by Em Petrova
Dahlia looked more closely at the older woman. She wore a flush over her face and appeared to be sweating a little. That could only mean…
She pushed back from her desk and shot to her feet. Joanie straightened too and they stared at each other.
“A big man? Green eyes?”
Joanie fluttered a hand in front of her face to fan away her perspiration. “My God, yes. Girl, if you don’t go outside right now and talk to him, I’ll personally pick you up and carry you out.”
She threw a desperate look at her desk and touched her headset.
Joanie glanced around. “Kyle’s on break. Just go. I’ll cover you.”
Impulsively, she leaned in and gave the woman a kiss on the cheek. “We find friends in unexpected places, don’t we, Joanie?” Then she removed her headset and rushed away before her boss could spot her. If she was quick…
Heart thumping, she made it to the exit before realizing what she was doing.
She stopped dead, her palm on the cold metal door. Air conditioning hummed from the vents and outside the street would be a buzz of afternoon traffic. And Ben was there waiting for her.
Suddenly, she felt as if someone had dumped a shot of excitement into a martini shaker, along with a splash of arousal and followed it with a whole lot of irritation. After all this time he was here? Coming to do what? Lure her in with his smoky voice and a flash of his eyes? Would he grab her and kiss her up against the wall of the place where she worked, making it impossible for her to focus on her job for the rest of the day?
She had to face him or she wouldn’t be able to concentrate. And the clock was ticking before Kyle returned from break.
She pushed open the door and looked around.
There, leaning against the building, arms folded across his chest and causing his biceps to bulge the sleeves of his T-shirt, was Ben Knight.
A breathy sigh left her, and she could have kicked her own ass if she could have gotten her foot that high. All those emotions started swirling around the cocktail shaker, until they were blended and she couldn’t separate the flavors.
“You can’t be here,” she said, voice low and urgent.
He pushed away from the wall, his expression changing to one of total happiness.
Oh God, her heart felt that. The muscle fluttered uncontrollably.
“It’s so good to set eyes on you,” he rumbled, reaching for her.
She stepped back. “I’m working. I sneaked away but I only have a few seconds.”
He moved his arm, and she caught sight of the bandage on his forearm. Her gaze flashed to his face, finally seeing the yellow of fading bruises and a red stripe across his throat she didn’t even want to contemplate. Her stomach dropped.
“My God, what happened to you?”
He sliced his hand through the air as if what he’d done to get these injuries was nothing. But it wasn’t nothing—he’d laid his life on the line to serve his country and in the meantime, she’d been a bitch about him not returning when she’d expected.
“Dahlia, honey, I’ve been thinking about you so much. I know you need to get back to work, but I couldn’t wait until your shift was over to see you. Will you…” he caught her elbows and pulled her against his hard body until her nipples strained to get closer. “Will you let me kiss you once before you go back inside? Then I’ll come back when you’re finished working and we’ll go somewhere. Eat something good. Look at the water or go catfishin’.”
A perplexed smile tipped her lips. “Catfishin’?”
“Yeah. I don’t care what we do—I just want to be with you. Please.” The final word grated against her senses, and all she wanted was to go on tiptoe and kiss the hell out of this man.
She glanced at the deep cut above his brow and to one on his forehead, covered by the dark hair flopping over it. “Just tell me you’re all right.”
“I am now.” He claimed her lips. The touch so tender that she feared his lips were bruised as well, but then he yanked her against him and crushed his mouth to hers. The searing heat of his body reached through her summery wrap dress, stroked her skin and reached deep into her chest and grabbed her heart.
He moved his lips back and forth over hers, not deepening the kiss with his tongue but content to explore her. This was a new side of Ben, and one she had to know more about.
Call her stupid, but what did she have to lose really? She could get her heart broken, but so what?
Trembling at his touch, she pulled away from the kiss. With her hands pressed to his hard chest, she said, “I have to go.”
“I’ll pick you up right here after work. What time do you get off?”
“I have a twelve-hour shift and I’m off at six.”
“Then I’ll be waiting.” He caressed the hair off her cheek, studying her far too closely for a man who just wanted to bang.
On shaky legs, she went back inside and hurried to her desk. Kyle was nowhere in sight, but Joanie dropped her knitting and ran to her desk, surprisingly light on her feet for a woman who was nearing sixty.
“Tell me that man has a single daddy.”
She opened her mouth to reply, and a laugh projected from it. She clapped her hand over her lips and shook her head. “I don’t know anything about his parents, but he does have several brothers.”
“Well, I can be a cougar if pressed to it.” Joanie smoothed her hands over her full hips and Dahlia laughed again, feeling lighter than she had in a month. Just knowing Ben was okay seemed to be the injection of happiness she’d been missing.
“He’s picking me up after my shift.”
“Your lipstick’s smeared,” Joanie noted.
She brought her fingers back to her mouth, feeling the aftershocks of his kiss. Then she grabbed a tissue and wiped her lipstick off. She’d reapply it before he picked her up tonight.
