by Dawn Ryder
She smiled in the dark as she considered what they’d think of her thoughts, both of them catering to her whims while she enjoyed being the only woman between their hard bodies.
So not going to happen.
But it was a very nice fantasy to fall asleep to.
* * * * *
Dack didn’t sleep. He listened to the slight sound of Logan rolling over in the bed before he walked on silent feet towards the front room of their suite. It was classy and modern, but he preferred his mountain home. In that respect he wasn’t all that different from a dozen businessmen sleeping on the floors below them. They were out earning a living—liking it wasn’t real important.
Cambria floated right into his thoughts. His lips lifted into a grin as he allowed himself a few moments of enjoyment. She reminded him of the fire goddess Pele from the Tahitian islands. You never knew when she was going to cover you in a blanket of searing heat. She’d stunned him and that was rare. Women were predictable. A lot of the time they were disappointing along with that, wanting to cling and toss every little frustration onto the shoulders of their date.
Cambria struck him as different from that model though. A burning sensation in his gut spoke up in her defense. Dack smiled now as he recalled the way she placed each foot in front of the other, so that she wiggled in a slow, sultry weave. It was planned, polished and executed perfectly. The woman knew her body and that was something that hooked his interest. She hadn’t flinched when he looked her over. In fact, he’d caught the faint hint of enjoyment lurking in her honey brown eyes. That was the sort of bait he had trouble ignoring.
He’d always been a sucker for a challenge. From boot camp through officer training and on to special ops. Each had been unique in its stresses and tests. Some men folded but there was a section of the population like him who actually thrived on being on the edge.
His cock hardened as he considered the information he had on her. She’d be completely pissed off if she knew, but all that certainty did was make the heat increase another few degrees. Would she run? Or spit at the tips of his boots? A chuckle escaped his lips as he contemplated what her eyes would look like if she turned around and caught him on her tail.
It was a mighty powerful idea, one that sank its claws into him as his cock remained hard and aching. Sure he was used to a hard-on from time to time, but this one had a name on it. Instead of the normal sexual appetite being fed by his hormones, tonight he was hard because Cambria turned him on. She was a deadly combination of daring and feminine delight. The sort of candy he’d just discovered a craving for.
Which meant he should forget her.
That idea slipped right out of his mind. Checking the hallway, he picked up his cell phone, scrolling through the log for Trace Kocourek. Logan had been on to something that morning—Cambria would fit right in at the Play Yard.
More interesting, it would give him a reason to look forward to Friday night this week. Too many days blended into weeks and months as he funneled all of his energy into surviving. He couldn’t recall the last female he’d thought about so much when she wasn’t pressed against him. He erased their contact information and their faces from his mind as he returned to the harsh reality of being a hunted man.
Pressing the send button, he waited to see if Trace would pick up.
“If your number’s scrambled, it better be someone good on the other end of this line.” Thick and gritty, Trace’s voice was as taunting as Dack recalled.
“Depends on your definition of good.”
There was a half laugh on the other end of the phone. “Well now, is this actually the man Dack on the line? I thought you were dead.”
“Not tonight.”
Trace chuckled. “What’s on your list?”
Dack grinned, Trace knew him a little too well. If he was calling, it wasn’t just to chat. “An interesting proposition for you. I met a woman today who just might add a little class to your place.” Entrance to The Play Yard was by approval only. Cambria didn’t need to know that. Dack smiled as he considered getting her there without her knowing that he was setting the entire thing up. He was betting that she couldn’t ignore the invitation.
“Cambria Porcha Jones.” He rattled off her address and driver’s license number as he heard Trace working a keyboard.
“She’s been here before.” A low whistle came through the line. “Nice catch, Dack.”
A ripple of annoyance went through him as he listened to Trace. Anyone who entered the Play Yard had a file complete with picture. He didn’t like the sound of male enjoyment coming across the line. “With who?”
Trace chuckled at the snap in Dack’s voice. “Easy now, Dack, a woman like that isn’t likely to be waiting behind glass for you to get around to deflowering her.”
“So I’m an emotional idiot for being pissy. Who’d she come in with?”
More tapping on the keyboard came across the line. “Looks like your lucky day. She was logged in by a brother, Sergeant Jones, Army.”
“Invite her back.” Being a guest didn’t give you the privilege to show up at the exclusive club anytime you wanted. Cambria had to wait for an invitation. “Friday night.”
“I just might do that and put you on the ‘no enter’ list.”
Dack grinned. “If your bouncer needs to try out his medical benefits, fine by me.”
Trace clicked his tongue. “You’ve got the manners of a Marine.”
“Friday.” Dack pressed his case, cutting through the personal chitchat. His thoughts were wrapped around getting what he wanted.
“Deal. But you don’t show up, don’t worry about the honey. I’ll take real good care of her.”
The line went dead. Dack smiled at the tactic that ensured Trace the parting shot. It didn’t matter much to him if Trace wanted to get a verbal jab in, as long as he got Cambria to the Play Yard. All in all, he had asked her. Just because she’d said no, didn’t mean the chase was over.
