The Maverick

by Rhonda Nelson

  Julia took another long lick of her cone, seemed to be pondering what Guy had just shared. “Well, if that was his angle, then it was a stroke of genius because it worked.” She slid him a look. “There was a marked difference between the man you’d been the first time you walked into that classroom and the man you were when you came back. You were confident, purposeful and direct—all qualities designed to instill trust and demand respect.” Seemingly impressed, she darted him another speculative look, one of many he’d been getting recently. “You’re a badass,” she said, eyes twinkling. “A modern-day pirate.”

  Startled at the somewhat dramatic comparison, Guy chuckled. He’d been called a badass before, but… “A pirate?”

  She grinned. “There are similarities.”

  “Like what?”

  “A certain recklessness and disregard for the rules, for starters.”

  He inclined his head. “Rules are boring.”

  She laughed. “Spoken like a true pirate.”

  “It sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought.”

  “Not necessarily,” Julia hedged and he could tell that she was lying. For whatever reason, that she’d put so much thought into his character made him feel…special, he realized. She wouldn’t waste her time thinking about him if she wasn’t interested in the kind of man he was. If she didn’t enjoy his company beyond the sex.

  Julia gazed around the base, seemingly drinking in the atmosphere. Though it was early spring, the air still held enough heat to make his skin sting. “I like it here,” she said. “What’s this area of the base called again?”

  “Harmony Church,” Guy told her. “Both Sniper and Ranger schools are housed in this area of the base.”

  “Do you miss it?” she asked, sighing softly. “The routine, the purpose? Being part of the cause and the greater good?”

  Guy watched a group of guys dressed in BDU’s walk by and thoughtfully considered the question. Did he miss it? he wondered, trying to filter the emotional aspect of Danny’s death out of the equation.

  “To some degree, yes,” Guy admitted, surprising himself. “I miss the atmosphere, the thrill of the mission, of being the best of the best.” He sighed. “But the best part of being in the military was being with my friends and honestly, I’ve still got that. Ranger Security isn’t as exciting as orchestrating a hostage mission, but then I’ve got better odds of surviving, as well.” He chuckled softly. “Jamie and Payne…they’re great. Is this where I thought I’d be now? No. But I’m happy with the outcome.” He tangled his fingers in hers and tugged playfully. “What about you?” he wanted to know. “Are you where you want to be right now? Is your ten-year plan lining up for you?” he teased.

  Julia chuckled softly and shot him a look. “How did you know I had a ten-year plan?”

  Guy laughed. “Oh, baby, you are a stick-to-the-plan kind of girl if I’ve ever seen one. And a five-year plan would be too shortsighted for you.”

  Julia chewed the inside of her cheek. “Well, a plan is good,” she said, nodding primly. “It forces a person to set goals and adhere to them and encourages critical thinking.” Warming to her topic, she paused to look at him. “You know, it wouldn’t hurt you to—”

  Guy tugged her around and planted a silencing kiss on her mouth to prevent the lecture. She tasted like chocolate ice cream and hot, sweet sex and his heart gave an odd little jolt as she melted readily against him. She was warm and responsive and so damned sexy it was all he could do to keep his hands off of her.

  But admittedly, since yesterday afternoon, he hadn’t done much of that.

  He and Julia had shared lunch, then he’d given her a brief tour of the base. They’d parted company long enough for him to contact Payne and shower, then he’d walked over to her duplex and spent the remainder of the evening with her.

  She’d cooked a fabulous meal…then he’d made a meal of her.

  Guy had awoken at three o’clock, a bit disoriented from the surroundings, then had glanced over and seen Julia lying beside him. Long, pale golden hair fanned out over her pillow—God, that was sexy—her hand tucked beneath her cheek. She’d been heart breakingly beautiful and something in his chest had shifted, forcing him to release a pent-up breath, one he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

  His first instinct had been to curl up next to her, drag her closer to him—her rump to his groin and a plump breast beneath his hand—but Guy hadn’t. The fact that he’d even wanted to had scared the living hell out of him—he’d never been tempted to spend the whole night with a woman—and he’d quietly kissed her cheek, murmured a goodbye so she wouldn’t feel abandoned, and then made the return trek to his side of the duplex.

