SEAL Forever by Anne Elizabeth Page B

water. He was a SEAL, a Master Chief in Team FIVE, and dating a very hot lady. Life was good.
    * * *
    Spending hours and hours on paperwork was not Declan’s idea of a good time. As he dressed in a pair of tan slacks and a navy blue solid silk Tommy Bahama shirt for dinner with Maura, Declan mulled over his day. He knew how important reports were for the brass and posterity as a whole—it helped Spec War trace the success or failure based on men, resources, terrain, difficulty, the enemy, etc.—but he knew he’d be thrilled if he could dump that side of his life for good.
    The timer buzzed on his phone. He only had five more minutes before he was due next door.
    At least he could spend the rest of this bland day focusing on Maura. He longed to wrap his arms around her again, to hear her laugh. And he was especially eager for the soft moans she made as she came. The way she looked at him, with a cross between slumberous exhaustion and complete satiation after they made love, did a lot for his ego.
    She was so free in bed, with every emotion clearly written in her body language and on her countenance. He liked that. Most women hid such things…whether it was for control or for their own ease, he didn’t know. Maura was honest, refreshing, and beautiful.
    He scratched his chin. Damn, it was a little rough. Stubble was not a way to endear oneself to a female, especially to those tender female fleshy parts. He needed to make a pit stop to handle this.
    As Declan took care of the stubble, he thought about how this woman had turned his world upside down in such a short time. Had it only been four weeks since he hauled her out of the ocean? SEAL Team had been his sole focus for so long—women had merely been a distraction—but Maura was becoming as much a priority as his work. He had to tread carefully. He didn’t want to screw up a good thing.
    Putting his wallet in his back pocket and his cell phone in his front, he checked to make sure he had his keys and headed out the door. He’d had the good sense to pick up flowers, and he scooped them up from the table near the front door.
    Opening his door, he stepped outside, walked precisely five steps, turned, and knocked.
    â€œWho is it?” asked the voice from the other side.
    â€œThe Roto-Rooter man,” he replied.
    â€œOh, I’m not decent,” said the female voice, laughing. “Just ignore my unkempt state.” The door opened and Declan’s breath caught. Maura was a vision. She was clad in a skintight sea-green dress, and her eyes looked like the sea on a warm day. “Well, aren’t you looking handsome? Are those for me?”
    Declan had lost himself for a few seconds. He pushed the bouquet into her arms and pulled his libido together. He was acting like a lovesick teenager. He cleared his throat. “You look beautiful.”
    â€œThank you,” she said. “The flowers are gorgeous. Let me just put them in water.”
    He watched every move as she sashayed away, those hips beckoning him. He tilted his head to the ceiling. Oh, good Lord, I’m not going to make it to the restaurant.
    Maura came up to him and tapped her fingers on his chest. “Hey, I’m down here.”
    Declan captured her gaze and was relieved to see that she was just as “inspired” as he was. They kissed, tenderly at first, and then it turned into something hotter, more delicious.
    â€œNo,” he said, pushing back from those sumptuous lips. “We have all night. Let’s…”
    â€œGo eat,” she finished. “I agree. I’m hungry.”
    He rubbed his hand over her hip just as her stomach rumbled. “I can tell.”
    She blushed. Those sweet cheeks pinked for him.
    Smiling at her, he asked, “Do you want to take your vehicle or my Harley? We’re going to the Brigantine.”
    â€œIf you hold me tight…your Harley. My mother had a Harley and I rode it for a while