When she would have eased away, Alex pulled her back, tighter. There was a slight twinge, but having her close was worth any discomfort.
"Jack has a big mouth. There was no reason to make you worry."
"First, Jack was being a good friend, to both of us." Dani took his hand and led him up the driveway. She closed the door after them, engaging the locks.
"Second, I wasn't worried, he assured me you were fine and taking your injuries in a manly-man fashion."
"Well, that doesn't sound like Jack."
"His sentiment, my words. Now sit." She gently pushed him onto a pillow soft sofa. "I know our plans were to go out to a movie. But because you let an inexperienced boy get the best of you, I thought we'd stay in so you could lick your wounds in private."
"What exactly did Jack tell you?" Alex was considering dispensing a few bruises to his good buddy.
Dani came back and handed him an open bottle of beer. Alex glanced at the label and smiled. His favorite brand. Not only beautiful and smart, but able to remember something he mentioned in passing five years ago. Amazing. Alex took a long drink and sighed, his body relaxing. A little pampering, even accompanied by a good dose of teasing, was just what he needed.
"All right?"
"Damn near perfect."
Dani looked down, her smile reflecting his. To be honest, she had been worried when Jack called. He'd assured her that Alex's injuries were minor, mostly he'd be sore and stiff. She had felt better when she'd heard his motorcycle pull up. He was moving a little slow, and his bottom lip was split and swollen, but otherwise, he seemed hale and hearty.
"You have a choice. I can grill us a couple of steaks and throw together all the fixings, or we can order out. It's pot pie night at Pansy's Diner. Chicken, beef or vegan."
Alex thought for a moment.
"Good pie?"
"The best."
And so it was settled. Dani phoned in the order, got herself a glass of wine and joined him on the sofa. Normally he would have opted for steak, but relaxing with Dani's company while someone else did the cooking sounded better. They fell into an easy conversation while they waited for their dinner.
"I had lunch with your sister today."
"Oh?" Alex raised his bottle but stopped half way to his mouth. "Oh?"
Dani hid her smile. That second oh had concern written all over it. Two women discussing him, one his sister, the other his, well, whatever she was. Alex didn't seem too comfortable with the idea.
"It was just lunch, Alex. No secrets were divulged, on either of our parts."
"I'm not worried," he said, though he didn't sound as convinced as he would have liked.
"You have no reason to be. We ate some good food and got acquainted. You have a really cool sister, Alex. It's admirable how she picked up her life and started over in a town where the only person she knew was Jack—your old friend, not hers. It couldn't have been easy, but she's made a real success of Peony. It's become the go-to flower place in Harper Falls."
"Baltimore stopped feeling like home after our parents died," Jack explained. "Lila was alone and I didn't get to visit as often as I should have."
Dani let him talk, only interrupting to ask a question here and there. She could tell Alex felt guilty, leaving his sister alone, having a life so far away on another continent. She didn't know if this was the first time he'd talked about it, but she was glad he wanted to share it with her. One more step closer, she thought, a warm glow starting near her heart.
"She's only twenty-four. I know, she's been on own for awhile now, but she will always be my baby sister."
"Twenty-five."
"What?"
"Lila told me that she is twenty-five."
Alex did the math in his head—damn—she was twenty-five. He was glad he hadn't made that mistake in front of Lila. Even so, he had only been off by a few months.
"And yes, in case you're wondering, a few months does make a difference," Dani informed him, practically reading his mind. "Her birthday is in November, she'll be twenty-six. I'm a year older, you, a year more than that. She needs for you to stop thinking of her as a little girl, and remember she's a contemporary, sister or not."
"Wow, that must have been some lunch."
Dani shrugged. "She needed to vent a little. I'm a younger sister so I understand. Big brothers can be royal pains, but she loves you, Alex. She's thrilled that you're here and safe." And she and I both hope that you aren't going to disappear from our lives without any warning.