  Once there, Guy’d had to fight the immediate impulse to go directly back and crawl back into bed with her. His seemed too big, too lonely, and considering he’d never been lonely a day in his life, Guy knew he was wading into uncharted waters he wasn’t altogether sure he wanted to explore, pirate or not.

  What had started out as a severe case of attraction for him had swiftly morphed into something Guy found himself unable to label. He’d never met anyone like Julia, someone who affected him the way she did. Being with her made him feel better about himself. He enjoyed saying things that shocked her and watching those leaf green eyes widen in impressed outrage. She admired him, Guy thought—genuinely respected him—and knowing that he affected her that way made him feel even better about himself.

  Granted he’d never been low in the confidence department—frankly he’d survived too much, accomplished too much—to ever be anything but overconfident. But something about Julia Beckam, in particular, made him feel like a better man.

  He wasn’t altogether sure what their plans would be at the end of the week when it was time to go back to Atlanta. Despite the fact that he’d be breaking every bachelor rule, a part of him desperately wanted to pursue this relationship once they went back home.

  He wanted her to come over and meet his friends, sit on the couch with him and watch a Braves game, share a beer down at Samuel’s Pub. He wanted her to stand barefoot in his kitchen in one of his shirts and cook him one of those trademark amazing meals in his designer kitchen which had never helped prepare anything more than a frozen dinner or a Pop-Tarts.

  He wanted to get Bear’s reaction to her—dogs were a good judge of character in his opinion—and see if he and his canine roommate felt the same way about her.

  In short, he was becoming increasingly aware—and increasingly terrified—that he wanted her.

  And that had never been part of his ten-year plan.

  “WHERE ARE WE GOING AGAIN?” Julia asked, trying once more to get Guy to tell her where they were headed. They’d parked—his truck, of course, she thought with a smile—about half a mile back at Red Diamond Road and had been hiking across a meadow for about ten minutes. Ever the gentleman, Guy blazed a path in front of her making sure she didn’t get snakebitten or inadvertently fall into a hole.

  “God, woman, how many times do I have to tell you that it’s a surprise?”

  “That depends on when you stop telling me it’s a surprise and tell me where we’re going.”

  He shifted the picnic basket he’d arranged himself from one hand to the other and paused, seemingly getting his bearings.

  “We’re lost, aren’t we?” She knew they weren’t of course, she simply enjoyed needling him. She loved it when he got all outraged and cocky. It turned her on. Julia sighed, recognizing the fact that she was way in over her head. But then when did he not turn her on?

  Guy turned around, chuckled darkly and shot her a look. “Me? Lost? I was a Ranger, for chrissakes. I’m never lost.”

  Hiding a smile, Julia plucked a bloom of Queen Ann’s Lace and twirled it between her fingers. “Okay then. Are you in absence of the knowledge of where we are?”

  He grunted. “Say it however you want to, baby, but I am not lost.” He started forward once more and she was left with no other choice than to mush alon
g after him. Of course, the view was particularly wonderful—he had a particularly fabulous ass—so she could hardly complain.

  Furthermore, he’d told her that they’d be hiking about a mile off road, so she’d worn the right shoes, but she still didn’t have any idea where he was taking her. She thought longingly of the map sitting in the front seat of her car and wished she’d consulted it a little more closely.

  If she remembered correctly, they were close to Victoria Pond, the area where the amphibious training for the Bradley Fighting Vehicles took place. Since he’d packed a picnic and, that didn’t seem particularly romantic, Julia didn’t think that’s where they were headed.

  Quite honestly, it didn’t matter because she grimly suspected that she’d follow him anywhere. The past few days with him had been…indescribably wonderful. Tomorrow morning they would finish their final class with the new group and then she and Guy would head back to Atlanta, separately…and separated.

