by Sheila Kell
What was he to say? He wanted to fly. He wanted to be like his father who’d been in the Army Reserves and flown for them. Only, Danny wasn’t joining the Army. So, what did he do with that license then? Maybe he should try. Baby steps and all. Right now, though, his focus turned to Moira who’d just returned from her shower all cute in pajamas and no makeup. Adorable. His heart beat deeply for this woman.
“You look cute. And clean,” he joked.
“I love the double shower heads in the bathroom. They’re amazing.”
He’d splurged in the guest bathroom when he’d remodeled the old house. Now he was happy he had. “I’m glad you enjoyed them.”
They stood within reach of each other. The electrical pull between them had each of them taking a barely noticeable step closer to the other. Close enough that Danny reached out and cupped her cheek. With a thumb, he caressed the soft skin. Touching her face wasn’t enough. He had to have her close.
With his free arm, he snaked it around her back and drew her to him. Tight against his chest, where he felt her breasts. The heat of her body sent pulses of desire snaking through him. He had to kiss her. Feel her lips against his.
It only took a moment to act on that need. He held her face with his palm on her jaw and leaned down to gently touch his lips to hers. He wanted to devour her but forced himself to go slowly. His mouth moved over hers. With his tongue, he traced the fullness of her soft lips, teasing them apart. His tongue entered her mouth, and she welcomed him while he explored with slow seductive strokes.
* * * * *
Moira was in a haze. A sexually induced haze. Danny’s lips on hers almost knocked her to her knees they were so tantalizing. And being so close…. She reached up to slide her arms around his neck and rubbed her body against his while he made love to her mouth.
When he lifted his head, she gazed in his eyes, watching the hues shift in his whiskey-colored eyes with the darkness of desire overtaking them.
Groaning, Danny smothered her lips with his, kissing with a ferociousness she couldn’t define. Nor did she care to. This kiss fired every nerve in her body, and she didn’t want it to stop. While demanding, it was also loving and gentle. One wouldn’t think the three could be combined, but Danny Franks had mastered that feat.
Maybe tonight they’d make love. With the fever he lit in her body, she hoped so. He’d moved the slowest of anyone she’d ever dated. Granted, they hadn’t actually been dating, but they were something. Something that pulled at her heart strings. Tugged hard at them. But she couldn’t get tied down with someone here when she could go home soon. Danny said they had the goods on Boyle. That meant he’d be arrested and she’d be safe.
Then she thought about the tape she’d recorded. The conversation she hadn’t been able to make out until Justin played it back. Maybe it’d be longer, but she’d get to go home and that was the point of it all.
It meant she could have fun with Danny, but she couldn’t do something stupid like fall in love.
He’d pulled back from their kiss and watched her. “My room or yours?” he asked in a low voice that danced through her.
Without hesitation, she responded, “Yours.”
That seemed to please him, and he turned her around and led them to the stairs for the second floor, where the bedrooms were located. It occurred to her that it was odd that Justin hadn’t stayed the night like before, but now she was glad he hadn’t. She might not have been this free around Danny with him nearby. Not this early in what they had.
When they arrived at his room, she stood for a moment and took it all in, before she turned to him and pulled her pajama top off. She dropped the Scooby-Doo embellished item to the floor and reached for her PJ bottoms.
His hand stopped her. “There’s no hurry,” he said in an almost hoarse voice. Lust had gotten to him like it had her. How could he not want to jump in bed and get to it? Her body was an inferno for him. She didn’t need all the foreplay. There’d been plenty of that over the last couple days when they’d been around each other.
She gasped when one of his hands cupped her breast. In reaction, she moved forward, pushing it closer in his grasp.
With his other hand, he ran it up her arm, before sliding back down again, then moving it around her back and drawing her close, her breast still caught in his hand. Being this tight against him made her want it all even faster. She’d never learned to slow down lovemaking. Most men preferred to avoid the foreplay and do the deed. She’d always taken her cues from them.
Now, this man was loving her, and she couldn’t wait for what else he planned. Any ideas of rushing evaporated when his lips crushed against hers in a hard kiss, a continuation of the one they’d shared downstairs. This one demanded her response, demanded she give over to him all that she was… at least for the night. Willingly, she kissed him back with her silent agreement to acquiesce and enjoy the loving but not rush to the finish.
They broke apart, and he stepped back a half step, giving himself room for the hand with her breast. His other hand slid up and they both molded the breasts to his hands. With each thumb mimicking the other, he flicked her taut nipples. He dipped his head and took one nipple in his mouth, sending ripples of pleasure through her.
Her moan slipped out and she closed her eyes to the excitement in her body. Her hands reached for the hem of his shirt to draw it off him. He lifted his mouth for a brief moment, allowing her to remove his shirt.
She reached up and ran her hands up and down his naked chest through the light brown curls. He had a magnificent physique. She knew he hit the gym daily, mostly to be in shape for his job. She enjoyed the benefit of it. Hard muscles, sleek lines, and no fat defined his torso.
Lifting his head, he gazed at her with a longing that squeezed her heart.
