Текст книги "Danny's Main"
Автор книги: Lisa N. Paul
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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 18 страниц)
“Fuck.” The word was a prayer of thanks and a seductive sigh of gratitude from what sounded like a beholden man.
When his gaze returned to hers, she saw the carnal desire of a famished wolf with the whisper of a conscience on his shoulder. In a movement too fast for her mind to process, Danny had her in his arms, then lying on her back beneath him on the sofa.
“Danny…”
“You want me to stop?” There wasn’t any anger in his question, just concern.
“No, I don’t.”
“Then don’t stop me. Can tell you need to feel this. I need to make you feel it. At any time it feels wrong, tell me no, and I’ll stop. My honor, Julie…my word.”
By the look on his face, his honor meant so much, but his word meant everything. So she replied the only way her heart would allow. “Don’t stop, Danny.”
He didn’t.
When Julie left his place a couple of hours later, her body hummed in a way she’d never thought possible, muting any nagging voices that chastised her Bunny-like behavior. With memories like those, did she really need a repeat performance? Sure, Julie, make sure to tell yourself that if you never see him again. Shaking off that ridiculous notion, she slipped behind the wheel of her car and headed home. Of course she’d see him again, probably that day. There was no way he didn’t feel the connection she did. Right?
Chapter Two
Lysol and Vagisil
DANNY COVERED HIS eyes to stop the sun from scorching his retinas through his closed lids. “The fuck?”
He sat up on the couch and immediately regretted the decision to move. Not only did he not remember passing out on the sofa the previous night, he couldn’t remember how the hell he’d gotten home. Never smart drinking on a Monday—left him feeling like shit for the rest of the week. Dropping his feet to the ground, he spotted a glass of water and two pain killers on the kitchen table. Like a freight train, memories of a sexy as shit strawberry-blonde pummeled into his brain.
“Julie Bell.” Even the sound of her name got his dick hard. Flashes of her firm body, soft skin, and lush tits invaded his mind. The way she writhed beneath him when her climax hit, his tongue lapping up her sweet cream. Christ, he could still taste her, feel her. And then… nothing. The memories fucking ended. “What in the mother hell?”
He swallowed the aspirin and gulped down the water, trying to recall the details after he’d rocked her world. She straddled him, and he knew by the hungry look in her eyes exactly whose world would be rocking next…but then it was blank. Had she blown him? Had they fucked? The empty spots were unacceptable but would have to stay blank for a while longer, because he needed to get to work.
His new position was interesting. There was something exhilarating about being a squad leader and training other men in the field maneuvers they needed to know to perform properly in battle. But while he got better acquainted with his coworkers and procedures, the hours seemed to drip by. He wanted to get his ass over to Chester’s so he could finally fill in the holes from his time with Julie. Her soft touches and addictive kisses haunted all day, and while one and done was his usual MO, he wasn’t so quick to toss away the quick-witted beauty. After all, if he didn’t remember the one… how could he be done?
Only one patron sat at the bar when Danny walked into Chester’s during his lunch break. The older man had a mug of beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other as he watched the Orioles at bat. Danny scanned the rest of the establishment, noting the only other people around were the redheaded MiliSnag and a beefy-looking guy who Danny hadn’t seen the night before. They had exited the restroom together, each wearing a satisfied smirk.
“Thanks for the lesson, Bunny.” Beefy snorted, zipping up his fly. “I won’t forget where to stash the plunger again.”
The woman winked and wiped her mouth in what Danny assumed she thought was a sexy gesture. “See that you don’t. I’d hate to have to keep reminding you, Earl.” She winked as she fluffed her hair. “Oh!” Her eyes widened the minute they landed on Danny, and she fluttered her lashes. “Sergeant Marcus, it’s so nice to see you again.”
He would have laughed at the instant change in her demeanor, from slut to subdued, had the whole scene not made him want to puke. He was no Boy Scout, but a woman wiping another man’s cum from her lips while openly flirting with him turned his stomach. His eyes dropped to her nametag before he forced a polite greeting. “Bunny.”
“Aww, you remembered,” she cooed. “How sweet.”
“Your name’s on your shirt, ma’am.” There was no fucking way he’d let her get the wrong impression from him.
“Umhmm.” Her grin was all teeth and no charm.
