22. Heather
22
Heather
“ T hey agreed to definitely be there at the adopt-a-thon next weekend, which is huge. Can you imagine the amount of attention the event will get?” I asked, wondering if David was fully comprehending the enormity of what I’d just pulled off.
He didn’t seem as happy as I’d imagined.
“I mean, to have guaranteed attendance means I can start really promoting it on social. Well, guaranteed attendance except for the guys who are still active duty SEALs. They said they’d be there if they’re not away on a mission or something.”
“Mmm. Of course. Away on a mission. Perfectly understandable.” David nodded slowly.
Still no excitement. In fact, if I had to put a name to David’s expression, I’d say he looked almost pissed off.
“Do you understand how huge this is for the shelter? Dani’s even trying to get the cast from Cold Feet to show up. They have like literally millions of fans on their Instapost accounts and the show’s app.”
“The bikini show Drew loves?” David asked.
I smiled. “It’s not a bikini show, but yes, they do wear swimsuits. A lot. It’s shot at a beach house so it kind of comes with the territory . . .”
“And how is this Navy SEAL Danny involved in this bikini show?” he asked scowling.
Ah ha . Was that it? David didn’t like me talking about the SEALs? That was hysterical. And ridiculous.
“First of all, Dani is a woman, and she’s also a production associate for Millennia. She’s working on Cold Feet . Nick, who’s the Navy SEAL, worked security on the show for a few weeks.”
“Ah.” He nodded.
I loved him being jealous that I’d met with the SEALs today.
Did that make me a bad person? Possibly. But seeing a man like David Strickland feeling insecure—over me—was not something that happened often, if at all, in my life.
Horrible or not, I was enjoying it.
But I also didn’t want David pouting for the rest of the evening. He’d already told me when I’d first gotten to Drew’s that he had to go home for a few days during the week to handle business.
He was leaving in the morning. If tonight was our last night together, I wanted him happy.
“Dani is dating Nick,” I said to relieve David’s suffering. “And Zach, the other active SEAL, is married to Gabrielle Lee from?—”
“The trashy weddings show,” he finished my sentence.
He hadn’t gotten it exactly correct, but it was close enough. “You do listen when I talk.” I smiled.
“Every damn word.” He practically growled it. “So is that it? Just two SEALs?”
He was still jealous. And I freaking loved it. “No. There was a third.”
Brow raised, he waited expectantly.
“There’s Clay too.”
“Clay.” He nodded, pressing his lips tightly together.
Controlling my joy from spilling out into a big smile, I said, “Clay and Tasha live together. They have since the first season of Hot House . They’re completely in love. In fact there’s a pool at the office for what month he’s going to finally propose to her.”
David stood and pulled me up out of the chair. “That all? Any more military guys I need to know about?”
“That’s it.” I didn’t tell him about McP’s being packed full of guys from the nearby base by the time I’d dragged Lucy out of there.
No need. He was already crazed enough.
“Good,” he growled and hauled me tightly against him.
Then there was no way I could have talked more even if I’d wanted to. David’s mouth covered mine in a kiss that felt like a claiming. Like he was marking his territory. Making me his.
I was usually all for female independence. Not right now. I loved David like this. Testosterone fueled. Feral. Possessive.
We’d sat and chatted with Drew for only a couple of minutes when I’d first arrived, and then David had declared he and I had business to attend to and he’d dragged me to his room.
I’d assumed he’d meant Strickland business. I was rapidly changing my mind about that assumption as he lifted me until my feet left the ground and tossed me on the bed.
He reached for the waist of my cropped cotton pants and my eyes widened. “Drew is in the house.”
“So?” He proceeded to unbutton and then unzip my pants. Tugging them down my legs, he obviously had no intention of stopping.
“He’ll hear us,” I hissed.
“He shouldn’t be listening and then he won’t hear.”
That was a completely absurd objection to my embarrassment.
He yanked my underwear down and I said, “David?—”
I was going to lecture him about how we were both guests in Drew’s home and it was wrong of us to make him feel uncomfortable and take advantage of his hospitality.
I didn’t get even one word of that out as David yanked my legs wide and buried his face between them.
As his hot mouth connected with my needy flesh, I gasped. He raised his gaze to meet mine. I swear the damn man smiled in victory. Then he really went to town and I could no longer keep my eyes open.
His tongue on me, accompanied by the two fingers he slipped inside had me panting for air. My muscles clenched of their own accord and soon my hips were off the bed, pressing closer, seeking more from this man.
He didn’t deny me and worked harder until I was crying out, bucking beneath him. He didn’t stop or even slow down until he’d pushed me through one orgasm and into a second.
Writhing beneath him, I found the intensity overwhelming. Almost frightening. I didn’t like the feeling of losing control of my body. Of handing that control over to him.
I pushed at his head, and after a few seconds more, he stopped fighting it and pulled back.
But we weren’t nearly done yet. I could see that in the narrowed gaze he shot me as he reached for his belt.
The man stripped fast and efficiently. At this point I wasn’t looking for a strip show anyway. But I was anticipating what it would be like to make love to David now that I’d unleashed this new possessive caveman side of him.
He didn’t disappoint. He slid home, deep and solid, rooting himself within me and held there, his eyes on mine.
“I don’t like you hanging out with Navy SEALs,” he said.
“Not a problem. Next time I see them, you’ll be with me.”
“Good.” He didn’t exactly forbid me from seeing them again but the subtext was there. I was his and his alone.
I was okay with that. Being with David Strickland had its benefits. Multiple orgasms were one of them.
At least a dozen times since we’d first slept together I’d wondered what was going to happen when he left for Texas for good and I was still here in California.
Now, I was a little less unsure. A little more certain. A man and a woman couldn’t share this kind of passion and have it just end because of separation.
We could definitely do the long distance thing. Video sex. Sexting. It all had intriguing possibilities.
He’d visit here. I could visit there.
Imagine how explosive the sex would be between us after a period of separation if it was this intense and amazing now when we’d been together not even twenty-four hours ago.
He crashed his mouth against mine and drove all thoughts out of my head.
David pistoned inside me, stoking the fire that was still smoldering from our foreplay. He pounded himself to completion and took me right along with him.
I was still throbbing around him as he collapsed, driving the breath out of my lungs from his weight.
“Fuck, I’m gonna miss this when I leave for good.”
My mouth dropped open but I couldn’t come up with any words.
Long distance romance. Ha! What had I been thinking?
Apparently in his mind when he left after the adopt-a-thon he’d be gone for good.
So what? We’d have one more weekend of great sex while he was here saving his corporate image at the shelter then it would be bye-bye? It’s been nice. See you never.
God, was I really this stupid when it came to men?
I had hoped that David Strickland was going to prove to be an exception to my track record.
Now I wasn’t so sure.