by Bianca D’Arc
Score one for Zack, he thought inwardly. She wasn’t unaware of him on a male-female level. Far from it.
He took a chance and closed in a little bit more. “I really want to kiss you, Becky,” he told her, hoping for a positive response.
“So, what’s stopping you?” A little breathless, her words a green light if he’d ever encountered one.
Zack leaned closer and touched his lips to hers. Finally.
She was soft and warm. She smelled good, and when he put his arms around her, she came into his body like she’d been born to fit there. She was the one to deepen the kiss, her little tongue darting out to duel with his. Damn.
Zack felt his body tighten. It didn’t take much with Becky in his arms to get him all excited.
“What’s going on?” Jay’s voice in his mind intruded on the moment.
“Not now, asshole. I didn’t interrupt you when you were kissing Becky last night.”
“You’re kissing her?”
“Yes. Now fuck off!”
Zack knew he’d been a bit grumpier with his partner than he probably should have been, but really. Jay’s timing couldn’t have been worse.
Becky drew back, her eyes dilated with pleasure, but she definitely looked a little confused. Damn. Had she noticed his moment of inattention? He’d kill Jay when he got home.
“Ice cream?” Zack said brightly, trying to keep the mood light.
It worked. Becky smiled and nodded. “Definitely. Ice cream.”
Zack ushered her into the car and then jogged around to the driver’s side and got in. The place he had in mind was usually packed on the weekends, but it would be perfect tonight for a few quiet moments with his girl.
Built in the 1950s, the ice cream parlor still had a counter with swiveling stools and a few booths along the wall. Elvis played over the audio system, and the waiters and waitresses were wearing smart uniforms as if they’d stepped out of the past.
They opted for a booth and ordered sundaes. Zack went for the banana split—something he treated himself to every once in a while, which brought back happy memories of his youth. Becky got a couple of scoops with caramel topping, whipped cream and a cherry on top. It was cute compared to his giant banana boat concoction.
They chatted about the quaintness of the shop, the decadence of the dessert, and the movie for an hour or so. They sat, enjoying coffee, long after the ice cream was gone, just happy to be in each other’s presence. Or, at least, that’s how Zack felt. He hoped she felt the same.
When Becky excused herself to go to the ladies’ room, Zack contacted his partner.
“Sorry about before,” Zack said right off the bat.
“Nah. I’m sorry. Bad timing on my part,” Jay said, his tone making it clear he understood. “How’s it going?”
“I took her to Esseldorf’s for ice cream. She’s in the ladies room, right now. We’re probably heading out of here in a few minutes.”
“I won’t interrupt, since you’ll be taking her home. Good luck, man.”
“Thanks. So far, so good. The real trick will be to see if she’s open to both of us.”
“Yeah.” Jay’s tone indicated the trepidation they felt about that particular aspect of this whole thing. “But at the very least, one of us can date her for a while, even if she doesn’t want to be with both of us.”
It was a shitty compromise, but they knew they would have to live with that if Becky wasn’t open to having them in her life. They had to tread carefully. Maybe she’d be willing to give it a try. And if it worked out, they could tell her about the link between them. Then, if that didn’t weird her out too much, they’d ask her to marry one of them and make it permanent.
But Zack was getting way ahead of himself. First, he had to take her home and see if he could wrangle an invitation inside. He didn’t want to rush her, but he also didn’t want to wait forever to further their plan.
After they left the ice cream parlor, Becky started thinking about whether or not she should invite Zack in for a nightcap. Technically, it was only their first date, but she’d known him for a while now, and they saw each other a lot at the restaurant. The guys all came into Chez Nous at least once a week. She knew them all on a first name basis by now, after months of their patronage, but she’d really gotten to know Zack and Jay better than the others over the past few weeks. It didn’t feel like a first date with a relative stranger, so would the usual rules apply?
Would she look like a total bimbo if she invited him in? She didn’t think so. And her instincts were screaming at her to do so. She wanted another kiss, at the very least. She might not allow herself to go all the way with him tonight—it was their first date, after all—but she wanted more. Her sex-starved body definitely wanted a whole lot more.
It had been a long dry spell for Becky. Her job was all-consuming, and she hadn’t had a serious boyfriend in more than a year. Becky liked sex. She liked having it on a regular basis. But, after her last breakup, she’d decided to take time off from dating, and then, she’d gotten the job at Chez Nous, and that had put an end to casual dating. The job took up all her free time, and she only had one lousy day off a week. On a Monday, no less.
Monday wasn’t known as date night. It was impossible to find a guy who would put up with her schedule…or so she’d thought. She’d been attracted to Jay and Zack from almost the first time she’d seen them. They’d always traveled as a pair, so she’d started thinking of them that way, and really, they were both incredibly nice guys. Handsome, too. Built like the soldiers they were with what had to be a daily physical fitness regimen. She liked them both, but it was Zack who had asked her out first.
And, because of that, she had the opportunity to ask Zack back to her place. Should she?
As he pulled up in front of her modest little house, she decided to throw caution to the wind. This didn’t feel like a first date. They already knew each other better than most of the men she’d invited in over the years. The heck with it!
