Tripped Up by Nicole Austin & Allie Standifer Page B

known Jagger’s girl long, but it wasn’t surprising the outgoing woman had befriended Syn’s partner and tried to set her up with the last unattached member of the team.
    “She’s a sweetheart, Trip, with the best sense of humor, and one of the smartest, most talented women I know.” The minute the words left Alexa’s mouth, Trip’s libido sank.
    Every man with an ounce of testosterone knew those words were the knell of death for a blind date. Generally, those words translated to ugly, fat, and two steps away from licking windows on the freak bus.
    If it hadn’t been for Trip owing Jagger, he would have backed out as fast as a Navy trained SEAL could. Instead, he sucked up his dread and agreed to “hang out” with Alexa’s friend.
    Long, lush, and lickable were the first few descriptions that came to mind when he caught sight of the woman. Thick brown hair tumbled down her back in a tangle of wild curls that had his hands itching to slide through the dark mass. Curves upon curves had him checking his mouth for drool. Had he ever seen a woman more perfectly put together? Plump breasts big enough to overflow his palms, strained against her thin dress while the hard tip of her nipples pushed against the cotton barrier. Hips plush enough to cushion a man’s hard desire and sleek longs legs that would grip his ass or waist while she demanded more.
    Damn, what would it take to get her beneath him? Would she be offended if he tossed her against the wall and fucked her senseless then introduced himself? He’d been cock blocked since landing in the Florida Keys with his buddies for a little R&R. While the rest of the guys in his unit happily shackled themselves to single women, Trip had no intention of doing the same. He liked variety and one thing he’d never do was settle for the same flavor of woman for the rest of his life.
    It had been more than eight months since he’d touched a woman, sunk into a female’s wet heat, and lost himself in mindless pleasure.
    He reached down to adjust his aching cock through the thick material of his jeans. Maybe the babysitting jig Jagger and Ice dumped on him wouldn’t be as trying as he’d imagined. A little flirtation, some easy compliments, and he’d finally be able to end his almost yearlong enforced celibacy.
    Walking in to see this gorgeous creature pleasuring herself had his cock locked, loaded, and ready for action. Inhaling deeply, he smelled the musky scent of her arousal and it went right to his head. Shit, he wanted her. Wanted her so much he spoke without thinking and broke the sensual atmosphere in the dimly lit studio.
    ****
    Karen jerked upright and shot from the bed with the husky masculine voice still reverberating around in her head. Heart pounding, she yanked her dress into place before turning to face the sheer male perfection that greeted her. Tall, at least six-three, with long dark hair, his face half covered by a worn cowboy hat. She almost swallowed her tongue when their gazes finally met.
    He had the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen on a human being. The thought that he might be wearing colored contacts was quickly dismissed. Everything she’d seen and heard from Ice and Jagger assured her vanity in the looks department wasn’t part of the SEAL’s make-up.
    Chiseled cheekbones, a long Roman nose with a bump in the middle and full lips completed her inspection of the stranger she only knew from the other guys’ stories.
    “I’m guessing that’s a no,” her wet dream come to life drawled in a thick Texas accent. Of course, he had a drool worthy accent, one of her biggest weaknesses.
    “That’d be a hell no,” she snapped. She was ninety-nine percent sure this man was Garrett “Trip” Trippington, Ice’s and Jagger’s teammate, but the remaining one percent demanded caution when dealing with the unknown man. “I don’t have a clue who you are or how you got in here.”
    The hat came off in a move of practiced ease as a