Chapter Four
It was the lacy white panties that did him in.
Frilly, girly, so goddamn sexy it was all he could do to keep a measure of calm as he removed the stinger and bandaged her foot. Yeah, sure, he didn’t have to push her dress up that high, but once he started over her creamy thighs, he couldn’t seem to stop himself. As a former SEAL he might have faced some of the roughest terrain, harshest climates, and the most dangerous of enemies, but keeping his cock in his pants as Holly’s legs widened for him was climbing its way to the number one spot for the hardest mission he’d faced yet. And yes, hardest had taken on a whole new meaning.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked as he carried her outdoors and kicked the clinic door shut behind them. It closed with a thud and vibrated all the way to his balls.
“Taking you back to your villa.”
She wiggled in his arms and a surge of pleasure shot through him. “Josh, really. I’m fine.”
“You might want to stop moving like that,” he bit out between clenched teeth.
“What? Why?”
His nerves twisted. “Just take my word on it, okay.”
She slipped lower in his arms, and he groaned as her hip rubbed against his cock. Her head snapped up, and her eyes widened when they met his. Her body visibly shook as sexual energy arced between them. “Oh,” she said on a breathless whisper. Her warm breath fluttered over his bare flesh, and he felt it all the way to his groin.
“Yeah, oh.”
She schooled her features, but she wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all him. Something potent had passed between them when she’d jumped into the pool to save him. She could pretend otherwise all she wanted, but her expressions were transparent. But even if she did act on what was happening between them, he was not going to give in to his urges.
“Maybe you should put me down, then,” she said.
“No, and I’m not leaving you, Holly.” She opened her mouth, but he cut her off. “Protest all you want, but I know there can be aftereffects from a sting, and until I know you’re okay, you’re stuck with me.”
“So, you’re just going to sit in my room and watch me for the next couple hours?”
“Yes,” he said, unless, of course, she had other ideas about how to pass the time.
Cool it, dude.
“You’re wasting your time if you ask me.”
“Nothing better to do.” Given that it was a small sting, and there wasn’t much swelling, he was 99 percent certain that she’d be fine, but he still wasn’t leaving her. It wasn’t just the SEAL in him that wanted to protect her. It was the man.
One small hand splayed over his chest, holding on as he wove through the paths, taking a shortcut to her villa. His muscles shifted and bunched under her soft touch, and she gave a little breathy sigh. Her warm breath fell over him and stroked all the way to his cock. He dipped his head, her lips so close to his all he had to do was inch forward for a taste. Why is it, again, I can’t have her?
Oh, right, she’s the boss’s daughter and I’m here to protect her!
Flustered, he picked up the pace, and when he reached her villa, he rushed up the three flights of stairs. “Key card,” he said when he reached her door.
She pursed her lips. “Why don’t you just hack into it like you did at the clinic?”
“If that’s what you want.”
He set her down, and as she balanced on one leg, he pulled her against him to provide support. Digging his knife from his pocket, he pulled open a blade, slid it into the crack of the door, and jimmied the lock until the door opened.
She shook her head. “Ohmigod, is it really that easy?”
“It’s really that easy,” he said.
After opening the door, he stepped into her room and carried her to the bed. But seeing her sitting there, looking up at him with those big, brown eyes, was more than he could take.
As desire slammed into him, he turned and plunked himself down in the chair by the window, determined to get his shit together and keep his distance.
“If you insist on staying, you might want to put a shirt on,” she bit out, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she seemed like she wanted to gobble them back up. “Wait, I mean…”
Hyperaware of the way she kept looking at him, he asked, “You mean what?”
“I have the air conditioning on high. You’re going to freeze.”
“I’m fine.”
“Suit yourself.” She stood, hobbled to the thermostat, and dropped the temperature even more. “Actually, I find it a bit hot in here.”
With his gaze latched on the lush curve of her ass, he said, “Me, too.”
She spun to face him, and he sat there, completely still, as they glared at each other. Hand on her hip, she asked, “Just how long do you plan to stay?”
“Until I know you’re okay.”
Her chin lifted a little higher. “I’m fine.”
Stubborn.
“Maybe you’re hot because you have a fever.” he said. “Did you ever think of that?”
“I don’t have a fever.”
“Then why are you hot?”
“I just am. You just said you were hot, too. Maybe you have a fever.”
“Maybe I do.” Oh, he had a fever all right. He was burning up inside—for her. She started back toward the bed but winced when she came down too hard on her foot. A surge of protectiveness shot through him. “Jesus, Holly.” He crossed the room and scooped her up. Could the woman be any more obstinate…or fucking adorable? “What’s wrong with me helping you? We’re friends aren’t we? And friends help friends, right?”
