Free Her Vigilant Seal by Caitlyn O'Leary Page A

it back on. “Humor me.” He fanned her hair around her shoulders after he settled the strap around her neck. “You have beautiful hair.”
    “It’s just yellow.” She stared at his chest. God, they must do a lot of training. He actually had washboard abs.
    “Honey, it’s honey, with shots of gold and in the sun I can even see red. Your hair is gorgeous. With as many different facets as you have, don’t even get me started on your eyes.” She smiled and batted her eyelashes. He laughed out loud.
    “You minx, so you know about your eyes? Let me talk about your lips.”
    “How about I talk about your shoulders?” Sophia touched the top of his big shoulder. He felt warm and his muscles jerked under her touch. She stroked downward so she could drift into his chest hair. It felt so good she couldn’t help herself. She leaned forward and pushed her nose close and inhaled the scent of Mason.
    “Honey, you need to stop it otherwise we’re not going to keep this limited to just a few kisses.” His voice was shaky. She smiled and inhaled again. One big hand cupped the back of her head and the other slid down to the small of her back. He pushed downwards with his chest, until she was lying on her pillow looking into the glittering blue depths of Mason’s eyes.
    She realized this was so much more intimate than the diner. There was just the soft glow of the bedside lamp, and they were in a bed, and he was in a pair of boxer briefs.
    In a heartbeat he caught on to her hesitation.
    “Sophia, are you okay? Let me go put on my sweatpants. I’ll be right back.” He started to get up.
    “No!” She clutched him. “Don’t leave me.”
    “I’m an ass. I should have thought this through more. You’ve just been through a horrific event. I shouldn’t be in bed with you.” He stroked back her hair.
    “I can’t explain it. I was so turned on but then for a second I panicked. It doesn’t make any sense.” She stroked her hand down his chest. Touching his skin anchored her.
    “It makes sense to me. You had an emotional flashback. It’s going to happen.” He brushed a kiss against her forehead.
    “But you’re the one who saved me. I trust you. I want you. Your boxer briefs are killing me. How can I even compare you to what happened in the alley?” Her nails dug into his chest.
    “It’s going to take time. Your mind and emotions still need to heal.”
    Sophia licked her lips and considered what he said. His eyes darkened as he watched her.
    “Do that again,” Mason begged huskily.
    “What?” Do what again?” Sophia asked confused.
    “Lick your lips.”
    Sophia slowly moistened her lips with her tongue. He bent closer, and she could almost taste the mint of his toothpaste.
    “Again.”
    She did it again, and he moved even closer.
    “One more time.”
    Sophia pushed out her tongue and started to swipe her lower lip, and he caught it between his teeth. She whimpered. He stroked her captured flesh with his tongue, back and forth causing a frenzy of sensation. She tried to push forward, but he held her captive. She tried to pull back but she was his to do with as he willed. He wanted to play, he wanted to torture. Then he pulled her tongue into the moist cavern of his mouth and sucked. Her nipples peaked and her core flooded. She pushed up, and gasped. He somehow knew the difference, and pulled back.
    “You need to do things my way Sophia. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
    “I’m not hurting myself,” she rushed to assure him.
    He looked down at her.
    “No lies, not even the little ones, okay? You just hurt yourself when you pushed against me, right?”
    She thought about it, she hated making a big deal out of small things, so that’s why she said she wasn’t hurting herself.
    “Mason, I just want to be strong for you. I don’t want to sound weak and needy.” She looked at the bedspread and avoided his gaze.
    He was silent for a long time.
    “How in the hell could you ever sound weak? Jesus,