The food arrived and they dropped the advice section of the evening for flirty, bordering on downright sexy.
"I had a bit of a split personality day."
Alex took the bite of chicken Dani held out for him, savoring the tender, perfectly seasoned meat. Her eyes were twinkling, deeper green than usual.
"Sounds confusing."
"You'd think."
Happy to let him return the favor, Dani opened her mouth to accept a piece of beef from his pie. Only she milked the moment for everything it was worth. Her eyes locked on his, she reached up and held his fork, slowly removing it, her lips clinging ever so slightly to the tines. Then, making sure his gaze had lowered to her mouth, her tongue slipped out, carefully removing all traces gravy.
"I…," Alex cleared his throat. "What were you saying?"
Dani gave a silent cheer. Good to know she could still make his brain turn to mush.
"Personality, split."
"Right," Alex tore he eyes from her mouth. "Go on, I'm listening."
"So I started the day very zen, happy with taking things slow, getting to know you again."
"Very wise; mature even."
"I agree. But then I had this revelation while eating some very spicy food."
"The food made your brain split?"
"In a manner of speaking." Dani smiled, which brought his gaze back to her mouth, and then lower when she took a deep breath. Her dress was by no means low cut, but there was skin and the promise of cleavage.
"My big revelation was this." She waited a beat until he moved his eyes from her chest back to her face. "Slow doesn't mean there can't be some heat."
"True." He cleared his throat. Heat sounded good.
"I want you to kiss me, Alex."
"And then?" Alex had a few suggestions, all of which involved both of them losing their clothes.
"We're not kids."
"No."
"And as you pointed out the other day at the pond, I've seen it all before."
"As have I." It had just been a while; too long. And even though he had an excellent memory, the thought of real, live naked Dani was much more appealing.
"So here is my question. Can we take it slow, relationship wise, and speed things up in the sex department?"
Alex and his dick were already screaming a big fat, silent hell, yes.
"Or, will the sex get in the way—complicate things?"
Alex took a deep breath. His dick might still be at attention, but the rest of him was taking a step back.
"Sex is always complicated, even when those involved swear it isn't." He couldn't get up and leave Dani like he did a woman he paid. She expected, no deserved, more.
"That means we should wait? Because I don’t want to, Alex."
"I don't either, but—"
"But you can't make any guarantees, I know. I didn't ask for any then, I won't ask now. Just promise not to pack up and leave anytime soon."
Alex frowned. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Promise." She knew he wouldn't break his word.
"I promise."
Dani's smile lit up the room and Alex knew he was a goner. Actually, he'd known it five years ago; what he'd just discovered was nothing had changed—with Dani, nothing ever would.
He offered to help with the dishes, but all it consisted of was tossing the to-go containers away so he excused himself to use the bathroom
She had given him a quick tour of the loft, open concept, so it hadn't taken very long. T
he bath had two doors, one on the living room side, one to the bedroom. He washed his hands, admiring the clean lines, the no fuss decoration. Dani had wanted space, counter space, floor space, and by the looks of it, enough shower space for two or three large adults. His mind was already making plans for Dani, water, and him on his knees. But first the bed. Their first time after so long was going to be where he could lay her out and explore, every inch, from top to bottom. And then, after a little rest, he was going to enthusiastically make the tour again.
After giving his hands a thorough wash and dry, Alex went back to the living room, hoping Dani was ready to play.
"I wasn't sure what kind of movie you were in the mood for, so I picked out three choices. Western, action or comedy?" Dani held up the movies, her smile faltering a bit when she saw the look on Alex's face. "What? I distinctly remembering you saying rom-coms were not your thing. Though if that's changed, I have a couple of those because Rose is such a fan."
"Why is the tv on and why aren't you on your way to naked?"
"What, you thought we were doing this tonight?" Dani laughed, turning back to the selection of movies.
"My head and the rest of me," he drew her attention to his erection, "heard sex, no putting that Genie back in the lamp, Jordanna."
