by Annie Rains
Jaws met his gaze solidly. His eyes were warm as his tail thumped the ground where he sat on his hind legs.
“Thanks, buddy. You did a good job out there today.”
Jaws thumped his tail again.
Griffin knew that Jaws had only acted because he’d thought Griffin was in danger. Jaws had risked his life to save Griffin’s. That made him a good dog.
Heading back to his office, Griffin dreaded the pile of paperwork that came with altercations. Really, the day would be much easier if no one ever broke the law. Griffin was also supposed to report on Jaws’s attack. Jaws was trigger-happy, and he’d leapt out of turn. Again. K-9s were a weapon of the military, as cold as that sounded. Weapons shouldn’t go off without someone giving the okay.
Griffin sat heavily behind his desk. No way was Jaws getting in trouble for attempting to save his life today. He’d avoid relaying the full truth to his higher-ups. Jaws was on his last chance, and Griffin wanted to give him just one more.
An hour and a half later, paperwork done, he grabbed his keys and headed out into the parking lot. He waited until he had driven off base to pick up his cellphone and dial the nursing home.
“Seaside Harbor,” Louise said into the line. There was no mistaking her thick, welcoming voice.
“It’s Griffin,” he said. “How’s my mom?”
“She’s resting.”
Code for: not a good day to come by. Which was fine by him. He was exhausted.
“But she had a good day overall. Val came by to see her for lunch. She couldn’t do her book club, though, because your mom got agitated. We had to sedate her and put her to bed.”
Griffin nodded. This was routine stuff. It used to bother him, but now, if his mother didn’t hurt herself or someone else, it was in fact a good day. “Thanks.”
“You might want to check on Val, though,” Louise said.
Griffin turned his Explorer and headed down Seaside’s Main Street. “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”
“Alma’s health has taken a bad turn. Your woman looked upset when she left here.”
“ ‘My woman’?” he repeated.
“Oh, come on, sweetie. You don’t fool me. You and Val have the grabby hands for one another.”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “What happened to Alma?” He knew that Val thought a lot of the elderly patient. Enough to watch her devil dog all summer.
“It’s called old age, honey. Everyone in here is dying. We’re all dying, it’s just not as obvious for some of us.”
The events of his afternoon flashed through his mind. Yeah. Life was fragile. It needed to be handled with care. So did Val right now apparently, and he was the man for the job.
“I’ll come see my mother tomorrow,” he told Louise.
“Okay. Bye, Griffin.”
He disconnected as he pulled into his driveway. Walking inside, he smiled as Trooper bounced around like a puppy for a moment. Then Trooper’s energy spiraled and an old, retired dog was left wagging his tail mildly. He’d planned to take Trooper to the dog park nearby this afternoon, but Val needed him more. He couldn’t stand the thought of her being upset. She’d done a lot for him and his mom this summer. The least he could do was make sure she was okay tonight.
—
Val had been staring at her computer screen for the last half hour. Sweet Cheeks curled into her lap below and whined softly. She’d broken the news about Alma’s condition to her earlier, and thought maybe the little dog understood. Sweet Cheeks’s mood was as subdued as Val’s was this afternoon.
Val blinked at the questions from her readers on the screen. She was planning to leave the floor open for people to ask questions for a few more days, and then she’d record the YouTube video and put it online. A wave of excitement surged inside her, offsetting her depression just a little. She enjoyed writing, but she enjoyed this side of being an author, too. It was fun to interact with readers.
Val ran her fingers through Sweet Cheeks’s silky coat. As long as her father didn’t see the video, she was fine. She wasn’t sure if she could take more disappointed looks from him right now. She wasn’t sure he could be more disappointed in her if she actually tried to disappoint him.
The doorbell rang and Sweet Cheeks launched her little body off Val’s lap and began blazing the trail toward the front door. Val pursued, dragging her feet because there was no one she could think of that she’d be happy to see right now, other than Griffin. The niggling in her chest turned to butterflies in her stomach at the thought of him. Griffin typically stopped to see his mother after work, though.
