by Debbie Gould
And this kind, warm, giving man stepped in for him. More often than he knew. It wasn’t right. Not that she would ever suggest Bobby not be here for them. He was the best friend she’d ever had, and sometimes, she wished she felt more than friendship for him. Why couldn’t she have fallen for him instead of the dark and broody Colin?
She’d known Colin for years. They’d already been good friends when she introduced him to Tabitha. She’d suspected they would hit it off, and they did. She’d tried to be there for him when Tabitha died, but he wouldn’t let her. As far as she could tell, the only person he’d leaned on since had been Bobby.
Her feelings for Colin had changed when she watched him at a barbeque Bobby had thrown a year ago. Colin had been relaxed, smiling and interacting more than he usually did. He’d held Isabelle and rocked her to sleep in his arms. The sight of him, bare-chested, all broad shoulders and ripped muscles, cradling his baby girl, whispering sweet words to her as she drifted off was more than she could stand. She’d fallen in love that night.
When he’d taken them home after the party and tucked the baby in, she’d walked him to the door. He’d been so different that day, almost happy. Caught up in the fantasy of having him in her life, she’d lifted up on her tiptoes and kissed him. And he’d kissed her back. No light, little peck on the cheek. He’d taken control of the kiss, yanked her up against him, and crushed his mouth over hers. Swooping his tongue across her lips, he’d silently begged for entrance, and once gained, he’d deepened the contact, his tongue dueling with hers, tasting her, loving her. Then, all too soon it had ended. He’d jerked back, sworn, muttered an apology, and bolted out the door. Not before she’d noticed his erection, though.
Once the fog had cleared, her euphoria had as well. The only thing that made sense was he’d been missing Tabitha and she’d been there, a warm willing body. But he’d stopped before he got carried away. That thought had taken the wind out of her sails, but it hadn’t changed how she’d grown to feel about him, and it hadn’t stopped her from trying to reach out to him.
Unfortunately, after that night, he’d distanced himself even further. If he continued taking one mission after another, he would all but disappear from their lives. She had one last shot at making Colin see what he could have—and opening his eyes had nothing to do with Isabelle and everything to do with her. She prayed Bobby could able to help her pull her plan off.
“You didn’t answer my question,” she reminded him. “What do you mean his reasons for avoiding me have changed?”
Bobby kept filling the bucket with sand even though Izzy had moved on to play with her shells. “Don’t get me wrong. He’s still eating himself up with guilt for not being there the night Tabitha died. No matter how much we all tell him it wouldn’t have changed a thing. In his thick lug head, he believes he doesn’t deserve happiness.” Dumping the bucket upside down again, he set it aside and focused his attention on Emily. “But I do believe he’s recognized you are all woman, and it scares the shit out of him.”
She lifted a brow. “Uh huh. I hate to tell ya, Bob, but, you are way off base. You mean to tell me he only now realized I am a woman?”
“Sure, intellectually he knew you were. But you were also a friend, and then you were family, and then you were his dead wife’s sister. Sometime in the last year, he’s figured out you’re all that, but you’re also a woman and potentially a danger to the heart he has tried to kill inside him.”
Emily stared. “Who the hell are you, and what have you done with the Bobcat I know?”
“Hey, I’ll have you know I’m more than some good-looking blond, packing a big weapon.”
She burst out laughing. Now that was the Bobby she knew and loved. “Point taken. So, how do I get him from recognizing me as a woman to letting go of the guilt and sadness and becoming a part of Izzy’s and my life?”
“Operation 1Night Stand, that’s how.” He dug a slip of paper from his cargo shorts pocket and handed it to her. “That is Madame Eve’s email. I’ve already laid the groundwork. Drop her a line. She’ll give you the details of when and where. We’ll get him there, and then it’s all on you. Just work your magic.”
“Oh, sure, ’cause it’s gonna be that easy.” She shoved the paper into the picnic basket. “What makes you think he’ll even show up to a thing like this?”
