Claimed by the Marine (9 page)

Her main fear was-would he allow
her
to be his?

“Hawk, you don’t have to…”

“Yes, I do,” he said deeply, grasping her face. “It was never a game for me Ashanti, and it’s certainly not that now. In my past, I’ve used my life as a Marine as an excuse to avoid real companionship. But for the first time, I’m not interested in excuses. I’m interested in trying.”

“I don’t see the point in…”

“Let me finish,” he said with a gentle laugh, his thumb smudging her bottom lip tenderly. “I know you’ve been hurt. And that ex of yours was a blind fool for letting you go. But I’m glad because now I have this opportunity to make it work with you. Just think, Ashanti; we could have run into each other sooner or later even if Bertha didn’t inadvertently set us up. And I know I’d have fallen for you the minute I saw you. You’ve got everything I like in a woman, babe. And you’ve got everything I want. Right here.”

Ashanti drew in a breath as his hand lifted to her body, thinking he was about to cup her breast. But no; he placed his hand upon her chest where her heart was pounding like a bass drum. A shuddery, emotional sigh escaped her lips.

“Hawk…”

“One chance, Ashanti. That’s all I need,” he said softly against her lips. His tongue lapped at her lower lip and made her moan when he nipped it with his teeth. “Even if it means keeping my hands off you the whole time while we try to make it work. I want to show you we can have more than hot, spicy sex between us.”

Ashanti shivered, her body melting into his as she finally let her heart begin to beat with expectation.
Dared
she hope? Hawk had shown her so much since they’d met. Proved to her how strongly she could be desired by a man who knew her worth. And though she’d tried to deny to herself that it was more than just the physical, right now she was beginning to see that if she only rose to the challenge, she might reap the benefits thereof.

And yet her smile was teasing and she gazed up at him. “Oh I don’t know…I kind of liked the hot, spicy sex.”

“Me too,” Hawk growled, his fingers sliding down her shoulders to her hips which he jerked hard against his swollen crotch. “But we can slow down, babe. We can take this step by step. I want to woo you…take you on romantic dates. Know all your dreams and what makes you tick. And I’m willing to let you into my world, too. We’ve got a connection, Ashanti. I felt it the second we met. And my gut instincts are never wrong.”

“Neither are mine,” Ashanti said soberly. Her whole heart told her to believe him. Her very soul reminded her that he was the first man who’d made her truly let go. She’d never been like this with Aaron and who knew; maybe he had sensed for both of them that it would be better if they tried to find their true match. And heaven help her; Hawkins Malone, sexy Marine with the sure, warm touch and passionate heart, matched her needs admirably well…

Chapter Nineteen

Two months of celibacy around a man like Hawk would make any normal woman start climbing the walls. But Hawk seemed determined to keep to his decision that they kept sex out of the equation in their budding relationship.

And Ashanti respected him for his willpower but goodness, it was starting to actually affect her not being able to have him. She’d tried everything in the past many weeks since they’d started dating just to get him to give in to her wiles. Seducing him with sexy clothes, touching him suggestively, or trying to get him in situations where he’d be helpless to resist her charms.

But resist her he did, every time.

Well, now that her birthday was coming up, she decided she was just about done with waiting. If he dared ask her what she wanted for her birthday, Ashanti swore she’d lay it on the line in no uncertain terms that what she needed was to be taken, hard. Until she couldn’t walk.

Turned out she was to have her wish.

There was a surprise party, of course. With Bertha, Janice, Rebecca and all their other friends plus of course Marcus and Hawk. Ashanti felt glad to be in love and to have Hawk by her side on her twenty-sixth birthday. By now she’d planned to be married and everything, but right then she wasn’t bothered about meeting so-called “milestones” that the world mapped out for people. For now, her most significant life event was earning the love and trust of the man of her dreams.

One tall gorgeous Marine, Hawk Malone.

When everyone was gone and they were alone, he wasted no time in drawing her close, kissing her deeply and telling her how happy he was to have her. Ashanti felt gleeful when he swung her into his arms and started leading her straight to her bedroom. Oh joy! She realized that tonight, indeed, would be the night.

They undressed and he spread her out upon the sheets like a feast he couldn’t wait to devour. He covered her body with his powerful weight and kissed her lips.

“Happy birthday, babe,” he said huskily, his hands cupping her head.

