mood. Let’s not think about that.” She braced her hands against his shoulders and pushed. It was a half-hearted attempt and her body language conveyed it.
“Did you have sex on the beach before us? With him?” Link raised an eyebrow.
The ‘him’ that her lover was referring to was Scott ‘Goody’ Goodman—the man she was engaged to. In essence it was a camouflage technique, so that men didn’t hit on her. Goody was a real person, a friend from college and they were really engaged; but it wasn’t a true man/woman relationship at least not by her standards. It was more like two friends that were…safe port in a storm without the benefits. She shook her head. “No. I didn’t break any of the rules…until you. You know, it had been a while…since I had sex with anyone.”
“A long time.” He nodded and then looked up at her from underneath those long dark lashes. “Sex, huh?” Those beautiful eyes and his rich caramel skin were a gift from his Italian mother. Link had shown her pictures of a stunning woman that could have been Sophia Lauren’s sister. The charisma and charm had been transported from her visage to that of her handsome son.
She rolled her eyes. “Made love. Damn, you’re such a romantic.” And, he was. She liked that about him. The big bad warrior had a soft spot for enduring words, romantic dates, and long gazes. How could she resist it, or him? And, how had she never known that this was what love was supposed to be like?
“You look like you’re studying me.” Lincoln was a very candid soul. She liked that about him.
She was studying, too. Today had been a revelation, a turning point. Link had dressed down several Teammates for disrespecting her. He didn’t know that she had seen it and it might not seem like much, but the depth of his emotion had made her realize that these rendezvouses were not a ‘roll in the hay’ or some ‘fly-by-night’ experience, instead this was a real love affair. He was hooked on her, the same way she was hooked on him. They were really…a ‘they.’
“I am looking at you.” She didn’t want to reveal how much she knew about him, yet. So, she stroked her fingers along his jaw and asked, “What attributes did you get from your…father?”
“Seriously! We’re laying here naked and you want to know about my family.” He chuckled. “You’re a piece of work and confusing as hell. But, you asked!”
“Never mind!” It did seem ludicrous to her when he said it like that. But, she wasn’t ready to have the relationship talk or to force their discussion to focus on determining their status. It was enough that she knew, in her heart that Link cared deeply for her. Convenient, since she was falling in love with him.
He put his hands up. “No. You asked.” Link pulled her into his arms and they snuggled into the cushioned mat. “My dad was a frogman—I know you know that fact—so he taught me a love of the Navy and SEAL Teams. He was a stickler for honor and taking responsibility, and very adamant about the need to take risks.” He kissed the top of her head. “We have the same physical build, ahem, roughly. And, he’d probably tell you that I’m the tadpole he always wanted.”
“Tadpole?” she asked quizzically.
“Yeah. Family thing. SEAL thing—frogs and tadpoles…”
“Ah. Right. I’ve heard some instructors yelling that before. I just never made the connection.” She settled her chin on his chest. “What do you want to do after the Teams?”
“A million things. I’ve considered opening my own consulting firm, business strategies or designing weapons or being an architect or master carpenter. I love building things. Last fall, I rewired my cousin’s house in upstate Washington. The thing hasn’t burned down, yet, so I assume it was pretty good.”
She smiled.
He was quiet for a few minutes. “I want a family. That’s important to me. I’m not going to wait until after the Teams.” There was something
“Did you have sex on the beach before us? With him?” Link raised an eyebrow.
The ‘him’ that her lover was referring to was Scott ‘Goody’ Goodman—the man she was engaged to. In essence it was a camouflage technique, so that men didn’t hit on her. Goody was a real person, a friend from college and they were really engaged; but it wasn’t a true man/woman relationship at least not by her standards. It was more like two friends that were…safe port in a storm without the benefits. She shook her head. “No. I didn’t break any of the rules…until you. You know, it had been a while…since I had sex with anyone.”
“A long time.” He nodded and then looked up at her from underneath those long dark lashes. “Sex, huh?” Those beautiful eyes and his rich caramel skin were a gift from his Italian mother. Link had shown her pictures of a stunning woman that could have been Sophia Lauren’s sister. The charisma and charm had been transported from her visage to that of her handsome son.
She rolled her eyes. “Made love. Damn, you’re such a romantic.” And, he was. She liked that about him. The big bad warrior had a soft spot for enduring words, romantic dates, and long gazes. How could she resist it, or him? And, how had she never known that this was what love was supposed to be like?
“You look like you’re studying me.” Lincoln was a very candid soul. She liked that about him.
She was studying, too. Today had been a revelation, a turning point. Link had dressed down several Teammates for disrespecting her. He didn’t know that she had seen it and it might not seem like much, but the depth of his emotion had made her realize that these rendezvouses were not a ‘roll in the hay’ or some ‘fly-by-night’ experience, instead this was a real love affair. He was hooked on her, the same way she was hooked on him. They were really…a ‘they.’
“I am looking at you.” She didn’t want to reveal how much she knew about him, yet. So, she stroked her fingers along his jaw and asked, “What attributes did you get from your…father?”
“Seriously! We’re laying here naked and you want to know about my family.” He chuckled. “You’re a piece of work and confusing as hell. But, you asked!”
“Never mind!” It did seem ludicrous to her when he said it like that. But, she wasn’t ready to have the relationship talk or to force their discussion to focus on determining their status. It was enough that she knew, in her heart that Link cared deeply for her. Convenient, since she was falling in love with him.
He put his hands up. “No. You asked.” Link pulled her into his arms and they snuggled into the cushioned mat. “My dad was a frogman—I know you know that fact—so he taught me a love of the Navy and SEAL Teams. He was a stickler for honor and taking responsibility, and very adamant about the need to take risks.” He kissed the top of her head. “We have the same physical build, ahem, roughly. And, he’d probably tell you that I’m the tadpole he always wanted.”
“Tadpole?” she asked quizzically.
“Yeah. Family thing. SEAL thing—frogs and tadpoles…”
“Ah. Right. I’ve heard some instructors yelling that before. I just never made the connection.” She settled her chin on his chest. “What do you want to do after the Teams?”
“A million things. I’ve considered opening my own consulting firm, business strategies or designing weapons or being an architect or master carpenter. I love building things. Last fall, I rewired my cousin’s house in upstate Washington. The thing hasn’t burned down, yet, so I assume it was pretty good.”
She smiled.
He was quiet for a few minutes. “I want a family. That’s important to me. I’m not going to wait until after the Teams.” There was something
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