“What are you giggling about? You live in Oklahoma, I’ve seen pictures of you with your family, and I saw you when you got off that plane earlier today. You are not the type of girl who wears suits and heels. You must want to get out of your costume as badly as I want to get out of mine.”
Costume. He was exactly right, that’s what this was—a costume. She did, she sorely did want to get out of her costume, but the problem was she knew her bags would eventually be searched so she hadn’t brought anything that would be out of character. She brought up her thumbnail to bite it.
“Fuck.”
“What?” Darius asked immediately concerned.
“I can’t even bite my nails. I’d probably die of lead poisoning. I hate these fake red nails. They are sooooo not me.” She held up her thumb to prove her point.
“Here, let me.” He took her hand, and then brought her thumb up to his mouth, and sucked on it. Lord, baby Jesus on a four-wheeler. Her toes curled into the plush rug, and she felt her nipples harden. His tongue swirled, and he continued on as she stared up into those caramel brown eyes. Those twinkling eyes. She yanked her hand away. The man was far too smooth.
“Nope, no lead.”
“How would you know?” she demanded derisively.
“I’m a medic, I’m trained to test for poison.”
“You’re an idiot.” A glimmer of a smile poked through.
“I see that.”
“Do not.”
“Do too. You are beginning to fall for my masculine wiles.”
“There is no such thing as masculine wiles.”
“Ah, you have much to learn, grasshopper.”
Rylie whirled around and went to grab her suitcase. Darius’s hand was there. “Where do you want it?”
“I’m more than capable of picking up my own suitcase.”
“I know, but I’m here, so use me. Where do you want it?”
“Dare, this is just my little bag with toiletries,” she protested.
“Bullshit, this is a pretty big bag for just toiletries.”
“Sylvia wouldn’t travel with something small. She’s high maintenance.”
“Okay, then so you won’t tell me where you want it, I’m putting it in the bathroom.” He proceeded her into the bathroom and let out a low whistle.
“This is some bathroom. I could go swimming in this tub. Check this out, there’s two showers.”
“Nope, one of those is a steam shower.”
“You’ve got to be shitting me. How cool is that? I call dibs.” Rylie couldn’t help but grin this time. She had felt the same way the first time she’d seen one.
“Let me just freshen up, and it’s all yours, sailor.”
“SEAL,” he corrected.
“There’s a difference?”
“Big time. Anyone can be a sailor, but it takes a hell of a lot to go through BUD/S and become a SEAL. Anyway, better not get used to saying either one.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” He turned around and closed the door.
Chapter Five
He pulled out his phone and activated the scrambler.
“It’s about fucking time you called.” Clint was pissed.
“Ahh, Clint, you missed me. Does Lydia know you have a crush on me?”
“We both did,” Lydia interrupted. “And yes, I know you all have boy crushes on one another. I think it’s cute.”
“How can you guys be upset I haven’t checked in? Do you have a tracker on me?”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t have audio and video,” Lydia explained. Darius shuddered. The idea of his friends having that kind of access to his life was not appealing.
“Dare, give me a report.” Darius straightened at the sound of Mason Gault’s voice.
“We had dinner with Albert and his boy toy here at their hotel. Rylie and I just got to our suite, and she checked to make sure there is no surveillance. They’ve bought everything so far. We’re going to the island tomorrow.”
“That’s great.”
“Lydia and Clint did a great job making the background spotless, and Jack could start a reality TV show doing make-overs.” Everyone laughed. “Are Finn and Drake in place?” Darius asked.
“Roger that.”
“How’s Rylie holding up?” Lydia asked.
“She’s amazing. I don’t know how she manages to act the part of Sylvia. She just puts on this Bitch Goddess persona and has me believing she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. I would definitely believe she handled the slave trade.”
“Dammit, Dare, don’t call it that!” Lydia’s voice trembled with anger.
“I’m sorry,” Darius quickly apologized. “I meant human trafficking.”
