Tightly Wound Read online

  He released a growl from his throat. One that warned her not to even try.

  Then she felt a tug on the left side of her bra. With one more pass of his tongue over hers, he closed his lips and placed a small peck on hers.

  Claire opened her eyes to see the cell phone in his right palm.

  She couldn’t stop her smile. “You play dirty.”

  “Whatever it takes.”

  “Please don’t call my brother, Shadow.”

  His fingers found her hair again. “I don’t have a choice. He’d skin me alive if I didn’t.”

  She attempted to enter his mind, pleasantly surprised when she did with little effort. Arousal distracted him. And for the second time in two weeks, vivid images of his desire barreled through. The kiss they shared shook him as violently as she. Then the door slammed shut.

  He nuzzled his lips against the top of her head. “Nice try.”

  Still not willing to give up, she tried another distraction. “So, you really think you’re going to carry me in there and strip me naked?”

  Shadow eased her back. His gaze never wavered. Not one muscle moved. Claire swallowed, almost sorry she asked.

  “That was the original plan,” he said finally.

  She swiped her tongue across her bottom lip. “What changed your mind?”

  He reached to rest his fingers against her cheek. “A surprise attack doesn’t work so well when it’s not a surprise.”

  Her response slipped past her lips before she could stop it. “It wouldn’t have been a surprise anyway.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You knew?”

  Claire paused a brief moment to consider her answer. The soft, circular motion his calloused thumb now drew on her cheek seemed to destroy any attempt to deny the intimacy between them. Shadow’s touch tore down the barriers to her mind. And to her heart.

  “I hoped,” she whispered.

  His thumb stilled and she felt tension build inside him. Not one emotion played on his face and she didn’t dare attempt to read him. For once in her life she didn’t want to know what would happen next. All she allowed herself to feel was his fierce inner battle, one she prayed for him to lose.

  “I’ve always loved you, Claire.”

  She let a smile slip from her lips. That she knew.

  He placed his hands on her hips and eased her back against him. Heat seeped from beneath his shirt and caused her nipples to tighten.

  Desperate to be closer, she pulled his shirt from the waistband of his jeans, slid her hands under the black cotton, then placed her palms against his iron-clad stomach. Relief surrounded her at the ability to finally touch him. A muscle jumped beneath her touch. She’d seen him without his shirt several times. Drooled over his hard body even. But even that magnificent sight paled in comparison to this. Mesmerized by the incredible strength of his body, she moved her fingers over his staircased abs.

  “Good grief, Shadow,” she murmured, “can you bounce quarters off these things?”

  He captured one of her hands in his and inched it lower. Her heart skipped a beat when he placed it against the bulge between his legs.

  “I’m hard as a two x four down here and you want to bounce quarters?”

  Claire suddenly dismissed all thoughts of his abdominals. She molded her hand to his length the best she could through the constricting denim and then squeezed. He sucked in a hard breath and thrust his hips forward.

  “I changed my mind,” she whispered.

  A deep, feral growl left his throat just before he crushed her against him and took possession of her lips. Her head spun from the assault of intense emotion. Deep-rooted lust. Compassion. Love. His or hers, she didn’t know. She didn’t care. This particular onslaught didn’t involve pain, just pure pleasure. Pleasure that could swallow her whole as far as she was concerned.

  A tortured moan left her throat.

  She fought back a scream when he suddenly tore his lips from hers. “Gee-zus, Claire, I’m sorry.”

  Waves of calm invaded her thoughts and soothed her mind.

  She released a smile. “I’m not in any pain.”

  He studied her silently for a moment, his hands now rubbing circles on her back, burning her skin with desire in the process. “Promise.”

  “I promise.”

  He moved his hands from her body and began the familiar winding motion with his fingers in the lengths of her hair. Her scalp tingled. Her panties dampened.

  “The last thing I want to do is hurt you,” he said into the silence.

  She nodded in understanding, then lifted an eyebrow. “If that sword you sport between your legs is half as powerful as I think, you might just kill me.”

