He chuckled. “Did you agree with them? I know your friends and mine have talked us both up for a while now, but here we are. You haven’t answered my question. Are you attracted to me?”
Apparently, he wasn’t going to let this go. “Yes. I wouldn’t be here if I weren’t.”
His smile grew and he gave her hand a squeeze. “Good. Then we’re in agreement. We’re attracted to each other and our friends are going to gloat.”
“Probably.”
The waitress showed up with chips and salsa and their drinks, forcing Bracken to release her hand to make room on the table.
She missed his touch, which was saying something. He’d managed to put her at ease in less than an hour. He didn’t look the least bit annoyed by her lack of conversation skills, and he seemed genuinely interested.
She took a deep breath and decided to ask her own questions. “So, you were in the Army for twenty years?”
“Yep. Got out last year. Started working with the rest of the guys at Westside Programmers. It keeps me busy. I don’t work full-time because I also have my pension and I’d rather live life a bit too.”
“That’s good. Not many people can be partially retired so young.”
He wiggled his brows. “So, I’m young now.”
She chuckled, relaxing even more. “I never said you were old. You did.” She reached for a chip and dipped it in the salsa. The first bite was perfect. Just the right amount of heat.
“How long have you been with Open Skies?” he asked.
“Three years. It’s been fun. I enjoy traveling to new places.” She sobered. “At least it was fun, until some asshole took my friend hostage and scared the hell out of me.”
“Yeah, that part could not have been fun. I was freaked-out myself.”
“Right. I forgot you were there. Thank you for helping Christa.” Bex had been so shaken up and spent most of the day with the police answering hundreds of questions. She’d been aware that Bracken had been with the other guys, all of whom had played a role in rescuing Christa, but she hadn’t seen him.
“Kraft keeps us all updated on how Christa is doing, but what about you? I’m sure the entire day was traumatic for you too.”
She shrugged. She’d rather not discuss this subject. He’d brought it up twice now, and she couldn’t blame him, but she preferred not to think about it. “I’m just glad it’s over and neither of us got hurt.”
He nodded, unable to continue grilling her because their food arrived. Judging by his serious expression, she didn’t think he was buying her response, but it was all he was going to get from her for now. So, she changed the subject after taking a bite of her enchilada. “Do you do a lot of baking? Christa told me a lot about you, but no one mentioned that the guys call you Sweets or that you enjoy baking until recently.”
“I enjoy it. My parents thought I would become a pastry chef, but then I joined the Army instead. These days I do most of my baking when I’m visiting my parents or if I want to take something to poker night. The guys tend to give me shit, but I know they’d be disappointed if I ever showed up empty-handed.” He smiled and shrugged. “What about you? Do you bake a lot too?”
“Not as much as I’d like. I don’t have the time. But it’s soothing. I love spending two hours in the kitchen concocting something that makes everyone around salivate.”
He nodded. “That’s exactly it. It’s soothing. Takes my mind off other shit. And then the house smells amazing.”
She smiled. “Exactly.” She’d never been this relaxed on a date. Bracken was really pulling her out of her shell. Wonders never ceased.
The rest of the meal went smoothly. They chatted between bites, and for the first time in her life, Bex found herself letting her guard down with a man. It didn’t hurt that they had mutual friends. The guys had known him for many years. He couldn’t be an ax murderer. Perhaps, she could finally let loose and actually go out with a man for a second date.
If he asked her, of course. She shouldn’t be thinking that far ahead. There was no guarantee he would want to see her again.
When they returned to his car, however, he leaned her against the passenger door and played with one of her hands between them. “I had a great time, Bex.” He lifted his gaze to hers. “Is that what you like to be called? Bex? I know everyone calls you that, but do you prefer Rebekah?”
She licked her lips and held his gaze. “Whatever you prefer is fine.” The truth is she kind of liked hearing her full name from his lips. Not many people called her Rebekah. Most people probably didn’t even know for sure that was her name.
“Do you spell it with a C or a K?” he asked.
“K. My parents are a bit religious.” That was an understatement.
He smiled. “I like it.” He cupped her face, leaning in closer. “May I kiss you?”
She nodded, unable to respond. She hadn’t been kissed in a while. A long while. Hopefully, she wouldn’t mess it up.
His lips met hers gently at first, and then he tipped his head to one side and deepened the contact.
She didn’t have to worry about her own inadequacies. He led. She followed. As if they were on a dance floor.
The world dissolved around her as she set her hands on his hips and gripped his belt loops. She might have moaned a bit when his tongue slid between her lips, requesting entrance.
She opened for him, grateful that they’d both eaten spicy food and then grabbed a mint on the way out. At least she didn’t have to worry about her breath.
Suddenly, he was cupping her head with both hands, holding her steady, deepening the kiss further. Dormant parts of her came alive at the intensity, tempting her with sensations she was mostly unfamiliar with.
When Bracken finally broke free, he set his forehead against hers and smiled. He was breathing heavily, but so was she. “Please say you’ll go out with me again, Rebekah.” The way he said her name made her feel like she was a movie star.
