"Just in case one of you decided it was time to scratch that old itch?" Dani finished for her.
Tyler nodded. "But since I made the initial move, it's up to him to call me if he ever gets his balls back. The end result, I have his number." She stood. "I know this is silly, but I'm going to go inside."
"It's a big moment, get some privacy," Dani said.
"Shouldn't I feel badly that we've kept information from our best friend?" Rose asked once Tyler was out of earshot.
"No," Dani assured Rose—and herself. "We did the right thing. And hopefully if the gods are with us, Drew will read that text, pull his head out of his—pardon my French—ass, and stop whatever idiocy he's in the middle of."
"Could we be that lucky? And just because I'm curbing my bad language doesn't mean you and Tyler have to mention it every time you want to swear."
"True," Dani grinned, hugging Rose with one arm. "But our way is so much more fun."
DREW COULD BARELY hear when his crew chief reminded him it was twenty minutes before race time. Actually, calling Tripper a crew chief was like calling the puddle of piss left by a drunk in an alley a body of water. Technically accurate, but a huge exaggeration.
Rather than yell back, he gestured OK. Drew liked the noise, the chaos. He didn't have to think about anything. No one here knew who he was, no one cared—that was how he liked it.
He reached to zip up his jacket when his phone chimed, not a with call but, a text. If it were an emergency Jack would want to talk so it couldn't be anything important. He hesitated, ready to ignore the distraction, then cursed, grabbing the damn thing, and looked at the screen.
Tyler. She wasn't just a distraction, she was a Russian novel's worth. Christ, that was almost funny. Their story was so long and twist-filled it could be subtitled War and Peace. Sighing, he pulled up the message. Two words only—Thank you.
Drew felt something catch in his throat, then had to remind himself—breathe.
"Boss. Yo, Boss."
Tripper was yelling in his ear, waving a hand in front of his face.
"What?" he barked.
"The race, five minutes." Tripper gave Drew a concerned look. "Is there something wrong with your phone?"
Confused, Drew looked down. He was rubbing the screen on his chest—over his heart. No doubt about it, his life was royally messed up. But there was no fixing it today. He put the phone back in his jacket and turned to Tripper.
"Let's do this thing."
IT WAS ONE week since they had found the listening devices in Dani's loft and things were, well, normal. It was a good word, especially when you'd lived so much of your life dealing with situations that were anything but. A little normal felt good for a change.
Alex pulled his bike to a stop in her driveway, honked the horn and waited. Earlier that day, Dani had reminded him that she'd never had a ride so they'd made an old fashioned date. And since she thought he looked like a hot hoodlum (he'd argued, but she insisted the term fit) it was important that, at least for tonight, he play the part. The boots, the worn, faded jeans, black leather jacket, and white t-shirt. The Wild One. Fifties Brando, she assured him, had been hot and dangerous.
Who was he to complain? If Dani wanted to play out a little fantasy, he was more than willing to oblige. Pull up, honk, and wait. Those had been his instructions. No movie biker worth his salt would come to the door, his woman came to him. That gave him plenty of time to think about the past week.
None of his contacts knew anything useful. If the bugs had been planted by someone in the Army, it wasn't an official operation. That had been a dead end, but reaching out hadn't been without its benefits. He'd thought when he walked away from his career that he had left his friends behind too. His mind hadn't been able to reconcile keeping one but not the other. Surprisingly enough, it didn't take five minutes and he was laughing and ribbing with them like always, no strain, no discomfort. It was good to know his buddies still had his back.
Drew had returned seemingly no worse for wear, and though Alex hadn't known him long, it wasn't difficult to see a difference in the man's personality. He spent more time alone in his office—door closed. He had made it through his race with no outward signs of injury, but a dark cloud had descended that he couldn't, or didn't want to, shake off. According to Jack, whatever had happened, Drew was keeping it to himself.
