Before she could blink, Cash tugged her into his arms again and kissed the living daylights out of her. His lips were firm, his tongue insistent, his beard growth prickly as it scraped her chin. The kiss robbed her of breath and made her heart pound, and when they broke apart, the relief in Cash’s eyes was unmistakable.
“You mean it, right? You’re okay that I wasn’t here when you needed me? Because it could happen again, sweetheart. The military is my life. I will be gone at times.”
She traced his mouth with her fingers. “I know. And I can handle that. We can make this work.” She paused. “And anyway, you won’t be the only traveling partner in this relationship.”
He cocked a brow. “Oh really?”
“Uh-huh. In fact, I’m flying to Lake Tahoe Wednesday morning. It’s just a day trip, but it still counts as travel, right?”
“Is this your way of telling me you got the job?” he teased.
“Yep.”
Jen yelped when Cash lifted her off her feet and hugged her. His happiness was contagious, making her forget about this morning’s terrifying showdown with Brendan and reminding her of all the incredible things she had going in her life at the moment.
“I knew you’d get it,” he said gruffly.
Her heart constricted as he bent down to capture her lips in another deep kiss that left her tingling in all the right places.
“I’m so damn proud of you, sweetheart,” he went on, sweeping his thumb over her lower lip. “I believed in you from the start, and I’m glad you’re finally believing in yourself.”
“I am,” she agreed softly. Emotion clogged her throat. “And even more than that, I believe in you, Cash. I believe in us.”
Chapter Fifteen
Carson paced Jen’s living room carpet, distress creasing his forehead. “What if she doesn’t come?” he said for the tenth time in the last five minutes.
“She just texted saying she’s on her way,” Jen reminded him.
He kept pacing. “What if she sees my car and realizes it’s an ambush?”
“You parked at the grocery store around the corner,” Cash spoke up. “She won’t see your car.”
“But what if she stops to buy groceries?” He sounded anguished. “Fuck. She’s not going to come.”
With a sigh, Jen rose from the couch and marched over to her brother. Cash stayed seated, watching her with an amused expression on his gorgeous face. For a second, she was tempted to flop right back on the couch and kiss that sexy mouth of his, but she reined in the impulse. Besides, she and Cash had done plenty of kissing over the past two days—surely they could afford to take a short break to help her brother.
Clapping both hands on Carson’s shoulders, she fixed him with a stern look. “Chill the fuck out. Holly is on her way here. Any second now, she’ll knock on the door and—”
The knock came as if on cue.
Jen gave those broad shoulders a reassuring squeeze. “See?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “How do I look?”
She swept her gaze over his perfectly starched dress whites, the blond hair he’d slicked back with care, the clean-shaven jaw and familiar blue eyes, the same shade as her own.
“You look as handsome as ever,” she said softly.
Saying a silent prayer that Holly wouldn’t bolt the second she saw Carson, Jen walked to the front hall and opened the door to let Holly in. “Hey. Thanks for coming,” she told her sister-in-law.
Holly’s low ponytail fell over one dainty shoulder as she followed Jen inside. “It’s no problem. You sounded so upset over the phone. I still can’t believe you broke up with Cash! I thought you said the two of you were—Carson?”
The brunette stopped in her tracks when she spotted her husband. She immediately turned to Jen with a wary look. “What’s going on?” Then she noticed Cash sitting on the sofa, and the wariness deepened. “You two didn’t break up, did you?”
Jen smiled sheepishly. “No.”
Carson took a step toward his wife, his nervousness clearly etched into his face. “Hey, Hol.”
Holly frowned at her husband. “Why are you in uniform?”
“I figured it was appropriate.” He shot her a faint smile. “I was wearing this uniform the night of Garrett and Shelby’s wedding, remember? When we ran into each other again after you abandoned me in a supply closet.”
After a beat, Holly smiled back. “I never thought I’d see you again after that night at the club.” Her green eyes glimmered with humor before going dull again. “But what does that night have to do with right now?”
