To Dare a SEAL (Sin City SEALs) (15 page)

Chapter Twenty-Three

H
olding her skirt with one hand and the Sizzling Secrets bag with the other, she surveyed her hotel room one last time. She’d asked Jack for a few minutes to “freshen up” and he’d agreed to wait in the hall, buying her time to set the scene. Now, she was ready to reach for a future with Jack—if she wasn’t too late.

He’d accepted the dare. That was a step in the right direction, wasn’t it?

She placed her hand on the knob and drew a deep breath. She could do this. She could open the door and hand the charming SEAL a bag of black silk ties and say “take me.” That wasn’t hard. And this time, when he stripped away her physical control, she would face her fears head on and win.

She cracked the door and peered through the narrow opening. She kept the bag behind her back. He’d stripped off his black bowtie. But he looked close to perfect, standing there with his white tuxedo shirt open at the neck.

“Planning to let me in?” he asked. “If we’re taking this dare into the hall, I’m warning you now, there are security cameras.”

“No cameras,” she said. “I need you to close your eyes.”

He raised an eyebrow, but then he followed her request.

She drew a deep breath. It was now or never. She took his hand and led him into the room.

“You can open your eyes now,” she said.

He obeyed, and she watched as he surveyed the suite. Rose petals covered the bed. She’d taken the time to fold the blankets down, leaving the crisp white sheets littered with red petals. A bottle of champagne rested in a bucket on the nightstand. And a pair of flutes stood beside it.

His gaze shifted to the carpet where she’d created a path of long-stem roses leading to the bed. Every detail screamed romance. And oh God, maybe it was too much. But she’d wanted to show him that she was looking beyond tonight. He could bind her to the bed and she’d still be here in the morning.

He turned to her. “You’ve been planning this dare?”

“Yes.” She held out the Sizzling Secrets bag. “I went shopping before the wedding.”

He took the bag. With one handle in each hand, he opened it but kept his eyes on her. “May I?” he asked.

She nodded.

He withdrew the four lengths of black silk and glanced up at her. “You intended to seduce me with romance and bondage?”

“Yes.” She met his intense gaze briefly. Then she turned her attention to the ties in his hands. Had she made a mistake? She’d asked the store clerk to modify them, trimming off the silver rings at the end until they looked like the ones from his story.

“Natalie.”

She looked up at him, hoping for a hint of his give-me-your-panties grin. But his mouth formed a thin line as he studied her.

“What if I want to be more than the guy who ties you up?”

Her hope threatened to leap off a cliff. She glanced at the ties in his hand and her brow furrowed. “But I thought you wanted—”

“Not tonight.” He draped the black silk lengths over the back of the desk chair. “We’ll set these here.” Then he turned to her. “Tonight, I was hoping you’d tell me what you like.”

You. On top of me. Inside me. Pushing my boundaries and daring me to leave the past behind…

She stole a glance at the discarded ties. She’d planned to follow his lead and obey his commands tonight. Now, she felt like she’d stepped onto thin ice. Any moment, the surface might break and she’d lose him—for good this time.

“I’d like to know if you’re wearing underwear,” she said, reaching for light and playful.

“I’m not,” he said. And for the first time tonight, she detected a note of humor threaded with desire in his tone. Her hope soared.

You can do this. You can fight for happiness.

“Prove it.” She lowered her gaze to his crotch. She would seduce him tonight with or without the ties. She would not run away and hide. “Take off your clothes, Jack.”

He reached for the top button on his shirt. “What about you? Are you wearing panties under that dress?”

She followed his example, her fingers moving to the complex knot at her back. Once she loosened it, the twisted length running up her back would unravel, and the bands of fabric would fall off her shoulders and reveal her breasts.

“Don’t take off all of your clothes just yet,” he said. “I’ve spent the entire reception dreaming about you in that dress, my hands sliding under that rope at your back.”

She lowered her hands and waited for his command. Finally, she felt as if she’d stepped onto solid ground. This worked—him calling the shots one moment before handing the reins back to her.

This is why we fit. But what if he doesn’t see it?

“That doesn’t mean you can’t show me what you’re wearing underneath,” he said, pulling his tuxedo shirt free from his pants. He stripped it off and let it fall to the floor. “Lift your dress and show me.”

Desire ripped through her. She buried her fingers in the soft material by her thighs. Her fingers drew her dress higher and higher, revealing her legs inch by inch. He followed her hemline, barely blinking as he kicked off his shiny black shoes. By the time she reached her thighs, he’d slid his pants down his legs.

