She knew what he meant. He wanted to watch her turn herself on. He wanted to watch her come. For one second she thought about stepping out of the tub, wrapping up in a towel and denying him that. Only for a second, though. Then she dipped her hand between her legs again.
Knowing Dan was watching her served as all the aphrodisiac she needed. Swirling her fingers over herself, dipping and sliding them inside of her, thinking about what it would feel like when Dan slipped inside of her—because he would someday—she panted with her rising desire.
“Sarah—look at me.”
She did so, over her shoulder. She watched him watching her back. Stroking himself, his breath as quick and hard as hers.
With a cry she went over the edge, still watching him. Barely another moment passed before he tilted his head back and groaned, coming hard under his own touch. Sarah cried out again, her release going on and on, fueled by the knowledge that he was taking in every second of her passion. This was far more revealing than stripping off her clothes. This was like cracking open her soul.
When she was done, she hesitated, breathing hard, flushed from the experience but also from embarrassment. That was too much to share with someone like Dan, who took every opportunity to compete with her.
Dan swiftly moved beside her, kneeling in the water. He put a hand under her chin and tilted it up so she had to look at him. “You are so beautiful.” He kissed her deeply and she understood from that kiss that he would never use what she’d shared with him against her. When he broke off the kiss, he pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her and rested her head against his chest so that she could hear his heartbeat loud and strong. He held her that way until she relaxed against him, knowing his embrace was his way of showing her how grateful he was she’d opened herself to him. Sarah trusted what his body was saying. She could have stayed there forever, but the tub beneath her knees was hard and the water was growing cool.
They showered off together, their ban on touching lifted without a word from either one. Sarah gave him his five minutes and more, allowing him to soap her up all over again, rinse off her body, and then kneel down between her legs and bring her to another shuddering orgasm as the water sluiced down over her and she braced herself against his wide, strong shoulders.
“What about you?” she gasped afterward when he turned the shower off.
“Next time.” He stole a deep, hungry kiss.
Would there be a next time? Sarah met his gaze again, and decided the answer was yes.
Chapter Seven
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“I told you you’d like her,” Mason told Dan the next day as Dan helped him finish the morning chores. They moved down the line of stalls topping up the feed mixture for each of the horses. They’d already checked the cattle herd and made sure all was right with the critters that were this ranch’s bread and butter.
“I have to admit it, you were right.”
Mason glanced at him. “You disappeared for a long time yesterday afternoon.”
“Got a little distracted.”
“I’ll bet.” Mason laughed. “I meant what I said yesterday, though. You screw this up and I’ll never hear the end of it from Regan.”
“I won’t screw it up.” Dan hesitated. “How did you know Regan was the one?”
Mason’s eyebrows shot up. “The one? Hell, Dan, you’ve only known Sarah for a couple of days. I wasn’t saying you have to marry her.”
“I know. It wasn’t remotely on my radar when I arrived on the plane, but Sarah isn’t interested in a one-night stand. She’s looking for more.” He shrugged. “I guess I am too. Surprisingly enough. Not marriage, necessarily. Not yet, anyway. But something.” He braced himself for Mason’s ridicule, but Mason looked thoughtful.
“It’s funny how it hits you hard all at once, isn’t it? One minute you’re a SEAL with a job to do, one hundred percent concentrated on the mission at hand. The next minute—boom!—you’re ready to get married.”
“It was like that for you?”
“Yeah, it was,” Mason admitted. “Hit me like a ton of bricks. Guess I always thought I’d have to do a bunch of soul-searching to make my choice, but as soon as I saw Regan, something clicked. It was that simple.”
“Feels about that simple with Sarah.” He was grateful Mason was the kind of friend he could say this out loud to. “I didn’t think I was the marrying kind.”
Mason laughed. “Buddy, no man thinks he’s the marrying kind until suddenly the marrying kind is all he is. If you think you could love Sarah, go for it. Don’t mess around and get caught short-handed when another man steals her away.”
Another man? Hell, no. Every fiber in his body denied that possibility. No one was allowed to touch Sarah.
No one but him.