  He hadn’t said a word about continuing their relationship beyond this week and Julia had too much pride to mention it herself. Her pirate was allergic to permanent relationships and she’d known that from the get-go. It had been part of the reason she’d allowed herself to become his sexual pupil, though quite honestly, other than learning how to balance one leg on a toilet seat while hanging on to the wall support in the handicapped stall of the bathroom, she could honestly say that she hadn’t exactly discovered anything new.

  Evidently, he’d been right. She’d never been the problem, she’d just make the retarded repeated mistake of hooking up with men who didn’t know what they were doing. A warm flutter winged through her belly and settled in her sex.

  Guy certainly hadn’t had any trouble taking care of her, that was for sure.

  In fact, she grimly suspected that he’d spoiled her, what with his bone-melting kissing and multiple orgasms. And God, that wicked smile. Julia let go a shuddering breath. She saw it in her dreams.

  Satisfaction guaranteed. Too bad it didn’t come with a lifetime warranty.

  “Ah,” Guy said. “There it is.”

  Intrigued, Julia peered around him and saw a small probably Civil War–era cemetery, judging by the mossy gray stones. A delighted sound of surprise slipped past her lips and her gaze tangled with Guy’s. He grinned at her, evidently pleased with himself and her response.

  “Like it?” he asked.

  Tucked into a rolling meadow of tall grass, the stones seemed lonely but worthy of reverence and Julia found herself inexplicably drawn closer. There was something hauntingly beautiful about old graveyards and she’d always loved doing rubbings—she’d even framed several—and searching for intriguing epitaphs. She’d come across several which had stayed with her over the years—a simple “She was murdered” to “He looked up the elevator shaft to see if a car was coming. It was.”

  Guy couldn’t have known that strolling through old graveyards and cemeteries was a favorite pastime of hers—she loved the history, the stories told by the births and deaths of those who’d gone before her—and yet he couldn’t have taken her anywhere on this base that would have delighted her more.

  He set the picnic basket down and joined her as she walked slowly through the listing stones, scanning the inscriptions for interesting names and bits of history. Seth, Ephraim, Sarah. Her heart squeezed when she saw a smaller stone. A stillborn baby.

  “This is beautiful,” Julia said softly because this place deserved the quiet regard.

  “I liked it,” Guy told her. “I had a hunch that you would, too.”

  “I do,” Julia confirmed. She tucked her hand in his and sidled closer to him. “Thank you.”

  He smiled, seemingly pleased and his woefully familiar green gaze traced a path over her face, almost as though committing it to memory. “You’re welcome.”

  “How did you find out about this place? It’s a little off the beaten path.”

  He grinned, reached down and cleared a clump of weeds away from one of the monuments. “I’m surprised you didn’t see it. It’s on the map.”

  Julia chuckled. “So that’s how you found it? The map?”

  “No.” He shoved a hand in his front pocket. “I don’t know. Someone mentioned it was out here. It’s a good place to think. I used to come here a lot.” He paused. “Danny did, too. It’s quiet.”

  Julia paused and watched him scan the stones again, his face an impassive mask and yet she instinctively knew that he’d spent a lot of time here after Danny died. He was sharing something special with her, Julia realized. A guarded part of himself.

  Her gaze turned inward, remembering the tattoo she’d seen on his right shoulder—an image of an eagle with a ribbon and the inscription In Memory of Danny Boy trailing from its beak. When she’d slid a finger over it, he’d tensed, but had told her that Payne and Jamie had the same one, as well. So they never forgot. Honestly, Julia didn’t think any of them would ever be in any danger of that.

  She cleared her throat. “Your friend must have had good taste.”

  Guy chuckled. “God, no. Not all the time, anyway,” he clarified. “Payne comes from a wealthy family and he’s managed his investments well. Like me and Jamie though, Danny’s family was just above the poverty line and when he started making pretty decent money, he had a penchant for buying g-gaudy jewelry.” Guy chuckled, remembering and shook his head. “We used to call him pimp daddy, particularly when he wore the pinky ring.”

  Julia laughed. “Well, he had good taste in friends, at any rate.”

