Chapter 6
“Ivy! Are you okay?”
Ivy jerked upright at the unexpected feminine voice, looking around as she tried to figure out where she was.
She was home, in her own bed. The light coming in the windows in the back reassured her that she was no longer in the jungle. She was safe. Gunner had gotten her out of the jungle and she was safe... The nightmare hadn’t…well, okay, yeah, it had happened but...
“Where’s Gunner?” she asked, looking around, needing to touch him, to feel his arms around her. She was still disoriented. Thirsty and hungry. When was the last time she ate? She couldn’t remember and both Daisy and Marilee were looking at her with concern in their eyes.
“I’m fine,” she said firmly, trying to reassure both of them as she pushed the hair out of her eyes. She smiled and both women relaxed. “Thanks. I’m fine, really.”
Daisy smirked as she watched her friend wake up. “My brother? Why in the world would you be asking about my brother?”
Ivy looked at her friend, not sure how to answer that question without revealing a whole lot more than she was ready to admit. Marilee stepped out of the small, galley kitchen with a cup of steaming coffee. “So…you and Gunner?”
“I need coffee,” Ivy groaned, ignoring the questions.
Instantly, a cup was moved into her line of sight and Ivy followed the arm up to find Tony right behind her, a cup of coffee in each hand, one of them extended to her.
“Thanks,” she muttered, leaning back against the headboard, blowing on the coffee to cool it down before she took a sip.
When she finally looked up, it was to find Daisy still watching her, but also Marilee and Tony in front of her. The three of them were waiting for…something.
“What?” she asked, perplexed.
Tony was the first to speak. “What happened between you and Gunner?” he demanded.
Ivy’s mouth fell open. “Nothing!” she squeaked, praying that her features looked as innocent as she hoped.
Daisy snorted, obviously reading Ivy’s expression correctly. “Liar. Tell us what happened.”
Ivy sighed and frowned into the steaming depths of her mug. With an abrupt shake of her head, she looked up at the ceiling. “It’s too early in the morning for this,” she groaned. “And I need a shower.”
She stood up, but Daisy didn’t move. “You’re not getting out of this conversation, my friend.”
Marilee stepped closer, laying a hand on Ivy’s shoulder. “You had a good time with him? He didn’t hurt your feelings?”
She stared down at Marilee, wondering how the woman knew that she and Gunner had…
“Gunner never hurts my feelings,” she lied, and shrank slightly at the laughter in her friend’s eyes.
“Of course he didn’t, but…”
Daisy crossed her arms over her chest in a familiar gesture that worried Ivy. There was something in Daisy’s eyes….something that didn’t bode well. “He’s on his way here.”
Ivy stared at Daisy in wide-eyed horror. “He’s coming here? When?”
Tony looked down at his watch, then back at Ivy. “About five minutes.”
Ivy’s mouth fell open and she could barely breathe. She tripped over her own feet, her panic making her clumsy. “That’s too bad because…” she wasn’t sure what excuse she could give, she just knew that she couldn’t see him yet. She hadn’t figured anything out and it was too soon. Ivy felt too raw and vulnerable and, if there was one thing she hated, it was feeling vulnerable.
“I have to go.”
Daisy shook her head. “No you don’t. You have nowhere to go since you just got back into town and, besides, Gunner asked me to keep you here. So I’m going to do just that.”
Ivy didn’t like the idea of being here when Gunner got back. She couldn’t face him until she understood the hold he seemed to have on her.
The firm knock on the door startled her and she spun around.
The three of them stood up and walked towards the door. Ivy felt like her world was spinning out of control. “Where are you guys going?” she yelped in dismay. And no, she wasn’t certain that the person knocking was Gunner, but she could guess.
“We’re giving you and Gunner some privacy,” Tony explained, pulling her in for a hug. “We’re all glad you’re back, safe and sound.” He kissed her forehead and released her, heading towards the door.
Marilee was next, giving Ivy a tight, sweet hug. “I was so scared that something horrible had happened. Then when you disappeared again, we were so scared for you.” When Marilee pulled back, she looked up into Ivy’s eyes with an affectionate but scolding glare. “Don’t do that again, okay? We love you and I’d be devastated if anything happened to you!”
And then she was gone as well.
Meanwhile, Daisy had moved over to the door and pulled it open, admitting her brother, who swept his sister up into his arms. “Hey, Brat,” he greeted cheerfully, squeezing until she squeaked before releasing her and setting her back on her feet. “Thanks for keeping her in town. I can take it from here.”