“Listen, I’m looking for Julie. She here?” Seven words. That was all it took for her sugar to turn to vinegar.
“Earl, go get the glasses from the kitchen. Now. No, she doesn’t come in for a few hours still. Lazy little girl took the morning off.” She must have sensed she’d hit a nerve, because her backpedaling came on strong. “Just kidding with ya. She works a lot of doubles, so I suggested she take it easy this morning. I like to look after my little ones. They’re like my family, ya know?”
Beefy came in from the back room with a case of glasses and laid them on the bar. He not-so-subtly pinched the redhead’s ass and walked back through the kitchen.
Danny grunted in disgust. “Yeah, family. Sure. Can you please tell Julie I came by? And give her this.” He scribbled his phone number on a cocktail napkin, folded it in half, and reluctantly gave it to Bunny.
“Sure, Sergeant. You can count on me.” Bunny smiled before pushing through the door to the kitchen.
“She treats the customers like family too.” The older gentleman snorted before sipping his beer. “If you know what I mean.”
Danny chuckled as he left the bar. Yeah, he understood the guy loud and clear.
***
THE BAR WAS packed with wall-to-wall people, as seemed to be the norm for Saturday nights at Chester’s. From July through August, Saturday nights were “all staff mandatory.” Even the cool air blasting from the air conditioner did nothing to cut the stifling humidity of the mid-July heat. With the tables and chairs on the outside deck filled with thirsty customers, the four bartenders took turns providing waitress service to the deck patrons in order to keep the foot traffic from overrunning the bar. Even Chester hung around on Saturday nights in case drunken tempers led to drunken conflicts. The whole scene would have been chaos had it not been run so incredibly smoothly.
Julie needed the loud music, the demanding people, and flirty men in order to keep her mind off of the fact that a certain Sergeant Marcus had never bothered to contact her after their one interlude five nights before. Sure, she’d slipped out before the sun came up, but awkward morning-after conversations weren’t something she’d had practice in, and starting them with a man who could easily shred her confidence wasn’t something she’d been looking to do. Christ, the things he’d done to her body… just thinking about them made her panties wet, which quickly led to frustration over the fact that he’d so easily moved on, giving her not even a second thought.
Could’ve been worse, she repeated to herself as she poured another round of tequila shots for the enlisted men who were looking not only to blow off steam but find ladies who were as enthusiastic about the prospect of blowing as well.
“Hey, pretty lady, how ‘bout you pour one of those for yourself?”
Stopping mid-pour, Julie looked at the private first class and offered her sweetest smile. “Aww, aren’t you sweet. I appreciate the offer, but I don’t drink while I’m working.” The guy’s disbelieving look made her continue explaining. “Can’t serve all of you men quickly enough if I’m tipsy, can I?” She punctuated her statement with a flirty wink, rung up the round, and placed his generous tip in the bucket behind the bar.
She’d learned while bartending back in high school that a small amount of sugar always brought in the highest tips, but too much sweetness brought the largest amount of trouble. As if proving her point, Bunny leaned over the bar, breasts smashed against the sticky wood, so a man could lick salt from her neck and reach into her cavernous cleavage for a tiny slice of lemon. Her hyena-like giggles drew attention from both drunken men and irritated women. All of that for what? The clink of fifty cents that the pock-marked, yellowed-skinned ancient man dropped on the bar before strolling out the door into the thick night air. Yeah, Bunny’s sugar was more like fly paper. Ick.
“Sugar, can we get two pitchers of beer and four wine coolers? Any flavor will do.” The deep, melodic voice didn’t quite match the average height, medium-build man who stood before her. His sandy-blond hair was pulled away from his face and tied into a low ponytail, and his eyes, the most intriguing shade of turquoise, held promises of laughter with a hint of something darker deep inside. While his handsome face promised light, his attire was various shades of black, from his Metallica T-shirt to his faded, ripped black jeans. “Do I have something funky between my teeth?”
Julie flushed. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. Your voice… well, your eyes…shit. I’m sorry, I must sound like a freak.”
“No, you’re not the first person to react that way.” The man seemed almost embarrassed by the attention he received. “I’m Alex Lawson, the lead singer for Lawson Road. My band and I are just here for some quiet drinks on the down low. Think we can do that?”
