A noise broke from him that made her pull back to look into his eyes. “Oh my God, Sean, you’re going to cry!”
“Marines don’t cry. But we do come prepared.” He reached into his pocket and drew out a ring box.
She stumbled back, both hands clasped over her mouth. Butterflies hatched in her stomach and she didn’t know how long she could remain standing. Shock took over.
“You… were going to propose to me tonight too?”
“You beat me to it, and I’ve forgotten all the pretty words I meant to say to you. But…” He dropped to one knee, the box cracked open to reveal a stunning diamond solitaire in platinum. He stared into her eyes. “Elise, will you be my wife? I love you. I’ll never stop loving you. And I promise to work hard for you and do everything in my power to come home to you.”
“Oh my God, Sean. I love you so much. Yes!” She stepped forward and hit her knees in front of him. He yanked her into his arms and kissed her, a deep, heartfelt kiss that warmed her entire body and started a thrum between her thighs.
As he slanted his mouth over hers, he caught her hand and slid the ring onto her finger. She broke away to gaze down at it.
“It’s so beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you, but I couldn’t find anything that matched as well.”
“I love it.” They shared a grin.
“Now about this dress.”
“We have dinner reservations downstairs, but I think we can miss it for this important meeting.”
“Uh-huh.” He eyed her breasts, making her nipples pucker.
She slid his tie through her fingers, cocking her head to the side as she considered how to go about unwrapping this extraordinary present. First thing she was going for was that yummy spot on his neck. She leaned in and opened her mouth over it.
He groaned and she felt him getting hard against her. Need sprang up, and she couldn’t go slow. She ripped at his clothes. Working his shirt buttons and tearing off his tie. His suit lay crumpled on the floor and her dress topped the stack as he lifted her and walked to the bed, controlling her mouth like the master he was.
When he laid her down, she surged up to grip his cock. The velvet steel in her hand along with the shiny new engagement ring made her pause.
“All right, cher?”
“Yes.” She went her lips. “I want to suck you.” Without waiting for his response, she shimmied down his body and swallowed him whole. Feeling the big man lose control under her tongue gave her a heady feeling. And when she lapped at his balls, he grunted and yanked her up the bed.
“Enough. I need to slide into your slick pussy.”
His dirty talk fueled her fires. She parted her thighs in invitation and he didn’t think twice before pressing his swollen head to her wet heat. He paused, holding her gaze. “I love you, Elise.”
“Love you, Sean.” She pushed her hips upward as he slammed into her, joining them, stretching her to the point of no return. Her mind shattered and she only felt. Sensation took hold and she bucked her hips, driving them to an end that had the walls vibrating just like the last time they’d shared this bed in this inn.
* * * * *
Sean couldn’t quit looking at his fiancée. His bride-to-be. With her skin gleaming in the moonlight and stray grains of sand clinging to her shoulders, she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. And her wearing his ring only compounded that feeling.
She brought her knees up to her chest, her hair caught by the Gulf breezes. They’d just made love on the sand and he was still hard. He couldn’t get enough of her.
She turned her head, the long arch of her neck begging for his lips. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Just thinking you’re beautiful.” His Cajun drawl was more prominent, and she smiled. “And there’s something else I wanted to tell you tonight.”
She held out her hand and examined her engagement ring. “More than this?”
He nodded. Suddenly, he didn’t know how she’d take hearing him say that he’d walked out on Team Rou—or that Colonel Jackson had been disappointed but gung-ho to have Hawk take his place.
“Sean, what is it? This is the start of our lives together, and I want you to always be honest with me.”
He drew in a deep breath, scented with salt and Elise. “It’s about Team Rou.”
Her lips parted, and an expression of sheer worry crossed her beautiful features. “What about it?”
“I know you told me to take the position, but I’ve been thinking. It just isn’t for me, and it’s not only about McMahon, though God knows that was a hard loss.” His voice broke and he took a second to collect himself.
She scooted closer on the sand and put her arms around him, offering comfort.
“But I guess it was that moment that started me thinking harder about my place. I always wanted a leadership role, but once I had it, I realized that being second in command is just as important.”
She gaped at him. “Of course it is, Sean. Did you ever believe it wasn’t?”
He shrugged. “I know I’m a crucial part of the team. Each of us is. But I’ve made some decisions and it affects you too.”
“I gave up Rou, Elise. And Hawkeye’s taking over.” He watched her.
She blinked and then a smile came over her face. “Damn, I bet he’s thrilled about that. He was jealous as hell when they gave the team to someone else and then to you. It’s where his heart is.”
