by Sabrina York
Tina’s smile set a fire in his gut. “I’d be delighted.” She shot an apologetic smile at Ransom, who nearly collapsed with relief, and she set her hand in his. Her palm was warm as he led her to the shadowed dance floor.
As though fates were on his side—finally—the song changed, something slow and sleepy. His mood lifted. He pulled her close.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and cuddled in, pressing into him from chest to groin. As she swayed to the music, she rubbed against him like a sultry siren. Her movements reminded him of last night, of her on top of him, riding him. His cock hardened. Her perfume surrounded him, blinded him. Lust rose higher.
His hands slipped down her body, skimming over her back, her hips. He cupped her ass and pulled her closer.
It was amazing, having her in his arms again. Having her plastered against him like this. “Ah, I missed you, Bambi,” he said.
Her lips curled. “I missed you too.” She stroked his nape and he shivered. “Today has been crazy. One thing after another.”
It had been. A welter of activity. Dane decided, if he ever married, he would elope.
But now…now they were together. And it was heaven.
Until she said, “Did you talk to him?”
Oh, hell.
Dane gulped. “Not yet.”
Her smile evaporated. Her face scrunched up. “What? Why not?”
“There wasn’t time.”
“Wasn’t time?”
“We were interrupted.”
“Damn it Dane!” She pulled out of his arms and flounced off the dance floor. He followed her, even though she pushed through the double doors into the lobby. The suddenness of the bright lights, after the intimate shadows, startled him. The lobby was crowded, bustling with activity. A herd of Japanese tourists formed a knot by the registration desk and a gaggle of gamblers strode by, on the hunt for a winning machine. Others meandered around, as though lost, gazing into store windows. Hardly the place for a private conversation.
Tina didn’t seem to notice. She whirled on him. “You were supposed to talk to him. Before tonight.” This last bit, she hissed.
“Talk to who?”
Dane flinched as Cody sidled up next to them. Apparently, he had followed them from the room. Dane glanced at his friend and flinched again. Shit. Cody was pissed about something. But Dane ignored him, focusing on Tina instead.
“I told you, there wasn’t time.”
“You had all day.”
“All day for what?” Cody’s voice was silky smooth.
Dane whirled on him. “Did you want something?”
“Yeah,” Cody snarled. “I wanted to know why you had your hands on my sister’s ass.”
“I…what?”
Tina grabbed Dane by the lapels and yanked his attention back to her. “All day. You couldn’t manage one little conversation?”
“Because they were right there.” Cody made a cupping motion. “On her ass. Right there. For everybody to see. And I do mean everybody.”
Dane glanced from one to the other, unsure who to address first. “It was—”
“All you had to say was, by the way Cody, I’m doin’ your sister—”
“What?”
“Are you cool with that? Because she sure as shit is.”
“For Christ sake. My sister? My innocent baby sister?”
“She’s not your innocent sister anymore.” This Dane shouted at Tina, not Cody. His gaze bored into hers. Hers bored right back. “She tied me up and rode me.”
“She what?” Cody squeaked. They both ignored him.
Tina glared at Dane. Poked him with a sharp finger. “You tied me up first.”
“He…what? He what?”
“Only because you wanted it,” Dane snapped.
“She…”
Tina bristled. “Only because you thought I was a hooker.”
“A hooker!” Cody thrust himself between them, though they were nearly nose to nose. “You thought my baby sister was a hooker?”
“You should have seen her,” Dane roared.
He didn’t expect the fist to the gut. Or maybe he did.
It was hard. Real hard. Dane slumped to his knees, the wind knocked out of him.
He really didn’t expect Tina to haul off and slug Cody. And then fall to her knees at his side. “Are you okay, baby?” she cooed. “Did he hurt you?”
“Did I hurt him?” Cody shook out his hand. “Did I hurt him?”
“I can’t believe you punched him.” She reached up and smacked her brother again for good measure.
“He called you a hooker.”
“He didn’t call me a hooker. He said he thought I was a hooker.”
