"We could still get a room, take tomorrow to sight see, and get a commercial flight back on Monday."
"And miss another ride on that amazing private plane?" Dani wrapped her arms around Alex as they walked. It had been a perfect evening, and she wanted to end it with him, in her own bed.
"Then home it is."
Drew was already doing his pre-flight check when they arrived. Dani knew that both Jack and Drew had their pilots licenses and owned several planes. This one was mid-range in size and boasted all the luxuries she could have hoped for. Even though she didn't care about how much money someone had, there was something to be said for having an in with people who could roll out this kind of service at a moment's notice.
"How was the game?"
"It was like they scripted it just for us. Perfect night, great food, and we won. Now this," she gestured to Drew's plane. "How am I ever going to fly commercial again?"
"No reason you should."
Dani was stunned and then a little embarrassed. She had been kidding. The last thing she wanted was for Drew to think she'd been angling for free plane trips.
"Hey," Drew smiled, giving her a one armed hug. "I know you wouldn't take advantage of the offer. I'm just saying that if you or," he swallowed,"uh, your friends ever need to get someplace in a hurry, Jack and I are at your disposal. We love to take these babies up and don't get the chance as often as we'd like."
They settled into their seat, that last exchange with Drew running through Dani's mind. It had been awkward and strange and kind of sweet. She had known Drew since they were small children but when he hugged her, she suddenly realized how little contact she'd had with him, then and now.
They were born and grew up in the same town, but they'd lived in different worlds. They hadn't attended the same birthday parties, or played kick ball or socialized in any way. Until he'd started dating Tyler, Drew Harper had just been the rich boy from across the river. And then for a year, when Dani and her friends were sixteen, that had changed. The four of them had become a secret society, sneaking around, making it possible for their version of Romeo and Juliet to happen.
"You okay?" Alex asked just as they were taking off.
She squeezed his hand, grateful to have him and happy that, even though their relationship was complicated, it was smooth sailing when compared to what Tyler and Drew had faced, what they still faced.
"I was just thinking how happy I am, right now. We're so lucky. We've been given a second chance, Alex. How many people can say that?"
She was right, Alex thought. There were only so many chances in life. The first time he had let her go, so damn young and arrogant, certain he knew what was best for both of them. This time, if he were going to get it right, he would need some help. For now he was holding his demons at bay, but every night, when he closed his eyes, they slipped past his barriers and conquered his subconscious. He couldn't keep reliving his darkest hour if he wanted a future with Dani. His second chance was now, and he wasn't going to screw it up.
"HE LEFT ME at the door."
"Not even a kiss goodnight?"
Rose was helping Dani sort through the last few boxes of photographs, and after a sleepless night, she was glad to have the assistance and the company.
"Did you neck on the flight home?"
"No!" Dani exclaimed. "Are you crazy? Drew was in the cockpit, nothing but a curtain separating us."
"But he couldn't see you," Rose pointed out. "Does Alex make a lot of noise when he kisses? Or do you? Is it odd that we've known each other for so long and I don't know the answer to that?"
"No, but it would be odd if you did. I'm happy to say that my friends and I like to do those things without an audience." Dani handed Rose a glass of lemonade, setting her own on the table. She put a plate of snickerdoodles where they both could reach. In addition to the wedding dress, her mother had brought enough food to last a month. Casseroles, fresh baked bread, the deviled eggs that were one of Dani's particular favorites, and three different kinds of cookies.
"So no making out?" Rose asked. She pulled some pictures from one of the boxes and handed a pile to Dani, then started sorting through the one on her lap.
"Which I was fine with," Dani said. "It's a quick flight, we rehashed the game, flirted, what I thought was verbal foreplay."
"Maybe that injury is affecting his, you know, performance."
"Not a problem," Dani assured her.
"When did you two do it?"
"Blowjob."
"Ah," Rose nodded. "Still, he might not be able to stay hard when faced with your lady parts."
