Drake cringed, but made a waffling motion with his hands. "It was kind of depending upon your reception whether or not I followed through. I'm not expecting an instant relationship or anything, but if I'm closer maybe we could see where this thing between us goes."
Izzy was stunned all over again and tears filled her eyes. She was not a weepy person, but he was tugging all of her strings. "I think it's a fabulous idea. An hour and twenty minutes is much better than ten hours of travel. But are you sure? This is such a huge change."
Drake shook his head slightly. "You know, it's not really. I talked to Gabe at the wedding reception. The Lost and Found crew out here… well, I know a lot of them. I worked with Gabe and Max directly. So it's not like I'm walking into this blind. And Brookheart’s team is further away, but seem to have a dynamic operation. He's putting everything he has into his business."
"But, what about the SEALs?"
Drake shrugged his broad shoulders, but his gaze stayed solid and determined. "The team will always be important to me, and I'll always be there for anyone that needs anything, but that one night with you totally changed the way I looked at the world. I want more than to just go shoot things and clean up other people's messes. I want a home life. I want someone to look at me like they're happy to see me at the end of the day."
Izzy smiled softly, totally understanding that. It was lonely being alone all the time. "I would be happy to see you every day. I think you know that. Although Capone might have an issue with you being here. He's been the only man in my life for a long time."
Drake drew back, brow furrowed as he tried to remember who Capone was. "Oh, the dog. Where is the little guy? I'll make up with him. Dogs love me."
Izzy grinned at his response, her eyes going wide, and led him to the back door. "Capone," she called. "We have a visitor."
All hundred and fifty pounds of overgrown fawn-colored puppy burst out of the undergrowth beneath the back deck. Capone carried a smooshed basketball in his jaws, but he dropped it as soon as he saw Drake. Izzy grabbed the dog's collar as he rammed through the doorway, but it didn't slow him down much as he headed straight for Drake.
When the dog shoved his nose into Drake's crotch, he laughed. "This wasn't exactly the welcome home action I expected."
Izzy giggled and fought with the dog that weighed more than she did. Feeling desperate, she snatched a chew bone from the bag in the upper cupboard. As soon as she got his attention with the rustling bag and threw it into the back yard, Capone took off in his galumphing, lop-headed gate.
"He only has one eye," she explained. "Not sure how he lost it. Somebody found him on the streets all sickly and lost. I fostered him for a good while, then adopted him outright when I couldn't let him go. I'm a sucker."
Izzy shrugged, but Drake grinned at her. "I think it shows your heart."
Yeah, she supposed. "Let me show you around."
Her house wasn't large, and having his big body in it made it seem even smaller, but Izzy looked forward to the closeness.
Drake appreciated everything she'd done in her home, and the way she'd furnished it. The bedroom was the last stop, as she had planned. Drake's eyes popped wide at the sight of the dark purple color of the walls. She watched him expectantly as he looked around. She always made her bed in the mornings, and weekends were the same. The thick down comforter was folded down to the end of the bed and the pale lilac blanket beneath stretched the length of the bed. It was pretty and girly and Izzy loved this space with its white accents.
"I feel like a man has never dared cross this threshold."
Izzy laughed, shifting a little uncomfortably. "Well, no man has actually. I haven't been in this house very long and I've never had a man here."
When she glanced up at him, his expression had gone hard and cold. He stretched out his chin, as if to loosen the taut muscles in his neck. Then he stretched his hands out, shaking them. "I have to say, I'm very glad to hear that. I know I have no right to say that or even think it. We're not connected or committed in any way, but I worried that you would find someone else while I was back home arranging for time off."
He turned to her, standing there in the doorway. "Izzy, I think what we found is something special. I've never felt a connection like that to another human being, let alone a woman. I would like to ask you if there's any way you would consider dating me exclusively?"
Izzy looked up at him, standing there in her too girly room. He was nervous, she could see that. Though he stood strong, his eyes were narrowed as if he were getting ready for a punch or knockdown.
She dared to reach out to run a fingertip over the swell of his pectoral, then up to cup his neck. Looking into his eyes, she smiled. "I had already decided I was going to give you about a month before I was going to come stalking in Virginia."
A slow, sweet smile crept across his mouth. "Oh, really? Stalking, huh?"
She shrugged. "Well, only until I caught you. Then I was going to seduce you and make you promise to come see me. Then when you agreed I was going to ride you into one of the best orgasms you've ever had. Because, you know, I believe in positive reinforcement."
Drake laughed and pulled her into his strong arms. "So, I saved you a lot of trouble then by coming out here early? Maybe I still deserve a positive reward?"
Izzy grinned with him and nodded her head. "Yes, I believe you do."
Without another word he started backing her up toward the bed, tugging her clothes off as he did. Izzy helped when she could but she was too busy trying to get his clothes off. The sexy gray t-shirt went flying into a corner, then she was working on the button of his jeans. It was very tight, though, because of the hardness behind it. Drake had an easier time of it. Before she could even blink he had her naked in front of him. With a gentle shove he pushed her back onto the mattress. Then, with hard, uncompromising hands, he pushed her knees up and out.
Izzy felt the weight of his gaze on her pussy and arousal flooded her. She should have been embarrassed at the position, but instead she began to pant, her excitement building the longer he stared down at her. Goosebumps raised the hair on her skin and heat washed through her.
“I feel like the door to heaven cracked open and I got the merest glimpse of what was available three weeks ago,” he told her softly. “But I want more. I regretted not exploring you, tasting you, feeling you, and I vowed to myself that I would as soon as humanly possible. You have the prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen.”
Without another word, he leaned forward to run his tongue up her dampening cleft. Izzy cried out, shuddering, contracting, praying for more, but everything stilled. She glanced at Drake. He had closed his eyes, his mouth moving as if savoring a decadent candy. When his lids lifted and his gaze connected to hers, he nodded. “I knew you would taste like this. Like the plumpest, sweetest raspberries fresh from the vine. Sweet and tart. Beautiful. Incredible.”