Lawson Road. Holy shit. She loved them. No wonder his voice sounded so familiar. They were just starting out, not quite huge but no longer small, and she was serving them drinks at Chester’s. Then his words settled in, and she understood that he was asking her not to blow their cover.
“Alex, your secret is safe with me. But here’s a bit of advice.”
The attractive man leaned across the bar, nearly within touching distance. His scent infiltrated her nose, his turquoise eyes penetrating…
“Your advice?” he prompted.
“Right, my advice—you may want to keep yourself, your band mates, and your girlfriend away from the older redhead over there. She’s like a shark, that one. If she smells blood in the water, she’ll attack, and you all are like the damn Red Cross blood bank. She’ll alert the media, try to seduce you, and cry when you run screaming, all within ten minutes.”
“We’ll keep a tab open and only order from you tonight.” Alex chuckled, grabbing the tray of drinks she’d prepared while they spoke. “Thanks for the heads-up, sweet thing. I speak for all of us when I say we do appreciate it.”
An hour later, Julie had just finished her deck shift and was grateful to be inside Chester’s once again. She hadn’t thought anything could be more revolting than Bunny behind the bar until she’d spent an hour with Bunny on the deck. For Christ’s sake, between the way that woman gyrated on men’s laps and the amount of fingers that traveled up the inner thighs of her Daisy Dukes, if they were better friends, Julie would have gifted her a can of Lysol disinfectant spray and a tube of Vagisil at the end of their shift. STDs were created in the panties of Bertha “Bunny” Tryshon.
The worst part about Bunny’s actions was men assumed Julie had the same loose…morals. That was often when Chester’s presence was appreciated. While Julie wasn’t certain that Chester didn’t partake in Bunny’s well, she could tell that he respected Julie’s desire not to make herself part of the menu. In fact, he almost threw up invisible walls around Julie. As soon as he saw any sort of questionable behavior toward Julie or any of the other bartenders, he “handled” the situation outside of the bar quickly and, most of the time, quietly.
Julie stopped at Alex Lawson’s table on her way inside. “Hey, guys, I’m just about to head back behind the bar, but since the crowd seems to have thinned out a bit, I figured I stop by and ask if you wanted me to get another couple of pitchers and wine coolers ready for you?”
“Perfect timing, sugar.” The provocative tone of Alex’s voice coupled with his flirtatious ocean eyes made it painfully clear how the man was gaining legions of fans all over the country.
While Julie could appreciate his beauty, her gaze darted to the attractive woman sitting to his left. She was the band’s bass guitarist and, rumor had it, Alex’s long-time girlfriend. Julie was not nor would she ever be a man poacher, but it was clear that the bassist didn’t know that. So when her palm not-so-subtly moved up Alex’s thigh and pressed against his groin at the same time she whispered something in his ear, punctuating it with what appeared to be quite a nibble, Julie felt her neck flush crimson.
“Umm, okay, I’ll just go and fill your order.” Unable to rip her eyes from the seduction transpiring at the table, Julie backed away in an attempt to leave before creating an even bigger scene.
Alex snickered, his hand covering his girlfriend’s and moving it in a suggestive motion. “Ethan, you mind following Julie to the bar and grabbing our drinks? Jerry and Vicky are gonna save our seats while I take Tara outside for a couple a minutes.”
Ethan smirked. “Just make sure to wipe the backseat down when you’re finished.” Ethan pressed his hand on the small of Julie’s back. “Come on, let’s go get those drinks. A and T will be thirsty as hell when they come back.”
Julie lifted the hinged wooden arm at the side of the bar and slid behind it, keeping it lifted for the other bartender leaving for the deck. “Same as before, right?” Julie smiled sheepishly, trying to get the beguiling image of Alex and Tara out of her head.
“They’re quite the pair, aren’t they?”
“Oh my God.” Giggles pealed from her throat. “So it wasn’t just me? They were… that was…” Julie fumbled for words as she filled the pitchers. She wasn’t a prude—clearly she had no problems with flirting or, hell, with going home with a random man—but Alex and Tara were so public with their affections, so illicit with their behavior. While Julie felt embarrassed by some of the actions, some of it turned her on.
“Trust me,” Ethan said, leaning over the counter and bringing his body within inches of hers, “it isn’t just you. If you think that’s hot, you should see them argue.” He fanned himself. “It’d singe your eyebrows off.”
The belly laugh that left her lips startled even Julie, but not as much as the voice that came from her right.