She collected Sweet Cheeks in her arms and opened the door—to a tall, dark, and lust-igniting man.
She blinked. “What are you doing here?”
Sweet Cheeks was barely containable at Griffin’s presence. Val felt the same way.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” he said, stepping closer.
Her brow furrowed. “I am a little hungry. I haven’t eaten since I had lunch earlier with your mother.”
“It’s settled then. I’m taking you out.” He crossed the threshold and pulled her to him, closing the door behind him. “Do you like sushi?” he asked, nuzzling his face into her neck, brushing his rough, unshaven skin against hers. Every touch from him soothed her. He was exactly what she needed right now.
“I like sushi rolls.” She tipped her head back and looked at him. “Does that count?”
“It kind of counts. I know a great hole-in-the-wall place where we can get some.”
“Hole-in-the-wall places are my favorite.”
He leaned in and kissed her mouth. “All right then,” he said, pulling back. “You’re coming with me.”
Val gestured behind her. “I need to freshen up first. I didn’t know you were coming.”
Griffin’s gaze grew serious. “I heard about Alma. I’m sorry.”
Val swallowed, feeling the news of Alma’s decline hit her all over again. “It just doesn’t feel real yet. Out of everyone at Seaside Harbor, she’s the one who’s most full of life. Even more so than the twenty-something nurses there. Alma was only supposed to be at Seaside Harbor until her hip healed, which it has. She’s supposed to be going home. And taking Sweet Cheeks back.”
Griffin smoothed the hair along her face. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you?”
She smiled softly, catching his hand and holding it in her own. “I am now that you’re here.”
—
The hole-in-the-wall sushi bar was a place that Griffin had discovered a few months back. It was small and dimly lit, a place you could go and not be noticed. When Heroes seemed too loud and he didn’t want to see anyone, this was where Griffin came. The food was good and it was a place where you could escape the usual crowd and just relax. Perfect for tonight because he wanted Val all to himself.
“I love it,” Val said, seated beside him at a small table in the back corner. “How did I not know about this place?”
Griffin pointed a finger at her. “You have to keep this a secret. This restaurant will lose its appeal if people discover it.”
Val sipped from her beer. “Hmm. But if no one knows about it, it’ll eventually go out of business. Catch-22.”
He grimaced. “You make a good point.”
“Uh-huh. I am your voice of reason,” she said, laughing softly. “Which is crazy because I’m no one’s voice of reason. Ever.”
“Good reason for me to keep you around.”
Her smile faded just a little.
“I was only joking. I have other reasons to keep you around, too.” He winked at her, loving how she shifted nervously. He really wished he knew what she was thinking sometimes. Her eyes seldom gave anything away.
“What other reasons?” She tilted her head, inviting him to continue.
The lighting of the room settled around her, making her look like a dream in front of him. “The list seems to grow every time I see you, so…” He trailed off.
“
Smooth talker,” she accused, but she was leaning forward on the table, drawing closer to him, giving him a peek at what was under her low-hanging blouse. Nothing he hadn’t seen before but, damn, seeing her body never got old. “And you’re looking down my shirt.” She laughed as she sat back in her chair and shook her head. “You’re such a guy.”
“Did you think I was something different?” he asked, bringing his beer to his mouth and taking a long pull.
“Nope. I knew what I was getting into when I found you this summer.”
The waitress laid a plate of sushi down in front of them. “Enjoy,” she said. Then she turned and left them to their quiet corner. Alone again.
“Well, I had no idea what I was getting into,” he said, picking up a piece of sushi with his chopsticks. “You’re sweeter than I thought. And you’re pretty badass, too. You’re like one of those teaser games that takes forever to figure out.”
She popped a piece of sushi into her own mouth and chewed. “I’m really very simple,” she said when she’d finally swallowed.
“Tell me then. What’s the secret of Val Hunt?” He suddenly wanted to know all of her secrets, everything that made her who she was.
