Hope Falls: Kissed by a SEAL (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

  PPS Don’t hate me.

  She smiled despite the disappointing sitting heavy in her gut and hit reply.

  From: Julie Collins

  To: Jason Steyner

  Subject: I don’t hate you

  It’s okay. A coffee at the airport is no big deal. I’ve got next weekend off, if that works for you.

  Julie

  His response pinged back almost immediately.

  From: Jason Steyner

  To: Julie Collins

  Subject: Absolutely would be a big deal

  Coffee with you would have made my day. I can be there Friday for dinner. What’s a good hotel close to your place?

  Jason

  She blushed, but it didn’t stop her from firing right back.

  From: Julie Collins

  To: Jason Steyner

  Subject: Who needs a hotel?

  I’ve got a bed that’s big enough for both of us.

  Julie

  This time, his answer was a blank email with a subject line that made her laugh out loud.

  From: Jason Steyner

  To: Julie Collins

  Subject: Maybe I snore?

  Now her chest was full of warm, fuzzy feelings. This felt right, this light, flirty back and forth. Sure, it was disappointing not to be able to see him for a little bit today, but an entire weekend together of this kind of easy, funny teasing? She couldn’t wait.

  From: Julie Collins

  To: Jason Steiner

  Subject: Maybe I don’t care

  And now I need to go and get something to eat before duty calls. It’s never good for the flight attendant to be hangry.

  She put her phone in her purse and headed into the terminal to grab a sandwich. Once she’d eaten and visited the ladies room to check her hair and makeup, she allowed herself one more peek at the phone. She was rewarded handsomely for waiting, because Jason’s latest email had just delivered a few minutes earlier.

  From: Jason Steyner

  To: Julie Collins

  Subject: Maybe I can’t wait to see you, then

  No maybe about it, honestly. I’ve gotta put my phone away again before my CO has a shit fit, but I can’t wait to see you, Jules. Stay beautiful.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Julie took a deep breath. After two delays—a constant reality when flying charter flights—they were ready to take off. As soon as she did her final safety check of the cabin, she settled herself into her seat in the galley.

  A short fifty-minute flight, and she’d back in San Francisco. A bit of post-flight work, and then they’d turn the plane over to the ground crew and she could get home.

  To Jason.

  He’d texted that he was with Nathan in Monterey, and would head her way for dinner.

  She couldn’t wait.

  When they landed, a text message was waiting for her.

  Jason: Do you like burgers?

  Did she like burgers. What a silly question.

  Julie: Only with my entire being. Like might not be the right word, actually.

  Jason: If I pick some up, will I end up being jealous of dinner?

  Julie: Gotta be honest, that’s a real possibility.

  Jason: Should I get beer? Soda? Cheap red wine?

  He might be perfect. She did a little happy dance before responding.

  Julie: I’d take any of the above, although in the continued spirit of honesty, I should admit I already have plenty of cheap red wine.

  Jason: Excellent information.

  He sent a few follow up questions as well, wanting to know what toppings she liked—mustard and pickles, lettuce and tomato, just a little bit of sauce—and if he could grab something for dessert.

  She had that covered, actually.

  Julie: I made cookies last night.

  Jason: What kind?

  Julie: Chocolate chip. You like?

  Jason: Not sure like is the right word, beautiful. You might be a little jealous, too.

  Julie: Over chocolate cookies? When it comes to baked goods, I’m a free love kind of girl.

  Jason: And now I’m a little bit hard and standing in line for burgers. I’m gonna go before I get arrested for being creepy.

  She fired back a non-apology, because she was giggling like a school girl and she knew he must be as well.

  By the time she was climbing out of her car, Jason was waiting for her in front of the three story house she shared with a few other flight attendants.

  And none of them were home this weekend—one had to be bribed to stay at her boyfriend’s, the others were working.

  He was leaning back against that car of his, the one that she couldn’t decide if it turned her on or not. It definitely made her roll her eyes, because boys with their toys and all that.

  But he also looked good leaning against it, his long, strong legs crossed at the ankles. He was wearing jeans tonight, fitted ones, and they stretched tight over his thighs. When he stood up, she was pretty sure his butt would look fantastic. Like his arms already did, muscles stretching the confines of his t-shirt.

  Sunglasses propped on his head. Eyes locked on her as she walked toward him. She put an extra swing in her step and was rewarded with a low whistle.

  She liked that, and she liked him. She swallowed hard as he pushed away from the car and stretched to his full six-foot-plus height. Whew. She fanned herself as she stopped in front of him. “You, sir, look super handsome tonight.”

  He grinned and held out his hand, taking her fingers and tugging them to his lips. He kissed her knuckles and kept his gaze locked on her face the whole time. “And you put me to shame,” he murmured. “I like the dress. And your legs. And…” His grin was wicked.

  Feral.