Seconds later, the door to her loft closed with a gentle click. With Gunner on the wrong side of it.
Ivy swallowed and looked at the man warily, nerves warming her belly with sparks. “What are you doing here? I thought you were on another mission?”
He shrugged easily. “All taken care of,” he told her, as he moved toward her meaningfully.
She watched him, the sparks in her abdomen beginning to smolder. “So you took vacation time?”
“No. My CO gave us all a long weekend.”
Ivy swallowed, taking in the view of his body. He was wearing jeans and a black, long sleeved tee shirt. The material clung to the muscles in his arms and chest, stretching across his shoulders. He looked…amazing.
And even worse, she now knew what his body could do to hers. What his mouth could make her feel. And his hands…! Good grief, his hands were talented far beyond mere explosives!
“Stop looking at me like that,” he warned.
Her lashes lifted and the heat in his dark eyes struck Ivy, turning those smoldering embers into flames.
“Like what?” she whispered, trying to be strong, but when he looked at her like that …well, it took her breath away.
“Like you want me as badly as I want you,” he murmured.
A moment later, he was across the room, lifting her up into his arms and carrying her through the only other door, over to the big bed covered in pillows. All the pillows were gone with a swish of his big, muscular arm. Then he was looking down at her once again and Ivy could feel it, like fingers against her skin. The throbbing, the aching. The need. It was just as hot and intense as it had been back in Jakarta, and she couldn’t stop the trembling as he pulled her into his arms.
Suddenly, she was just as ravenous as Gunner. She pushed up and met him halfway, needing him with a shocking intensity. Clothes were torn off, discarded as they frantically stripped each other. Once naked, his hands were everywhere, causing gasps and moans as she tried to keep up with him. But the feelings were overwhelming.
“Don’t stop!” she gasped when he pulled her nipple into his mouth, sucking. Hard! She cried out, not sure what to say or do, other than reciprocate by touching him as well.
“Not stopping,” he agreed as he moved lower. His hands slid against her legs, pressing them wider and he kissed, licked and nipped his way from her breasts to her stomach, then lower still. But his fingers trailed ahead of his mouth and she was so turned on, just from him walking in the door and kissing her like he was doing, she couldn’t hold back the climax when his fingers teased her. She was already arching into his mouth, keening as the pleasure hit her hard and fast.
“I love it when you do that,” he admitted, then stood up and grabbed his jeans, pulling a condom out while he watched her breathe heavily, trying to recover. “How about doing that again for me?” he suggested with a deep chuckle.
Ivy shook her head, watching his hands as he stroked himself. “I don’t think I can,” she admitted breathlessly.
He chuckled, a deep, masculine sound. “Honey, I was with you three nights ago. I know you can give me another one.”
And he proceeded to show her exactly how right he was. As he entered her, filling her completely, she couldn’t believe how wet and ready she was, making his entrance even more pleasurable. But then he started moving, slowly at first, but followed with more force. Faster. Harder. And she lifted her hips, clenching her inner muscles with every thrust. The man had the stamina of a racehorse, but in this instance, that stamina wasn’t necessary because, too soon, she was splintering apart as the orgasm swept her away in a tidal wave of pleasure.
He followed almost immediately and she dug her nails into his broad, muscular shoulders, knowing that he was the only anchor in her world.
When he finally collapsed against her, she smiled, feeling whole and wonderful for the moment. But her exhaustion was still too much and she fell asleep, curled up against his side. “Don’t leave me,” she whispered only moments before sleep took control.
Gunner looked down at the slender, incredible woman as she slept. He grabbed a tissue and discarded the condom, thinking he’d never had better sex in his life. He wanted to wake her up and do it all over again, but slower this time. And he also wanted to just stay here and watch her sleep.
Instead, he got up and pulled the blankets over her, tucking her in carefully, smiling when she sighed his name in her sleep.
This was so much more than just great sex, he thought. It scared the hell out of him, but he couldn’t deny these feelings for her. Not anymore. After their night in Jakarta and now today, he accepted that somehow, he needed to figure out a way to be with her without pissing her off. Unfortunately, his normal mode of showing his affection was teasing, which only irritated her.
But this time around, he was going to get to know her. Not just her body, but her mind. Gunner realized that, for the first time, he wanted to truly know a woman, the things she liked and disliked, what she preferred to eat, her favorite television shows, her music…everything.