  The arrogant response she expected didn’t come. Instead, he frowned. “Are you a virgin?”

  A small giggle escaped her. “I realize you and Brett would like to hear that I am but no, I’m not.”

  He breathed out hard.

  She squeezed her eyebrows together. “Would it matter?”

  He smoothed the worry wrinkles from her forehead and shook his head. “I am going to love you, virgin or not. But, it makes a difference how I proceed.”

  “Strategic maneuvers?”

  She recognized the familiar cocky grin that quirked his lips. “Yeah, something like that.”

  “Then there is something else you need to know.”

  Immediately, the grin disappeared and the dutiful soldier took control. His facial features hardened and his body stiffened.

  She gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Relax, Shadow. You always think the worst.”

  “If someone hurt you –”

  “No one hurt me. Do you want to hear this or not?”

  His shoulders slowly relaxed and he nodded.

  “Although I have had sex,” She paused to clear her throat. “I’ve never …”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Never what?”

  She bit her bottom lip, hesitant to say the word. “You know.”

  “No, I don’t know.”

  “Yes you do.”

  Suddenly she was squished back against the hard metal surface of his body, her hips positioned over his hard, very aroused shaft.

  He bent his head to whisper across her ear. “Say it, Claire.”

  He grasped her hair and tugged until her neck lay exposed. When his lips pressed against the slightly damp, sensitive skin, her heartbeat pounded in her ears and butterflies crowded her stomach.

  “Orgasm,” she groaned. “I’ve never had an orgasm.”

  Holy hell. Shadow fought to restrain the savage beast who clawed his dick. Never had anything turned him on so violently than Claire’s pink, pouty lips wrapped around that word. Orgasm.

  He lifted his lips from her neck and stared into the depths of her chocolate brown eyes. “I’m going to make you scream with orgasm, Madame Claire.”

  His cock jumped when the kitten in his arms stretched and morphed into a full blown tiger in the blink of an eye. Flames danced in her gaze and gold sparks shot his direction as she molded her body to his, nuzzled his cheek with hers, and then breathed a heavy breath across his left earlobe. “I’m counting on it.”

  A dangerous tingle climbed all thirty three vertebrae of his spine when she traced the gold stud poked in his lobe with her tongue then closed her lips to suckle. He stood paralyzed by lust, afraid to move for fear of nailing her to the floor with the force of his need. And then her hands went south.

  Deep south.

  All five buttons of his jeans slipped easily free when her fingers demanded entry, and then he was a goner. All rational thought left his brain when she slid her hand inside his boxers, wrapped his cock in her heated fist, and pulled. Suddenly nothing else in the world mattered. As long as she kept him in her warm, tight grip, all was right in the universe.

  Lost in the amazing satisfaction of Claire’s timed strokes, Shadow had about a three second time out before she opened the fly of his pants completely and squatted in front of him. His mouth went dry at th
e sight of her positioned between his legs, her skirt eased up her thighs and her mouth inches, hell millimeters, from his aching cock. The air left his lungs in a whoosh and he managed to wrap his fingers in her hair just before she went in for the kill.

  “Claire.” He struggled to speak. “Baby, maybe we should save this for later.”

  Despite his hold on her hair, she leaned into the vee of his legs and exhaled a scorching hot breath against the cotton of his boxers. With hooded glassy eyes, she gazed back up at him and licked her lips. “Are you sure?”

  He struggled to breathe. “Hell no, I’m not sure.”

  “Well, then.” She rocked back on her heels. “Let me help you decide.”

  Sweat droplets danced on his forehead as he anticipated her next move and questioned how much more he could take before his resistance broke.

  With a sexy wink, she stood, reached for the hem of her top, then lifted it over her head in one full swoop.

  Shadow swallowed hard. Her dark green bra barely covered her breasts and lucky for him, the creamy flesh spilled over the top. Although his fingers quivered to flick open the catch, he stopped short. From his viewpoint, the visual at that very moment appeared extremely satisfying.

