Hot SEAL, Australian Nights Page 5

  Maybe they could order room service for the next nine days and never leave the room. If he got her naked, he knew he would never want her to put on clothes again.

  Shaking some sanity back into his head, he finally broke off the kiss with a lick across her lips. He set his forehead against hers, fighting for oxygen. His eyes were glazed, leaving her unfocused, but he could see enough to know she was flushed. Her lips were swollen.

  “Well, that answers that question,” he stated when he could form words.

  “Was there a question?” She smiled that beautiful smile at him.

  “Not anymore.” They had so much chemistry the room was going to combust.

  “Agreed.” Her hands slid from his waist around to his ass, which she gripped. “Shame you got dressed first.”

  “It was the only way I would be able to keep my dick in my pants until after we see the koalas.”

  She groaned. “On that note, if you want to get your picture taken next to one, we need to leave soon. I made a reservation for that part.”

  He lifted a brow. “You think of everything.”

  “I tried. I wanted you to have a great experience here. I know it’s once-in-a-lifetime.”

  He smiled at her. “I appreciate all the work you put into it. It’s going to be amazing.”

  She shrugged. “I love planning people’s itineraries. There’s nothing better than seeing the faces of vacationers when they return from a day trip I arranged. Makes my heart soar.”

  Yep. Arianna was vibrant and kind and wonderful in so many ways. He just hoped he could hold on to his heart during this visit.

  Finally, he righted himself and stepped back. “We should go.”

  “We should.” She didn’t move an inch, though. “Give me a second to catch my breath and convince my legs to move.”

  He stared at her as he backed away. When the backs of his knees hit the bed, he turned and grabbed his shoes. The few moments it took him to put them on and tie them helped him pull himself together. Somewhat. Her scent permeated the room. Her shampoo or something. He had no idea what, but he knew he needed to get them out in the hall as soon as possible.

  When he stood, he found she had approached. She was breathing deeply. Her pupils were dilated. Her ponytail had come loose, several strands curling around her pink cheeks. So fucking sexy.

  He reached for the band containing the rest of her hair and tugged it free. After dropping it on the bed, he ran his fingers through the loose strands, spreading her hair out.

  Her face was a deeper shade of red, her eyes wide.

  “I like it down,” he explained.

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  He shot her a brief grin and then headed for the door. “Ready? Koalas are waiting.”

  Chapter 6

  Arianna had no idea how she was going to survive a trip to the zoo in her current state. She’d never been so aroused in her life. Her breasts were heavy and needy. She’d willed him to cup them in his palms for most of the second half of the kiss.

  Her sex was wet and hot and sensitive. The only thing that made everything a little bit better was knowing his cock was also hard. She’d felt it against her belly, and she’d seen the evidence when he stepped away.

  If she looked now, would he still have a bulge? She felt lucky that she could see such physical evidence. He could not. Would he be wondering if she was wet?

  She could have easily come if he’d pressed his hand between her legs. Even through her jeans. Perhaps that should embarrass her, but it didn’t. The thought was titillating. She’d never had this level of chemistry with anyone before. It was a new world.

  She’d had sex. She’d had a few boyfriends. Nothing compared to this intensity, though. This need. This drive.

  She was so totally consumed with him that she paid attention to nothing as they descended in the elevator and then stepped into the lobby.

  Justus threaded his fingers with hers and kept her close to his side as they made their way through several guests, heading for the front door. As they headed for the ferry, she pointed out the attractions. She was still talking when they arrived at the pier in Darling Harbour, stopping only when she noticed he was smiling at her indulgently. She’d been rambling on for a long time without pausing.

  “You make an excellent tour guide. I should be worried.”

  “Why?” she asked as they stepped from the ferry.

  He held her hand again. So far she didn’t think he’d ever stopped touching her since they left his hotel room. Some part of him was always in contact. She liked it. “You might switch your job to tour guide after I leave, and then I’ll wonder if you’re retracing these steps with another man.”

  She sucked in a breath. “I don’t think you need to worry about that.” There wasn’t a chance in hell another man was going to fill Justus’s shoes. Perhaps not ever. She hadn’t even slept with him and already she was worried about her heart. She needed to get a grip on her emotional attachment before she got hurt. This was a fling. Nothing else. Two people mutually attracted to each other who’d agreed to go on vacation together. Oh and fuck. That too.

  They entered the zoo and began to wind their way around the featured animals. It was exactly the sort of place that attracted tourists. It had several floors and all of the animals were native to Australia. Animals people in the US would rarely be exposed to, if at all.

  When they reached the top floor, Arianna exchanged their tickets for wristbands and they got in line to step up close to the koalas and get their picture taken.

  Justus stood at her back, his arms around her body, clasped in front of her. He whispered in her ear, “They don’t let you touch the koalas?”

  “Nope. It’s not legal in New South Wales. When we get to Queensland, you can hold one, though, and get a better picture.”

  “Cool. Looking forward to it.”

  “I haven’t been there yet, but I’ve heard about it. I’ve been meaning to go for months.”

  “Good. We’ll experience it together.”

  She smiled up at him. “We will.”

