years.â
âBefore that?â
âI was a navy SEAL.â
Yeah, right. âYou almost had me going. But for the record, the SEAL thing blew it.â
âI swear,â he said, as if offended by her doubt. âI really was a SEAL. Iâd still be one if I hadnât been recruited for BAD.â
She looked at him suspiciously. âWhat does BAD do?â
âThat I canât tell you. Well, I could, but then Iâd have to kill you, and no offense, Iâm rather attached to you.â He ran his hand down her backside and over her rump. âEspecially this part here.â
She squeaked as he clenched a handful of her buttocks.
He pulled her on top of him. Marianne straddled his waist and watched as he closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. She felt him stiffen against her hip bone.
Opening his eyes, he stared up at her and cupped her face in his hands. âYou have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?â
âIâve never had anyone call me beautiful before. Heck, I had a guy in high school run screaming from the room when he lost a bet and was told heâd have to take me to the prom.â
âHe was an idiot.â
She smiled at his words, amazed by them. âWho did you go to the prom with?â
âI didnât.â
âWhy?â
He shrugged. âMy junior year I spent prom night in jail, waiting for my dad to sober up long enough to bail me out, and I didnât have the money to go senior year.â
âJail?â she asked. âWhat did you do to go to jail?â
âNothing too bad. I was in for fighting.â
âOver what?â
âBella Marino. She broke up with her boyfriend and then threw herself at me. He got pissed and we got into it at the mall. He pulled a knife, I pulled a knife, and they called the cops on us.â
âKyle!â she said, stunned by his confession. âYouâre not making up any of this, are you?â
âNo.â
She let her breath out slowly as she stared into his blue eyes.
He laced his fingers through her hair. âIâm not proud of my past, Marianne. Iâve spent most of my life trying to forget it. I justâ¦â
She waited a few minutes until it became apparent he wasnât going to finish his sentence. âYou what?â she prompted.
âI donât know. I feel like I can tell you things and I donât know why. Itâs not something I normally do. Hell, I barely talk to anyone. And then I meet you on the beach and I canât seem to shut my mouth or resist you.â
She leaned forward and kissed him. âI canât resist you, either.â
His cock hardened to full size at her words. He pulled back with a wicked grin.
Marianne melted at the look. He was better than anything sheâd ever read in one of her books.
A real-life hero. One with a very sad past. How she wished she could make it up to him.
She moaned as he lifted her up and set her down on top of him. He was so hard and full inside her, and the tip of his shaft went straight into her G-spot from this position.
âOoo,â she moaned. âYou keep doing that and I might not ever let you leave this cave.â
He guided her hips with his hands as he watched her. âYou keep doing that and I wonât even try.â
Marianne covered his hands with hers and felt the strength of him in his grip. She trailed her gaze over his tawny skin, pausing at the multiple scars. He was her fantasy come to life. Only he was real. His scars were deep, and she suspected he carried a lot more inside than those she saw on his body.
How many more did he carry in his heart?
âHave you ever killed anyone?â
âThatâs a strange question to ask while Iâm making love to you.â
âIâm sorry. I guess it was rather nosy.â
He trailed his hand up her body and sank it deep in her hair. âYes, I have,â he said softly. âAnd no,