A SEAL's Secret

Scanning from the top of Tessa’s perfectly tousled curls down her perfectly curved body to her perfectly polished toes, Livi could only shake her head.

“The mind boggles,” was all she could say without bursting into laughter.

From her narrow-eyed look, Tessa caught the amusement, anyway. She was silent for a moment then shook her head and changed the subject.

“So, bottom line, can you win?” she asked. “Can you take Mitch?”

“Yeah,” Livi promised. “I’m taking him.”

With that, she stepped away. She pulled her arms free and shifted her head through the unzipped foam.

Her eyes locked on Mitch’s as she stepped out of the costume, her body clad in a pale yellow racer-backed unitard. Maybe Livi had a touch of social anxiety, and she might not have anywhere near Mitch’s confidence. She might have a few insecurities and a whole slew of worries. Throw in a domineering mother, an absentee father, a soul-sucking ex-husband and a ticking time clock on her career, and she had a lot of baggage.

But what she also had—and she was positive of this—was a rockin’ awesome body. She worked on it every day. She made her living with it.

And she was going to use it to win this bet.

* * *

HOLY HELL, SHE was a Playboy centerfold wrapped in a wet dream mixed with an erotic version of the girl next door.

Sexy and sweet, gorgeous and...

Mitch’s brain shut off again as every particle of his being focused on Livi’s body. She was perfect. Like her face, her body was a contrast of strong and delicate. Broad shoulders and lightly muscled arms framed full breasts and a delicately tapered waist. Her slender hips curved out nonetheless. And those legs...

Mitch gave a silent groan as his gaze meandered down legs so perfectly shaped, so temptingly long, that it’d take him hours to appreciate them the way they deserved.

“You wanna wipe the drool off your chin?”

“What?” Mitch realized what he was doing. He gave his friend a hard look. “What the hell is going on?”

Gabriel pulled a contemplative face, leaned back in his chair and locked his hands behind head.

“Hmm, if I had to guess, I’d say you’re horny for the Twinkie. And seeing as how her body has made many a man sit up and beg, that’s not a surprise.”

How many a man? And how had Romeo recognized Livi?

“Details,” Mitch demanded.

“She’s the hottest thing to hit fitness in years,” Gabriel told him. He grinned at Mitch’s haughty look. “I dated a gal who was trying to get on her workout team. Olivia Kane, The Body Babe. I watched a few of her videos with Casey. Or was it Carey?”

“You should keep records,” Mitch suggested, shaking his head. “Or maybe figure out a mnemonic rhyme to remember who’s who.”

“Not enough letters in the alphabet for that, Bro.”

But Mitch wasn’t paying attention anymore. He was busy watching Livi stretch one arm over her head and catch her fingers with the other behind her back. The move pushed her shoulder blades together and lifted her breasts higher. His body went into overdrive, lust pounding through him in throbbing waves.

Mitch wasn’t a horn dog. Not like Romeo pretended to be. He appreciated women, and had definitely had more than his share. And like Romeo, he never had to pursue them. Which made it easy to walk away. When he was redeployed. When he was sent on a mission. When he was ready to move on. Mitch only had one true passion, one focus.

His career.

Livi bent in half, her hands flat on the floor, butt high and back arched, so she faced forward. Her ponytail swung in time with the pulsing moves she made to warm up and stretch out her muscles.

For the first time in his life, he wondered if he had room for another passion.

“You looking to start something up with her?” Romeo asked, his tone low and quiet. “If you do, be careful.”

Mitch tore his gaze off the sloping muscles of Livi’s back and shoulders to the man next to him.

“Careful? Her friend might have ‘man-eater’ written all over her, but Livi doesn’t strike me as the kind of woman who needs a warning label.”

“Take it from me, she’s even more dangerous. She’s the relationship kind.” Romeo gave a sage nod. Then he eyed Mitch and added, “Course, just because I’m relationship poison doesn’t mean you are. I don’t want to be a bad influence on you. Maybe you ought to give a relationship a try. You might like it.”

And what if he did? There was no way a man could have two priorities. Could he put his career goals in second place?

“Not going to happen,” he said, as much to himself as to his friend. “I’m leaving at first light for Virginia Beach to report to DEVGRU screening, remember.”