“Is there a difference?”
Tina set her chin in a way Dane recognized. Cody would be smart to just shut up now. “There’s an enormous difference. Besides, Cody, I’d just come from the Smexy Photo Shoot. I was all dolled up. You all were expecting a hooker and he assumed it was me.”
Cody’s lips flapped. “You’re. My. Sister.”
“And what does that mean? I can never have a lover?”
“Not my best friend!”
“I can never have sex? Never have a man? A husband? Never have babies? Just because we once exited the same vagina?”
Cody cringed. “Don’t say that word. Don’t ever say that word. And that’s not what I mean. Tina, sweetie.” Now they were all on their knees. Dane could only imagine what the Japanese tourists thought about all this. But, apparently, it was photo-worthy. “You gotta understand. There’s a code. Guys do not fuck their best friend’s sister.”
She put out a lip. “Not even if she wants him to?”
“Especially then.” He slashed his hand through the air.
“What if they like each other? Really like each other?” This, she said more to Dane than to her interfering brother.
“What if they want to explore?” Dane said back.
“Explore?” Cody bristled. “Explore what?”
Tina pushed him away, leaning closer to Dane, her gaze snagged in his. “What if it’s more than like?”
Something caught in his throat. He tried to swallow around it. “What if it is?”
“What if they l-love each other?” she whispered.
“What if they do?”
Cody froze. His gaze skated from Tina to Dane. It must have been plain on Dane’s face—the pain, the need, the surrender. “Do you…Do you love her?” he asked.
“Yeah. I kinda do.” Dane shrugged. “Sorry bro.”
Tina sighed. She gazed at him as though he’d hung the stars. “You do?”
He wove his fingers through her hair and held her steady as he gazed down at her beautiful face, those glimmering eyes, that tweaked up nose, those sweet, red lips. “I do.”
“Do you love him?” Cody’s voice floated, as though from far away.
Dane held his breath as Tina studied him, her big doe eyes wide and clear. “Shit Cody, I’ve loved him since high school.”
“That wasn’t love,” Dane felt compelled to point out. “That was a crush.”
“Don’t tell me what love is, Dane Coulter. All I know is you’re the only man I ever wanted. No other man ever measured up to you and they never will. What we shared was amazing. Mind boggling. Transformative—”
“Okay. Okay. Yeah. We get it.” Cody lurched to his feet. “Enough already.”
Dane stood as well and helped Tina up. “So you don’t mind if I see your sister?”
“You don’t mind if I see your best friend?” she asked, with an impish smile.
So impish, in fact, Dane couldn’t help yanking her into his arms for a kiss, regardless of what Cody said. She was too damn cute and he wanted her far too much.
He barely heard Cody grumble, “Fine. But if you hurt her, I will fucking skin you alive.”
“See?” Tina kissed his chin as Cody stomped back into the banquet room. “I told you he’d understand.”
“I don’t know if he understands so mu
ch as realizes the folly of refusing you something you want.”
“I am rather adamant, at times.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
He chuckled. “You can be.”
“I kinda liked the sight of you on your knees,” she whispered.
“Did you?”
“Mmm hmm.” She shot him a wicked look, one that made heat snarl in his groin. “Gave me ideas.”
Oh lord. Heaven protect him from a woman with ideas.
But then she went up on her toes and whispered in his ear, filling his mind with scorching visions. Visions of the two of them, together, somewhere private.
He raked a glance around the lobby in a frantic search for someplace somewhat private—prompting the tourists to snap another flurry of pictures.
“How long is this party thing?” he asked.
Her gaze blazed into his. “No one will notice,” she murmured, “if we leave now.”
“Are you sure?”
“I don’t care.”
Epilogue
Dane’s boots thudded on the pristine linoleum as he hurried down the antiseptic-scented corridor. He knew better than to run but, damn it, he was in a hurry. Still, his heart pounded as though he was in a full-out sprint.
As he pushed through the double doors of the hospital waiting room, Cody leapt to his feet and rushed to meet him, grasping him by the collar of his fatigues in an iron grip.