“Yes,” she whispered. Of course, she would go out with him again. Maybe she could even find a way to relax and be herself with him. God knew she hadn’t managed to do so for any other man.
She wasn’t sure what it was about him—his age, his confidence, his outgoing nature? Did it matter? The important thing was that he made her blood pump, and he had no idea how difficult that task was with her.
“Do you have plans for tomorrow?”
She shook her head. She didn’t have many plans at all in the foreseeable future. Mostly all she did lately was pace her condo, meet with her counselor, jog when she got antsy inside, and try to sleep. She was doing a piss-poor job at the latter.
“Good. Give me your number and your address. I’ll text you in the morning and pick you up at noon. How’s that?”
“Sounds good.” Did he realize she was shaking a bit? She held on tight to his belt loops, but she couldn’t hide her emotions. She was both excited and nervous. A second date. With a man who’d just melted her with a simple kiss.
She could do this. Date. Everyone else did it. Maybe she could even find a way to let things go further.
One step at a time.
Chapter 3
It took every ounce of self-control Bracken had stored up to drive Bex back to her car and then leave her to drive herself home. He’d given her one more brief kiss but forced himself to keep it simple so that he didn’t end up asking her to come home with him instead.
Something about Bex made him slow his pace. She was hesitant every step of the way. Perhaps it was simply because she was shy, but he suspected few people had managed to climb over her walls.
Introverts tended to have walls. That didn’t necessarily mean they were impenetrable. It just meant shy people were reserved. Maybe that described Bex, but he got the feeling it was more than that. He would bet money she let very few people in.
He needed to be careful. There were red flags. Bex for sure wasn’t the kind of woman to sleep with a man she hardly knew. He needed to keep his hands to himself and h
is pants on for the foreseeable future. She deserved to be wined and dined, not mauled.
He could control himself. Even though he was even more attracted to her than he had been when the evening started, he also understood her better too, albeit marginally. Not a lot of men had kissed those soft lips, and he wasn’t at all sure many men had gotten further than that.
For some reason, the thought of her lacking experience only endeared him to her more. Maybe it was a macho thing. Whatever it was, he needed to tread carefully with her feelings and emotions. Taking advantage of her just because his cock was hard could end up hurting her.
Dating a woman in his friend circle was one thing, but fucking it up would ruin a lot of relationships. He needed to make sure that no matter what happened between them, she could look him in the eye and say they were friends if things went south.
When he got home, he spent some time working out. If he didn’t do something, he would end up pacing the house. It was after midnight when he stepped into the shower and finally let himself close his eyes and picture Bex’s sweet smile. He took himself in hand and started stroking. It didn’t take much. The promise of possibilities brought him to a fast orgasm. He couldn’t help but wonder if Bex was doing the same thing. Was she lying in bed masturbating to thoughts of him?
As he climbed into bed, he was still picturing her with her hand between her legs, her head tipped back, eyes closed, lips parted. Was she a moaner? Did she bite that lower lip when she came?
It took him a long time to get to sleep, and he was grateful that he slept well because the next thing he knew the sun was pouring in between the blinds.
He shuffled around his house for a few hours, eating breakfast, paying bills, watching the news. He forced himself to wait until ten o’clock to text her, a politely decent hour for a Sunday.
Hey. Hope you slept well. Is noon still okay, or did you have second thoughts about a second date?
He added a silly emoticon, hoping she would smile. He had no idea why he chose to give her an out, but he definitely didn’t want her to feel pressured.
When those three little dots started flashing, he stared at the phone, willing her to respond faster.
Hey, yourself. Noon is still perfect unless you’re having second thoughts about a second date…
She added a similarly silly emoticon, making him chuckle.
Not a chance. I’ll pick you up in two hours.
It would be a long two hours, but somehow he would fill the time. Hell, he’d been living here for a year without a girlfriend. Why on earth did his Sunday morning suddenly seem empty and lonely?
Suddenly, he knew exactly what he wanted to do, and he set to work making a list before heading to the grocery store.
When he pulled up to her condo, he was five minutes early. Twenty years in the Army had made him extremely punctual.
Seconds after knocking on the door, he was slightly surprised to find a woman other than Bex opening it to him. He recognized her as Shayla, though he’d only met her a few times in passing. She was elegant even in shorts and a tank top. Olive skin, dark mysterious eyes, long straight black hair. When she smiled at him, he knew that indeed she would knock the socks off of Tank if the man ever took anyone up on the offer to set him up.
“Hey. Come on in. Bex will be down in a second.”
Bracken stepped inside and shook her hand, introducing himself.
Unlike Bex, Shayla was bubbling and outgoing. “I remember you from Destiny’s wedding. And thanks for your part in saving my friends from that fucking asshole on their flight.” She shuddered.
He couldn’t blame her. “You’re welcome. No thanks are necessary. We may not be active duty anymore, but stopping crazy people from kidnapping and murder is still our thing.”
“Well…we appreciate it.”
Footsteps on the stairs made Bracken turn his gaze to find Bex rushing down. She looked flustered. She looked gorgeous. She was breathing heavily as she approached. “Sorry. Couldn’t find my left shoe.” She was holding it in her hand, and she bent over to put it on, bouncing on one foot.