DEVGRU, the Navy’s counter-terrorism group, was the elite of the elite. Reporting to Naval Special Warfare Command, the unit often worked with the CIA and always operated in the dark. The invitation to screen was an honor, regardless of whether Mitch made it through training—or even chose to try.

He gave a silent groan as Livi shifted. She was grabbing her ankles now, her face pressed to her knees and her butt temptingly high in the air.

Enticement like this, he’d never seen in his life. This kind of enticement made a man think twice about assignments, regret deployments.

Mitch firmed his jaw—might as well, since everything else had firmed up—and shook his head. That wasn’t going to happen to him. His old man had done that. Not that Mitch didn’t think his mother was pretty awesome, because he did. But if his grandfather, the Admiral, had pointed it out once, he’d pointed it out a million times. If Thomas Donovan had put his career ahead of his personal life, he’d have been a vice admiral instead of a captain.

Of course, the old man always responded by reminding his father that if he’d been as career-obsessed as he, he wouldn’t have his son. So Mitch couldn’t fault the decision too much.

But that didn’t mean he was going to follow it.

“You know, Irish, she’s damned good. She might actually take you.” Romeo grinned at the crowd gathering around. Tessa waved her hand high in the air, calling for the attention of anyone who hadn’t already wandered over. “It’s going to be painful when she does, too. There’s gotta be three teams here to bear witness. Good thing it’s not our platoon.”

He and Romeo usually deployed on the east coast. They were only in Coronado for the next few months to take part in a new training program. But the SEALs were a small family. What one platoon knew, the others would soon know, too. Nobody ferreted out secrets like SEALs.

Mitch wasn’t worried. He didn’t lose.

“What’s going on here?” a loud voice called out.

Greetings and exclamations flew through the room as Roz Evans appeared, a tray of sandwiches in each hand and bats hanging from her ears. This was her one concession to Halloween, Mitch knew, since the foot-tall blue hair was everyday wear.

“I hear you boys are causing a ruckus,” she said a couple minutes later, after she’d handed off the sandwiches.

“Would I do that?” Mitch asked, offering her his most charming smile.

“You might not,” she acknowledged before tilting her head at Romeo. “But this one would.”

“Only because you keep turning me down.”

Livi and Tessa arrived just in time to hear Gabriel’s declaration. Tessa’s frown was as deep as Livi’s smile was bright.

“You know these guys?” Livi asked, handing Roz a beer.

“Darlin’, when will you learn? I know everybody.”

“You’ll play ref for our little contest, won’t you?” Tessa asked.

“Sure thing. I got the deets on the contest when I came in.” She pointed to the center of the room. She didn’t have to say another word before four guys were there moving tables and chairs to clear a wide circle. “Who’s covering the bet?”

“That’d be me.” Wearing a T-shirt with the face of the Cookie Monster on it, Bad Ass Brody Lane sauntered over with a fistful of cash. “Who’re you going with, Roz?”

“Donovan, I know you’re a kick-ass SEAL, and usually I’d put all my money on you,” she said, pulling a few bills out of her pocket and counting twenty into Bad Ass’s waiting hand. “But all things considered, I’m gonna have to back my girl.”

“You got this,” Brody assured him.

More than ready to find out, Mitch got to his feet.

“Shall we?” he suggested, waving his hand to indicate the ring.

Livi took a deep breath that gave a first-rate demonstration of the wonders of Lycra and did a little stretching of Mitch’s libido, too. She walked just a step ahead, giving him an up-close and excellent view of her butt.

Mitch had been competing most of his life. Against others, against himself, against the enemy.

He’d never competed against temptation, though.

This was going to be interesting.

3

“ARE YOU SURE about this?” Mitch asked Livi.

She hadn’t volunteered for this little competition. More like she’d been railroaded. So he figured it was only fair to give her an out.

“Oh, I’m sure,” she said quietly. “How about you?”

Damn, she was cute with that challenging look in her eyes and her chin in the air. He’d take it easy, like he did with the kids he sometimes coached, so she felt good about the results.

“Standard push-ups?” Roz asked, accepting Cade Sullivan’s hand and stepping onto a chair for prime referee viewing.

“For the queen,” Gabriel decided. “Irish does military-style.”

