Whatever It Takes

by Dixie Lee Brown

  A lone tear escaped his long lashes, and he rubbed his eyes with a balled fist. He appeared torn between seeking comfort in her embrace and striving to be the little man he demanded of himself. Alex would have liked to wrap him in her arms, but that wasn’t necessarily what was best for him at this moment.

  She exhaled an audible sigh. “In the meantime, you’ll need to trust Joe and the rest of the guys. They’re your friends now, and I promise there’s nothing they wouldn’t do for you. Can you do that, Marco?”

  He nodded, looking only slightly less miserable, and Alex pulled him into a quick hug before she clambered to her feet.

  He slid his hand into hers again, and they strode toward the kitchen. She hesitated slightly when she saw Nate waiting outside the door, his baseball cap set high on his forehead, his gaze locked on her, something very close to pride sharpening his features.

  When they came closer, he reached for her other hand and hunkered down in front of Marco. “Does anybody here like pancakes?”

  The boy’s eyes widened. “I do!”

  “Well, little man, you better get in there, before they’re all gone.” Nate jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

  Marco looked at her questioningly, and when she nodded and released his hand, he raced into the kitchen.

  Nate rose, pulled her against him, and walked her backward up against the wall. “You and me—­as soon as they leave. Promise me.”

  She laughed under his barrage of kisses.

  “Promise me,” he growled.

  “Okay.” She was already breathless when his mouth covered hers, his tongue laying claim to her lips and trespassing beyond.

  “Jeez! Get a motel room already.” The humor was unmistakable in Jimmy’s voice.

  Nate stepped back quickly. Alex grabbed his arm, momentarily off balance and afraid she would fall in a heap at his feet.

  Jimmy beamed a huge grin as he sauntered by. “We’re loadin’ up. Gotta grab my stuff.” He continued up the stairs.

  Nate flashed a crooked grin. “You promised. Don’t forget.” He took her hand, laced their fingers together, and led her to the kitchen.

  “There’s eggs and sausage warming in the oven for you and Alex when you’re ready.” Walker finished drying a large frying pan and slid it into one of the cupboards.

  Ty had apparently been in charge of washing dishes and was finished except for Marco’s plate and rinsing out the sink. Everything looked spic and span, just the way Alex had come to expect things since she went to live with Joe’s team. Immediately, a wave of nostalgia washed over her, and she clung tighter to Nate’s hand.

  She felt his gaze on her, aware of the question that would be worrying his eyes. Even though she didn’t look at him, he twirled their joined hands over her head until she settled in front of him with his arm around her waist. She rested against him and watched Marco chow down on a stack of pancakes, soaking up every last bit of syrup, then carry his dish to Ty at the sink.

  Everything happened so fast after that. Alex had to fight to keep tears from pooling in her eyes. Jimmy came in behind them with his bag and coaxed Marco to head out to the chopper. They walked out with Ty and Rayna. Sanchez and Walker followed a ­couple of minutes later.

  Joe looked around the kitchen, then picked up his duffel. “I guess we’ve done as much damage here as we can. You’re coming out to the chopper, aren’t you?”

  Alex couldn’t make a sound for fear she’d lose her tenuous grasp on control.

  Nate came to her rescue. “Of course.”

  He released her hand, and she approached Joe and folded one arm around his neck. “I’ll miss all of you. You’ll come and see me, right? And bring Cara . . . and the baby?”

  “You know we will.” Joe hugged her and then set her away from him.

  “And you’ll go visit them, too.” Nate stood a few feet away, his posture tense and an air of uneasiness surrounding him.

  His discomfort was exactly what Alex had wanted to avoid. She sucked in a breath and went to him, sliding her arm around his waist.

  The three of them strolled through Uncle Leo’s secret garden and into the field, until they stopped several feet from the chopper. Walker was the first to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, followed by Ty and Sanchez. Rayna’s eyes were red and moist, and Alex almost lost it when they hugged.

