Page 51 of Her Wicked Hero

“Paris, Texas,” she carefully enunciated. “I’m going on vacation in Paris, Texas after I’m done with my week in San Diego.”

Zed pushed away from the wall and went to Marcia. He took her clenched fists in his hands and brought them to his lips. “Is it really such a hardship to go home with me?”

“It is when I’m going with you on duress.”

That floored him. “What are you talking about?”

“The big bad SEAL is going to take care of the little woman.” Her eyes were overly bright, and her lower lip quivered just the slightest before she bit it and jutted out her chin. There she was, her face bruised and raw, and she was defiant as hell. Was it any wonder he was so enamored?

He captured both of her hands in one and gently stroked her cheek. “You know better than that, Mi Corazón. We were just biding our time until I could come back home to Virginia. But you are correct about one thing, it is my right to protect you.”

She glared at him and opened her mouth, but he pressed his thumb against her lips.

“Wait. I have a question for you. If it were in your power to protect Christie and Debbie, would you?”

Her warm breath caressed his thumb. “Yes,” she sighed. “Okay, you win. I guess the Pacific Ocean beats out Paris, Texas, anyway.”

“Maybe I can offer more of an incentive than that,” Zed said as he bent down.

Marcia tried to shrug away from him. “I look like doo-doo.”

“Stop with the potty mouth, already, it makes me hot and bothered.” It did too, he couldn’t think of anything about this woman that didn’t excite him. Her delicate build could barely contain her indomitable spirit, and Zed was careful as he pulled her close. He swept his hand down her back, and she arched up against him, wresting her wrists out of his grasp. As soon as he let go, she thrust her fingers into his hair and pulled him close for a kiss. Zed hesitated. He looked into her glittering sherry-colored eyes to ensure that she wanted this as much as he did.

“I do,” she said as she read his mind. “I need your kiss.”

He looked at her mouth, her bottom lip still swollen. He feathered his tongue against the hurt flesh, and she whimpered. She tasted so good, wild and sweet. Marcia parted her lips, just a little, tempting him to tread further. Zed slid deeper, sampling her plump lips as he caressed the lithe line of her back until she began to undulate against him. Her mouth opened as her breasts pressed against his chest. How had he gone from zero to sixty in zero seconds?

Mother of God! The tight swell of Marcia’s nipples prodded his chest as she suckled his tongue and made him almost forget his name. Almost.

Zed pulled back and rested his forehead against hers, his breath labored.

“Zed?” He heard the little waver of uncertainty in her voice.

“Dios Mio, I have never been so aroused by one kiss in my life. Not even with Teresa Gomez when I was thirteen.” For all Marcia’s fire and confidence, Zed could still see her doubt.

“Really?” she asked.

“Really,” he assured her. “Marcia, I was thirteen. She let me touch her ta-tas. I’m telling you, you pack a punch.” He pushed a lock of her unruly hair behind her ear.

“Now who’s talking kid-safe?”

“I was thirteen and raised by my mom and my abuela. I thought ta-ta was a bad word,” Zed grinned down at her. “So, can I help you pack more than one suitcase?”

“I suppose.”

“I’ll start with your lingerie.”

Looking at her asleep in his bed, Zed couldn’t help but think she was the most beautiful woman in the world. It didn’t matter that there were still scabs where she had been pulled along the rough cement.

Forty-five minutes ago, when they’d arrived from the airport, he’d shown her this guest room and maybe he had referred to the bed as ‘his’ bed. God, he loved getting her riled. She’d gone on to explain it wasn’t his bed, it was the guest bed. Zed grinned.

It was a bed in his apartment, wasn’t it? Then it was his bed. He wasn’t going to get into the semantics of the furniture being rented for the duration of his temporary assignment because then, she’d really argue with him. His woman really liked to argue.

Now that he knew she looked comfortable, Zed went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Gatorade. He knew Marcia would likely be out for a couple of hours, so he’d wait to start dinner. He’d learned a lot about her during their phone conversations. He knew leaving work for five weeks wouldn’t be a hardship, her work bored her. Marcia was itching to go back to school and get her Masters.

He grabbed his cell phone and went out on the small balcony to give Gray a call. He owed him one.

“Glad you’re back, Zaragoza. How are you feeling?”