“Don’t forget to check in when you get to the island,” Mason commanded.
“I won’t,” Darius promised. “By the way, your report on Rylie wasn’t complete. She had a sister who was deaf. See what you can find out about her.”
“What? I can’t believe we missed that.” Darius heard the upset in Lydia’s voice. He knew how much of a personal affront it was to their hacking skills that they overlooked something like that.
“Lydia, calm down,” Clint told his fiancé. “You know Rylie must have somehow erased all record of her.”
“I don’t give a shit. We still should have found her.” Darius could practically hear Lydia grinding her teeth. “By the time you get to the island, we’ll have info on her, I promise you.”
“Sounds good. Look, I’ve got to go.”
“Don’t forget to fucking check in ASAP next time,” Clint growled.
“I won’t, Mom.”
Lydia was laughing as Darius hung up his phone.
Now work was out of the way, he had time to think of other things, and that was Rylie. All the time he had been talking to his friends, he had been staring at the bathroom door. He might have been enticed by the steam shower, but now Rylie was behind the door, he couldn’t give a shit about the showers. He hoped she’d been telling the truth, and there were just toiletries in that big satchel, and if that were the case, what would Rylie be wearing when she came back out? It boggled his mind. Darius wondered if she might be in the mood for a foot massage, those heels had to kill her feet. Then maybe he could talk her into an all over massage.
Whoa boy. He needed to proceed with a little more finesse. She was not putting out the right signals for an all-out seduction. He needed to take his time. But it was damn hard to think about taking his time when she had been on his mind for damn near six months. Had she thought about him? Shit, he needed to quit mooning over Rylie Jones.
He scouted around the room and realized he had missed the champagne, strawberries, bread, and cheeses. Their hosts sure as hell didn’t spare any expense. He popped a strawberry in his mouth and was delighted to go out onto the small balcony and get some fresh air. Brandon wore too much cologne.
It was beautiful here in the northwest. He’d always heard it rained too much. But looking out over the water and seeing all of the sparkling lights of the city, he could definitely see the attraction. He heard the door to the bathroom quietly open, and turned around to see Rylie wrapped in in one of the hotel guest robes. She looked so tiny and cute with her hair flowing around her, and her face devoid of make-up. Okay, she totally made him hot. He came back into the room.
“Door open or closed?”
“Closed, please. I’m a little chilly.”
“I have some ideas on how to warm you up.” He waggled his eyebrows. She giggled.
“Don’t even. I know how sexy I don’t look. Now, if I were wearing the Sylvia outfit, or my cut-off jeans and a tank top, I would get the appeal.”
“Hmmm,” Darius turned to the platter of food. “Do you want a strawberry?”
“I thought you were going to have a steam.”
“It’ll wait.”
“Don’t you want to get comfortable? I thought you didn’t like to be in the ‘monkey suit,'” she said using air quotes. The sleeves of the robe
flopped over her hands causing her to blow out a puff of air in frustration.
“Allow me.” He got up close, and rolled up the sleeves, looking deep into her blue eyes. She stared back, there was hesitation, a little trepidation, but he saw the curiosity. He fucking loved seeing the curiosity.
His mind fired rapidly. It was what he did, how he had always been and his training honed the skill. He could tell her that the intimacy of a kiss would help to make them seem more at ease and legitimate to Albert and Brandon, but he discarded the idea as soon as it formed. No, he wanted this kiss for all the right reasons. He wanted this kiss because he was a man who desired a woman. Scratch that, he was Darius, and he desired Riley, he had obsessed about her for months, and he fucking wanted his kiss!
His big hand easily cupped the entire side of her head, and he thumbed back some wisps of white blonde hair from her temple, taking note of her rapidly beating pulse.
“I’m going to kiss you.”
“I know.”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you for a very long time.”
“Dammit, this is so crazy. How can I have met you just one time, and you have been on my mind. It makes no sense.”
