Toying With Her SEAL (SEALs of Roseville Book 2) Read online

  I'll give you a hint. It involves lotions, potions, and handcuffs.

  A minute ticked by. A gust of wind made the trees dance and the warm glow shimmered through her cozy living room. Then, when she was about to become disheartened, the phone buzzed.

  Should I be worried or turned on?

  She laughed and her fingers sped over the virtual keyboard.

  I would think turned on. I hosted a Blush Shoppe party. Tupperware is so last century.

  A few heartbeats later, her phone rang and Teo's name splashed across the top.

  “Hi,” she greeted, her grin spreading.

  “A Blush Shoppe party?”

  She laughed at the curiosity in his voice.

  “Yeah. I'm sure Reya went to a makeup party when she was younger. It's like that but with body butters and toys and things.”

  She could tell his mind was racing along and that her vague “and things” would undergo further scrutiny.

  “That's a thing now? And women go to them?”

  “Sure do.”

  “You're right,” he murmured. “That does turn me on. Did you buy anything?”

  “Not tonight. I did get a prize for hosting the party, though.” She wasn't sure why she'd admitted that; to keep him talking she supposed. She could listen to him read a phone book and be perfectly content.

  “Are you going to share with the class?”

  She nibbled the inside of her lower lip. “Edible body butter.”

  Silence.

  “It's like a lotion,” she ventured. “You massage it into your partner’s skin and can lick it off.”

  The silence was interrupted by a low moan. “That sounds interesting. What flavor?”

  “Sinfully Strawberry.”

  “Mmmm... You have my attention.”

  “Is that right?”

  The pause was so long she thought they'd been disconnected. But the call timer on her phone continued ticking upward.

  “Still there?”

  “Yeah.” He sounded far away and lost in thought.

  “What's on your mind?”

  “I want to see you.”

  So she wasn't the only one interested in exploring their chemistry. Thank goodness! Ignoring the little voice of warning in the back of her mind, she said, “So come over.”

  3

  Teo made it to Jill's Java Hut in record time. Roseville's tree lined streets were deserted, quiet and pretty as a painting. The quaint downtown was about the farthest thing he could imagine from the war-torn countryside of Afghanistan or the jungles of South America.

  He parked around back as Jill had suggested. The wind sliced through him and he was glad for the leather jacket Reya had given him two Christmases ago.

  He took the stairs up to the second floor two at a time, the cold wood groaning under his two hundred and ten pounds. It'd never occurred to him that Jill lived over her coffee shop, but he liked the old-fashioned vibe of the shop owner living upstairs. The scenario suited her and it soothed something in him, knowing that she didn't have to go far when she stumbled into work each morning before the sun hit the horizon.

  He rapped his knuckles against the door and it opened a split second later. Jillian's wide green eyes met his and she gave him a smile that almost knocked him over backward.

  What was it about this woman? Why did he feel so bewitched whenever she smiled at him? It was a reaction he'd never felt before... giddiness, sheer pleasure, making him happy to be alive and on the receiving end of anything she had to offer.

  “Come in,” she said, taking a measured step back.

  He stepped across the threshold, unable to take his eyes off her stunning figure. The dark dress cinched tight at the waist, cupped her breasts until they threatened to spill over and accentuated her legs. The small, red cherry pattern brought a smile to his lips and he let out a low whistle.

  She grinned, her ruby red lips stretching wide past perfect white teeth.

  Years of training had him pulling his gaze away just long enough to survey his surroundings. It wasn't that he expected danger lurking around the corner, but old habits die hard.

  The loft-style space was large and open with tall windows at the other end. Old wooden floorboards had been polished with use and ancient brick walls gave the space a cozy if somewhat cold feeling.

  She didn’t have up any Christmas decorations yet, which surprised him. He’d imagined a fully decorated tree, yards of garland, hundreds of tiny twinkle lights all in a vintage style. But the air smelled of cinnamon and spice and a duo was singing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” on the stereo. He had to agree with the sentiment of the song. However, he really did want to stay.

  “Can I get you something?” she asked.

  Damn, he loved her accent, somewhere between Southern and Midwestern. And her laugh...he couldn't go home until he made her laugh. He loved that she had such a friendly relationship with her employees. They were always cutting up, making the coffee shop a relaxing place to be.

  “What's on the menu?” he asked, turning back to her. She laughed softly and stepped forward. Music to his ears.

  “Whatever I've got.”

  “You included?”

  Her grin turned sassy. “Perhaps.”

  He managed to keep his hands to himself as she stepped around him. But after watching her flit around her coffee shop in those curve-accentuating dresses, he ached to touch her. And try out that edible body butter she'd mentioned.

  She headed toward the kitchen which took up a section of the left wall. For some reason, he expected to see a vintage refrigerator, not a stainless steel monstrosity. But then, Jill constantly surprised him, which was just one of the many reasons he loved visiting her shop.

  “I've got wine, coffee, orange juice, and zero beers.” She peered around the refrigerator door at him. “Sorry.”

  “Coffee sounds great.” He stepped in between the peninsula and the refrigerator door, blocking her exit. “It's cold out.”

