A Warrior's Love [Blackhawk Brothers 3] (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

by Lavada Dee

  Hugh was their mechanic. He had been with them almost as long as Milton. Mary scanned the calendar. “Not if you want Milton in the meeting. We have a commuter flight going out at that time.”

  “Okay, I’ve really got to go. I’ll call you later, or better yet I’ll see you at eight in the morning, and I’ll fly with you.”

  Seconds later, Tyrell broke into a jog. He had intended to freshen up before seeing Nadia, but that wasn’t going to happen. After talking with Milton and Mary, he completely agreed with his father. It was time to expand the air service, or close it down. It wasn’t fair that the two were doing the work of half a dozen people. As he picked up the pace, he wondered how long it had been since they had taken a vacation.

  When the lodge came into sight, Tyrell slowed to a walk. He didn’t want to burst into the lobby. Already, the anticipation of being with Nadia made his pulse race like the jogging hadn’t.

  The timing was perfect. Just as he opened the door his cell rang. The ring tone said it was his father. With the phone at his ear, he made his way to the coffee shop.

  When he spotted her at a window table he waved, and headed in that direction. To his father he said, “It went really well. I’m going to take a flight with Milt tomorrow morning. I just got back to the lodge so I’ll catch up with you later.”

  A whole lot later, if the afternoon went like he planned.

  He slid into the booth, and smiled at Nadia. “Been here long?”

  “I just got here.”

  Tyrell wasn’t hungry, and he didn’t really want to make small talk, but again he tamped down his desires. “I’m sorry, I wanted to get here before you, but there was a lot to go over at the air field. Did you get some work done this morning?”

  Her smile reached her eyes and he felt an answering one surface. He wasn’t usually the happy looking one in the group, but he felt so damn good. Before she could reply to his question, he said, “You look good.”

  She laughed. “So do you. And to answer your question, I did get some work done. Surprisingly, quite a bit. Of course, if I could get Devon…or you…to model for me…”

  Was she kidding? He thought that chapter was closed. He frowned, and the waitress that had just come up to the table took a step back. Quick to reassure her, Tyrell smiled, and said, “Coffee.”

  Nadia turned her cup up in response. The waitress filled their cups, and automatically handed them each a menu. Letting Nadia’s comment simmer, Tyrell immediately bent to peruse his. He felt her gaze on him and looked up. What he saw in her eyes had him drawing in a sharp breath. The night before came fully into focus. They could sit and make small talk, but nothing was going to lessen the passion that was simmering, waiting to boil. He watched as her eyes changed to a lighter brown, giving them an almost amber glow. Without asking he stood up, and threw some bills on the table. She was still looking at him, they weren’t touching and yet he felt their bodies merge beyond the physical.

  Neither spoke as they rode up in the elevator. Tyrell didn’t trust his voice in the emotion charged atmosphere. When they got inside his apartment, he slid the chain in place. Somewhere in his mind, he thought about how he had intended to change the key code, but this worked better. Thinking of a mundane topic helped him get his libido under control. What was he thinking? Damn, he wasn’t thinking and that could be a problem. He needed to slow down. When they took this to the next level he didn’t want to worry about the time and being interrupted. Instead of taking her in his arms, he bent and gave her a quick kiss. “Let’s order lunch.”

  If Nadia was surprised, she didn’t show it. Instead, she took her cue from him and said, “Do you have a menu?”

  He strode over to the counter and handed one to her. “Order for me while I get us something to drink.”

  “I don’t know what you like.”

  “That’s why we are going to slow down. Not too much, and not for very long, but I want you to know me.”

  Nadia looked like she thought he’d lost his mind. “Okay, I’m going to have a salad.”

  Tyrell’s voice was a low rumble. “Get me a hamburger. No, make that a cheeseburger with bacon.”

  Nadia laughed as she picked up the phone. The order placed, she turned to take a glass of white wine from Tyrell. “It takes a lifetime to know these things, Tyrell.” She walked over to the patio door. “We have less than two weeks.”

