Taken by Lora Leigh
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for love lost and love found and all the memories in between
contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
reno’s chance
for maggie’s sake
atlanta heat
night hawk
cooper’s fall
sheila’s passion
Also by Lora Leigh
About the Author
Copyright
reno’s chance
prologue
it wasn’t a party she wanted to go to, but Raven had promised her best friend Morganna that she would be there. Being there meant she would, of course, run into Reno. Reno, with the softest gray eyes she had ever seen, the most luscious buff body God had ever given a man. As she left the bathroom, her body washed, scrubbed, lotioned, and perfumed, she assured herself it wasn’t for Reno.
But she knew better.
Her body knew better.
She wanted to come up with an excuse to stay home, but she knew she wouldn’t. It had been weeks since she had seen him and she missed him.
They were friends, she told herself. She was allowed to miss him. It didn’t mean anything. Just because her heart hammered in her chest at the thought of seeing him, her breasts became swollen, her nipples hard and tight, it didn’t mean anything except he could turn her on.
That was all it meant.
She threw herself on the bed, turning on her back to stare at the ceiling overhead. It wasn’t the ceiling she saw, though. She closed her eyes and it was Reno she saw. His head lowering, his lips so full and sensual, taking hers.
She was shocked at the moan that passed her lips, the heaviness that filled her body, the liquid warmth she could feel between her thighs. His hands were broad, callused. How would they feel moving over her naked body, cupping her breasts as his fingers, then his tongue, rasped over her nipples?
She licked her finger and thumb, moving it to her nipple, mimicking what she thought he would do, and had to bite her lip to keep from crying out at the pleasure.
“Yes,” she whispered instead. “That’s what I want, only better.”
And it would be better. His fingers would be hotter, rougher, more demanding.
Her legs shifted on the bed as her hand moved down her midriff.
Pathetic, her mind jeered.
She could fantasize, she told herself fiercely. That’s all it was, just a fantasy.
She touched the bare flesh between her thighs and a broken sigh fell from her lips.
God, she wanted him.
And she could have him. She knew she could. He had been chasing her for nearly two years now. Every time he came home, he watched her with a promise swirling in the stormy depths of his gaze. And that didn’t count the stolen kisses, the knowledge that one day soon, he was going to start chasing her in earnest. She knew it was coming. Knew she could fight him only so long.
If she fought him at all.
He made her hot, wet. Her fingers slid across the dewy flesh, gliding along the silken juices that eased their way until they rasped against her swollen clit.
“Reno,” she whispered his name, her breathless voice sounding as hungry as her body felt.
But it was Reno she saw. His touch, his fingers that stroked the sensitive little bud that kept her on the edge of pleasure, her release a strangled breath away as she imagined his lips covering hers, his tongue licking, stroking, probing. She gasped, her fingers moving faster, more firmly against her clit as she felt her release peaking.
“Yes, take me.” Her head tossed on the pillow, her fingers pushing her pleasure higher. “Now, Reno. Now.”
She imagined him moving over her, his cock, broad and engorged with lust, sliding through the wet folds, pushing forward, stretching her, taking her.…
Her hips arched as the explosion tore through her, pleasure singing through her body as she whimpered in need. But it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. The release, despite the pleasure, was tinged with a hollow emptiness, a knowledge that nothing could match the real thing. That if Reno were with her, taking her, she wouldn’t be whispering—she would be screaming.
Her hand fell back to the bed as she took a deep, weary breath.
He was all she wanted in the world, had ever really needed.
And he was the one man she could never allow herself to have.
chapter 1
“need a ride?”
Raven McIntire stiffened in shock at the raspy, dark voice behind her. She turned slowly, her breath halting in her throat at the sight that met her eyes.
Reno Chavez. Six feet three inches of tough, powerful muscle and finely honed strength. Thick, midnight black hair cut close to his head showed off the strong, harsh features of his face. Brooding gray eyes, high cheekbones, lips that drew the eye time and time again. He was a well-built, powerful male animal and he knew it. Even more, Raven knew it, and had been hopelessly drawn to him for years.
How did you fight the man your heart ached for? The one who had been your best friend, your confidant, your protection as a teenager? The first man you ever fantasized about, and the only one that made you hot enough to whisper his name in the dark safety of your bed?
It wasn’t easy, but she had been managing it. Well, sort of. He did manage to sneak the odd, knee-weakening-make-her-want-to-beg kiss whenever he had the chance. She had sworn she wasn’t giving him any more chances after the last one. But she was still standing there, staring up at him like a lovesick fool.
He tipped the bottle of beer to his lips and drank, his eyes locked on hers as she stared up at him in fascination. A woman couldn’t help but be fascinated by him and she was no exception.
The only difference was, she liked to think she was smart enough to stay away from the bad boys and keep on the safe side of the emotional court.
“I called a cab.” She lifted the cell phone she held in her hand as she flashed him a bright smile.