  “When are we going?”

  “Did you not even glance at your itinerary?”

  “Nope. I trust you.”

  “You gave me your credit card number and all your personal information last week and you never once noticed what I bought you?”

  “Nope.”

  She laughed. “Well, we’re going to Cairns the day after tomorrow. We’re spending four days there.”

  “Can’t wait.” He leaned closer and kissed her again. She’d lost track of how many times he’d brushed his lips against hers since they’d left the hotel, but he hadn’t been kidding when he promised he would kiss her wherever and whenever he wanted. He also hadn’t been kidding when he promised her he would be both soft and sweet and rough and demanding. He’d been both that morning before they left his room. And she’d melted when he switched from one to the other.

  She was so aroused it was hard to care about the koalas. Mostly, she just wanted the clock to move faster so that she could get back to the room with him and finish what they’d started. She was hardly paying attention when it was suddenly their turn to get pictures with the koala. They stood next to a eucalyptus tree and smiled for the camera next to a sleeping koala hanging from a branch.

  Justus glanced back over his shoulder several times as they left. “Damn, those things are cute.”

  “They are.” She tucked her hand under his arm as they headed for another display. “Wait until you see the penguins in the aquarium next door. They are hilarious.”

  “Penguins? Why would I be interested in seeing penguins? I’ve seen them before.” He set his hand on top of hers and hauled her close to his side.

  “You haven’t seen anything like these before.” She chuckled. She’d been to the aquarium before. The penguins were very peculiar.

  “My curiosity is piqued.”

  They wandered through the rest of the zoo and then switched to the
aquarium. After spending some time watching the giant dugongs feeding on lettuce, she led him to the penguin exhibit and they got in line. When they reached the plexiglass wall that divided the penguin habitat from the humans, she looked up at his face to see his expression.

  It took a few moments, and then he laughed. “What the hell? Why are the little dudes running back and forth?”

  She watched him as he glanced at the small boats as they came around the corner. “It’s like a ride at Disney World. We’re going to get in the little boat and ride it around to the other side through the penguin habitat.”

  “I see that, but what the hell are the penguins doing?” A smile was plastered on his face.

  “I guess they run back and forth sort of greeting each group as they enter the boat. Isn’t it adorable?” She squeezed his arm.

  “It’s freaky.”

  “That too.”

  Chapter 7

  Arianna was jumping out of her skin by the time they got back to the hotel. It was almost eight o’clock. They’d grabbed lunch on the pier and then wandered around the harbour. It felt like Justus was stalling all day. He kept pointing out places they should see, stores they should go into, views they should pause at.

  When the sun went down, he’d told her he was craving a burger, so she reluctantly told him she knew exactly where the best burgers in town were. They’d headed back to Circular Quay and then made their way through the streets to the cute little corner restaurant she knew he would enjoy. The Push. They grabbed a small round bar table and ordered Dog Days Summer Ale and two burgers.

  Again Justus had dragged things out. He seemed to move in slow motion. She also thought he’d been smirking for the last several hours.

  “Are you in a hurry?” he asked as he opened the door to the hotel room. “You practically dragged me down the hallway.” Yeah, he was laughing at her.

  She spun around when they were inside, yanking her purse over her shoulder and then shrugging out of her jacket. “I was beginning to think you didn’t want to be alone with me. I half expected you to suggest dancing next, or a movie.” Did she sound desperate?

  He chuckled, taking her jacket and purse from her hands and setting them on the desk. “I hadn’t thought of that. Should we go back out?”

  She narrowed her gaze. “If you’ve changed your mind about us, that’s fine. Just say so.” It wasn’t fine at all. She would be crushed. But he didn’t need to know that.

  He stepped closer and cupped her face. His gaze met hers. “Have you changed your mind?”

  “No,” she retorted.

  His hand slid down her back to the rear pocket of her jeans where he removed her phone, turned it off, and then set it on the desk with her purse.

  “You turned my phone off.” She was breathless, trying to infer anything from his actions. He set his next to hers, though she noted he did not turn his off. She knew he couldn’t. A SEAL might be granted leave to take a vacation, but they could also be recalled any time on a moment’s notice.

  “Yep. Surely you don’t need to take a call from anyone for the next several hours.”

  She swallowed as he stalked her, backing up until her legs hit the edge of the bed. Several hours?

  “I had a fun day,” he murmured as he cupped her face again. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. It was long. Felt like a week.”

  He chuckled again. “So anxious.”

  She blew out a breath. She was acting ridiculous. Needy.

  He threaded his fingers in her hair and held her head to one side, his lips coming down to kiss her neck and then the back of her ear. “You’ve been fidgeting in desperation for hours. I like it.”

  “If you knew that, why did you make me wait?” she breathed, reaching for his waist.

  “Because it was hot. Because I wanted the desire to build. Because I wanted you to have plenty of time to change your mind.” His lips hovered over her ear, nibbling around until he finally leaned back a few inches and met her gaze again.

  “Not going to change my mind.”

  “We’ve spent like thirty hours together. Not even that since I slept here alone last night. Do you always decide to sleep with a man that quickly?” The question could have been serious, but his eyes were dancing with mirth. He was teasing her.