Jack Barnes could start a riot in a tux. But naked? She’d have to be crazy to walk away from that body. Add in the fact that man attached to that long, hard cock still wanted her after seeing her nearly crippling fears on display? After she’d run from him? And oh yes, she’d be bat-shit crazy to walk away again.

“Higher, Natalie,” he growled. His hands remained at his side.

She kept her movements slow and steady. She wanted to draw this out, but she could feel herself growing wet. She stole another glance at his long, hard length, then down his powerful legs. He stood with his feet planted hips distance apart. And he looked ready to pounce.

On her.

“You’re killing me, darlin’,” he said. “And if that’s what you want, I’m in. But know that I’m about five seconds away from falling to my knees and begging to see you.”

She gathered her skirt at her waist and offered him a clear view of her white lace thong—from the front.

“But I know you’ve always liked the view from the back,” she said, turning around.

“Sweet Jesus,” he murmured.

She glanced over her shoulder and watched as he stared at the thin strip of white lace disappearing between her naked cheeks. “A little different from at the bar?”

“Tell me what you want, Natalie,” he said, his tone wavering between begging and demanding. He stared at her, his blue eyes roaming over her body. And she knew he was waiting for her to offer more—beyond the rose petals and silk ties.

“I want to star in your story.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

J
ack focused on her words—
I want to star in your story
. He was determined to prove that he could be more than the guy who offered bondage-filled fantasies, more than her friend and sometimes-lover. And shit, he was determined to win the head-to-head battle with that dress.

Seeing the full skirt bunched around her waist, knowing he could unravel the material at her waist, loosen the rope at her back, and use her clothes to tie her to the bed…

But not tonight. Right now he needed to feel her trust here in the room with them giving life to their future. One day, they’d use her dress, and maybe the black silk ties she brought.

He stole a quick glance at her purchase from Sizzling Secrets. When he’d introduced the fantasy, he’d reached for a mental picture that would turn them on. And he’d freaking loved the way she responded to his words. But the fact that she’d listened and gone out of her way to transform a piece of his fantasy into a very real possibility? He hoped like hell that was a sign they’d steered clear of clusterfuck territory.

“Jack?”

He looked back at her and watched as she widened her stance. God help him if she bent over.

“I want my story,” she said, her voice so damn sexy.

He drew a deep breath. “How to F… How to Make Love to—”

“You can say fuck, Jack,” she said with a soft laugh.

“How to Fuck a Princess.” He stepped over the roses and moved behind her. His dick pressed against her as his hands slipped under her raised dress. “Part One.”

“It’s part of a series?” she asked, leaning into him.

“Yes.” He toyed with the elastic band of her underwear before hooking his thumbs underneath and slowly drawing the slip of white lace down her legs. He knelt by her ankles and said, “Step out.”

“How many parts?” she asked, lifting first one foot and then the other. “Sometimes it is nice to know before you start a series when you’ll reach the conclusion.”

“This one could go on for a long time,” he admitted, tossing her underwear aside. He stood and reached for her, running his hands over her bare skin to the knotted material at the back of her dress. “I don’t have an ending planned.”

“That’s good,” she murmured. “I recently realized I have an irrational fear of endings.”

His hands froze on her dress. “Still expecting the worst?”

She drew a shaky breath. “Not this time. It’s possible. But I’m trying to focus on the good parts.”

“Good.” Relief rushed in and his fingers started to move again.

“Jack, how does your story start?”

“Once upon a time, there was a prince.” He loosened the knot, and holding one piece in each hand, began to unwind the twisted fabric running up her back.

“Always a good beginning,” she murmured as his hands brushed her shoulder blades.

“A prince who found a princess working in a bar.” He held the ties to her dress, one in each hand. If he let go, the front would drop to her waist.

“Do all of your stories involve bartenders?” she teased, interrupting the mental picture of her bare breasts.

“Yes. When it comes to the ‘good parts’ in my stories, I have a one-track mind.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips over her shoulder. “I need you to turn around before I continue.”

She shifted and he released the fabric, watching as it slipped over her skin and revealed her chest. He stared, trying like hell to draft an impromptu fairytale in his head when all he wanted to do was fall to his knees and worship her tits. He was pretty damn sure he could make her feel like royalty with his tongue instead of his words.

“Go on,” she said, raising her hands to her breasts.