  His gaze traveled lower to the gold jewel dangling in her belly button. He reached to rest the symbol against the pad of his index finger. “This is a new one.”

  “You noticed.”

  “A SEAL insignia?”

  She nodded. “I happen to know several SEALs, remember?”

  He looked at the charm closer then back at her. “This one has an emerald in the loop of the anchor.”

  She batted those long, baby soft eyelashes. “Do you know why?”

  “An emerald is the birthstone for the month of May.”

  A sexy, do-me grin crossed her lips. “And?”

  “My birthday is in May.”

  “You like it?”

  Like it? Love sucker-punched him. Why the hell had he waited so long?

  She reached toward him and once again took him in hand. “I’ll take that as a yes, Claire.”

  Blood surged through his veins at her possession and he knew he couldn’t give in just yet. “Wait.” He circled her wrist with his fingers to prevent her movement.

  She lifted both eyebrows in question.

  “Take off the skirt.”

  Claire released her hold. Without hesitation, she wiggled the skirt off her hips and down her legs until it pooled at her feet. The green scrap of material meant to cover her did nothing to ease his agony. Strung between two pieces of lace, the silky triangle between her legs barely hid the treasure beneath. He fought for oxygen as every ounce of blood in his body made a beeline for his cock. In desperation, he wrapped his hand around the throbbing menace.

  “Uh-huh.” She pushed away his hand. “Don’t you dare.”

  “Damn it, Claire, I’m blue.”

  A hoarse laugh left her throat. “Poor baby.” She stepped close to him and cupped his balls. “Lose the shirt, soldier.”

  He yanked the cotton over his shoulders and off his now inferno of a body. Even the metal of his dogtags singed his skin.

  Claire smiled and released her hold. “Much better.” She stepped closer and propped his now-purple hard-on against her stomach.

  She breathed several small kisses across his pectorals, flicking his pebbled nipples with her tongue along the way. “Your chest is so smooth,” she murmured.

  “Wetsuit,” he mumbled.

  Her lips grazed the hollow of his stomach and the sharp edges of his hips as she made her descent to her knees.

  He released a heavy breath. “I’ll let you do this on one condition.”

  She tilted her head to one side, her dreamy eyes filled with mischief. “You’re not exactly in a position to bargain.”

  He ran a hand through his hair. She was absolutely right and she damn well knew it. She was getting ready to take him down and he would go down hard. Once she wrapped those pretty little lips around his eager cock, he was pretty much screwed. And if she got greedy, well, he was still screwed.

  He let loose a raspy, desperate laugh. “Seriously, Claire, promise me you’ll stop when I say.”

  The little wench just shrugged, tugged his clothing off his hips, and then sucked him inside like a cherry lollipop. His eyes crossed and he slammed them shut just to stay upright. Her mouth clamped around him to create a tight, wet vacuum, one he didn’t care to ever escape. While her lips held him hostage, her wicked tongue swirled around the engorged head, licked each curve, and caressed every inch of tight skin stretched over muscle.

  Shadow opened his eyes and looked down at the incredible woman knelt between his legs. Her hair now hung over her shoulders in front of her and the thick tresses caressed her erect nipples through her bra. Her hands gripped the base of his shaft and she picked that exact moment to begin an in-and-out motion. In when she sucked. Out when she released.

  He buried his fingers in her hair. Just a few more strokes. A few more sweet, tight strokes. “Oh God, baby.”

  She released a slight whimper in response, tightened the suction around him, and swallowed. His balls tightened and his dick jumped against her throat. He groaned. Her throat. Holy Mary, Mother of God.

  “Claire, stop.”

  The momentum between his legs increased.

  He gave her hair a yank. “Damn it, Claire, stop!”

  She gazed up at him and rolled her tongue around the swollen head several more times.

  Shadow slipped his fingers under her chin. “Stop! Just stop, please.”

  She loosened her lips and slid his cock from her mouth. “Spoilsport.”

