A month off. What would she do? On previous vacations, she stayed home and played lazy. Once, she loaded Hercules up and went on a short trip, staying in a dog-friendly hotel for a few days while they wandered the beach and marveled at the vastness of the ocean.
Tanner might be home for at least part of that time. The thought made her smile. A whole month of teasing and flirting, running and snuggling. Whose bed would they sleep in and where did that leave Hercules? What in the world am I thinking? Oakley checked those thoughts. Talk about putting the cart before the horse. They hadn't been intimate yet, and she was already considering sharing a bedroom each night.
Yet. The magic word. For the first time, thoughts of sleeping with a man didn't set off warning bells and near panic. Instead, she embraced this opportunity, feeling comfortable and confident in her neighbor. Something about him drew her, compelled her to learn more about him, to be with him.
Then tear his clothes off, jump on board, and ride him, cowgirl. She snorted. Where did the hussy voice come from? Talk about mind in the gutter. Oakley chuckled at herself. She kind of liked this newly found part of her mind. With any luck, she would be able to explore it physically as well as mentally for a long time to come. If Tanner said anything about it, she would simply blame him for corrupting her. It was the truth, after all.
Before him, she rarely thought much about getting naked with a man. Old fears haunted her enough to make her reconsider the wisdom of having sex. Now, she couldn't wait to unleash her inhibitions and soak up the knowledge only Tanner could provide.
A cold nose to her behind jarred her from her thoughts. Spinning around, she found Hercules looking up at her with pitiful brown eyes and abject begging. "Okay. Okay. Can't have you going hungry." With practiced ease, she pulled her long locks up into a ponytail before heading off toward the kitchen. She opened a cabinet, pulled a large bag of dog food from it, and then poured it into the extra large dog bowl sitting on a raised platform. When she adopted the large dog, his foster mother warned her of the importance of keeping food and water bowls elevated so he didn't have to eat at floor level. That lessened his chance for gastric torsion, a condition highly fatal in large dogs if not treated immediately.
As he crunched away, she returned to the bedroom, trading pajamas for shorts and a T-shirt. Dressed, she finished her morning routine with brushing her teeth and a quick scrubbing of her face. By the time she finished, Hercules emptied his bowl and stood at the back door, tail wagging in an obvious signal that he needed out. She slid the door open and Hercules bounded to the grassy area.
Not spying Tanner outside, Oakley gathered up Hercules's leash, snapping it on his collar when he finished his morning business. Together they trotted down the park trail behind the house, beginning their run. The return circle took them by the front of the condo where she spied Tanner's car. He must have gotten home late and still be sleeping. Her mood perked up at once as thoughts of possible activities for the day entered her mind. Breakfast muffins topped the list.
She picked up the pace, finishing with a sprint to the back patio. Panting, she immediately filled Hercules's water bucket, allowing the dog to drink his fill.
As soon as Hercules finished drinking, Oakley took him inside. He plopped down on his comfy mattress in the living room floor while she headed directly for the kitchen. She pulled out a recipe book and gathered ingredients. Soon after, she dipped batter into muffin wrappers, and then placed the pan in the oven. While they baked, she cleaned fresh strawberries and placed them in a bowl before doing the same with cantaloupe slices, chunking them into bite-sized pieces and setting them on a small platter. By the time her timer dinged, she arranged the table in preparation for a guest for breakfast.
Still no Tanner in sight. Maybe after her shower, if he didn't appear, she would carry him some food.
She turned the oven off but left them inside for the moment. More than once she forgot and left food out on the kitchen countertop when she left the kitchen, only to return to find it eaten. Hercules excelled at counter surfing, a habit that forced her to keep the kitchen neat and organized, for his sake and hers. She considered the fruit for a second then stashed it in the fridge for safe keeping. He had never eaten fruit before, but today could be the day. With breakfast safely stored away, she hurried to the shower.