Her hair was down, falling around her face in long waves. She was wearing a pale pink dress and the sandal she was hopping around to put on matched.
Bracken grabbed her arm before she fell on her ass, and the moment she finished and lifted her gaze, he knew she was beyond flustered. Breathing heavily from rushing, she shook her hair back and bit into her lower lip.
He stepped closer, reached for her cheek, tugged her lip from between her teeth, and stroked the offended lip with his thumb. “Relax,” he whispered.
She drew in a deep breath and blew it out. “Didn’t want to be late.”
“You’re fine. There’s no rush.” Did she think he would be mad?
She let her gaze slide down his body and back up. “Am I dressed okay? I didn’t know where we were going.”
“Am I dressed okay?” he teased in response.
She finally smiled. “You look great.”
“So do you. I thought we might go to the Water Gardens. Is that okay?”
Another gorgeous smile. “Yes. I haven’t been there for years.”
“Will you be comfortable in those shoes?”
“Yes.” She glanced down again. “Am I overdressed?”
He couldn’t resist stroking her cheek. “Not at all. I think you look fantastic.”
He was wearing faded jeans, a white polo, and his usual Vans. Casual. But he loved that she’d gotten dressed up for him. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her until she relaxed, but Shayla was still standing two feet away, so he didn’t want to embarrass Bex.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yep.” She grabbed a small purse from the end table.
Shayla opened the door. “You two have fun.” Her face was expressive, and Bracken suspected she was excited to see Bex going out. Apparently, she didn’t date much.
When the door shut behind them, Bracken reached for Bex’s hand and tugged her close, turning his body so that they were face to face, inches between them. He smiled. “Hi.”
She drew in a breath and returned the smile. “Hi.”
“You okay?”
She nodded. “Uh-huh.”
“You’re flustered.”
“Yeah. I get that way.”
“No need. You look amazing. I packed a picnic. We’re going to go to the Water Gardens, enjoy the weather, wander around, relax, eat, talk. Date stuff. Okay?” It seemed like she needed a bit of a pep talk. A rundown of his plans. A moment to collect herself.
“Okay.” Her breathing was evening out.
He leaned in and kissed her briefly. “Good.” And then he took her hand and led her to his SUV. After opening her door, he helped her climb in with a hand on her biceps, and then he shut the door and rounded the hood.
There was something about the woman that made his pulse pick up. Something about the way she worried about every little thing. Something about the way she was flustered and uncertain. All combined, she was endearing and cute, and it suddenly became his life’s mission to win her over. Would there come a day when she would feel more relaxed around him? He hoped so.
Chapter 4
Bex was certain this was the best date of her life, hands down. Bracken had thought of every detail, from the amazing picnic, to the blanket, to the bottle of wine. He made her feel comfortable every step of the way. Every time she got rattled, he stopped her, faced her, and reassured her there was no need.
There were times when neither of them spoke for a while, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. Anytime there was a lull, he filled it by explaining what fountain they were looking at or asking her questions. Easy ones about what kinds of things she enjoyed. They discussed everything from movies to music to museums and amusement parks.
She gradually relaxed around him and remained that way until he suggested they go back to his house where he intended to cook dinner for her. She readily agreed, but the idea of being alone with him
also scared her a bit.
While Bracken went to use the bathroom, Bex packed up their blanket and tucked everything back in the canvas bag. She was just finishing when a shadow fell over her. Expecting Bracken, she tipped her head back with a smile.
Her face fell, however. Instead of Bracken, she found Roger staring down at her. She hadn’t seen him in months, and it would have been fine with her if she never saw him again. Another man was with him, and both of them were smirking.
“Hey, Bex. You look nice.” His gaze roamed up and down her body as she pushed to standing and smoothed her skirt down.
When he stepped closer, she could smell alcohol on his breath, which explained why he was swaying a bit.
She shuffled backward, nearly tripping over the bag.
“What’s all this?” he asked, waving his hand around to indicate the bag with the blanket spilling out of it.
Suddenly, Bracken was at her side, a hand on the small of her back, possessively. “You okay, Rebekah?”
A smile spread out on Roger’s face, one eyebrow lifted. He started laughing. “You on a date, Bex?”
Her face heated. Somehow, she knew he was about to humiliate her.
Bracken slid his hand tighter around her waist and pulled her closer.
“Oh, this is rich.” Roger clapped his friend on the shoulder and glanced at him. “This is that chick I was telling you about a few months ago.” He turned to look at Bracken. “Might as well give it up now, man. This chick does not put out. She may be cute and all, but you’ll end up with blue balls if you waste your time on her.”
Bex couldn’t breathe. How humiliating. She wanted to fall through a crack in the earth.
He was laughing harder now, and swaying her direction. When he lifted a hand toward her, she was certain he was about to grab her by the arm. In a flash of movement, Bracken intercepted, a firm right hook nailing Roger in the jaw and sending him reeling backward.
Nonstop (Open Skies Book 3) Page 2
