Read Online Just This Once, Contemporary Romance (Last Frontier Lodge #3) by J.H. Croix - Free Book Online Page B

dragged his lips up her neck. His touch was like flames licking along her skin. She tore at his shirt, yanking it open and shoving it off his shoulders. His chest was pure muscle. A light smatter of dark hair tapered down toward his waist. She trailed her fingers over his chest, tracing a scar that curved along his ribcage. A flicker of curiosity wondered at its source. As a Navy SEAL, his body was all that she’d expect, and yet she knew he’d seen his share of action and sustained more than a few bumps and bruises along the way.
    She nearly went wild when he bit down on her nipple, so peaked with need she could hardly bear it. Only when the silk of her bra was drenched did he flick his thumb under the clasp and shove it off her shoulders. The feel of his calloused palms cupping her breasts nearly undid her. She rolled her hips against him, arching down into the spikes of sharp pleasure. He caught her lips in a kiss, groaning when she curled her palm around his cock, stroking it through his pants. Suddenly, he shifted, lifting her easily into his strong embrace and carrying her effortlessly. When he reached the shadowed alcove, he glanced down at her, arching a brow. She nudged her chin toward her bedroom door. Without a word, he shouldered through.
    Next thing she knew, he’d flicked the lamp on and stretched her out on the bed. He peeled off her stockings with ruthless efficiency. The feel of the cool air on her skin only served to fan the flames inside. He had one knee on the foot of the bed. In the shadowed light, his body was mouth-watering—all lean muscle, flexing with every small motion. He held still, his eyes traveling up her body—a touch of its own kind. Her belly fluttered and clenched. The waiting, the anticipation nearly undid her. She started to sit up and reach for him. His eyes on her, he shook his head. Her pulse running wild, her breath shallow and liquid need pulsing within, she leaned back and waited.
    He curled his hands around her ankles and then stroked them up her calves, his touch hot, sure, and so slow, she nearly screamed. His lips followed. Her sex clenched with need as his lips made their way up to her knees. Suddenly, he stopped and she almost cried out. He toyed with the edge of her skirt, just long enough to send her pulse rocketing, before his hands traveled over the thin fabric of her skirt. He dragged her skirt off, tossing it across the room, and stood. She was bare save for her panties. She had a penchant for sexy, silky bras, but she leaned practical when it came to her underwear. Though she managed to match by color, they were simple and cotton.
    Aidan looked down at her, his mouth hitching in a small smile. His smiles were so damn sexy, she lost her breath for a moment. When he kept looking at her, uncertainty washed through her. She’d lost herself for a bit. He did that to her. But she hadn’t forgotten for years that she hadn’t been enough for Kyle. Even if she told herself all day that Kyle was a loser, it still hurt he’d found someone else more appealing. That thread of attraction she’d tried to ignore with Aidan didn’t change the reality he could have just about any woman he wanted. He was the quintessential tall, dark and sexy man with the added bonus of a super-hot military grade body. She’d lost focus and forced her eyes back to Aidan’s—the blur of his burning, blue gaze.
    “What?” she asked, wondering why he kept watching her with that half-smile.
    “Practical, just like I’d have guessed.”
    Before she could ask what he meant, he reached into his pocket and tossed a condom on the nightstand, his eyes holding hers. She couldn’t help her wry comment. “So you came prepared?”
    He shrugged. “Always.”
    He shoved his pants down and kicked them to the side. He stood before her in a pair of fitted black briefs, his arousal evident. Her mouth went dry, her breath catching in her throat. Want flashed through her so hard and fast, her body felt like