Joy slammed against her as she slid to her stomach. Something must have motivated Drake, for he left the bed and returned a moment later with a wet towel.
“Roll over so we can clean you.”
No man had ever offered to do that before. These men were so special. This time they didn’t have to tell her to be still. No muscles worked. Legs spread, she let them rub her clean until sparks of life burst upon her again.
It was unimaginable that she actually lusted after Drake and wanted his cock inside her. She reached out to touch him, when he scooted off the bed. When he tugged on his briefs and jeans, she couldn’t believe it.
“You leaving or something?”
“Gotta go.” He threw on his shirt, but not his flannel underwear. Once he tied his boots and donned his jacket, he kissed her good-bye. “Stay safe.”
His extra clothes in his arms, he walked away. Speechless, she looked over at Kurt. “What the hell was that about?”
“My brother thinks if he stays around, you’ll want a commitment.”
Her heart cracked. An ugly sludge oozed through her veins. She did want a commitment, and she thought he might, too. He needed her. “He’s being ridiculous.”
“I couldn’t agree more. This is why I’m so worried about him. We’ve got to convince him to change.”
Even if he didn’t want her, she still loved him.
Kurt snuggled closer and wrapped her in his arms. “I’m sorry Drake was such a dick. Maybe you’ll understand better where he’s coming from if I tell you what happened to his wife.”
Destiny had read everything about the event in the papers. Unless they hadn’t reported the whole truth. “She was murdered. It was a terrible tragedy.”
“Yes, but you don’t know the whole story. I’d let Drake tell you, but you might be retired from teaching by the time he opens up.”
Her curiosity was piqued. At the same time, her stomach tumbled. Drake had demons in his closet and she wasn’t sure she should be privy to them.
You want him for better or for worse.
“Tell me.”
“He and Camille were asleep in their bed one night when he heard a noise. It took a moment for him to realize he wasn’t dreaming. He didn’t want to wake her, so he slipped out of bed to check it out. He’d stepped from his room when someone smashed him in the head with a blunt object. We think it was a metal vase.”
Her heart nearly reached her stomach. Pain wrung the blood from her heart. “Oh, my God. What did he do?”
“The blow was so hard he dropped to his knees. The man kicked him several times in the side and then in the head. Drake was able to get up once, and he connected a blow to the man’s face, but that’s when the man shot Drake.”
She clasped a hand over her mouth. “That’s horrible. Is that what the scar was on his side?”
“Yes. After he got shot, he passed out and nearly died. The robber went in and shot Camille twice in the head. The coroner thinks she died immediately.”
“Why did the man do it? Had Drake prosecuted someone he loved?”
He shrugged. “Who knows? The man took Camille’s jewelry, Drake’s wallet, and some assorted pieces of artwork. The thief seemed knowledgeable about which pieces he could fence.”
“I can’t imagine what it would be like to find someone dead that you loved.” Her gaze shot to the ceiling as if there would be an answer written there. “What about Charley? Was he home?”
“That was the only stroke of luck. My nephew was spending the night at a friend’s house.”
“Poor Drake.”
“Yeah. It’s my theory he feels so guilty over not being able to protect his wife that he lives in fear the same thing will happen again.”
The room turned suddenly cold. “No one has that kind of control.”
“I know, but try telling that to Drake. He’s like a lost ship.” Kurt moved closer. “He needs a compass.” His fingers brushed the hair from her face. “I think that could be you.”
The idea was absurd, though she’d give anything if she could be his guiding light. “I don’t think so. Sure, he likes me, but if he cared more, he wouldn’t have walked out after what we just shared.”
Kurt hugged her tighter to his chest. His warmth spread over her.
“Give him time. I think when he realizes what we have, he might be willing to come out of his shell.”
“We can only hope.”
Chapter Seven
Once school was back in session at the beginning of January, Destiny didn’t see as much of Drake as she would have liked. Another trial was going on, and Drake often stayed overnight in Bozeman. She was able to keep up with his agenda since Charley was a chatty kid who had his finger on the pulse of the Devereaux men. Bless this child for being so attentive. At least Kurt had taken her to the movies and to dinner, but he’d told her he’d be up in Great Falls through Friday.
A couple of her friends asked if she wanted to get a drink after work. Given the week she’d had, she was more than willing. They drove over to the Mountain View. The bar and grill was turning into one of her favorite places. Not only was it the spot of her first real date with Drake, but everyone was friendly and the food was reasonably priced.
“It’s really packed, especially for 4:30 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon,” she said. They got lucky to snag the second-to-last table.
After they ordered their drinks, the second grade teacher pointed to the large poster on the wall. “I see Mountain View is having a hoedown Friday night.” She scanned the group and smiled. “Who’s going?”
Two of the teachers were married, and the other three were single. Two raised their hands. Destiny remembered her conversation with Drake. As much as she’d like to go, he’d out-and-out stated he wasn’t much into dancing. The fourth grade teacher slapped a hand on her hip and focused right on Destiny. “Tell me why you aren’t going. It’ll do you a world of good.”