And no, he had no idea how to go about doing that. He’d never cared enough about the women in his past to go to that level of effort. But Ivy was different. Around her, he was different.
Proof of that was the fact that it had taken them this long to get into bed. Every time they’d been anywhere near each other in the past, sparks flew. Yeah, he knew that those sparks had been sexual tension, but he’d never been able to figure out how to get past those sparks and get to know her.
He chuckled as he looked in her fridge. He still had no idea how to get to know her, but he was willing to learn. The first thing he’d realized…the woman really hated to cook. The freezer was stocked with containers that he recognized as coming from Tony’s restaurant, “Desire”. And in her fridge, there was nothing. A few yogurts. An apple. But other than that, it was empty.
Since her fridge wasn’t adequately stocked, at least not to his standards, he decided to head to the grocery store and stock up on supplies. He had four days off and he was going to use them getting to know her.
Ivy woke up to someone clattering in her kitchen. Since she knew that Tony wouldn’t come in unannounced…or if he did, he would definitely wake her up, she knew that the person rattling around in her kitchen wasn’t Tony. Daisy hated to cook and Marilee…good heavens, she hoped it wasn’t Marilee!
Pushing the covers off, she grabbed her robe and padded out of the bedroom. The sight that greeted her was…magnificent!
Gunner was in track pants and a tee shirt that strained at the seams to hold all of those amazing muscles. He had a towel tossed over his shoulder and he was cutting something on her countertop. She recognized the vegetables, but wasn’t sure what he was making. He was a very tidy cook, she thought, impressed, as she watched him toss several mushroom stumps into the garbage.
“What are you doing?” she asked, leaning against the doorframe.
Gunner looked up and smiled. “Hi there, gorgeous. I’m making breakfast. You hungry? Or would you rather go for a run?”
She took in the track pants and running shoes, appreciating the fact that he was ready for a run or a relaxing breakfast. Immediately, a sharp retort sprung to mind, but she thought about what he’d done to her only a few hours ago, the way he’d held her in his arms and the tender look he’d given her right before she’d fallen asleep. So instead of the sarcastic reply, she forced a smile.
“Think you can keep up with me on a run?” she teased, feeling…strange…with Gunner in her kitchen. It was so weird to not be snapping at him, but it felt good too. Good in a weird way.
He chuckled and put the bowl of whatever he was beating into the fridge. “I know I’m up to the challenge,” he came right back.
Ivy smiled, thinking she would love to see him try. Back in her bedroom, she eagerly pulled on running clothes. Gunner might be excellent at blowing things up, getting into and out of dangerous situations, and whatever else it was that he did on SEAL missions, but running was her thing. She loved running and could go on for what seemed like forever. About four times a year, she trained for a marathon, just to make sure she was keeping in shape.
Today, she’d take him on a nice, long run, Ivy thought with increasing relish.
Two hours later, she slowed to a walk, more than a little impressed. “Okay, you can keep up,” she admitted, gasping for breath as she bent over, pulling air into her lungs. Thankfully, he was huffing and puffing as well.
“How far was that?” he asked, walking around, pacing himself and stretching fatigued muscles.
“About thirteen miles,” she said, looking at her watch, which had a GPS on it.
He nodded, still breathing heavily. “That was a good one,” he agreed. “Time to eat!”
He pulled the bowl back out of the fridge. She peered around him and noticed that it was eggs with…stuff in it. She wasn’t sure what stuff but it was green and red and vegetably. “That looks perfect!” she sighed and grabbed a red pepper that hadn’t been included.
He glanced at her over his shoulder, winking at her when she grabbed another red pepper. “Why don’t you hit the shower? I’ll put this in the oven.”
She wanted him to join her, but she still wasn’t sure where they stood. They’d had sex, lots of sex, but what did that mean? Where did their relationship stand?
Ivy sighed as she walked into the bathroom, stripping off her sweaty running clothes as she went. “You’d know what was going on between the two of you if you’d stopped running,” she grumbled, then bent to turn on the shower.
Five minutes later, she was still basking under spray of warm water when the glass door whipped open. “Gunner?!” she gasped, pulling back and trying to cover her nakedness. “What are you…?”
He stepped into the shower, his broad shoulders and huge body taking up most of the space. “I got tired of waiting for you to come back out and talk to me,” he purred, pulling her into his arms. “So we’re not talking. We’re going to try it your way.”