"Did I miss the bulletin making this Euphemism Monday? Do it and lady parts?"
"Do you know how many nieces Jack has?" Rose picked up her glass and took a sip. "Mmm, just the right amount of tart. I'm trying to curb the bad words so I don't slip when they're around."
"Nice," Dani nodded. "Is Jack abstaining as well, because I've heard him go off like a sailor. Though why a sailor is supposed to swear any more than someone in the rest of the armed services, I don't know. But for the sake of the well-known reference, we'll go with sailor."
Rose laughed at Dani's circuitous line of thought.
"Jack, the love of my life, has the ability to check the language at the door whenever his mother, sisters or nieces are present. I, not being what he considers a delicate flower, get the full off color repertoire."
"You love the dirty talk."
"I love Jack's dirty talk," Rose corrected. "I don't know if it's him or that he's just better at it than any man I've ever known, but when he starts, well, what can I say. I melt."
"The right guy can make everything better, at least that's how it was with Alex. Unfortunately," Dani lamented, reaching for a cookie. "My guy seems reluctant to refresh my memory."
"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit."
Dani raised her eyebrows. "So much for toning down the bad words."
"If there was ever a time to drop a few s-bombs, this is it. Look."
Dani took the picture from Rose, her eyes widening. It couldn’t be.
"It can't be, right?" Rose echoed her thoughts.
Dani looked again, hoping the image would have somehow rearranged itself, but no, it was the same.
"I have three questions. Why the hell are Regina Harper and Martin Jones kissing, who took the picture, and how are we ever going to tell Tyler."
TOM TOM'S IN the afternoon, like most small town bars, was almost empty. Except for one or two customers, most of the activity consisted of cleaning and restocking the bar. The smell of pine overrode everything else and a mop and bucket rested in one corner waiting to be emptied and put away for the next day.
Alex took a seat at the end of the bar and ordered a beer, out of habit and courtesy. He wasn't there to drink, he needed advice and he hoped the owner was the man to give it to him.
"Is Tom around?"
The bartender, a burly ex-boxer who knew how to keep the peace with a glare and the Louisville Slugger that was always within reach, looked Alex up and down.
"Who's asking?"
"My name is Alex Fleming, I'd just like a word."
"And what word would that be?"
The voice came from a booth in the far corner of the bar. A faint light barely illuminated the table where a man with a dark ponytail and glasses was stooped over a messy pile of papers.
"Actually, I have several if you have a few minutes."
"Time, I'm happy to say, is on my side. Join me."
Tom Unger was a veteran of the first Gulf War, though he liked to call it the what the hell are we doing here, fuck-up. But since almost every war ever fought could have that handle hung on it, he tended to stick with the official name. He'd done his time, gotten out, still loved his country and his brothers in arms. The assholes who made the decisions that got those brave men and women killed, well, he'd mostly stopped cursing them years ago. Mostly. He had his health and a woman any man would get down on his knees and thank God for.
His bar kept him in Louie L'Amours and all the cashews he could eat. Life was good for a fifty-six-year-old ex-Army sergeant with a receding hairline and a bit of a gut. He was just glad to be alive and relatively sane. Not all of his buddies could say the same.
"Sit."
Alex slid into the booth—if he wasn't mistaken just one over from the one he'd shared with Dani. The place was quiet, which was what he'd hoped for. He took a deep breath. This wasn't easy, but he had a good reason for being here. He'd promised himself that once he'd walked away, he would leave it all behind. He didn't want to talk about the crap he'd seen, the things he'd done. But he couldn't keep running, not if he wanted a future with Dani.
"Army?"
"Does it show?"
Tom looked him over, his dark eyes knowing.
"It seeps out of our pores, son. I used to think I'd bleed khaki until a sniper's bullet proved me wrong. Nowadays you can only catch a whiff when I pass by. Trust me, it fades."
"But not entirely."
