Page 25 of Honk if You Love Real Men (Tempting SEALs 1)

“Okay. But that was nice.”

He buried his nose into her hair. “You need to sleep.”

“What about you?”

“I’m thinking too much.”

She seemed to drift off for a minute, but then she shifted her butt against his wakened penis. “Talk to me.”

He moaned. “Not again.”

A small laugh burbled in her throat. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Such a girly request. But he found he wanted to. It was necessary. “I was thinking that I want you to know about—” He breathed, unashamedly taking his comfort in her fragrant skin and womanly curves. “—about my record. My crime.”

“Oh, that.”

“You don’t think it’s important?” For chrissakes, she was the woman who panicked at the sight of a tattoo. How could she just trust him?

According to Brenda Ventano, that was the way Estrella was—wary but naive. Sweet but tart. Slow to open up, but once given, her friendship was solid as a bar of gold.

Jesse wanted her to know that he could live up to her trust. “I told you about being in trouble when I was younger. I grew up with a single mom, but that’s no excuse. She had no help from anyone, least of all my father. She had to work two jobs to make ends meet, but she did everything she could to raise me right.” His hand began to move again, absently stroking Estrella’s breasts. She felt so good. “I was just too stubborn and angry. I wouldn’t listen.”

Her arm reached back, her hand found his thigh. She patted it, saying nothing. The touch was enough.

“But I got older and smarter. At least I thought so. When I quit the ships, I had savings and a plan to make something of myself. Then a few shipmates took me out to get toasted their last night in port. There was this girl. . . .”

Estrella inhaled. “You loved her.”

“Hell, no. I didn’t even know her.”

“Hmm. You don’t know me either,” she said lightly, sounding relieved that he wasn’t mooning over a lost love.

He tugged a nipple. She wiggled her butt, aware of exactly how to get him back. “You’re wrong about that. I know you, Star.”

“You know my body,” she said with a sigh, lazily trying to turn around.

He held her with one hand pressed flat to her belly. “Stay like this. Let me finish.”

She made a sound of assent, burrowing deeper against him, again squirming her bottom more than strictly necessary.

“This woman was having a fight with her boyfriend. They were both drunk, and after a while they got to pushing and yelling. The other customers just watched. Me too, I’m sorry to say. A bouncer came to get rid of them, but the fight got worse. He tossed them out. Except . . . ,” Jesse sighed. “I was near the exit. I saw the guy swing at her as the door shut. He’d split her lip open.”

Estrella whispered, “I get it. You tried to rescue her.”

“I didn’t want her to be hurt. My mom had a boyfriend who—” He swallowed another sigh. “The thing was, the guy fought me and I lost my temper and beat him up. Then in court, his girlfriend testified for him. They made up a helluva story about me instigating the fight. Because of my record, I was given the maximum sentence.” He let out a rusty chuckle. “Eventually commuted for good behavior. But by then I’d lost my savings to the lawyers.”

Estrella was quiet for so long, he thought she’d fallen asleep. He had closed his eyes, waiting for the remaining tension to drain from him, when she spoke in a small tentative voice. “I know about women like that, so caught up in a destructive relationship that they can’t break free. Do you blame her?”

“I don’t know if blame is the word. I’ve wished a thousand times that I hadn’t tried to help her.”

“That’s understandable.”

He swallowed. “But I’d probably do it again. Except this time I’ve learned the tools to control my temper so maybe I could avoid the fight.”

She patted him again. “Good.”

“That’s the story. I just wanted you to know.”

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