Free Infatuation- Harmless Military 7 by Melissa Schroeder

of any commitment. At the moment, he wasn’t thinking of the future—she was sure of that. Doing this, she was taking a chance on her heart but not her body. Even in his state, she knew that he would never abuse her. He couldn’t think beyond today. She understood that. It was the only way he could cope with whatever he was going through. Still, she knew that he would never dally with her if he hadn’t felt some kind of connection. She knew he was good, a really good man. And right now, he needed her.
    “I don’t need any warnings, McKade.” She settled her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. He wasn’t going to scare her off, not now. “Unless you aren’t up to the task, Seal.”
    He hesitated for a second, as if not believing she had just challenged him. The silence stretched as they stood there staring at each other. For a moment, just a moment, she thought he might walk away. That scared her more than his mood right now. Then, he grabbed her arm again and dragged her back to her room. Not that she was fighting him at all. She wanted this, wanted him in her bed.
    He shut the French doors behind him and locked them. When he turned to her, she felt the first little lick of real fear. He masked his emotions, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Shannon knew he was a good man, but she wondered at the moment if he realized it himself.
    “Strip.”
    She hesitated, not sure if she heard him right. This was not the playful lover she knew in Hawaii, the one who laughed with her in bed. This man was definitely dangerous. While he did scare her a bit, there was another emotion coursing along with it. Arousal .
    “Did you hear me, Shannon? Do it now, or I’ll punish you.”
    She shivered at the thought of what he might do. It would definitely be more than last time, she was sure of that. She did as he ordered but slowly. She wanted to make sure that he understood she was giving this to him. It was her choice, not his.
    She removed her high-heeled sandals, kicking them to the wall and out of the way. Then, she slowly pulled down the zipper to her dress. She shimmied out of it, letting it fall to the floor. He showed no emotion in his expression. If anything, he looked mad. His lips turned down in a concentrated frown. His eyes, though, told another story. Heat was burning still, even hotter than before.
    “Panties and bra too, Shannon.”
    He didn’t raise his voice, but she heard the command. His tone was low and gravelly. It did odd things to her. She liked a little playing in the bedroom, but she had never seen herself as someone who would be into hardcore BDSM. But that low, demanding voice was starting to get to her. In fact, it made her want to make him happy, to please him.
    She undid her bra, and he watched. A first for her. She had never stripped for a man. Not that she hadn’t thought about it, or didn’t have enough confidence in herself to do it. She had just never wanted to do it for a man. Until now.
    She shook her shoulders, freeing the fabric and causing her breasts to sway slightly. The cool air hit her nipples, and she drew in a sharp breath. They were already so sensitive. She could not imagine what it would feel like when he touched them. By the time she got it free, she thought he made a sound, but she wasn’t sure. He still showed no emotion on his face, and if she hadn’t been so tuned in to him, she probably would have missed it.
    She held the bra out and then dropped it to the floor. She waited.
    “The panties.”
    Again, not loud, but even more demanding. Shannon got the feeling that Kade was barely holding onto his control, and something in her wanted to push him over the edge. She turned to face the bed, giving him full view of the red thong she wore. Again, as slowly as she could, she skimmed them down her legs, bending over as she did so. Her pussy throbbed, her body ready to be touched, pleasured. She stepped out of them.
    “Turn around.”
    She did, and the man she faced