“I’m sure glad I have you making these decisions for me,” Mitch told his friend.

“I figure you’d be lost without me.” Romeo smacked him on the back then stepped out of the circle. “I’ll count for Irish.”

“Let’s keep it a little more impartial than that,” Roz suggested. She scanned the crowd. “Cade, you count for Mitch and Eden can count for Livi.”

Commander Cade Sullivan moved in front of Mitch with a wink and a grin. Wearing puppy-dog ears as a nod to Halloween, the guy had a rep as one of the toughest BUD/S instructors to hit SEAL training.

His wife scooped up the tail of her cat costume and took a similar position on the other side of Roz’s chair. At the last minute she rushed forward to give Livi a quick hug.

“No hug for me?” Mitch asked Cade.

“You’re not pretty enough,” Sullivan dismissed. “Now drop and give me fifty.”

“Take your positions,” Roz called out, holding up her cell phone. “One minute on the clock.”

Livi dropped to the floor and assumed the plank position. Mitch followed suit, angling himself so he could watch her. Keeping an eye on the competition was just smart thinking. Besides, when his gaze shifted to the shadowed valley between her breasts, the view was damned nice.

“And...” Roz gave a shrill whistle. “Go.”

Hands shoulder-width apart, elbows tucked against his body, Mitch went. Down, up. Down, up. He didn’t count. He just let his body do its job. Instantly in rhythm, he glanced at Livi.

She was staring right at him as she pumped up and down.

“I could do this all night,” she murmured. “How about you?”

Mitch grinned.

“Did you know that push-ups are one of the best exercises you can do for your sex life?” she asked, her voice so low that given their position on the floor, he doubted anybody in the cheering crowd had heard her.

But he had.

His body stiffened in reaction. Good thing he was wearing jeans instead of sweatpants. Otherwise his push-ups would have turned into pole vaults.

“It’s all about the core,” Livi continued, her words spaced with her breathing. “You strengthen those core muscles and yowza. You know I work with strippers, right? The things they tell me a good core can do are pretty amazing.”

Shit.

He missed a beat, his elbow locking. He had to do the next push-up one-armed to find his rhythm again.

He’d rappelled off a cliff in a shower of bullets.

He’d shot, sniper-style, dangling from a helicopter while militants targeted it with IEDs.

He’d built his reputation on his ability to focus. To go after what he wanted, ignoring any and all distractions.

“Thirty seconds.”

Mitch ripped his gaze from the view of Livi’s arms, with their perfectly rounded muscles bunching and stretching. Her strength was almost as much a turn-on as her gorgeous body.

“Mmm, you’ve got some kind of stamina,” she observed in that same quiet tone, her words a little breathier now.

Is that how she’d sound during sex?

Imagining it, Mitch looked over. Her eyes gleamed hot with desire as she stared at his arms. Her lips were pursed as she sucked air in, blew it out.

Then her eyes shifted to meet his.

And she smiled.

A wicked smile that nearly sent him flat on his face.

“Fifty-five seconds.”

Damn it.

Jaw clenched, Mitch called up his much-touted focus, staring straight ahead.

Up. Down. Up. Down.

Nothing else entered his mind, nothing else mattered.

Up. Down.

“Time.”

More winded than he usually was in a minute, Mitch did a final push, pulling his knees to his chest and vaulting into a crouch. He didn’t let himself look at Livi.

Not yet.

Instead, he watched Eden give a shout of delight, quickly followed by a hip-bump to her husband.

“She kicked butt,” she claimed.

Cade’s smile was indulgent, but he shook his head.

“Sorry, babe. But he kicked butt.”

“Flirt on your own time,” Roz instructed. “What’s the count?”

“Sixty-nine,” Eden declared with a triumphant smile.

“Sixty-nine,” Cade said at the same time.

A tie? Well, well.

Not sure if he was more impressed with Livi’s tactics or amused at the entire scenario, Mitch grinned.

The room exploded in applause.

Romeo and Tessa went toe to toe, debating the results at the top of their lungs.

Her breath labored, Livi rested her forehead on her knee for a second before meeting Mitch’s gaze. Her eyes were filled with delight, her smile as much a turn-on as her physical prowess.

