Her Sexy Marine Valentine(15)

"If he couldn't bring out your wild side in you, then he didn't deserve  you. You're a knockout, Mari, and I can't get enough of you."

She didn't know if he was saying those words to be nice or what, but  she appreciated so much that he wanted to make her feel good about  herself. Even before this evening, he'd always been complimentary about  her, how she looked, how bright she was and how hard she worked.

Bottom line: he was kind and what she needed right now.

"I don't know about you, but I could use a good soak," he said. "How about we christen that new bathtub we installed?"

She was now glad she'd forgone the traditional claw-foot tub for the  behemoth one with jets. She'd warred with her design side over those  jets and the need to keep things traditional in the old Victorian. In  the end, the jets won. Her muscles had been really sore that day.

It hadn't occurred to her that she'd one day be sharing the tub with Brody.

Bonus.

He jumped up and swooped her into his arms. "Done." He smiled and captured her lips.

He sat her on the white marble counter while he turned on the taps.  Once the tub was full, he swooped her up a second time and deposited her  in the warm water. Then he slid in behind her.

"I'm going to be delightfully numb in about six minutes," she said as  he shifted her back against his chest. He used the remote on the side of  the tub to switch on the jets.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes. "This is the most relaxed I've been in ages," she said.

He laughed. "You and me both. I, uh, was wondering something," he said  as his erection poked at her backside. The guy was insatiable. The idea  that she had that kind of effect on a man as incredible as Brody blew  her mind.

"What's that?" she said, playfully ignoring his hard-on for her. It  wasn't easy to do it since her body was already so tuned to his.  Anticipation began to buzz through her.

His hands softly massaged her nipples. It wasn't long before they were tight peaks.

"Maybe we should ride this out, this thing between us. I'm not sure tonight will be enough to get you out of my system."

This time she was the one who laughed.

With the back of his hand he caressed her jaw and used his other hand  to stroke her breast. "I know that sounds oh so romantic. What I meant  to say was I wasn't expecting...oh, man, I'm making a mess out of this."

"Yes," she said, understanding what he wanted. "We'll play it by ear.  Take each hour and day as it comes. That's kind of how I live my life  now." She turned then and sat back on her heels, her knees on the bottom  of the tub. "When we have our fill of one another, we'll be honest.  Mature. This is a short-term fling while we fix up the house, right? We  pleasure each other, seduce each other..." Did I really just say that?  "And then we go back to being just friends."

He traced along her collarbone with his fingers and up to her jaw  again. "You'll be okay with that? Just friends? I don't want to hurt  you, Mari. But this can't-"                       
       
           



       

She smiled to reassure him. He was always trying to protect her. Maybe  her heart would get involved, maybe it wouldn't. But she was going to  treasure this time with him regardless. "Brody, I want you, I want to be  with you and when it's done, it's done. I'm good. So good in fact, we  should try something I've been thinking about ever since you mentioned  the shower." She winked. "Will you let me do whatever I want to you?"

His eyebrow shot upward, but he nodded.

"Sit up on the ledge," she asked him.

He used his massive forearms to push himself up onto the ledge of the  tub. Originally, she'd put the marble seating area there as an added  convenience, but it was going to work quite well for what she had in  mind.

"Lean back," she told him. When he did, his shaft popped up between them.

Her insides pulled tight at the thought of taking Brody into her mouth.  He'd given her an unforgettable experience earlier; she was determined  to do the same for him. "I need you to tell me the best way to do this,"  she said, right before she squeezed the bottom of his cock and then  suckled the tip.

He moaned and placed a hand on her cheek. "Mari, what you're doing,  your mouth feels so amazing. I don't need to tell you anything. You know  how to-"

His words gave her confidence. She kissed him and licked his shaft, and  then suckled him some more. Glancing up, she caught him watching her.  With his head tilted back, he murmured her name as if he was in ecstasy.  She smiled; she was doing that to him.

He called out, tangled his hands in her hair. She stopped and grinned.

This was how it was supposed to be. This give-and-take. Fifty-fifty.

"Mari, so good." One of his hands slipped from her hair to caress her  shoulder. "I want you so much with that sweet little mouth of yours  doing such wicked things to me."

Wicked? "What can I say, I'm a fast learner."

He groaned louder.

Yes. This was how it was supposed to be.

* * *

FOR AN HOUR Brody watched her sleep. Her relaxed face made her look almost angelic.

Yeah, an angel with a mouth made for sin. How could any man walk away  from a woman like Mari? The scene in the bathtub was now number one on  his top ten list of all-time favorite moments. Just thinking about her  mouth on him made his cock hard again, which was why he was extricating  himself from her bed. Four times in one night was enough.

Still, he hadn't had his fill.

He thought she'd be trouble and he was right. There was a connection he  had with her that he hadn't had with anyone else. Maybe it was the fact  that they'd begun as friends. Whatever it was due to, his feelings for  her meant he'd have to rethink their arrangement.

But that wasn't the only reason he couldn't stay. He got dressed and  went to leave, but stopped and stood at the door for another few minutes  with his gaze on her.

The angelic blonde had no idea how amazing she was. It wasn't only the  sex, which was the best ever. He could admit that. She was also a good  person. Maybe that was it. So much of his life was filled with darkness  and she was light. From the way she hummed when she worked, to her  showing up with cold lemonade or making his favorite foods on the hot  plate.

He'd never met a more giving soul.

But she's not for you. He had to remember that. Whatever it took, he  would make sure that no one else around him was ever hurt, especially  Mari.

The familiar pain. Another migraine. He needed to get his meds.

With one last wistful look in her direction, he then double-timed it  down the stairs. He checked the back door and windows and then locked  the front dead bolt with the key she'd given him so that he could get  things done when she wasn't there.

Something he couldn't fully process had happened last night, and Brody  wasn't convinced it was only the nature of the relationship he had with  Mari that had changed.

He'd changed.

And there wasn't anything he could do about it. Because tomorrow he'd be back to take whatever she could give him.

Hell. He had a new demon and her name was Mari.





9

MARI WAS HUMMING as she put away some files when Abbott walked in. Her  friend looked like she might have partied a bit too much the night  before.                       
       
           



       

"Late night?" Mari asked, slamming the file drawer shut with her hip.

Abbott flinched. "Stop that. There's no reason to be so loud. And why  are you so cheerful. You either got busy with that Marine, or the  Colsons finally signed their contract."

Mari grinned. "Both."

Abbott's eyes flashed wide. "Wait." She held up her hand. She left the  office and came back with two cups of coffee. She placed one cup in  front of Mari, who was sitting behind her desk, and then she sipped from  the other.

"Abbott-"

Her friend held up a finger. "Two more minutes."

After half a cup of coffee, she smiled. "Okay, yay on the stuffy  Colsons. Though, you know they're going to be a huge pain in the butt.  Can you imagine them making a decision on the redesign of their kitchen  when it took them two months just to sign their contract?"

"Which is why I had a stipulation added that they have one week to make  a decision on any idea presented to them. They actually agreed to it."

"That's brilliant."

"I thought so."

"All right." Abbott took another sip of coffee. "So you slept with the  Marine. I'm going to throw you a party since you finally let go and had  some fun."

Mari laughed. "I admit I haven't been this relaxed in years. However, I refuse to be one of those women who kisses and tells."

"Oh, no. You are so gonna spill," Abbott insisted.