  Marco barreled from the cargo bay and rushed to her, pushing her back a step or two with the force of his impact. He clasped her legs and buried his face against her.

  Alex finally pried his arms loose, pressed him back a step, and knelt in front of him. She smiled as she wiped a tear from his cheek. “I’m going to miss you, Marco. Don’t be surprised if I show up to visit you one day if it’s okay with your mother. Would you like that?”

  He nodded even though his eyes held uncertainty.

  Alex ached for him. If only there was some way to undo what had been done to him—­but there wasn’t, and he would have to toughen up and get past it, just as she would . . . someday. “Okay, then kiss me . . . right here.” She pointed to her cheek.

  He gave her a peck and she hugged him one final time before Rayna took his hand and turned him toward the chopper.

  Jimmy was next and by far the hardest. Her friend and confidant—­what would she do without him? Would he be okay if she wasn’t around? She clung to him for a long time, needing his strength, his warmth, but mostly his approval.

  Finally, he stepped back. “Time to go, kiddo.” His ready smile appeared and he tapped her under the chin.

  She fell back as everyone moved toward the chopper. Joe stopped beside her, slid his arm around her shoulders, and squeezed. “I have to see a man in Vancouver before we head home. If you change your mind in the next few hours, call me. I really hope you’ll give Nate more of a chance than that, though. He’s good for you.” He waved to Nate and strode toward the aircraft, raising his hand and making a circular motion in the air. Immediately, the Huey’s engine kicked to life and the rotor blades began to spin.

  Nate stepped up beside her and put his arm around her waist. She leaned against him, not so much because she needed his support, even though she did, but because she wanted to be close to him. With that realization, she turned and gazed at him until he looked at her. A smile slowly claimed his face.

  A minute later, the chopper lifted off, and Alex waved until they were out of sight. Finally, her arm dropped to her side, and she turned toward Nate, who waited patiently, his thumbs nonchalantly shoved in his pockets.

  A twinge of nervousness made her squirm until she pushed it away impatiently. This was Nate. They’d been through a lot together in the last few days. Besides, she wasn’t afraid of anything, certainly not this man who’d been so kind to her.

  She straightened her spine. “What now?”

  Nate shrugged, glancing toward the house. “There’s food in the oven if you’re hungry.”

  She laughed. “So . . . what you said about me and you, after everyone left . . . that was just talk, then?”

  His gaze flew to hers.

  “I thought you supposedly kept all of your promises. Oh, wait . . . you made me promise, but you didn’t actually say the words, did you?” Her impish grin couldn’t be tamed as she dared him to deny the charges.

  Nate planted his hands firmly on his hips. “Oh no . . . no, no . . . you didn’t just say that.” He lunged toward her in a lightning-­fast movement.

  Alex squealed, jumped backward, turned, and bolted for the house with Nate on her heels. Ignoring the ache in her ribs, she managed to eke out a small lead by the time she reached Uncle Leo’s secret garden, but Nate had the home court advantage. She slid around a curve in the path, brushed aside the overgrown vegetation, and ran straight into his arms.

  His eyes, darkened by the shadow of his baseball cap, held a piercing question. He opened his mouth to speak,
but she slanted her mouth on his, taking advantage of his open lips to invade and conquer. A groan escaped and he pressed her close.

  Suddenly, the tide changed as his hands lifted her bottom and drew her legs around him. He swallowed her murmur of surprise when he ground his hardened shaft against her sensitive core.

  His kiss turned gentle, and he tasted and sipped until she shuddered in his arms. He leaned his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. “Let me know if your ribs hurt. We’ll stop.”

  “What ribs?”

  “I’m serious, Alex.” He kissed her soundly as he strode toward the house. “Promise you’ll tell me.”

  Oh no. Not another one of his promises. “Jeez! You’ve really got a thing about promises, don’t you?”

  “If I want your trust, my word has to be golden.” He bounded up the steps to the deck like she wasn’t hanging off his neck.

