Forbidden Love With the Marine Read online

  cries of bliss mingled and heightened with every thrust, every smack of his groin against her. Rugged, hungry sounds were torn from his throat as she finally started to ripple around him, her spongy

  muscles spasming and triggering a rapturous release from Ivan that matched her own. Olivia’s body

  jerked beneath him as she kept gasping out his name.

  Ivan held himself deep inside her until the very last shudder, and until every last ounce of his

  cum was deposited within her snug heat. He could feel her kissing his face as his body collapsed on top of hers. And yet even as he was swept up with emotions that astounded even him, Ivan knew in his heart that he had just made a grave mistake. And it was up to him to ensure that he put things right by making sure this never happened again…

  Chapter Eight

  Just after the first time, when he’d carefully been smoothing a fresh, cooling wash cloth over

  her inner thighs…she’d pulled him up to her soft, quivering body, and begged to be taken again.

  Against his better judgment, Ivan had obliged with a zeal that had seemed to surprise and yet

  excite Olivia all the more. She’d moaned in delight beneath him as he inched his ready hardness

  slowly into her newly-breached walls and sank in deep to the balls. Her heels were pressed into his butt cheeks which clenched with every consequent thrust.

  Being inside her honeyed sheathe once again brought out the feral hunger within him; an

  earnestness to possess her in totality almost made his brain go blank. All that existed at that moment was her tight, moist ring of heat wrapped around his hard, thickened cock. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead and Ivan gritted his teeth as he fought off the urge to start slamming in and out of her.

  This time, he’d take it slow…make it last. Take it to multi-levels of bliss…for both of them.

  He had ground in slowly with deep, measured thrusts, and each time he plunged, she moaned so

  long and deeply that the sound seemed to vibrate right through her, causing his balls to tighten and throb with intensified arousal. He had tortured himself with every long-drawn out stroke, knowing he wanted to pound her so deep she’d feel him in her very depths. It had taken all his willpower to keep up the gentle pace when she was so welcoming in her warmth and moistness.

  “Oh, Ivan…you’re so big. And hard…and… oh,” Olivia had let out on a shuddery sigh as he’d rocked his hips at just that angle she liked. Already, he could read her body like a book. Anticipated her needs even before she expressed them. Sensed when she was reaching her plateau – and readied

  to push her over the threshold.

  But this time, he held back for as long as he could; wanted to make this coupling even more

  memorable and exciting than the first time. He felt sure he did. In the end, she seemed to climax even harder than she had just an hour ago. But he couldn’t tell for sure because he’d been too busy tumbling headlong into his own astounding release.

  “Olivia,” Ivan whispered in a gruff voice, clasping her nipple roughly in his mouth as his hips suddenly bucked with heedless force. He tried to hold back, but couldn’t. He couldn’t think straight when he was inside her; not when she pulsed so sweetly around his invading shaft.

  “Oh, yes…faster,” Olivia moaned, straining off the bed to meet his hungered thrusts. “Fuck me

  harder. Uhhh…you feel so good inside me. Don’t stop. Please. I’m so close…”

  If she’d wanted to drive him round the bend with those words, she succeeded. Ivan let out an

  animal groan and then ramped up the speed and depths of his thrusts – making her cry out with

  ecstasy. She grabbed tufts of his hair and dragged his face up so that their lips could clash in a moist, merging kiss. He rumbled deep in his throat with pleasure, feeling the tide rise higher in his surging loins.

  He could sense that familiar clasp and clench of her walls around his cock as he stroked in and

  out of her. Sucking hard on her dancing tongue, he slammed harder, his hips rocking faster than ever before. Olivia’s mouth tore from his as she let out a shrill cry, her fingers digging into his pumping ass. They erupted together in a rush of thrusts and groans, the air filling with their mingling sounds of gratification.

  Ivan had felt the same stab of guilt as before as he came down from the tumultuous heights. His

  brain cleared of the mist that was Olivia and he knew, even as he hated himself for it, that he would take her again before the night was through. So long as she stayed right next to him, he would never be able to resist the enticing heat and softness of her body. And God help him; each time she turned into his arms and kissed him, he reached down to find her wet and willing.

  Always.

  It drove him insane.

  Ivan swore that it would only be this one night. He couldn’t let this continue. He’d made the

  unforgivable error already but it wasn’t one he intended to repeat. Olivia would have to stay away from him – and he’d better stay the hell away from Olivia. Either way, they had to end it right at the beginning before it spiraled out of their control.

  It broke his heart when he had to tell her; he was as firm as he could be even when she argued

  and cried and swore.

  I’m sorry I let this happen, Olivia. But we can’t do this again.

  He said the words and was going to make sure he meant them. No matter how much it seemed

  like he was hurting her now, it was better this way. He told himself this even as his very soul

  wrenched to give her up. He’d done his best to explain to her why they couldn’t let this go any further.

  They both had to forget it had ever happened to prevent things from taking a turn for the worse.

  Spending more time at the base was the only solution. The great thing about being a Marine was

  that they were in constant training even when in between deployments. There are always skills to be honed and new techniques to be learned that would make a difference in that next assignment.