She squeaked when he lifted her up, hissing when the cold marble made contact with her back and shoulders.
“Any objections?” he asked, but his lips were already tormenting her neck, teasing the skin behind her ear. Objections? She would never object to anything that felt this good!
“Um…no. No objections,” she gasped, her arms wrapping around his neck.
Gunner’s laugh rumbled in his chest and Ivy felt the vibrations all the way down to her toes.
“Good. Because I figure if we keep this up,” he lifted her higher, “we can slowly get to know each other without arguing.” His mouth wrapped around her nipple before she could object.
Ivy thought it might be a good plan, but plans were better if they were thought out rationally. Right at this moment, there wasn’t a whole lot of rational thought. He lowered her back to the floor and, spun her around, pressing her hands to the marble wall as he pushed into her heat. As she moaned with the delicious invasion, she accepted that thinking was highly overrated.
Moving slowly at first, Gunner gripped Ivy’s hips, enjoying the view of her like this. She was completely at his mercy. With every thrust, her inner muscles tightened around his shaft, her adorable, perky ass pressed against him. He tried to go slowly, to take it easy. But the way she was moving, it was too hard. When her fingers curled against the marble walls of the shower space and she peered back at him over her shoulder, he knew that he was going to lose it. She was so beautiful and she was letting him touch her! He’d imagined this so many nights. Ever since he’d met Ivy, he’d wanted her, just like this. And in so many other ways.
Releasing her hip with one hand, he let his fingers trail down her spine. He laughed softly when she looked at him again, her wet hair plastered against her shoulders, her pretty hazel eyes pleading with him. He knew she wanted him to move faster but…damn, this just felt too good!
Then she did that tightening thing…. She arched her back, taking that sexy position to a whole new level. Even as he groaned, she took control. From this position, she had that power over him. He might be more than twice her size, but she spread her fingers out against the shower wall and, seeing the muscles flex in her arms, he felt her press against him, moving with him and he wanted to roar! She was just…it was too much!
So instead of grabbing her hips to slow things down, he reached around, with one hand on her breast, he pinched and tweaked her nipple and with his other hand, he found that nubbin between her legs and let the movement of their bodies create the rhythm as his finger teased.
Too soon, she was screaming his name, her hand reaching for his. Initially, he’d thought she would try to pull his hand away, but instead, she pressed his fingers more firmly against that swollen nub, guiding his hand and that was so hot, he couldn’t hold back any more.
When it was all over, Gunner pressed one hand against the shower wall and held her steady with the other, both of them breathing heavily. He pulled her back, needing the contact. Needing to hold her. He kissed her shoulder, her neck. That special spot right behind her ear that always made her shiver, then smiled when it happened again.
“Gunner,” she sighed, her hands clutching his thighs, leaning her head back against him as his arm tightened around her waist.
“You okay?” he asked when he could speak again.
She laughed, her hand squeezing his arm again. “Yeah. I think that’s the best way to come down from a run.”
He chuckled as well, kissing her bare shoulder. “I agree,” he said. “I guess I interrupted your shower.” And he pulled back, tossing the condom into the trash beside the shower before turning back to her. Gunner loved watching the soapsuds form on her lithe figure. Her breasts fascinated him, so firm and perky, he gave each of them the extra attention they deserved. As he made his way lower on her body, he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to resist touching her. Tasting her. Taking the shower nozzle in his hand, he rinsed off the soap and used his mouth to make sure that all the soap was gone. And then he moved lower. Ivy wasn’t so thin that she’d lost her waistline. She still curved in at the waist then flared gently out at her hips, her stomach muscles were tight and sexy.
He ignored the noises she was making. He hadn’t intended to make love to her again, but seeing her like this, feeling her fingers in his hair and smelling her arousal, he just…he needed more. Conscious of the breakfast casserole that was cooking in the oven, he moved lower. And lower still. He swung her leg over his shoulder, she was open and vulnerable to him. He heard her gasp but was too intent on his destination. Nothing tasted better than Ivy and he dove in eagerly. Working quickly because he knew that breakfast would be ready soon, he teased with his mouth, sliding two fingers into her core.
In less time than he would have preferred, she screamed another climax as he devoured her essence, prolonging the pleasure for as long as he could.
When it was all over, he stood up. She still had her eyes closed and her fingers moved from his head to his shoulders. Damn, what was it about her that was such a turn on?!
