Page 11 of First Surrender (The Serafina: Sin City 1)
He continued looking at her, an intense expression on his handsome face. “I love you,” he blurted.
She blinked.
Before she could even think of a proper response, he continued. “I know it’s the wrong time and probably too soon for you, but it’s true. I’ve felt this way for a long fucking time. Since about two months after we met.”
Sierra blinked again. “Why didn’t you say anything then?” The words came out louder than she’d intended, but Lord, she’d been harboring a crush on this man since the moment she’d met him. And she felt the same way too. Especially now.
“I…didn’t think I was good enough for you. I knew you were pretty innocent and I was still trying to transition to civilian life. You remember what I was like,” he muttered.
She laughed lightly. “Yeah, you were kind of a bear to be around.”
“And you were the only one to call me on it. At first I was just insanely attracted to you. You wouldn’t believe the fantasies I had about fucking you at Cloud 9 after hours.”
Sierra’s face heated at his words because she’d had more than a fantasy or two about him too. Probably not as dirty as his though. “I love you too, Hayden. I—”
Whatever she’d been about to say was lost as he crushed his mouth over hers. As his tongue danced with hers, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Thoughts of sleep and the insanity of the past couple days faded to nothing when she was with him. After everything that had happened, she was right where she wanted to be. Safe and in Hayden’s arms.
Chapter 8
One week later
At the sound of Hayden’s front door opening, Sierra slid the covered pan into the pre-heated oven and pressed start on the timer. She’d done all the prep work early so this would be ready to go as soon as he returned. It would give them an hour and a half until dinner was ready. There was plenty she wanted to do in that timeframe.
She was a gourmet chef, but for the last week he’d pretty much refused to let her do anything. Well, unless it involved her being naked, and cooking without clothes wasn’t something she was brave enough to try yet. The traditional style beef pot roast was incredibly simple but she’d spiced it up just a little. He ate at Cloud 9 all the time so she had no doubt he’d like the meal.
But she hoped he liked her surprise even more.
“Sierra?” Hayden called out in that voice that made her toes curl.
“In the kitchen.” She kept her back to the entryway, but looked over her shoulder, wanting to see his expression. Wearing just heels and a dainty little apron—which she’d changed into after prepping the meal—she’d wanted to do something fun for him tonight. It was a small apron, the square front cut barely covering her nipples and it was all lace and ruffles. Totally impractical for actual use, but she hoped Hayden found it sexy.
He’d had to stop by work to go over his schedule and to head up a meeting regarding next week’s security plans. It was standard for him, but for the last week they’d been so wrapped up in each other he had a lot of catching up to do. And that was because of her. Not that she felt guilty or anything, but still…
Hayden stepped into the doorway, his tie loosened and his button down shirt undone at the top. With a bouquet of flowers in his hand, he started to smile then froze, his arm falling limply to his side as he took in her outfit. The apron tied in a neat bow at the middle of her back but he could see pretty much all of her backside.
“Holy shit,” he growled.
She loved that she got that reaction out of him. Turning to face him, she didn’t bother fighting a smile as his gaze skated over her from head to toe. The way the black and white ruffled apron fell, it just barely covered her breasts. Walking toward him, she’d only taken two steps when he covered the distance between them in long, determined strides.
He dropped the flowers on the table before grabbing her hips and hoisting her up. Familiar with what he wanted, she wrapped her legs around his waist, plastering herself to him as he claimed her mouth in a hungry kiss that had her arching into his rock hard chest.
Surprising her, he pulled back after a few intense moments. Dazed, she blinked. “Why are you stopping?” She’d been thinking about this from the moment he’d left.
“I swore I wouldn’t jump you the second I got home.” His voice was raspy and oh so sexy.
Sierra laughed lightly. “Why not?”
“I feel like all I’ve done is keep you naked the last week.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” Starting to feel self conscious, she loosened her legs but he reached back and gripped her calves to hold her in place.
“No, I just wanted tonight to be special and…move in with me. Please,” he added.
Her eyes widened but her grin grew. “Okay.”
Now it was his turn to blink. “Okay?”
“You want me to argue?” It would have happened eventually and his place was huge and…she loved him.
“No, but I had a whole list of reasons prepared why you should.”
She let out a bark of laughter. “Always ready for everything,” she murmured.
Hayden instinctively tightened his grip on her smooth legs, then slid his hands back around until he cupped her ass.
When he’d seen her standing at the stove practically naked and her ass framed by the opening at the back of the apron, that familiar wave of possessiveness and love had welled up in him. He felt it every time he saw her.
It was jarring, foreign and…perfect. She’d filled a hole inside him he hadn’t even realized existed. Making the transition to civilian life had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. Somehow she’d made it easier, just by being herself. He couldn’t imagine his life without her. Didn’t want to.
Now that he’d finally surrendered to his feelings for her and they’d crossed over from friends to lovers he knew there was no going back for him. The fact that she’d agreed to move in so quickly soothed the most primal part of him. Because he wanted a hell of a lot more from her than that.
He wanted forever. It was too soon to ask the big question just yet, but by Christmas of this year, he was going to make sure a diamond ring was on her left hand ring finger. He wanted the whole world to know she belonged with him.
Too soon, he reminded himself as he skimmed his hands over her bare ass. He shuddered at just the feel of her smooth skin and lightly squeezed her. When he did, she moaned into his mouth. The woman was so reactive and he couldn’t get enough of her. He pulled back, and she opened her eyes.
“Bend over the island,” he barely managed to rasp out.
Her green eyes lit up with desire at his words. She let her legs drop and though he missed the feel of her wrapped tightly around him, he was dying to take her from behind. For the past week he’d tried to be as careful and gentle with her as he could. But her bruising had almost completely faded and he was hiding behind that excuse anyway. She wasn’t some breakable, fragile thing.
Sierra was one of the emotionally strongest women he knew. Yeah, she had insecurities like everyone else on the fucking planet, but she kept it together like no civilian he’d ever met. After the shooting he’d expected…something different from her. But she’d been so composed about the whole thing and that by itself, was hot.
“You’re trying to kill me,” he managed to rasp out as she bent over the marble island and pushed her ass toward him, grinning cheekily over her shoulder at him.
“You love it,” she murmured.