  And it was only a matter of several weeks before Ivan was faced with another high-risk, top

  secret mission. One that would hold his life in the balance more than any other mission had ever done in the past…

  Chapter Nine

  “I’m sorry, little dove…but we can’t do this again.”

  Olivia could still hear those finalistic words like it was yesterday. Many weeks had passed

  since then, and yet she could still remember every detail of that fateful night and how Ivan had shown her heaven in his arms. Only to rock her world to its foundations the next morning.

  She’d woken up beside him with a smile of contentment on her face. Her whole body ached

  with all the echoes of their shared passion. She clung happily to his neck and whispered feelingly,

  “Last night was incredible. I love you.”

  Ivan groaned, his arms tightening around her for a moment before he reached behind his neck

  and unlinked her hands. “Olivia, stop…please. You can’t say that to me. It’s not…right.”

  Olivia had frowned in bemusement, staring up at him as he detached his frame from hers and

  rolled off the bed Quickly, he stepped into his jeans and then shrugged on his t-shirt.

  In the cold light of day, her senses returned slowly but she still felt like she had last night; like her whole universe was centered on this one man standing before her. “I don’t understand,” she’d

  whispered, her heart thumping with dread.

  Ivan sighed deeply, pushing his hands over his head. “I’m so, so sorry I let this happen. I was

  crazy and well…you’re impossible to resist when you put your mind to it, Liv.” His curvy lips had

  slanted wryly, and then he sobered, adding, “But we can’t do this again. You need to get dressed,

  little dove, and I’ll take you home.”

&nb
sp; “No,” she’d whispered, clutching the sheets to her. How desperately she’d gazed at him, her

  eyes pleading. Olivia hated herself now for the way she’d begged, appealed to him to change his mind.

  Ivan kept shaking his head, sighing raggedly. “For your own good, you need to stay away from

  me, Olivia. I can’t give you want you want. You might think you’re in love with me, but I promise you it’s only going to bring us both trouble. Right now, an emotional involvement is the last thing I need.

  The kind of lifestyle I live…half the year I exist practically out of a duffel bag. I have to do things…

  go to extents you wouldn’t imagine me capable of. Being a Marine takes a lot of me; right now there’s just no way I can offer any woman a decent relationship and I would never ask you to accept that.

  You’re too special to me for that. I’ve always sworn to myself to protect you…”

  “I told you before, Ivan, I don’t need a big brother if that’s what you mean!” she’d cried out

  impatiently in reply. “I think I’m old enough to know what I want. I’m not asking you to devote your whole life to me. I understand perfectly how tough your job is. And it’s never bothered me. I’m not…

  I’m not the clinging type. I can handle whatever it takes for us to be together. If it’s something purely physical you want, then I’m cool with that.”

  “Are you? You think so?” he asked softly, eyes narrowing as he regarded her speculatively.

  “You’re sure you can handle just being there for the sex?”

  “If that’s all you’re offering, yes,” Olivia said, her chin tilting upwards. “If that’s the only thing you feel comfortable sharing with me.”

  “Damn, Olivia,” Ivan groaned half in fury, half in frustration. “So that’s what you want to have?

  That ‘friends with benefits’ bullshit? What the hell? You deserve better, especially from me.

  Especially when your father is more like an uncle to me – always has been since my mom and dad

  died.”

  Olivia had shaken her head with irritation. “You know the last thing you have to worry about is

  my parents. They know I’m an adult for heaven’s sake. They would never disapprove of us being

  together. That’s just crazy. You know how highly they think of you.”

  “Exactly,” Ivan gritted out. “So the last thing I should be doing is messing with their only

  daughter. Don’t you get it? This isn’t going to work. What if something goes wrong and I end up

  hurting you? Or what if you suddenly decide your crush has worn off and I’m not such a thrill to you anymore? What then? A misunderstanding erupting between us can rip our close-knit family bonds

  apart. How can I risk that happening?”

  Tears had sprung in her eyes as she’d moved to the edge of the bed before rising to face him,

  the top sheet wrapped around her nakedness. “Damn you, Ivan Lance. How dare you think my feelings

  are just a passing phase? I’m in love with you. Why must you think it’s going to go bad for us?”

  “Because I’m older – and wiser than you,” he told her gently, fist on his narrow hips. “All I can

  see is disaster if we try to take this further. I can’t take this gamble and risk the possibility of it all blowing up in our faces. It’s not going to be worth the pain of losing your trust or that of your parents.

  Olivia, you’re so young and beautiful. You have your whole life ahead of you and you should be busy trying to explore the different options open to you in the world.”

  “Oh sure, I did that,” she said with a bitter smile. “Or I tried to, and we know how that ended

  up. I almost got raped last night because I thought a roll in the sack with some stranger will get me over the way I felt for you.”

  “You see, that’s what I’m talking about. You shouldn’t do crazy shit like that,” he growled

  furiously. “You need to grow up, Liv. You’re far from ready for anything serious and I certainly can’t offer you anything close to what you deserve. And another thing - last night I didn’t use any

  protection…”

  “I’m on the pill,” she said with an impatiently dismissive wave of her hand. Right then, that was

  the least of her problems. Willing herself not to burst into hysterical tears, she’d asked quietly, “So what now?”