She tilted her head toward the arguing couple and arched one brow.

“What are the stakes they’re fighting so fiercely over?” Mitch shrugged, surprised to discover his arms were on fire. He was used to pushing his body to the limits, but it was obviously harder when half his blood supply had taken up residence below his belt.

“Yo, Romeo. What’d you have on the line?”

Gabriel held up one finger to indicate he wasn’t finished arguing yet, and kept on edging closer to the brunette. Typical body intimidation tactics. Except she didn’t seem intimidated.

“You think they’ll end up in bed together?” Mitch wondered aloud.

“I’d be surprised if they managed to hold out long enough to find an actual mattress,” Livi replied. Then, lifting her head and her voice, she called out, “Aunt Roz, you have a second?”

“That’s about all I have.” The tall woman sauntered over to hold out a hand to her niece.

“I’ve got a crew of hungry people here. I need to bring in another keg of beer, and somebody should pour a pitcher or three of ice over those two. And what do you need?” As always, her words ran together into one long, breathless declaration.

“I’d rather it not get out,” Livi quietly told her aunt. “But I’m not sure what the stakes of this challenge were. Did you happen to hear?”

Roz’s lips twitched. She gave Mitch a wink then held out her other hand for him. He eyed it, wondering if this was how the mighty felt after the fall. But it’d be rude to refuse, so he put his hand in hers and effortlessly hopped to his feet.

“Nobody seemed to have the straight of it on what the stakes are between the two of you,” Roz said. “But the stakes between those two are a lip-lock versus a date.”

Livi frowned.

“We tied. That means it’s a draw,” she pointed out. “So why are they arguing? Neither lost.”

“Because Tessa says the draw means all bets are off. Romeo claims it means they both have to pay up. The money’s on Romeo, if you’re looking to cash in,” Roz said with a laugh before heading off to do all those things she needed to do.

Mitch watched Livi as Livi watched her aunt.

And he kept watching, giving her time to work it through.

It didn’t take her long. As soon as her aunt cleared the door, she turned her gaze back to him.

“So I owe you a kiss?” she asked.

“And I owe you a date,” he confirmed. Mitch tilted his head toward the side door. “Shall we go discuss payment?”

* * *

STEPPING INTO THE COOL, dark storeroom ahead of Mitch, Livi flipped on the light. The bulb cast a dim glow on boxes and crates, leaving Mitch’s face in shadows as he let the door shut behind him.

Livi knew she should have felt ashamed of the naughty way she’d manipulated that competition.

She didn’t.

But she should have.

Her mother was fond of saying that only results counted. But having grown up as one of her results, Livi was just as fond of believing that actions mattered, too.

And intentions.

She leaned against a waist-high stack of crates, her eyes locked on Mitch’s face as he walked toward her.

Out there in the bright room surrounded by partiers he’d seemed like a seductively sexy, extremely gorgeous, abundantly charming man. The kind of man she fantasized about.

In here he was still sexy, gorgeous and charming. But the dim shadows added an air of danger. Hinted at everything he was capable of doing. Because he was the ultimate fantasy...a SEAL.

Her excitement took on an edge that made her nervous.

What did it say about her that her anxiousness just turned her on more? He stopped a few inches away. Her pulse sped up even faster than it had during the push-ups. She tried to swallow but her throat was sandpaper.

“So, some challenge, huh?” she said, her bright words ricocheting around the room like a poorly aimed racquetball.

“It was interesting,” he acknowledged. His eyes were like X-rays, looking so deep Livi wondered if he could see her nerves. Did they teach that in BUD/S? What other skills did he have? More than she did, for sure.

Panic pushed through her excitement.

She didn’t know how to do this.

She knew how to win.

And—although some might debate it—she knew how to kiss.

But how did she handle winning a kiss?

“Interesting in what way?” she asked, desperately trying to find something clever to say, something that would keep him occupied until she figured it out.

“You play to win,” he noted quietly, skimming his fingers, just the tips, down her arm from shoulder to wrist. Livi shivered, need edging aside nerves again in her stomach.

She watched his face, wishing she could see as much there as she knew he saw on hers.

“I don’t do this,” she blurted out. “I mean, not usually.”

“Don’t play to win?” He waited a beat. “Or don’t play, period?”