  He gave a mock shiver and her eyes raked over him. “Is the big, bad SEAL chilly?”

  “If I am, will you warm me up?”

  Her green eyes sparkled in the overhead light. “You're flirtier than I thought.”

  “Would you rather I ignore you?” he asked.

  “Like you did at your welcome home party?”

  He was transported back to the first time they'd met. Reya and Dylan had rented out her space, invited everyone he knew and thrown one heck of a party. But she was right, he'd ignored her with all his might.

  “That's because I took one look at you and got a hard on.”

  She gasped and her brows jumped up.

  Truth be told, he'd been hard because of her every day since.

  After eying him for a long moment, she turned to the stove and grabbed a tea kettle.

  “Can I ask you something?” She filled the kettle and popped it back on the stove, her movements swift and sure.

  “Anything.” He leaned a hip against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Why haven't you ever asked me out?”

  He mulled over his answer as she turned to the far set of cabinets, raised up on her tippy-toes and stretched for something.

  Reya’s words as they’d been leaving for his welcome home party came back to him. “And no hitting on Jillian. She’s working her butt off to be successful. This business means a lot to her and she doesn’t want any distractions, especially of the male variety. Got me? Don’t turn on your charm and mess that up for her.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes. It’s that Latin bad boy look you’ve got going on. You make girls swoon. I remember high school.”

  “But I’m charming?”

  Reya snorted. “In your own way, I guess. Ladies seem to like it.”

  “All right. I won’t be charming to your friend the coffee shop owner.”

  “Thank you.”

  “But there’s nothing I can do about my bad boy good looks,” he quipped, leaving hi
s sister laughing.

  “Had to get my head on straight,” he said simply.

  Nodding, Jill placed a French press next to the stove. He loved watching her hands as she worked. They were so different from a SEAL's but just as practiced. Small, sure and he'd be willing to bet, strong too.

  “Is it on straight now?” she asked, turning back to him as the water heated.

  Now that she’d asked him out? Heck yeah. He’d kept up his end of the bargain with Reya. Well…mostly. It wasn’t his fault that Jill had asked him out, was it?

  Teo nodded. Plus, now that’d he’d closed on the farm his life was moving forward.

  “Have a cookie.” She pushed a plate across the counter top.

  He took a bite and settled onto an old, yellow bar stool while he waited and watched. Damn she was gorgeous, her movements poetry in motion and for a guy who’d practically failed Lit class…well, he still knew artwork when he saw it.

  He'd admit it. He was a leg man. Okay, and a boob man. Hell, he was an ass man too. Fuck. She was the trifecta.

  Though he’d seen and talked to her dozens of times, being in her personal space was so much more intimate. He liked seeing her with her hair down, so to speak.

  “You're staring,” she said, not looking over at him.

  “Can't help it. You're the prettiest thing I've seen in a long time.”

  That earned him a grin.

  “So tell me about yourself, Teo. I know you’re a Navy man, you’re buying a house, you have a sister who’s crazy about you. You love blueberry muffins.”

  She emphasized “love.”

  “You like your coffee black. You read the news online, but I never hear you talking politics. You seem to have a handful of close friends. What don’t I know about you?”

  She had him pretty well pegged.

  “What you see is what you get.”

  For the most part.

  Jill poured him a cup of coffee and placed it in front of him. Then she braced her forearms against the countertop, laced her fingers and stared up at him as if he were an open book.

  Dammit to hell. The position stuck her ass in the air and put her cleavage on display. The mischievous quirk at the edges of her ruby lips said she knew just what she was doing to him.

  But she couldn't possibly know how much he wanted to stalk around behind her, rip her panties off, hold her hands down on the weathered wooden counter and fill her from behind. Over and over, until she screamed out his name.

  Teo blinked, coming back to the here and now. Maybe, if everything went just right, he could convince her to serve him in the nude. Oh yeah, he liked that idea.

  “You were in the Navy. How long?”

  “Since I graduated high school.”

  “Wow.” She poured herself a glass of orange juice and then resumed her position. He'd been sure she'd reach for the wine bottle. An interesting choice, which he tried not to over-analyze.

  “And you? How long have you owned a coffee shop?”

  She prickled, stood, reached for a cloth and wiped down the countertop as if it was suddenly the most interesting thing in the room. Instinct told him there was a story there, pain too.

  “Not that long, but I've worked in one since I was sixteen. It's always been my dream.”

  Did she have any idea how seductive her lips were? He'd never really had a particular type of woman he was drawn to (legs, boobs, ass, remember?), but looking at her now with her hair swept up in such a polished do with her bright red lipstick...

  Teo wanted nothing more than to smudge that lipstick and mess up her hair.

  “There’s a story there.”

  Her expression softened. “I like the rhythm of a coffee shop, the sense of community, the food, the cozy atmosphere.”

  “Me too.”

  “But I get to see the same folks every day, offer them a little something to make their day better.”

  He understood what she was saying. In her own way, people relied on her and she became a linchpin in people’s lives. She was building a community with her employees, her customers, the town. Her excitement and obvious love for her job were infectious.