As the pair eyed each other, Jen edged away, wanting to give them privacy. Cash did the same—he’d already risen from the sofa and was creeping toward the bedroom.
But her brother stopped them before they could make their escape. “Stay,” he said hoarsely. “I might as well grovel in front of an audience.”
“Grovel?” Holly let out a breath. “Carson, I don’t want to talk about—”
“I don’t want you to talk,” he said quietly. “I just want you to listen, okay?”
Holly seemed to hesitate, but then she nodded. She slid the strap of her leather purse off her shoulder and set it on the couch, but she didn’t make a move to sit. She just stood there, staring at her husband with sad green eyes.
Carson shifted his feet, looking more nervous than Jen had ever seen him. Finally, he cleared his throat. “I fucked up, Hol. I know I fucked up and I’ve been trying to find a way to fix this for months now. I was seeing a therapist—”
“You were?” Holly said, agape.
He nodded. “I thought she’d help me figure out how to make things right between us, but arrogant ass that I am, I kept ignoring her advice. She went on and on about communication, and I was all, less talk more action. Like my whole let’s-have-a-baby idea.” He gave a self-deprecating smile. “Because having a kid is really the way to solve a problem, huh?”
Holly laughed softly.
Carson moved closer, and Jen couldn’t help but smile when she saw her brother and sister-in-law standing so close. Carson towered over his wife, and yet Holly was the one who seemed to wield all the power despite her pixie-esque stature.
“I know it’s hard for you when I’m gone,” Carson mumbled. “It’s hard for me, too. More than you’ll ever know.”
Something warm touched her arm, and Jen jumped, then relaxed when she realized Cash had come up beside her. Without a word, he took her hand, the warmth of his touch seeping into her skin.
Across the room, Holly’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “But I don’t know, Carson. You don’t give me any indication that you even miss me when you’re away. You just try to pick up where we left off. You act like my entire purpose in life is to sit at home and wait for you to get back.” She blinked rapidly. “But I can’t do that. I have a life too. My job at the restaurant, my work with Annabelle. I can’t just drop everything when you come home and make you the center of my existence. Especially when I’m not the center of your existence.”
“I know. And I’m a jerk for suggesting you quit your job. I don’t want you to do that. The only thing I want is for you to be happy.” His voice cracked. “And I do miss you when I’m away, Hol. You’re all I fucking think about.”
Holly’s tears spilled over, and damned if Jen didn’t feel all teary herself. As much as she hated intruding on this personal moment, she was so very touched seeing her brother lay himself bare like that.
Carson cupped his wife’s cheeks and swept his thumbs over the moisture there. “I want to make things better, but I need to know that you want the same thing. That you haven’t completely given up on me.”
“Of course I haven’t given up. I love you, you idiot.”
All the tension left Carson’s body. “I love you too,” he said roughly.
When Holly stood on her tiptoes to kiss her husband, Jen felt like a total voyeur. She squeezed Cash’s hand, signaling that it was time to sneak away, but Carson foiled their next
attempt when he spoke up again.
“Jen, where’d you put that printout?”
“Shoot. I left it in the printer tray in my room. I’ll get it.”
Letting go of Cash’s hand, she dashed into her bedroom and grabbed the sheet of paper, which she handed to Carson once she returned to the living room.
“What’s that?” Holly asked.
“Our hotel confirmation,” Carson replied with a grin. “We’re going to Catalina.”
His wife looked startled. “What? When?”
“Now.”
“But I have to—”
“Work?” he finished. When she nodded, he shot her a guilty look. “Okay, now don’t be mad, but I called your boss at the restaurant and convinced him to give you a few days off. And before you freak out, know that I didn’t do it because I don’t respect or value your work.”
Holly stared at him, dumbfounded.
