Navy SEAL’s Virgin Lover (3 page)

Then he shook the image of her from his mind. He was way beyond women at this point in his life. And she was probably too young for him anyway. She looked like a college student, that innocent gleam in her eyes unmistakable.

He focused his attention back where it mattered: on the runway where his asshole friend Burke now clearly was standing him up.

He checked his phone again to see if he hadn’t messaged him? Nope, not a word.

And he was just resigned to return inside and head back to his cabin, when a gruff voice sounded a couple yards off.

“You look like an idiot in that outfit, Bradley.”

His lips curled into a smile at the sound of that voice, unmistakably belonging to his one and only friend.

“Burke. I should have known it was you, sneaking up on me like that.”

The big guy held out a hand the size of a coal shovel, and enveloped Raminar’s equally oversized mitt with it, then pulled him in for a hearty hug.

“You’re late,” grumbled Raminar.

“I know,” agreed the other man. “Had to let the tourists off first.”

“Still the gentleman, huh?”

Jake Burke stood grinning at him, and he marveled how little the big guy had changed since they’d last met. Still larger than life, all gleaming black muscle barely contained within a tank top that did little to hide his bulging chest and brawny arms.

“It’s good to see you, Raminar. I missed you.”

Raminar lifted a single brow. “What? Going all soft on me all of a sudden, are you? Long flight?”

Instead of answering, Burke stared down at the dog Raminar was holding. “What the hell is that?”

“Sam, this is Burke. Burke, meet Sam.”

Burke emitted a short bark of laughter. “This must surely be the ugliest mutt I’ve ever seen. Where did you pick him up? In a landfill?”

“Don’t confuse things, Burke. Sam picked
me
up, not the other way around. And he’s a shy, by the way.”

Burke shook his head, an amused expression on his face. “I knew you were weird, Bradley, but if I’d known you were this weird, I would have stayed home.”

Raminar clasped an arm around his buddy’s shoulder, and steered him into the terminal building. “I’m glad you decided to come. I need your help.”

Burke guffawed. “I
know
you need my help, partner. Don’t worry. I really do.”

Sam, always one to put in the last word, gave a short bark. This elicited another burst of laughter from the hulking Burke. “See? Even the dog agrees with me.”

“Yeah yeah. If you’re done making fun of me, perhaps we can finally get down to business? Did you bring the stuff?”

Burke grinned widely, displaying an impressive set of even white teeth. “What did you think I came all the way down here for? Of course I brought the stuff.”

Sophie watched as the two guys walked past her, wondering what the hell they were up to. The blond one she’d seen when he’d helped up her friend just now, but the other? He was on her flight, seated right behind her in fact. Each time she’d gone to the bathroom—and she’d gone a lot—long flights always had that effect on her bladder—he’d been watching her intently, his chocolate eyes practically undressing her each time.

Not that she minded. She liked the look of him. He was big and strong, yes, but also seemed kind. For a brief moment she’d wondered whether to apply for the mile high club, but then had decided against it. After all, she really didn’t know the guy, and for all she knew he could be married, or worse, gay, or worse still, an absolute prick.

But something told her he was neither married, gay or a prick. In fact, the more she watched him watching her, the more she thought he might be just what the doctor ordered.

After all, it wasn’t just Erin who’d come to India seeking a soulmate. With the disastrous state her love life was in, she could really use a break. And this guy might be looking for just such a break as well. Or else he wouldn’t be staring at her as if ready to devour her whole.

And then there was the fact he was black. She wondered if there was some truth to what they said about black guys and their…

She swallowed at the thought of it. If this guy put his hands on her, he’d probably handle her just like a big girl needed handling, and if his cock turned out to be of humongous proportions as well… She swallowed away a growing lump in her throat, and thought she felt something stir between her legs.

The two men ambled past, but just when she thought the big guy had forgotten all about her, he directed a look at her so smoldering, she all but melted on the spot. The next moment, her cheeky side had taken control, and she blew a kiss at the guy. For a moment, his eyebrows shot up, then a slow smile spread on his lips, and he started walking over to her.

Her throat constricted. Oh, God. What had she done now? He was coming!

