The Last Marine Read online

  His scowl was fierce, his body shifting from side to side in agitation. And for the first time, she wasn’t scared of him. She’d always thought he wanted to intimidate her when he did this. But no, he was seeking attention like an over-sized, ill-mannered puppy. Offering himself to make up after their argument—scowling at the possibility of rejection, but putting himself within her reach if she wanted him. The epiphany floored her. Determined to test her theory, she placed her hand over his heart. He stilled and though he made no sound, something vibrated through his chest, reminding her of a cat’s purr. She allowed herself a small smile. This big, belligerent soldier liked to be petted.

  “Ask me, Angel.”

  She had no doubt what he wanted her to ask. His stormy eyes filled with heat and his voice dropped low. And she wanted from him. She wanted his kisses, his lips on her skin, his muscular body snug against hers. She just didn’t want the rest—the pain, the crushing disappointment. She shook her head. “I can’t.”

  Chapter 16

  She may have said no, but her body swayed toward his when she did.

  He wet his lips. “Then play a game with me.”

  A rueful smile spread on her lips. “I already know that particular trick, Warrior.”

  “Different bet this time.”

  She bit her lip in indecision and before she could say no again, he rushed to get the new bet said. “If you win, I’ll leave you alone for the rest of our time together.” He was making a promise he wasn’t sure he could keep, but he had a better-than-average chance of winning. The cards were marked. “If I win, you get fifteen minutes of kissing me anywhere you want.”

  She released a breathy little sigh that tore straight to his groin. Her body leaned toward his. Then she seemed to come to her senses and straightened. “Oh? And if you win, how do I know you’ll let it go at that?”

  He grinned. “I know you still have those handcuffs. I could hear them clanking around in your pack.”

  A furious blush stole over her cheeks. “You’re being silly. I wouldn’t even know what to do.”

  He stepped closer. “Angel, you could get me off just looking at me.”

  She gnawed on her bottom lip so hard he was sure she’d have a sore spot come later. “And if I win, you won’t do this anymore?”

  He lifted his hand and drew a cross over the back of her hand, which still rested over his heart.

  “This is the last time?”

  “Last time.” She was bending. She might not like the idea of taking a screwed-up soldier for a lover, but she wanted him.

  “Get your cards out. Let’s get this over with.”

  He shook his head. “First, I need to know you can shoot.”

  Startled, her wide eyes locked with his. “What do you mean?”

  “If I’m handcuffed and someone comes around, you’re gonna need to defend us.”

  Her brows drew together in a frown. “And you’d trust me to do so?”

  “Yeah.” A bright smile spread across her face, making him feel like a goddamned hero and he wasn’t even sure why. Was she pleased because he thought her capable, or pleased at the prospect of getting hold of his gun?

  She pulled away and wiped her palms over her thighs. “Show me.”

  Griffin pulled his weapon out and held it up. “This here is a Lockheed Martin. I love the maker; we carried their weapons in the field, but this thing’s damn near an antique.” He flipped the gun on its side in his palm and pointed to a tiny button near the grip. “You see this here? This is the safety and it needs to be pressed all the way in if you want to fire. Are you a lefty or a righty?”

  “I’m right-handed.”

  “Good.” He pulled her in front of him and placed the gun in her hand. “Now, when you’re pointing at something, if you decide you need to shoot, the safety is right here.” He placed her thumb over the button. “You can keep your finger on the trigger, and thumb the safety up all at once. Go on, try it.”

  She depressed the button with her thumb.

  “Good. Now, these babies have a bit of a recoil, so use both hands. My mom used to wrap her left hand over her right wrist to help brace her arms.”

  She mimicked the position.

  He grunted. “Almost. Keep your right elbow locked and your left elbow bent, that way you keep a straight shot. There you go. Now, fire into the water.”

  Prudence lowered the gun and stared at him over her shoulder.

  “There’s nothing living in there. Go on. I want you to feel the recoil.”

