Read The Navy SEAL's Christmas Bride for Free Online Page B

They stood shoulder to shoulder to block her entry to any elite unit. It wasn’t fair.
    She tried to pull away again. She knew what was coming next. Knew she’d honor the bet, too. That was the kind of woman she was. She also knew Dan’s kiss would short circuit her wiring and take her places she didn’t want to go. Whatever this longing was that she battled these days, it wasn’t for a man like him.
    Dan raised his hand to cup her chin and took his time bending down to brush his lips over hers. She held her breath in anticipation.
    She wasn’t disappointed. His mouth on hers sparked a reaction in her body that was all too overwhelming. The truth was, she hadn’t been with anyone in a long time. In the Army, she met plenty of single men, but like she’d said to Dan, they all seemed interested in besting her rather than forming any real attachment. Once the men had seen she could do a salmon ladder—and once they’d taken her informal Krav Maga classes—it was as if she’d ceased to be a woman and instead was some kind of freak. It was never smart to date a fellow service-member anyway, so she hadn’t let it bother her. But she’d grown lonely over the years seeing friends and acquaintances match up while she remained single.
    Dan’s kiss told her she was still a woman. She felt its burn in places that she’d tried to ignore for a long time. As his arms tightened around her, she found herself relaxing against him. Normally she held herself rigid; ready to defend herself. Dan made her feel safe.
    The thought snapped her eyes open and she pulled away.
    “Uh uh—not so fast, Metlin.” Somehow Dan had backed her up against the wall of the house. “I get two kisses and I say when they’re done; not you. Let’s try that again, shall we?”
    “You already got one kiss.” Why did her voice sound so breathless?
    “No, I started one and you broke it off. It doesn’t count. But this one does.” Before she could say a word, he kissed her again and oh, what a kiss. She was helpless against this onslaught. Dan used his body to pin her against the wall and she was aware of every part of him. The movement of his lips over hers seared her straight to her soul. He was making it absolutely clear how much he wanted her. Not overtly—not offensively. But clearly enough that she couldn’t pretend not to notice.
    His kiss went on and on until Sarah thought she would lose herself in it for good. When he finally pulled back she could barely keep her feet.
    “Now we’re done.” He straightened, but kept her pinned in the cage of his arms.
    “What about the other one?” Shit. That sounded like she wanted him to kiss her again.
    “I think I’ll save it for later.”
    Disappointment pulsed through her and he grinned as if he knew it. “Anticipation is a good thing, don’t you think?”
    A good thing? Hell, no—she wanted that kiss right now. Sarah leaned back against the house and closed her eyes. Good God, she’d lost her mind.
    “Yeah—me, too,” Dan took her hand and squeezed it.
    She opened her eyes as he led her to the door, puzzling over what he meant by that last remark. Him, too? Did that mean he felt the same heady mix of anticipation and lust she did? If so, they were in trouble.
    One of them needed to stay in control.
    “It’s Christmas time,” Regan protested. “That means celebrating and eating too much food—not a shooting match!”
    “I promise we’ll all eat plenty of food at dinner time after we shoot at our targets. Come on, it’ll be fun.” Mason dropped a kiss on his wife’s nose. The gang was spread through the Hall’s kitchen and dining room, cleaning up after the noon-day meal and discussing how to spend the afternoon. Mason had proposed a shooting contest. So far, Regan wasn’t buying into the idea.
    Dan tried hard not to look at Sarah. Failed. He wondered if he’d exposed too much of his own feelings after their last kiss. When he’d told her he’d save the next one for