Need rolled through her—she was almost giddy with it. For now, Ben was back and she could ride the high. Knowing how military men were, she’d soon come crashing down. Loving a man who served his country was like riding a gator—bumpy as hell. She had no idea if she was cut out for the lifestyle, but for now, she wasn’t going to think about it.
She gripped the edge of her desk. “I just have to get through a few more hours of my shift.”
Joanie nodded and shot her a smile as Kyle entered the room. He looked between the women as if trying to catch them at something, but he couldn’t find anything to complain about in their flushed faces, so he returned to work.
Dahlia slid her headset back on and sat there for a long minute, daydreaming about seeing Ben after work. Falling into bed with him was so easy, but this time she’d actually like to spend time doing the things he suggested—going out to eat or even catfishing. But fishing would mean returning to her place to change clothes, and the bed would be ohhh, so close.
She covered her private smile with her hand, aware that her boss was staring at her again. Quickly, she picked up her knitting and took all her bottled energy out on the stitches.
The hours seemed to crawl by, and it didn’t help that there weren’t many calls to keep her busy. Of course, that was a good thing, but by the time Kyle told her to go home, she was on edge with anticipation.
After a quick trip to the restroom to fluff her hair, spritz herself with perfume and reapply lipstick that would stay put through dinner and as many kisses as Ben could dish out, Dahlia fought to keep herself from running out the door.
With her knitting bag and her purse slung over her shoulder, she exited the building. Her gaze shot to the place where Ben had been standing before, and a tingle spread through her lower belly.
Mother of God.
He’d cleaned up since she’d seen him. His jeans molded to his hard body, and his button-down shirt looked tailored for him. The blue stripes somehow clashed with his eyes and went all at the same time, and the cuffs were rolled over his veined forearms and the bandage he still wore.
He caught her looking and lifted his arm. “It’s fine. I
can remove the bandage, but it’s itchy as hell while it heals. The bandage keeps me from digging at it, sort of like a dog wearing a cone.”
Their gazes locked. In that heartbeat, a dozen emotions ran through her, but the most important was her need to sit next to him, hold his hand and hear whatever he had to say to her.
He took her hand and squeezed her fingers. “I’ve got my car this time.”
“You mean I don’t have to keep my skirt from flying up while I ride on the back of your bike?”
He slanted a look down at her. “That was hot as hell.”
As they strolled away from the building, their bodies brushed together. She tried to walk in a straight line, but no matter what she did, her body seemed to have other ideas.
“I keep bumping into you.” She laughed. The need to strip down in the middle of the street and let him take her was too strong to ignore. But if something besides sex was going to happen between them, they needed to do more than get naked.
“You’d better stop looking at me that way before I find an alley to take you in.” His low voice shot sparks over her like fireworks scattering across a hillside.
She glanced away before she egged him on to do just that. “Maybe we’d better get some dinner quick then.”
“Mm. I have a place that’s out of the way in mind. It’s a bit of a drive, but we can talk on the way.”
She nodded. “Sounds great.”
When he led her to an old pickup, she could only imagine how well he could reach between her thighs without a console of a newer model between them.
He paused, looking down at her. “I know what you’re thinking.”
Heat crept up her throat. “How do you know?”
“Because you chew your lip when you’re turned on, and damn, I want to forego dinner and take you to bed. But I’m going to prove I can be a gentleman and hold a conversation that doesn’t include a groan at the finish.”
Her laugh was too throaty to say she was anything but ready for that primal noise. He opened the door and she slid into the truck. His scent filled the cab and there was a battered cowboy hat on the seat.
He got behind the wheel and shot her a grin that had her clenching her thighs.
“Is that your hat?”
“Yeah. Surprised?”
He plucked it off the seat and settled it on his head, eyes smoldering. “What do you think?”
“It suits you,” she said honestly.
“I got used to it after spending summers at my uncle’s place in Texas.”
Leaving the hat on, he squeezed her thigh. How easy it would be to pick up where they’d left off that night in the SUV. Hell, she had her phone ready to video another sexy fingering session. But he seemed determined to stick to his word of being a gentleman. He pulled his hand off her leg and put it on the gearshift.
“Ready, honey?”
She nodded, heart too full to speak.
They zoomed off through the city and soon were headed into the bayou. When he pulled off at a roadside barbecue, she found herself surprised once more. What she knew of Ben was that he was a sweet-talkin’ playboy who knew his way around her curves, so she’d expected some classy restaurant with expensive wine involved and not some barbecue in the bayou. Though, she had a feeling she was seeing the real Ben tonight.
“I sense you’re surprised again,” he said, cutting the engine.
“I realize that I don’t know a lot about you, Ben.”
He gave her a crooked grin. “That’s what we’re here for. C’mon.” He got out and came around to her door before she could open it herself. Then he took her by the hand and parked her on a picnic table while he went to the window to order from the backwoods version of a food truck.
She sat admiring his jeans straining across his backside and the way his shirt hugged his shoulders as he extracted his wallet and paid for their meal. Then he took a seat across from her and reached for her hand. She stared at their entwined fingers lying on the rough wood.
“This place is great. I’ve never been here.”
“Anatole has been feeding the Knights barbecue ever since I can remember.” He nodded toward the window where the Creole could be seen giving orders to his workers in the roadside shack.
