by Cora Cade
Being raised by two men had given her a unique perspective on life. At the age of nine she’d punched the school bully in the nose for picking on one of the kids in their class. It had never occurred to her she was the smallest kid in their class. When the bully reached out to smack her back, Chris had stepped in. At nine, he hadn’t been a very good brawler and had ended up with a nice shiner, but at least Tenn hadn’t taken a fist to the face. They’d bonded over the lengthy wait for their parents to come collect them from the principal’s office and had been as thick as thieves ever since.
Chris caught up with Tenn as she eased the Camaro out of the garage space assigned to his apartment. She pulled up to where he was standing in the lot and lightly revved the engine.
“Your chariot awaits, Mr. Harper.” She patted the empty passenger seat in invitation.
He climbed in and noticed she’d kicked off her heels and was driving barefoot. The girl could get all dressed up, but she would always be a tomboy at heart. Any other woman would have left her heels on, knowing the effect it had on a man, but seduction was never on her mind in his presence.
But that made him think. Why was she all dressed up for a few beers at the pub? It was a weekly ritual for the two of them to grab a bite to eat and a drink or two on Friday nights. Since Noah had arrived on the scene, they’d made a weekly visit to the pub instead of any of their other regular spots.
He glanced over to the driver’s seat and took in the scene before him. Tenn’s face was lit from within. She practically bounced in her seat as she stretched to reach the clutch and shift into third gear. The car offered a low rumble as she smoothly accelerated into a turn on the edge of town. Her face brightened even more and she offered him her lopsided smile as she settled into her seat.
She was beautiful. He’d always known it. She had that girl-next-door quality with a wide-open smile, rich brown hair falling to her shoulders in one straight wave, and direct golden-hazel eyes.
She wasn’t dressed to impress him. Once in college they’d both considered that avenue. Neither was willing to risk their friendship for a fling. They had been young and it certainly would have been easy to fall into bed together. Fortunately, they’d both known they weren’t ready for anything long term at that point and wisely opted to stay just friends.
He had never regretted it. She would always be his closest friend and he didn’t ever want to risk losing her in any way. Even if what it would have been like had crossed his mind a few times over the years.
Here she was, dressed to the nines to hang out with him and his brother. His brother?
Damn. He hadn’t seen this one coming. Was Noah interested in Tenn as well? It gave him a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Was he jealous? Or worried?
They were pulling into the Drunken Duck’s parking lot before he realized Tenn was talking to him.
“What? I’m sorry, I was zoning.”
She offered him a sharp glare. “I was saying how convenient it is your girlfriend is already here.”
“You have got to be kidding me.”
“No, I’m not. She’s standing by the door waiting for you.” She casually pointed in the general direction of Lexie as she turned into an empty parking spot.
He turned in his seat and practically lunged at her. “You’ve got to save me tonight, Tenn.” He clasped her hands in his. “She will not take no for an answer. Pretend to be my date!”
Scowling, she tugged her hands out of his. “Are you crazy? She knows better than to think we’re on a date. We spend every Friday night together. How is tonight any different?”
“But you’re all dressed up. All you have to do is hang all over me and stake your claim.”
“No.”
“You’ve done it before. Why not now? You’re such an effective deterrent with the crazy chicks.”
He watched as she hesitated. She’d saved him before, but it was obvious tonight was different for her. He also knew she would never explain to him why. She would rather walk over hot coals before she admitted any such girly thing. She was on the make and would never tell him that out loud.
He pleaded with his eyes. Knowing her weaknesses, he mouthed, “Save me!”
“Fine. But after this, you have to tell this girl to take a hike.”
Handing her the pair of sexy red heels she’d tossed on his side of the car, he leaned in and offered her a quick kiss on the lips. “Done.”
“You’re the designated driver tonight. And you’re buying all my drinks.”
Whatever she wanted. “Done.”
“I have to be up at eight tomorrow, so not too late tonight. Bo’s coming by for our breakfast date and I cannot be late.”
Chris nodded sagely and asked, “Who the hell is Bo? And why do you have a date at eight in the morning?”
“You are such a terrible date.” She rolled her eyes in Chris’s general direction. “Bo is the stray dog I’ve been feeding. He comes by twice a day and I don’t want to disappoint him. Once he gets used to me, I want to adopt him.”
“Bo is a dog?” Looking incredulous, he said, “You have a breakfast date with a dog?”
“Yes. And he’s very handsome. I think he might be a Lab. One of these days I’m going to get him in the house and get him to Doc Mallory.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll even make sure you’re home tonight so you don’t miss your dog date in the morning.”
“Excellent.”
Grinning from her apparent triumph, Tenn exited the car. Chris caught her hand in a tight grip before she had fully rounded the rear of the car. She sighed, rolling her eyes again. “It’s going to be a long night.”
Chapter Three
There was an unrelenting pounding in her head, and something furry had died in her mouth. The sun streamed through her bedroom windows, splashing a ruthless beam of light across her eyes. It was like a laser beam melting her brain.
Groaning, she limply lifted her head from the bed and immediately fell back into place. Oh dear Lord, she was going to die.