“I wish we could go away for longer, but I only managed to swing three days of leave. Still, I figured a three-day honeymoon is better than nothing.” He looked ashamed. “We didn’t make it on our Fiji honeymoon because the team got called away the day before we were due to leave.” He cursed under his breath. “And I kept assuring you we’d reschedule but it never happened, huh?”
Holly sighed. “No, it didn’t.”
“I know Catalina Island isn’t Fiji, but it’ll do for now, right?” His boyishly hopeful expression made Jen grin.
“Yeah, it’ll do.”
“And one more thing,” Carson added. “No sex.”
Holly’s brows soared. “Pardon me?”
“Baby, as much as I’d like to fu—” Carson glanced at Jen and backpedaled, “—to do a lot of things to you, the next three days will be about my new favorite word—communication. I’m gonna talk so frickin’ much you’re gonna wish I was a mute by the time I’m done.”
Holly laughed. “Can’t wait.”
They embraced again, and Jen was overcome with emotion as she watched them. She had to admit—her brother had done good. The mini-honeymoon had been her idea, but the heartfelt speech and uniform was all Carson. Apparently he wasn’t a total lost cause.
After the couple broke apart, Carson marched over to Jen and enveloped her in a bear hug that almost knocked the wind out of her. “Thanks,” he murmured. “I owe you one.”
“You know it.” She stepped forward to give Holly a quick hug, then smiled at her sister-in-law. “Have fun in Catalina. But don’t forget to make him grovel some more, okay?”
“Oh, I intend to,” Holly assured her.
Holding hands, the couple headed for the door. At the last second, Carson halted and turned to look at Cash. “Take care of my sister, McCoy.” He arched a brow. “You know what’ll happen if you don’t.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Cash said with a sigh. “There’s a pool right downstairs.”
As Holly and Carson practically floated out the door on a cloud of marital bliss, Jen glanced over at Cash. “I think that went well.”
The smile he shot her melted her heart. He was so devastatingly handsome, so sexy, so amazing, and she couldn’t believe she’d ever had reservations about being with this man.
Yes, their relationship would be hard. Yes, she might find herself waiting and worrying, the way her mother had done with the admiral, the way Holly did with Carson, but Jen now saw with perfect clarity why her mom and Holly had stuck it out for so long, why they continued to stick it out. Because when you found someone you loved with your entire being, you would do anything for them, suffer through anything, sacrifice and compromise and do whatever possible to make it work.
“I love you,” she burst out.
Cash looked startled, but then his features relaxed and he flashed her a devilish grin. “Of course you do. I’m pretty damn awesome.” Now he offered a mock frown. “And you thought I was only good for a fling. Jeez.”
Smiling, Jen stood on her tiptoes and looped her arms around his neck. “You’re good for a lot of things, cowboy.”
Cash lowered his mouth to hers, but stopped right before their lips could meet. “Hey, since we’re in a relationship, can I refer to you as ‘the old ball and chain’ from now on?”
She let out a heavy sigh.
“What?” he demanded.
“No woman wants to be called old, cowboy. Jeez,” she mimicked, “maybe you do need to practice talking to women.”
“Good idea.”
In the blink of an eye, he scooped her into his powerful arms.
“What are you doing?” Jen asked in surprise, clinging to his broad shoulders.
“Taking you to your bedroom.” Cash slanted his head, those blue eyes glimmering with heat. “You know, so I can practice talking. Then again, once I get you near a bed, I might have other plans for my mouth.”
Her laughter followed them all the way to the bedroom.
About the Author
A RITA-award-nominated author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!
Elle loves to hear from her readers. Visit her web site www.ellekennedy.com or send her a note at
[email protected] You can also find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter!