He stared at her. Did that mean his heart wasn’t with Elise anymore, as her handler? That presented more worries for Sean about who was going to take over that role for her, but she was a strong woman and would be all right no matter who fed her the information necessary to do her job.
“You’re okay with it, then? With Hawk being leader?”
“Of course. He’s a friend, Sean, but nothing more. You know that. So, does that mean you’re back on Knight Ops again?”
He nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. When he’d made a group call to his brothers and Rocko, they’d raised a deafening cheer at the news. That had made him feel pretty damn good about his decision.
He flexed his arms around Elise, the only woman in the world for him and the center of his universe. “Thank you for being so damn supportive of me. I know it’s not easy loving a man like me.”
“Or a woman like me.”
She was right—he’d go crazy each time she got an operation of her own.
He raised her chin with his knuckles to look into her eyes. “We’ll handle it together. And we can always come back to this inn to reconnect.”
She leaned in to brush her lips across his, the tenderness drawing all his love and need to the surface. He had to put his hands on her, bury his cock in her.
“I was thinking we could have our wedding reception here. Keep it small, just family. I’ll invite my mother and her man.”
“That sounds perfect, cher.”
“More than perfect.” She threaded her fingers around his nape and brought his head down for a lingering kiss that sealed the deal on their plans for the rest of their lives.
THE END
If you’ve enjoyed HEAT OF THE KNIGHT, I would love if you’d take a moment to leave a review. —Em Petrova
Next up—book 3 of the Knight Ops series—HOT LOUISIANA KNIGHT
Em Petrova
Em Petrova was raised by hippies in the wilds of Pennsylvania but told her parents at the age of four she wanted to be a gypsy when she grew up. She has a soft spot for babies, puppies and 90s Grunge music and believes in Bigfoot and aliens. She started writing at the age of twelve and prides herself on making her characters larger than life and her sex scenes hotter than hot.
She burst into the world of publishing in 2010 after having five beautiful bambinos and figuring they were old enough to get their own snacks while she pounds away at the keys. In her not-so-spare time, she is fur-mommy to
a Labradoodle named Daisy Hasselhoff and works as editor with USA Today and New York Times bestselling authors.
Find Em Petrova:
Website
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SUBSCRIBE
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Other Indie Titles by Em Petrova
Knight Ops Series
ALL KNIGHTER
HEAT OF THE KNIGHT
HOT LOUSIANA KNIGHT
Wild West Series
SOMETHING ABOUT A LAWMAN
SOMETHING ABOUT A SHERIFF
SOMETHING ABOUT A BOUNTY HUNTER
SOMETHING ABOUT A MOUNTAIN MAN
Operation Cowboy Series
KICKIN’ UP DUST
SPURS & SURRENDER
The Boot Knockers Ranch Series
PUSHIN’ BUTTONS
BODY LANGUAGE
REINING MEN
ROPIN’ HEARTS
ROPE BURN
COWBOY NOT INCLUDED
The Boot Knockers Ranch Montana
COWBOY BY CANDLELIGHT
THE BOOT KNOCKER’S BABY
ROPIN’ A ROMEO
Country Fever Series
HARD RIDIN’
LIP LOCK
UNBROKEN
SOMETHIN’ DIRTY
Rope ‘n Ride Series
BUCK
RYDER
RIDGE
WEST
LANE
WYNONNA
Rope ‘n Ride On Series
JINGLE BOOTS
DOUBLE DIPPIN’
LICKS AND PROMISES
A COWBOY FOR CHRISTMAS
LIPSTICK ‘N LEAD
The Dalton Boys
COWBOY CRAZY Hank’s story
COWBOY BARGAIN Cash’s story
COWBOY CRUSHIN’ Witt’s story
COWBOY SECRET Beck’s story
COWBOY RUSH Kade’s Story
COWBOY MISTLETOE a Christmas novella
Single Titles and Boxes
STRANDED AND STRADDLED
LASSO MY HEART
SINFUL HEARTS
BLOWN DOWN
FALLEN
FEVERED HEARTS
WRONG SIDE OF LOVE
Firehouse 5 Series
ONE FIERY NIGHT
CONTROLLED BURN
SMOLDERING HEARTS
Club Ties Series
LOVE TIES
HEART TIES
MARKED AS HIS
SOUL TIES
ACE’S WILD
The Quick and the Hot Series
DALLAS NIGHTS
SLICK RIDER
SPURRED ON
Also, look for traditionally published works on her website.