Operation Love Read online

  An inebriated Lilly was a more easy going, fun loving Lily. One he could woo.

  If he could just push her over the edge, she’d land right in his arms.

  And the sooner the better. The more he dwelt on the fact that he was soon to rocket into space, the more he wanted her as his wife. The notion was wrapping tight around him and squeezing. He no longer just wanted it, he needed it, and badly. Just as becoming an astronaut had, it consumed him.

  Lily. A baby.

  A family.

  He had never had much of one. It had always bothered him, but now it ate him up. So much so, he was willing to do whatever persuasive measures it took. He never could just accept things.

  When he wanted something, he took it. No matter what the costs.

  Taking his white cotton napkin, he wrapped it around his forefinger. Reaching out, he swiped a bit of sauce from the corner of her sweet, heart shaped lips. “You have a little…” His caress was deliberately slow, and soft. “There.”

  “Thank yooouuu.” She shrugged away, and sat back into the leather chair. Her curvaceous body stretched against the skintight material of her little black dress. The deep crevice between her tits pushed together and he longed to run his tongue along it as she leaned forward. “I’m done.” Her words slurred only slightly, but filled with liveliness. She picked up the glass and sipped it, looking at him with naughtiness sparkling in the golden streaks of her hazel eyes. “We should go ride the merry-go-round.”

  So that was what she was up to. Well hell, she’d been teasing him about getting on that thing for years.

  Perhaps he should give her a surprise.

  “Okay,” he chuckled. Her lips formed an O, and her pink tongue stuck out just a tad. Holy moly, she was cute buzzed. And sexy—damned sexy. Why had he never realized that before? Right now he just wanted to gobble her up. To kiss the tops of her breasts, to yank that red hair down and tangle it in his fingers. He wanted to downright ravish her. “Why don’t you eat some more first?”

  He picked up her fork, and stabbed a shrimp for her. While he didn’t mind her being easygoing tonight, he didn’t want her getting sick or feeling bad tomorrow. She needed something in her stomach.

  Holding it to her mouth, he insisted, “You really should eat more, babe.”

  “Ya really shhoulda drank more, babe,” she slurred, and took a sip of wine. “To da merry-go-round!”

  * * * *

  Perhaps she had gotten a little carried away with the wine. Everything was swimming, and swarming around her in a blur. Maybe alcohol and merry-go-rounds didn’t mix.

  As if she had been swooped up in a tornado, she was whirly and swirly, and not so sure she wouldn’t fall. Yet, as uncontrollable as her mind was at the moment, she was enjoying every second of it.

  The ride went round and round, the horse she was on bopping up and down, up and down. Carnival music jingled around them, laced with the beautiful sound of children’s amusement.

  She joined them, gazing at the ridiculous double sight of Hunter on a carousel. Her laughter danced through the air. Oh, how awkward and aloof he looked, his stocky, muscled body perched so stiffly atop the white metal horse. How had she gotten him on there? Hadn’t she tried like a hundred times before? Of course, she’d been joking. She hadn’t expected him to. Of course he’d always refused. It was just fun to pick at him.

  But tonight he’d said yes. Yes, yes, yes. Tonight he was so weird. The air was weird.

  The circling slowed, the music began to slow down. The carousel stopped. She was sitting sideways, since her dress would not allow her to straddle anything. She started to slink down off the horse hoping she’d land without stumbling. Suddenly Hunter’s firm grip encircled her waist and lifted her safely to her feet. A bit wobbly, she stumbled around. But his hands remained at her middle.

  He gazed down on her, his black eyes like fishhooks into her heart. “I hope you had fun.”

  “You looked ridicerous,” Lily teased.

  “I know, thanks,” he grunted with a chuckle. “Though I was thinking more along the lines of ridiculous. But ridicerous … I can see it.”

  “Shut up.” She play-slapped his arm.

  He caught her hand and led her from the carousel onto the boardwalk. He held her tight in his grasp, but she did not try to fight for her hand. Something about it felt so natural, so relaxed and right.