Reno had always been a bad boy. A devil-may-care charmer who had stolen her heart when she was no more than a teenager and continued to hold it. Even now, after he entered the one career that made him off-limits to her. She knew the perils of loving a Navy SEAL, and was terrified of the cost of giving into the seductive war he had been waging on her for the past year.
He continued to watch her as her gaze flickered nervously to the street. She was standing on the porch of his sister Morganna’s house, having ditched the party nearly a half hour before. She wasn’t a party girl, no matter how she tried to pretend for her friend’s sake at these little get-togethers.
She wore the short, flirty black skirt with its low-rise waist and the matching, snug, sleeveless top with its high-rise hem. Her tanned belly was bare clear below her navel, the little diamond navel ring she wore glittering in the overhead light of the porch. And there was no mistaking the fact that he noticed. His gaze kept drifting down, his eyes heavy-lidded, making her belly tingle in response.
It reminded her too much of the touch of his lips, his hands moving over her back. The last few times he had been home after assignments, he hadn’t let a chance to touch her go by. He was trying to seduce her, and Raven knew it. Knew it and had no idea how to combat it.
“Stop looking at me like that, Reno,” she ordered him, frowning as his gaze lifted to hers again.
“But I like looking at you, Raven.” A grin tilted one corner of his mouth as he stared down at her. “I like looking at you a lot. Did I ever mention h
She snorted indelicately. “I bet you do. You have enough women chasing after your tight butt. You don’t need me.” She glared at him suspiciously. “How much have you had to drink anyway?”
“Not near enough,” he sighed as he reached out, pulling at a curl that fell over her shoulder. The action had her heart racing, her womb clenching in hunger. “Do you realize this is my first night home and my bed is occupied? I went to find the earplugs to drown out that crazy music and crash for a few hours. But I think the bed is going to need delousing first.”
His lips twisted with a grimace, though his gaze was rueful as he stared down at her. And he did look tired, exhausted, in fact. Raven knew he wouldn’t be likely to sleep here until tomorrow night, not if his bed was in use.
She crossed her arms under her breasts, knowing that what she was about to do was dumb. Really dumb. But if she had a weak spot, it was Reno. It was a weakness she fought continually, but a woman could only be so strong. And she didn’t have a chance against an exhausted, vulnerable Reno.
“Look, if you mean it about the ride, I have an extra room. You can crash there until you’re rested enough to delouse your bed,” she offered. Hell, she couldn’t see the man suffer. He fought for God and country. It just wasn’t right.
He tilted his head slowly, those gorgeous gray eyes of his softening marginally.
And she was softening, as well. All she could remember was the touch of his lips, his hands, the heat of that hard, corded body the last time he had been home. What he made her feel was dangerous, addictive.
“You don’t have to do that, Raven. I’ll toss Morganna out of her bed.”
“Good luck.” She snorted at that one. “Last chance, Reno. My cab should be here in the next five minutes, and if you don’t have me on the road by then, I’m taking my offer back.”
A grin quirked his lips. “You drive a hard bargain, Raven. My bag is still packed,” he said lightly. “I’ll go grab it and my keys. Stay put.”
Evidently, the lure of a quiet bed was too much to resist. She sighed as he turned and reentered the house, his tight buns flexing beneath his jeans as he moved. Damn, that man was packed from head to toe. He was definitely male candy and she had a horrible sweet tooth.
She throttled a purely female groan of frustration at the thought. He couldn’t have a clue just how hard she had lusted after his male form over the past years, or how hard denying him over the last few months had been. The only thing that had saved her from drowning in her own drool was the fact that she knew he was way more man than she could handle. That had been forcibly brought home to her just after her eighteenth birthday, nearly seven years before, when she surprised him by bursting into his bedroom in her excitement to see him. Reno was six years older than she was, a grown man, sexual and intense, even then.
She shivered at the memory. She had shuddered, eyes wide as she stared at the curvy blonde tied to his bed.
“Perv,” she had snapped before turning and literally running.
He had been naked, aroused, hard and thick and long and tight … and hard and thick and long … She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth as her clit began to throb and her pussy spilled its slick juices along the sensitive folds between her thighs. She wasn’t going to think about it, she told herself fiercely. If she did, she would never get any work done tonight.
“Let’s go.” He stepped outside, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, the keys to his pickup in his hand.
This was stupid, she told herself silently. But she couldn’t stop the rush of pleasure as his hand settled in the small of her back and he urged her to the side of the street. Callused and wide, his fingers nearly spanned her lower back, the strength in them sending a thrill shooting through portions of her anatomy that she wished weren’t nearly so responsive.
He led her to the wide, double-cab, black pickup she had admired earlier. She should have known it was his, she thought in resignation. It was as strong as he was. A man’s vehicle.
Opening the door, he gripped her hips before she could do more than gasp, and lifted her into the seat. Eyes wide, surprise whizzing through her, she stared back at him, aware that her response to the action must be plain on her face. Dammit, she was supposed to be playing it safe.
