Terry Spear - A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing

Rourke turned off his computer and grabbed his keys. If he could prove who was behind this, he had to do so. Lives were at stake. And this was a job he could do.

Meara couldn’t believe what she thought Finn had in mind as he carried her to the master bedroom. “But we’ve been staying in the guest bedroom. Shouldn’t we use the same room? Someone else should use this room.”

“No. You belong in here with me .” He smiled down at her as he put her on the bed.

“You said you wanted a heart-to-heart talk.” She was fairly sure that if they didn’t begin a conversation soon, it would quickly dissolve into something else.

“The chemistry between us is remarkable.”

“The chemistry.” If this was just about the sex…

“I’m not a romantic kind of guy.”

She smiled, not thinking that was true in the least. There was romance in castles with brawny Highlanders, and then there was romancing a SEAL. They were two entirely different scenarios, and she was over the moon with the SEAL.

“You’ve said so already. Although I’d have to graciously disagree with your claim.”

“I can’t compete with the heroes in your romance novels,” he said.

“Hmm, you’re right.”

He raised a brow, and she got the distinct impression he thought she should have argued with him over that.

“You make a passable hero,” she said, staring up at him with wide innocent eyes, although inside she was smiling with amusement as he towered over her next to the bed.

“Passable.” He snorted. “You want a mate, someone who’s an alpha. I’m not giving you up to anyone else, Meara. So that means—”

“Wait a minute,” she said, sitting up on the bed and figuring they’d better get the real issue out in the open before lust ruled their minds and bodies. “You would be just about right for my mate except for one thing. Your job.”

He didn’t look worried that she’d object to his line of work, which thoroughly puzzled her. But she wasn’t going to let that stop them any longer. She continued, “So here’s the deal—if you want to be mine, you’ll have to—”

“Give up my job?”

She wasn’t certain she wanted him to. That was one of the things she loved about him. His adventurous spirit and his desire to save the world and right wrongs where he could. How could he do that sitting on a beach with her for the rest of his life? She just couldn’t see him helping her with renting out the cabins. He’d feel chained to her, obligated to give up his life for her.

She shook her head. “No, I was actually thinking of—” She sighed, sure he wouldn’t go along with her idea.

“Of…?” he prompted.

“Well, you could still go on your missions, only I’d go with you. As your wife.”

A slow smile spread across his face.

She frowned at him. “I’m serious.”

“You’re not trained.”

“I could be. I could be as good as Anna. Maybe even better. And I’d be your mate, so we could be a team.”

“I’m tired of living out of a suitcase, Meara. I’m tired of sleeping out in the open or in rundown motel rooms, of waking in the middle of the night and not even knowing where I am.”

“I like to go camping and sleep out in the open,” she said, looking up at him, seeing the sincerity in his expression, and loving him. “I’m really an outdoors kind of girl.”

“Now that kind of camping, I can do. Snuggling in a sleeping bag built for two, watching the stars sparkle like white crystals on a midnight backdrop, and lots more s’mores… yeah, I could definitely get into that kind of camping. Steaks… and shrimp on the grill. It could work.”

“You wouldn’t miss all the danger and adventures?”

“From what Hunter told me while you were taking a bath, he had a whole truckload of danger right here on the Oregon coast once he moved the pack up here. And you were right in the middle of it.” Finn shrugged. “Danger and adventure are what you make of them. I’m sure I can find all kinds of trouble to get into right here.”

“You’re really serious?”

“I couldn’t be more so. But I want you to know one thing—Hunter is the one who contracted most of our missions after we left the Navy, not me.”

She gave him a slow smile. “I know.”

He frowned at her. “You were always giving me hell for getting the contracts.”

“Yep.”

Then he smiled evilly. “I told the guys you were only giving me a hard time so you could have a final word with me. That was the only way Hunter would permit you to see me. And he always give me a sinister smile afterward, glad you gave me hell instead of him.”

“Men are so— clueless ,” she said.

“Clueless, eh?” He laughed and began removing her clothes.

“There’s no going back for us.” Meara pulled off her shirt as he tugged her pants off.

“There isn’t going to be.”

She enjoyed the way his breathing quickened, his pheromones stirred with lust.

His muscles tightened like a wolf ready to take down its prey. She gazed up at him and recognized the heat in his eyes. The testosterone filling his blood made him want her so badly that if she put a hand to his chest right now, she was sure she’d have a devil of a time convincing him she wanted to wait any longer.

“You’re thinking too much,” he said, yanking off his jeans and shirt and another pair of those semitransparent boxers. Did he know just how sexy those things were? Then he slid into bed next to her, his body warming hers instantly. He grabbed a handful of her hair and took a deep breath, lowering his body on top of hers, his mouth hovering over her lips.

She lifted her head to capture his tantalizing mouth, annoyed that he’d withhold the kiss, but he only smiled and brushed her lips quickly, then nudged her face over to kiss her ear and whisper, “I want to touch and taste every inch of you. I want to fill you and love you and make you mine.”

His mouth caressed her ear and her neck, all the way down to her throat, awakening a feverish desire to have him deep inside her, every nerve ending thrumming with need.

“Hmm,” she said and took his face in her hands and studied his heated gaze. “I want more.” And with that, she pulled his face down to hers and kissed him. It was a tempestuous, heady kiss of yearning and passion, of pressed lips and tongues fusing, of heated breaths that left them panting.

“Damn, Meara,” he said grinning, and she laughed.

But she didn’t let up the assault and wrapped her arms around him, preparing for even more.

His hands slipped around her buttocks and she spread her thighs with willing anticipation. He pressed against her heat, hard and eager, rubbing her with incessant need, infusing her with a desire so strong that she didn’t think she could last.

Hunger mobilized her to explore every inch of his taut muscles as her fingers felt his back and buttocks and thighs. His mouth moved from hers to a breast and he suckled lightly, then more vigorously, and she writhed against him, wanting him to enter her now. Every inch of her was filled with fire as she moaned against the sweet things his mouth was doing to her breasts.

Until he moved away and his hand replaced his body, cupping her between her legs. His fingers stroking the outside made her crave his penetration even more. But she wouldn’t beg, fearing he’d just make her want more. Without permission, her body arched, forcing him to spread her feminine lips, enticing him to sink his fingers deep, making him smile just a little.

He was so maddeningly smug. Before he knew what she was up to, she reached between them and gave him a little back, stroking his penis with a firm, steady grip, and for a time, he allowed it. She could tell from the expression on his face that he was fighting giving in too quickly, and then he was pulling away and stroking her as if he was afraid she’d dissolve into an Oregon mist and fade away before he could finish this.