She shook her head. “I don’t have any secrets, really.”
He leaned forward. “You’re lying. We all have secrets. And I already know one big one about you.” He picked up another piece of sushi, wondering at the way she suddenly squirmed in the seat across from him.
—
“Big secret?” Val’s throat was suddenly cotton. She reached for her beer and took a huge gulp. Griffin couldn’t possibly know she wrote those Sophie Evans books he’d been reading lately. No one in her life knew. Not yet. She was warming up to the idea of telling a few trusted people, but right now her secret was still safe. Wasn’t it?
“Uh-huh.” Griffin pointed at her, his muscles bulging and rippling as he moved. “Your cover is blown.” He pretended to make an explosion with his hands.
Her heart stalled and she forgot to breathe. “Tell me what you think you know.”
“Oh, I know what I know.” He grinned. “And what I know is that you can’t wait to get me back to your place,” he said, lowering his voice.
Her mouth fell open and out came a whoosh of air that she’d sucked in a moment earlier. “What makes you think that?”
“I’m as good at reading people’s behavior as I am dogs’.”
This made her laugh. “Now you’re comparing me to a dog?”
He waggled his brow. “You do have some pretty nice tricks.”
“You’re right. I can’t wait to get you back to my place. My secret is out.”
He picked up a piece of sushi and held it out to her. “Eat up then, my dear. We have somewhere to be, and I have things to do. To you.”
A fire lit underneath her. She felt like raising her hand and signaling the waitress—check please!
“All right,” he said a moment later. “Since we’ve agreed that you want me.”
Val shook her head, laughing softly under her breath. “You’re so bad.”
“I want to hear one of your fantasies.” He lowered his voice and leaned in closer. “I’ve read some of those larger-than-life sex scenes in those romance novels you like. Tell me, what fantasy have you been dying to try?”
Val hummed on the idea. The truth was that being with him was a fantasy. She’d always loved a guy on a motorcycle. Tattooed, muscled arms. Dark hair, dark eyes. He was her fantasy guy in the looks category. And in the personality area, too. He was sweet, sensitive, all those things she longed for in a man, but doubted were realistic to expect in full.
“Come on. Everyone has fantasies. Tell me one.” His gaze was steady on hers; it’d been gradually heating all night as they’d bantered and flirted across the sushi on their table.
She lifted a shoulder as she thought. “I guess sex outdoors,” she threw out, saying the first thing that came to mind. “Kind of generic, I know.” But all of her books had an outdoor sex scene. The bedroom got old and, in fiction, you could do whatever you wanted, anywhere you wanted.
“Interesting. Where outdoors?” he asked.
“You are one for details, aren’t you?” Her skin was burning now. She moved her chopsticks around her plate, needling the leftover pieces. “I don’t know. On the back of a motorcycle,” she teased.
He tapped a finger to his chin as he considered this. “I’m not sure that’s possible.”
“Which is why they call it a fantasy.” She laughed, pushing her plate aside and crossing her arms in front of her. “Your turn. I told you mine. Now you tell me one of your fantasies.”
“You,” he said, mischief sparking in those hot chocolate eyes of his.
“Good answer. But I’m serious. I told you something, now you have to reciprocate.”
“I am all about reciprocation.” He winked at her. Then he exhaled as he thought. “I’m not into the bondage stuff. I guess my fantasy is taking my time, putting a woman first, and doing whatever she likes, again and again.”
Val swallowed. She liked the again and again part. She was practically melting in front of him. “You’re playing with me.”
“It’s true…I also like a woman who talks dirty to me,” he added. “The dirtier the better.”
Now she was a puddle. She had no bones. “Dirty talk?” she asked.
The waitress walked up as Val said it. She hesitated, looking between them, and then laid the check down.
Griffin immediately handed her cash. “Keep the change,” he told the waitress, pushing his chair back and standing. “We’re in a hurry.”