  He was behind her in the flash of a second. Taking the glass from her hand, Tyrell set it beside his beer on an end table. So much for slowing down. “We have forever,” he whispered.

  Nadia put both hands on his chest, holding herself away. “Tyrell, you know our worlds, and lives, are about as far apart as it gets. I’m New York. You’re Montana. We have nothing in common.”

  Tyrell cut her words off with his mouth. Her hands moved from his chest up over his shoulders, and around his neck. He deepened the kiss, and she followed his lead, tipping her head to give him better access. He could feel her heart beating as one with his. A deep moan escaped him, and she answered with a soft mewing sound that set him on fire. A gasp of breath escaped when she melted into him, and his body immediately responded. The only thing keeping him from sliding into her was their clothes, and with room service imminent, he couldn’t risk removing them.

  He pulled away from her mouth, and ran his lips down to her throat. He let them linger at a pulse point. Feeling the warm blood, he wanted to suck and leave his mark, but again restrained himself. His mind was only half functioning, but something niggled at him. Then he had it. For all of Nadia’s sophistication, she seemed innocent. When his father had the talk with him and Grant so many years ago, he said something about an intended mate for his kind would be a virgin. This couldn’t be. Nadia was in her mid-to-late twenties. She certainly would have experienced sex.

  Hell, he’d cross that bridge when he had to. For now he just wanted to feel. His arms lowered to her waist, and he ran his hands under her sweater and up her back. Again, he resisted unclasping her bra. Fully clothed, he had a chance of reining himself in.

  She was breathing as hard as he was, and moving against him in such a way that he could feel the warm softness of her. He took a breath. “You’re killing me. We can’t take this to the level we want with lunch about to arrive.”

  Nadia jerked away. A flush covered her face.

  He pulled her back. “I want you. I want to make you mine, and to belong to you. To have you complete me, like I know will happen.”

  She ducked her head, and again he thought of innocence. A heady combination with the strong arousal he felt from her. He put his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up. “Later,” he whispered, filling the single word with promise.

  Stepping back, he picked up the glass of wine, and handed it to her. Then he opened the patio door and motioned for her to go ahead of him. “We can hear the bell from here. Are you hungry?”

  Mundane words, and ones he couldn’t believe he was spouting. Not when he wanted to…. He closed his eyes for a brief second, letting the sounds of birds and people on the lake drift into his mind. Still, he picked up Nadia’s scent. And the sound of her blood slowly cooling.

  “A little.” He must have looked blank, because she laughed and said, “Hungry. You asked if I was hungry.”

  “Yeah, sorry.” He glanced at his watch. “It doesn’t take them long to get food up to the rooms, especially the penthouses.”

  “Privileged? You and Devon are spoiled. I don’t get this kind of treatment, even in the executive wing.”

  Tyrell was thankful they were talking. He was serious about getting to know each other before…. His mind quickly amended the half-formed thought. He would learn what he could, and hopefully give her a glimpse of who he was, but unless they got the getting-to-know-you done at warp speed, they were going to take this to the next level well before they accomplished any semblance of this acquainted thing.

  “You sure? My first impression of you was of a pretty spoiled lady.”
r />   “Lady?”

  Tyrell laughed. She was a surprise, certainly well able to give as much as she took. “Lady, for sure. The way you dress, the way you walk, and talk.” He stopped for a minute then added, “And your grandmother certainly adds to the…umm, look. Together you are the epitome of a class act.”

  Nadia looked him in the eye, and then let her gaze move to his lips. Again, he felt himself harden. Did she know what she did to him? Before he could act on it she, seemingly unaffected, said, “She does, at that. When I first came home, I wanted to grow up to be exactly like her. In fact, I still do. She is an amazing lady. My grandfather died when my father was eleven and Nona took over the agency, and raised him. Then, she again stepped in when my mother died.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Ten. Nona hired a companion, and a year later they sent me to a girls’ school in France.”