“Same for me. Only it does make sense. I saw a courageous woman, who could handle Drake Avery, who was at one point this tough as fuck Sylvia, and then she was this vulnerable gift in front of me now.”
“I’m nobody’s gift. You’re crazy.”
“I want my kiss, are you saying you haven’t wanted to kiss me? That you haven’t thought about me?”
“Like I said, I don’t know why, but you’ve stuck in my mind, and I want this too.” Her tongue darted out and licked her lips. He shuddered. God, she was killing him, he dipped his head and watching her carefully, not wanting to mess this up, now he finally had her in his arms.
He brushed his lips against hers, just a taste, a sip. She was still against him, her eyes wide. He traced his thumb against her cheekbone, a soft caress to soothe and relax, her eyes drifted shut. He deepened the kiss. She opened her lips with a sigh, and he took the invitation, sweeping the inside of her mouth with his tongue, savoring the minty taste of her toothpaste and the essence that was all Rylie.
It took everything he had not to plunder when he felt the fine tremors going through her small frame. He loved the fact she was as turned on as he was, but he was determined they were going to go slow.
She shoved out of his arms.
“What the hell?” he asked as he reared back. “Rylie, did I do something wrong?”
She bit her lip as she looked up at him, then she tossed her hair over her shoulder. He saw a hint of Sylvia wash over her face, and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all. Then he realized it was probably an unconscious thing she did on her part to protect herself. But why did she feel the need for protection? Darius just stood there and waited her out.
Rylie put her hand into the pocket of the massive robe and pulled out some nail polish.
“Nope, you did nothing wrong.” She took a deep breath. It was another thing he’d seen her do when she was having trouble coping, so he continued to wait her out. “We need to set some ground rules, maybe discuss things.” She hopped up onto the bed. No wonder she wore heels that were so high, she couldn’t be any more than five feet one. Maybe he should have offered to lift her onto the bed.
He watched in fascination as she uncapped some glittery blue nail polish and started to apply it to her baby toe.
She shot him a bright smile. It was phony as hell. “Let’s discuss the sex stuff.” He knelt down beside the bed so he could watch her paint her toes
“Okay, let’s.”
“I’ve only had the one lover. How many have you had? Bunches, right?”
“Define bunches,” he asked.
“More than ten?” Darius squirmed at the number she suggested. “Ah, so it’s more than ten. Is it more than fifty?”
“God no. Probably...” he mentally counted. “Seventeen.” God he drank too much in his younger days, there were too many one-night-stands in that number.
“Okay, well, you like sex then. All men do.”
“That’s a good assumption. Don’t you?”
She paused before applying paint to another toe.
“Not really.” But she looked up and gave him another bright fake smile. “I’m really good at it, though.”
Talk about a minefield. Darius decided to go with humor.
“How do you know you’re good at it? Do you have references I can call?”
“Now you’re just being an ass.” She scowled at him.
“It goes along with liking sex. Men like sex, men are asses. It’s in our DNA.”
She scowled at him again.
“Be serious.”
“I am. Have you not met Drake?”
A giggle escaped, and Darius could tell it was real. He felt his chest loosen, he was sick of the fake Rylie. Obviously, this conversation was hurting her, somewhere there was a man on this Earth who required an ass-kicking on Rylie Jones’ behalf.
“This whole acting like we’re lovers, I agree with you, we need to make it really believable. I think we better have sex tonight so we’re in the groove so to speak. My nails should be dry in about five minutes, I used the quick-dry formula. We can do it after that.”
Never had he felt less like having sex. Rylie was the woman he most wanted to be intimate with, and she had just managed to take all the wind right out of his sails. Darius huffed out a laugh, he couldn’t help it.
“Hey, that’s not nice. I just said we should make love, and you’re laughing at me.”
