Honor Reclaimed (HORNET #2)

Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

Phoebe rolled her eyes and flopped over onto her belly in frustration as he busied himself with the preparations for her bath. Now that her body no longer ached every-freaking-where thanks to the wonderful pills Jesse had given her, there was another ache she needed to tend to, one low in her belly that had been growing steadily for days.

She. Wanted. Seth.

Even more so now that she’d cheated death.

Still, he refused her. And after she’d pretty much thrown herself at him! For the love of all things sexy, what was it going to take to make him understand she needed this from him more than she needed a sponge bath?

Although…

He dipped the sponge in the steaming water, wrung it out, and ran in down her spine between her shoulder blades. And, okay, that felt amazing. More than amazing. It was like chocolate if chocolate were a sensation. Decadent. Soothing. A little slice of heaven.

“Mmm.”

“Like that?”

“Umm-hmm,” she murmured into the pillow.

He dipped, wrung, swept the sponge across her shoulders, down her arms, then paused to unhook the clasp of her bra. The water sloshed as he dipped and wrung again, then the warm sponge traced her spine from the middle of her back to the waistband of her panties. Goosebumps raced along her skin in his wake and her nipples puckered hard, suddenly so sensitive the cups of her bra irritated. She squirmed out of the shoulder straps and rid herself of the thing, then snuggled in again, hugging her pillow and savoring every swipe of the sponge. Down her arms, her legs. Tickling her sides along her tender, bruised ribs.

Seth’s touch was gentle, almost reverent, as he continued his ministrations. The sponge glided over her skin, leaving a trail of warmth and comfort in its wake. Phoebe felt herself melting into the mattress, her muscles relaxing under his careful attention.

“Turn over,” Seth commanded and she smiled at the strain in his voice. Served him right. As much as she was enjoying the bath, they could be doing something else mutually enjoyable right now. She rolled and loved the way his gaze fell to her bare breasts before he remembered himself and shook his head.

Another dip of the sponge in the water. Another wring. Then he stroked the ring of her collarbone, taking his time as he worked lower to the valley between her breasts. He lingered over her nipples, circling each and watching with a lust-darkened gaze as they puckered achingly tight at the attention.

Oh God, he was torturing her. She was going to vibrate apart if he didn’t touch her soon, really touch her, flesh to flesh, without the buffer of the sponge. Moaning encouragement, she arched into the caress.

Phoebe arched into his touch, a soft moan escaping her lips. Seth’s hands stilled for a moment, the sponge resting heavy on her skin. She could see the internal battle raging behind his eyes—desire warring with duty, need battling against restraint.

“Seth,” she whispered, reaching up to cup his stubbled cheek. “Please...” She wasn’t entirely sure what she was pleading for. She just knew she needed him, all of him, scars and demons and everything in between.

He leaned into her touch for the briefest of moments before pulling away, shaking his head as if to clear it.

The sponge left her breast and continued downward across her tight belly. She wanted to scream with frustration, but just as she opened her mouth, he reached the waistband of her panties and drew them down her legs. Then the sponge returned to her, warm as he traced it along her inner thighs. Her breath stalled in her lungs. Her body arched with each pass of the soft sponge over her most intimate parts. And when the sponge left her, she made a sound damn close to a whimper.

“Seth.”

“What do you want, sweetheart?” he asked in a sexy, roughened voice that had her wet with need. He tossed the sponge aside and it landed in the water with a splash. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

“Touch me.”

“Like this?”

She gasped as his fingers parted her and one plunged deep. “Yes.” She pushed her hips toward him, needing more. “I tried to tell you before. I want you. So. Damn. Bad.”

Seth’s finger curled inside her, stroking that sweet spot that made her see stars. Phoebe’s hips undulated, seeking more of that delicious friction. His thumb found her clit, circling the sensitive nub until she was panting and writhing beneath his touch.

She clamped her legs shut around his hand, holding him there before he got any stupid ideas about stopping himself again. But he didn’t back away. Instead, a second finger joined the first, stretching her, filling her so perfectly, stroking her closer to climax with a slow, teasing rhythm. He drew circles around her clit with his thumb until her hips rocked against his hand and a whimper escaped her throat.

