Her Dominant SEAL(41)

He chuckled. “You’re smart. You have a heart as big as all outdoors. You’re stubborn. You’re sexy as hell. And you’re not afraid of me.”

His big warm hand, the same hand that had cupped her cheek earlier today, traced the back of her fingers. She loosened her hold on the blanket. He stroked her hand with his fingertips, and finally, she grabbed it with both of hers, like a lifeline.

“I have to kiss you.”

Thank God.

She closed her eyes and nodded. Drake’s other hand curl under her chin and tilted it upwards. Soft butterfly kisses brushed over her eyelids, and she opened her eyes.

“There you are.” He smiled. “I was worried I was too ugly to kiss.”

“You lie, you don’t have an insecure bone in your body.”

He grinned.

“Do you know I’ve wanted a kiss since I saw those pretty pink toenails. I bet that you always make sure your nail polish matches something you’re wearing, don’t you?”

Karen blushed to the roots of her red hair because she did always make sure that if her outer layer didn’t match her toes, then her lingerie sure as hell did. How did this man manage to figure that out?

“Drake, I’m out of practice.” He gave her a questioning look. “On the kissing.”

“You’ve got to be kidding. Hell, Lady, men should be lining up outside your classroom.” He gave a slow sexy smile. “Well, this is all the more fun for me.”

He gave her a devilish smile, and then his lips brushed against hers. She felt his touch all the way to her pink toenails. She gripped his hand so hard she worried she might break her fingers against the steel of his flesh.

Warm tendrils of heat flowed through her veins as he slowly parted her lips with his. His lips beguiled a response, and her breath sighed into his mouth, the intimacy startling. Soon she was sharing a smile as well as a kiss, but then his lips started to move, dance, cherish.

Karen was overwhelmed by the sensations flowing through her body as he licked and nipped, taking her higher. She didn’t know when, but her hands were now in his hair, pulling and twisting.

Was that her making those sounds?

“Honey, come back.”

Drake Avery had the best voice in the world. Why was he kissing her eyelids again?

“No, my mouth,” she pouted.

“You were moaning. Your ribs were hurting.”

Karen’s eyes drifted open. “You’re kidding, right? Kiss me.”

He chuckled, and his thumb brushed her bottom lip down. Her tongue swiped out at his thumb. Drake groaned.

“See, I told you my ribs weren’t hurting. You just groaned.”

He dipped down, and this time she was more prepared, but she wasn’t. He was a marauder. Where before he coaxed, now he plundered, and she reveled in it. Her head dropped back, and Karen shuddered, need pulsed through her body. Her breasts ached, and she needed relief. She tried to press them against his chest and gasped in pain.

“Dammit, Karen Eastman!”

Had she thought she liked his voice?

***

Her gasp of pain cut through him like a knife. He pressed softly at her shoulders until she was resting against the pillows. Her eyes sparkled up at him like the most precious gems, but she couldn’t hide the lines of pain that surrounded them.

“Don’t swear at me, or you’ll be in debt for the rest of your life.”

“So, you caught on that I’m buying my niece’s affection, huh?”

His hands swept gently down her body. She flinched slightly. “I should never have kissed you when you were injured.”

“Are you kidding? I can’t imagine the pain pills being any better than your kisses.”

Now wasn’t that nice to hear? It was utter bullshit, but still nice to hear.

“You’re too much of a temptation, Miss Eastman, I need to get the hell out of here.”

“Can you tell me what went on tonight? With your dad, I mean?”

He sighed.

“I’ll tell everybody in the morning.”

She nodded, then yawned.

Drake lifted their linked hands, and tenderly kissed hers.

He stood up and watched as she snuggled into her pillows, then he pulled up her covers. He thought about kissing her again, but he wouldn’t risk it.

“Good-Night, Drake,” she said sleepily.

“Sweet dreams.”

“They will be now.”

He quietly shut the door behind him.





Chapter Nine


“The twins called. They want to come down from ETSU,” Trenda said as soon as he entered the kitchen.

“Right now, I’m bad news. They need to stay away from me until all of this dies down.”

“Yeah, like that matters to them. If you don’t meet with them, Chloe will just drive through the streets of Jasper Creek with a megaphone.”