Two of her fingers walked up his chest and with a sly smile challenged, “Unless, of course you can’t keep UP with your promise of to give me, in your words, as many orgasms as possible.”
“Up?” Grady mocked. “You’re going to regret that.” He easily lifted her over his shoulder and didn’t waste any time smacking her shapely ass as he made his way to the bedroom for another round. “I was born standing at attention.”
The naughty giggle in response fired up every cell of his being. Grady threw her onto the bed. “You might want to save us some time and just stay naked.” Tugging off her pajama bottoms, he revealed white panties with an embroidered pair silver angel wings strategically placed. Sweat broke out across forehead. “Are you wearing the matching bra?” he managed to ask. The smile on her face answered him in spades. He knelt on the bed.
Ava scrambled to her knees and scooted to the other side of the bed. “No wings though,’ she teased, playfully lifting the shirt by sliding the hem across her body inch by inch but stopping before exposing the bra.
Even though he knew what lay beneath he still licked his lips in anticipation. “Off. Now,” he ordered.
“You have to guess first.”
Grady stared at her t-shirt and concentrated on all things angels. “Halos?”
Biting her lower lip, she slowly raised the shirt up and off. No halos, just white and silver material threaded together to create a feathering effect so that Ava’s breasts appeared to be floating on a cloud. The sight in front of him was a true masterpiece of God and art coming together. And lingerie was an art.
“Grady?”
He forced his gaze up. “Come here,” he growled like a half man, half beast.
Placing her hands on her ample hips she said, “Listen sailor, this isn’t the military.”
Ava may be in the mood to play, but until the urgency racing through his body was sated, playtime would have to wait. His long reach spanned across the bed, dragging her up against his body. Running a hand down her curves while the other dove into in her long hair. Her arms wrapped around him in a welcoming embrace. Tenderly placing his lips, he kissed her slowly, holding back the torrent of pure lust filling him. Control. Patience. Her pleasure first and several times after that. Then, and only then, his.
He’d memorize every inch of her body, every breathless moan, and every smoldering look. Whenever the darkness crept into his dreams, he’d recall each one to keep him company until dawn. For now, this woman was his. Soon he’d return to the grueling training schedule to prepare for another mission, but he’d always have Ava’s womanly softness to remember.
Chapter 8
Two weeks later Grady drew a razor along his cheek. The guys teased him about his baby face but tomorrow’s trip to Washington DC required a clean shave. He wondered if Ava would prefer it. Maybe, she’d decide to ditch the party and take him back to bed. Other than a trip to the drugstore for more condoms they’d been in bed making love or watching marathons of Homeland and Modern Family. Thank God New York City had a tons of restaurants and delis that delivered otherwise they would’ve starved. Ava said she could cook, but he didn’t want to waste one second with menial tasks with the clock ticking down until he had to leave—Oww! Grady dabbed at the cut on his face. It’d be dangerous if he thought about her while on a mission. It would be an adjustment coming off a sex laden two weeks in which he tried to fit in a whole years worth of lovemaking. Because even though he knew it was wrong to ask her to be his, there was nothing stopping him from coming back for more when he returned from his next deployment. What if another man had stolen her heart? Damn it. Another cut.
A physical cut but also an emotional one—deeper than any stab wound and right to the gut and if he was being honest with himself, to the heart.
Ava opened the door to the bathroom. “Wow! I think I might swoon.”
Grady pulled her into his arms. “Good, then I’ll take you back to bed.” The touch of her hand on the smoothness of his face reached into his heart pulling feelings of love from its recesses.
“You don’t have to come. It’s my goddaughter’s christening and Victoria is—.”
“Shush, we don’t have much time left and I want to be with you.” In truth, he needed more than she could be expected to give, whether it was to wait months for him to come home or to worry if he was going to make it back at all. Selfishness of the highest order and Grady was taught to be selfless.
Is it really that or are you scared shitless she’ll say no? Hell no, I’m a SEAL. But fearlessly laying down his life for his country seemed like child’s play compared to putting his heart in jeopardy. Time to man-up.
Chapter 9
The smile Ava plastered on her face for the party was ready to crack. Grady placed his glass of scotch down and let Russ place baby Brianna in his arms. The big man made ridiculous noises causing the baby to coo back. When he looked up locking his gaze on hers she had to swallow back the pain. That would never be Grady holding their child. What was wrong with her? She acted like they’d been together for two years instead of two weeks.
Victoria swooped and tugged Ava away. “He cleans up handsome! I almost don’t recognize the sexy beast from the bar.”
“I kind of prefer the mussed up look myself.” And she did, but that didn’t stop Ava from wondering what it would feel like to have his naked lips all over her body. “Thanks for not telling anyone who he is.”
“No worries. I like being part of the conspiracy.” Victoria took a sip of her Cosmo before stating, “He’ll ask.”
“Ask what? To marry me? This isn’t the movies.”
“Whoa girl, I was thinking along the lines of hooking up again. Seems someone is a couple of steps ahead.”