Approaching her with steady step, he bent down and fixed her with one of those sultry stares she’d grown accustomed to on the plane.

“Young lady,” he offered. “I hope the flight was to your satisfaction?”

“Why? Are you the captain?” she heard herself ask. God, she was just making things worse!

He smiled at this. “Not exactly, but from the way you kept running off to the toilet, I couldn’t help but wonder if everything was all right with your…” He cast a suggestive look between her thighs, then captured her eyes again with those molten orbs of his. “… equipment.”

“My equipment is fine, thank you very much,” she bit back. She didn’t know where she got the nerve, but she then directed a similar look at the guy’s package, which even through his khaki slacks appeared as impressive as the rest of him. “How about you?”

He brought his face closer to hers, his powerful arms framing her face as he gripped the back of the bench. “No complaints yet.” Then he grinned. “Any time you want to…” He pursed his lips. “… sample the goods, be my guest, Miss…”

“Racklin. Sophie Racklin.” Her cheeks were burning hot, and she couldn’t believe he’d just said what he said.

He took her hand in his, dwarfing it in the process.
My-god-his-hands-are-big-you-know-what-they-say-about-hands-and-cocks!
He pressed his lips on her hands, his eyes never leaving hers. “Burke. Jake Burke. At your service. Sophie.”

She merely giggled nervously. Then he gave her a brief nod, and retreated to join his friend again.

“See you around, Jake,” Sophie belted out.

He turned back and gave her a small salute, then stalked off.

“Sophie! What was that all about!” intoned her friend.

“I… have no idea,” confessed Sophie. “He just came over and… Did you see the size of his… hands? My God! The guy’s huge!”

“He is,” agreed Erin. “And not just his hands. Seems to me the rest of him is just as big.”

Sophie slapped a hand across her brow. “Dammit! I should have asked where he was staying! Aaargh!”

“Don’t worry. Like you said, if he truly is your soulmate, the universe will find a way to bring you back together again.”

Sophie eyed her friend blankly. “Who fed you that nonsense?”

Erin frowned. “You did?”

“Oh. Right. I guess I did.” She shrugged. “Well, you’re probably right. If I’m meant to be with that guy—” She broke into a wide grin. “Can you believe he said that thing about sampling his goods!” She cackled loudly. “I don’t mind if I do, good sir!”

Erin merely smiled. She was thinking about the well-hung gentleman’s friend. The one who had saved her from a nasty fall before.

While Sophie was having her interesting, erm, conversation with Jake Burke, the man had been giving her the eye.

Though at first she hadn’t noticed, he’d definitely been checking her out. She’d been too busy reading Lonely Planet India, but then had happened to look up straight into his eyes. The moment she noticed him, he looked away, pretending to be busy with his dog, but not before giving her a tiny hint of a smile.

She’d nodded in recognition, and had frowned at the unwanted attention.

He looked… interesting. Long blond hair reaching to his collar and clear blue eyes indicated he might be some surfer dude, but the khaki shirt and slacks belied that impression. For some reason, he struck her as military. She thought it was probably the steady, thoughtful way he gazed upon the world. When those blue eyes had rested on her for a moment, she’d noticed a depth in them she’d never seen in a man. And he unmistakably was exactly that: a man. All the guys she’d ever hung out with had been boys, but this man had long ago outgrown that stage in his development.

He’d been playing with his dog for a moment, and she’d taken the opportunity to study him more closely. He had the bearing of an athlete, but not one who idly spends his time in the surf. More one who’s been trained to use his body as a lethal weapon. His powerful arms, his bulging chest and his strong hands all told her here stood a man not to be trifled with, and the slow methodical way he handled himself revealed studied economy of movement and comportment.

She couldn’t help but feel an interest in the man. She wondered who he was and what he was doing here.

The moment Sophie’s little tête-à-tête with the man’s friend was at an end, he’d glanced up at her and given her a slow smile before turning away and walking out of her life again.

Somehow, she had the feeling she’d be seeing more of this man. She didn’t know where or when, but a yearning had been stirred in her bosom that wouldn’t be quenched before she learned all there was to know about him.

“Who was that girl?”