  He stood behind her, helping her line up the shot. “Keep both eyes open and keep the sight on what you’re shooting at.” He used his body to give her something to brace against.

  A laugh shook her frame. “Goddess save me, I’m nervous.”

  “That’s good. Always have a healthy respect for firearms, but breathe.” He lowered his face closer to her ear. “Relax.”

  She held her position while she worked at steadying her breathing. Her thumb slid across the safety, and her finger tightened on the trigger. She fired. Her whole body jolted back into his, but she kept her arms straight.

  He nuzzled the hair back from her ear. “Real good, Angel. Now, next time, what’ll you do different?”

  She turned her face to his. “Brace my feet apart, one a little behind me so I can lean into the recoil.”

  Christ, her lips were a hair’s breadth from his. Her shaky exhalations caressed his face. He wet his lips. “You’re a quick study.”

  She blushed at his praise, her lips parted.

  His body screamed at him to kiss her.

  No. Keep her trust, buddy. You’ll get your chance tonight.

  He moved away, trying his damnedest to focus on all the business they needed to take care of before they played. “Go on. Go take your bath. I’ll prep dinner.” They didn’t have much. A bit of leftover meat from last night and a couple of those stringy root veggies.

  “But, I thought . . . .”

  His gaze lit on her face and from the fierce red staining her cheeks and the way she wouldn’t meet his eyes, he realized she thought he’d given up. He strode back to her, crowding into her space and lowered his face. “Dinner first. Dessert later.”

  He kept his mouth bare inches from hers, hoping she’d take the bait, lean in and kiss him. Her breath came fast, and a tremor wracked through her.

  “You’re very confident you’ll win.”

  “Go on. Might as well wash your clothes while you’re at it. Looks like we’ll be moving into cooler territory soon. You can wear my shirt while your things dry.”

  She swayed toward him, but seemed to come to her senses at the last possible second. She gave him a nod and moved off toward the pond.

  Griffin let out an unsteady breath. Christ, that woman had him twisted six different ways to Sunday. Patience, buddy. She’ll be worth the wait. Of that he had no doubt. His concern wasn’t whether they’d be good together, he was fast getting worried they’d be so good together he’d embarrass himself.

  The rest of the evening was wrought with tension and by the time he left her behind to take his turn in the cool water, he feared he’d allowed her too much time to think. She was jumpy as a dormouse in a wobbly room full of bowling balls. He washed himself and his clothes quickly and threw a blanket around his hips. Christ, he couldn’t be more obvious, but he didn’t want to give her any excuses not to explore him as she wanted.

  Tonight would tell him everything he needed to know. Either she’d be as curious of him as he was of her, or she’d walk away. The whole prospect of what may or may not happen had him on edge. He was putting himself at her mercy, and while part of him was calling himself ten types of fool, another part kept saying this was how it had to be with her.

  The sun hung low on the horizon when he walked back into camp and tossed his clothes over a bush to dry. They had enough light to get through one hand of cards.

  Prudence sat near their packs, cards unboxed and lying in front of her. The sight ca
used him to pause. Had she taken a good look at those damned cards?

  “I’m no good at shuffling, so I left that for you.”

  She shook like a leaf in the crisp November breeze, but her expression held no sign of anger. Griffin sat, tamping down the twinge of guilt for cheating her, and shuffled the deck. You’re not making her play. No, he wasn’t. He didn’t browbeat or threaten her. She chose to play because she wanted an excuse to touch him without having to admit she was attracted to him. That made him feel better about deceiving her. He tossed out five cards for each of them, and lifted his hand.

  He had two pair—tens and kings. He surveyed the back of her cards. Shit. His heart set to galloping in his chest. He was going to lose. The blasted woman had a full house—three kings and two jacks all lined up like perfect little soldiers. He almost tossed down his cards in defeat, but then she’d know what he’d done. “How many cards?” None, idiot. She’s got a perfect fucking hand.

  Her eyes snapped up at his surly tone and her head cocked to the side. “Are you all right?”

  “Mm.”