  “What if I can’t . . . ?” It took a lot of integrity to keep every promise a person made. No surprise that Nate had what it took, but did she? One thing was for sure. He made her want to be that kind of a person too.

  “Remember when you told me you’d made a promise to always help ­people who were in trouble? Like when you came to my rescue in that bar before Daniels probably would have killed me and everyone else in there? That blew me away. I only hope to one day keep a promise as noble as that.” Nate opened the kitchen door, stepped through, and stopped long enough to activate the alarm. He glanced toward the oven, where a light indicated it was still warm. “Do you want to eat first, or—­?”

  Alex squirmed until he let her go, and she slid down the front of him. “Are you kidding me?” She took his hand and started for the stairs.

  Inside Nate’s room, she snuggled against him, folding her arms around his neck. He removed his hat and tossed it into a corner. Their lips met in a moment of frenzied pairing.

  Nate began working on the buttons of his shirt that she still wore. “Man, you’re sexy in my shirt. I think we’ll buy you a few of your own.”

  Alex shook her head emphatically. “They’re not the same unless they smell like you—­all leather and spice.”

  He pushed the shirt off her shoulders and down her arms, and it landed in a crumpled pile at her feet.

  She couldn’t help the blush that spread as he stared at her. Then he reached out and slid her bra straps down her arms, pulling her close, and leaned in to kiss her shoulders and neck. With seemingly no effort, he unsnapped her bra and dropped it on the floor.

  His hands trembled as he stroked her breasts, taking his time. “Shit, darlin’.” The words escaped on a breath.

  Alex reached for his waistband, opened the snap, and undid the zipper. His engorged member was all too eager to escape its confines. Dropping to her knees, she pulled his jeans and briefs down to the floor, revealing his muscular thighs and strong calves. He was perfect, and just looking at him fanned the flames of desire coursing through her.

  He jumped awkwardly on first one foot and then the other while he worked to remove his boots and shake free of his pant legs without losing his balance, holding on to the top of her head or her shoulders while they both laughed.

  Then she held his gaze as she wrapped her fingers around his shaft. His eyelids closed halfway, and a groan came from deep in his throat. It gave her a rush to know she had the power to bring Nate to the edge of ecstasy—­with nothing more than a look or a touch—­and that he could do the same for her.

  She’d never cared whether any of the men she’d been forced to please had experienced any pleasure. None had complained to Hu Sun, for that would have earned her dire punishment. Being with Nate was different. She wanted to touch him, explore his body, and please him in every way possible.

  The hot smoothness of the man beneath her hand made her desire to know more. Every inch, every vein, she caressed with thoroughness. Her eyes fell closed as she inched closer on her knees.

  Suddenly, he lifted her to her feet and crushed her against his chest. “Darlin’, let’s slow this train down a little. It’s your turn.” Nate’s voice was deep and gritty, and his hot breath feathered over her ear. His hips nudged against hers as he slid his hands down her backside and pulled her close. He covered her lips in a hard kiss, yet with so much tenderness it made her legs weak. She melted against him, and the sexy grin he wore chinked away at the rest of her doubts.

  She wanted Nate . . . and not just in bed . . . and not only for today. A new emotion was lodged in her throat, keeping her from giving voice to words that smacked of permanence. Alex hesitated to put a name to what she was feeling . . . in case the black cloud she seemed to live under jinxed them . . . but could it really be . . . forever?

  Chapter 20

  ALEX’S SILKEN HANDS slid beneath his shirt and shoved the edges upward until it got stuck at his armpits. Nate had to let her go long enough to jerk it over his head and give it a fling. While shedding his clothes was important, he was much more interested in getting her out of her shorts and whatever tiny scraps of fabric existed below that. He grabbed her hand and tugged her to the edge of the bed. Kneeling in front of her, he pulled on her shorts and bikini underwear, and waited for her to step out of them.

  Now it was he who knelt in front of her, his gaze memorizing each gorgeous curve. When his eyes finally met hers, he groaned at the undisguised desire they held.

