Second Chance SEAL: A Bad Boy Military Romance Read online

  I couldn’t think about that as I got dressed. I headed over to Lauren’s room around seven and the marathon morning of hair and makeup began.

  It was a total whirlwind. Lauren’s relatives were coming and going and the other bridesmaids were busy making jokes and laughing about who they were going to sleep with. We started drinking around ten, and although I limited myself to one glass of champagne, the other girls were pretty tipsy by the time the ceremony came around.

  I had to admit, it was gorgeous. For all my mental complaining about destination weddings, and how much I dreaded it all, I was incredibly impressed. More people showed up than I would have guessed, and every chair was taken as everyone gathered out on the beach. The sand was perfect, smooth, and white, and the waves lapped against the shore in a gentle rhythm.

  I liked her almost-husband, Greg. He was a soldier, too, and a really good guy. I’d never seen someone so devoted to someone else before, and although Greg could be a hothead at times, I really did like him. I knew they were a good match.

  I stood next to Lauren just before everything about to begin. I smiled at her.

  “Ready?” I asked.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “No second thoughts?”

  She laughed. “More like fifth and sixth thoughts.”

  “Please don’t run away.”

  “I won’t. I’m going to marry that man.”

  “Good.” I smiled at her. “See you out there.”

  I hurried to my place, and everything began.

  Greg looked nervous, but that was to be expected. I couldn’t pay much attention to him, though, since I kept stealing glances at Gates.

  He was wearing his dress uniform, and he looked so damn handsome. He kept looking at me, smiling at me, and I kept looking away. I couldn’t get too distracted by that asshole, even if I wanted to. Still, in that uniform, I knew Gates could get any girl he wanted. And for some reason, he kept looking at me.

  Soon, Lauren walked down the aisle, and the priest started in with the ceremony. It was really lovely, short but perfect. I had to admit, I had tears in my eyes when they kissed.

  Everything felt like a blur, it just happened so fast. The beautiful beach, the beautiful people, the beautiful ceremony, it was all just so perfect. I couldn’t believe it, but I was actually becoming a destination wedding convert right there that afternoon.

  Eventually, the ceremony ended, and the guests began to head back toward the hotel for the reception.

  “Picture time!” Lauren announced, grabbing my hand. “Come on.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “To the beach. Greg and Gates are going to join us.”

  “Oh,” I said. “Gates?”

  “Of course. You’re the maid of honor and he’s the best man. You have to get pictures together.”

  “Right. Obviously.”

  Lauren gave me a look. “You okay, Pipes?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” I gave her my best weather girl fake smile. “I’m just so happy for you.”

  She looked at me for a second, and I knew she saw right through me. “Come on,” she said, choosing not to push. “Let’s go.”

  She took my arm and I followed her along, relieved that we didn’t have to have that conversation. It was her wedding, anyway, and I didn’t want to be another issue that she had to deal with.

  The photographer was standing with Gates and Greg. The two boys looked handsome, though Gates was two inches taller, much broader, and just looked more rugged, despite the dress uniform. Lauren deposited me next to him, and the photographer began to position us.

  “Nice ceremony,” I said to Gates. “You did a good job.”

  “Thanks,” he grunted. “Didn’t have much to do, though.”

  “You stood there. That’s pretty much all you had to do.”

  “Stand there and look pretty. I can do that.”

  I smiled at him. The photographer pushed the two of us closer, and he smirked at me as he took my waist and pulled me against him. I bit my lip slightly as his body pressed against mine, and I prayed that my cheeks weren’t as red as I thought they were.

  The photographer started to take pictures.

  “Have you been thinking about this?” Gates whispered in my ear.

  “About taking pictures? Constantly.”

  “Pretend all you want. I know you’ve been imagining my body pressed against yours.”

  My eyes went slightly wide just as the camera clicked, and I knew there was going to be a picture of me looking surprised.

  “What do you mean?” I asked him.

