Bluejacket Noah: Alpha Forces (Book 1) Page 2

  But then my papa’s voice rang out and I tore my gaze away from his.

  “This is Brianne, my daughter.”

  His voice was not in that luxurious velvety way he spoke to his friends. There was no raucous, manly laughter punctuating the words. He didn’t even give me the pleasure of knowing the dark-haired, grey-eyes, well-toned man who sat at the sofa directing an unashamed, intense stare at me. I blinked and raised an eyebrow at papa, wondering what’s going on. This was definitely not an ordinary introduction.

  “I see.” The man said, softly, his face retaining some of that shock.

  “Don’t even lay your eyes on her. Do you understand?”

  He chuckled, a practiced mild-tempered laugh of someone used to receiving threats like that from people like my papa. “She’s as precious as you said, sir. Too much for a rough one like me. I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  And with that, he slid his eyes away from me towards papa, clasping his large veined hands together and immediately making me feel a spike of loss.

  “This is Noah, he’s a Captain of the fourth division. He’s looking for a florist and I happened to mention my daughter knows one or two things about flowers.”

  There were hundreds of actual florists out there and all I knew was from tending my papa’s garden through the years. But then again, I got a feeling that made me raise my head towards the visitor, Noah, wondering if he was trying to send me a secret message. We met in a garden, among flowers, just yesterday… now he’s saying he needs a florist. That sounded like something else, even to me.

  “I’ll be back soon. Let me get those papers.” My papa hefted himself up, still muscled and fit even at his age and status, unlike most of his friends.

  Immediately papa left the room, leaving us alone, I couldn’t help but give the Captain a once over. He was unlike any Captain I’d ever known… and so damn young. How could a Captain be that young?

  “You’re thinking it too, aren’t you?” that deep, rich, baritone voice from the night before flowed across the room and if I had any doubts that this was indeed my handsome, sexy knight from yesterday, it died a quick, painful death.

  “What?” I asked shyly, covering my left arm with my right, the heat of his perusal making the room a little too hot for comfort.

  His eyebrows shot at my whispered question but he shrugged, rising from the sofa and slowly, deliberately walking to where I stood on the staircase.

  “You wonder how I’m so young, as a Captain.” He was so close now I could feel his musky, earthy scent. It was fresh, overwhelming and I couldn’t retain my anger. Lifting my eyes, I saw how much he towered over me, his firm build cutting through the black shirt stretching across his chest like it just couldn’t contain him. I sucked in a sharp breath.

  “W-what are you doing?” I whispered, unwillingly, as he raised his hand and held a lock of my hair between two fingers as if testing the texture.

  “I spent all night wondering how it’d feel to do this…” he brought his magnetic grey eyes down to me and I’m lost, gasping as a fresh wave of desire wracks through me. We were still on the staircase… and my father was still upstairs.

  But frankly, I didn’t care. I lifted my hand to his chest, staring up into his eyes as I softly, gently placed it on it, the rock hard muscles becoming tight under my palm. I obviously affected him, and it pleased me to no end.

  He said nothing more, just stared straight into my eyes, his fingers reverently travelling from my hair down the sides of my face, lighting up a trail of fire that burst when his thumb rested on my lips. Unresisting, they parted and I swallowed, feeling my body respond to his touch.

  “I never even imagined you were the Admiral’s daughter,” he whispered, seconds before his head swooped down, quite unexpectedly, and his lips came crashing on mine.

  It was no ordinary kiss, neither was it slow nor rushed but sensual. It was fire, passionate, the result of hours of burning and aching fuelled by uncertainty that we’d ever see each other again. His hand snaked around my waist, drawing me into him just as his lips ploughed mine, taking, giving, and conquering. I gaped in the whirlwind of his kiss, unable to do anything but let him take me wherever he wished. My tongue intertwined with his, fiercely and he sucked in my lower lip, nipping and massaging them with his lips. By now, I had my arms around his neck, my breasts pressed flush against his hard chest and his large arms roving around my back, taking me and branding me as his.

  From upstairs, we heard a shuffle, followed by footsteps and, immediately, my eyes shot open wide and I shook my head, tapping Noah. He got the message and released me, but not before he gave me one last, hard kiss, slightly nipping my lower lip once more before he gave me a kiss on the forehead, drew apart from me, turned around and took four strides back to the sofa, plopping down on it just as papa’s figure appeared at the top of the stairs.

  I found my breathing uncontrollable, almost as bad as the terrible blush in my cheeks, the catch in my throat and my shaking hands. And I knew that if papa saw me this way, he’d just know.

  I clamped my hand over my mouth and walked into the living room, passing Noah, fighting the urge to grab him and kiss him again, escaping to the kitchen just before papa descended. I wasn’t ready yet and this feeling, this tongue-tied, heart-throbbing sensation felt too young to be spoilt by my father’s sternness.