  He shifted his hands to cup the backs of her knees. “You take my breath away.”

  A reckless smile curved her lips. “You haven’t seen anything yet, Detective.”

  Nate shook his head. He didn’t doubt for a minute that she was full of surprises, and he looked forward to every one of them. Hooking his arms around her thighs, he pulled her toward him. Now was probably not the time to stop and consider how amazing it was that she’d agreed to stay with him, because, if he thought too long about it, the fact that he’d done nothing to deserve her would creep in like some insidious virus and destroy the moment they shared.

  He trailed kisses along the inside of her thighs, then felt her tremble as his mouth covered her most sensitive place, his tongue stroking and coaxing her to a frenzy, before continuing upward to her firm, flat stomach. Pushing to his feet, he lifted her against him, and she threaded her arms around his neck while he guided her legs to either side of his hips.

  “Hold on.” Nate cradled her with one arm while he shuffled on his knees to the center of the bed, satisfied they were far enough from the edge. Mindful of her fractured ribs, he held himself off until she was lying comfortably on the bed.

  “Doing okay?” He pinned a lock of hair behind her ear and kissed her brow. As he raised his head, he would have sworn her eyes held a sheen of tears for a fraction of a second. He frowned.

  “How many times are you going to ask me that?”

  “As often as I start to worry about you. You should probably get used to it.”

  “Why are you so good to me?” Her fingers smoothed the worry lines on his brow.

  “Did you not hear me say I love you? Why wouldn’t I treat you like the most valuable treasure?” He nuzzled her neck, moved lower to her breast, and took one firm nipple into his mouth.

  Her breath hitched and her fingernails raked across his back. “But . . . I wrecked your car . . . and I’ve been mean and sarcastic . . . and you’ve been nothing but nice to me. Are you for real, or is this just an act you’re hoping I’ll fall for so you can get even?”

  Nate choked and stopped suckling her breast. “That’s not a half-­bad idea. Unfortunately, I didn’t think of it. And then there’s still the little matter of I love you. What don’t you understand about that?” He kissed his way across to the other breast and flicked the rosy peak with his tongue.

  She jerked with each stroke. “How long?”

  Nate lifted his head. “Huh?”

  “How long will you love me?”

  Hell . .
. was she afraid he was going to use her and throw her away like the dregs of humanity in her past? He leveraged himself up, settling on the bed beside her. Grabbing the edge of the comforter, he pulled it toward them, tucking it around her nakedness.

  “I’m sorry, Nate. I realize now’s not the time. I should have left it alone. It’s none of my business anyway.” Alex tried to coax him closer, but he intended to nip this in the bud.

  “None of your business? What the hell, Alex? Hopefully, this is your future we’re talking about. You have every right to ask questions.” He laid two fingers alongside her jaw and turned her to look at him. “I’ll love you forever if you’ll let me. In a week or so, I’m taking you to meet my parents. They’ve been married for forty years this July, and they’re more in love today than they ever were. That’s the kind of stock I’m from. That you don’t walk out on ­people you love has been instilled in me since I was old enough to understand. I hope that doesn’t scare you, because it’s all I know.”

  He threw one arm across her, then raised it quickly and groaned. “Shit. Did I hurt you?”

  “No.” She trailed her fingers down his face. “No, I don’t think you ever could.” She curled her hand behind his neck and pulled him closer. A tentative smile almost erased the worry in her eyes.

  “I would never intentionally hurt you. You can count on that.” He covered her lips with his and enticed her mouth open. The comforter slid away as he reached beneath and drew her closer.

  He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Alex. So far, she hadn’t committed to anything other than a trial period together, but that was all right. He would keep on loving her, and he’d continue to be someone she could trust. The rest would come in time if it was meant to be.

  The kiss grew more urgent, more demanding. The penetration of his fingers within her warm and welcoming folds made her arch into him, which in turn caused his swollen manhood to twitch in anticipation and impatience. Nate sucked in a breath and held it as he strove for a few more minutes of control.