  “Did your father go to a boarding school after your grandfather died?”

  “No, but Nona said she wished she would have sent him. His whole life has been centered on the business. She wanted more for him than that.”

  Tyrell thought maybe she wanted more for her granddaughter, too. Was that why the forced stay-over? Maybe she wanted Nadia to see some of the world outside of LaMar Marketing, something outside of New York. He might have an ally, or more probably, Devon did. What would she think of the switch? He kept his voice light as he pursued their “getting to know you” conversation. “Did you travel before coming home to New York?”

  “No, Nona had planned for me to go on a European tour, but then she had a heart attack. For a while, we didn’t think she was going to make it. By the time she recovered, I was too busy with the agency.”

  A knock on the door signaled the arrival of lunch. Conversation ceased while the server put the contents of the cart on the bar, and Tyrell tipped him. Room service was one of the perks of living at the lodge. He’d availed himself of it while recuperating, but knew he wouldn’t use it much now that he was back on his feet. He needed to ward off the tendency toward reclusiveness. For now, he welcomed the alone time with Nadia. He glanced at his watch, and noted they didn’t have all that much time. Page was scheduled to be here at three and it was already almost two.

  Nadia had seen him look at the time. She didn’t say anything, but her body language said she thought he wanted her to hurry with lunch. Well, he would put a stop to that thinking. Swallowing the first bite of his cheeseburger he said, “I thought we could take a walk again. Hopefully, that will appease Page. She thinks I still need some physical therapy. I don’t, but I do need her to give me a clean bill of health so I can fly solo.”

  “Fly?”

  Tyrell nodded. “I’m going start working at Blackhawk Air.” He smiled. “Tomorrow morning. I will be okay to fly, but it won’t hurt to get some paperwork signed.”

  “So you are going to be busy.”

  “Not too busy for you, for us.”

  His words resonated in the room, and Nadia swallowed. There was no question of the mutual attraction, and he’d bet that she wasn’t used to letting herself be vulnerable. He fought to think of a way to get the conversation to where he wanted it to go. Finally, he just laid it out. “Nadia, you have to feel how right we are together. And how much I want to be with you. I know this isn’t the ideal timing, what with your grandmother convalescing and the deadlines for your ad campaign. And, like you said, we come from different worlds. I want to go slow, to give you the chance to know me in the real sense, not just the biblical one. Though I’m not opposed to that. It’s just that we don’t have a lot of time.”

  He let his gaze capture and hold hers. She wet her bottom lip with the tip of her tongue, and he almost groaned as his body tightened again. Lunch was forgotten when she leaned toward him. He slid off the bar stool, and pulled her against him, joining their bodies. “Page will be here and…” Shit, he hadn’t refastened the chain on the door after he let room service out.

  With a half moan, half growl, he pulled away and made his way to the door. Fastening the chain, he turned back to see Nadia with a dazed look on her face.

  “I don’t know what comes over me,” she whispered. “I have never felt this way, never felt like I needed…wanted…” She broke off, and buried her face in her hands.

  Tyrell was back across the room and had her in his arms in less time than seemed possible. “Shh. This feeling you have is good. It’s natural, and there is so much more.”

  He pulled back so she could see his face. “Let’s finish lunch. Then take that walk. Tonight, though…”

  A knock on the door interrupted him. He put down his still barely touched cheeseburger and again crossed the room. Probably, it was just as well they were going to have company. For one thing, he all of a sudden found he was starving. And, this time, it wasn’t only for Nadia.

  Chapter 15

  Today was an almost replica of the day before, except this time Page and Devon walked ahead, with Tyrell and Nadia following along behind. Devon called back over his shoulder. “I’m liking these afternoon breaks. We should make it a regular part of our day.”

  Tyrell stepped up the pace, so they could all talk without having to shout. His hearing made it possible to be a distance away, but he knew the others didn’t have that ability. “You row across the lake and back almost every day.”