What did that mean? Was she uptight or something? If she was, it was all Drake’s fault. He hadn’t called or stopped by after work. So what if he was busy? Kurt was at a financial conference. That eliminated him as a potential date.
“I’ll probably go.”
“So you gonna bring that handsome dad?”
She inwardly groaned. It probably wouldn’t look good if she were out dancing with the father of her student, but hell, it was a free world. Drake might have some internal rule against being with her in public, but she didn’t. If she asked him, the worst that could happen would be he’d turn her down.
“I can ask, but he works a lot. Besides, he says he doesn’t dance.”
“That’s okay. Neither does my husband, but both Janie and Toby will be here to help teach the newbies the steps.”
She’d love to share something as fun as a square dance with him. When he’d written those letters to her while she was away, he’d mentioned having some pretty unique experiences. If the man could bungee jump and take part in a polar bear swim, he could learn to do a line dance. Underneath his sometimes-gruff exterior, he was a fun-loving guy.
After the women finished chatting, Destiny ordered a meatloaf to go. She would eat some of it for dinner, but the rest would be leftovers in case one of her men stopped by and wanted to share a meal with her.
Since the hoedown was in two days, she’d call Drake tonight. Hopefully, he’d be home, and if he hesitated, she’d just have to twist his arm. The image of pulling his arms behind him and cuffing him flashed in her mind. Wouldn’t that be fun getting him helpless to do with what she wanted?
Once she got home, she waited until nine to call. Charley would be in bed by then. Drake would have no excuse not to chat. No doubt she’d be disturbing him from his late-night research, but too bad. He, too, needed to get out and cut loose. The last time they’d been in a social setting had been the game of darts, and she’d definitely liked that side of him.
Her fingers trembled as she dialed his number. She’d never asked a man out, but damn it, she’d be
en in bed with the man. She could do it. It wasn’t like she was asking him to walk her down the aisle or anything. It was a little line dancing, for goodness’ sake.
“Devereaux.” He sounded tired.
“Hey, it’s Destiny.” She held her breath. Would he be happy she’d called or wary?
“Is everything okay?”
Why did he assume the worst? “Yeah. Say listen, just wondering if you might join me Friday night at the Mountain View.” Not telling him the reason might be a tad dishonest, but she really wasn’t up for the rejection.
“I could stop by on my way home from work.”
That was not exactly what she had in mind, but at least he hadn’t turned her down. “Do you think you could wear something a little more casual?”
He chuckled and the sound went straight to her heart. “You want to come help me pick out what you want me to wear?”
She was sure he didn’t mean it literally, but the idea of being in his bedroom, touching his clothes, sent her pussy into heightened awareness. “Jeans will be fine.”
“So this is a date?”
His excitement spurred her on. “Yes.”
“Sounds good to me. What time do you want me to pick you up?”
Oooh. Last time she’d met him there. “Say six?” That would give them time to eat dinner before the dancing began.
“I’ll see if our neighbor can watch Charley. You do know Kurt’s out of town until the end of the week, right?”
“Yes.” Which would mean his house, as well as hers, would be empty.
* * * *
She’d tried on about five different outfits in an attempt to figure out which one looked better. In case she could convince Drake to stop over after the dance, she washed and changed the sheets as well as cleaned the rest of the house. Perfect.
The doorbell rang, and she was as nervous as when she’d gone to her high school prom with Brad Neff. Yikes, was that a flash from the past. She pulled open the door.
“Wow.” Drake’s coat was open, despite the winter temperature. His low-slung jeans hugged his body, and the shirt he’d picked showed off just how fit he was.
He stepped in the house. Geez. Her brainwaves had stopped, and she hadn’t thought to invite him in. It must have been his grin that got to her. She wanted to see his face light up more often.
“You want me to close the door,” he said, with a twinkle in his eye.
“Oh, yeah. Sure.”
His chuckle went straight to her stomach. Drake stepped toward her and pulled her into an embrace. Her heart skipped a beat as he kissed her. Did he smell good or what? Sandalwood maybe, but as his scent infiltrated her brain, her pussy registered the kiss. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer.
His mouth moved across her chin and down her throat. “I could do this all night, but I think you had something else in mind.”
No. Just this. “Yes, dinner.” Dumb, dumb, dumb.
“You have a coat?”
She stepped back. “Yes, I have a coat, unless you think you can keep me warm all night.” She dragged a finger down his arm.
He laughed. She hadn’t meant it as a joke. Fine. Her coat was on the living room chair and she tugged it on.
With an arm around her waist, he took her keys, locked her door, and led her down the steps. The wind was light and the sky clear. Stars were even beginning to appear. This was the perfect beginning to hopefully an even more perfect night.
The Mountain View Bar & Grill was hopping by the time they got there. Many of the tables were off to the side to make room for the dance floor.
Drake led her to the bar, where they fortunately found seats. “Did you know about this hoedown?”
If she wanted a relationship with Drake and Kurt, lying wouldn’t be smart. “Yes, but if I’d told you, would you have come?”
“Maybe not.”
The bartender came over to take their order. Drake ordered a beer and a hamburger with fries. She had a Coke and the seafood special.
She swiveled toward him. “So what do you have against dancing?”