  Guy’s gaze tangled with hers. “He would have liked you,” he told her.

  No doubt she would have liked him, as well, Julia thought, warmed by the compliment. She tucked her hair behind her ear and waded through the grass.

  “Are you hungry?” Guy asked.

  Julia grinned. “Have you noticed me missing any meals?”

  “Come on,” he said, eyes twinkling adorably. “I’ll spread a blanket…and we’ll feast.”

  Actually, Julia decided, shooting him a glance, she’d rather feed another appetite. Guy snagged a quilt from the basket and expertly laid it on the ground, then he plopped down and found a comfortable position on his side. He propped his head up with his hand and the devil’s own curve slid over his sexy lips.

  Julia sighed, recognizing the ploy for exactly what it was. Masculine wiles. How the hell could she resist? She toed her shoes off, then cocked a pointed brow. “Guy?”

  He blinked innocently at her. “Yes?”

  “Now.”

  10

  NOW.

  In this instance Guy didn’t think a better word had ever been invented. In fact, given the frequency that Julia had begun to use the simple word, Guy had come to the conclusion that now was his favorite word.

  Particularly considering that their time together was growing increasingly shorter. Tomorrow at noon they’d wrap up their training session and the idea that she was going to walk out of his life, never to return absolutely made a dead weight sit in his chest.

  He’d wanted to do something special with her—for her—before they left and had instinctively known that this place would appeal to her. Like him she had a deep appreciation for history, for imperfect things with a past—like him, Guy thought—and the look on her face when she’d seen the cemetery had been worth every bit of effort he’d put into planning this picnic for her.

  Actually, he’d picked up the sandwiches and beer at a deli—he’d smiled at the clerk and she’d even packed it for him—so when it came to actual effort, he hadn’t expended much. But he’d given her a little piece of himself by sharing this place with her and because she was smart and insightful, she’d recognized the gesture for what it was.

  Knowing that he preferred her hair down, she’d started wearing it that way the past couple of days and a pale blond curtain of silky hair fell over her shoulders and down the middle of her back. She settled herself beside him and Guy twirled a long lock of that hair around his finger—his chest tighte
ned as though it was actually winding around his heart—and he tugged her to him for a long, slow kiss.

  Sweet heaven, but she tasted good. Warm and willing and sweet and perfect. She tasted like a future, were he willing to have one with her, Guy thought, then forced the fanciful notion away, tempted. He slowly unbuttoned her shirt, baring her body to his hungry gaze and released a shuddering breath as the front clasp of her bra gave way and freed her glorious breasts.

  Guy bent and sucked a rosy nipple into his mouth, the taste of her exploding on his tongue. God, how he loved her body. It was long and lean, smooth, soft and firm, a breathtaking combination of sweet curves, intriguing valleys. Pale skin, golden curls, rosy nipples. That beautiful hair fanned out on the blanket like a skein of fine silk.

  She was, without a doubt, perfect in every sense of the word.

  “You are so beautiful,” Guy told her, moving to the other plump breast. “So responsive,” he murmured.

  Julia arched up, pushing her breast across his lips once more and shimmied her pants and panties down her legs.

  “You’re beautiful, too,” she told him, her darkened gaze tangling with his, her voice rusty with desire. “I look at you and something happens to me here,” she said rubbing a hand over her mound. “I get all hot and achy—hollow—and I can’t think about anything but you filling me up. You inside me.”

  Her foggy tones wrapped around his senses and she leaned forward and nipped at his neck, causing a shower of sensation to trickle over his skin. She lifted her hips once more, a silent plea, then her hands went to work on his clothes, swiftly disrobing him. His jeans and T-shirt joined her own, a discarded pile of forgotten trappings.

  Warm hands, a cool breeze and the swish of tall grasses wrapped around them, swaddling him into a memory Guy knew he’d visit frequently when this time with her was over.

  She slid her palms over his chest, scoring his nipples, then she massaged his shoulders and drew him back down for another mind-blowing kiss. She sucked at his tongue, the move bold and erotic—like her, Guy thought, loving every second of her sweet seduction.