“Do you want to come in for a nightcap?” There. She’d said it. She felt brazen and bold. Empowered. A little afraid that he might think less of her for being so forward, but mostly happy that she’d worked up the nerve to say it.
Zack’s smile made her feel even better about her decision. “I’d love that,” he told her, and she knew she’d done the right thing. Zack was one of the good guys. There was no risk he’d mistake her invitation for anything more. She trusted him enough to invite him into her space—her sanctuary—and know that he’d leave when she asked him to.
The thing was…she wasn’t sure she’d work up the strength to ask him to go. Ever.
She was already halfway in love with the guy. Over the past several weeks, she’d observed him interact with others and spoken with him about a wide array of topics, both light and deep. She knew him better than she’d known just about any of the other guys she’d dated, and she respected him. A lot. The military honor thing ran deep in his veins, and she loved the fact that he held to higher principles than most men she’d known. Him, and Jay, too. They were a cut above.
Zack followed her into her little house, and she sort of wished she could know what he was thinking. She had bought the place as a fixer upper and had spent a good year or so of her spare time refinishing the woodwork and painting. She had become pretty handy by watching videos online and a lot of trial and error. She was proud of how it was starting to look, though there were still a few projects she hadn’t tackled yet.
“Nice place. I love the woodwork,” Zack said as he looked over the small vestibule that still had original wood carving from the early part of the twentieth century. “It’s original to the house, isn’t it?” he asked, running his hand over the newel post of the staircase that led up to the second floor.
“Yeah. I refinished it a few months back. Sanded everything down to the wood and re-stained it all.”
“Seriously?” He looked at her with wide eyes. “That’s a lot of work. You did it all by yoursel
f?”
“Over time,” she nodded, feeling a light blush heat her cheeks. She was proud of the work she’d done to fix up her little house. “And I made more than a few mistakes before I got the hang of it.”
“Couldn’t tell by looking at it now. This is really nice, Becky,” he told her, and she felt the glow of his approval. She hadn’t had a chance to show off her handiwork to anyone, really, so it was fun to do so.
“So, what can I get you? I have a bottle of wine in the fridge somewhere, and I may have some rum and cola we could mix up, if you want one of those.” She turned to him as they entered the living room and found him much closer than she’d expected. The glint in his eye made her breath catch.
“To be honest, I don’t really want a drink, if that’s okay with you.” He moved closer, sliding one hand around her waist, watching her gaze intently, as if asking permission.
“That’s okay,” she whispered, knowing she was going to get her wish. Finally! She was going to get a little action from one of the men she’d been secretly lusting after for weeks.
Chapter Three
Becky went into his arms easily, happy to let him take charge…at least for now. She reached up on her tiptoes to meet him halfway as his lips descended toward hers. She was comfortable now, with his kiss. He was skilled, and she liked the way he touched her, both gentle and strong at the same time.
She had the sensation of movement, and then, she was falling onto the couch in slow motion, his hands guiding her the entire way as he came down next to her. She relaxed against the soft back of the sofa, loving the way he made her feel protected yet vulnerable in the most delicious ways. He kissed her more urgently now, and his hands roamed over her body, touching her intimately through her clothing.
Feeling bold, Becky ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms, across his chest and over his abs, then reaching down to the long, thick bulge in his pants. Yes. He was hard and ready, his large shape promising pleasure she could only dream of at the moment. Dare she allow this to go further? She wasn’t sure, but her body was screaming for something more… Something only he could give her.
She helped him undo the tiny buttons that held her blouse closed, wanting to know what his hands would feel like on her skin. She craved his touch and felt a sense of completion when finally—finally—his warm, calloused hand cupped her breast. His mouth followed, and he kissed and licked the mounds of her breasts, massaging them with his fingers, seeming to enjoy the shape of her. Good. She liked his shape too.
She pushed at his shirt, having worked on his buttons in her spare moments of lucidity. When his heavily muscled shoulders came into view, she sucked in a breath. He was built solid. Not an ounce of fat on his body anywhere, and his muscles were even more well-defined than she’d imagined. He was built like one of those bodybuilders off a pinup calendar meant for women. Yummy.
She ran her hands over his abs, reveling in the feel of him. Daring greatly, she slid her hand down lower, sliding under the waistband of his pants. He’d worn dress pants with a fancy leather belt, and it impeded her progress a bit, but she persevered. There was just enough room, if she moved cautiously, to squeeze her fingers into his underwear and…voila.
She put her hand around his girth, and he groaned.
Then, his cell phone started beeping in the most obnoxious shrill tone. Becky froze, as did Zack.
“Oh, God. You’re kidding me,” he whispered, resting his forehead against hers as he stilled. Then, he breathed a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry, Beck. I have to answer that. It’s the base.”
Becky quickly removed her hand and slid back on the sofa, more than a little embarrassed, as well as being more than a little frustrated by the interruption. Just when things were getting good.