He lowered his chin and cocked a brow. “I suck?”
“There is no way you aren’t athletic enough to do a little two-step.”
He leaned his elbow on the counter. “Maybe it doesn’t interest me.”
“Not even if I’m in your arms?”
His mouth lifted at one corner. “In that case, I’ll give it a shot.”
The bartender delivered the drinks, but she didn’t take the time to chitchat with her old friend. All she wanted was the man in front of her. Naked. On her. In her.
“So what do you do for fun?” The man worked entirely too much.
“Fun? Can you spell that for me?” His chuckle didn’t hold much mirth.
“You need to get out more.”
He grabbed his beer. “I’m here with you, aren’t I?”
“Good point.”
By the time the dinner came, the music had begun, bringing out the really good dancers.
Drake had to lean over to be heard. “You still think we won’t look like fools out there?”
The line dance teacher was going rather quickly, and if Drake didn’t already know the difference between a kick-ball-change and a heel-toe, he’d get frustrated fast. To his credit, Drake watched rather intently.
“Maybe.”
“All I can figure out so far is that Toby there is good at counting to eight.”
Poor Drake. “How about if there’s a slow dance, we give it a try?”
His grin reached his eyes. “Now you’re talking.”
She’d like nothing better than to press her body against his. They’d finished dinner, and he was on his second beer, when the music turned slow. She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the dance floor. He seemed a little reluctant, but he must have known he wasn’t going to go home without at least one dance.
As if the world didn’t matter, she wrapped her hands around his neck and moved to the beat, hoping he’d figure out what to do. Swaying and moving in a slow, rocking circle couldn’t be that hard to do.
Wrong. He’d lowered his head and inhaled her hair. She nearly tripped. God, she wanted this man. When the song ended, she wanted to suggest they go back to her place. If she did, he better not have some lame excuse why he couldn’t stay. Though from the way his hard cock was pressing against her, he was as ready to leave as she was.
More people crowded the dance floor, preventing them from getting back to their seats easily. One more dance was fine by her. As soon as that song ended, the band announced they were going to teach a second line dancing routine.
Drake’s jaw lowered. She tugged on his arm. “You ready to leave?”
“Oh, yeah.”
She prayed he wouldn’t just walk her to the door, kiss her good night, and drive off. She had plans for her man. Ever since she’d had his cock in her mouth, she’d wanted to make love to him. They drove home in relative silence, almost as if both of them were thinking about what the evening might bring. When he pulled into her drive, he cut the engine, got out, and pulled open her door.
He held out his hand. “Your key?”
What a gentleman. He escorted her inside. He turned on the light switch by the door and glanced around.
“You expecting someone?”
“Never can be too careful. Remember, I prosecute scumbags. When I hear how they can get into houses, it turns my stomach. It’s never really safe for a woman to live alone.”
“Now I won’t be able to sleep, thinking about some sneak attack.”
He ran a thumb down her cheek. “Sorry. Sometimes I let my imagination run wild.”
Oh, shit. She’d forgotten that some intruder got in his house and shot both him and his wife. A vise grip squeezed her heart. If anything happened to either him or Kurt, she wouldn’t know how she could go on.
He slipped her scarf from her neck, draped it over his shoulders, and unzipped her jacket. “I have an idea.”
> “Yeah?”
“It’s the lasso game.”
From the glint in his eyes, she was going to like playing. “Tell me how it goes.”
“Let’s just say it involves me lassoing you and then me getting to have my fill of your scrumptious body.”
She stepped closer. “Would one of us be naked by any chance?”
He slipped her jacket off, placed it on the living room chair, then took his off. “You’ll have to wait and see. The only rule is that I get to have all the control. No touching me, which is why I have to tie you down.”
Wicked thoughts slammed into her. He didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he took her hand and led her into the bedroom. He first turned on the overhead light and then flipped on the small reading light by her bed. Only then did he extinguish the main light. The room turned dim. After she slipped off her boots and socks, he ran his hands down her arms.
“From now on, you aren’t allowed to do anything.”
“Nothing?” She edged closer and reached out her hand to cup his balls.
“That’s my point.”
“If you kiss me, can I kiss you back?” Teasing him was fun.
“For trying to twist my words, I’ll have to punish you.”
“Ooh.” She liked what he and Kurt had done to her before.
He walked over to her chest and opened the top drawer. He pushed aside her undies and bras.
Even though she wasn’t supposed to do “anything,” she was curious what he was looking for. “Can I help you?”
“I want more scarves.”
“In my closet.”
He slid open the door. “I like how organized you are.” He pulled three long scarves from the hanger and tossed them on her four-poster bed.
With his gaze latched onto her face, he moved in. Her pussy tingled in anticipation.
“Love the top, but it’s gotta go.” In one sweeping move, he lifted the shirt and tossed it on the dresser. Without unclasping the back of her bra, he lifted the bottom up and over her breasts. “Nice. I have plans for these.”
She hoped that included lots of sucking and teeth scraping.
Leaving the bra more or less on, he unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down her hips. He knelt in front of her. “Lift your leg.”
Monroe, Melody S. - Destiny's Desire [Pleasure, Montana 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 7