Bobby winked at her. “Number one, he’ll think it’s just a safe, random, one-night stand with a stranger. I happen to know it’s been a while for the dude. A little peer pressure from us guys, and he’ll show.”
“Oh God.” She took a deep breath. “How the heck do I keep him there once he realizes it’s me?”
“I’m sure you’ll think of something. Use your imagination.” He shook his head and groaned. “Fair warning, Em. If this doesn’t work? I’m officially coming after you.”
“Bobby—”
He held his hand up and then stood, scooping Isabelle into his arms. “Come on, pack up, and I’ll take you and baby Bella here for some ice cream.”
Isabelle clapped and yelled, “Ice ceam, ice ceam!”
As they headed for the cars, doubts plagued her. Could she really pull this off? Could she convince Colin to hear her out? Would he make love to her and decide to stay or walk out on her once again? She owed it to herself and Isabelle to try.
Bobby buckled the baby in her seat while Emily packed the picnic gear in the trunk. Ready to leave, he stopped her before she slid into the driver’s seat. “Stop worrying.”
“Easy for you to say.”
He raised his brows and cocked his head to the side.
“I’m sorry, I’m just nervous.” She lifted her hand to his face. “Thank you, for everything you do.”
He leaned in and pressed his lips softly to her forehead. “What are friends for?”
Chapter Three
Colin paced the length of his small living room, which took all of three long strides, turned, and stopped at the window. Outside, the world had started waking up, moving about, and getting on with the day. Inside his apartment, he was stuck in a place he no longer wanted to be. He didn’t know how to go about getting unstuck. Hell, even if he did know, he didn’t deserve to.
Shit! His second day home and here he stood going stir crazy and psychoanalyzing himself. Ridiculous. How the hell did he expect to last thirty days? Stalking down the short hallway to the single bedroom, he pulled on his PT gear, shoved his feet into his running shoes, and headed out the door for his daily five-mile run.
Living only a block from the beach, he headed there for a more secluded jog. His feet pounding on the hardened sand, he took off along the deserted Emerald coastline. Seagulls squawked and dove into the water for their breakfast. He inhaled the salty sea air, but the familiar smells and calming sounds of the waves did nothing to clear his head.
He should have called Emily yesterday. By now, Bobby would have told her they were home, but he hadn’t been ready to see her yet. Scratch that, she’d been the first person he’d wanted to see, which was exactly why he hadn’t.
She tempted him. Too much. In the year that followed Tabitha’s death, the thought of having another woman had been the furthest thing from his mind. Then there had been the barbeque Bobby had thrown. He’d taken Emily and Isabelle with him because he hadn’t wanted to show up alone, and his buddies were asking about the baby.
In the past, he’d never spent more than a few hours at a time with Emily and his daughter, but that day he’d picked them up early, taken them to breakfast and shopping before heading to the party. He’d had a weak moment and allowed himself to enjoy his time with Isabelle and the woman she called her mother.
He made a U-turn and began the length home, but still couldn’t keep his mind off Emily. She’d been a friend for what seemed like forever, and after spending the day with her, watching her with his buddies and his baby, he’d seen her in a different light. She was a beautiful, desirable woman. Outgoing, vivacious, and sexy as hell. Her long, tanned legs had called
to him, and it’d been all too easy to picture them wrapped around his waist as he drove into her.
He must have been sending some kind of unconscious signals that day because when he’d gone to leave after dropping them off, she’d kissed him. Her lips had been so soft, so warm, he’d lost it and devoured her right there at the door. Damn, she’d tasted so good. He’d yanked her against him, all those curves of hers molding to him and driving him to the brink. And then she’d moaned. That one, delicious sound snapped him back to reality, and he’d realized he’d been seconds away from taking her.
He’d backed away from her and kept his distance ever since. Making sure most of his visits with Emily and Isabelle were in public places with friends like Bobby around. He couldn’t risk being alone with her like that again. No matter how much he wanted her and Isabelle as a permanent fixture in his life, he couldn’t have them.
He glanced out over the blue gulf water. He was a selfish bastard, and he’d eventually end up destroying them the way he did Tabitha.