  “I decided I wanted to sleep with you about a decade ago. The last thirty hours were just the home stretch.”

  His smile widened and then his mouth descended. He claimed her lips, rough and demanding this time. Perfect.

  She fisted his T-shirt at his waist, holding on to him as if he might slip away. When his tongue slid between her lips, she opened for him. She’d been aroused all day. Her heart had been beating rapidly since she’d arrived that morning. Her nipples had been permanently stiff. Her panties soaked.

  Finally. Finally they were here in the hotel. Alone. And he was kissing the sense out of her. If the mattress hadn’t been at the back of her thighs, she might have collapsed.

  By the time Justus released her lips, she was putty in his hands, gasping, needy, wanton.

  He smoothed his hands down to her shoulders and held on to her, his eyes locked on hers. “No woman has ever wrapped me so tightly around her finger as you have.”

  She didn’t move or breathe. Instead, she held his gaze.

  “If we do this, we can’t go back. I’m going to wear you out for nine nights.”

  She nodded slightly.

  “And then I’m going to leave.” He lifted a brow.

  “I know,” she whispered.

  “I don’t keep girlfriends, Arianna. I won’t change my mind,” he warned.

  “I don’t date military men. I won’t change mine either.”

  He continued to stare at her for a long time, perhaps reassuring himself she was telling the truth. And then his hands went to the hem of her shirt. In a quick swoop of material, he yanked it over her head. His palms landed on her waist, his thumbs grazing the underside of her breasts, only the thin, lacy silk separating her skin from his.

  She’d chosen her best panty set for today, confident this moment would eventually present itself. And here she was. She’d lusted after this man for years, daydreamed about this moment, even though until a few weeks ago, she’d never expected it to occur in her wildest imagination. And her imagination had been wild.

  His gaze was on her chest. His hands smoothed up to cup her breasts, molding to them. “I’ve been dying to hold these all day.”

  She moaned when his thumbs brushed over her nipples, her grip on his shirt tightening. She’d been so aroused for so many hours that it wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge. It was so unlike her. Men didn’t get her this aroused, not even if they worked at it for hours. She’d always had a hard time letting herself relax and enjoy sex.

  But not Justus. Her body reacted to him differently. It probably should have been frightening, but she ignored that emotion and focused on how swollen her pussy was and how much she wanted to be naked in his arms.

  He seemed to be taking his time though, every action slow and meticulous. His thumbs strummed over and over her stiff nipples, driving her mad. When he dipped them under the lace and stroked bare skin, she sucked in a sharp breath and rose onto her toes.

  He lifted his gaze, smiling. He released her breasts to ease his hands around to her back. Seconds later, her bra was released and fell down her arms. Justus tossed it aside.

  She wanted his chest bare too, so she tugged on the fisted material. Luckily, he lifted his arms and let her drag the shirt over his head. She dropped it without looking. A whoosh of air left her mouth as he grabbed her by the waist and practically tossed her onto the bed.

  Every move he made was a surprise as he switched back and forth between slow and gentle mixed with sudden sharp actions that took her breath away.

  She rose onto her elbows, but quickly dropped onto her back as he crawled over her. He rested on one elbow alongside her head, leaning on his hip at her side, and sl
id his other hand down from her face. His gaze followed his fingers as he tortured her with a barely existent touch. Her cheek, her neck, her shoulder, her breast.

  Jesus. He circled her nipple several times until she arched her chest toward him. Goose bumps rose all over her body. She wanted to reach for him, pull him closer, but her hands were frozen at her sides, not willing to take orders from her brain.

  “I love the color of your skin,” he whispered. “And the rose of your nipples. I wondered what color they would be. So sexy.” Finally, he flicked his thumb over one, making her whimper.

  A smile spread across his face as he met her gaze. “You’re so responsive. I’m going to come in my jeans just listening to you moan.”

  Had she moaned? She flushed, unable to respond.

  Her face grew redder because he continued to stare into her eyes as he explored her breasts with his fingers. So intense. The room was suddenly too hot.

  When he slid his palm down her thigh, his thumb coming close to her sex, her vision swam. She tipped her head back, her mouth falling open. “Justus,” she begged.

  “Oh, I like the sound of my name coming from your lips while I make you writhe.”

  More heat. She was going to implode.

  Finally, he rose up on his knees, popped the button of her jeans, and lowered the zipper. He slid off the bed to drag the denim and her thong down her legs, pausing only long enough to remove her shoes and socks.

  When his gaze came back to hers, she felt incredibly exposed. She had on nothing while he still wore jeans. Thankfully, he kicked off his shoes and removed the rest of his clothes before she had to plead with him to do so.

  His cock sprang free, thick and long, making her lick her lips.

  He groaned. “You’re killing me.” He climbed back onto the bed, this time settling a knee between her legs. Again, he let his gaze wander all over her body while she watched. His erection bobbed in between them, but she suspected he didn’t intend to use it on her yet, and her suspicion was confirmed when he dropped to one hip at her side, leaving his knee between her legs. He rested his cheek on his palm.