Uncomfortable, she squirmed under his scrutiny. She stared at the floor and finally looked up at him again.
“What?” she snapped waspishly, disconcerted. “Did I grow another head or sprout wings?”
An absent smile curved his lips but she read nothing of his thoughts. He only looked at her. A soft light entered his eyes, turned them from dark to milk chocolate. Tension faded and a gentle smile softened the hard lines of his mouth. For the moment, the solider disappeared. He ALWAYS A WARRIOR Patricia Bruening
27
was just a man. She almost imagined they were just two ordinary people on the verge of discovering each other. She shook her head determinedly. There was nothing ordinary about them or the situation.
“Something wrong?” His eyes narrowed slightly.
“No,” she replied curtly.
He frowned but said nothing. She watched, fascinated, as Damien once again became the professional soldier. His face hard, he tensed. Alert and wary, he stood up and shoved the chair under the table.
“I’ll be back,” he said and grabbed his jacket off the hook by the door. He turned with his hand on the doorknob. “Just going to walk around.”
Laurie nodded. “Be careful.”
He flashed a brief grin and patted the gun he wore constantly on his hip. “Always.” He opened the door and the night swallowed him.
Laurie wandered around the cabin, stopping at a row of low bookshelves in the corner under the loft. Scanning the titles, she discovered Damien’s varied taste in reading material. She found history, military adventure, science fiction, action adventure, and even a row of romances on the very bottom shelf. She pulled one out at random, wondering who had read it. She could not imagine Damien McAllister reading romance novels. Curled into the corner of the sofa bed, she opened the book. She only managed to finish one chapter before sleep stole over her.
* * * *
After an invigorating walk through the woods to check the area, Damien returned to the cabin. He hung his jacket on the hook, strode across the room—and stopped abruptly by the sofa bed. Laurie was curled in the corner, sound asleep, with a book on her chest. He smiled indulgently, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. He bit back a groan of desire. It was going to be a long week if he kept his hands to himself, as she expected. Scowling, he locked the door and turned off the main lights. She wanted him. She had been all over him just that afternoon, more eager than he. The memories burned him, aroused him.
“Shit,” he muttered under his breath.
The soft glow of the reading lamp spilled over her face. She looked younger in sleep though he knew she was twenty-nine. He removed his shoes and socks, put his gun on the end table, and pulled his shirt over his head. He crawled under the blanket, close to her. Then he hesitated. He should wake her and send her upstairs. Instead, he drew the blanket to her shoulders. He sighed. It was difficult but he honored her wishes. After all, SEALs excelled at doing difficult things. He settled on his back, his arms crossed under his head, and drifted off to sleep.
Damien woke to early daylight and curious warmth draped over him. He shifted slightly, pleasantly surprised and aroused. Laurie still slept, snuggled up to him. Her head rested on his shoulder, her hair spread over his chest like silk. Her leg lay across his thighs, her knee nudging him to painful hardness.
He curved his arm around her, drawing her even closer. Her skin felt like satin under his stroking fingers. Her breasts brushed his chest with every breath she took. He swept the hair from her face and caught her dreamy smile. She shifted, her arm sliding over his chest. That soft friction nearly short-circuited his brain. Her palm rested on his nipple. It pebbled instantly. He groaned aloud and wanted badly to wake her, to kiss her until her eyes opened, glazed with passion.
ALWAYS A WARRIOR Patricia
“What?” she snapped waspishly, disconcerted. “Did I grow another head or sprout wings?”
An absent smile curved his lips but she read nothing of his thoughts. He only looked at her. A soft light entered his eyes, turned them from dark to milk chocolate. Tension faded and a gentle smile softened the hard lines of his mouth. For the moment, the solider disappeared. He ALWAYS A WARRIOR Patricia Bruening
27
was just a man. She almost imagined they were just two ordinary people on the verge of discovering each other. She shook her head determinedly. There was nothing ordinary about them or the situation.
“Something wrong?” His eyes narrowed slightly.
“No,” she replied curtly.
He frowned but said nothing. She watched, fascinated, as Damien once again became the professional soldier. His face hard, he tensed. Alert and wary, he stood up and shoved the chair under the table.
“I’ll be back,” he said and grabbed his jacket off the hook by the door. He turned with his hand on the doorknob. “Just going to walk around.”
Laurie nodded. “Be careful.”
He flashed a brief grin and patted the gun he wore constantly on his hip. “Always.” He opened the door and the night swallowed him.
Laurie wandered around the cabin, stopping at a row of low bookshelves in the corner under the loft. Scanning the titles, she discovered Damien’s varied taste in reading material. She found history, military adventure, science fiction, action adventure, and even a row of romances on the very bottom shelf. She pulled one out at random, wondering who had read it. She could not imagine Damien McAllister reading romance novels. Curled into the corner of the sofa bed, she opened the book. She only managed to finish one chapter before sleep stole over her.
* * * *
After an invigorating walk through the woods to check the area, Damien returned to the cabin. He hung his jacket on the hook, strode across the room—and stopped abruptly by the sofa bed. Laurie was curled in the corner, sound asleep, with a book on her chest. He smiled indulgently, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. He bit back a groan of desire. It was going to be a long week if he kept his hands to himself, as she expected. Scowling, he locked the door and turned off the main lights. She wanted him. She had been all over him just that afternoon, more eager than he. The memories burned him, aroused him.
“Shit,” he muttered under his breath.
The soft glow of the reading lamp spilled over her face. She looked younger in sleep though he knew she was twenty-nine. He removed his shoes and socks, put his gun on the end table, and pulled his shirt over his head. He crawled under the blanket, close to her. Then he hesitated. He should wake her and send her upstairs. Instead, he drew the blanket to her shoulders. He sighed. It was difficult but he honored her wishes. After all, SEALs excelled at doing difficult things. He settled on his back, his arms crossed under his head, and drifted off to sleep.
Damien woke to early daylight and curious warmth draped over him. He shifted slightly, pleasantly surprised and aroused. Laurie still slept, snuggled up to him. Her head rested on his shoulder, her hair spread over his chest like silk. Her leg lay across his thighs, her knee nudging him to painful hardness.
He curved his arm around her, drawing her even closer. Her skin felt like satin under his stroking fingers. Her breasts brushed his chest with every breath she took. He swept the hair from her face and caught her dreamy smile. She shifted, her arm sliding over his chest. That soft friction nearly short-circuited his brain. Her palm rested on his nipple. It pebbled instantly. He groaned aloud and wanted badly to wake her, to kiss her until her eyes opened, glazed with passion.
ALWAYS A WARRIOR Patricia
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