone, the other struggled with depression while I was on leave, and ultimately that caused her to find comfort from another guy too. Or that was how she explained it.”

“Shite, Brett, I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “You told me I had bad luck with men, but it sounds like your luck with women has been just as awful.”

“It hasn’t been the best.” He tossed the towel in a plastic hamper in the corner.

He walked past her out of the bathroom and made his way back to the bedroom. She followed, fully dressed again.

“I realized what works and doesn’t work for me,” he continued. “Serious, long-term relationships don’t. Nowadays I keep my relationships, or lack thereof, brief. But I’m honest about it going in. I don’t do long-term. That way no one gets attached, there’s no pain of missing me when I’m on the boat, or me missing them. It’s neat and tidy.”

She bristled and folded her arms across her chest. “Sounds a bit lonely too. Is that the way you intend to live your life then? Just occasional flings?”

“Yes,” he admitted bluntly, pulling on a pair of briefs and then his jeans over it. “Until I retire. That’s my plan.”

“Until you retire?” How many bloody years was that?

He grabbed a T-shirt and turned to face her. “It’s not as crazy as it sounds. I’m thirty-five. In three years I’ll have served twenty in the Navy which means I can retire.”

“Oh.” She blinked as that sank in. “That’s quite early.”

“That’s the military for you. Once I’m living a civilian life, have a normal job, I can be a better boyfriend or husband who’s home more often than not.”

“Or maybe you simply got involved with complete bitches who didn’t know what the word commitment meant,” she retorted. “I’m certain not every Navy wife or girlfriend cheats on her husband.”

“You’re probably right, but I’m done trying to find out.” He turned to face her, his gaze somber. “I don’t want to lead you on, Kenzie. I want to be as up front—”

She held up her hand, urging him to stop. “You’re not leading me on, Brett. You’ve been quite honest that you weren’t looking for serious—and as you know, neither am I. It’s just irritating to hear you write off all women on the shite behavior of a few.”

“I know. I try not to, but it happens.” He paused. “So where do we go from here?”

She bit her lip and sighed. That was a bloody good question. Did she want to get involved with Brett on a casual basis? Maybe he could be a good transition into dating again. Into having a normal sex life. A few times having good sex with Brett might not be a bad idea. Clearly they fit well on a sexual level, and even a communicative one.

Still, she hesitated. “I’m not quite sure. Can I have a bit of time to think about it?”

He slowly closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. His lips lowered to hers and he took her mouth in a slow, thorough kiss.

“Please do. I want you, Kenzie. I would love to have the opportunity to…” He paused, giving a wry smile. “…go all the way together.”

She laughed, loving that they could joke about this and have fun with each other.

“Aye, looking for a home run are we?”

“Absolutely. Batter up.” He kissed her again. “Do you need my number?”

“I’ve got it.” She traced a finger down his jaw, felt the stubble there. He needed a shave.

“Are you going to give me your number?”

“Not yet.” She pulled her hand away and stepped back.

He winced. “Denied.”

“You know where I work,” she reminded him. “And I’m sure you’ll hear from me soon.”

“I hope so. Are you leaving already?” He moved to make the bed.

“Aye. I have an assignment due tomorrow morning. I’ve completely blown it off this weekend.”