  Her chin lifted, her gaze remaining steady on his. “I’ll take three.”

  For a heartbeat or two, he stared. “What?”

  “Three.” She held up the center three cards in her hand, and set them in the discard pile face down. “I want three cards.”

  Christ. His hand shook when he pulled the top three cards from the deck and tossed them in front of her. He couldn’t look to see what she had. She tried to throw the goddamned game and with his luck she’d still beat him.

  “Dealer takes one.” He dropped his odd card down and drew a six, leaving him no better and no worse than he’d been. Heart pounding in his ears, he wondered at his reaction. Yeah, he wanted her, but that didn’t explain the anxiety crawling under his skin. Wanting sex didn’t equate to the crushing disappointment he’d felt a moment ago when he’d thought he’d lost, nor the elation of watching her try to throw the game. Why the hell had this become so important to him? Whatever was going on with him was a hell of a lot more than wanting.

  “What do you got, Angel?”

  She lay down a flat hand. She’d traded everything for nothing.

  For him.

  He laid down his two pair, unsure if he felt ashamed or grateful or awed that she’d pretty much cheated, too.

  For him.

  Gathering up the cards and stuffing them into their box, he held his breath waiting to see what she would do. Maybe she knew what he’d done. Had she set all this up just to call him out for cheating? She’d worn his shirt again. The damned thing came down to her knees so he couldn’t see if she wore anything else when she leaned over to grab her pack. Suddenly, he was nervous.

  The sun had dropped below the horizon, giving him the benefit of twilight’s shadows, but he discovered he was worried. He’d planned things this way so she’d have the benefit of darkness to hide in, hoping she’d be less shy. But he found he needed it, too. For the first time in his life, he was worried he wouldn’t please a woman. That was an unsettling thought. One he didn’t like one bit.

  Keys gripped in one hand, shackles in the other, she bit her lip in indecision.

  When he was in prison he vowed he’d never let anyone put cuffs on him again. Yet here he was about to allow the widow of his enemy tie him up. He wet his lips. “Now, don’t you lose that key.”

  Her whole face lit up with her smile. “I didn’t think you weren’t scared of anything.”

  Oh, he was scared.

  She knee-walked over to him. “Lean forward.”

  Putting his hands behind his back, he waited for her to cuff him and when that second click resonated in his ears his heart jumped in his chest. Good God, he’d lost his mind. He cleared the thickness from his throat and leaned back against the tree. “I’m all yours for the next fifteen minutes.” But when he met her gaze, he wished he’d kept his damned mouth shut.

  Her whole body shook, her eyes were wide, dilated. “Close your eyes.”

  Now he started shaking, too. Eyes closed, hands cuffed behind his back, she could kill him as easy as kiss him.

  She shifted, kneeling over his lap, her inner thighs enclosing his and his cock jumped to life, straining up toward her heat. He expected her to snuggle down into his lap and kiss him, but she leaned forward, instead. Her shirt-front brushed his face as she held his head to her, hands in his hair, cheek rubbing the top of his head. A shudder ran through her and infected him. This might be the most tenderness he’d experienced since he’d been a kid. He told himself he didn’t need or want any such thing, but then why did he rub his cheek against her, seeking more. Her clean scent filled each breath and when her hands cupped his face and her lips pressed to the top of his head, tears pricked behind his eyes.

  Good God, what was it about this woman? Why did she affect him so profoundly?

  She trailed her mouth down his forehead, over his cheek until her lips were close enough for him to capture with his. He thrust his tongue toward hers, desperate for her taste, frantic to get inside her any way she’d allow. Leaning forward, he chased her flavor as far as he could.

  Prudence sat back, breathing hard, studying him in the twilight.

  Damn it, he shouldn’t have rushed.

  She pushed him back with one hand. “This is my fifteen minutes.”

  “Thirteen.” His breath shuddered out of him.

  The lavender of her eyes seemed lit from within as she followed the path of her hands over his shoulders and down his chest. Butterfly soft, she brushed her fingers over his nipples, driving him insane. His cock, already hard and aching, jumped against the confines of the towel.

