Mark closed his eyes. He wanted to tell her she was wrong. But for the first time, doubt rose up. The idea of having someone waiting for him, of coming home to a woman... But he didn’t want just any woman. For him, it was Amy. He didn’t know how it had happened so fast, but over the past few days his feelings for her had changed.
Their friendship was still there, like a concrete foundation. But desire had sprung up like the four square walls she believed should be a part of his life. And he wanted to keep building, seeing where the future would lead them.
Opening his eyes, looking down at her, he knew it was a pipe dream. She had her rules, and he refused to break them. One man had already hurt her, giving her every reason to hate the job Mark loved. He wouldn’t be the second to break her heart.
“I might not be that kid anymore,” he said. “But setting up a home, getting a dog, even one that lives with someone else eight to ten months of the year, doesn’t change the fact that I’m leaving. First, training on base and then, I’ll deploy again.”
“I know,” she said, looking down at her hands. “I didn’t tell you this in order to change things between us.”
Mark touched her chin, tipping her face up. “Look at me, Amy. I’m going to make you one promise.”
“Mark—”
“Listen. Please,” he said. “Our friendship is solid. Nothing changes that. You can tell me anything, okay?”
She nodded.
Mark wrapped his arms around her, sliding one hand up into her hair, drawing her head to rest against his chest. He began to move, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Amy relaxed, allowing him to lead. Engulfed in silence, without even a dog’s bark to interrupt, they danced.
After what she’d shared with him, he’d only planned to offer comfort. This day had been a whirlwind for her. But the way her thighs brushed back and forth against his, the feel of her hips following his rhythm, left him imagining ways to relieve the pressure of this wild day. And those thoughts left him hard and aching for her.
“Mark?” Her voice was a gentle whisper against his chest.
No way she’d missed the rock-solid evidence that his body wanted to give her a different kind of comfort. “Yeah?”
“I’m not full or tired anymore.” She moved seductively against him, leaving no room for doubt about where she wanted to take their dance.
He stepped back, reaching for her wrist. “Amy, are you sure? Tonight there are no blindfolds and no games. Just you and me.”
“Yes,” she said, her blue eyes staring into his, hot and intent.
Relief hit him hard and fast as his desire surged. He wanted her, but not here under the tent. Without a word, Mark scooped her up, one arm cradling her back and the other supporting her legs. Amy’s arms closed around his neck as he started for the house.
He practically double-timed it up the grass slope. Letting her down to open the front door, he took her hand, pulling her through the house to the spare bedroom. Closing the door behind them, leaving Jango and the other pieces of their past outside, he turned to her, searching her face for reservations.
Tonight was not about fulfilling fantasies and helping her move on with her life. He hadn’t brought her here to escape. If she wanted to keep her feet firmly planted in blindfolded games, he’d return her to the dog waiting patiently for her in the hall and take a long, cold shower.
Her lips parted, begging to be kissed. Her blue eyes burned bright—everything about her expression screaming, Take me now, I dare you.
“Mark?” The low, throaty sound of her voice went straight to his cock.
He wanted her. He craved a taste of the future that would never be his. It might be torture to walk away afterward, but he would. But first, he needed one more night in her arms.
He closed the distance between them, pushing her blazer off her shoulders before turning her gently so that her back was to him. He reached for her zipper, and slowly drew it down her back. Moving his hands over her soft, smooth skin, he guided the fabric down her body until the dress fell away.
He released the hooks securing her bra and reached around her, running his palms over her nipples before cupping her breasts in his hands. Then he turned her to face him.
“Mark, please.”
The sound of his name on her lips, the frank acknowledgment that she wanted this, that she wanted him, cut through his restraint. He reached for her, kissing her hard. His hands moved to her silky thong underwear, and he pulled them down quickly, eager to see all of her. But he wasn’t the only one frantic to remove the barriers between them. Amy stripped away his clothes, kissing him back as if she wished to lead their primal dance.
She pressed her naked body against his, arching her back until the tight peaks of her nipples brushed his chest. He
was heartbeats away from taking her right there in the middle of the room. Amy rose up on her tiptoes, her arms banding tight around his neck. Her right leg hooked around his waist as her hips rocked into him. His mind switched into countdown mode—five, four, three, two—
“Ah, hell,” he said roughly. “I need a condom.”
“Now,” she demanded, releasing him.