“Am I too late?” Dane gasped. “Did I miss it?”
“Angie’s in labor,” Cody bellowed. The veins on his neck stood out. His face was red, his eyes wild.
“I know. I got your text.” He pried Cody’s fingers loose. “How’s Tina?”
“Tina? Tina? Tina’s fine. Angie’s in labor!”
“Where is Tina?”
“Angie’s in labor.” Cody scrubbed his face. His lips flapped. “In labor.”
Well shit. He wasn’t going to get any answers here. He pushed away from Cody and stormed to the nurses’ station. “Tina? Tina Coulter?”
The incomprehensibly calm nurse, dressed in crisp fatigues with lieutenant’s bars, smiled at him. “Captain Coulter?”
“Yes. Yes. Where’s my wife?”
“Right this way, sir.” She stood and led him through another set of double doors. Cody trailed along in his wake, mumbling something about Angie. In labor. And Christ Almighty. “She’s doing fine.” The nurse shot Dane a wink. “They both are.”
“Both?” Something skidded through him. Something thrilling and horrifying.
“Congratulations, sir,” she said as she pushed open a door, revealing Tina, his beautiful Tina, sitting in a rocking chair by the window of a hospital room bedecked with flowers, holding a tiny bundle to her breast. Sunlight shafted over her, embracing her as she stared down at an angelic face, a tiny mouth puckered around her nipple. “It’s a boy.”
A boy.
A boy.
Dane’s knees locked. Something swelled in his chest.
Tina looked up as he entered. Their gazes twined and his breath stalled. She looked like a Madonna holding his child, his son. Her lips quirked up in that smile he loved so very much. Tears filled her eyes.
Okay. They might have filled his too.
Somehow, Dane stumbled across the room, his attention transfixed by the sight of his wife feeding their child. “I’m too late,” he whispered.
She held out a hand. Stroked his wrist with a thumb. “You’re not too late.”
“I shouldn’t have gone. I should have stayed.”
“It’s your job, Dane. You had to go. And everything went fine.”
“Fine?” How could it be fine? He’d missed everything.
“He was just in a hurry, is all. Look at him. Isn’t he beautiful?”
He couldn’t help it. He couldn’t hold himself up. Dane slumped to his knees and embraced them both, one arm around her and the other cradling his baby. He stared at that fat, perfect face, all scrunched up as he fervently worked his jaw. Dane touched a tuft of down on a fragile head. His finger seemed too large, too rough, in counterpoint. He almost pulled back but didn’t. Couldn’t. “He’s perfect.” He looked up at her. Kissed her. “You’re perfect.”
She glowed. Just glowed. “I love you, Dane.” Her lips brushed his.
“I love you, Bambi.” He continued kissing her, despite her snort.
“Angie’s in labor,” Cody announced, from behind him. In case they’d forgotten. Because he hadn’t mentioned it for a moment or two.
They ignored him.
“We should pick a name we like, since we’ll probably be yelling it a lot,” she suggested.
He gazed down at the small human, the person they’d made. Yeah. He looked like a troublemaker. His chest swelled with pride. “Any ideas?”
“I thought we could name him Cody?” she said in a soft voice.
Dane snorted. “I like that.” Liked the thought of yelling that.
Cody fell to his knees at Dane’s side and gaped at Tina. “Really? You’d name him after me? Little Cody?” He reached out to stroke the child, then realized how close his hand was to his sister’s breast and lurched back. “Can’t you…” he waved at her chest.
“What?”
“Cover up or something?”
Tina glared at him. “This is what boobs are for, Cody. Besides, you’ll be seeing this a lot once your baby is born. Get used to it.”
He paled. “Angie’s in labor,” he murmured. Then he leaped to his feet and started pacing the room. “Angie’s in labor.”
Dane chuckled. “Shouldn’t he be in there?” Damn. He’d wanted to be there when his son was born. But his mission had taken longer than they’d expected and his flight had been delayed and there’d been a long line of cars at the gate waiting to get on base. Damn. He would have liked to have been there.