  “I mean, you’ve been dripping wet since the moment we met. I know you’re dying to let me peel that dress off your sexy fucking body.”

  “Gates,” I said, turning toward him.

  “Look at me,” the photographer said.

  Lauren gave me a look. I obeyed, clenching my jaw.

  “Go ahead,” Gates whispered in my ear. “Give in to it. Let me taste that nice, tight little pussy of yours. Let’s skip the reception.”

  “No,” I hissed. “Cut it out.”

  “You two,” the photographer said to Gates and me. “Get a little closer.”

  “Can do,” Gates said, pulling me tightly against him. The camera clicked.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I said. “Pushy jerk.”

  “Not being pushy. Just stating a fact. You want to taste my cock and let me fuck your little cunt until you scream. I can see it in your eyes.”

  “You can’t see a thing,” I said whirling on him.

  Gates grinned at me as the photographer, Lauren, and Greg all stared. There was an awkward moment as I realized that I was standing there, glaring at Gates like I wanted to tear him to pieces. I took a deep breath and smiled.

  “Why don’t you two get some pictures?” I asked Lauren and Greg.

  “Of course, you two, come here,” the photographer said, diving in.

  Lauren and Greg were taken away by the pictures and I quickly walked away, cheeks burning. I could hear Gates laughing as I quickly headed up toward the hotel.

  I couldn’t believe he’d talk to me that way. I knew he was a cocky asshole, but I had no idea how far that went. No man had ever spoken to me that way before, especially not one I barely knew.

  And yet it seemed totally natural coming from Gates. He said these things like he knew they were the truth, like there could be no doubt in his mind. It was so crazy that I could barely stand it.

  I couldn’t deny the truth, though. Every word Gates said was totally accurate.

  I did want him to strip me down and take me. I wanted to feel his strong hands on my hips as he kissed me and pressed his thick cock between my legs. He was so crude and arrogant, and yet I wanted to see if he could back his words up with action.

  I suspected he could. The man was a Navy SEAL, after all. He was trained to work bodies. Just looking at him, I could only imagine what he could do with mine.

  I got into the hotel and walked into the reception, breathing deep. I went right up to the bar, grabbed a glass of champagne, and downed it.

  I was going to have to get a hold of myself. This wasn’t about me. This was Lauren’s night, and I was her maid of honor. I had to get over this crap with Gates and put on a happy face for Lauren. I took a deep breath and nodded to myself.

  No matter how I felt about Gates, it didn’t matter. I was going to be civil, even if he wasn’t. I was going to make this night work, if at least for Lauren’s sake.

  Somehow, I was going to have to resist that cocky bastard.

  Chapter 4

  Gates

  “To marriage!”

  I toasted the other guys, scotch in my hand, and downed my drink. Greg was already shitfaced and grinning like an idiot. Dinner was over, toasts were done with, and the dancing portion of the night was going right along.

  I caught sight of Piper out of the corner of my eyes. She was smiling and laughing with Lauren, the two of them on the dance floor. Piper was shaking her hips like she was born to twist along a thick cock, and I could feel myself getting hard just thinking about what she could do to a man.

  “You are the best man,” Greg said, throwing his arm around me and pulling me back.

  “Yes, I am,” I said, laughing. “And you’re drunk as fuck.”

  “I am drunk as fuck,” he agreed. “It’s my wedding night.”

  “Good point. But aren’t you going to find it hard to perform certain . . . duties?”

  He stared at me. “Do you ever have trouble?”

  I laughed. “No.”

  “Well, then fuck you.”

  “I’m just saying. You need to consummate this shit.”

  “It’s not the Dark Ages, Gates.”

  “Maybe not.”

  “Plus, we’ve consummated enough already.”

  “Can’t fuck too much, my friend.” I glanced back over to the dance floor. “Speaking of which, I have some work to do.”

