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He headed for the door but didn’t follow them upstairs. Shark’s gaze slid past Twister, who smirked at him knowingly but didn’t say a thing. Shark bristled all over again. He hated that his teammate was able to peg his attraction to Maddy when he was trying so damn hard to keep his desire in check.
“I need to speak to her,” he growled low. “Go soak your head.”
They left, and he was relieved. He really wanted to talk to her about what happened with Tex. It was eating at him, below the attraction and desire. He needed her to understand something.
Maddy deserved someone who wasn’t him. He could offer her a few nights of sex because he didn’t want to hurt her or get in too deep. He was terrible at real relationships, his past, his life before the teams showing him that he wasn’t the man for her. He could save them both the heartache.
3
He sauntered into the kitchen to find Maddy, who, to his surprise, was doing the dishes. Even though she had said she was going to be doing them, he’d expected they would have some help. There was a lot of cleanup.
“I hope you’re not going to be a sore loser,” she said, moving from behind the counter to the table. He followed her, taking the stack of plates out of her hands and setting them near the sink. He went back to the table and got some more while she opened the dishwasher and started to rinse.
“You used some moves I wasn’t expecting,” he responded.
She grinned. Her tempting mouth held a sweet curve of humor and sensuality. “I play to win,” she told him, her voice full of confidence. “It’s what I hear about SEALs, too. It pays to be a winner.”
He chuckled as he stared at her lovely face. “You have it all figured out.” He went back for the silverware and glasses. When everything was cleared from the table, he used the sponge to wipe it down, then set the fresh flowers and candles back on it. Then he walked over and set his hip against the counter.
She glanced over at him, her movements quick and efficient. She tipped her head to the side. “You’re not tired, huh?”
“Beat as all hell,” he said. He was bone tired. They had trained before they got on the plane to fly here, and even though jet lag wasn’t an issue because Haiti was in their time zone, his body told him to get himself to bed.
She set the last glass in the dishwasher, added in detergent, then started it. She walked over to the shiny stereo system and turned on some music, setting it to low. It was sultry and slow. She looked over at him. He hadn’t moved. She frowned. “Something on your mind?” she finally asked after a couple more glances.
“Just one thing.” He pushed off the counter and walked into the living room, going to the open patio doors, the caress of the hot breeze against his face. His eyes drifted shut as he breathed in the sweet green scent of the vegetation and the fragrant scents of wild magnolia, hibiscus, plumeria, and a dozen other blooming plants. The ocean in the distance was as flat as glass and dark with only a sliver of the moon to highlight the quiet waves. It was an amazing, dangerous, and formidable world, one he loved. He turned to face her.
“What’s that?” She moved to the sofa and sat down, reclining back. She cocked her head slightly when he didn’t respond right away. “I don’t know you very well.” She stood and walked over to him, reaching out and using her thumb against the skin between his eyes. “You get these wrinkles here when you’re agitated or thoughtful. It’s quite adorable. I’m tougher than I look, so tell me what’s bothering you?”
Adorable? No one had ever called him adorable. It was time he made her understand. “I don’t need a champion, Maddy. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time, so it’s not necessary to interfere with an order from my CO.”
She stilled and stared at him. Aware that he was annoyed. It didn’t seem to faze her. “Did I do that?”
“Yes, you did. The Navy has a chain of command for a reason.” She was standing so close, the urge to reach out and caress his fingers along her soft cheek, down the side of her neck, across the full swells of her breasts pushing against the bodice of her dress, nearly overwhelmed him. Instead, he slid his hands into the pockets of his shorts, which forced him to keep his hands to himself.
“And you always follow orders?”
“For the most part.”
“Hmm, okay.”
He raised a brow at her answer, obviously aware that he didn’t always follow orders. He couldn’t help but approve of, and be attracted to, that fiery independence of hers. “Don’t mock me.”
The imprudent smile on her lips made Shark tense. “Why not? There’s nothing wrong with helping someone out. He was being overly hard on you. I just wanted to point out that the dinner was informal, and we weren’t offended. I know that’s important because of who my dad is.” Her lashes fell to half-mast as she stepped toward him, placed a hand on his chest, and slowly, brazenly, stroked her palm down to his abdomen, leaving a trail of hot sensations in her wake.
He curled his hands into tight fists, even as his dick throbbed to life when he considered just how close her fingers were to his groin. “You’re used to getting your way,” he stated, his voice rough with arousal.
“Not always,” she countered and shifted closer so that her mouth was only inches away from his and invited him to move closer to her. Her hand, still splayed low on his belly, seared his skin through his T-shirt.
“Hmm, okay,” he repeated her just murmured sarcastic remark to him telling her he wasn’t happy about her interference.
“Don’t mock me,” she said softly. He loved that she was simply holding her own, but he needed her to understand Tex was in charge of him at all times. He’d pledged his life to Uncle Sam.
“Look, I don’t want to argue with you about this, just…butt out of SEAL business.”
Her eyes widened in startled surprise at his definitive response. She dropped her hand and took a step back, giving him breathing room that no longer contained her warm, enticing female scent that was wreaking havoc. Her brows arched, and he wanted to take back the harshness of his words. It was like browbeating an innocent sprite and made him feel a little like a monster. But he suspected she wasn’t as innocent as she appeared, and he hated himself for letting her in, even just a little, to get under his skin.
“Okay, it’s clear you feel very strongly about it. I’ll keep my nose out of your business…unless, you know, you need to hear something from me.”