She wanted to admit the latter. But her lack of sexual savvy had been a major bone of contention between her and Derrick—one of the key reasons for their divorce.

Any sexual shortcomings she might have were probably the kind of thing Mitch should find out for himself. After she’d found out if his mouth was as good as his body. How’s that for sexual savvy? she congratulated herself.

His hand was still skimming, light as silk, up and down her arm. His touch was a whisper. A reminder. As if she needed one. Her body was wound so tightly she didn’t know how long she could stop herself from grabbing his face in her hands and yanking that mouth to hers.

Long enough to keep from making a fool of herself, she silently promised.

“I like to win,” Livi admitted. “But I don’t think winning is everything.”

“Heresy.” His grin flashed like lightning in the dark, quick and striking. “Don’t let the team hear you say that.”

“You play to win?”

“I play. I win.”

“You are so confident,” she breathed, shaking her head in admiration. That was almost as much a turn-on as his well-muscled body.

“I’m good.”

He was good. He knew it and so did everyone else.

“But we drew,” she pointed out. Tilting her head to the side, she wondered, “Did that bother you? Since you’re used to winning, I mean?”

“I didn’t lose.”

“But you didn’t win.”

His smile was a slow seduction that meandered its way through her system with hot little licks of pleasure. It was so intense it made her nipples ache.

“Sweetheart, sometimes a draw is a win. It’s all about the bigger picture. What’s the real goal?”

Right now her only goal was to taste him.

Livi wet her lips in anticipation but couldn’t make herself say that aloud.

“Is that one of those military things?” she asked instead. “Like sometimes losing the battle to win the war?”

“I didn’t lose.”

As delighted as she was turned on, Livi laughed.

He really was confident.

What was that like?

Ready to find out, she touched the tip of her tongue to her upper lip and reached out to trace her finger over the letter S on his chest.

Oh, my. He felt good. Very, very good.

She lifted her eyes to meet his, tilting her head so her ponytail swept over his hand where it rested on her shoulder.

“Super SEAL?” she asked.

“Man of iron,” he promised, his hand sliding behind her neck to cup her head. Fingers tangling in her ponytail, he closed the distance between their bodies.

“Ready?” he asked, his mouth inches from hers.

“I think so,” she breathed, shifting closer.

His lips brushed over hers. So soft, almost sweet.

Once.

Twice.

The third time, he added his tongue. Sliding it over the seam of her lips, along the edge of her teeth.

Livi’s body flashed hot, then cold, then hot again.

Her fingers curled into his chest, the other hand grabbing his shoulder for balance.

She’d thought she was ready for this?

Oh, how wrong she’d been.

Drowning in the overwhelming sensations, Livi let herself go. Let herself feel.

And oh, my, she felt good.

His tongue danced along her lips again, then, without warning, he tightened his hand in her hair. He tilted her head back, angled his mouth and thrust his tongue inside her mouth.

His teeth scraped her bottom lip, his hands holding her head steady so he could ravage her at will. Her body went hot before everything melted into a molten puddle of pleasure.

Livi almost came then and there.

The kiss was wild.

Tongues dueled, sliding over each other in a sensual dance.

Her heart pounded in time with the fingers she kneaded against his skin. Then, wanting more, she slid her hand under the sleeve of his shirt, her fingernails scraping gently over the rock-hard delight of his bicep.

He angled closer so he was wedged between her thighs. His erection pressed against her belly, even harder than his impressive bicep.

So she did it again. This time, though, she captured his tongue between her lips and sucked while her nails skimmed from shoulder to bicep and up again.

He growled, low and deep.

She thought he’d take her.

She wanted him to.

Livi had never felt such a desperate need, such a deep, clawing desire for a man. She wanted to strip for him, to tear his clothes away. She needed to feel him, all of him, sliding over her body. Into her wet heat.

But instead of taking her, Mitch eased back.

With a long, soothing stroke of his tongue he ended the kiss, then brushed his lips over hers as if he couldn’t quite bear to quit just yet.

“You blow my mind,” he murmured against her cheek.

She felt his deep breath against her ear, a part of her wanting to protest that she wasn’t ready for this to end. She wanted more. She needed to know what else there was.