Finishing her braid, she grabbed a still-warm muffin from the oven and headed to the back patio. She craned her head this way and that but saw no sign of Tanner. However, she found someone else.
"Good morning, Spoon." She smiled at the tall dark-haired man.
He returned her grin. "I thought I smelled muffins."
"Fresh from the oven, no less. There are plenty if you're interested. I thought Tanner would have climbed out of bed by now, on the trail of food, but no such luck."
"Probably sleeping like a log. We've got plans, so it's time to wake him." His mouth turned up in a mischievous grin.
Oakley tilted her head in perplexed interest. "Going to call him or knock on the door?"
"Nah. It's more fun to wake him up personally."
"Huh?"
He shook his head. "Highly classified secret information." He pressed an index finger to his lips.
She bobbed her head in understanding.
"Why don't you round up those muffins while I wake the hibernating bear. Food might improve his attitude a bit this morning."
"Okay." Those men were just odd in her book.
Heading back in, she pulled the muffins from the oven, arranging them onto a plate for easy grabbing. The fruit returned to the table, as did glasses of juice.
A loud thump jarred the wall next to her with muted voices following. Guess Tanner is awake now. She grinned at the thought of what pranks Spoon might have played on his buddy. They were just like brothers, always trying to get the best of one another.
By the time she filled all the glasses, Spoon and Tanner appeared at her back door. Spoon looked as clean and brushed as before, his short hair combed and in place, jeans and white shirt without wrinkles or smudges. Tanner looked a bit worse for wear with a cowlick through his lighter brown locks, his eyes still at half-mast with sleep.
"Look what the cat dragged in." Spoon gestured toward Tanner, earning a shot to the upper arm for his troubles.
Oakley smirked. "Poor Tanner. Can't even sleep in one day without someone waking you."
He snorted. "Yeah, I would have preferred Hercules to slime me with doggie saliva than to have this gorilla try to sneak up on me." A smirk followed. "Good thing he has a hard head."
"Whatever." Spoon shrugged, not rallying to argue.
"Come on. Breakfast is ready. It's not much, but it's fresh."
Both men strode forward, taking a seat at the table and grabbing a couple of muffins from the heaping mountain before digging in. She followed suit, nibbling on a strawberry.
Tanner focused on her and stared.
She blinked and took another bite, not understanding his sudden interest.
Spoon glanced from Tanner to her and back again, a slow grin appearing on his face. Scuffling noises came from under the table.
Nervous with the awkward silence, Oakley tossed out a question. "So, what are you guys going to do today?"
"Paintball," Spoon answered between bites.
"Oh. That sounds fun."
Tanner's gaze never wavered until she finished the strawberry. "Ever been paintballing before?"
Oakley shook her head. "I've heard of it, even seen it on TV, but never participated. Heck, I didn't even know they had a place around here for that."
"You can come with us," Spoon offered.
She blinked at them. "They have bunny hills for newbies?"
Both men chuckled.
"That's skiing, and no. But, it's broken up into teams based on skill level. It's all for fun, so even if you're brand new, there are plenty of things to do." Spoon took a long drink from his glass.
"I wouldn't slow you two down?" She balked, realizing how
out of her league they would be. Heck, former top military special forces would make mincemeat out of her and her juvenile attempts to duck, cover, and shoot.
Tanner shook his head. "Not at all. In fact, I think you would make it all the more fun." He shot her a wide smile, those chocolate eyes sparkling.
She considered it another second before making a decision. "Can I have blue balls?"
Tanner snorted.
Spoon choked on laughter. "Oh, I think Loco already has them."
A chair squeaked with movement, followed by Spoon's grimace and mumbled curse.
Oakley chuckled at their antics. Whatever today brought, at least it would prove entertaining.
Chapter 14
"Ow." Oakley jerked as a hard splat landed across her backside. Frowning, she glared over her shoulder.
Tanner grinned wickedly at her through the clear visor on his helmet. "Sorry. Misfire."