Because of timing, he reached down, wrapping his fingers around his shaft, he watched her as his hand moved up and down. Her lips were still swollen from his kisses and, as her lashes fluttered open, he felt his orgasm flash through him and he groaned. That look from her was all it took this time and he grunted, but then lowered his head to kiss her as he finished himself off.
At that precise moment, the oven timer chimed and he opened his eyes. Looking down into her surprised, hazel eyes, he laughed. “Perfect timing.”
He heard her surprised laugh even as he turned around and rinsed off. He grabbed the soap and quickly soaped his body, then stepped out of the shower, drying himself off as he walked naked into her kitchen. He wrapped the now-damp towel around his waist as he grabbed an oven mitt to take the casserole out. “Perfect,” he mumbled as he set it down on the stove to cool while they dressed.
For the next three and a half days, Ivy was either making love with Gunner, eating whatever he cooked for both of them, or they were sleeping in order to build up enough energy to start the whole process again.
They talked, but not a great deal. Their conversations were tentative. Slowly, she was learning to chat with him and not become irritated by his teasing. And for his part, Gunner avoided speaking more than ninety percent…okay, maybe seventy-five percent of the annoying comments he could have made.
At the end of the weekend, Ivy drove him to the airport and stood at the gate, fighting back tears. She knew that he had to head back to his base in Norfolk, Virginia but…well, she’d gotten used to the big guy hanging around! She didn’t want him to leave, which was such a difference from all the other times he’d come to town. Too many times, she’d counted down the minutes until he had to head back. Or she’d have gotten away before his arrival and she’d call Daisy to find out when he was leaving so she could come home.
The difference was startling and Ivy wasn’t willing to analyze her emotions right now. It was just…the weekend had been too much. Too simple in that they’d basically ate, slept, and had sex. But it was somehow more complicated.
With his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, ticket in hand, he turned to face Ivy, keeping her close. “Will you come visit me next weekend in Norfolk?” he asked, pulling her gently against him as he kissed her forehead.
She sniffed, refusing to allow the tears to fall. This was Gunner! They might be good in bed, but…that was all they were! Lovers. Lovers who were starting to talk to each other. Lovers who might, just might, be starting to like each other. She wasn’t committing to anything simply because the man made her laugh occasionally.
He laughed and her initial instinct was to punch him. But then he moved his lips to that spot behind her ear and she wanted to melt into him. “I know that your first instinct is to say no. So I guess your silence is at least progress.” He kissed her cheek, and nipped gently at her ear. “Will you think about it?”
Ivy considered that option for a moment, then sighed, nodding her agreement. “Okay. I’ll think about it,” she promised.
He laughed softly and Ivy leaned into him, enjoying the feel of his rumbling when he laughed.
“Fair enough,” he agreed and lowered his head as his arms tightened around her. “If I promise not to tease you about your scrawny arms, will you come?”
She rolled her eyes, smothering her amusement since her arms really were scrawny compared to his. But just this morning, he’d seen her muscles and had given her a whistle of appreciation. So she knew that he didn’t believe her arms were too skinny. He just knew that she was self-conscious about her weight.
“If I come to Norfolk, we’re arm wrestling.”
He threw back his head laughing at her taunt. “Think you can beat me, huh?”
She grinned up at him, feeling a bit cheeky at the moment. That was good, she told herself. Cheeky was better than sad. Cheeky was safer. Cheeky was…she didn’t define it any longer, afraid of what her mind might come up with. Instead, she nudged him with her hip. “Yeah. I think I could take you.”
He sighed. “I need to get through security. My flight is in less than an hour. If I don’t go now, they’ll kick me off and give my seat to someone else.” And yet, he still didn’t release her. “Think about next weekend. I’d love to continue getting to know you.”
She smiled, bowing her head slightly. “This weekend was great, Gunner. But maybe we shouldn’t push things. Maybe this was enough.”
He shook his head. “Nah. I want more. And if you would stop being afraid, you’d acknowledge that you want more too.” With that, he bent lower and kissed her. A moment later, he was walking through the gates towards security. She watched him, wondering if she’d ever get over this silly heart-pounding thing whenever he was around. Seemed so crazy but…he turned at the escalators, winking at her and she sighed.
“Arrogant jerk,” she mumbled as he descended to the lower level to get through the security checks. But she didn’t move until he was out of sight. And she had a silly grin on her face as she turned around and walked out of the airport to the parking lot.