Joe was over in the corner with some of the other guys, lifting weights, but at Zeke’s approach, he sat up and glared at him. “I’m with Derick,” Joe announced, shaking his head. “If you’re going to spread that annoying happy crap, then stay away.”
Chuckles echoed throughout the group, but none dared to openly agree with Joe.
“What has you in such a foul mood?” Zeke asked, leaning against one of the weight machines. He was back in uniform today, his back healed enough for him to pull shirts over his head without tugging at the stitches. But he didn’t dare start in on the weight lifting again, even though his muscles and his mind craved the exertion.
Joe stood up and grabbed a towel, wiping his face. “It isn’t that I’m in a foul mood. It’s that you are acting just like Mike.”
Zeke glanced over at their friend and leader, who was in the conference room. The door was open at the moment so they could all see Mike as he pointed out something to General Kelly. Then Zeke glanced over at Lexie, Mike’s new wife, who was smiling as she worked on her computer, her fingers flying over the keyboard. The woman was one of the most efficient assistants their team had ever had. Add in the fact that she worked her butt off, both during the day to help out the team, as well as at night, when Mike stopped bothering her, to write romance novels.
Zeke would never admit it to anyone, but he’d read her books and…hell, they were pretty damn good!
“What’s wrong with acting like Mike? He’s a good guy.”
Joe glared at him for a long moment, then just rolled his eyes and turned away.
Zeke laughed, and strolled into his office, sifting through the tasks that required his attention. As he sat down and got to work, he smiled unconsciously as he considered options for dinner tonight. He’d struggled to sleep last night, so he’d woken up and started cooking, getting things ready for tonight. But what should he make for dessert?
Chapter 5
Abby paced across her small apartment, skimming her hands down over the jeans she’d pulled on after she’d finished her shift. Was her sweater set okay? Was the red too…sexual? Maybe she should change into a different color. She had several sweater sets because they were easy to coordinate with her skirts and slacks. Maybe blue? Yes, she should change into the blue sweater set.
But before she reached her bedroom, the doorbell rang and she froze. “Zeke,” she whispered. He’d promised not to kiss her last night, but that promise didn’t carry over to tonight.
Okay, maybe she should hold off on the kissing until his back was healed a bit more. She glanced over at the supplies she’d grabbed from the hospital earlier today. The gauze and ointment rested on her coffee table, seeming innocuous and simple. But the reality of those materials meant that she’d get to touch Zeke’s back once again. And that…that was a problem.
The doorbell rang again and she sighed, accepting that she didn’t have time to figure everything out. Better just to confront the issue head on.
“Hello…” She trailed off as she took in the man himself. He wore a pair of jeans that hugged his hard thighs and trim hips, but the tee shirt. Goodness, the tee shirt was…oh my! His muscles were on full display, the sleeves tight around his bulging biceps and…oh my!
“If you keep staring at me like that, I’m going to do something against my doctor’s orders,” he murmured, his eyes glowing with heat.
Her eyes snapped higher, taking in his handsome features and those blue eyes that…sighing, Abby stepped back, allowing him to come into her apartment.
“Let’s change your bandage.”
He stepped into her apartment and everything suddenly felt much…smaller. Tighter! It was all because Zeke’s shoulders were so wide and so amazingly…delicious!
Darn it, she was a doctor! She saw men’s bodies all the time. It was just bones and muscles, tendons and…!
Nope. There was no way Abby could compare Zeke to the other men that came through the emergency room. He was…better. Bigger, better, sexier, taller, more delicious, and just…!
“You’re doing it again,” he said, his voice low and grumbly. Zeke moved closer, resting his hands on her hips as he gently pulled her closer. “And guess what?”
“What?” she whispered, holding her breath as she waited…waited…for him to kiss her.
“I don’t have to stop myself from doing this,” he said. Then his lips covered hers. Slowly, gently, he teased and coaxed her into responding. Abby didn’t need much encouragement. At the first touch of his lips against hers, Abby released the breath she’d been holding and leaned in, her hands tentatively sliding up his chest as she tilted her head back to return his kiss with interest. That was all the encouragement he needed and the kiss went from soft and coaxing to full out seduction. She felt one of his hands cup the back of her head, holding her in place so that his lips and tongue could ravish her own. It was glorious!
And over too soon.
“If we keep this up,” he growled, “we’ll never have dinner.”
Abby almost asked if they really needed dinner, but stopped herself. “Right.” Stepping back, she looked around, trying to remember what they were doing. Why were they in her apartment instead of heading out?
The gauze on the coffee table caught her attention and she grabbed it with both hands. “Um…if you’ll…” she stared at his tee shirt… “take off your shirt, I can…” she waved the gauze in the air.
“With pleasure,” he said teasingly, then pulled the navy tee shirt up and over his head.
Abby gasped when his chest and all of those rippling muscles were revealed. Would she ever get used to him like this? Probably not!
“Feel free to touch,” he stepped closer.
Abby closed her eyes, shaking her head with exasperation and…lust. Seriously, she needed to regain control of this situation. “Turn around, Zeke. Let me get this over with.”
“Take your time. I like having you touch me.”