“The prince knew he’d lose his fucking mind if he ever got this woman alone,” he said, his gaze fixed on her hands as he reached for the loose dress clinging to her hips. “The thought of her naked…”

One tug and the gray material pooled at her feet. She still wore the shoes they’d purchased during her shopping dare, but nothing else. Jack lowered one knee to the ground and reached for the zipper on her right foot.

The temptation to run his lips over her legs, licking his way up her thighs—he focused on her feet as if he cared about her shoes. He quickly released the second zipper and stood up. If he stayed down there too long, he would bury his face between her legs and taste her. End of story.

“The thought of her naked left him speechless?” she asked, kicking off her shoes.

“Yeah.”

She lifted her breasts and pushed them together. Her thumbs teased her nipples. And he had to touch her. Placing his hands on her hips, he drew her close.

He growled and fought to find the words. “It blew his mind. He wanted to lift her up, carry her to bed, and toss her onto the petals.”

“Oh, God…”

His mouth formed a thin line. She needed more. He knew she wasn’t ready until she added “Jack” to her heavenly pleas.

“But he wanted to make love to the princess on her terms. He wanted to earn her trust.”

“He has it,” she said softly. “The princess—she was hiding behind fear. But not anymore.”

He fought the temptation to toss her over his shoulder, follow the roses straight to the bed, and prove she meant what she said. But he wasn’t here to test her.

“You’re interrupting,” he said.

“Sorry. Please continue.”

“The prince offered her three wishes.” He ran his hands over her ass and rocked his hips. “Wish number one…”

He lifted his gaze to her face and raised an eyebrow. This was her call.

She released her breasts, placed her hand on his chest, and gave him a light push. “I wish Prince Charming would sit down on the rose petals and tell me more.”

He backed away from her, careful to avoid the romantic flower obstacle course on the carpet. The back of his calves touched the bedframe and he sat. “Tonight, he wanted the princess to pick the position,” he said. “Did she want to be on top of him, grinding against him? Or pinned to the bed beneath—”

“On top,” she said as she approached the bed. She placed one knee on either side of his hips, rested her hands on his shoulders, and sank into his lap. She was wet and hot and ready. “To start,” she added.

He groaned as his hand ran over her back and down to her ass. “Darlin’ tell me what you need from me. I’ll do whatever I can to make it happen. But I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to string together coherent sentences.”

She rocked her hips against him.

“Natalie,” he growled. He wanted to come inside her, not pressing up against her like this.

“May I use my second wish?” she asked.

“
Anything.”

“I wish for a condom.”

“You don’t need to waste a wish on that.” He turned his head and scanned the sheets. He’d seen a few tossed among the rose petals as if Natalie had been thinking ahead to this moment. “Protection is included along with your favorite sexual position.”

He located the shiny, square packet that looked nothing like a rose petal, and grabbed it off the sheets. She took it from him and tore it open. She reached between them and quickly covered him.

“Jack?” She raised her hips but stopped short of sinking down and burying his dick inside her.

“Yeah?” he gasped. If she demanded another chapter to the story—shit, he wasn’t sure he could deliver. He was about five seconds away from a serious reduction in his vocabulary. “Please” and “Natalie” would be the extent of his storytelling skills.

“I’ve never felt like a princess—I’ve never felt this happy,” she said, her brown eyes staring into his. “Until now. I want to thank you. For all of it.”

“There’s no fucking way I’m getting a pen and paper for you right now,” he said.

“I don’t need one.” She wrapped one hand around the base of his cock and guided him in.

His hands pressed into the mattress and his hips lifted to greet her. “Shit, I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I couldn’t resist. But now it’s your turn. Set the pace. Ride me, grind against me—whatever you need, take it. Take me.”

“Hmm,” she murmured as she rocked her hips against him and closed her eyes. She arched her back, pressing her breasts up toward his mouth. “I have one more wish, Prince Charming.”

“Done,” he growled.

“Don’t hold back,” she ordered.

“Natalie.” He placed a hand on her lower back. The need to touch her overrode his plans. Her words pushed him over the edge. One second he was under control. And the next thing he knew, he had his hands wrapped around her waist. He lifted her up. And his body moved with her, holding her close, maintaining their intimate connection. Until he turned to the bed and lifted her off his dick and laid her down on the bed.

“Jack,” she protested.

“I’m not holding back,” he said, covering her body with his and thrusting inside her. They could get creative later. Right now, he needed her beneath him. “Wrap your legs around me and hold on, darlin’. I’m going to blow your mind.”