Everybody loved to tell him her death hadn’t been his fault. Even if he’d been there, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome. But they were wrong. He’d made vows to Tabitha, and when push came to shove, his wife and daughter had taken hind tit to his job. He ground his teeth. He’d failed her. No, maybe he couldn’t have changed the outcome, but he could have been with her until she’d taken her final breath. He could have held and comforted his daughter.
Instead, the woman he’d loved had died without him, and Isabelle had neither her mother nor her father with her. Emily had been there for them, though. She’d filled in for him in so many ways. She’d become a mother when she hadn’t asked to be one. She’d made sure her sister hadn’t been alone when her life ebbed away and she was too weak to hold her baby daughter. She’d taken care of his family. All things he should have done.
And now look at her. She’d given Isabelle a stable loving home. She was one amazing woman. He admired and cared about her. But she was too good for him. Colin left the beach and jogged the remaining block home.
He finished up his run, head no clearer. When he rounded the corner of his building, he found Bobby and Zeke, the newest member of the team, sitting on the stoop, waiting for him. “Isn’t it a little too early in the morning for you girls to be up?”
“It might have been if we’d gone to bed last night,” Bobby said, a wicked grin adorning his smug face.
Colin rolled his eyes. “Uh huh.” He whipped his shirt off and swiped the sweat from his forehead. “And you had such an amazing night you had to come rub my face in it?”
Bobbie glanced at Zeke and then back to him. “No, as a matter of fact we have a solution for your cranky ass.”
“My ass isn’t cranky, therefore no need for a solution. Sorry for the wasted trip, guys. Now if ya don’t mind.” He tilted his head toward the door they obstructed. “I need to get in there and take a shower.”
Bobby stood but still blocked the way. “Hold up there, pal. Hear us out.”
He didn’t want to hear him out. Bobby on his doorstep this early in the morning meant trouble. Trouble for him. Renowned for his stealth and steel-cold nerves on the battlefield, his friend shot expert as a sniper, and was kick-ass at hand-to-hand combat. Shit, they all were. But Bobby had a knack for ferreting out intel. When it came to getting the information the team needed, Bobby’s sixth sense always came through on recon missions. His uncanny talent worked every bit as well here at home, and the good Lord only knew what he’d latched onto this time. “I have no idea what scheme you have going now, and I really don’t want to know. Don’t you have something better to do than meddle in my life?”
Zeke chuckled. “Nothing nearly this fun, Lieutenant. Wait till you hear what we got cooked up for ya.”
Colin took a step back and cringed. “Aw, shit, Bobby. What’ve you done?”
Bobby punched Zeke in the shoulder and shook his head. “Nothing bad. Actually, it’s so simple you’re gonna kick your ass for not thinking of it first, Ghost.”
He doubted it. More than likely he would kick Bobby’s ass. The man worked overtime to hook him up, like he was a damn charity case. If he wanted to get laid, he could go find his own. Unfortunately, the only woman who had spurred his senses in the last year had been Emily. He wanted her so bad he caught himself thinking about her during the day and woke up sweat-soaked and hard at night from dreaming about her.
Shit!Maybe he did need to get laid. “I repeat, what have you done?”
Zeke jumped up. “See, there’s this woman named Madame Eve––”
Colin threw his hands up. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! This is low even for you. I don’t need a freaking prostitute. Damn, Bobby. What the hell are you thinking?”
Bobby laughed. “Not that kind of madam. She runs an elite dating service and sets up one-night stands for consenting adults. It’s a no-strings-attached kind of thing. Just two like-minded adults looking for a night of pleasure. That’s it. You both go in with your eyes open and leave the next day feeling a lot less stressed.”
Colin crossed his arms over his chest and lifted a brow. “And how does she go about finding these people and matching them up?”
“Don’t worry I’ve checked it all out. You go on her website, fill out the application. Then she matches you up with someone who meets your needs. She names the date and place, and the rest is on you. It’s all legit.”