  He stared at me, then sighed. “Don’t fucking do anything stupid.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  “Seriously. Piper is a nice girl. She’s sweet. I like her.”

  “So I can’t have sweet?”

  “You can have whatever you want, and you always do. I’m just saying, be nice to this girl.”

  I grin at him. “I always give them what they want, Greg.”

  Without another word, I turned and walked over to the dance floor. I waded in past the old ladies and the drunk husbands and the kids doing kicks and spins, past the priest that had one too many, past the uncle that looked like he was about to have a heart attack, and stopped near Piper.

  She was gorgeous as hell. I couldn’t stop thinking about that. Except suddenly
, Greg’s warning rang through my ears. She was a nice girl, and I was supposed to be nice to her.

  But as soon as she looked at me, I knew she wasn’t a nice girl. Maybe for everyone else, but Piper was something else underneath all those cute smiles. I got up close to her and she didn’t resist as we began to dance together, lost in the crush of people, the mass of movement.

  She ground her hips against mine, shaking her ass. I put my hands on her, feeling the smoothness of her dress and the curves underneath it. I gripped her and pulled her closer, wanting her to feel my hard cock as we moved together. She looked into my eyes and I saw that same look there from earlier, the pure lust and need. She turned and began to work her ass against me as I moved my hips along with hers.

  It was fucking intoxicating, the way she danced. It was practically sex. Nobody seemed to notice or care, since it was later in the night and everyone was drunk, but I was practically fucking astonished. I’d been with plenty of girls in my life all over the world, and I’d danced with plenty of them, but never before did a woman’s body drive me so fucking crazy. Piper had a way of moving that just pushed me past whatever normal comfortable mindset I existed in and made me into something more intense, something more primal.

  My new animal side wanted to throw her against a wall, pin her arms behind her back, and fuck her until she screamed my name. I didn’t care how many old ladies saw me. I needed to ravish this girl, and ravish her until she couldn’t stand. I could practically feel my pulse in my cock as we continued to dance.

  And then the song was over. She put her hand against my cheek, gave me this weird smile, and then jetted out of there.

  I stood for a second, shocked. One moment Piper was there, grinding against me, and the next she was gone. I watched as she disappeared through the crowd.

  What the fuck just happened? I was practically ready to take her outside and fuck her by the water, but instead she ran off. I knew she was feeling the same way, her fucking ass couldn’t lie to me. The way she was shaking it against me was practically sex.

  I moved to go after her, but suddenly Grandma Lincoln stood in my way. Lauren’s grandmother was a sweet old lady, and she sure as fuck could talk.

  She said something about the ceremony, and I smiled and nodded. Grandma Lincoln continued on, and I couldn’t hear a word she was fucking saying, but I smiled and nodded because I was raised right. Maybe I killed men on the battlefield, maybe I did worse, but I didn’t disrespect little old ladies. That was a line I wouldn’t cross.

  Precious minutes passed and I felt like I was going to explode. Grandma Lincoln was finally torn away by some distant relative who gave me a knowing smile as she dragged the old cock-block off. I quickly headed off the dance floor, but I lost sight of Piper.

  It’d been ten minutes, and she was gone. I had no clue where the girl had gone as I quickly walked through the room looking for her.

  Finally, I found her out in the hall, away from the music. She was standing with a drink in her hand, pinned up against a potted plant by one of Greg’s idiot cousins. I thought his name might be Vinny, but it was hard to keep them straight.

  I moved toward them and caught wind of their conversation.

  “. . . Get it?” Vinny asked, loud and drunk. “You’re fucking single and hot. I’m single and hot. We should do something about that.”

  “Uh, no thanks,” Piper said. “You’re drunk.”

  “I’m drunk, you’re drunk. Everyone is drunk. I’m just saying, I’ve seen you on the TV. You’re fucking smokin’, you know that? Fuckin’ smokin’. I’d love to test that out, you know what I mean?”