Impatiently, she reached for his jeans, ready to get them off. So much for the slow and steady.
He chuckled and pulled her hands back. “I’ve got it.”
While he divested himself of his pants and underwear, she did the same. Now they stood facing each other naked. She looked him up and down and wanted to whistle at the whole package. Feeling it would probably be inappropriate, she stuck with “You’re handsome.”
Once again, he chuckled. “I was about to tell you how beautiful you are and how much I’ve looked forward to this.”
He had? She wondered for how long though. She wouldn’t tell him that before the kiss she’d already started wanting him. That might get too weird.
Ready to move forward, she walked to the bed and crawled up to the middle. Watching him devour her with his eyes, she crooked her finger in invitation.
He smiled and stepped toward the bed, then grabbed a wrapper from his nightstand. He sheathed his length before putting that first knee on the bed.
With him at her side, his mouth captured hers as their hands explored each other’s bodies.
After a few minutes of enjoyment, he whispered, “I want you so badly.”
“Take me.” She was ready. Her body had enough foreplay. The man could kiss and that alone sent heat throughout her body, especially at her core.
He levered himself above her and gently nudged her trembling thighs apart. Not quivering from nerves but from a deep-seated need.
Slowly, his hands found her heat and his fingers slid in her folds, gliding over her wetness.
The next feeling was his cock seeking entry. His eyes latched on hers as he slid through her slick passage, filling her comfortably. Their locked gaze as he pushed in had been erotic, increasing her need for him.
When he began moving, she wrapped her legs around his thighs. The pressure and depth added to his surging in and out of her heat. He leaned down and touched her lips briefly, then kissed her breast, clamping on her nipple lightly.
Her fingers dug into his shoulder blades as his strokes became more demanding, more powerful.
&n
bsp; Each stroke brought her closer to completion, and she whimpered at how much she wanted to get there and how much she wanted this to last forever. Not all the men she had been with had cared about her pleasure during sex, but with Danny’s attention to her needs, she knew he would.
That thought was brought to reality when he reached down and ignited the climb to ecstasy by rubbing her clit.
Responding to his touch and his kiss, the world swirled around her with all the colors that typically ended up in her paintings. Several Gaelic words came to mind to describe this wonderful place but none in English. Actually, she wasn’t sure she could speak at all.
Higher and higher she rose. “I’m gonna come,” she announced.
“Fly, Baby,” he whispered.
And she did, flying through a world of pleasure where wave after wave of bliss rushed through her. After it was done, she was near boneless, but felt every inch of him as he pumped a couple more times and came himself.
Now this was something she’d repeat every night until she left.
A flicker of a question came to life in her mind, taking her by surprise. Is this worth staying for?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Danny woke with a start at the knock on his bedroom door. Who the hell was in his home? Moira was next to him, and he had no other guests. Then he remembered. The men—and woman—who watched the house.
He grumbled, “I’ll be right there.” Looking out the window, he saw it was early morning, likely around shift change time. Whichever agent it was had best have a good reason for entering the house and waking him. He also hoped whoever knocked didn’t remain at the door, so Moira could slip out when she woke.
“What’s the matter?” Her low, sleepy voice tugged at him. He could wake to that every day of his life.
“I don’t know. I’ll go find out. Sleep.” He kissed her softly on the forehead, angry at getting roused from bed and leaving her. He’d planned to spend the morning making love to her again. And then again.
Silently he dressed in the jeans and shirt he’d discarded the night before. To hell with wrinkles. With his current mood, he dared anyone to comment on them.
Instead of opening the door wide, he slid through a crack to hide Moira in his bed.
Cowboy raised his eyebrow at the gesture, then sported a cocky grin. “It’s about time. You two have been dancing around each other for way too long.”
Ignoring his comment, he asked, “What’s the matter?”
“Oh, we’ve caught a stalker. She’s in the living room.”
“She?” With all the trouble that could possibly come down on them, a female threat never entered his mind, even though the Ireland Minister was female.
“She was trying to find a way inside the house at dawn. The Russian and I watched her for a while, but when it looked like she was about to break a window, we stepped in.”
Ignoring how Cowboy had already dubbed John as The Russian, not knowing how that would go over, he asked, “Anyone we know?”
“Oh yeah.” Cowboy chuckled and Danny wanted to punch him.
Not caring he was barefoot, they stalked down the stairs to the living room and Danny stopped short. Barbara. No, Barbie. Trying to break into his house while he and Moira slept. Had the woman lost her damn mind?
“Jane and I saw her walk by the house yesterday,” Doc said, as they approached. So both shifts had stayed to protect them. He loved his teammates.
Barbie jumped up. “Danny, what is the matter with these two Neanderthals? I was just walking and minding my own business and they stopped me and brought me here like a common criminal.”
This chick’s mind was seriously warped. What had he ever seen in her? Granted, it’d only taken a couple dates to figure her out, yet years to get rid of her. Damn that blind date and him not being prepared to head it off before it happened.