A waitress came out bearing drinks and then she took a minute to light a candle inside a Mason jar in the middle of the table.
“Haven’t seen you in a while, Ben,” the waitress drawled.
“Yeah, time passes quickly.”
The waitress shot Dahlia a look. “Looks like you’re all set, but if your brothers need some barbecue…” She smiled in a secretive way, “Tell them to come find me.”
Ben nodded. “I’ll do that.” When the woman left, he grunted. “Sorry about that.”
“I have a feeling she knows you pretty well.” Dahlia arched a brow. Not even meeting one of Ben’s ex-conquests could dampen her mood right now.
He shook his head. “Never had her in my bed, if that’s what you’re asking.”
He reached for her fingers, entwining them. Dahlia stared into Ben’s eyes. A long moment passed. For a long time, she’d been thinking about what she’d say to him after he returned from his mission. And only two words ever came to mind.
Finally, she said, “Tell me.”
* * * * *
Ben looked down at their hands and tried to think of what to say. He’d never stayed with one woman long enough to explain his job or even his life. But being here with Dahlia felt so right that he knew there was no other way than to let her in.
“Things didn’t go great,” he said.
“I figured.” She inclined her head toward his bandaged arm.
“I can’t tell you much, if anything at all. You know how it is, Dahlia.”
“Yes, I do. I don’t like it any more than my momma did, I’m guessing. She paced and worried every time my dad went away, but then he’d come home, and I’d see the love between them… Well, she knew nothing of what he did and they still had a life.”
His heart jerked hard against his ribs. It took him a long second to recover from the shock of her words. “Are you saying you’re willing to give us a try?”
She dropped her gaze. “I’m not sure, but…”
“You are,” he said with confidence.
Her gaze snapped up. “Aren’t you cocky?”
“Yes.” He wasn’t apologizing for it either.
Their food arrived and conversation turned to other topics, such as the loudness of the peeper frogs in the ditches along the road. Ben asked her about her job, and she clammed up.
“I’m sensing some stress with your work. Is it your boss? The one you were worried would find out you were outside with me?”
She shook her head. “Kyle’s strict but could be worse. After all, we have a very serious job and a lot of people depending on us.”
“Ah, so that’s it.”
She searched his face, a rib dripping with barbecue halfway to her mouth. “What’s it?”
“You carry a lot home with you from your job.”
“Maybe.” She wiped the grease off her lips with a paper napkin. Then she said, “Don’t you?”
More than she’d ever know. But being here with her, the night air wrapped around them and only a small candle in a Mason jar providing light in the falling darkness, he was rapidly putting that stress behind him.
“Silly question,” she said. “I know you do.”
“I saw your bag in the truck. Were those knitting needles I spotted?” His voice lilted into a tease that roused a smile from her. If anything, he hoped to wipe away her anxiety of a stressful job the same way she helped him. Just being together could be enough for both of them. At least he hoped.
She chuckled. “You got me. I’m old before my time.”
He laughed. “I don’t think that’s true.”
“It’s a thing we all do at work. Between calls, we knit—even my weird boss.”
“Hmm. Never heard of a guy knitting before.�
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She looked him over as if imagining him at work with a set of needles. “It’s mindless, calming. It’s easy to drop as soon as a call comes in and easy to pick up where you left off when you’re finished with the call.”
“So, did you save anybody today?” he asked, digging into his greens fried in bacon grease with a fork.
“Yes. Did you save anybody while you were away?”
He stared at her. “Just did my job is all.”
She grew quiet. For a second, he worried his refusal to answer her questions would turn her away from him. But she took a bite and thoughtfully chewed.
“I’m sure you did, Ben, and it’s okay if you don’t want to tell me. But I do want to know why you asked me to wait and not to see Winters while you were gone.”
He stiffened. “Did you see that jerk?”
She raised a brow. “Now he’s a jerk? Hmm. Could it be you want me to be exclusive, Ben Knight?”
She was so adorable with a smear of barbecue on her lower lip and stray hairs twitching around her beautiful face in the Gulf breeze.
“Yes, he’s a jerk. He’s nothing but a POG, guarding an inactive base, and my guess is you could push him around, too.”
“Why would I want to?”
“Exactly. You need someone who could handle shit when it goes south.”
“Someone like you?” she asked.
He gave a nod. “Damn right. My shoulders are big enough to bear the weight of anything.”
She skimmed her stare over his shoulders and across his chest, her lip caught in her teeth again. He released a growl and leaned across the table, more than ready to be finished with their meal.
“I asked you to wait so we could do more of this, Dahlia. And because I want you. I’m not going to pretend I don’t want more with you.”
“More?”
“More of this.” He waved between them, causing the flame to leap in the glass at the increase of oxygen. “More of your sweet lips… and my tongue buried in your pussy.”
Her mouth fell open on a puff of air. “Ben.”
“Are you finished eating? Because I’m so hungry for dessert that I can’t sit here another second.”
He got her off the picnic bench and halfway to the truck before he couldn’t hold back anymore. He swept her off her feet but didn’t hesitate before he was kissing her.