Then there was Dani, sweet, funny, hotter than hell Dani. He was maintaining his vigilant protective mode, not that it was a hardship spending every spare moment with her. They shared breakfast and dinner, had gone to the movies and necked in the back row. They took a walk through town, holding hands, talking about nothing in particular. Dani had become something he'd never had before—his girlfriend.
It should have been an odd word for a man pushing thirty to call a woman that for the first time, but even in high school, Alex had never even flirted with the idea. He'd dated lots of different girls, none more than once or twice. Once he'd joined the Army, there had never been time. He moved around, from one base to another, never putting down roots. Then he met Dani. After her, no other woman could measure up. He'd met his ideal and he'd made himself walk away. Settling for a pale imitation had been out of the question.
And then there was the sex they were having. Well, that was off the charts. There was no comparison between a one or two-night stand and having a woman who meant something. Was it love? Alex had been asking himself that for five years. Back in Portugal he would have said yes, no hesitation. Even though he had never said the words, he'd thought them, felt them. But now? Maybe, but it was too soon. He'd only had one session with his psychologist, a woman who specialized in treating PTSD. He frowned at the term. Alex knew it was a legitimate illness; he'd seen others who had it and encouraged them to get help? How many times had he told another soldier that there was no shame in admitting you needed help. It meant you were strong, not weak. And he had meant every word. He'd just never thought he'd ever have to try and convince himself. Until he did, until he knew the treatment was working, he wouldn't let himself make promises to Dani that he couldn't be sure he'd be able to keep.
"Hey, daddy-o, I like what you've got between your legs."
Funny? The woman was freaking hilarious. Dani had gone all out. Her blond hair pulled back into a ponytail, the cuffs turned up on her jeans, bobby sox and saddle shoes, a pink scarf tied around her neck. She was even chomping away on a piece of gum, stopping occasionally to blow a very impressive bubble. She stood, hands on hips, giving him a sassy look. It was all he could do not to say to hell with the date and spend the evening finding out what things she could do with that bright red lipstick covered mouth. Even though she sometimes made him feel like one, he wasn't an uncontrollable animal. He could wait a few hours—probably.
"Are you talking about my bike or something else, chicky?" Chicky? Where the hell had that come from?
Dani's lips twitched, but she managed to stay in character.
"Why, your bike, of course. I'm just an innocent girl, I wouldn't have any idea what else you could be carrying down there."
"I'd be happy to show you."
"Now none of that dirty talk," she admonished. "Just the idea of such things gives me the vapors."
"You're starting to mix your time frames, baby," Alex laughed. "You've gone from fifties doll to Civil War southern belle. There is no way you can get on this bike in a hoop skirt."
Dani playfully stuck out her tongue. Sashaying up close, she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Take off your helmet and let me kiss you hello."
More than happy to comply, Alex did as she asked and then whispered in her ear, "You can kiss me while I have the helmet on, that's why I lifted the visor."
"But then I wouldn't have been able to do this." She ran her fingers through his hairs, fluffing the thick, dark waves. "I love how it gets just a little sweaty. You smell like leather and"—Dani breathed deeply—"you."
"You like the way I smell?" Alex teased her n
eck with his lips, using his teeth to take a little nip.
"Mmm," Dani moaned. "You send off massive pheromones, the ultimate aphrodisiac. If I could bottle it, I'd make millions—billions."
"You shouldn't talk like that, chicky. Little girls who play with fire get burned."
"Burn me down, daddy-o."
Her mouth crashed onto his, seeking relief. As good as it felt, his tongue playing with hers, his lip—magic. There was no putting out the desire that had risen with such unexpected urgency. She always wanted him. It was like a permanent low-grade fever. This was a flash fire caused by a lightening strike she hadn't seen coming.
"Alex, what are you doing to me?"
"I don’t know, but trust me, it's mutual."
He pulled back before he got them both into trouble. The driveway of a residential area was not the place for the lewd things he wanted to do with her.
"Here." He grabbed an extra helmet and put it on her, securing the strap under her chin. "Get on and hold tight, this isn't going to be a sightseeing ride."