He turned and sat down on the edge of her sofa, otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to reach him. For a long moment, she simply stared at him, admiring his wealth of muscles.
Finally, she carefully peeled away the bandage and was surprised to see how much the man had healed in just the past twenty-four hours. “It looks much better,” she announced. “You must be healthier than the average person. You’re healing better than normal.”
“I hope so. I’m ready to get these things out. They’re itching like crazy!”
She smiled. “I’m sure that you have the self-discipline to not scratch.”
“Most of the time. But it would help if you gave me something else to think about,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at her.
There was no way she could misinterpret his glance and she smiled. “Give yourself a couple more days, he-man. Then you can resume your normal activities.”
“Two more days, Abby. And then we’re working on an activity that is near and dear to my heart.”
Abby knew she should tell him that he shouldn’t make assumptions. But in truth, she was looking forward to that moment as much as he was. She was thoroughly sick of denying herself the pleasure of Zeke and these little teasing touches on his back made it difficult to sleep.
“No comment?” he asked, looking up at her.
She suppressed a shiver, and shook her head. “None.”
He stood up and had her in his arms before she knew what had happened. “Damn, Abby!” he groaned, his hands sliding up her back again. They crept around to the front, but he stopped himself before his hands could become too intimate.
Leaning his forehead against hers, he looked into her eyes. “You can’t say things like that. Not yet. Wait until you’ll let me follow through.”
“Okay,” she replied, breathless and more turned on than she’d thought possible. He pulled her hips against his, grinding his teeth as he fought for control. She even felt his fingers tightening around her waist and inched closer.
“Abby!” he groaned again. “You’re ki
lling me!”
She laughed, feeling powerful. Little Abby Fisher could actually make a man as big and powerful as Zeke Jeffers shiver with desire! What a power trip!
“Oh, you think this is funny?” he asked, shifting so that she was pressed firmly against him.
“Um…maybe I should finish your back first, so we can get out of here. This is getting…dangerous.”
He sighed, kissed her forehead, and nodded. “I agree. But no more of those soft, sexy touches, Abby. I can’t handle it. Just…smear the goop on me and then slap another bandage over the stitches. Then we’ll get out of here.”
Order given, he turned around and sat back down on the arm of her sofa.
With brisk efficiency, Abby smoothed the antibacterial ointment over his wound, and carefully bandaged everything back up. “There. All done.”
Zeke grabbed his shirt and pulled it back over his head, tugging it back into place as he stood up and faced her. “Okay, we need to get out of here.” And with that, he took her hand in his and drew her to the front door. He barely gave her time to grab her purse and keys.
“What’s the rush?” she asked, a bit breathlessly as she followed him down the stairs to his truck.
“I can’t be this close to you and a bed at the same time, Abby,” he explained as they approached his truck. He leaned in close, pressing her back against the cab. “I know that you need more time, time to get used to what’s happening between us. So instead of tempting fate, and my self-discipline, we need to get away from temptation. Because you…” he glanced down at her sweater set and Abby suddenly realized that his hands were underneath the sweater, stroking her bare skin. “Honey, you’re temptation personified!”
He gave her a quick, hard kiss and pulled her into his arms just long enough to open the door to his truck. Abby eyed the tall truck hesitatingly. His truck was just like him - big! Instead of making an undignified entrance into the cab of the truck, Zeke took matters into his own hands and simply lifted her up, placing her gently into the passenger seat.
With a wink, he slammed the door closed, then walked around to the driver’s side. When he pulled himself into the seat, he looked at her with an expression that dared her to be angry with his efficiency.
“Just drive,” she ordered, laughing.
Twenty minutes later, Abby was completely lost. She had no idea where he was taking her. For all she knew of this area, he could be taking her to a swamp to bury her alive.
She didn’t think that was the case at all. In fact, she felt safer with Zeke than she did in her own home behind a locked door. Looking at him, she suspected that Zeke could take on Superman and come out the winner!
“Where are we?” she asked when he pulled into a small area that wasn’t really a parking lot. It was more just a small space between the trees and shrubs.
“It’s a spot I found about a year ago when I was jogging.”
She looked around, the road was probably four miles behind them. “You were jogging this far out?”
“Yeah. It’s only about ten miles to this point. But it’s worth it. Trust me.” He came to a stop and turned off the engine. With that, he reached behind his seat and grabbed two bags.
“That’s a pretty long run,” she commented, squinting into the distance. “How long does it take you to get this far?”
He walked around to her side of the truck and opened the door. “Want me to carry you?”
“No way! I’m not pulling those stitches,” she replied, but he lifted her out of the truck, setting her feet on the ground with just one arm.
She laughed and pulled back as soon as she had her balance. “Okay, lead the way.”
He looked down at her. “How often do you let a man take you out into the woods to a place you don’t recognize?”
Abby looked up at him, all amusement gone. “Never, Zeke. In fact, in the past, I wouldn’t even allow a man to drive me to a date. I generally met my dates at the restaurant or coffee shop until I felt more comfortable with him.”
He stared at her for a long moment before he said, “So, what makes me different?”
She frowned thoughtfully, not exactly sure how to answer his question. “I can’t explain it. You’re just…different,” she admitted with a slight shrug.