  Panty-melting and addictive.

  She sighed as he tugged her closer. “You like the dress?”

  “Mmm-hmmm.” He leaned in, slowly enough to broadcast his intention to kiss her.

  She leaned in, too.

  His lips brushed against hers as the smell of him swirled around her. A nice, crisp cologne layered on top of a warmer, sweeter masculine scent.

  Her heart thumped hard. They’d done this before, but that had been fuelled by a bunch of complicated emotions and more than a little wine.

  This was the real deal.

  Sober, daytime kissing. The true test of chemistry and compatibility.

  The way her body was responding to being wrapped in his arms, she was in serious trouble.

  Don’t lose yourself in him, she tried to warn herself, but her breasts were already achy, her legs restlessly shifting against his, and when he licked against the seam of her lips and she opened for him, and he groaned, well…that was the end of reason and logic and restraint.

  Being kissed by Jason had been good—great!—the night they met. Now, with two weeks of longing built up between them, it was incredible. He took his time, but he didn’t hold back. His hands skated up her body and tangled in her hair, holding her head gently as he explored her mouth and teased her tongue with his, inviting her to do the same right back.

  And she did, losing herself in the taste and feel of him, showing him how much she wanted this—and so much more. How she wanted that more to go, too.

  It was like playing chess or bridge. This wasn’t just a kiss, this was an erotic war game, each of them broadcasting how they’d lay claim to the other’s body later.

  And when they reluctantly pulled back, her lips felt swollen and his looked the same.

  “Yeah, I like the dress,” he said roughly. “And the woman inside it. So, so much.”

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  “I really did get us dinner,” he muttered, his lips pressing against her temple.

  “We should eat that, then.” She tightened her hold on him. “And get off the street.”

  He laughed and she reluctantly slid out of his arms. He pointed to the trunk of his car. “It’s all in there.”

  He e
ffortlessly juggled a takeout bag, a six pack of craft beer and another of fancy sodas, and pointed for her to lead the way.

  She unlocked the front door, rambling as she did about how it was rarely locked, actually, but was right now because everyone was gone for the weekend.

  Fly a “we can have sex” flag, why don’t you?

  But if Jason noticed she was nervous, he didn’t say anything. He just followed her up to the main floor and set the food and drinks on the table, saying all the right things about how nice the place was and what a great location—and then he swept her back into her arms and kissed her again.

  This time, they weren’t on the street.

  This time, the kiss went from zero to X-rated pretty damn quickly.

  Julie hummed happily as he nipped at her bottom lip and tugged her skirt up her thighs at the same time.

  He groaned as she found the hem of his shirt and touched the hot, taut skin there. Under her fingertips, his muscles flexed and stretched, and she flattened her hand, wanting to absorb all of that manliness. He was just so…so…hot.

  She giggled as his fingers curled around the backs of her thighs. He looked up from where he’d been kissing her neck. “What?”

  “You’re just ridiculously hot. Life is good. That’s all.”

  He flashed her another of those wicked smiles that promised it was about to get even better. “Happy to please.”

  Her butt bumped back against the table and, like he’d meant for that to happen, Jason eased her up to sit on the edge of it, nudging her thighs wide as he fit himself right against her.

  “Is this okay?” he breathed against her mouth, and she nodded.

  “Definitely. Okay. More than okay, really.”

  “Mmmm.” He licked his way back into her mouth, taking her harder than before. Strong and demanding, his kiss claimed her, and his touch got surer as well.

  Fire licked along every path he grazed with his fingertips. Her thighs, her hips, the sides of her breasts as he slowly traced her body all the way up to her face again.

  She liked how he kept returning to the kiss, how he held her in place and loved her with his mouth.

  No rush. And a whole lot of promise—that this would be what making love would be like, unhurried and hot and all about her.

  Which was awesome, but she wanted to touch him some more, too.

  “Shirt,” she whispered. “Off.”

  Without breaking the kiss, he shrugged it up his body, and then they broke apart just long enough for the cotton tee to go flying.

  “Should we eat?” His question said a lot more. I want you. I want to be a good guy. I brought you food. But I can’t stop kissing you.

  She knew the feeling. “Yeah. Probably.” She kissed down his neck, letting her tongue peek out of her mouth to taste the muscles and tendons that flexed down onto his shoulder.

  There she opened her mouth and tasted more of him. His taste was unique and she couldn’t get enough of him, which was curious and strange and wonderful.

  Had she ever wanted to consume another person so completely? Maybe they should eat those burgers. Surely this level of hunger for a man wasn’t normal.

  But when she pulled back, she didn’t get far.

  His arms wrapped around her, his hands pressing against her back, and in that warm, small space of their embrace, she found his gaze.

  “Hi,” she whispered.

  He nodded back, a small smile playing at his lips, but his eyes were all business. He looked at her, right into her, and she got lost in the dark, knowing flecks in his irises.