"Nope," Tom agreed. "And I wouldn't want it to. I'm proud that I served my country, I defy anyone to say different. Some of the things we were asked to do, well, I've learned to live with it."
"How?" Alex hadn't meant the word to sound so desperate, but it was what it was.
Tom looked at him again, this time longer, deeper. Alex didn't know what he saw, but Tom seemed to come to a decision.
"Thursday night, eight o'clock. Once a month I close the place down early for a poker game. You're invited."
"I appreciate being asked, Mr. Unger, but I don't see how—"
"We're all veterans. We play cards, have a few drinks, and if anyone has something on their mind, they're welcome to get it off."
"That simple?" Alex asked, skeptical.
Tom let out a bark of a laugh.
"Some nights, easy peasy. But I've mopped up a ton of tears and a couple gallons of blood over the years. I like to play in the back office, fewer things to break." Tom paused. "Still interested?"
"Who said I ever was?" It didn't sound like Alex's kind of thing. Sort of a cross between Oprah and Jerry Springer without the cameras.
"You're here," Tom pointed out. "First step taken. I won't spew any of that shit about the first being the hardest. I've seen men break down like babies—some never do. But it does help to be around people who know what you're talking about. Everybody has a different story, but it's good not to have to try and explain the subtext."
Alex stayed and talked for another hour. Not about the Army, but about the corn Tom had planted in May and how he and his family had picked the first ears just last night. If asked, Alex would have said he didn't give a damn about freshly grown vegetables, but he listened, enjoying the inane conversation. When he climbed back on his bike, he had a date to play poker and a lighter outlook. It seemed his first step had been a good one.
DANI DROVE THROUGH the gates of H&W Security Services with butterflies doing the Hokey Pokey in her stomach.
She had been at home, still reeling from the picture that Rose had discovered when she had gotten Alex's text.
"Meet me at H&W at 7. Bring your appetite and a bathing suit. Or not."
So dinner and a pool party. He was leaving it up to her whether it turned out to be Frankie and Annette or From Here To Eternity. Dani packed her prettiest bikini figuring it was an excellent down the middle compromise, plenty of skin to tantalize, easily removed if that's where the night ended up.
Pulling to a stop in front of the main office, she wished she knew what to expect tonight. Even more she wished she could stop worrying about sex. It wasn't the most important part of a relationship, she knew that. If they got down and dirty but couldn't exchange two meaningful words, what would be the point? The sex would burn itself out and they would move on, nice memory but no future. Unfortunately, she'd experienced both with Alex—it was hard to imagine going on without at least trying to find out if the orgasms were still swoon-worthy.
She grabbed her bag and locked her car. She had come prepared no matter what. Her mother's dessert and plenty of condoms. Probably not in the Girl Scout Handbook, but then, she had never been a Girl Scout.
"You look good enough to eat."
"Mom's famous chocolate cake with caramel frosting." She held up the bag. "You're probably smelling its yummy goodness."
Alex took the bag and ushered her into the building. As she passed him, he whispered in her ear, "I said eat, not smell. And I meant you, not cake."
"Now let's get something straight, mister." Dani stopped in the middle of the reception area, hands on hips. "No sexy talk, or flirty glances, and absolutely no accidentally touching any part of me unless you mean business. I'm fine with a friendly dinner, but you can't set me up for the big show and then pull a disappearing act at the last moment."
"Fine."
"Really?"
He took her hand and led her down the hall. "My office and the pool are the only places I have clearance to shut off the security cameras."
"Good to know," Dani said, watching as Alex closed his office door and engaged the lock. "Wait, you don't mean now?"
Alex slowly approached, unbuttoning his light blue cotton shirt with each step. He pulled it off and tossed it onto the leather couch, reaching for her—pulling her close.
"Appetizer." He breathed the word against the sensitive skin of her neck. "Or maybe you would you rather have stuffed mushrooms?"