Uh-huh, likely story. Neanderthal.
No one mentioned that those paintballs hurt as they hit. She resisted the urge to rub the sting away, focusing ahead, peeking above the barrier, trying to locate Spoon. Tanner took her under his wing and on as his sidekick in their match against Spoon. Spectators lined both sides of the course in anticipation of seeing the men go against one another. Rumors flew about the two men and their inherent prowess and skills, leaving others in wonder and green with envy.
Minutes earlier, Tanner had given her a brief introduction to the game and the gun. He showed her how to aim and shoot, how to use the obstacles in the course for cover, and how to peer around them, keeping as much of her body behind the cover to avoid being struck and marked with color. In a true game, once a minute splash of the opponent's color appears anywhere on your body, you're eliminated. That's how Spoon and Tanner played, being at the top of their game. They generously gave her an unlimited number of hits, as this was her first time out.
She considered that generous of them, until Tanner shot her in the butt. Maybe unlimited hits weren't such a good thing after all, considering how hard those things landed on her softer body parts.
A rat-a-tat-tat pulled her attention to the right. Tanner was stationed somewhere behind her, sneaking up closer, trying to catch Spoon in a vulnerable position. Taking a cue from him, she darted from her beginning post to the large middle block.
Whap! She heard the impact as much as felt it. Sure enough, as she glanced down she found a bright red stain across her stomach. Grumbling about the injustice of being a staked goat dueling with professional marksmen, she marched forward, ducking and sprinting to areas of marginal protection.
By the time she closed the gap enough to see Spoon glancing over a small, circular obstacle, she carried the marks of several rounds from his paint gun. Tanner disappeared from the start, hiding and slinking so well that she couldn't even detect him. Not that she met their caliber, but he was her teammate.
As she sighted for a shot, Spoon jerked. Seeing no better opportunity, she pulled the trigger hard, over and over again, sending dozens of paintballs across the area.
Spoon held his hands up, walking out from behind his barricade.
Oakley glanced at him and felt the immediate rush of enthusiastic victory. "I got him! I got him!" Oakley bounced up and down, holding her paintball rifle with her left hand, fist pumping the right. She let out a whoop.
Spoon rolled his eyes. "You're such a nut."
"But I got you!" She jumped a few more times hearing the bystanders chuckling. "See!" She pointed at the bright blue spot in the middle of Spoon's chest.
"Um, Oakley?" Tanner came up behind her. "That's where I got him."
She turned to look at Tanner, then back to Spoon, who nodded in agreement. "Oh. But I know I hit him. Didn't I hit him?"
Tanner shook his head. "Technically, yes."
"Really? Where?" Her wide infectious smile returned.
Spoon held up his hand, showing a tiny blip of blue on his pinky finger. "There."
"That counts!"
Both men laughed. "This coming from the walking peppermint stick."
Oakley glanced down at her white clothes, abundantly dotted with red splotches from Spoon's gun.
She compared her coloring to Tanner's perfectly flawless clothes and Spoon's single blue spot on his shirt. Her excitement lessened. Oh, well. Maybe after a decade of practice, she could remain just as clean.
Tanner's words replayed in her head. A peppermint stick? "Hmm. That means I'm sweet to suck on?"
Spoon choked while Tanner's face broke out into a sensual smile full of promise. Heat blasted across her face, realizing how naughty the sexual innuendo sounded. Not used to flirting and teasing in such a manner, she found the hobby entertaining although somewhat embarrassing.
"I'm so not touching that." Spoon held up his free arm in surrender.
Tanner's smile grew and his brown eyes sparkled. "I think once we get her home and she cleans up, she'll be cussing you like an ornery mule in the morning."
"Huh?"
"Never mind." Tanner stepped forward, ushering her before him.
Spoon snorted and leaned close to whisper in Oakley's ear. "Loco has medic training."
Confused, Oakley paused to stare up at Spoon. What did that have to do with the price of beans? "I don't get it."