“You didn’t say we should make love, you’re scheduling me in between a pedicure and a root canal, and I think you’re looking forward to the root canal more. Damn right I’m laughing.” Darius got off his knees and went to the table and helped himself to another strawberry.
“Do you want some food?” he asked.
“In a minute, I’m still not done.” He filled up two plates. Then he reached for the bottle of champagne. In vino veritas. In wine comes truth. He wasn’t sure his ego could handle much more truth from Rylie, but maybe she might tell him a little bit more as to why she didn’t like sex. He needed some specifics. He knew she was drawn to him, and she responded to his touch. He needed a little more information, so Darius poured the champagne.
“How are the toes coming?”
“Done! What do you think?” She shoved her cute little toes towards him, and the wind started to fill his sails. God, she had beautiful feet.
He left his food on the table and gestured for her to scooch over next to the nightstand and set her plate and glass down. Then he sat down on the bed and placed her legs over his.
“What are you doing?”
“You’re going to eat a little snack, sip a little champagne and talk to me a little bit more.”
“But I’ve already told you everything that matters.”
“Not really, Rylie. You haven’t given me the name of your references.”
She grimaced. “I’m not planning on giving names. Now it’s four more minutes, ten if you want to have that snack.”
“How about we go for twenty, and you let me massage your feet. You let me do it in the hotel room in Houston six months ago. I remember you liked it.” He held one dainty foot and began to caress it, pushing into her arch with his thumb.
“This is dumb, we need to eat and get done with it. The sex I mean.”
“This is foreplay. This is part of ‘it’.”
She gave him a perplexed look. Yep, that man from her past, definitely needed to have his ass kicked.
“Foreplay isn’t necessary.” She reached for her plate, but he stilled her hand.
“Just relax for a minute. Are you telling me you don’t like having your feet rubbed? Come on be honest,” he coaxed. He shot her a sideways grin.
“Okay, I like it a little,” she admitted.
“Now you earned some food.” He smiled and pushed the plat
e back next to her.
“Eat.” He pressed in. “Drink.” He watched as she took a strawberry and bit into it and slowly chewed. Yep, his sails were now full. Fuck, he was never going to survive her eating all of those damn strawberries he’d put on her plate.
“Where were we?”
“You were going to tell me about your references. But I suspect there aren’t that many names.”
“How’d you know?”
“Just a wild guess.”
She picked up the champagne flute and took a delicate sip. “You’re right, I only have the one.” She was lost in thought.
“Honey, we don’t have to talk about this. I’d prefer to just rub your feet and kiss you. I think anything else tonight is too much too soon.”
“I was kind of messed up when I got involved with him,” she said baldly.
Dare kept caressing her foot, waiting for her to continue.
“It’s an ugly story, Dare.”
“I was in foster care too, Rylie. Even though I was lucky, I know how ugly it can get. My past isn’t filled with unicorns and gumdrops.”
“Shouldn’t we just focus on the positive?”
“Whatever you want, honey. You’re in charge.” She let out a heavy sigh.
“Nothing makes sense if I don’t explain why I hooked up with Roger. Can you tell me your ugly first?”
Dare looked down at the small foot in his big hand. Only Mason knew about this. He wasn’t proud of his behavior.
“This was before I joined Mason’s unit. I was young at the time, and some of the missions we go on aren’t always good.”
“From what I’ve read, they’re awful.”
He kept his head down and concentrated on her blue toes.
“Anyway, I didn’t always cope well, and I used alcohol. When you asked me how many women, I said seventeen, but the truth is I’m not positive. There were some one night stands I might have forgotten, and I’m not real proud looking back on that.”
“Dare, cut yourself some slack.”
“I can’t, Rylie. I’m in charge of my actions. This went on for about a year. The Senior Chief Petty Officer of my unit sat me down and helped pull my head of my ass. I don’t know what I would have done without him. I drink now, but I never get drunk. Never.”
Her Daring SEAL (Midnight Delta Book 5) Page 6
