“Now, these…” he continued, shifting his finger to the top of her breasts, “they’re incredibly soft, and the skin is so smooth.” Kissing the top of her breast, he licked over her scars. “And a bit salty.” He nuzzled her breasts, making her pant.
Lifting her arm out of the way, Gage rested on his elbow as he studied the scars on the side of her body. “This bunch isn’t nearly as smooth as the ones on your breasts, but they make interesting patterns. They remind me of crosshatching, and they don’t feel like you would expect them to.” He kissed one, then licked it. Giving her a predatory look, he said, “Shall I keep going? Because I’m thinking Ireallywant to taste the ones on your stomach.”
He flipped her onto her back and began licking and kissing his way down her torso.
Anna moaned. This was torture—delicious torture. Had she really thought that she wanted to slow things down? She took it all back—she wanted more. As much as she could get. Right away, and for as long as she could get it.
He pressed a kiss to her mound, and she said, her voice breathy, “I don’t have any scars there.”
Picking his head up, he rested his cheek against her leg. “Need a control group for comparison purposes.”
“Oh, this is for science? Are you taking notes?”
“Lots of notes.” He found her clit and began licking and sucking it again, the pressure building in her. He slipped two fingers inside, and she twisted and said, “Oh. Yes. Please.”
She was trembling now, shaking. Heat flashed through her. Reaching down, she tugged at his shoulder. “I want you, Gage. Now.”
With a grin, he covered her body with his. “Anything you want, Anna. But I only had that one condom on me. Do you have any more?”
She reached over and yanked her bedside table’s drawer so hard that she nearly pulled it out completely. Digging around, she found the box of condoms she hadn’t used since her last relationship had crashed and burned. She just hoped they fit. The boyfriend she’d bought them for hadn’t been as…blessed as Gage. Grabbing one, he sheathed himself quickly and then started to slowly push his way into her.
Impatient, Anna bucked and grabbed his hips. She wanted him—now. Head thrown back, she gave herself up to the heat, the need. He grunted softly and pressed deeper. “That’s it, sweetheart. Show me what you want,” he said.
Everything melted into an endless wave of heat and pleasure that grew more powerful with every thrust. Anna tensed, and Gage whispered, his voice rough and low, “Come for me, Anna.”
She cried out, and the world fell apart. Gage thrust into her one last time, shuddered, and held still. Sweat slicked the skin between them, and her breath came in short gasps.
After a moment, Gage rolled off her and went to dispose of the condom. When he came back to the bed, he pulled her into his arms. “I think I need more data before I can really tell you what your scars feel like.”
She huffed out a breath. “Well, anything for science.” When she started to get up, Gage gave her a questioning look. “Relax,” she said. “Just headed to the bathroom. You’re staying, right?”
He nodded, relaxing, and she wobbled into the bathroom on legs that felt like wet noodles.
She cleaned up, then brushed her teeth and her hair—her nightly routine. Back in the bedroom, she found Gage sprawled out again. She crawled under the covers and touched a hand to his face. Dark eyelashes touched by a hint of gold brushed his high cheekbones. She traced his eyebrow.
He didn’t open his eyes, but he grabbed her hand, turning it and pressing a kiss into her palm, his stubble tickling her skin. “What are you thinking about?” he asked, his voice thick with sleep.
She wriggled closer to him, close enough that his scent enveloped her. “That I hope I won’t wake up in the morning wondering whether this was such a great idea.”
He smiled. “Oh, as ideas go, this rates a ten. Maybe an eleven.” His eyes opened a fraction, and she caught a flash of silver. “We’re not picking out china yet, you know. On the other hand, I don’t plan to vanish out of your life. I’m thinking dinner out a few times. A little more talking, maybe. A lot more of this, I hope.”
Anna ran a hand over his hair. Short as it was, it was surprisingly soft. “I know a place that has great homemade desserts. And my favorite pub is just down the street. Hey, do you like Chinese?”
His mouth curved. “For the near future, wherever you want to go is good by me.”
Anna frowned. What an odd thing to say. But she didn’t have the energy to follow up on it when she was already half-asleep herself. She reached out and flicked off the light. She was under no illusions about Gage. He was a SEAL—meaning he and his team could be sent off at a moment’s notice to places they’d never be able to talk about, to do things they couldn’t talk about. He couldn’t promise her anything more than right now. She had to be okay with that.
His life was entirely different from hers, and she didn’t know if there was a way for them to truly fit together. But…well, she liked him. She liked him in her bed. It was out of character for her to jump quickly into bed with a guy, but Gage was special. She’d felt that from the moment they met. The only question was how long she’d have him in her life.
10
Gage woke early and eased himself out of bed without disturbing Anna. Before doing anything else, he checked out the front window, but he didn’t see anyone hanging around. A jogger ran past, and a guy was walking his dog. A few cars were parked on the street, but they could belong to residents. No one seemed to be loitering or watching her place. It all looked normal. So why was the back of his neck tingling?
He showered and dressed and wandered into the kitchen. He found the coffee and started a pot. He heard the shower start, and the temptation to join Anna rose in him. However, he had to focus.
Last night had been great, but he was starting to wonder if he’d let things go too far. He wasn’t much on entanglements—he liked women, but he stuck to the ones who were in it just for fun.
Anna was the type of woman you could get way too serious about way too fast. He needed to stick close to her for the mission, and hewantedto stick close to her to explore more of the explosive chemistry between them, but he didn’t want to do anything that would leave her hurt in the end. Pouring himself some coffee, he wandered around her apartment and looked at her photographs. He found himself pulled into the images, wondering about the people in them. She was too damn good at getting under the surface, at showing more than anyone should see.