  “You are a spectacular kisser,” she said, her voice catching.

  “That was something special,” he finally said. He still didn’t let her go.

  “We’ve got all weekend?”

  Another nod. “Another team is at the base this week. I’m not going to get called for anything.”

  “Then let’s eat.” Because if they kept going, they might spontaneously combust.

  If they were going to do this—and they were, over and over again, if she was lucky—they needed to pace themselves.

  It would be a shame to die of bliss before actually experiencing Jason inside her.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Jason watched Julie carefully lick an errant swipe of mustard off her lips and tried to control his desire to flip the table out of the way and take her right here in the dining room.

  He’d never felt like this about anyone before, and it was kind of crazy that she’d stumbled into his life like this.

  That thought tweaked something in his memory and he cleared his throat. “Can I ask a question?”

  She gave him a bright, of course look that made his chest tight. He was falling fast and hard for a total stranger. And it felt bizarrely right. “Your friend, Nikki—she tried to stop us, that night at Nathan’s house. But you haven’t brought it up since…are we moving too fast here? Are you still wrapped up in another guy?”

  She blinked at him, then slowly shook her head. “No. Why?”

  Because I feel jealous, and I don’t like it. “I’m mostly making conversation to keep myself from kissing you again. But I also want to get to know you better.”

  She gave him a thoughtful look as she grabbed a paper napkin and dabbed the corners of her mouth and wiped her fingers. He took a sip of his beer and tried to look cool—not usually a problem for him, but Julie undid him.

  Finally she stood up and walked around the table. He shifted in his seat, so when she reached him, her knees bumped his and pressed his legs apart. She leaned over and pressed her mouth against his, lips to lips, soft to firm and sweet to cynical.

  “Never hold yourself back from kissing me,” she whispered. “But I want to get to know you better, too.” She cupped his cheek and gave him a heated look. “I feel like a shower. Wanna wash my back?”

  Silently they put away the leftovers, then she grabbed their beer bottles and led him upstairs. She had the top floor to herself. It was small and cramped in the corners, where the roof dropped down, but she had a private bathroom with a shower most definitely big enough for two.

  He took a long, slow pull of beer as he watched her take off her jewelry, get the shower going, then peel out of her clothes.

  Slowly, the dress first. Underneath, she was wearing a slip, which surprised him and turned him on even more than he already was. That barely there scrap of silk clung to her breasts and her hips, floating over the tight, nipped-in waist he’d thought so much about over the last two weeks.

  She reached underneath, and he groaned as she wriggled out of a pair of lace panties that dropped like a feather to the tile floor.

  “Your turn,” she said, reaching for his beer. She took a sip before setting it next to hers on the counter, and he put his hands to his belt.

  He didn’t miss how her gaze followed his movements greedily. It gave him such a charge that she was as into him as he was her.

  He toed out of his shoes, then pulled off his socks before shucking his jeans. He paced across the small room and crowded her against the wall. “Let me help you with the last bit,” he murmured.

  He slid the skinny strap over her left shoulder, dropping a kiss there before doing the same with the other side. It fell to her waist and clung there, holding on to her hips.

  All that lay between him and her breasts was a gorgeous ivory bra. It had to go, soon, but the sight of her flesh plumped up on offer like that was too much to resist. He ducked his head and pulled her nipple into his mouth, right through the lace.

  A moan and her fingers in his hair told him that was good. He sucked and her grip on him tightened. Even better.

  He loved that tasty peak until she was rocking between him and the wall, then he shifted and repeated his attention to the other side. Her hands tightened again in his hair, then relaxed and she stroked down his neck and over his shoulders.

  She whispered his name over and over again as he sucked on her. His fingers sought the clasp behind her and fin
ally freed her breasts, the bra falling to the ground as he lifted her up and pressed her against the wall so he could lick and suck the soft, swollen mounds better. Her legs tightened around his waist and he wanted to drive up and into her, but the shower was steamy now and they had all the time in the world.

  With one last, reluctant pull, he let her nipple pop out of his mouth and set her feet back on the ground. She reached for his boxer briefs at the same time as he slid the slip over her hips.

  They were finally naked. He tried not to ogle her as she wound her fingers into his and tugged him into the warm water, but it was a challenge, because she was drop-dead gorgeous.

  Her legs went on for miles, even barefoot. Her breasts were full, a handful and a half, which he loved. And in between she had curves that slayed him and neat, dark red curls that hid her inner heat.

  Wash her back first, you dog.

  But telling her to turn around didn’t help that restless burn inside him, because her ass swayed into view and got his dick all interested in getting closer.

  She shifted in front of him, water bouncing off her shoulder as she moved some of the bottles around on the shelf, then handed one of them to him over her shoulder. She smiled as she caught his gaze. “This one’s the least girly smelling.”