Her second attempt was more successful and she reached an upright position and held it. On her nightstand stood a tall glass of water and a bottle of aspirin. “Thank you thank you thank you.”
She slipped two of the aspirin into her mouth and gulped down half the glass of water before taking a breath. Setting the glass back in place, she glanced down and realized she was in her pajamas. She had no recollection of getting into them the previous night. Not to put a fine point on it, but she didn’t remember much past her third shot of whiskey.
Well, at least Chris got her home and into bed before heading out himself. It was nearly eight. Bo was probably waiting for her on the back porch. Time to win over the pooch.
Shuffling through the house on tentative feet, she swayed at the bottom of the steps into the kitchen. “I’m going to kill Chris. Tomorrow. I’m going to kill that man.”
Noah watched Tenn shuffle through the kitchen, her eyes barely open. She reached for a ceramic bowl with little paw prints on it and dipped it into a bag of dog food sitting by the back door. Before she opened the back door and stepped into the morning light, she picked up her sunglasses from the counter and gingerly set them on her face. He had to grin. The girl had outdone herself last night at the pub.
Tenn walking through the pub door in her little black dress and a pair of red fuck-me pumps would be indelibly etched into his memory until the end of his days. She had scanned the room and offered him a quick wave and grin before heading over to her favorite table in the back. He’d tracked her progress through the room. It had been impossible to tear his gaze away until she was out of sight.
Now she stood in the doorway of her kitchen in a rumpled pair of hot-pink boxers and a matching tank top. She was even sexier this morning than she’d been the previous night.
For a moment she peered around. Setting the bowl down, she stepped to the left and sat on a bench placed a few feet away from the back steps. She sat perfectly still until a black nose a
ppeared at the edge of the porch and sniffed.
She cooed nonsensical sounds as she pushed the bowl forward with a toe, encouraging the Lab to come closer. He sniffed the air again and tentatively climbed the stairs. He was a beautiful dog, with a golden yellow coat and amber eyes. He was too lean and had a few scars along his ears and haunches, but with some care and attention he’d be perfect.
Tenn was so exceptionally soft-hearted that Noah was surprised this was her first stray. She’d always claimed she’d bought the tiny little farm property on the edge of town so she could have a small zoo, plus escape apartment living. The property contained a small, two-story farmhouse on barely over an acre of land. It was enough for her to keep up with, but she still had room to grow.
Since she worked from home as a website designer, she needed a dedicated workspace, and after years of saving had exactly what she wanted in this little farmhouse. During the years he’d been in the military they’d kept up a steady stream of letter writing. He’d kept all of her letters, remembered every secret she had ever divulged, and offered up some of his own secrets to her.
In the years he was gone they’d become closer than he could have ever expected. She had always been Chris’s friend when they had been younger. Until he left for the Army he’d only known her as the slightly annoying little-sister type who spent all of her free time at his house.
Well, she had been a little sister until he’d spied her in a bathing suit at sixteen. Even then she’d had some very serious curves, and the bikini had left little to his imagination. He’d been nineteen and about to leave for the service, but in that exact moment he began seeing her as something more than his little brother’s friend.
Now Tenn was all woman, with even more curves than she’d had at sixteen. She was soft and curvy, with a generous chest. A chest currently on display in a tank top providing little more coverage than that bikini top long ago. It was ridiculous, but he could feel himself rise to the occasion. Willing his body under control, he half wished he’d headed back to his apartment after getting Tenn comfortable in bed.
Being here, in the early morning light, brought to mind what he’d missed out on last night. She had offered, rather drunkenly, to give him a taste of heaven. Instead, he chastely put her to bed fully clothed. She’d unceremoniously stripped out of her black thong and tossed it at his feet with a little huff before targeting the ties to her dress. He’d whipped around and faced the wall while she attempted to dress herself for bed. In the end she’d managed, and he’d spent the night not sleeping on her couch. He should have left, had even planned to do so.
Then she begged him to stay. She didn’t want to be alone and had to be up by eight to meet some guy named Bo. Which last night had made him a bit territorial, but now he understood who, or what, Bo was.
He was loath to admit it, but he was a bit territorial—not because of Bo, though. Now he had to figure out if Tenn and Chris had finally decided to break their friends-only rule and delve into a relationship. After last night he wasn’t sure where they stood. Surely if something had developed, Chris would’ve been the guy bringing her home. Instead he’d been more than happy to let Noah take the lead.
The dog finished his meal, lapped up the water left out for him and took a tentative step toward Tenn. He offered a little whine and she held out a closed fist for him to sniff.
“Good boy. You’re such a handsome boy. I’ve named you Bo. What do you think of that, buddy?” She hummed a low sound in the back of her throat and the dog leaned into her touch, starved for love. She rubbed behind his ears and turned her face toward Noah. “I thought I smelled you. Why don’t you come out here and meet my date Bo?”
Surprised, he said, “You can smell me? That’s disgusting.”
She smiled up at him. “I can smell your cologne. You spent the night?”
Noah reached the porch and stood in the doorway, letting Bo adjust to his presence before stepping out. “I brought you home. After you and Chris had your little argument I thought it best.”
Now she frowned. “We had a fight?”