Dani wrapped her arms around Alex's waist from behind, confident he would get them where they were going. The powerful machine zipped through town and she wondered if they were speeding. It felt fast—wonderfully dangerous. No sirens followed them when he turned, taking them up Crossfire Hill and past the gates leading to H&W.
The trail Alex drove down was barely that, but he handled the bike with ease, protecting her body with his as he took the brunt of the hits from branches that grew over the pathway. A few short minutes later, they came to a clearing, one she recognized right away. There was the pond where she'd unsuccessfully tried to secretly spy on him. This time, she wasn't going to hesitate. Naked swimming? Yes, please.
Alex brought the bike to an abrupt stop, whipping off his helmet and securing the kickstand. Dani began to slide off.
"No."
He reached around, pulling her until she was in front of him, her legs straddling his hips. Taking off his jacket he arranged it as cushion behind her, over the handle bars.
"Lean back," he growled. His dark brown eyes were practically molten, desire pulsing off of him in waves.
Dani let her arms hang to the side. Her head rested on the soft leather, eyes closed, chest rising and falling with each ragged breath—waiting.
Lord, she was a feast for the senses. Alex slid his hands under the hem of her shirt, pausing when his fingers encountered warm, soft skin. His touch was light, teasing, eliciting the moan he'd come to crave.
"Do you love this shirt?"
Dani didn't look, a slight smile curving her lips. She knew why he asked.
"No."
"Good."
Even knowing it was coming, the sound of the material ripping made her gasp, the evening air touching her exposed skin with a cool, gentle breeze.
Alex splayed his fingers over her flat stomach, amazed at the contrast of his tanned skin over the milky paleness of hers. He knew she was strong, but she looked so vulnerable, so at his mercy. He'd vowed to protect his country, give his life if necessary. That vow still stood, and once, it had meant everything. Now there was Dani, and he would never let anything or anyone hurt her, especially not himself.
He kissed her just above the snap on her jeans, making a trail up, lingering at her bellybutton, then continuing, his teeth pulling at the front closure on her bra.
"Now how did you know how much I love red polka dots?"
"It's part of a set," she teased. "But you'll never find that out if you don't get cracking."
"What happened to my sweet, innocent, inexperienced little chicky?"
"You'd be amazed what a girl can learn on the back of a motorcycle. The vibrations alone are a Masterclass. Don't even get me started on rubbing up against a big, sexy man in a leather jacket."
Alex pushed away the cups of her bra exposing the firm, scarlet tipped slopes of her breasts. He blew a puff of air over one nipple, smiling as it hardened, practically begging for his mouth.
"Are you saying there's nothing left for me to teach you?"
Dani raised her head, her fingers lacing through his hair. Green eyes sparkling with heat, she whispered, "Every time you touch me I learn something new. I feel something…more. Do you understand?"
"Completely."
Alex laid his chest along hers, careful not to crush, but firm, their bodies rubbing together as he captured her mouth with his. Dani lifted her legs, winding them tightly around him and grinding herself against his straining erection.
The rest was magic, some kind of sexual sorcery. Clothes melted away and Alex was inside of her, taking her higher and higher until she was certain the next movement would send them crashing over. He kept inching just a bit further, carrying her with him step by pulse-pounding step.
"Fly with me, Jordanna, now. Fly!"
How they got back safely to earth, she never knew. The next thing Dani was aware of was being in Alex's arms, resting on a cool, grassy patch near the pond, a pine tree shading them from the last of the days light. She looked over at the motorcycle wondering how it could still be standing. Magic indeed.
"Superman."
"Hmm?" Alex asked absently, his hand making idol circles on her bare back.
"You aren't Batman, you're Superman. Though there's nothing mild-mannered about your alter ego. Unless…"
"Unless…?"
"You're awfully skilled at motorcycle sex. How many women have you taken for a ride on that thing."
Alex could tell by the tone of Dani's voice that this wasn't some trap question. She was just curious.
