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hands on his pant legs, he swallowed and tried to
    get rid of the butterflies that were growing in his belly.
    Moving slowly, he blew out all the torches and lanterns except
    the one by the back door, causing her body to fall into the shadows. He
    knew where she was, though. His body had a radar lock on her posi-
    tion.
    As silently as he had been trained to be, he moved in close to her
    prone body. He watched as her eyes moved across the expanse of outer
    space. On her face was a contented little smile.
    Without speaking, he climbed up onto the table and stretched
    out next to her. His arm eased its way under head so she was on his
    shoulder. As if she had been doing it for years, her body curled into his.
    One of her legs slid over his denim-covered one. A hand found its way
    to rest upon his chest as his arms encircled her shoulders, totally
    enclosing her body in his embrace.
    Their scents intermingled with the fresh smell of a new day. As
    he lay there holding her, Scott came to a realization; while he wanted to
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    Aliyah Burke
    join their bodies and make them one, he was extremely content to just
    hold her too. His contentment was such that the noise of the city faded
    into the background.
    “Tired?” He broke the silence with his whisper.
    “Very.” Her head snuggled in closer to his secure body. “I
    thought vacations were supposed to be relaxing. I get less sleep on the
    ship and don’t feel this exhausted.”
    He laughed softly. “Don’t worry. I will make sure you get some
    sleep. Of course, you will be too exhausted to do anything but sleep.”
    His lips caressed the smooth skin on her forehead.
    “We are getting separate rooms, wherever we are going,” the
    hushed protest came.
    Like hell we are. “Oh, no, I can’t get to know you if you can lock a
    door in my face.”
    “Tell me again why I agreed to this?”
    “Because,” he said in an intoxicating voice. “Despite what you
    tell yourself, you want to come with me.”
    “Is that so?”
    “That and for this reason.” His fingers tipped up her chin to al-
    low her lips to meet his descending ones.
    This kiss, like the others, was a masterful one. His hand stayed
    against the smooth expanse of her cheek as he deepened the kiss. Their
    bodies began to roll towards each other, trying to get closer.
    Scott pulled away. “I’ll be damned if I make love to you for the
    first time on the top of a picnic table. Make up your mind, Alexis, if it is
    going to be tonight or not,” he ordered with a raspy voice.
    “I can’t. I’m sorry.” Ripping herself out of his arms, she tried to
    run, but his incredible reflexes caught her before she got more than two
    steps away from the table.
    Pressing against her back, Scott made sure the table was in front
    of her so she couldn’t go anywhere. “Don’t apologize, Alexis. I don’t
    want you to feel forced into anything. I can wait. I’ve waited two years
    for you. Another night isn’t going to kill me. Too much.” His mouth
    nibbled along her exposed collarbone.
    “This is going against everything that I have ever been taught,”
    she moaned in despair. “I don’t know what to do.”
    Blue eyes narrowed. I don’t like the sound of this. “What are you
    talking about? This is more than just the fact that you are a chief and I
    am a lieutenant commander in the Navy, isn’t it?”
    “Yes,” fell her soft answer.
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    49
    He spun her around so her body was facing his. “Close your
    eyes.”
    They narrowed instead. “Why?”
    “Please. Close your eyes.” His hands dropped from her shoul-
    ders.
    With a shrug she complied. “Now what?”
    “Just feel.” His callused hands cupped her face. His touch and
    his voice drowned out everything else around her.
    He unpinned her hair, sending all of it tumbling around her
    head and shoulders. Scott combed his fingers through the thick silkiness
    of it. Eventually it was pushed away from her shoulders so it all cas-
    caded down her