Three hard thrusts, her hips rising to meet his, and she screamed the words he’d been waiting to hear from the moment he’d knocked on her door.

“Oh God, Jack!”

She arched and writhed beneath him. And shit, the things she was doing to his dick…

It took all his self-control and then some to hold back. Because he wasn’t ready to follow her over the cliff. Not just yet.

“Jack?” she whispered as her movements slowed beneath him.

He straightened his arms, allowing his hands to support his upper body as he looked down at her. On the heels of her orgasm, he saw a rainbow of emotions flicker across her face. Fear. Wonder. Surprise. And something that looked a helluva lot like a teenage girl meeting her favorite boy band member.

“Are you okay?” he asked. The fear, the wonder, and even the surprise, he understood those feelings. But the You’re-My-Hero look? No one had ever gazed at him quite like that.

“I’m falling in love with the sound of your voice,” she admitted. “And with you.”

I’m falling in love.

That look—it wasn’t hero worship, or a full-blown crush. It was love.

And dammit, he was still inside of her, his dick primed to explode in five, four, three, two—

“Darlin’, I can’t…” He closed his eyes.
Love.
Natalie was falling in love with him. “Fuck.”

Maybe he just couldn’t hold on any longer, buried inside her. Or maybe the fact that she’d said the magic word that spelled out how he felt about her pushed him over the edge. Either way, the orgasm rocked through him.

“Natalie,” he roared. “Natalie!”

I
’m falling in love with you.

Natalie watched as every muscle in his body tightened as he came—
in response to her words.

And okay, he was buried inside of her. It wasn’t like she’d sat down across the coffee table in the sitting area, said the l-word, and he’d come in his pants. She couldn’t take this as a sign that he’d fallen too. She needed to hear him say the words.

She felt his body relax. And then slowly, gently, he rolled off of her.

“So I guess this means you never want me to shut up?” He turned on his side and supported his head with his hand, his elbow pushing into the mattress. “Stupid pick-up lines, bedtime stories—you want me to keep talking?”

“Yes, Jack. I want you to talk to me. And I promise to listen. Just make sure you’re picking
me
up with your lines.”

“I will.” He placed his hand on her heart. “Because I started falling in love with you the moment I walked into your bar. I’ve been falling ever since. I love you, Natalie. I love that you hear me, that you understand how the past messed me up.”

“It did a number on me too,” she murmured.

“And those fears don’t just walk out of your life because you want them to,” he said. “But even when you’re scared, even when all the shit you’ve lived through comes back to haunt you, I’m still going to love you.”

“Jack,” she murmured, covering his hand with hers.

When was the last time someone had walked into her life and looked past her failings? Her foster families had handed her off, making her someone else’s problem. Her best friend, and until recently, even Lucia, had given her the space she demanded. But not Jack. He’d grabbed a rope and tried to climb her walls and peek over the edge. He wanted to see her fears—to see
her
.

And yes, that had terrified her at first and sent her running, unable to trust in him. But no one outside of her family—and Cade—had offered to love her just as she was. Just the opposite. They’d turned her away. And even those closest to her, including her sister and her best friend, had loved her from a distance. But Jack was right here, his hand on her heart, his naked body lying beside her, loving her, understanding her.

It was almost too much. His love was like this great big gift. What could she possibly offer him in return? Her heart? It didn’t feel like enough for the man who’d given her a second chance, allowing her to work through her fears.

“I think it’s time for the black silk ties,” she said. His fantasy, his desires—she could give him that.

He shook his head. “Not tonight. We’ll get there. Don’t get me wrong. I love the fact that you went out and bought those. I look forward to using your present. But there’s no rush. I’ll settle for reverse cowgirl and maybe one of your special blow jobs.”

She stared up at him as relief rushed through her. He’d accepted her gift for exactly what it was—a sign that she wanted to carry their fantasy world forward into the future, into a relationship, and into reality. But he wasn’t pushing her. There was always tomorrow and the day after that.

She slid off the bed, walked over to the armchair, and picked up the lengths of black silk. Then she turned and headed for the man she’d fallen in love with. He’d sat up. His long legs were stretched out in front of him on the bed. His palms pressed into the sheets, supporting his upper body as he leaned back, the pose putting his muscles on display.

She stopped at the edge of the bed and tossed her present onto his lap. “I don’t want to wait. You’re deploying soon. This could be our last chance to make your fantasy come true.”