She frowned, went quiet for a moment, like she needed to think on that, then came out with, “I don’t really…like…”
He set her on the bed and dropped to his knees in front of her. “What don’t you like?” he asked softly. Her throat made a sound as she swallowed, and he reached out to brush her hair off her face. Her hand shot up and closed over his, but then she jerked it back.
“Ouch.”
“What?”
She rubbed her wrist. “I think I landed on my hand when I fell.”
“You should have told me when were at the clinic.”
“I didn’t realize it hurt until now.”
“Let me see.” He took her hand in his and brought it close for an examination. With a slight twist, he checked the joints, and ran his finger along the bone. “Push against my hand.” She did as he asked, then grimaced.
“That hurts,” she said.
“Sorry. I just needed to check if it was broken, but I don’t think it is. We won’t know for sure until we get an X-ray tomorrow, but I think it’s just a strain. Do you have anything I could wrap it with?” His thumb brushed the underside of her arm, a slow sweep. Christ, her skin was so fucking soft.
“Yeah.” She nodded to her open suitcase. “I have a few scarves in the pouch.”
Josh reached inside the sack and pulled out a colorful scarf. “I’m going to ice your hand first, then wrap your wrist, just to keep it stabilized. If there is a slight crack, this will help.”
He found an ice bucket in her bathroom and said, “I’ll be back in a second.” He stuck the remote control between her door and the frame to keep it open and made his way to the ice machine, giving his hard cock a moment of reprieve. Any more time around her and he couldn’t be sure which part of him would be calling the shots.
Okay, Josh, get it together.
When he returned, kicking the remote out of the way, she gave an exaggerated sigh, as if she was so over this. Too bad. He wasn’t leaving until he knew she was okay. He put the ice in a washcloth, knelt on the floor in front of her, and held it to her wrist.
“I can do it,” she said.
“I can do it, too.”
Her warm breath fell over him as he continued to ice her wrist. After a while, he pulled it away, and satisfied that there was no swelling—well, there was swelling, but it was in his groin area—he folded the scarf diagonally and wrapped it around her wrist, using a knot to tie it in place. Color moved into her cheeks as he tested the pressure by pushing one finger inside.
“Did you learn that in Boy Scouts, too?” she asked, then brushed her tongue over her bottom lip like she was parched.
Jesus, she was sexy. “No, actually Mrs. J was a nurse. She taught me things.” He placed his hand on her thigh, and her legs inched open as she relaxed into his touch. All signs pointed south, and he made the stupid mistake of looking down. A jolt of desire zinged through him, and the need to inch that dress up again, to get his mouth on her creamy thighs, pulled at him hard.
Fuck me.
“Mrs. J?”
She leaned into him, and as her hair fell forward, he fought the urge to look down a second time, to gift himself with another view of her panties. If he did, he knew he’d be done for. So fucking done for.
He grabbed an unopened bottle of water from her dresser, cracked the top, and handed it to her. She took a big drink, smiled her gratitude, and handed it back.
“My…ah, my foster mother.” Why the hell was he telling her that? He never talked about his childhood with anyone. He put the bottle to his mouth and took a swig of water to clear his throat and his addled brain.
“Oh? What kinds of things did she teach you?”
He sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, everything inside him urging him to run, to get as far away from her as possible before he did something he could only regret. But when he lifted his eyes to hers and caught heat in her gaze, the sultry way she was looking at him, it stole the last vestige of his control.
He put his hands on her knees, brushing his thumbs over her warm skin. “Just that maybe sometimes all a small injury needs is a little kiss to make it feel better.”
What the fuck?
What is this woman doing to me?
Acting on impulse, he picked her hand up again and pressed his mouth to her wrist, close to the scarf. She sucked in a quick breath as he brushed his lips over her flesh gently, a barely there kiss.
“Better?” he asked, her sweet taste lingering on his tongue.
She regarded him with wide eyes then whispered, “Ah, yeah.”
With the rough pad of his thumb, he stroked her inner wrist, reveling in the softness, the sweet scent of her skin. He closed his eyes against the rush of heat. Jesus what would she taste like?
Go ahead, find out. I dare you.
Ignoring that taunting voice, he asked, “When you fell, did you hurt anywhere else?”
The pulse at the base of her throat beat rapidly, and her mouth opened and closed like she was fighting some internal war. He could relate.
You can’t do this.
Well, technically, he could. He just shouldn’t. As his blood pulsed hot, he attempted to rein in his lust.
“No… At least, I don’t think so,” she said quickly—so quickly it pulled him to his senses. Thank fuck one of them had enough sense not to let this go any further.