There was a silence as they absorbed her words and the meaning behind them. Then Zeke lowered his head, brushing his lips over hers tenderly. Zeke took her hand and led her deeper into the woods.
After several minutes of walking, Abby heard the rushing water. “What is this place?” she asked.
“Wait for it,” he said, a teasing note to his voice. “It’s just around this bend in the path.”
They turned on a barely used path and…! “Oh Zeke!” she whispered. Right in front of her was a small waterfall that flowed over large stones, surrounded by weeping willows that draped softly over the banks, the long tendrils of the weeping willow branches dipping gracefully into the water. Because the days were longer, the sun still dappled through the leaves, but it wasn’t hot. Although it wasn’t too cool either. The temperature was perfect for a spring picnic.
“This is amazing!” she whispered, leaning her shoulder against his side, unconsciously needing to touch him, to feel the strength of him against her side.
“I’m glad that you like it,” he replied. He pulled a blanket out of one of the bags and spread it out over the grass. “Have a seat.” He pulled out two glasses and a bottle of wine, several types of cheese, a loaf of crusty bread, grapes, and a tin of cookies. Homemade cookies!
“This looks wonderful,” she told him, taking each of the containers and peering into them as soon as he handed it to her.
“Good. I hope you’re hungry.”
For the next two hours, they sat on the blanket sampling different cheeses and bread along with grapes, talking about their lives and preferences, laughing at teenage foibles and college aspirations. When she’d had enough, he finally handed her the container of cookies. “I don’t know what kind you like, so take your pick.”
Abby removed the lid and discovered several different types of homemade cookies. “Who made these?” she asked, debating over what looked like a caramel cookie versus a peanut butter cookie.
“I did.”
She’d just picked up a peanut butter cookie when he said that. Unfortunately, she couldn’t read his expression, and he popped a cookie into his mouth, so she couldn’t determine if he was serious.
“No, really,” she urged, nibbling on the cookie, then pausing as she let the creamy taste wash over her. “Oh, this is delicious!”
“Cinnamon,” he explained.
“What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “I add cinnamon to the cookie dough before I bake them. Makes all the difference.”
Her eyes widened, but she wasn’t sure if she should believe him, or if Zeke was pulling her leg. “Um…”
“It’s true,” he assured her. “I also put brandy extract into my chocolate chip cookies. Makes them much better.”
She swallowed, and looked at him again. “You’re serious. You baked these cookies?”
“Sure. Why don’t you believe me?”
“Because you’re a guy! And a hulk-guy! I just can’t picture you baking.”
He shrugged. “I’m an excellent baker. Especially bread. I love experimenting with bread. It’s pretty complicated, and yet, there are generally only a few ingredients. But if just one thing goes wrong, or the ingredients aren’t incorporated at the right time, in the right order, the bread is a failure.” He popped another cookie in his mouth, and leaned back on his elbows. “I make my own pizza crust too. I can make it and freeze it, then just pull it out in the morning to defrost in time for a pizza dinner. My crust is much better than anything you’ll find at a takeout place. And bread? Seriously, there’s nothing better than fresh baked bread on a Saturday morning. Sometimes, I’ll make the bread on Friday night and leave it to rise overnight. Then all I need to do is put it in the oven the fo
llowing morning and wait for it to bake.”
She twisted around, listening to him but still struggling to believe he baked. “Right,” she laughed, assuming he was teasing her.
Zeke chuckled as he watched Abby take another cookie out of the container. He suspected that she didn’t believe him, but that was okay. He knew exactly how to convince her. As soon as she got over this need to hold off on a more physical relationship, he would implement that plan. Until then, he was truly enjoying talking with her, spending time with her. She had a great smile and was a great listener.
“Did medical school teach you to be a good listener?”
She was startled by the question. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” he said, reaching out to tug her closer, “that you’re so easy to talk to. You really seem to care what another person is saying. Did they teach you how to listen while in med school or is that something you grew up with?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “I learned it from my father.”
“He was good at telling stories?”
Abby rolled her eyes and, for some reason, his gut tightened in anticipation of whatever she was about to say. “I guess you could say that. My father was a Navy SEAL and couldn’t talk about what he was doing when he disappeared. From a very young age, I learned to listen to what he wasn’t telling me. I’d watch his facial expressions. I seemed to know when he was lying to me. And as I grew older, I learned to distinguish when he was lying because he couldn’t tell me something, and when he was lying so that he could tease me.”
“You didn’t get along with your parents?” Zeke didn’t mention that he wasn’t allowed to tell her a lot of what he did either. When he left on a mission, there was absolute secrecy to protect her as well as the team. If anyone even suspected that she might know where he and his teams had gone, she would be in danger.
He made the decision right then that he wouldn’t lie to her. He might not be able to tell her the whole truth, but Zeke didn’t want her to have any reason to distrust him.
“Oh no! I got along with them fine. Better than fine!” She grinned. “I wasn’t one of those moody, rebellious teenagers. I got good grades, took advanced classes, and gave them plenty of bragging rights.”
Zeke (Delta Forces Book 2) Page 4