  Devon worked at a landlocked cabin on the other side of the lake. He had a generator that ran his laptop, and extra batteries if that failed. With no internet connection, the working arrangement kept him from going online when he was developing software. It also kept him from being interrupted. He had a work cell phone for when he was out there, but gave the number to very few people, and they knew to only call him if there was an emergency, or something important. “Yeah, but it’s solitary. I’m rather enjoying the company.”

  Tyrell laughed. “And the family says I’m the recluse.”

  The two brothers bantered back and forth as they walked along the side of the lake. It wouldn’t be all that long before the winter weather set in, and then, if they walked, it would have to be on cross-country skis or snowshoes. Tyrell said as much.

  Nadia didn’t look like the idea appealed to her, and again Tyrell wondered if his instincts had gotten it wrong this time. His body immediately responded. He hadn’t gotten it wrong. Looking over and catching her eye, he dropped his voice. “You won’t be cold. We will get you some warm clothes. You’ll love it. Being in Montana in the winter is an exhilarating experience. You think the air is clean and fresh now? Wait until the snow and crisp air brings new meaning to clean.”

  Nadia’s voice matched his and was just above a whisper. “I won’t be here. New York has snow.”

  “Not like Montana.” He left off saying that she would be here, with him.

  Devon turned and, walking backward, said, “What’s with all the whispering? You two planning a little tête-à-tête?”

  Nadia’s face turned pink, and Tyrell scowled at his brother. “Just discussing winter weather.”

  Devon had that look that said “really?” Tyrell let it go, and instead changed the subject. “Want to run over to Missoula and get some Mexican chow for dinner?”

  Tyrell saw Devon look over at Page. When she nodded, Devon answered. “Sounds good to us.”

  Tyrell waited for Nadia to say something. Finally she answered. “I don’t usually eat that heavy.”

  “Well, then it’s about time you tried it. There’s a place we like that has a really good mariachi band.”

  * * * *

  Nadia relaxed and let herself enjoy walking beside Tyrell. He brought out emotions in her that she didn’t know she was capable of feeling. She’d read her share of romance novels, but didn’t really believe that they were any more than fantasy. Like the fairytales she read as a child.

  She thought about the night before. She hadn’t wanted to go outside, but it was like something in him pulled at her, making it impossible to deny him. And, what about th
e fact that she could hear his voice speaking to her when he wasn’t even close? Or when he stood next to her, but chose to draw her closer by means other than the mere physical? A sweet pain clenched low in her stomach, and she felt the blood in her veins run faster.

  “I love it when you feel me like I feel you.”

  Startled, Nadia stopped and met his eyes. They were a smoky gray. She drew in her breath at the hungry look in them. Unbelievably, her heart pounded harder. “How do you do that?”

  His chuckle sounded low and rich. She thought of forbidden dark chocolate. She held his gaze. Then, like before at the elevator, the world receded until there was just the two of them.

  He put his arm around her waist and moved them off the trail. Still feeling not quite in the moment, she let herself go with him. This time, he whispered instead of speaking to her with their minds. “When two people are meant to be one, they speak with more than words.”

  “I’ve never heard of anything like this before.”

  “Haven’t you heard of body language?”

  He still held her gaze. She felt warm, and something more. He didn’t wait for her answer. “Like now, your body is speaking to me.” He let his gaze lower to her mouth. “And, it’s telling me you want me.”

  “No. I…I’m not going to be here long. I need to get back to New York. I have a position…”

  Again, a chuckle rumbled in his chest. What was he thinking? She didn’t have to wonder long, because like before, he read her mind. With a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, Tyrell said, “You want me to tell you what I’m thinking?”

  Nadia felt warmth flood her cheeks. She needed to put a stop to this. They weren’t high school kids making out in the woods. “We need to catch up with Page and Devon. They will think we got lost.”