He latched onto her elbow, giving a tug. "You will. Later." In a louder voice, he spoke to Tanner. "Good thing you thought to bring those trash bags. As much paint as she's carrying, you'd be left with polka-dotted seats."
"I'm smart like that." Tanner grinned over his shoulder, slowing his pace until they moved abreast.
"Smart ass is more like it."
"Yeah, shut up and color," Tanner tossed back.
Oakley turned her head this way and that, like watching a dang tennis match as they threw volleys at one another. It didn't matter; she couldn't understand half of what they said anyway. It was as if they had their own language. Come to think of it, they probably did, as the military was famous for all their idioms and slang.
Minutes later, they stuffed her in the backseat and loaded the equipment. The guys piled in and Tanner pulled out, heading home.
Spoon turned in his passenger seat, shooting her a look. "I got you! I got you!" He mimicked her victory expression from earlier.
She snorted. "Yeah, yeah. I'll remember that next time I bake muffins when you're around."
"You'd spike them?" His mouth opened in blatant surprise.
"Nah. I'll just feed yours to the dog." She grinned wickedly.
Tanner burst out laughing. "She'll do it too."
"Whose side are you on?" Spoon glared at Tanner.
"Whoever has the food."
Chapter 15
Oakley emerged from the bathroom, brush in hand, wearing lightweight summer pajamas, a white two-piece set that resembled shorts and a shirt more than actual sleepwear. One glance into the living room sent her heart racing and a shiver of fear up her spine.
Tanner sat on the couch with Hercules draped across him.
He looked up at her with a sheepish smile. "I wanted to check on you. The guard dog sat on me so I wouldn't peek into the shower."
Said canine snored loudly.
"Uh-huh." She headed toward the kitchen, grabbed the bag of dog food, and filled the elevated bowl.
Tanner tracked her with his eyes.
Hercules immediately sat up before scurrying off Tanner, hurrying to his afternoon meal. Seconds later, loud crunching rang through the room.
"I thought I locked the door."
"You did."
She shook her head, flicking a glare at Hercules. "Some guard dog you are." The fact that he could get through locked doors with ease didn't really surprise her. Considering what little she knew about his past and present, it made sense that breaking and entering skills came in handy. Still, it rattled her a bit to find him in her living room unannounced.
Tanner patted the vacated spot on the couch. "Come on, I think we need to talk."
The serious tone jerked her attention back to him. Her nerves snapped to high alert as she slowly made her way over to the couch. What was he going to say? That he changed his mind? He found someone else? He really was a serial killer and she was the next victim?
As if sensing her escalating tension, he stood and took her hand in his, lifting it for a soft kiss to her palm. "That's why I came over. You've had questions and been making some comments. I think we need to clear the air and get on the same page."
She nodded, still bewildered. Following his lead, she lowered to the waiting cushions.
He grinned at her before stealing her brush. "Here. Let me."
"No. You don't have to…"
He shook his head. "I want to. Now rotate."
Oakley twisted, placing her back to him. Her stiffness vanished as she felt the first gentle brush strokes down the long length of her deep brunette hair.
* * * *
Tanner moved the brush through her thick strands and felt her begin to relax. He cussed himself for not realizing how frightened she would be when he let himself in. Walking in to find him on her couch would rattle any woman, let alone someone with negative male experiences in her past. What seemed like a good idea earlier now came back to haunt him. At least she seemed to be quieting with his chambermaid duties. For that, he would willingly work her hair into order all night if he had to.
"I should have just waited for you to finish and knocked." He offered up the apology.
She sighed. "It's okay. You just startled me is all." Her words carried truth in their low and quiet tones.
"I know you've been curious about me. I can't tell you everything, but I can explain some things, if you're still interested." He reached up with his left hand, pulling lost strands behind her.
She sat quietly for a long moment before speaking. "I know you're a Marine, but not on active duty, or you would be gone longer periods of time."
Loco Page 7