“You sound like an infomercial.” Colin shook his head. “This is fucking crazy, ya know. I have no trouble finding my own women.”
“Never said you did, Lieutenant,” Zeke said. “But this way you don’t have to troll the bars, hoping to find a woman who wants to get her rocks off exactly like you. We know that’s not your scene, and this way everyone gets what they want and walks away happy.”
Bobby glared at Zeke. “Where the hell do you come from anyway?” He returned his gaze to Colin. “More like a night of mutual pleasure.”
“I have my own ways of relieving stress.”
Bobby snorted. “Uh, yeah. I’m not talking about whacking off in the shower, dude.”
Colin rubbed his hands over his face. Good God, have I really been reduced to this? “Fine. Give me the damn website name.”
A huge grin plastered across his face, Bobby dug into his pocket, brought out a crumpled piece of paper, and handed it to him.
He eyed Bobby. “Why is this so important to you?”
“Because,” he said, becoming serious. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen the old Colin. I miss him.”
“Christ, you’re turning into a woman.” He closed his fist around the paper and shoved past the two men. “Now, get the hell out of here before my better judgment returns and I kick your asses.”
“No problem, let’s go Zeke.” Bobby said and they headed down the sidewalk. He turned back as Colin reached his door. “By the way, I saw Emily and Isabelle at the beach. They both look great. You should really stop by and see your daughter. Also, since you have no interest in her, I put Emily on notice. Let her know I’m very interested. That’s one hell of a woman right there.”
Colin turned and glowered at Bobby. No way, no how. “She’s off fucking limits, Bobby.”
“Now, come on. You told me yourself you didn’t want her. Fair is fair.”
He came off the steps and stormed toward his friend, not stopping until they stood nose-to-nose, and shoved a finger in his chest. “I said I couldn’t have her. Neither can you. Don’t push me here, Bobcat.”
Bobby put his up in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. Don’t get your panties in a wad. Shit.” He grasped Colin’s shoulder. “Go on that website. You’re wound tighter than a virgin on prom night.”
Colin grunted, spun on his heel, and slammed the door on his two well-meaning friends. Sliding into the chair at his desk, he powered up the laptop and entered the website. 1Night Stand. Scrolling through the pages, Bobby’s words kept coming back to him. I saw Emily and Isabelle, they both look great. I’m very
interested. Damn it. He’d seen red.
He needed to see them. Couldn’t put it off much longer. His arms ached to hold his daughter, if only for a little while. Maybe Bobby hit the target and this one-night stand thing would take the edge off. Then, hopefully, he could see Emily without getting a hard on.
Muttering a string of curses, Colin clenched his jaw and filled out the application.
Chapter Four
Colin stood outside the Castillo Resort, Destin, staring up at the impressive building. The three wing, sixteen-story hotel rose grand among the scattered palm trees and rich, green grass. From where he stood, he could see out to the gleaming, white-sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.
His heart did a little double time, stomach clenched in knots, and his palms grew damp. Shit, even on a worst-case scenario mission, he kept his cool better than this. Was he really going through with a one-night stand? He couldn’t back out now. Everything had been set in motion. Even though he didn’t know the woman up there in the room waiting for him, he didn’t want to come off as some pansy-assed teenager. Christ, it was just sex. Hopefully, hot, sweaty, mind-numbing sex, but sex all the same.
He took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders, and pulled open the double glass doors to the lobby. At the check in desk, he picked up the room number, key card, and directions to the pool, spa, and bar…if he were inclined to use any of the amenities. The bar might come in handy. He had half a mind to stop in and throw back a couple shots of Jack before heading up to the room.
Instead, he stalked over to the elevator and pushed the call button. He entered and turned as the doors slid shut. His breath caught on a curse. This was so far removed from anything he’d done before, to say he’d stepped out of his comfort zone would be a major understatement. He should have gone to a club, gotten shit-faced, and gotten laid by the first available woman who looked his way. Wasn’t this the same outcome, sex for the sake of sex? It worked great for some, but the thought made him a little queasy.