  He was standing way too close, talking way too loudly, and he was practically spitting with every word. I could see the disgust and the fear growing on Piper’s face.

  I walked over there quickly.

  “Piper,” I said.

  Relief washed over her face. “Oh, hey Gates.”

  “Come on,” I said. “I think that’s our song playing.”

  “Hold up,” Vinny said. “We were talking, you know?”

  I turned to Vinny, a cold smile on my face. “Were you? Because to me, it sounded like you were working yourself up to sexual assault.”

  He looked shocked. “What? Man, no, man, no way.”

  I stepped closer to him. “Fuck off now, Vinny, before I break your fucking teeth.”

  He gave me one last shocked look then quickly walked away.

  Piper let out a sigh. “Thanks,” she said.

  “No problem.”

  “He was wasted. Fucking asshole.”

  “Agreed. Want me to rough him up outside?”

  She smiled. “Okay, sure.”

  I shrugged and started after Vinny.

  “Wait!” she said, laughing. “I was kidding. Jesus, are you serious?”

  “Wouldn’t be a big thing. Asshole would deserve it. He’d think twice before pulling that again.”

  “Okay,” she said, laughing. “Come on, tough guy. Let’s go back inside.” She took me by the arm and pulled me back toward the banquet room.

  Instead, I redirected our momentum and stepped with her into a side hall. She looked surprised, but didn’t try to stop me as I moved her by the hips into a dark corner behind a large plant.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, breathless.

  “Doing what I’ve been wanting to do since the fucking second I saw you.”

  I kissed her, pressing my body against hers, pinning her to the wall. She kissed me back without an ounce of hesitation and pulled my hips into hers. My cock was raging hard, lust singing through my blood.

  We kissed like that for a few minutes before finally I whispered in her ear.

  “Come on,” I said. “Come back with me.”

  She hesitated, staring at me, desire clear in her eyes, but uncertainty there, too. She bit her lip as I slowly lifted the hem of her dress.

  “Gates,” she said.

  I found her panties, her soaking wet panties, and slipped my fingers down against her skin. I found her dripping clit and pressed against it, slowly moving in circles.

  “Oh shit,” she said. “Fuck, Gates.”

  “Come back with me,” I repeated. “This is just a taste.”

  “Yes,” she said. “Yes.”

  I moved my fingers back, took her by the hand, and we walked together quickly back toward the elevators.

  I was rock hard, and nothing was going to stop me from taking what I desired.

  Chapter 5

  Piper

  As I kissed his perfect lips in the elevator, I just kept thinking one thing: this was so wrong.

  I never did stuff like this. I didn’t leave weddings with a total stranger and I definitely didn’t ditch out on my friends. I wasn’t that kind of person. And yet being in the elevator with Gates, suddenly things just felt right. I knew it was totally wrong, but I couldn’t get the rest of my body to do what I wanted it to.

  I was dripping wet and I knew I was going to give in. That was just inevitable. With his strong arms pinning me up against the elevator wall, I knew I was going to let him do exactly what he wanted with me.

  I could barely believe it. I wasn’t that kind of girl.

  There was just something about him. The doors dinged and slid open, and Gates took me by the hand, leading me down the hall. He stopped in front of his hotel room door and pushed it open.

  I stepped inside, suddenly nervous. I was alone in his room. I knew I was going to do this.

  “Drink?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “I shouldn’t.”

  He smiled. “Good.”

  “Why’s that good?”

  He took my hips and steered me into the room. He turned and pushed me up against the wall. Excitement and desire flooded through my chest.

  “I like to be in control,” he said. “Alcohol can dull the senses, especially when it comes to this.”

  “What’s this?” I asked.

  “Making you come over and over,” he said simply.

  I gasped as he pulled the hem of my dress up and found my soaking pussy. He kissed me hard and I threw myself at him, knowing there was no other way for this to go. My panties were ruined, absolutely useless, as he easily pushed them aside and slipped his rough fingers deep inside of me.