He stood, and her gaze dropped to his hard dick. Her eyes widened, glazed over, and in that instant, he wanted nothing more than to pleasure her. But he couldn’t. This was wrong, and she’d just straight-up told him no.
He’d turned to make his way back to his chair, desperate to put distance between them, when she said, “Ow.”
He spun back around and took in her pained look, but her tortured expression seemed to stem from arousal not pain.
“Holly?” he said.
“I…” She ran her fingers along her neck, and he watched, transfixed. “I think I might have been wrong.”
Walk away, Josh.
“You’re saying you do hurt somewhere else?”
Dude.
“I…uh…I might have strained right here,” she said and rotated her head, wincing like she was in pain.
His cock jumped. “Where, exactly?” he asked, need making his voice husky.
She angled her head to expose the long column of her throat, and as she joined him in this dangerous game he was playing, he knew he was fighting a losing battle. From the second he saw her in her cotton underwear last night, he knew he’d have to have her. It was inevitable. Heat shot through him as she dragged her finger down her creamy throat, coming to rest at the hollow that beckoned his touch.
“Right here,” she murmured.
He rolled his tongue around a suddenly dry mouth and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. He needed another drink, but there were other, more pressing matters at hand. Shifting on his knees, he leaned into her and made a slow pass with the soft blade of his tongue. More. Silky hair swept across his face as he pressed his lips to her quivering flesh. A little whimper of need echoed around him, and he could practically taste the tension zinging between them.
“Feel better?” he asked. Yeah, okay, what he was doing wasn’t logical or smart, but if he really thought about it, having sex with her only made sense. Once he snuffed this physical attraction, he’d be able to get his mind back on his mission and off all the things he wanted to do to her—planned to do to her—tonight.
How was that for logical reasoning at its worst?
He inched back to see her, and once he glimpsed the desire reflecting in her eyes, not even a brotherhood of soldiers could have pulled him off. She wet her bottom lip, and his body thrummed as he took in the sexy sheen left behind.
“I think I might have bitten my lip when I fell,” she whispered. “It stings a bit.”
Motherfucker.
Fierce need raged inside him as he cupped the back of her head and dragged his thumb over her lip. Using only the tip of his tongue, he brushed her mouth lightly, then delved deeper, sweeping his tongue inside her mouth to taste the depths of her. Her mouth moved under his, sensual, wanton…hungry.
He broke the kiss. “Strawberries,” he groaned. “I knew it.”
“Strawberries?” she asked, her breath wafting across his cheek.
“Yeah, that’s how you taste.” He gave her a little nudge, and she fell onto the mattress, her hair splayed across the bedding. Sexy didn’t even begin to describe the vision before him. “So goddamn sweet that I’m going to have to taste every inch of you.” He dragged in a breath, some coherent part of his brain reminding him she was injured. “Shit, what the fuck am I doing? You’re hurt, Holly.”
“You’re right, I am hurt.” He was about to back off but stopped when she sat up, inched her legs open, and said, “In fact, I hurt everywhere, Josh.” Lust darkened her eyes as heavy lids blinked slowly.
His throat sounded as he swallowed, and he knew this was going too far. He was getting in over his head with the one woman he needed to stay away from. “Holly—”
“I’m a big girl, Josh. Old enough to know what I want.”
“And what exactly is it that you want?” he asked.
“You.”
Fuck, when she put it that way… Unable to help himself, he leaned in, and all coherent thought fled when he tasted her again. Sugar-coated strawberries. Sweet fuck, he never tasted anything so delicious, so fucking addictive.
“Yes,” she murmured, the color in her cheeks deepening as he indulged in her mouth.
Dammit, she was beautiful. He put his hand on her throat and found her skin hot to the touch. His body jerked in anticipation—eager to have her naked so he could do dirty things to her—and a groan rose in his throat. Dragging his hand lower, he stroked between her breasts and over her stomach, coming to a stop at the top of her sweet, creamy thighs.
“Is this where it hurts?”
“Yes,” she murmured. “That’s exactly where it hurts.” Long lashes blinked over hooded eyes as he pressed a hand between her legs, kneading her flesh. Her hips soared, her body so eager for his touch it was all he could do not to lose his shit, bend her over, and claim every inch of her in a frenzied rush. His dick was so fucking hard, it wanted inside ten minutes ago, but he forced himself to slow down. Tonight he planned to savor her, give her what her body craved—what his craved—because there’d be no other nights like this one. There couldn’t be.
He lifted her dress to expose her lacy panties and mumbled curses under his breath as she spread her legs wider, a sweet invitation that twisted him up inside.
“You’re right, you are hurting. What do you think we should do about that?” he asked, lightly running his hand up her thigh until he felt her heat.
“Only one thing to do, I guess,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“Kiss it better.”