He waited just long enough for her to shake her head no, then covered her mouth with a scorching kiss. It lasted long enough to lightly scramble her brains, but not long enough to made her incoherent.
"Why are you wearing so many clothes?" Alex asked, his mouth wandering, quickly turning her body to jelly.
In truth, she had on fewer than usual. A light silky summer dress and panties—or knickers if he preferred. No bra. Her dress slid off with little effort.
"Keep the shoes."
That was fine with her, the four-inch sandals brought them almost eye to eye. She tipped her head slightly, hoping to see what he was feeling—the sight took her breath away. Warm chocolate, his gaze flared with passion, letting her know how her near-naked body was affecting him.
"So pale and soft." Alex used the back of his hand to trace a path from her collar bone down to the rise of one breast. "You've changed, Dani. I don't know how it's possible, but you're even more beautiful. I warn you it's going to take me days, maybe weeks to chart the differences."
She gasped when he finally touched the overly sensitive flesh, his thumb lightly rubbing her hardening nipple.
"With your hands?"
He kissed her again, harder, his tongue rubbing along the inside of her lip before briefly dancing with her own.
"My hands, my mouth," he swooped down to lick the rosy bud his thumb had brought to a peak. "My tongue is especially looking forward to getting reacquainted. I can still taste you, Dani. The flavor has haunted me in my dreams."
"I think I've had the same dreams." Dani sighed. "I wake up wanting you, Alex. Sometimes I actually convince myself that it couldn't have been as good as I remember. I think I must have built it up into an unattainable thing because I've never come close to it with any other man."
"But you've tried." He knew the answer; it was the same for him.
"Yes."
Dani grabbed him, kissed him with five years of pent up frustration.
"It was never fair," she rasped, pulling back. Her eyes had deepened to a green darker than any forest. "I tried not to make comparisons, but how could I not? You set the bar too high."
Alex backed her up until she was flush against the door, the cool wood a welcome but temporary relief to her hot skin. He crowded her, his chest, wonderfully bare, rubbing against hers.
"Turn around."
"I remember this." She sighed with pleasure. "You—going all alpha on me." She licked across his pecks to his nipple, his intake of breath letting her know just how much he liked it. "Last time I called you Master."
"But did you mean it?"
"At the moment, pretty much." She could never bend one hundred percent to any man's will, but for Alex she gave more than she would have thought possible.
"Then turn around, now."
It was the low growl that did it. Something about the rumbling in his voice turned her to liquid. She pivoted, pressing herself against the smooth, solid surface.
"Now reach up and grab the frame."
Alex guided her arms until they were stretched above her head, making sure her fingers were gripping the ridge above the door. He tapped one of her feet, moving it so that her legs were spread, her body forming an X. He stood back, admiring his handy work. It was all he could do not to take her, damn the teasing, the hell with foreplay. Thank the Lord she still had on her knickers. Though he could fix that with one quick pull. For the moment they acted as a barrier, firming up his resolve.
"How are you doing?" he asked, pulling the clip from her hair, watching it tumble to her shoulders in waves of sparkling white-gold. He buried his face and breathed deeply. Lemon and vanilla, his favorite.
Other than every nerve in her body being on high alert, the anticipation overwhelming, and her panties? Really, really wet—other than that, she was great.
"Jordanna, I asked you a question."
"Just savoring the moment…Sir."
Stepping close again, Alex ran a hand over her ass, lightly, before pulling back.
"Don't you dare." No one had ever spanked her—she wasn't making an exception, even for Alex. "If you've developed a yen for hitting women, you're going to have to find your jollies elsewhere."
And yet she didn't move—not an inch. Alex was humbled to know she trusted him enough not to spank her, no meant no, and she knew he wouldn't cross that line.
"Not my thing, either, baby." He slipped his hand under the thin layer of scarlet lace. "Just teasing."
If Tomorrow Never Comes (Harper Falls Book 2) Page 15