“Ahh, now I understand. Looks like I’m not the only jumper between the two of us, huh?” Danny stood at attention, but gone were the uniform and blank stare. In their stead was a spectacularly gorgeous man in a brown T-shirt and jeans, sporting the look of a jilted lover—flared nostrils, pinched brows, a curled upper lip, and all.
“Danny?” Her heart leaped at his presence before her breath hitched at his response. Was he insulting her? The one-night thing worked both ways.
“Clearly you don’t waste any time between beds, now do you?”
Had his words not come from what seemed like a place of hurt and had Julie not been at her place of employment, her response would have been far less quiet and far less civil.
“Here’s your drink order, Ethan.” She knew her forced smile wouldn’t fool a blind man, let alone the nice guy who seemed extremely interested in stepping in to protect her in that moment, but she pasted it on to save them the discomfort and embarrassment. “I’m just going to deal with Sergeant Marcus here.”
“Do you need my help?” Ethan asked.
When fire grew in Danny’s hazel eyes, Julie knew that he may be angry, but there was no way in hell she needed protection from the man. “No, I’m perfectly fine.”
Ethan nodded and walked back to his table.
“What in the hell, Danny? You don’t get to come in here after nearly a week of silence and—”
“A week of silence, my ass. I came here the very next fucking day. Woke up with a pounding head, an empty apartment, and no memory of how the night had ended.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I wanted to see you, damn it. Ask you what the fuck happened between us.” His head snapped to the far right side of the bar, and he snarled, “I left my goddamn number with that worn-out redhead before I left.”
“You came here… to find me?”
His hazel eyes blazed so hot they singed her skin. “Uh, yeah. But clearly you’ve moved on. So…forget it.” His broad shoulders were tight, his face stony as he turned to leave, and Julie knew she’d never see him again.
In a voice loud enough for him to hear but quiet enough not to cause a scene, Julie called, “Danny, I’m serving drinks, that is all you saw. As for you stopping by this week, no one told me. I didn’t know.”
Julie’s mind was spinning. He had come. He’d tried to contact her and left a way for her to reach him. She was going to kill Bunny—unless he got there first.
“You.” Danny’s growl carried over the voices as he made his way toward Bunny.
Julie watched, entertained as Bunny’s eyes went from soft and flirty with the thought that a male was looking for her, to round with awareness when she realized just who it was and what she’d done.
As the place quieted, Chester made his way in from the deck. His eyes landed on Julie. “Things okay?”
“Yep.” Julie grinned. “Nothing Bunny can’t handle, sir.”
Chester flicked his gaze over to an angry but reined in Danny and a typically drama-filled Bunny before turning his back. “Yell if you need me,” he called over his shoulder.
“Sergeant Marcus, what a pleasure—”
“Do not pull that syrupy shit with me.” Danny’s chest expanded and depressed, his demeanor every bit that of a well-trained leader. “Did I or did I not come in here five days ago looking for Julie Bell?”
Bunny tucked a stiff chunk of hair behind her ear. “Well, hmm, I can’t exactly remember what day it was that your fine ass graced my eyes.” She bit her lip and looked at Julie before looking back at Danny. Oh yeah, guilt covered her face as clearly as the mascara on her lashes.
The muscles in Danny’s jaw clenched, leaving Julie to wonder just how much pressure it could take before the bones shattered. “Okay, ma’am, do you remember when I handed you my phone number and asked that you to give it to Julie?”
“Hmm.” Bunny tapped her bright pink fingernail on her matching pink lip.
Unfortunately for her, Earl came out from the kitchen with cases of beer and grinned when he saw Danny. “Hey, man, good to see you again.”
As if she could physically see the tension leaving Danny’s body, Julie exhaled the breath that had been held prisoner in her chest.
“It’s Earl, right?” Danny asked the bar back. When the guy nodded, Danny’s brow lifted. “You remember seeing me earlier this week?”
“Uhh, is this some sort of a test? Yeah, dude, I remember seeing you. I just said hi, didn’t I?”
And there went Danny’s jaw, tight as a spring. “Yes, Earl, you did, thank you. Do you remember why I came by?”
“He can’t answer your questions, Sergeant,” Bunny interjected. “Look at him, poor boy obviously doesn’t know anything, and we are clearly busy here.”