It was just getting more interesting.
Chapter Three
Dack and Logan haunted her all night long. Cambria woke up with a neck ache and a snarl on her lips as she stomped down the stairs to her kitchen. Instead of starting a pot of coffee, she forced herself to put her jogging shoes on. She was still a pulsing little bundle of sexual tension. Her toys didn’t interest her, getting laid did.
But only by the two men stalking her imagination.
Life sucked sometimes. So did having a high sex drive. Taking off on her morning run, she admitted that the real problem was that most women weren’t honest enough to admit that they had a healthy sexual appetite.
She wasn’t abnormal or a nymphomaniac, just willing to look at who she was. Her mama was to thank for that. The hippies had a few things going for them, and one of them was soul-searching. Maybe she didn’t approve of all her mother’s choices, but she’d learned one valuable lesson at her knee—always be true to your heart and you’ll live a happier life.
Porcha Jones was a happy woman. Most of the fathers of her children were still her friends, and Cambia couldn’t recall ever hearing her mother acting jealous when they shifted in and out of her life. No, in fact, the second one of them tried to control her, Porcha transformed into an active volcano. Her body was her temple and she shared it with whom she pleased. Her children were her babies, and she had never lamented not walking down a church aisle. Porcha claimed that she never married because she had a wandering eye for the men, and she wasn’t a liar. Not in front of the Almighty, and not in His house. So Cambria had five half siblings, and her mother was happily unwed.
Looping back around, Cambria lifted her knees higher. Sitting at a desk for large parts of the day demanded chair butt prevention exercises if she didn’t want to see her ass enlarging on a monthly basis. She hated running but it had its place in her life. A whole lot like her vibrator.
Maybe she had developed a standard at her mother’s knee that just didn’t translate well into the modern world. It would explain her la
ck of lasting relationships. It wasn’t a diamond ring that she was longing for, just some sort of punch to her heart that she really felt. Someone she couldn’t ignore.
She let herself back into her house and chucked her shoes into the corner of her bathroom as she peeled off her sweaty running clothes. After taking a quick shower in her downstairs bathroom, she tossed the dirty clothing in the washer before pouring a cup of coffee and heading up to her office. Her email account was full as she settled into another day.
But the sexual tension was just lying quiet. It spiked up to remind her throughout the day that she wasn’t satisfied. Dack and Logan had somehow managed to touch off a reaction that was stirring through her, unsettling her poise. She might have become annoyed if it weren’t tweaking her curiosity. Her inner kitty was entertained by the spikes of awareness, enjoying the swirling sensations even if she had no idea how to burn any of it off.
Her phone chimed again for the twentieth time around noon and she picked it up.
“Good morning.”
“Ms. Cambria Jones?” The male voice was soft but steely hard.
“Yes.”
“Trace Kocourek. We haven’t been introduced, however I know your brother Remington.”
A tiny shiver went down her back. Cambria frowned as she listened to her brother’s name roll off the stranger’s tongue. Rem had an interesting list of people who knew him and not all of them were friendly. Her brother led a slightly dangerous life. She’d deduced that from the small bits of information he’d spilled while happily drinking whisky around her.
“I’m also the owner of the Play Yard. I do hope you recall it.”
A soft chuckle filled her office space. The Play Yard was dangerous waters, class-three rapids and not a calm spot outside the powder room. It wasn’t a biker bar with leather-clad hard-asses smashing each other over the head with longneck bottles. What it was, was a classy night club where the newly returned from service abroad sat about trying to recall how to live in a city again.
“That lovely sound gives me hope that you do remember.”
Cambria caught a faint hint of anticipation in Trace’s voice but she was a little too excited by being called to worry too much about his reasons for dialing her number.
“Your club is very hard to forget.”
“I try to make it that way.” There was a pause. “However, since your brother is deployed I would like to extend an invitation for you to join us Friday night. It’s been too long since your last visit.”
“I’ll definitely think about it.” Trying to keep her excitement at bay, Cambria hid behind her polished business tone.
“Good, I’ll place your name with my door personnel.”
The line disconnected and she stared at her cell phone with its flashing “restricted number” label on the screen. Well, that sort of fit with her memory of the Play Yard. It wasn’t listed anywhere that she’d been able to find. The name of the owner was elusive to a common person like herself. But the place was there. She’d stepped inside it and seen the telephones, but still didn’t have a clue how to get the phone numbers.
It was also by invitation only. Her half brother had taken her in a few times, claimed the place needed her brand of sass to give it color. What she’d anticipated as a semi-boring evening had instead been an adventure of high tension, watching and flirting. There were real men in the place, the type a girl was smart to keep on her toes around.
She had to admit that it was tempting. The sexual tension twisting through her made the offer shimmer like new gold. A night of daring flirting with a room full of men really sounded good. But the Play Yard wasn’t the sort of establishment where she could let her guard down, even for a moment. A different sort of man belonged to a club such as that. She scoffed at her own warning. Hell, maybe she’d get lucky and find one who could take her mind off Dack and Logan.