  Since the carousel had stopped spinning, her mind had started to clear a bit. A happy buzz still elevated her. She half walked, half skipped, as they strolled along. For a night that had started so awkwardly, she really felt good. Loose.

  So long as she kept her thoughts away from what this really was, at least, to him.

  A date.

  The words echoed in her mind, and she tried to fight them away. Would it always be like this now? With her trying to wrestle away her attraction to him, to battle against his advances? Their very friendship was in jeopardy.

  She should put an end to it before it was too late. And yet, his hand felt so very good in hers. Perhaps it was the wine, or maybe just the beautiful, starry night. Possibly the salty smell of the sea air was doing something to her mind. But she did not want to say no to him anymore.

  It was most likely the wine.

  They strolled along, enjoying the sights. The boardwalk was alive with people, from young to old. They passed a dart game, and distantly she thought about playing. Then they neared an ice cream and candy shop. Immediately she craved a double chocolate scoop on a sugar wafer cone, covered with sprinkles.

  “Hunter…” she started, but he interrupted her by steering her toward it.

  Damn.

  “I rode the merry-go-round for you. It’s a beautiful night. Don’t turn me down.”

  “You know I hate the Ferris wheel.” She would get on anything else, anything. Even roller coasters, though she didn’t care for them. But she hated the Ferris wheel. It petrified her. She didn’t know why, but it did.

  “You don’t hate it, you’re scared of it,” he insisted and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “You can snuggle close to me. I’ll protect you. I want to look at the stars with you.”

  “Hunter…” Yet already they were standing in line. The Ferris wheel was reloading, and it was moving forward fast. “You better not rock me, I swear.”

  “Or what?” A deep, guttural chuckle poured into his humored voice as he spoke. “Will you punish me?”

  “Yes.”

  “I look forward to it. I love discipline.”

  Her mouth opened to say something, but she was too stunned to speak. As the night went on, he was becoming more and more forward. Cheese and crackers!

  They boarded the ride. As soon as the cold metal bar came down, she clutched it tight. This was the part she hated the most, the stop and go when they were boarding, especially on a huge one like this. The pauses at the very top were unbearable.

  Her insides trembled. Only the wine had gotten her on. And right now, she wished she had another whole damn bottle of it. Hunter reached out, and wrapped his strong arms around her. She couldn’t help it. They were safe, and comforting. She fell back into them and let him cuddle her. Never had anything felt so weird yet so right.

  Slowly, very slowly, they made their way to the top. Hunter was right. The night was incredible. From here, it felt as if you could reach out and grab one of the bright, sparkling stars. The moon glowed, full and round.

  Maybe that was it. Didn’t weird things happen on a full moon? Some even said it was the best time for a woman to get pregnant, and the most likely time for a baby to be born. She remembered her Aunt Dot, who swore her baby had be conceived during one, and had waited well over two weeks just to be born on one. Maybe the moon had something to do with Hunter’s behavior.

  She shook her head. Even if it was just in her head, she was rambling. She sighed and looked down on the busy boardwalk below.

  A big mistake. She gulped back sickness as bile threatened to rise in her throat.

&
nbsp; “You all right?” he asked. It was amazing how tender and understanding his deep, gruff voice could be at times. “Don’t look down. Look at the stars. Over there, it’s the Big Dipper. And the little one.”

  She gazed up, feeling a little dizzy. “Do you know all the constellations?”

  “Of course. When I was a boy, I’d spend hours at night just studying the stars, admiring their beauty, and dreaming of being amongst them.”

  “Now you will,” she murmured and snuggled close to him. “Show me some more. They’re so beautiful.”

  He stroked her hair. “If you like, we can go back to my house and look through my telescope. You won’t believe the things you can see.”

  “The neighbor undressing?”

  “No. The stars.” He cracked up as he answered, then got suddenly serious. “Say you’ll come watch the stars with me.”

  In the back of her mind, a nagging little voice screamed at her. But the wine answered for her. “Okay, I’ll come.”