“He was here looking for Julie,” Earl grunted over Bunny’s shrill voice. “And you didn’t seem to think I was such a lil’ boy when you were on your knees, purring like a cat, with my dick down your throat.” He clenched his fists tightly, then released one to wave his hand in the air. “You didn’t seem so convinced I was useless when you were begging to have it shoved up your ass. I was pretty fuckin’ great then, wasn’t I?” Earl’s chest heaved as he looked around the silent bar, then from Danny to Julie. He scuffed the toe of his boot on the floor before speaking softly. “I’m sorry. I should have told her you came callin’. Obviously I’m not as smart as I thought.” He threw an aggravated look in Bunny’s direction before he slid out from behind the bar and headed to the deck.
The room remained quiet as stares darted from Bunny to Julie and back. If not for Bon Jovi’s apropos “You Give Love a Bad Name” blaring from the juke box, Julie might have exploded into flames of embarrassment. Leave it to JBJ to save the night.
“Next round is on the house,” Chester boomed, coming from who knew where to join the women behind the bar.
The crowd erupted in appreciative delight.
Had Julie not been standing as close to him as she was, she wouldn’t have heard him grumble, “Two choices, Bertha: finish the shift and get paid for the night, or walk now and don’t. Either way, your time here is over.”
“What?” Bunny’s eyes grew wide as her jaw fell open. Hmm, no wonder the men appreciated her. “Screw you, Chester!”
“Been there, darlin’, and it ain’t worth losing customers. Previous offer’s officially off the table. You needed to make a scene, I can make one too. Leave my bar now.”
“Well, I don’t need this shithole place,” she huffed, attempting to fluff her Aqua Net-hardened hair while shimmying past the bartenders frantically filling orders.
Something in Julie snapped. After everything she’d lost, everything she’d survived, she had finally found some semblance of happiness at Chester’s Bar. And while she had no clue as to what would happen between her and Danny, she couldn’t just let that woman get away with what she’d said…with what she’d done.
“Hey, Bunny,” Julie called, stopping the irate woman in her tracks.
“What the hell do you want, you little bitch?”
Julie reached into the bucket behind the counter and pulled out two quarters. Summoning her sweetest smile, she dropped the coins into Bunny’s hand. “I figured you’d want these, you know, since you worked so hard for them. There’re a bit…sticky, but they’re all yours.” With her parting shot, Julie turned her attention back to the customers, doing her best to ignore the applause her action received.
***
ROOTED TO THE ground, Danny watched Julie work, her movements just as fluid as the drinks she poured. When his buddies had suggested they go out for beer after a long day of softball between 1st and 2nd platoons, followed by them helping him unpack his shit and settle into his new living quarters, he could hardly refuse. When they decided on Chester’s Bar, he could have come up with at least three different options, but his suggestions would have led to questions, and the questions would have led to razzing, which was the last thing he felt like dealing with. However, he wanted to avoid seeing Julie after she’d so blatantly blown him off, so he’d suggested they sit on the deck and his friends agreed.
Each time a server had approached them, Danny found himself caught between wanting to see the shiny strawberry hair and wanting to purposely ignore her. Finally, he inquired about Julie’s whereabouts. His every instinct screamed for him to find her, confront her, then walk away as easily as she had. What he hadn’t planned on was how her smile made his pulse race or the way her tank top showed just the perfect hint of cleavage to make his cock twitch in his jeans. What he never would have guessed was how the pale pink hue of her cheeks aimed at another man would release a possessive feeling that he’d never felt before. Mine.
Logic told him she was no more his than he was hers, but logic wasn’t making his feet move toward her. Logic wasn’t propelling air through his lungs. Logic had no place in his mind when he’d nearly ruined everything with speculation and accusation. Thank fuck the woman understood Caveman, because clearly logic had left the building. It took every ounce of military training and composure Danny had not to throttle the smaller man receiving Julie’s delight, but Danny knew she saw past his thin mask of civility. She saw what must have looked like confusion or, embarrassingly enough, desperation, and she nicely dismissed the other dude, who made her smile before a bigger scene was made.