Dani's green eyes widened, her breath suddenly catching in her throat. Alex never called her by her full name unless they were wrapped in each other's arms and nearing orgasm. If he was using it now, he must be really worked up.
"You spent your afternoon getting the crap kicked out of you by a very large, very strong young man, Alex. You need to heal before we engage in any sexual activity. Our earlier conversation was just setting the stage for later when you've stopped wincing every time you move."
"Let's clarify a few things." Alex moved towards her, slowly, and with purpose. "First, I did not get the crap kicked out of me. I was demonstrating how to disarm an opponent and the recruit got a little carried away. My fault, really; I know better than to turn my back on three hundred pounds of overly eager puppy dog. But I paid the price with a couple of bruised ribs and a split lip."
"Exactly, you need to—"
"As for the young part," he continued, his look speaking volumes about how annoyed he was. "Yes, he's a few years my junior, but unlike him, I'm in my prime. He got in a few lucky shots when I wasn't looking. Otherwise, he never would have touched me."
"Wow." Amazed at where the conversation had gone, it took Dani a moment to gather her thoughts.
"Wow? That's all you have to say?"
"Oh, I have plenty to say, I just deciding where to start."
"Something's funny?" Alex was standing there with a raging hard on and she was amused? Not a great start.
"I think your ego was bruised more than your body if you're worried about getting old." Dani tried not to snicker. But looking at this gorgeous, vital man it seemed inconceivable that age ever crossed his mind. "I thought women were supposed to have that hang-up. You're twenty-eight, talk to me again in thirty or forty years."
"I'm not…, I don't…" Alex sighed. "Fine, maybe deep down I'm a bit worried that I've lost a step. Even distracted, that kid should never have been able to get in one punch, let alone two."
Dani patted the cushion. "Come sit down."
"I don't need to be placated, Dani." Alex settled next to her, trying without success to hide a slight grimace. "I'm well-aware that I'm being ridiculous. But sometimes when I look at those wide-eyed newbies it's hard to remember ever being that young."
"Oh, baby." Dani took his hand, kissing the back. "If you could go back, would you change it? Would you take a different path, turn down the chance to work the intelligence side of things?"
"No." He closed his eyes, letting her settle his head on her lap. It felt good, the way she ran her fingers through his hair, stopping now and then to massage his scalp. "I know I did some good, I know I made a difference."
Dani smiled at the absolute conviction in his words. When he stopped and really thought about it, she knew he had no doubts. He had seen a lot—too much. But she knew if one life had been saved because of his actions, that made all the rest worth it.
For a moment, she thought he was asleep. His breathing had become deeper, a regular rhythm. That was fine. Dani was happy to sit there with him. She continued the soothing motion of her fingers, touching, marveling at the softness of his hair. She paused, smiling with delight as the locks curled, as though trying to trap and stop her from leaving. She liked his longer hair, so different from the prickly military cut he'd had before. It softened his features making them almost angelic, at least while he was relaxed, eyes closed. But when he was a moving, energetic male, he looked more warrior than messenger of God. Either way, he was irresistible.
"I still want to have sex."
Dani almost laughed out loud. He hadn't opened his eyes; in fact, he looked completely relaxed.
"I'll make you a deal. If you can sit up without wincing, I'm yours. You can do whatever your heart desires."
She had to give him credit. He tried—almost succeeded. But there was no stopping the tightening of his mouth. The last few inches were his downfall.
"Sorry, fella, some of your flesh might be willing, but your ribs are weak."
"So I'm being relegated to a hot shower and my own fist."
"You want to borrow one of my toys?"
"No." Alex's dark brown eyes narrowed with interest. "But I wouldn't mind you giving me a demonstration."
"You want to watch while I play with my battery operated friends?"
"Yes."
"No."
"Dani," Alex cajoled, leaning in until his breath caressed her ear. "Give me some kind of break. If I can't be in you, let me take the image of something else doing my job."