Ashanti’s hands flattened on his broad, smooth-skinned chest. “Am I going to get my big present now? Lord knows I’ve waited long enough for it,” she said with playful admonition.

“I know babe…and believe me, so have I. I’ve had a thousand cold showers since we started dating. I’m starting to think I have ice flowing through my veins now.” He was chuckling.

Ashanti laughed with delight. “All right then…allow me to at least thaw you out and make you nice and warm again.” Her body glided and writhed beneath him, making him conscious of each of her giving, soft curves.

“Temptress,” Hawk groaned.

Ashanti wasn’t interested in foreplay right now; she wished he’d plunge straight in and just
own
her.

“And before you distract me from what I was about to say…,” Hawk continued with a wince of pain as she slid her hands down his back and cupped his ass cheeks. She was moments from guiding him right to her moist, waiting entrance, and she felt his muscular frame tremor in anticipation. And yet still, he held back.

“Ashanti…tonight’s extra special, and for one more reason,” he finally said quietly, gazing into her eyes. “I’ll be leaving again for duty tomorrow. It’s going to be probably for several weeks. My team has to report in at 7 am in the morning.”

Ashanti groaned in agony, holding tighter to him as if he was already slipping from her fingers. “No, Hawk. Please.”

“I’ll be back, Ashanti. I’ll always be back.” His voice was deep with promise as he kissed her lips.

“I don’t want to lose you,” she breathed, tears welling in her eyes. “What you do is so dangerous…”

“Well, now I have more reason to make sure I always make it back…because I have you,” he told her firmly, his eyes tender. “It’ll be good for a Marine to know he has a fiancée waiting eagerly for his return. That’s one huge motivation, I can tell you.”

“Fiancée?” Ashanti’s voice was trembling.

“Yes,” Hawk said, reaching beneath the pillow at Ashanti’s head and retrieving a diamond ring. “I love you Ashanti. And I want to marry you. Please say yes?”

Oh my God oh my God
thought Ashanti, shocked to the marrow.

But she didn’t need to think twice. “Of course! Yes!” she said fervently, and watched with breathless joy as he grinned from ear to ear and slipped the ring on her engagement finger.

“You’ve made me so happy,” Hawk said deeply, and bent his head to take her lips. Ashanti returned the pressure and poured her whole heart in that kiss. Their tongues linked and clashed as with unerring accuracy, Hawk’s cock found her pussy. He slid in deep just as her hips moved up to meet him, and they both gasped into each other’s mouths.

It felt like forever since she’d had him inside her. And yet, once he was buried to the balls, it seemed like he’d never even left. Her soaked walls wrapped snugly around his hard length and stretched happily as he filled her. Hawk started to buck his hips repeatedly as he thrust so hard it was almost painful. And Ashanti welcomed the sweet agony, feeling her tender flesh melt beneath his pounding heat.

Her legs spread wider for him as she scored his back with her raking nails. Their kiss grew sloppier and hotter and the lewd sounds of his cock drilling her wetness filled the air. Every time Hawk slammed into her, Ashanti felt a jolt in her belly that felt like he would rip her apart.

She loved that his passion matched hers; she was so hungry for all of him that she was sobbing with her desire. She knew she would take as much of this as she could to hold her for the lonely weeks ahead. But her soldier would come back; she believed in her heart that he always would.

Just like he promised.

They rocked upon the bed in the fiery dance of lust. In every position they could maneuver, they tested the agility of their passions. And nothing was left to chance. Again and again Ashanti felt Hawk jab mercilessly at her g-spot till she was screaming for more. Her name ground from his lips in groans of pleasure as he fucked her even more deeply than ever. His thick long cock became slick with juices from her pussy as their constant smacking together reached its crescendo.

At last, lying side by side, face to face, Hawk clutched her hip tightly as he surged into her with those final series of drilling thrusts that had her body stretching out while she cried out her release. His orgasm was only seconds behind, making him roar as her walls contracted around his twitching cock. His seed filled her and she was moaning, her arms tight around his neck as she sought his lips.

“I love you,” Ashanti whispered clearly, before kissing her lover with a branding heat that sealed all their promises.

THE END

***

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About the Author

Dez Burke grew up in rural Alabama and spent most summers reading worn copies of her Grandmother's Harlequin Romances. Even as a young girl, she noticed the absence of African American characters. So today, she writes hot, steamy romance books featuring black women and gorgeous men of all races.

Copyright 2013 by Dez Burke

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Claimed by the Marine