“Please, Seth. Please.”

He bounded off the bed and for one horrible moment, she feared he was going to leave her again. What was wrong with her? Was she really so inferior compared to his Emma? Why did she so desperately want someone who was unable to reciprocate?

But then Seth returned and sat down on the edge of the mattress to untie his boots. He laid several packages on the bedside table.

Condoms.

Thank God.

Grinning with relief, she picked one up. “Where did these come from?”

“Jean-Luc.” One boot hit the floor. Then the other.

“Oh, I might kiss that man.”

Seth stood up, pulled his shirt over his head. “Don’t you dare.”

“Why not?” She stretched lazily and enjoyed the show as he worked on the button and zipper of his pants. “You the jealous type?”

His pants hit the floor too and he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his boxers. Only then did he hesitate, uncertainty creeping into his eyes.

Oh hell no. He wasn’t stopping now.

Phoebe sat up, hooked her fingers into the elastic, and tugged the boxers down, all the while holding his gaze. Why didn’t he get it? She didn’t care what he looked like. It didn’t matter because she wanted him.

All of him.

Scars and everything.

She took his erection in hand, felt the ridges of scar tissue along his shaft, but never broke eye contact as she guided him into her mouth. He tasted of salt and male and she liked it more than she thought she would.

She flicked her tongue over the head of his penis, testing, exploring. He stared down the length of his body at her with an expression of pure awe on his face, but he wasn’t writhing in ecstasy.

Was he not enjoying it? Maybe he?—

Then, a realization hit. His scars. Why hadn’t she considered that sooner? The rough, thickened tissue probably made him far less sensitive than other men.

Experimentally, she used her teeth, dragging them lightly over his shaft. His stomach muscles tightened, and his eyes rolled back. Finally, his breath hissed out between his teeth.

That was more like it. She liked watching him come undone, enjoyed the heady rush of feminine power that came with knowing she played a part in his undoing.

The underside of his shaft had very little scarring, and she traced her tongue along the unmarred flesh from root to tip. His back arched, a fine sheen of sweat broke out over his skin, and his hand shook as he threaded it through her hair. Yup, he liked that. She did it again, and a tremble rocked through him.

Hand wrapped in her hair, he tried to tug her away. “Phoebe,” he groaned, his voice a ragged plea. “I need... I want...”

She released him with a wet pop and gazed up at him through her lashes. “What do you need, Seth?”

“You. So fucking much.”

Sliding back on the bed, she crooked a finger at him in invitation. “I’m yours.”

He crawled over her like a predator stalking his prey. His mismatched eyes were molten with desire, the vulnerability in them making her heart clench. She welcomed him into her arms, drawing him down for a searing kiss. Their tongues tangled, teeth nipped, breaths mingled as they lost themselves in the heat of the moment. Seth’s hands roamed her body, igniting sparks wherever they touched. She arched into him, desperate for more contact, more friction.

Breaking the kiss, Seth trailed his lips along her jaw, down the column of her throat. He lavished attention on her breasts, teasing her nipples with his tongue until she was writhing beneath him, hands fisted in his hair. She wrapped her legs around his hips, drawing him closer until the thick length of him nestled against her slick folds. They both groaned at the contact, a shudder running through Seth’s powerful frame.

“Wait,” he rasped, reaching for a condom.

She watched with hungry eyes as he tore open the package with his teeth and rolled the latex down his impressive erection. Then he was back, covering her body with his own, the blunt head of his cock nudging at her entrance.

“Please, Seth,” she whispered, her voice a needy whine. “I need you inside me.”

With a low growl, he thrust forward, burying himself to the hilt in one smooth stroke that made the bed frame creak ominously under them. He was large enough that she thought he might hurt if she wasn’t so aroused. As it was, she just felt full, the pressure intense and delicious, and she wanted more. She circled her legs around him, dug her heels into his ass. Urged him to move.

Seth began to move, his hips snapping against hers in a steady rhythm that had her seeing stars. Each thrust hit that perfect spot inside her, stoking the fire in her belly until she thought she might combust from the sheer pleasure of it all. His lips found hers again, the kiss sloppy and desperate as they lost themselves in the primal dance of their bodies.