"You are a sick, sick man." Dani's heart rate had kicked up. He'd painted a picture she was having a hard time getting out of her head.
"And that makes you…?"
"Interested, but not enough to do what you want." Not tonight, at least. The longer she was around him, she had the feeling any and all inhibitions would soon come tumbling down—to both their satisfaction.
"No sex, no peep show." Resigned, Alex picked up the movies and started reading the blurbs.
"I could give you a blowjob."
Alex slowly raised his eyes to hers, the flicker of heat unmistakable.
"Don't tease a starving man, Dani. You never know what he might take a bite out of."
"We'll talk about biting, where and how hard, later. Right now, I'm going to reacquaint myself with this fella."
She gently cupped his erection, using the fabric of his jeans to rub against the straining flesh.
"Dani." Alex sighed her name. Before she could slip to the floor, he took her face in his hands. "I'd be a fool to turn down your generous offer, but let me do this first."
The first kiss was a whisper, a fluttering reminder of what was to come. She found herself melting in with anticipation, her eyes going to his bottom lip, the one that had starred in so many of her fantasies.
"Wait."
"No," he growled, pulling her closer.
"But your mouth is swollen, I don't want you to hurt it even more."
Alex rested his forehead against hers, giving them both a moment, then carefully left a trail of kisses along the line of her cheekbone
"You need to stop worrying about hurting me. Just enjoy."
"I will—I am. But…"
"Enjoy, Jordanna."
His mouth claimed hers, strong, sure, making every care fade away.
Lord, he knew how to kiss. His lips on hers, there was nothing else. The touch of his hands, slightly calloused, caressed the tender skin of her neck before he slid his fingers into her hair. He held her still, changing angles, she could do nothing but let him set the pace and that was fine with her.
"Open," he breathed, her moistened lips parting to take his tongue.
No one tasted like his Dani and he knew he w
ould never get his fill. Long strokes, her tongue against his, it was heady and new and oh, so familiar.
"Alex."
"Tell me what you need."
"You. I need you. I've missed you so much."
He raised his head, distressed to see tears sparkling in her emerald eyes.
"No, baby, don't cry. I'm here." He pulled her close. "I'm here."
It was strange, going so quickly from playful, to passionate, to teary. Dani rested in Alex's arms, never wanting to leave. She couldn't explain why she needed to cling, why every instinct screamed to hold on and never let go. She had never been that girl, priding herself of a mile wide independent streak. She hadn't cried on the first day of kindergarten—only babies grasped at their mothers, wet cheeks, and runny noses. So why now? What was it about this man and this moment that had her breaking down, ready to beg, uncaring how much a fool she made of herself?
"Sorry about the mood killer."
When she would have moved away, Alex stopped her. He rested his cheek on the top of her soft, white-gold hair, inhaling the familiar scent of lemons. No vanilla today, something else. Almond?
"You always smell like the sexiest bakery on earth."
Dani laughed, relieved it was tear free. "It's my shampoo, organic and made just for me. There's a little place at the end of Main Street, Wash Your Troubles Away. You should try it, they have a great line of products for men. My mom buys stuff there for my dad all the time. And I have no idea why I'm going on about bath products. You smell great, too, by the way. I wasn't suggesting you don’t. I—"
"Breathe," Alex said, laying a finger over her lips. She took air into her lungs, slow and deep. "Better?"
Dani nodded.
"Good, now it's getting late and I have six recruits to put through their paces tomorrow."
Dani glanced at the clock on her far wall. Nine-thirty. Only late if you were six or had fields to plow at dawn. She shifted, looking at the bulge between Alex's legs. Still at attention, and not getting out of here in that condition if she had anything to do with it.
"As you were, soldier."
Tossing a pillow onto the floor, Dani slid to her knees, reaching for the button on the waist of his jeans.
"That isn't necessary, Dani."
If Tomorrow Never Comes (Harper Falls Book 2) Page 12