  Chapter Four

  As soon as she walked into his bedroom, all the awkwardness of earlier came rushing back. A good bit of her buzz from the wine had faded, and she was sober enough to realize where she was and why. Hard.

  Cheese and crackers! She was ready to run out of here.

  The navy carpet, thick and plush tickled at her nervous feet. Wiggling her toes, her gaze flashed around the room. She’d never been in here before. Unlike the rest of his house, done in his collection of Indian artifacts, this room seemed to be devoted to the stars. The walls were a dark blue color, and glow in the dark stars covered the ceilings and walls in various shapes of the many constellations. Atop his two large oak dressers sat models of the planets and universe.

  Her eyes darted to the bed. A thick, fuzzy black comforter covered the king size mattress. She could just barely make out the corners of black silk sheets peeking out. A shudder tingled down her spine. With lightning speed, she averted her eyes.

  Directly across from the bed was a set of French doors. Bright golden moonlight shined through the etched glass panels. If the doors were opened, one could lie on the bed and gaze out at the night sky.

  How very romantic that would be…

  She shook her head, and cursed under her breath. Damn. What was wrong with her tonight?

  “You okay?” Hunter swung open the doors, and went to a large telescope on the tiny balcony. He peeked into it, and then turned a knob. “It’s ready. Are you sure you don’t want something to drink? I have some diet coke.”

  She couldn’t believe herself, didn’t know why she was asking for it, but she was. “How about a glass of wine?”

  “A glass of wine.” He licked his lips, and then bit down on the bottom one. “Are…?” The question danced in his eyes. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  He nodded slowly, staring at her with those black eyes. His tongue ran along his bottom lip, and a devilish smile pushed at the dimples in his cheeks. Forever passed before he lowered his gaze and left the room taking two steps at a time.

  She stood, her feet glued to the spot where she stood. Her mouth hung agape, and she stared at the bedroom doorway. What in the hell was wrong with her? Cheese and crackers! A lump knotted in her throat.

  She tried not to think about what she was doing. To turn her thoughts elsewhere. Away from him. Away from herself.

  But there was no escape.

  She knew that wine would loosen her up. Relax her. That probably wasn’t a good thing, but somehow, it was what she wanted.

  Cheese and crackers! God help her. What was she doing?

  Her mind spun in circles. The next thing she knew, he was back. In his left hand he carried a dainty, long stemmed glass filled with rich red wine. His fingers lingered as he handed her the drink. They brushed against hers, making her skin quiver where his touch caressed.

  “Careful,” he murmured.

  Something in her jerked at the suggestion. For some reason, that was the last thing she wanted to be right now.

  Her heart stampeded, beating hard against her rib cage. She couldn’t believe she was doing this.

  But she was.

  She sipped at the bittersweet liquid, and followed him to the telescope. “What are we looking at?” She started to bend and peer into the scope. To her surprise, his large hand went to the small of her back as if to guide her. She jumped, and sucked in a deep breath. But his hand did not move. In fact, he didn’t even acknowledge her shock. She ran her tongue along her lips and forced her mind back to the task at hand. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

  “Nothing yet.” His fingers caressed the small of her back, moving one at a time. Slow torture. “That’s Orion, the hunter. Always my favorite.”

  “Because of your name?” she asked, peering at the formation of stars and trying to see the hunter in them. To her, they were a million glowing dots in the sky. She supposed she was better at clouds. For his sake, she pretended to see it. “Fascinating. Is that what you’re named after?”

  “I’m named Hunter because that’s what I am. It’s in my blood. I seek. I stalk. My desires are my prey.” His hand traveled a little farther south, lingering above her rear. With his forefinger he traced circles, rubbing the dress across her tender skin.

  A prickle ran down her spine. Her insides tingled. She swore her stomach literally flopped over. Straightening up, she took a deep, rather clumsy swig of wine. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably. “Your desires?”

  Shaking, she turned away from him and set her glass down on the balcony edge. No sooner than it left her hand, Hunter swept her into his arms again.