Zack shrugged into his shirt and stood, moving awkwardly because of the giant bulge she’d just had her hand around. Damn. The man was built big in every direction. She couldn’t help but admire the way he moved as he retrieved his cell phone and answered, speaking in only terse single syllables. Then, he said some sort of code words that she didn’t understand at all, and she knew her evening’s entertainment was over.
Zack ended the call and looked at Becky. She pulled the edges of her blouse together but knew she still looked rumpled.
“I’m so sorry,” he told her. “They do this to us from time to time. It’s probably nothing, but we have to report to base as fast as possible.”
“Are you going somewhere?” She stood, worried he might be leaving for good. She’d only just gotten to first base! He couldn’t disappear from her life now.
“Probably not, but you never know. We’re a fast reaction squad. They like to keep us on our toes, so they pull a recall drill every once in a while and grade us on our response time. I’ve got to go.” He slid one hand around her nape and drew her in for a quick kiss. “I’m so sorry. If this is just a drill, as I expect it is, I’ll see you tomorrow at the restaurant, okay? If not, I’ll see you when we get back.”
And with that, he was gone, hustling out the door and down the walkway to his car. He took off in a minute flat, and she was left with her head spinning from the sudden change.
Damn.
*
“Any idea what this is all about?” Zack spoke to Jay privately as they both made their way to the base on their own, which was unusual for them. Usually, they traveled as a pair. At least since joining this particular experimental unit and having their minds linked.
“Probably just a drill,” Jay said. “I’m almost there. Where are you?”
“Turning into the gate now,” Zack replied, flashing his I.D. at the guard shack before they opened the gate. “I’ll let them know you’re right behind me.”
When Zack reached the muster point—the unit’s briefing room—everyone else was already there.
“Where’s Jay?” Mike asked in clipped tones, looking behind Zack for his little brother.
“He’ll be here in about two minutes. We came in separately,” Zack reported uncomfortably, aware of all eyes turning to look at him.
There were a number of teams in the unit, all with the ability to hear their partners’ voices in their heads to varying degrees. They were used to everybody traveling in pairs. Only one reason a team would split up while off duty, and that was to get laid.
“Looks like you were on a date, son,” Marlon, a big bruiser with a Texan drawl, stated, looking Zack up and down. “You done up your shirt wrong too. Musta been some date.”
“Who’d you find dumb enough to go out with you?” Marlon’s partner, Jeff, asked, then his jaw went slack. “Wait a minute. Please don’t tell me you finally found the balls to ask Becky out.”
There were drawbacks to being such a tightly knit team, including the fact that many of the guys frequented the same restaurants and bars when off duty. Most of these guys knew Becky, and they hadn’t been too happy when Jay and Zack made it clear that they were interested in her. Unhappy but willing to let them take a shot at the pretty restaurant manager. Could be the other guys were expecting her to shoot them down, and were just waiting to try their luck.
Well, they could just forget that idea. Becky was spoken for. She’d been so giving, so welcoming, and so bold… He’d liked the feel of her fingers around his dick. He’d have liked it even more if they’d had a chance to take that moment to its natural conclusion, but duty called. Literally.
Ignoring the good-natured whistles and jeers, Zack took his place at his usual desk, glad when Jay walked in a few seconds later. Right behind him came their commanding officer, Major Daniels. He frowned at Jay’s late arrival, consulting his watch, but then gave a grudging nod.
“You’re just in time,” Daniels said. “Congratulations, gentlemen. You’ve met the requirements for availability.” Somehow, the CO didn’t sound happy about that. “Next time, you will exceed them. Understood?”
The resounding “Yes, sir!”, which was the only possible answer to such a statement, reverberated around t
he room.
“Now, then,” the CO went on. “I know this will be a disappointment to everyone who wasn’t on a date tonight—” He looked significantly at Zack in his dress slacks and mis-buttoned shirt. “This recall was only a drill. There are no missions requiring your special gifts at this moment in time. However, the eggheads have devised a test for you to participate in tonight, so you will be sleeping on base, under scientific observation.”
There was no grumbling. All of these men were too well trained for that. They’d known what they’d signed up for meant greater supervision by medical and scientific staff. This sort of thing was nothing new. It just rankled a bit because of what it had interrupted tonight.
Hopefully, there would be other dates with Becky. Other times when she invited him in. He’d hated leaving her, and he hoped that little dose of the reality of what he did for a living didn’t scare her off. Damn. He’d hated the look in her eyes when he’d left, but he’d had to go. He hoped she understood, but as soon as they let him leave the base, he’d start on making it up to her.
*
Jay had been running himself ragged all day long. The scientists wanted to do another range test, so they’d given him an untraceable cell phone and a list of map coordinates and set him loose, keeping Zack on base as the receiver. They’d done this drill a few times before, switching off who had to stay and be observed with who got to drive for miles and miles, only to do telepathic and phone check-ins.
At first, it had been cool to learn how far they could push the new ability. Now, it was becoming old hat—and a lot of driving. Jay was hungry and a bit grumpy by the time they’d called a halt to the experiment, instructing Jay to come back to base by midnight to switch places with Zack. Apparently, they were going to observe Jay’s sleep tonight then run the test again tomorrow with Zack playing the moving target.