Ava blushed thinking how right Victoria was. Without an ounce of encouragement, Ava had secretly daydreamed about a future with Grady. What if he did ask to see her again? Was he ‘a girl in every port’ type of man? She didn’t think so but how well did she really know him.
Brianna started to fuss and Victoria said, “I better go save your man.”
Ava headed for the kitchen to make another appletini. Maybe, she’d try something stronger—a scotch like the one Grady was nursing before he cradled Victoria’s baby girl in his arms.
Several times she thought he’d ask for more or at least mentioned that he wanted to see her again. So involved in her pity party she didn’t hear Grady come in.
“Let me take a sip.” He gently took the glass out of her hand.
“No—.”
“Hey, these taste pretty good.”
She loved the way he licked his lips and again she anticipated the feel on them on her body without the moustache and beard. “But—.”
He took another sip. “Mmm, tastes like a sour apple Jolly Rancher.”
“Appletinis are for girls.”
“James Bond drinks martinis.”
Ava was about to make the same argument she made to Victoria when Grady pulled her into his arms that could and probably had killed men, though held her with a gentleness that melted her resolve to be strong. A well of tears threatened. A litany of begging words on the tip of her tongue had to be bitten back. Two weeks wasn’t enough to last a lifetime without him.
Damn Victoria and Russ for making her believe in happy ever after.
“Besides scotch and appletinis don’t mix well together when kissing.”
His lips claimed hers; his fingers weaved through the waves of her hair. The tart sweetness of his soft kiss contrasted with the hefty hard-on pressing against her, confirming real men did drink appletinis.
“Ava, baby,” he whispered before deepening the kiss until she was drunk only on him. Grady pulled away and placed his hand on her cheek, with a thumb he swiped away a tear she hadn’t realized she’d shed.
“Did you know Delaware is the midway point between Virginia and NYC?”
“No.” Ava’s heart lifted as hope fluttered inside her chest.
“It could work,
you know. Us.”
“Us?” The flutter morphed into rapid beat and she had to choke back the well of emotion before she broke into a pool of happy tears.
Grady kissed the tip of her nose. “A house maybe and whenever I get leave we could leave our jobs behind. Just us, like these past two weeks.”
The oxygen must not be getting to her brain because she could only utter, “Us?”
“I’m not doing a very good job of this.” Taking her hands in his he lightly caressed his thumbs over hers. Grady dragged in a deep breath then let it go above her head in a one long swoosh. Then he dropped his gaze to hers. “I never asked a woman this, but Ava I’m asking you, will you wait for me?”
In his misty green eyes she read her future of tortured goodbyes but also the joy of homecomings. “Yes, I’ll wait for you.”
Hugging him tightly, she vowed to cherish this day. When she missed him the most, in the quiet minutes before sleep she’d relive it in her heart knowing distances could be bridged and a lifetime lived in moments. Together they would do both.
About the Author:
Liz Matis is a mild manner accountant by day and romance author by night. Married 28 years she believes in happy-ever-afters!
Fun Fact: Liz read her first romance at the age of fifteen and soon after wrote her first romances starring her friends and their latest crushes!
Keep in touch with Liz at:
Blog: https://www.taoofliz.blogspot.com
Email:
[email protected] Twitter: @LizMatis
Facebook: Liz Matis Fan Page
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5289185.Liz_Matis
If you loved this sexy short why not try one of my longer books!
AVAILABLE NOW:
Love By Design by Liz Matis (Russ and Victoria’s story)
Design Intervention starts the second season with its own surprise makeover. Interior designer Victoria Bryce must break in her temporary co-host, Aussie Russ Rowland.
Sparks fly on camera as they argue over paint colors and measurement mishaps leading to passions igniting behind the scenes. But when their pasts collide with the present will the foundation they built withstand the final reveal?
Playing For Keeps (“Fantasy” Football – Season 1) by Liz Matis
Winner of the NECRWA First Kiss Contest
Journalist Samantha Jameson always wanted to be one of the boys, but
Ryan Terell won’t let her join the club.
Ryan Terell is a playmaker on and off the field, but when Samantha uncovers his moves, he throws out the playbook. Just as he claims his sweetest victory, Samantha’s investigation into a steroid scandal involving his team forces him to call a time-out to their off the record trysts. But then a life threatening injury on the field will force them both to decide just how far they’ll go to win the game.
Going For It (“Fantasy” Football – Season 2) by Liz Matis
Pro football player Jake Miller’s game plan for winning back supermodel Hannah Hahn is play action in the bedroom. Once he sees beyond the swimsuits and lingerie, feelings of love blindside him, changing the rules of the game.
Hannah owns the runway, but that success came with a price and a secret that’s kept her from trusting a man until Jake crashes through her defenses.
The paparazzi love the beauty and the beast couple but the tabloid rumors turn ugly and test the fragile trust between them. Then Hannah loses an ad campaign to fashion’s new ‘it’ girl. Her desperate reaction will cause Jake to challenge everything she’s ever believed about herself.
Coming Soon:
Kiss Shot (“Fantasy” Football – Season 3)
Real Men Prefer Redheads
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