"You're the first. I was just playing it by ear. Now that I think about it, that could have been a disaster."
"Well, I'm going to forget about how it might have ended with an embarrassing trip to the emergency room, and just lie here, in your arms, loving the afterglow."
"Afterglow. Good word."
Dani didn't know how much time passed, it was getting dark, the air was cooling. Maybe she slept for a little while. Even so, Alex's arms still held her close, his body cushioning her from the ground. She could have stayed like that all night if it weren't for two very important facts. Wild animals used ponds like this as watering holes. Deer she could live with, rabbits, squirrels. But bears and cougars—no. Then there was the problem of her rumbling stomach. Woman could not live on sex alone.
"Hamburger."
"Where?" Alex sat up, looking around with a hopeful expression on his face.
She laughed. "Unfortunately, they don't grow on pine trees." Dani, ever helpful, reached over and brushed a blade of grass from Alex's butt. The fact that it took four times longer than it should have wasn't lost on him.
"Baby, you can pet my ass anytime you like, but it’s bound to lead to me touching you back, and right now, as tasty as you are, I need sustenance."
"Yes, absolutely." Unable to resist, Dani gave his luscious left cheek a couple of pats, then ran for the water.
Fast on her heels, Alex yelled, "Not heated."
Well aware, Dani scrunched her eyes closed as if that would gird her against the cold and jumped, hearing a bigger splash right behind her.
She broke the surface, taking a deep breath. Not as bad as she'd anticipated. Cold, but not frigid, mostly refreshing.
"What do you think?" Alex was treading water next to her.
"I think I could become addicted. Sex with you, a little nap and then a refreshing swim. What's not to like?"
Alex nodded his head towards the bank and they swam over. Once they were out, he used his t-shirt to dry Dani and himself.
"We're still a little damp but it was worth it," Dani said, using her own ripped shirt on her hair.
"Let me."
Alex moved behind her. His fingers gently combed through the long, wavy, tangled stands and then carefully fashioned an expert braid, tying it off with a piece of material from the torn shirt.
"Aren't you handy to have around." Dani turned, giving him a quick thank you kiss. "Now, ca
n you pull a McGyver and whip me up a shirt out of leaves and tree bark?"
"I'm afraid you'll have to settle for my jacket. Unless you want the t-shirt. The water has made it a bit transparent but as long as you keep your chest plastered to my back, no one will see anything."
In the end, she took the jacket. It was miles too big, but it smelled like him and kept her warm on the ride home.
Rather than have her sit in the diner still half wet, Alex dropped her at her loft and then went for takeout. Dani figured she had time to jump in and out of the shower and dry her hair before he returned. The shower she accomplished, no problem, but just as she was reaching for her blow-dryer, her phone rang. Oh, well, if she had to eat dinner with wet hair, she would survive.
"Hello?"
"How's my girl doing?"
Dani smiled. Her father never said hello, never. It didn't matter who was on the other end of the phone, Terry Wilde always personalized his greeting. I was just one of the many, many things that made him utterly lovable.
"Your girl is doing pretty darn spectacular, thank you very much."
"Now that's what I like to hear," he chuckled. "So life is good? You're work is going well?"
"If I had any complaints you would be the first to know," she assured him.
"No leaks or other little repairs that need my attention?"
"Sorry, even my place of residence is tip-top." Dani grabbed a dry towel and started running it over her hair. "Don't tell me Mom hasn't any projects for you? I thought there was a list long enough to get you through the next decade."
"No, no, your mother's list is never-ending, like the story."
Dani smiled. She didn't have to think too hard on that one. Her father loved his references and it always kept her on her toes, but The Neverending Story? He was going to have to do better than that if wanted to stump her.
"I loved that book. I think I must have made you read it to me every night for a year. How you didn't go crazy, I'll never know."
"It's what parents do, Dani. We read the same books, watch the same movies, over and over again. We love you, want to make you happy. It's that simple."
If Tomorrow Never Comes (Harper Falls Book 2) Page 22