  Despite his desperation, he gave a half laugh and extended a hand to help her from the floor. “Look, I’m working with a hairline trigger here.” He yanked his boxers and jeans back in place. “Either we go into the bedroom now, without your mouth on my cock, or I spread you out on the tile and make you scream bloody murder.”

  She gave him that take-me-now smile she had down pat as she turned and led him out of the kitchen. “Promises, promises.”

  Still strung painfully tight, Shadow closed the bedroom door then walked her backwards until she fell onto the bed. “You know I never make a promise I can’t keep.”

  He lay beside her and his lips covered hers, starved to feed on her taste again. And this time, he wasted no time in releasing the catch on her bra. Her breasts spilled into his hands and she moaned when he pinched her turgid nipples.

  Shadow moved his lips to her breasts and sucked one nipple into his mouth, teasing her with the motion as she had done him. Very slowly he pulled the nub inside, teased it with his tongue, then released it, wet and erect into the cool room air. Claire cried out and he moved his attention to the second nipple.

  “Shadow,” she moaned. “More.”

  He chuckled under his breath. Paybacks were a mother and he enjoyed every bit of it. Very soon she would realize how dangerous it was to tempt him.

  He released the second nipple then nipped the skin at the top of her collarbone while he moved his hands down her body. Her muscles quivered at his touch as he grazed the hollow of her stomach and then across her hips. When his fingers crawled across the front of her panties, she thrust her hips upward.

  “Touch me, please.”

  He moved his lips to flick the jewel in her belly button then traced the edge of her panties with one finger. She whimpered, lifted her hips, and thrust harder.

  Shadow took advantage of her response and peeled the fabric over her hips and down her legs. He paused for a brief moment when his fingers grazed the bare skin of her mound beneath. His cock screamed bloody murder. He’d only seen her naked once before and he was ninety-nine percent sure this development was new.

  She breathed a sigh. “For you.”

  He moved his fingers lower until his fingers met slick, wet flesh. His dick pounded. “Oh baby,” he murmured, “you’re closer than you think.”

  She w
himpered when he rubbed her swollen clitoris between his fingers. He lowered his head to claim her lips and swallow each tiny little mew as it left her mouth. Sweat built on his brow as she wiggled against him until he finally slid one finger deep inside her.

  Another muffled scream seeped from beneath his kiss.

  He began to question his nobility when her muscles clamped down on his finger and sucked it into the depths of her body. Her body began to rock and he fought the primal urge to brand her and make her his own. Instead, he introduced another finger. Again, her hungry muscles dragged it inside and swallowed it whole. And this time, he felt her contract.

  He lifted his lips and laid his forehead against hers. “There it is, sweetheart, let it go.”

  He quickened the motion of his fingers inside her while caressing her clit with his thumb. Her breathing quickened.

  “Oh, Shadow,” she panted. “This feels so good.”

  “I know, angel, it gets better. I promise.”

  Her breaths now came in gulps and she reached down to cover his hand with hers. He gave her clit a small pinch and within seconds, she arched and screamed the unleashed satisfaction he waited to hear.

  He covered her lips with his and kissed her back down. Once she lay still, he placed a small peck against her swollen mouth. “Now that was an orgasm.”

  She rolled her head to the side and gave him a sleepy smile. “Incredible.”

  He chuckled beneath his breath. “You done?”

  She rolled onto her side and grasped his cock. “I don’t know.” She stroked him from base to tip and back again. “What can you do with this?”

  His cock stood at attention, begging to show what it could do for her. He moved a hand back between her thighs and brushed his fingers across her mound. “Does it hurt to wax this?”

  She grinned. “Not really. I just think about other things.”

  He trailed his fingers over her clitoris, pleasantly surprised she still wept for him. “Like what?”

  She gave his dick a hard pull. “Like making love to you.”

  Shadow groaned. That was it. No more. He had to have her now. He eased himself to his hands and knees, stripped his clothing, and moved over her, positioning his eager cock at her entrance.