  Black, his irises were as dark as his pupils. They looked as one. The dark orbs bored into hers. “When I want something, I get it.”

  “Always?” A tremble shook her body. If she wasn’t wrong, she knew what he wanted right now.

  “Always,” his lips moved slowly, deliberately. For the first time she realized how very full, and lush they were. So very kissable. So very sexy.

  “Oh,” she breathed, captured by his gaze.

  His hands moved up, cupping her face. Slowly, his thumbs stroked her cheek. “I want you.”

  “Oh.”

  “Tell me yes.”

  Her jaw began to shake. Her chest constricted. Her mind spun. The words were right there, on the tip of her tongue. But she held them back as hard as she could.

  A piece of her wanted to scream them. To shout and dance like a high school cheerleader. To sing it out like a southern choir.

  But the rest of her knew better.

  Closing in on her, he brought his face within an inch of hers. His thumb caressed her lips, shattering her with want. “I want to kiss you. If you don’t tell me no, I won’t stop.”

  She couldn’t tell him yes, but she couldn’t tell him no. She wouldn’t.

  He reached up and pulled the pins from her hair. It tumbled across her shoulders in what she was sure was a real red mess. Reaching his hands up, he wrapped it in his fingers. Her scalp prickled at the gentle pull as he drew her to him. His lips came to hers, slowly, gently, with plenty of time for her to push him away. At first they only stroked against hers, the softness of their fullness rubbing against hers. Then they grabbed her into a sudden kiss, hard and full of passion. Her head fell back as his mouth devoured hers. His tongue stroked her lips, rubbing against her tongue.

  Her lower regions pooled with want. Hardened, her nipples rubbed against the tight fabric of her dress. Tingles jolted up and down her spine.

  Passion swept her away. There was no going back. No saying no. There was nothing but his lips, his arms, his desire.

  Encircling him with her arms, she pressed her body against his. He was hard against her softness. Her fervor heightened, her body responded. She returned his kiss with hunger. Their lips ground together. Salty and sweet, she tasted a trickle of blood from the bruising kiss.

  His hand went to her zipper, and inched it down. Yet, the dress did not give. It remained snug
as ever on her, trapping her wanton body.

  Never had she wanted the thing off more.

  Lifting her as if she weighed nothing, Hunter cradled her. His hands cupped her rear as he carried her to his bed. All the while, he shattered her with little kisses.

  He laid her down with a flop on the soft mattress. Quite literally, he ripped the dress down off her body like a hungry animal. In seconds, she laid before him in only her thong and thigh-highs. His gaze did not move from her body once, his eyes moving up and down it as he unbuttoned his pants and slid them away. No sooner then his pants were gone, he was atop her. His lips went everywhere, spreading a thousand little kisses all across her body.

  Oh God, she wanted him. Needed him. She couldn’t wait.

  His hand cupped her breast, taking her nipple between his finger and thumb. Rolling it, he took his tongue and tickled it. Her back arched. His teeth caught her nipple and drew it into his mouth, suckling it.

  Slowly, he traced his fingers across her belly and downward. They slid under her black lace thong, and into her folds. Moving back and forth, they rubbed her clit. She moaned aloud as wetness began to drip from her.

  His mouth went to her other nipple, and began to tease it. Everything in her wanted to tell him to get on with it, that she needed him so badly she couldn’t stand it. But to do so would be to confirm her “yes.”

  She hadn’t said yes. She simply hadn’t said no.

  His mouth trailed down her body, gently sucking with each and every kiss. Every time his lips touched her body, she wanted to scream out. She was on fire for him. His mouth moved over her lower lips, his finger spreading them apart. His tongue dived into her wetness, and she was done.

  “Please.” She couldn’t take it anymore. He had her. “Please. I want you.”

  He answered her with the stroke of his tongue.

  If she had been standing, she would have fallen. “Please.”

  In the back of her mind, she cursed herself. She had gone from never, ever to begging for it in one night.