Then she leaned forward and kissed him.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Talia hadn’t planned on cross-examining Lennox on his dating history. Especially since it probably wasn’t the best time for it, not after tonight’s discussion of the risks he and the other SEALs might face during the op. But she’d decided to stop messing around and ask the question she’d worried about all along. Namely, was it possible for a woman to get used to the dangers a SEAL lived with every day? In her mind, if there was a woman out there who could do it, then she could too.
The answers he’d given her hadn’t been as clearcut as she’d hoped, which was why she’d asked him if he thought she could do this. His answer—that he thought she could, that hehopedshe could—had been her undoing. Because she’d been looking for any reason to give in and be with him.
The kiss was slow at first, almost tentative. Then she stopped thinking and gave into the moment, melting into Lennox’s arms as he pulled her onto his lap, slipping one of his strong hands into her hair while the other lightly caressed her hip and thigh.
“Yes,” she moaned against his mouth as his fingers tightened in her hair.
He must have liked the sound of her moans, she thought with amusement. At least she assumed that was the reason for the growing hard-on in his jeans.
She wiggled her hips a little, giggling at the groan that rumbled up through his chest at the movement. When she’d stayed after everyone else had left, she hadn’t necessarily thought about ending this evening in bed, but maybe that would change.
She realized then how liberating it was now that she’d finally decided to give into the part of her that wanted this.
Wantedhim.
Lennox gently caught her lower lip between his teeth, giving it a playful tug. Talia moaned again. She’d never had a guy do that before. The sensation was surprisingly nice, thrilling even.
Then he started trailing kisses along her jawline and down her neck, his teeth grazing the skin there. The sounds she made then were positively animalistic.
Apparently, she liked to be nibbled all over.
She buried her fingers in his short hair to get a good grip, holding him in place and silently encouraging him to keep going. She squealed softly in pleasure when she felt his teeth gently tease the skin below her right ear, tingles racing across her body to settle deep in her core.
Lennox took his time caressing her neck with his mouth, nibbling his way up and down, seemingly knowing exactly where her most sensitive spots were located. In between little love bites, he’d move his mouth back up to hers, his kisses taking her breath away.
A few moments later, Talia found herself sitting back on his thighs, gazing into his smoldering eyes as her lips tingled from his thorough ravishing.
“Maybe we should take this somewhere else,” he murmured, the corners of his mouth edging up in a sexy smile.
She returned his smile with a playful one of her own. She sincerely hoped he meant the bedroom. “Do you have a particular place in mind?”
But Lennox surprised her by reaching around her to grab the mugs from the table behind her, placing them in her hands. “I was thinking about the kitchen.”
Okay, she hadn’t seen that coming.
Grinning, he stood, lifting her in his arms at the same time. She instinctively wrapped her legs around him but couldn’t do anything with her hands since she was too busy holding the coffee mugs. Fortunately, Lennox took care of that, one of his arms wrapping around her back while the other reached under her, his big hand cupping her butt in the most delicious way.
When they reached the kitchen, he turned slightly sideways so she could put the mugs in the sink. After she did, Talia expected him to turn and finally start that long-awaited trip to the bedroom, but instead, Lennox only moved far enough to gently set her butt on the nearest countertop. Then he slipped his hands down to her hips, remaining between her spread legs, the beginnings of a mischievous smile crossing his face.
“I was thinking,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her again, “since we’re in the kitchen, what do you think about a snack?”
Talia stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. That had to be the cheesiest line she’d ever heard. But at the same time, she had to admit to being curious as to where he was going with this.
“I could go for a little nibble,” she said against his mouth. “What did you have in mind?”
“This,” Lennox answered softly, kissing his way down her neck again.
But he didn’t stop there, instead, continuing to work his way along the collar until he reached the first button of her shirt. He paused as his hands reached up, lifting his head to gaze at her questioningly, wanting to make sure she was okay with what he wanted to do.
Pulse skipping a beat, Talia locked eyes with him and simply nodded.
Lennox deftly undid the first button, pulling her shirt open so his warm mouth could continue pressing gentle kisses over every inch of skin he could reach. She didn’t realize he undid the second button until she felt his tongue tracing across the upper slope of her breasts.
The rest of the shirt’s buttons followed until his mouth reached her stomach. She couldn’t stop herself from sucking in a breath when his teeth grazed the skin above her belly button. She’d never realized how good something like that could feel.