  Chapter Three

  Noah

  Keeping away from her was damn impossible and I wasn’t even going to pretend to do so. Every fiber within me came alive at her touch and after that short – too short – moment we had at her father’s living room, I knew I just had to have her again.

  I clutched the steering wheel, gritting my teeth as I veered my car off the main road into a smaller, less-busy street. I found a quiet parking spot and put the car there. Resting against the plush leather of the driver seat, I shut my eyes, thinking about Brianne, the Admiral’s daughter who was forbidden to me yet whose face wouldn’t leave my mind. I tossed and turned all through last night, kept awake by the memory of that kiss we’d shared.

  I didn’t even know what came over me in that living room. The minute I touched her face, I couldn’t help but answer that siren-like call her of juicy, red lips just centimeters away from mine. We barely talked, governed by that passion which made us shiver at each other’s touch. And now, hours later, I wanted to know her, see her, touch her, kiss more of her.

  Her father wasn’t stupid. I saw the way he stared hard at me after I tore away from Brianne seconds before he came down the stairs, like he suspected but just wasn’t willing to believe it. He had the power to take her away from me, banishing her from my sight forever. And I sure as hell wouldn’t give him the chance.

  I had to find a way to meet her without the Admiral’s knowledge.

  That’s why when I woke up this morning, groggily opening my eyes from the stress of a night of sleeplessness, a small idea snuck its way into my head, brewing, ruminating and didn’t show its face until hours later, when I stood within the glass walls of my bathroom, the shower pouring down my naked body. It seemed so simple, yet utterly intelligent that I paused, lather on my face and hair, a bar of soap in my hands, the wheels in my brain turning...

  Wasting no time, I saw how everything would play out: I’d write a brief, yet deeply expressive letter to Brianne, find someone who could enter the Admiral’s house without drawing any suspicion, perhaps a servant give the letter to that person with clear, simple instructions and then… wait.

  And if she doesn’t reply, divert to plan B and go to her myself, even if that means breaking into the Admiral’s house.

  Running my hands through my hair, I groaned, sunbeams streaming through the car window, and I wondered if the plan was as foolproof as I initially thought. She got the letter already, right? It’d been hard enough composing something short enough to not take too much effort to read, yet enticing, with the ability to resonate within her long after she read it. It’d taken three wastebaskets full of trashed paper, in fact.

  The Admiral had a lot of housekeepers, so it wasn’t too much of a challenge finding someone willing to take the risk of delivering the letter, at the benefit of earning a few extra cash, of course. But that didn’t stop the damn questions from running through my head like a broken record… What would she say? How would she find it? Would she respond no? Or would she wait for me… tonight?

  My message had an imperative, telling her to either send me a reply with a clear no or I would take her silence as a yes. And if by sunset, her yes continued, I would go to her myself and claim her as mine.

  It took all of my energy not to do it right now, tear out of this street and drive to the Admiral’s house, barge into the building regardless of the circumstances and sweep her off her feet, consuming her like a maddened dog for the whole world to see.

  But no, I had to know her intentions first, to see that she was all in with me. Not that it’d matter much anyway, honestly. If she wasn’t I’d spend the last drop of my blood convincing her to fly away and run with me.

  I raised my wrist and saw that the clock struck six. The sky was turning an orange-red, showing signs that the sun was ready to give way. I blinked, looking at the sky through my window, pure ecstasy grasping my heart, my mind turning as I imagined the new possibilities before me.

  There was no reply yet. From her.

  Chapter Four

  Brianne

  The clothes which, fifty minutes ago, tidily occupied the wardrobe were now sprawled across the floor and the bed, making me feel like a tornado swooped in through the window and crashed through my room, toppling everything over. The sun was retreating, the sky darkening and the makeup which I never even gave a single glance within the past year was now splashed across my face, a failed experiment at looking pretty. I was this close to bursting to tears.

  I knew I was overdoing it. He came to me even before he never saw my face. I hadn’t even been wearing anything fancy when we met yesterday. Still, how could I lay back, wait for him to come and not be worried?

  How could I not look at my bare pasty face, my fingers, my full, heavy lips and curvaceous body and not think that he’d shake his head and wake up from whatever dream he was in? I’d been dressed up at the ball and yesterday, my body had been partially hidden by my clothes. How was I sure that when he saw me as I really am, no moonlight or makeup to cover me, he’d still want me?

  I’d received his letter this morning in nothing but pure ecstasy. His choice of a deliverer left much to be desired though. He chose to give the letter to one of our part-time cooks who had nearly given it to Nana, thinking that she was the lady of the house. I’d intercepted just in time, thankfully, and snatched the letter from her, making a beeline for my room where I could read it openly.

  His words had caused fire in my heart, not pregnant with promises or false declarations, but with truth. His message was short and to the point, reflecting his personality as a military man and showing me that he was a man who knew what he wanted and how to get it.

  And he wanted me.

  Me.

  Even now, I can’t seem to wrap my head around that.