“Sit,” he demanded. He waited until she finally gave up her stance and flounced down on the couch. “What were you doing around my house this early in the morning?”
“As I said, I was just walking around.”
“Yeah, around the window casements,” Cowboy added with a snort.
“You can’t seriously believe these men that I was doing something wrong.”
While he’d never expected something like this from Barbie, he believed his men. “Actually, I do believe them. They have no reason to lie. You, on the other hand, do.”
“Well, I never.”
“Give it up, you’re not Southern,” Danny said.
“Okay, so I looked around your place. It’s a nice one, and I missed our time together. I hoped to get a glimpse of you.”
“In legal terms, they call that stalker behavior,” Doc added.
“I did nothing wrong,” she insisted.
Moira made an appearance, dressed for the day.
“What are you still doing here?” Barbie asked Moira.
“I’m a guest. You, on the other hand, appear to be a criminal. Is that what woke us?”
Danny cringed inside. Not that he planned to hide his relationship, but he did not want to hash it in front of Barbie.
“Us? Us?” Her voice rose with each word.
“That’s none of your concern. Now what were you planning to do with that rock?” Cowboy asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She kept her gaze on Danny. “I can’t believe you’re sleeping with the Irish slut.”
Moira flew across the room and slapped Barbie. Lightning fast, he grabbed Moira and pulled her back, and the men grabbed Barbie before she jumped up. A cat fight was the last thing he wanted to see this early in the morning.
“That’s it. I’m pressing charges,” Barbie screeched.
“Go ahead. We’ll let them know how you came to be here,” Moira taunted back.
“That’s enough. What to do with you?” he directed to Barbie.
“Well,” Barbie said seductively, “you could kick the bitch to the curb and invite me back to your bed.”
“First, I’m not kicking Moira anywhere. Second, you were never in my bed.”
“It’d only have been a matter of time.”
The woman was batshit crazy. Then a thought hit him. “Have you broken in here before?” The destruction of Moira’s studio had been personal. That sounded like something Barbie would do. Well, after her potentially breaking in today, he’d say that. Before today, he’d just thought her full of vile words.
“No.” Barbie looked away as she said it.
“Son of a bitch,” Danny said.
“Looks like we’ve got your vandal,” Cowboy said.
“I didn’t destroy her studio. You’ve got the wrong person.”
Danny stiffened. “We never said studio. We just said vandal.”
“Well,” Barbie blustered, “it’s the word on the street about it.”
“No,” Danny said, “we never spoke of it so it couldn’t be on the street.” He was glad he still held Moira because she was blistering for a fight. “Calm down,” he whispered to her.
“I’m going to kill her,” she whispered back.
“No. She’ll get hers.” His voice held strength in that conviction.
“Why’d you do it, Barbie? Why destroy something in my house?”
She pointed to Moira. “It’s her. We had a date, and if it wasn’t for her, we’d be dating again.”
They wouldn’t, but he thought to keep that to himself for the moment. “But this was my house you vandalized.”
“But it was her stuff, not yours. I took special care of that.”
The thoughts of a crazy mind always baffled him. Still holding Moira back, he whispered to her, “Please go in the kitchen. Maybe make some coffee.” She stiffened, then with a jerky nod, swept out of the room.
He sat on the couch, keeping his distance
from Barbie, and nodded to Cowboy who left the room, phone in hand. When she made to slide closer, Doc’s big hands grabbed her shoulders. “Stay,” the medic said.
“You broke the law and destroyed stuff I cared about.”
“But it was hers,” she spat.
“Yeah, and I care about her. A whole lot.”
“But you can care about me again.”
“No. That ship sailed. Now, you’re going to be arrested for breaking and entering, along with vandalism.”
“What? You can’t do that to me.” Desperation laced her voice.
“I can and I am. Cowboy is calling BPD to come pick you up. Until then, you’ll remain right here under Doc’s watchful eye.” He stood and walked to the kitchen, ignoring Barbie’s screeches of protest and love.
Moira’s tense posture told him she was still pissed. Whether at him or Barbie, he wasn’t sure, but he had to test the water. “Cowboy’s calling the cops. She’ll pay for what she did.”
“You should’ve just let me beat her arse.”
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. His little spitfire minx. “While I would’ve loved to see two women go at it, ripping off shirts and all, it’s best to let the law take care of it.”
He opened his arms, and Moira went into them with her head on his chest.
“I’m not sure whether to be happy or worried that she did this and not Boyle. Having one more person after me doesn’t feel good.”
“Honey, she’s some wacko I made the mistake of dating. She’s not a major threat like those from Ireland.” If he meant to soothe her, those words probably didn’t, but it was too late to take them back.
“I want to call my best friend back home. She’s got to be worried sick about me.”
He didn’t like it but had a feeling this event called for a BFF to talk to about it. “I’ll see what we can do. Now, we can’t go back to bed since the police are on their way, but how about we make the group some pancakes?”
“Sounds great.”
She didn’t pull away from his chest, seeming content in his arms a while longer. That was fine by him. But he needed to make sure that call happened for her. He’d do anything to make her happy.