Maybe next time.
“He was in there,” Tina whispered. “They kicked him out.”
“They did?”
“I think, maybe, Angie did.”
“Good. Serves him right.”
“They said he was getting too bossy.”
“He does that.” When Cody had discovered Tina was pregnant, out of wedlock, he’d gone ballistic, badgering them relentlessly to tie the knot. Though Dane was always careful, apparently it only took one slip up.
It had been that afternoon. The afternoon he’d seen her with Ennis at the coffee shop and gone a little crazy and swept her off to a secluded cloak room. He probably would have remembered to use a condom, he probably could have controlled himself—if she hadn’t been bare assed naked beneath that cherry-spattered dress.
But she had been. Bare and wet and ready. And he’d lost control.
Made a baby.
And Cody had gone ballistic.
Never mind the fact that Dane had already proposed by the time they realized a child was on the way. Never mind the fact that Tina had gleefully accepted. Never mind that they couldn’t bear the thought of being apart. So much so that his mission, the one that had kept him away, was to be his last.
Nope. Cody didn’t care about any of the sordid details. All he cared about was getting a ring on his sister’s finger. He’d hounded them until the deed was done. He still brought it up every chance he got.
Dane hardly cared anymore. He had what he wanted. He had Tina. And their son…
Tina’s chuckle caught his attention.
“What?”
“Cody’s gonna shit a brick when he finds out.” She glanced at her brother, who was now sitting on the bed, rocking and checking his watch every second or so and mumbling to himself.
“What?”
“Can you keep a secret?”
“From him?” Dane thrust a thumb at the man who had made his life a living hell for three months. “Not a problem.”
“Angie’s having twins.”
“Twins?” Holy God.
Tina’s smirk indicated there was more. “Both girls.”
Dane shot a look at his friend, wh
o was already frazzled and beset, in a world-class tizzy.
Cody with daughters? Daughters who would one day want to date? Men? Men who wanted to have sex with them? Maybe tie them up and spank their bottoms and make them do naughty, naughty things?
He threw back his head and barked a laugh. Now, that was something he couldn’t wait to see.
The lieutenant appeared in the doorway. Cody leaped to his feet.
“Captain Thompson?”
His throat worked. “Y-yes?” A squeak.
“Your wife is ready to see you now.”
“Is she…? Are they…? What…?”
“Everything is fine, sir. Your wife is asking for you.”
Cody shot a look at them over his shoulder. “I’m, ah, I’m going now.”
“Tell her hello for me,” Tina said, biting back a smile.
He nodded, a tight dip of this head, and then he tugged down his fatigues, slicked back his spiky hair, and headed for his doom.
Tina snorted a laugh. “He’s gonna shit a brick,” she murmured.
Dane snorted as well. Served him right.
His gaze flitted back to his son. He drew gentle circles on little Cody’s head. The baby’s eyes closed. His lips parted in a gurgle. And then he belched. Oh yeah, he was going to be a hellion, his bold, brash little man. Dane could already see him riding bikes with no hands, climbing trees and getting stuck, shooting tin cans with his slingshot.
Dane bent his head and pressed a kiss on his son’s forehead. He smelled of powder and baby. And Tina’s milk. A tantalizing combination.
His gaze drifted to her breast, distended and full, the nipple jutting prominently and ruched. Then up to her face. Her beautiful, beautiful face.
God, he loved her. Loved her more than he’d ever imagined was possible.
When Cody had fallen for Angie, Dane had thought him cowed by love and swore, upon all that was holy, he’d never be so whipped. He’d never be so lost in love he surrendered his manhood.
But if this was what it was, if this was what it felt like to be whipped, he’d take it.
Any way she wanted to give it to him.
And he hadn’t surrendered his manhood.
He’d stepped into it. Embraced it.
Funny, he’d thought he’d felt complete with Tina—these last nine months with her had been sublime. But now, looking down at his son, he realized there was no such thing as completion. There was room. There was always room for more.