He braced himself on his forearms, the corded muscles straining as he drove into her again and again. Phoebe ran her hands over the expanse of his back, tracing the scars that crisscrossed his skin like a roadmap of pain and survival. She wanted to kiss each one, to soothe the hurt they represented with her touch and her love.

Love. The word echoed in her mind, startling in its intensity. But she couldn’t deny the truth of it, not when Seth was moving inside her, making her feel more alive and cherished than she ever had before.

Their movements grew more frantic, the bed’s frame groaning and slamming against the wall with each powerful thrust. Everyone here had to know what they were doing, but at that moment, she didn’t care. All that mattered was Seth— the feel of him, the taste of him, the overwhelming sense of rightness that came from being joined with him so intimately. Phoebe clung to him, nails digging into his shoulders as she met him thrust for thrust, chasing the release that hovered just out of reach.

His hand slipped between their sweat-slicked bodies, finding her clit and rubbing in tight circles. The added stimulation sent her hurtling toward the edge, her inner walls fluttering around his pistoning length.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” he rasped against her ear. “Come for me. Let go.”

His words were her undoing. With a cry, she shattered, her body convulsing as wave after wave of ecstasy crashed over her. Through the haze of her climax, she felt Seth shift above her, his thrusts becoming erratic and shallow as his own release approached. He dropped his forehead to her shoulder and, with a shuddering groan, thrust deep one last time, joining their bodies so tightly together she wondered if she’d ever get him out of her system.

Or even if she’d ever want to.

She held him through his climax, her lips nuzzling his ear, until all the tension drained out of his muscles and he collapsed. He was heavy, but she didn’t care and held him tighter.

She ran a soothing hand over his short hair, liking the rasp of the stubble under her palm. Even so, he should grow it out again. She’d seen pictures of the way he used to wear it before joining the Marines, rakishly long and perpetually tousled, and would love to run her fingers through the light brown locks.

As their breathing settled, Seth found her mouth in an achingly sweet kiss. Then, slowly, reluctantly, he lifted his head to look at her. His mismatched eyes were hazy with satisfaction, but there was a flicker of uncertainty there, too, as if he couldn’t quite believe what had just transpired between them.

“Okay?” he asked, his voice little more than a rasp. He brushed a lock of hair off her face. “Did I hurt you? I wasn’t gentle. Or…” He winced. “Slow.”

She laughed. Hurt her? Not even close. Not when her body tingled with the warm aftereffects of an orgasm. But he needed the reassurance. She got that. Her close scrape with death had aroused his protective instincts.

“No,” she said, indulging him. “You didn’t hurt me, and I didn’t want gentle or slow. This time.”

He let go an explosive breath and rolled off her, freeing their still-joined bodies. She instantly felt bereft at the loss and wanted the connection back.

Seth disposed of the condom, then dipped a hand in the pot of her bath water, testing the temperature. It wasn’t steaming anymore, but he must have decided it was still warm enough because he used the sponge to clean between her legs. It was sweet. He was sweet.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He washed himself with considerably less care, then picked his pants and boxers off the floor. Something fluttered from his pocket. He froze and stared down at the creased photo, an expression of horror crossing his face before he grabbed it and rubbed the new crinkles out of it.

Emma’s photo.

All of the after-sex warm fuzzies drained out of Phoebe, leaving her numb. For a short time, she’d forgotten the sex had just been about release, and she had no right to an attack from the green-eyed monster. But, dammit, he handled the woman’s photo like it was the most precious jewel on Earth.

“Seth.” Her voice came out more strangled than she wanted. She’d tried for casual, but the lump in her throat made that impossible. “It’s okay.”

He glanced at her, guilt all over his features, and hurriedly stuffed the photo back in his pocket. He yanked on the pants. “I’m gonna go.”

“Wait.” She climbed out of bed and tried to catch him, but he’d already disappeared out the door.

An ugly mix of shame and sorrow dragged her down to the edge of the mattress, and she covered her face with both hands.

God, she could be such a naive fool sometimes. Because, deep in the corner of her heart, and despite all of her reservations about getting too close, she had hoped for more from him than just sex.