His woman smiled back at the camera. In front of her was a large, chocolate-frosted cake. For the first time in a picture, the glasses weren’t present and he was able to see her dark-brown eyes. She smiled and it lit up her whole face, making his chest tighten and his cock harden unbearably. Her hair was unbound and curled around her shoulders. The dress she wore showed a great deal of cleavage, more daring than anything he’d seen her in as the hem ended before her knee. Kaley was pressing the knife into the cake. She practically sparkled with joy.
Quinn had already set the wheels in motion for him to be out of the SEALs. This picture had only confirmed what he would do. It would only be a matter of time before another man saw what he did and fought past her boundaries to get to the woman within. He saw the sensuality trapped inside her. The need in her eyes to be taken, to be loved, shone brightly back at him. There was so much need inside her he was surprised Dorothy hadn’t pushed one of her male friends onto Kaley. His sister hadn’t, and so, Quinn was finally ready to make Kaley his. He’d be the one to unlock the passion inside her. He alone would reap the rewards, and when it was all over, he’d be the one she fell in love with.
All he needed to do was persevere. It wasn’t hard. He’d been a Navy SEAL—seducing a woman would be a walk in the park.
****
“I’m going to head to the library,” Kaley said, putting all her notes into her bag. She’d taken an extra class at the college to pass her time.
“Okay.” Dorothy appeared out of the kitchen, holding a wooden spoon. “You’re going to be gone until this evening, right?”
Kaley frowned at the hopeful look on her friend’s face. “Huh? What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Nothing’s going on.” Dorothy rubbed the end of the wooden spoon against her head. Thick chocolate batter coated it, looking way too tempting.
Her suspicions rose as she looked at Dorothy. “You’re acting strangely.”
“It’s summer. The heat is getting to me.”
Shrugging, Kaley put her satchel over her shoulder. She worked at the library five days a week and spent most of her evenings there while she studied. When she wasn’t working or studying, she wrote. Kaley loved to write stories, explicit stories filled with adventure and intrigue.
“Do you want me to pick something up for dinner?”
“Nah, I’m going to cook.”
Again, her suspicions rose. Between the pair of them, Dorothy rarely cooked while Kaley loved to. “I’m a little confused right now. Who’s coming to dinner?”
“No one. I’ve got the need to cook.”
With her hands on her hips, Kaley stared back at her friend. Dorothy’s face became devoid of any emotion.
“You can keep looking at me all you want, Kaley Woods. I’m not doing anything wrong. I need to cook and it’s not your day in the kitchen, it’s mine.”
Shaking her head, Kaley walked to the door, guilty for her suspicions about her friend. “I’ll see you later.”
“Take care.”
“I will.” She closed their apartment door, making her way downstairs toward the entrance. Kaley walked the several blocks to the city library. It was a busy Friday morning, and she dodged as many people as possible on her way. The only problem with living in the city was the constant busyness of the people. They were always on the go, refusing to stop or apologize for banging into you.
Dropping her glasses onto her face, she tucked her head down, crossing her arms over her breasts as she walked up the entrance steps.
On the way inside, she stopped at the business section, gathering six books she’d need for studying.
Martha, a librarian in her forties, nodded at her. “You’re back again.” Martha had given her the job, showing her the ropes. Kaley liked the woman, considered her a friend.
“Yeah, studying.”
“Honey, you’re twenty-four years old. Surely there’s a man out there waiting for you.”
For some reason, Quinn, Dorothy’s brother, came to mind. Rubbing at her temples, she tried to force memories of him away. “No, no one.”
“You’re a beautiful young woman, Kaley. You need to stop hiding behind those glasses and those books.” Martha shook her head.
Not knowing what to say, she took the books toward the study area. She removed her satchel, pulled out her notebooks, and started to work. Every now and then she’d rub at her temple to try to clear the thoughts of Quinn.
He was the one person who always invaded her thoughts whenever anyone talked about a man. He made her so nervous that she made every excuse she could not to be in the same room alone with him. Since he became a SEAL, something had changed. He stared at her all the time. Each time he held her gaze, she was sure he saw a hell of a lot more than she would have liked. No matter what she tried to hide, Quinn seemed to know about the desires running through her body.