He met Val’s gaze, and yeah, she was suddenly in a hurry, too. She tried to stand but her legs felt numb; all of her blood had flowed to other places. She allowed Griffin to place his hand on the small of her back and usher her out to his Explorer. Instead of opening the front passenger door for her, however, he opened his back door.
“What are you doing?” she asked impatiently. They needed to get back to her place. As soon as possible.
“I’m inviting you to participate in another one of my fantasies.” He stepped in closer, wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing his body against hers, and making her want him as much as he obviously wanted her. The cool summer night’s air encircled them as they held each other.
“You want me to ride in the backseat?” she asked, not quite following. She was too consumed with thoughts of melting underneath him right now.
“I want you to ride in the backseat,” he agreed, nodding slowly, grinning devilishly.
“Oh. Ohhh.” She glanced between him and the open door to the leather backseat. “Your fantasy is having sex in the backseat?” she asked.
“I like parking lots,” he said, kissing her neck, following it up to her ear and whispering things to her that made her legs go weak. Dirty-talking her.
This was inspiration. A fling to satisfy all of her wildest dreams, she reminded herself. She glanced around the parking lot, which only held a few cars several parking spaces away. Then she turned and climbed into the backseat, glad that they’d picked a hole-in-the-wall restaurant to eat at and that there were few customers that might walk by and see them. A customer could walk by, though, and that was part of the appeal.
“I like your fantasy,” she whispered as he got in beside her and closed the door to the Explorer. The locks clicked loudly behind him. Then the only sound was that of their shallow breaths.
—
Griffin had been turned on since the moment Val opened her front door for him tonight. Whether it was intentional or not, Val Hunt did those little things that drove him crazy. Like chewing on her bottom lip. Or crossing her legs from the left to the right and back again. Crazy. He also liked how she’d leaned forward in that blouse that dipped too low tonight, and how her pink lace bra strap had been playing peekaboo with him for the last hour. He wanted to see more. A lot more.
He turned to her in the backseat of his Explorer, letting his han
ds ride up underneath her shirt, pushing her bra up over her breasts so that he could have full access.
“What if someone walks by?” she breathed, as he trailed kisses up from her navel, laying her back.
“People don’t look inside other people’s cars, Val. It’s rude. Also it’s dark outside.” He talked as he kissed, loving how she squirmed restlessly in his hold. “I also have tinted windows.” He lifted his head to look at her. “But talking about this takes the fun out of the fantasy.” He pulled himself on top of her and pressed his hips down in the soft spot between her legs, watching as her eyes closed. It was reminiscent of the way she’d responded to that first piece of sushi at dinner. So good. “Did you ever make out in the backseat of a car when you were in high school?” he asked, wanting to hear her voice as he touched her.
Her eyes opened and a soft smile lit her face as she shook her head. “Guys like you stayed far away from girls like me.”
“Like me?” His face was hovering over hers. “What kind of guy am I exactly?”
“You have hard edges. There’s danger in your eyes. Guys like you went for the girls whose skirts were too short. My father made sure my skirts always fell below my knees.”
“Not tonight.”
She shook her head. “Not tonight. So no, I never made out in the backseat of a car. It’s kind of cramped back here.” She looked at her leg, hanging down off the edge of the seat.
“That’s because we’re not doing this right. I’m supposed to be sitting. And you’re supposed to be straddling me.” A grin spread on his face.
“Oh…Your windows are tinted, you say?” she asked, looking up at the window above her.
“Yep. We can see them, but they can’t see anything but a shadow, if that. Passersby can still hear, though, so best to keep those squeals between us.”
Her lips parted. “I don’t squeal.”
He sat up and pulled her onto his lap, straddling her legs around him. He pressed his cock against her, eager to feel himself inside her. “You do. But I like those sounds you make when you’re turned on. They turn me on.” Before she could refute, he pulled her mouth to his, kissing her until she made a little moan that had him loosening the button of his jeans. Good thing he’d packed a condom in his pocket, just in case.