  “I’ll drive you home and we’ll forget last night ever happened. We’ll put it all behind us and try to go back to the way things were. Damn! Knowing you were a virgin just made me sink even lower

  in my own opinion of myself. I’m so sorry for stealing something so special away from you.”

  “Don’t you dare act like it wasn’t my decision,” Olivia bit out angrily. “I gave myself to you, Ivan. My choice. It was everything I wanted and more. Far, far better than I’d dreamed. And now you’re telling me it’s over?” her voice had choked on the last few words.

  “I’m sorry,” was all he said, coming forward and hugging her tight. Olivia found herself

  clinging to him like a lifeline, praying that the last few minutes could be erased and instead, that Ivan would be begging her to take him into her life.

  “I’d rather spend a lifetime being your trusted friend…than take the chance of a few months of

  bliss with you which could end in disaster for all involved,” Ivan said feelingly into her hair. “One day, you’ll look back on this and thank me for being sensible for both of us.”

  “But what if you’re wrong?” she whispered with an ache in her voice as her cheek pressed into

  his chest. “What if we do get together and live happily ever after? Why isn’t that an option?”

  He’d huffed gently. “Because I live in the real world, not fantasy. Being in the service has

  shown me too much of reality to take it for granted. Why throw away what we have on some

  misguided hypothesis of physical attraction?”

  So in essence, Olivia realized…he was saying he’d rather be her friend than a lover? That hurt

  her so much more than she could even express. Why was he being so stiff-necked? “No one’s going to love you the way I do,” she whispered, eyes shutting tight as her teardrops spilled onto his t-shirt.

  “That may me true. But that still doesn’t make me good enough for you,” he replied with a tired

  sigh. Planting a brotherly kiss on the top of her head, he’d pulled her away gently. “Come on, get dressed and I’ll take you home.”

  That morning had been a Saturday and she hadn’t needed to go to work. A good thing, because

  Olivia wasn’t sure she’d have been able to function after all she’d been through. To be so happy, and then to feel like she was plummeting from a great height into the abyss…it felt like she could just die.

  When she saw she couldn’t reason with him, she’d taken to baiting him and then yelling.

  She’d been so furious that he couldn’t see how wonderful they could be together. Whatever

  sense of “duty” or integrity he felt he was betraying for having sex with her, was all bullshit. He was a man and she was a woman. They had an incredible chemistry and he still wanted to shelve it all

  because he was afraid it could go belly-up and destroy their family relations?

  But no matter what she said or did, she couldn’t change his mind. By the time he stopped in

  front of her house an hour later, she could hardly bear to look at him. “I hope you don’t regret this,”

  she said, so full of hurt and resentment she couldn’t even see straight.

  “Believe me, I already do,” he said expressionlessly, his eyes looking straight ahead. “Take

  care, Olivia. See you around, little dove.”

  She’d longed to say something really cutting but in the end, could only grimace as a sob rose to

  her throat. Clapping a hand over her mouth, she�
�d stumbled out of the Jeep and raced blindly into her house.

  The next time she saw him, a few weeks later, she was glad she had her emotions under control.

  He’d come by her parents’ house the same time she did. It had been so tough putting up an act in front of her folks, all the while knowing what they’d shared though briefly. He was friendly and attentive to her but she could sense his tension. No one else did though, and during dinner the atmosphere was as warm and cordial as always. Whatever was roiling beneath the surface between her and Ivan, he went to great lengths to conceal it from her parents.

  Which was fine with her. She was already convinced that she hated him now. Especially when

  she found out he was dating Molly again. That cut her right to the heart and she’d felt ready to do something really crazy, like just take a baseball bat and just go smashing through the house until she’d let off enough rage.

  Apparently, Molly had wormed her way back in after it didn’t work out with the man she’d left

  Ivan for. When Olivia’s mother Martha, had informed her about Ivan bringing Molly over for dinner

  the third time a few nights ago, it was all Olivia could do not to snap the gardening tool she’d been holding in half. They had been seeing to Martha’s greenhouse and her mother’s casual words almost

  made Olivia see red.

  “I still don’t get how he could he stand taking that hussy back,” Olivia gritted, her fists

  tightening.

  “Well…dear…I guess they do go back a long way. And we know Ivan’s job isn’t the easiest in

  the world. Hardly ever home…the risks of never even making it home…It’ll take a tough woman to

  understand that. With time I can see them both working things out. Who knows? Molly might have

  what it takes to make Ivan settle down and start a family. A Marine’s professional career lasts up to 20 years – I don’t think Ivan would want to wait that long before he finds someone to share his life with him.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t want to share his life,” Olivia said, turning away so that her mother couldn’t see her hurt expression. “Maybe he’s content to being the tough guy who gets to save the world over and over. He doesn’t seem to care much for the strings that come with marital domestication – or for a serious relationship for that matter. Of course I don’t consider what he has with Molly to be anything close to serious, trust me.”