Look for these titles by Elle Kennedy
Now Available:
Bad Moon Rising
Dance of Seduction
Midnight Encounters
Going for It
Red Hot Summer
Hot Summer Nights
Hidden Desires
Out of Uniform
Heat of the Moment
Heat of Passion
Heat of the Storm
Heat It Up
Heat of the Night
The Heat Is On
Hot and Bothered (print anthology)
Welcome to Paradise
Welcome to Paradise
Take Me Home Tonight
Born to be Wild
Coming Soon:
Getting Hotter
It’s all about the thrill…
The Heat is On
© 2011 Elle Kennedy
Out of Uniform, Book 6
As a Navy SEAL, Matt O’Connor specializes in Bad Boy. At least, that’s what he thinks…until he finds himself face down on the floor during a bank robbery, arguing with a sexy, bad-girl blonde who wields her sharp tongue with surgical precision.
Just like that, Matt begins to wonder if maybe the idea of settling down with one woman isn’t as crazy as he thought.
Savannah Harte is addicted to first kisses and whirlwind romances. Once the thrill is gone, though, she’s outta there. She’s eager to follow the adrenaline rush she feels with Matt into the nearest bed, but when tangled sheets begin to feel like tangled heartstrings, her first instinct is to cut him loose. There’s only one problem: Matt’s not going anywhere. And not even a steamy threesome seems to dull her growing feelings.
Which leaves Savannah having to decide what she wants more. The casual thrill of now…or the scary thrill of forever.
Warning: This title features a hot threesome with explicit sex, a bad-girl heroine, and two Navy SEALs guaranteed to make you sweat.
Enjoy the following excerpt for The Heat is On:
For the first time in his life, Matt was actually nervous about a date. As he stepped out of the shower, dripping water all over the bathroom mat, he suddenly wondered if he should ask Annabelle to come downstairs so he could ask for clothing advice. Jeez. What the hell was wrong with him? He could seduce the panties off a nun, for fuck’s sake. Women freaking loved him. If he was the kind of guy who ticked off notches in his belt…well, he’d be on his tenth belt by now.
But Savannah made him feel like an anxious teenager again. It wasn’t just her looks that captivated him, though her smokin’ body did
make his mouth water. She was just so…self-assured. She seemed to know exactly who she was, completely comfortable in her own skin, and her easygoing attitude and sharp wit were a total turn-on. He didn’t usually think beyond the first date, but with Savannah, he already wanted more, and they hadn’t even gone out yet.
Which was why he couldn’t have sex with her tonight. As much as he wanted to, as much as his body throbbed with arousal at the mere thought of her, he needed to force himself to keep his hands off her this evening. It was messed up, but he feared that if he slept with her so soon, this fascination would disappear, and he wasn’t ready for that to happen yet.
Another first—he wanted to get to know a woman before he screwed her.
God help him.
Deciding to forgo calling Annabelle—he wasn’t in the mood to be ridiculed—he strode into his bedroom and threw open the closet door. As he dressed, he marveled at the silence in the apartment. Ever since Ryan moved upstairs into Annabelle’s place, Matt was living solo. Made it easier to bring chicks back here without worrying about keeping Ryan up, though he didn’t do it often. He didn’t like having women over. They always wanted to stay when he only wanted them to leave.
Clad in a pair of jeans, a black T-shirt and an open blue button-down, he grabbed his keys from the basket on the hall table and left his second-floor apartment. He took the stairs two at a time, suddenly eager to get going and see Savannah again. The black Dodge four-by-four he’d just signed the lease on had decent speed, and he made it to Savannah’s shop in less than fifteen minutes. Shutting off the engine, he took a deep breath and hopped out of the SUV. There was a separate entrance to Savannah’s upstairs apartment, with a small intercom mounted on the wall. He buzzed, then waited until her chirpy voice said, “Come up.”
Uh-oh.
She wanted him to come upstairs?
That wasn’t part of the plan. He’d hoped to wait down here for her, then drive her to the classy bar he’d researched on the web. He was kinda scared to be alone with her. At least with other people around, he wouldn’t be able to rip her clothes off and devour her body the way he so desperately wanted to.