Ram had taken his friend to the rental—a rare muscle car he’d picked up from a dealership in the heart of town—and they were now heading back to his cabin.

Burke didn’t seem surprised by the question.

“Sophie Racklin,” he said slowly, drawing out every syllable and rolling it around his tongue. “A most delectable creature, huh?”

“She wasn’t bad-looking,” Ram agreed. “Albeit a bit on the plump side for my taste.”

“Ah, but those are the best, my friend. And my taste exactly.” He pressed thumb and index finger together and made a show of smacking his lips against them. “A peach of a girl. And a pussy ripe for the plucking, or my name isn’t Jake Burke.”

Ram grimaced. He hadn’t brought his friend all the way out to India to savor the local tourists. Far more important things were at stake and he said as much.

“Don’t worry, Bradley. I’ve got my eye on the ball and I won’t drop it if that’s what you’re worried about. Besides, it’s not as if the two are mutually incompatible.” He grimaced widely. “Business and pleasure, buddy. Business. And pleasure.”

“Just as long as you know which comes first,” Raminar grunted.

His friend’s radiance wasn’t diminished by this reprimand, for he now directed that toothpaste smile at him. “Besides, I saw you checking out the local fauna and flora yourself.” He threw his head in his neck and guffawed. “Never thought I’d see the day Raminar Bradley stoops so low as to ogle a girl at the airport.”

“I wasn’t ‘ogling’ her. I was merely making sure she was all right. She almost made a bad fall back there.”

“Oh, right. That’s why you were practically undressing her with your eyes, huh?”

“I was doing no such thing.”

Burke’s expressive face displayed his incredulity. “You’re telling me you don’t feel attracted to this girl?”

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.” He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, the direction the conversation was taking distressing him in no small measure.

“Then I’m telling you you’re a liar, buddy. And a very bad one at that. You totally dig that chick. I can tell.”

“Oh, you can, can you?” Ram asked wryly. “Look, why don’t we change the subject? I’m not interested in your love life and you’re not interested in mine, so let’s just do what we came here for and not get sidetracked.”

Burke held up his hands in a gesture of defense. “Excuse me for breathing, Bradley. Just making conversation, bro. No reason to get all nasty on me all of a sudden.”

Ram sighed. He really didn’t want to go there with Burke, whom he considered a good and loyal friend, unlike some others he’d known.

“Look, I’m sorry, all right? If you want to discuss girls, it’s fine by me.”

“Nope,” said Burke, staring at the passing landscape. “The subject is closed as far as I’m concerned.”

“Don’t be like this, Burke. You know you’re the only friend I’ve got.”

“I know that and you should probably think twice before pissing me off.”

Raminar glanced over at his friend. Then he noticed the hint of a smile on the other man’s face and he heaved an inaudible sigh of relief. “I liked… her hair,” he finally confessed.

“Come again?”

“The way…” He waved his hand helplessly about, trying to express a thought he’d never be able to put into words. “The way it was all wavy and tousled up and seemed to frame her face just so.”

“Just so, huh?”

“Yeah. And then there were those eyes.”

“Oh, the eyes.”

“They were…” He frowned, thinking of just the right word to describe the sheer beauty of the girl’s eyes. “Green,” he finally managed quite lamely.

“Green. Red hair and green eyes.”

“Yes. Uh-huh. And her figure.”

“Oh, there’s more?”

“When I caught her, she was so light on her feet, as if… as if…”

He was surprised by the sound of a gas pipe bursting next to him, and when he looked over, saw that Burke was huffing with mirth. He clapped a hand on his shoulder that almost had him eating his steering wheel.

“Damn, man! That’s the lamest thing I’ve ever heard!” He mimicked Ram by pursing his lips and narrowing his eyes. “She has red hair and green eyes and her body is very light. Uh-huh.”

“I’m happy I’m a source of entertainment for you, buddy,” growled Ram.

“You know what you should do? You should tell her everything you just told me. Miss? I like your eyes. They’re so nice and green. And your hair, too. I’m sure she’ll be all over you.”

“That’s the difference between you and me. I don’t
want
her to be all over me.”

Burke nodded his head emphatically. “Oh, you do, Bradley. You
so
want this girl. I can tell.”