Cruisin' For A SEAL: SEAL Brotherhood #5 by Sharon Hamilton Page B

he wished he could turn all her pent-up emotion into passion. He knew he could love her until she shattered beneath him and set them both free.
    “I’m confused,” she whispered.
    “No crime in that.”
    “I thought I’d feel different.”
    “Um hum,” He wasn’t going to touch that one. His thumb rubbed against her shoulder in a lazy figure eight pattern. He worked to bring his breathing in line with hers, in tandem.
    “I love him.”
    “That asshole upstairs?” Mark asked chuckling softly. He knew the answer, but was trying to make light.
    “No. Roberto is Matheus’s best friend.”
    “Some best friend. I’d kill someone who treated my woman like that.”
    She jerked at this comment. He’d hit a nerve.
    Good to know.
    “It bothers me too.”
    “It should. No offense, but, Sophia, how well do you really know your fiancé? I mean, if this is his best friend, what are his lesser friends like?”
    She pulled away and he removed his arm from her shoulder. Okay, so he’d crossed a line there.
    “Mark, I know it sounds crazy, but that afternoon we had—” she stopped and drew in a big breath again.
    He was all in at this point. It was either going to be really bad or pretty freaking good. He was hoping for the freaking part.
    “That afternoon,” she began and looked up at him innocently.
    God, he wanted to kiss her again. She kept staring at his lips, too. The lady was driving him nuts. Her body was a furnace, sending constant messages to his body parts that of course had now waked up and were screaming for more.
    “It changed me.”
    There it was. Did he want to hear this? Hell, yes, he did. He’d go down in flames, but he’d let her finish and take as damned long as she wanted to. Every second he could have with her thigh against his, her arms lightly brushing against his, the way her hair smelled, how good it felt to match her breathing. He elongated the breaths and she followed. She followed his lead. He was pacing her. Holy shit, she was getting aroused!
    Into the abyss he plunged. Her eyes longed for something he knew he could provide, and it didn’t belong to someone who would have such an asshole friend as the prancing Brazilian stallion. It belonged to a guy who grew up driving pickup trucks and worked on his body quietly, who knew how to dish out pain, but was sent in to stop it. Who could blow up a bad guy but tenderly console a child. There were no dance floors for that kind of person, no cheering crowds or intoxicated fans.
    He found the strength to say it at last. “It changed me too, Sophia. I only wish I’d met you before you got engaged. And I know that sounds crazy, but if you’re not sure, then my personal opinion is you should think about it further before committing your life to someone.”
    He had to stand up. He stared out the plastic windows at the sea beyond. Something about this wasn’t fair. No mistaking the attraction. But he couldn’t take another man’s woman, no matter how much he wanted her. He braced himself and turned to face her. Looking down on her beautiful face, he knew he had to do the right thing.
    “Sophia, I feel like I have to apologize. It was one thing to hook up when I didn’t know you were already taken. But now that I know you have a fiancé, it would be wrong to take advantage of you, indulge in something I know we both want, but shouldn’t. I don’t want someone that way. I don’t want any regrets afterwards.”
    She examined her crossed ankles. The red dress had hitched dangerously high on her thighs. The red flower clip over her ear was askew and in danger of falling out.
    “I’m going to break it off, Mark. I know now I wouldn’t have so many doubts if it was right to go ahead with this marriage.”
    “Not because of me, you’re not.”
    “No. Yes. Well, partly. I don’t think I’d be as attracted to you if I truly loved Matheus the way—”
    It was way too soon for her to be saying things like this. He willed her to keep her mouth