Besides, she had the perfect outfit hiding in the back of her closet. A purple corset she’d bought at a renaissance faire. The steel-boned contraption would fit the Play Yard perfectly.
Fate could be kind, because it looked as if she’d just been handed a ticket away from her mental obsession with Dack and Logan. That had to be good, right?
* * * * *
“Carl Burton is a complete asshole.” Logan was disgusted. Dack rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked at his partner. They slept in shifts and Logan had been working at his laptop since Dack turned in for a few hours at three a.m.
“This guy is a lazy son of a bitch. That assistant of his was earning her keep and then some.”
Dack only nodded as he headed towards the coffee. Dropping in a sugar cube, he sipped and grimaced at the sweet taste. He liked his coffee black and strong. Thinking of Cambria most of the night had left a fog clouding his thoughts that he wanted gone. Fast.
“She kept the customers happy too.”
They dived into the details of the job, comparing notes as Cambria invaded his thoughts again. Dack frowned as his cock jerked, distracting him from what should have been his first priority. The job. Second priority should have been Black Watch and tracking down Intel on their movements. Women shouldn’t even make his list when there wasn’t one in the immediate area.
His lips twitched up into a grin. Cambria didn’t strike him as the rule-following sort of girl.
“Who’s that for?” Logan caught him smiling.
Dack shrugged and refilled his mug, leaving the sugar on the counter this time. Raising an eyebrow at his partner, he grinned. “Cambria Porcha Jones.”
“Yeah, I spent a few too many hours thinking about her last night too.” Logan offered him a waggle of his eyebrows. “Think she took us to bed last night too?”
Logan chuckled at his own jest as Dack took a sip of his coffee. “Don’t know. But I wouldn’t complain if she did. Interesting little note on her—she’ll be getting an invitation to the Play Yard this week.”
Logan lost his amused look. He stood up, rolling his shoulders. Dack noticed the flicker of interest in his eyes as hunger flashed across his face. “You think she’ll show up?”
Dack felt his own appetite flare. “I do. Turns out she’d been there before—courtesy of a brother.”
“Do tell.” Logan sat back down and pounded something on the keyboard. He used a little too much strength, betraying his level of interest in seeing Cambria again. Dack bit back the jealousy that tried to take root inside him. There was no point in getting defensive with Logan. If he wanted Cambria, Logan was going to be a part of the hunt. Logan looked up at him and offered him a smug look.
“Guess we’d better get this job finished so we have an excuse to cut loose.” Determination glittered in his eyes as Dack fired it right back at him. There was a moment of tension as they both tried to stare the other down but it became lost when Logan lifted a hand and flipped him off.
Dack snickered as he sat down in front of his own laptop. “Right back at you, Logan. Just remember, I had the foresight to call Trace.”
“Well, I certainly appreciate you setting up a good date for me. You’re the best, pal.”
Dack flipped him the bird as they both returned to concentrating on the job. Living together required a special blend of sarcasm and tolerance. A bitter taste entered his mouth as he considered just how the harsher side of his living arrangements would affect “their” date.
But it didn’t quite overshadow the enjoyment of knowing Cambria might walk right into his trap. Dack didn’t entertain the thought that he’d be disappointed. That happened so much it wasn’t worth the brain time to think about it. For the moment he was going to indulge his whim and think about the look on her face when she found him and Logan waiting for her at the Play Yard.
* * * * *
“Carl got fired.”
Cambria had to pull her cell phone away from her ear as Mia shouted with her glee. She frowned and gripped the phone.
“Did you answer another one of his calls?”
“You don’t have t
o growl at me, Cammy.” Mia sounded guilty. Cambria snarled softly.
“He called me on my house phone. I don’t have a caller ID on it.”
“That’s what answering machines are for, Mia.”
Mia laughed on the other end of the line. “It was worth it. He was served by a peace officer!”
“That’s what they do to criminals who call themselves managers.” Cambria took a moment to enjoy the glow of a job well done. Freeing Mia from “slavery” was a nice accomplishment, even if she did say so herself.
“So, Cammy, I was wondering…”
Mia’s voice dropped and she sounded even guiltier. Cambria stood up and paced across the floor as her suspicions ignited.
“I did quit and I don’t want you to think that I’m backing out on a promise between us.”
“Spill it, Mia.”
“Well, they offered me the manager position. You know, Dack Tyden and his partner Logan. They were totally cool. Sent me a written proposal that is really great. If Carl was getting this much, he was more of a jerk than I thought.”
“Depends.” Cambria clicked her tongue as she contemplated the turn of events. Had it really only been one work week? She looked at her laptop and confirmed that it was Friday afternoon, a mere six days since her introduction to Dack. The damn week had dragged on endlessly for her though.
“Are you getting an assistant?”
“Two. One for the solar and one for the front desk. Dack and Logan want me to make my first priority the books, not lattes.”