  His fingers itched to cup her face, tug her lips against his, sink his fingers in that glossy dark mane until he left her breathless and disheveled.

  The thought must have registered on his face because she sighed and swayed toward him.

  “Come here.”

  Tossing the dishcloth aside, she stepped around the island. Her high heels echoed in the silent space.

  “Closer,” he murmured when she didn’t close the distance between them.

  She took another step.

  “How’s this?” She smirked at him.

  An arm’s length away wasn’t going to cut it. He spread his legs and patted his left thigh.

  “Closer.”

  That last step brought her within touching distance. The scent of her perfume mingled with that of his coffee.

  “Perfect,” he said, sliding a hand around her waist.

  She was everything the last decade and a half were not. Pure sweetness, beauty, softness and light. Everything he'd been missing, denying himself. And now he was finally out of the service. At a loose end and yet, able to indulge himself.

  He'd start with Jillian.

  She didn't utter a protest as he pulled her between his legs and slid his other hand around her waist. She was so warm beneath his fingers and from where he was sitting, he had a perfect view of plump cleavage that made his mouth water.

  “You're gorgeous,” he murmured, not wanting to break the spell.

  Teo slid his hands up her sides, palms skimming the outside curve of her breasts, across her collar bones, trailed his thumbs up her throat before finally cupping her cheeks. Her breath caught and her lips rounded into a perfect little O.

  Oh hell, if that didn't send his mind straight to the gutter.

  She licked her lips. “Thank you,” she stammered. “You're pretty gorgeous yourself.”

  “I'm a man.”

  Men weren't gorgeous.

  “So?” she countered, brows raised in challenge. Damn, she was adorable when she was feisty. “You have these crazy dark lashes that are the envy of every woman who works for me. And your hair—”

  She squinted up at him thoughtfully.

  “So dark and rich, I'm betting it's not out of a bottle. And you have this whole rugged, who cares how I look? vibe going on. Seriously, it's sexy. Not to mention the whole scruff thing? You wear it like a badge of honor. Yes, Teo. You are a gorgeous man.”

  Her husky admission sent his pulse into overdrive.

  “What are you doing to me, woman?” The question was soft as he studied her lips. Fuck. He could just imagine them wrapped around his cock, leaving a perfect red ring on his skin.

  “I imagine,” she whispered, sounding every bit as breathless and needy as he felt, “the same thing you're doing to me.”

  “Is that right?”

  He closed the distance and brushed his lips against hers. Once, twice. Her hands braced against his chest and then slid beneath his leather jacket. He tightened his grip on her as he kissed her, memorizing each breath, every moan.

  Her fingertips plucked the T-shirt covering his chest and he leaned into her touch. Damn, she was something else.

  He let her come up for air for just a moment, just long enough to look into her eyes and see the excitement there. He'd been fascinated by the jewel-like green but this close he couldn't make out contacts. He only saw pure, saturated color that stole his breath.

  Her lipstick was smudged. He grinned. Time to work on the second part of his mission.

  Teo tugged her closer. He locked his thighs around her hips, holding her to him. Then, unable to wait a moment longer, he kissed her again.

  She met him with equal passion, making love to him with her mouth. Her tongue teased his lips and his cock rubbed the seam of his jeans. He squirmed atop the barstool, eager for a better position, for freedom and relie
f.

  But he met her thrust with a parry of his own. They dueled, back and forth, until he lost track of time.

  “You taste like coffee,” she whispered.

  He nipped her lower lip and then soothed the ache with his tongue. “And you taste like sugar and oranges.”

  Her arms wrapped around his neck and suddenly he wasn't close enough. He needed to feel more of her. Standing, he kicked the barstool back with his heel and slid a palm straight down her spine. Jill pressed against him, the rolling movement of her hips driving against his cock.

  He groaned deep in his throat and she pulled back just far enough to smile up at him.

  She gyrated against him again. “Feel good?”

  “Too good. Stop it or the show will be over way too quickly.”

  Those two perfectly plucked brows, dark as her hair, lifted with mirth. “Is that right? I didn't know you were going to put on a show.”

  He kissed her, wiping the smirk right off her sexy, smudged lips. Then he sank his right hand into her hair and tugged gently. A bobby pin fell, pinging off the wooden floor. A careful swipe with his fingers sent two more to join the first. Ribbons of her ebony hair cascaded down over his hands. She made a sexy little growling sound that sent a spike of desire up his spine.

  Fuck. She was hot. And vocal, so delightfully vocal.

  Her hands slipped beneath the collar of his jacket and pushed until it bunched around his shoulders. He let his arms drop and the leather slid to the floor. Her hands touched every inch she'd just uncovered.

  Teo resumed his mission, drinking from her lips, teasing her with his tongue until she was a writhing mess. Hot, needy breaths peppered his face as she kissed him all over.

  “Tell me what you want, Teo.”

  “You.”

  “Good. For how long?”

  That had him straightening to his full height. He’d just gotten out of a long commitment with Uncle Sam. He wasn't sure he was looking for long term and she hadn't struck him as the type either. But then, she was obviously setting down roots.