  I placed my hand on the dresser and stood up. This makeup thing was not working out and unless I wanted to appear like a zombie when he finally came, I’d better go wash it off in the bathroom.

  I’d barely done that, splashing cool handfuls of water on my face when I heard a slight… tock… tock… tock on my window and I knew instantly. It was him.

  Quickly, I wiped the water off my face, gave my reflection one last look and dashed into the room, almost toppling over when I saw him, standing right there, in my bedroom, dressed in a black shirt and jeans trouser, his chest heaving as if out of breath, hands balled into fists and eyes so intense that I could feel the searing heat licking up my face.

  I swallowed and soon, my breathing thickened just like his. We just stood there, staring at each other, his face earnest and mine almost melting while I gripped the door frame for support and faintly told myself that surely he could hear my heart tumbling wildly.

  “Brianna…” My name was a groan, a guttural declaration of suppressed longing torn from somewhere deep within him. He took one step towards me, his heavy boot making a muted thud on the floor as he gradually raked his eyes down my body. I visibly shivered, watching as he rolled his shoulders, never for once taking his eyes off me.

  I felt like I should say something.

  “I-I received your letter b-but…” Swallowing, I cringed at my flat, stammering voice. This was not the careful speech I spent the last few hours reciting in my head and certainly not a way to convince him of my smoothness. His presence unsettled me so much and with the way he was stalking me, that look in his eyes resembling that of a predator about to pounce on its unsuspecting prey, it became harder to string together a coherent sentence.

  “And your answer?” he said in a low, vibrating voice, almost daringly, as he stopped.

  “Yes.” That word, soft, delicate, barely more than a whisper, a mere puff of air from my lips, did wonders to him. His face scrunched and his body shivered, a slow, delicious grin spreading across his firm, full lips. In three long strides, he transported himself from the middle of the room straight to me, taking a moment’s pause to look me up and down.

  There was barely any room for me to inhale any air not punctuated by him and I leaned in, almost unconsciously, inhaling his musky, earthy smell. And, as I did at the living room the previous day, I raised my shaky hands, looked up into his eyes, and placed them on his rock hard, brawny chest, the muscles seizing and tightening under my palm.

  He was papa’s subordinate, a Captain who had yet thousands of other officers working under him. I met him just three days ago and here he was in my room, the thick air of desperate desire hung around us. This was wrong on so many levels and I expected… no… waited for the voice of reason to screech and slap me out of my madness, telling me that this was no behavior for a respectable Admiral’s daughter… and that I should open my mouth and send him out.

  I did open my mouth, but only to receive the slow, sensual kiss he gently brought his head down to give me. He slid his hand up my arm, my neck and finally dug it into my curly blonde hair, angling my head to better receive his kiss. His lips were firm against mine, hot like the sun and just as impactful, sending blistering trails of fireworks down my skin and making me ache for more.

  Noah kissed me, not just with his mouth but his entire body, pouring himself into me, showing me without words just how much he desired me. His hands went around my waist, resplendent in curves and dug into them, massaging them as he groaned against my lips. He gripped me, drawing me away from the doorway and pinning me directly on the wall, trapping me with his tall, muscular body as he devoured me. I gasped, not having nearly enough of that body of his and loving his decisive, manly actions.

  This was certainly a man who knew what he wants and how to get it.

  And, as unlikely as it was, he wanted me. This could end badly, I know. Papa or Nana could come in at any time, catching us in this incriminating position.

  But either I was drugged or my senses took flight some other way because I just didn’t care.

  Chapter Five

  Noah

  “You nervous?” I asked, putting my hand on the small of her back as I reached out the other to clear some tall leaves on our path.

  “Nervous?” she giggled, placing her hand on top of mine, “Why would I be?”

  Of course she was lying. She was nervous as hell. We left the main house minutes ago, shortly after I jumped over the fence into her father’s house, climbed up to her window and entered her room – just like I’d done every night for the past week. That first night I came here, I’d been blinded by the prospect of meeting her again and having her in my arms in mutual consent, that I didn’t even consider the possibility of being caught by her father.

  Scratch that, maybe I did. But that’d been banished to the back of my mind, outshined by her. Cold, hard sense was one of the things which made me shoot up the ranks and become one of the top navy officers. But when it came to her, that sense disappeared and all that remained was longing – mind-numbing longing.

  Even as I guided her through the darkened garden to our secret ‘spot’, I felt my body tighten in response to her and, judging from the way her hand clutched mine, she felt it, that underlying need, and couldn’t wait for it to be fulfilled.

  “You shouldn’t be nervous, Brianne.” I whispered hotly into her ear the second we reached the tree that marked our destination. Raising my hand to her waist, I held it, relishing the wonderful curves all hidden under that bulky clothe she wore and pinned her to the tree, bringing my mouth to her smooth, swan-like neck. “I’m right here… and I won’t bite you. Not unless you want me to.”