“You don’t remember?”
She blushed a pretty pink before saying, “Not so much. I think most of the night is lost to the Jameson. Lord, did I do something terrible?”
Noah laughed, a loud, robust sound making her smile in return. “Well, after about the fifth time he laid a kiss on you, you hauled off and clipped him in the ear. He said something about your deal and you clipped him again, in the other ear. Does that constitute a fight for you guys?”
“Not really.” She turned away and began stroking Bo again.
He didn’t exactly want to have this conversation but decided he needed to know. “So, are you two an item now?”
She looked at him warily. “Did that loser tell you that? I swear I’m going to kill him.”
A low chuckle escaped him before he could stop it. “No, but he was all over you last night. Got a few people talking.”
“Given that I can’t remember much past nine last night, I’d guess Lexie was around all night?” Noah nodded. “Your dumb brother can’t break it off with her. Or can’t make her understand it’s over—I’m not sure which. Either way, he wanted me to rescue his sorry ass by pretending to be his date.”
Noah offered an arch of his eyebrows in response.
“He bribed me with the Camaro and free drinks. Which I obviously took full advantage of.” Her shy smile lit her face. Sitting on the bench with a mangy dog leaning against her legs, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She was rumpled and barely awake, but she glowed with contentment.
With a quick pat to the space beside her, she offered him a seat as Bo vacated the spot at her feet to explore.
Noah took the seat beside her and all but loomed over her smaller frame. He was so large and imposing. And dead sexy. How did a man who had slept on her couch still look so good? It was a crime against nature. She sat beside him, looking like something a cat had dragged in.
He’d obviously slept without his shirt, because his chest was exposed and she couldn’t take her eyes off him. She let her gaze slide down the length of his impressive frame, only to snag on a batch of scars scattered down his right side. The aftermath of an IED that had taken out his transport during his first tour of duty. Even though he’d explained about the attack and his recovery, it was altogether a separate thing to see the scars in person. She wanted to reach out and caress them and heal them with her touch.
Until she noticed his pants were unsnapped and hung low on his narrow hips. A glimpse of his black boxer-briefs drew her gaze even lower. She watched his erection visibly grow under her scrutiny until the tip of his cock pushed against his flat abdomen, escaping the confines of the soft cotton encasing him. It was the most erotic sight she’d ever seen.
He shifted his weight and she could smell his cologne again. It was intrinsically him, a soft woodsy scent with a hint of the man underneath. If she had been wearing any panties they’d be wet right now. She licked her lips, drawing his gaze to her mouth.
Instead, she sat beside him in her ragged—and damp—boxers and a plain tank. Which reminded her she wasn’t wearing a bra. Or panties. She was practically naked, next to the hottest man in her world. She was going to combust shortly.
Shifting her weight, she put a little distance between the two of them. She felt conspicuously naked now and fully aware of how mussed she looked. Of course, now she was flushed again. It couldn’t be helped.
He placed a hand on the back of the bench and closed the limited distance she’d put between them. Glancing up at him she suddenly felt like a small animal being stalked by larger game. The gleam in his ocean-blue eyes was startling as he gently removed the sunglasses perched on her nose.
When he touched a hand to her upper thigh and slowly skimmed his fingers up her limb, she sucked in a deep breath. It was like there was a fire burning under his touch, spreading through her system like an inferno, raging out of control.
&nb
sp; He was going to kiss her and she hadn’t even bothered to brush her teeth yet. She probably reeked of alcohol and that dead, furry thing in her mouth. If it had been possible she would have blushed deeper, but she was already going up in flames.
He brought his mouth dangerously close to her lips. For a heartbeat she almost let him close the final distance. With a jerk, she covered her mouth and mumbled, “I need to brush my teeth.”
Noah laughed and her mortification was complete. Instead of pulling away as she expected, he leaned closer and nuzzled the sweet spot behind her ear. He placed a warm, deliberate open-mouthed kiss to the spot and bit her lobe with a gentle, teasing laugh.
Without thought, Tenn leaned into his frame and let her hands roam across the wide expanse of his broad chest. His hand skimmed from her thigh to her hip and his grip tightened there, holding her in place as he trailed kisses down her neck to the strap of her tank top. He brushed it aside with his mouth as his free hand softly caressed her breast through the thin cotton.
She was going to come from his feather light touch to her nipple. Her entire body flamed as he relentlessly caressed all her curves. Palming the weight of her breast in his massive hand, every part of her pulled taut.
She was so consumed by burning desire, she barely noticed as he easily lifted her full weight to his lap, placing her core-to-core with him. His erection nudged her cleft and she couldn’t stop from rocking against the length of him, letting her eager body find the spot where his hardness met her softness.
With a groan, Tenn’s body rocked into him. Her new position in his lap put her breasts exactly where he needed them. He pulled them free, enabling him to finally feast on the delicate skin. Holding them in place with both hands, he ran his tongue across her nipples and a shudder rippled through her. On the second pass with his tongue across her rose-colored peaks, her entire body shook as she began a long, slow grind against his cock.
He slipped two fingers into her loose boxers. Noah found her wet and bare. His fingers glided over her perfectly waxed skin.