“Scoot in,” he whispered as his hands slid slowly from her bare waist, and he stepped back, his hand going to the door.
Drawing in a deep breath, she swung her legs into the truck, moving in just enough for him to close the door. Her flesh tingled where he touched her, heated and ached for more.
“Dumb, Raven,” she whispered to herself as he loped around the truck. “Really dumb.”
He opened his door, tossed the duffel bag in the back, and stepped easily into the cab. He had no problem navigating the height from the street because his legs were so damned long, she thought irritably.
The truck pulled from the curb as she sat nervously, staring out the window, calling herself every kind of fool she could think of. This was kind of like the lamb inviting the wolf into its pasture, she thought in disgust.
“Thanks for the bed, Raven,” he said softly as he turned at the corner, his voice sending shivers down her spine.
That voice should be illegal. Someone should put duct tape over his lips and a sign on his body that declared him dangerous to the female sex, because that’s exactly what he was.
“Not a problem.” Liar, liar, she raged silently. There wasn’t a chance in hell she was going to get any work done with him in her house.
She tugged at her skirt as his eyes strayed to the bare flesh of her lower thighs. Dammit, she knew this skirt was a bad idea. It was sexy and fun and showed her body off to its best advantage. And Reno was definitely taking advantage of all the bare skin flashing.
She could feel his gaze flickering over her legs, her profile, and though he kept both hands carefully on the wheel, she could almost feel them coasting over her body instead. Callused and warm, rasping against her flesh as she arched to him.
She clenched her teeth, pushing the vivid fantasy back as she restrained the shiver that would have worked over her body. Flames licked just beneath her skin, sensitizing her flesh, reminding her why she didn’t have a love life. Because she knew, clear to her soul, that no other man could make her want him as intensely as Reno could. Without a touch, without a word. Hell, he didn’t even have to be in the country.
Pathetic. Stupid. Reno was so far out of her league that they didn’t even exist within the same reality. He was a warrior, a fighter; his world consisted of blood and death while hers existed within the security he helped create. And to be honest, he terrified her. The needs and desires she had when she thought of him, the fantasies that taunted her in the deepest part of night, and the sexual hunger she could feel building within her were too intense, too damned strong.
“Here we go.” He pulled into the parking lot, swinging the truck into the empty space in front of the town house. “I really appreciate you letting me stay over.”
She glanced up at him. Damn, he did look tired. But still sexy as hell. She was such a lost cause where he was concerned.
“Not a problem,” she said again as she gripped the door handle and swung the door open. “Come on and get settled in. I have to work some tonight, but I’m pretty quiet on the computer.”
She pulled her key from the minuscule purse she carried at her hip. Behind her, she was aware of Reno moving silently. How the hell did he do that? There wasn’t even the sound of his shoes on the pavement.
She unlocked the door, flipping on the light to the small living room as she led the way in.
“Come on up. The bed is made and everything, so you can crash whenever you want to.”
She moved up the stairs, uncomfortably aware of him following her. She could feel her butt burning. Oh God, was he looking at her butt? Unconsciously she clenched the cheeks of her ass, then forced herself to
She opened the door to the spare bedroom, the one directly across from her own, and stood aside as he brushed past her. His arm slid over her breasts as her breath caught in her throat. She barely managed to throttle a hungry moan at the contact.
“Well. Good night.” She had to get away from him. She had to close him up, get him out of sight.
He dropped his duffel bag to the floor and turned to face her, a slow, predatory move that reminded her of a wild animal or a hunter on the prowl. Why did she feel like the lamb?
He smiled then. A wry quirk of his lips, really, as the gunmetal color of his eyes gleamed with amusement.
“Good night, Raven,” he said, his voice huskier, deeper.
The sound echoed in her pussy, her very wet, very aroused pussy. This was not good. Not good at all. She escaped the room, now heavy with his male presence and the predatory lust she saw reflected in his gaze. Morganna had warned her that Reno wouldn’t wait long before pushing for what he wanted. He had made his intentions clear to her, informing her in that brisk, no-nonsense voice of his that he wouldn’t let her run from him much longer.
And she had most likely just played into his hand.
Raven gritted her teeth as she paced the living room, pushing her fingers through her hair and again calling herself every type of fool she could think of. She was no match for Reno, and she knew it. How was she supposed to fight him? Hell, he was every woman’s fantasy come to life, and he was now flat in the middle of her home, right across the hall from her bedroom, his hard body aroused. Yes, she had seen that bulge pressing against his jeans, the way his eyes darkened as he watched her, the determination in his gaze.
Reno was through playing, and Raven had a very bad feeling she wasn’t going to get far resisting him. But what bothered her even more was the fact that she wasn’t entirely certain she wanted to resist him. And that scared her more than anything.
It was her own fault, she reminded herself with harsh criticism. The day she had turned nineteen and learned that he wasn’t staying home after his tour in the Navy was finished, that he was actually taking the BUDs training to become a SEAL, she had been enraged.