  Her gaze dropped and she bit her lip.

  Please, dear God, let her take me in hand.

  She leaned in, mouth to the pulse at his throat and rotated her hips against him.

  Shivers darted out from his groin. He moaned.

  Pulling her hands away, she set her fingers to the buttons on the shirt she wore. The whole time, her hips flexed, squeezing his cock between their bodies, riding the bulge of his erection. She pulled the edges of the shirt wide, leaning in to kiss him, letting her hardened nipples stab into his chest. Thrusting her tongue into his mouth, she moaned. She grasped his neck, his shoulder, gasping in breathy little sighs.

  He flexed his hands in the cuffs, wanting for all the world to put his hands on her hips and drag her against the length of his cock. Wanting to cup those gorgeous breasts. Wanting to sink deep into her heat. “Harder.”

  She nipped his lip and he almost cursed when she slowed her pace. She sank low on his lap and dragged herself across the bulge of his erection in one long caress.

  His nuts drew up tight as pressure built. “Christ, you’re gonna make me come.”

  “Isn’t that the point?” She tweaked his nipple, sending a shockwave through him.

  He needed every ounce of control to keep his body in line. She had him wound so tight he wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait.

  Her thick lashes lowered as she watched her hand stroked over the towel. “Can I . . .?”

  Ah, God. “Yeah.”

  Getting to her knees again, she pulled the towel from around his waist. She sat back on his legs, watching as she curled her fingers around the base of his shaft. “Your skin’s soft. Hot.”

  He sucked in a breath, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back. Her hand was warm and her grip tight, sending pleasure roaring through his loins on her first stroke. Her other hand joined in the play, squeezing his head, rolling her thumb over the slit on top.

  “Angel, I think . . . Ah, Christ.” He couldn’t catch his breath, never experienced anything as erotic as this woman exploring his body. The way she watched for his every reaction, the way she responded to him, growing aroused from his pleasure. His fifteen moments of bliss were over, he was sure. He intended to remind her and he had no doubt it would kill him when she stopped. “I think the time’s—”

  She k
issed him, her tongue tangling with his in an erotic love play while her hands set a rhythm he was powerless to resist. Her whole body rocked against his, her nipples chafing his chest. The scent of their desire mingled in the humid air. His body tensed, and his orgasm struck like a thunderclap, bombarding his senses and escaping on a hoarse shout.

  He opened his eyes.

  She swiped her finger across her semen-smeared belly and stuck it in her mouth to taste him.

  Just like that, he grew hard again.

  She was gorgeous, bathed in moonlight, his shirt hanging open over her small frame. “Undo the cuffs.”

  Without a word, she picked up the keys, reached around him and undid his constraints. Rising to her knees, she moved to get off him and he stayed her with a hand to her wrist.

  “Ask me.” He sounded desperate, needy.

  Her gaze darted to his lap, eyes widening when she saw him already hard again.

  “Say the words.”

  “I—” She licked her lips. “I—”

  Griffin released her. “Never mind.” He stood and strode off to the pond, hoping the cool water would abate his erection.

  What the hell did he expect? After the things he told her today he was surprised she even wanted to touch him. And he hadn’t even skimmed the surface of his misdeeds.

  *****

  Prudence stared after him, anger and disappointment warring inside her. He’d waited this long, he couldn’t hold out a few more seconds? Why couldn’t he understand how difficult this was for her?

  She had begun to believe he wanted her.

  Sweat trickled down between her breasts, the sensation lifting the hair on her arms. She shifted uncomfortably. Bringing Griffin to orgasm had been the single most erotic experience of her life. Hearing him gasp and moan, breathing in his musk, feeling his muscles bunch and flex under her and tasting him. Her whole body was one throbbing, aching mess. He did this. He made her believe he wanted her. He made her start caring for him. He made her want him despite her fears.

  Well, he was getting her.

  She got to her feet and marched over to the water’s edge, dropping shirt and panties behind her.