Danny had left his phone number and they never connected, fine—maybe she wasn’t interested, though fuck, that stung—but at least she had enough respect to make the rejection a private affair. However, once again, the sun-kissed strawberry-blonde shocked the shit out of him by throwing out venom instead of bullshit. The second she accused him of giving her the brush-off, the hands on the clock stopped moving, making time stand still. What the ever-loving fuck does that mean? He could have dealt with being disposed of—okay, clearly he hadn’t handled that well—but seeing confusion and disappointment on her face? Hell no.
Could he have been a bit smoother with the redheaded trouble-maker? Probably. But the chick hadn’t just messed with him, she’d messed with his girl. His girl? No, that was wrong. Yet everything about it felt right, from his thoughts straight down to the tip of his cock.
Shit, he needed to talk with Julie, and he wasn’t leaving until they did. Sparing another quick glance around the crowded bar, he walked out to the deck, laid enough bills on the table to cover the drinks and a generous tip, and informed his buddies that he’d find his own way home. Their catcalls and whistles faded as he stalked to a recently vacated stool in front of a sweaty, sexy Julie Bell.
A grin spread across Julie’s lush mouth as she untied her apron and sauntered to his side at two in the morning. “I see you decided to stick around.”
Unable to pull his stare from her lips, Danny shrugged. “Said I would.”
Chester’s had closed its doors an hour earlier, sending the staff into frenzied clean-up mode. When Julie had explained the lengthy process to Danny, he simply crossed his arms and said he’d wait. Her arched brow told him she didn’t believe him, but she didn’t need to. Danny was a man of his word, another lesson drilled into him by his father. Rich or poor, son, he’d say, the only thing of value that you ever truly have is your word—live and die by it. And Danny did.
After cleanup, Chester summoned the staff into his office for an impromptu meeting. It was quick, only about ten minutes by Danny’s count, but when the door opened and the staff ambled out, an energized buzz floated around them. They dispersed into the night, leaving only Danny, Julie, and Chester in the quiet bar.
“Sergeant,” Chester’s thick voice called.
“Yes, sir?”
“Sorry about what happened with Bertha. While it’d be easy to place all of the blame on the woman, no good man should ever have let that happen. Her actions were revolting, but I let them continue in my establishment for far too long. My fault.” The guy actually looked ashamed. “Julie there”—Chester nodded in her direction—“is a smart girl. In the short time I’ve personally known her, I’ve seen her work damn hard. She’s trustworthy and loyal, qualities that sure as shit ain’t easy to come by. Whole lot more than the pretty exterior men seem so keen to focus on. Although from where I stand, looks like I don’t need to sell her to you.” In two long strides, Chester closed the distance between them. The affection in the older man’s eyes was replaced with a hard glare. “You, on the other hand, have somethin’ to prove.”
His words were a gut punch, no doubt. The thing was, Danny had already seen past Julie’s surface. She’d already ensnared him with her wit and gentle charm. Wasn’t that why he’d come looking for her…twice?
The bar owner continued, “Respect, Sergeant. That’s all I’m saying. You respect her, and you and I will be just fine.”
Danny inclined his head. “Of course, sir.”
Chester nodded, first to Danny, then to Julie. “Take tomorrow off, girl. You haven’t had one of those since you started.”
Julie’s body stiffened. “Chester, I’m perfectly fine. I’ll—”
“That’s an order, Ms. Bell.” Chester scoffed over his shoulder before heading into his office. The click of the door effectively ended the discussion.
“So much for respect…I was supposed to work a double tomorrow,” Julie huffed as they walked out the door into the humid night air and strolled toward the well-lit parking lot behind Chester’s. She looked at Danny, and a glimmer sparked in her gray eyes as if his presence had somehow sunk in. “How did you get here tonight, Sergeant Marcus?”
“Buddies.”
Julie looked around the empty street. “And those buddies just left you behind?”
Danny’s brow lifted. “They’d never ‘just leave’ me anywhere. I told them I’d be fine, and they knew I would be.”
“So are you…fine?”
Between the husky tone of her question and the way she bit her bottom lip, Danny’s heart punched his chest. Looping his arm around her waist, he pulled her toward him and lowered his lips into her hair. The scent was reminiscent of its shade, strawberry and honey, sweet and sweat, feminine and strong, just like the woman in his arms.
“I am now,” he murmured and dropped another kiss on the crown of her head.
Slowly, Julie backed away from his embrace. The inches between them, while few, felt far and wide. Though she was the one who’d created the separation, the longing on her face hinted that maybe the distance was a defense and not a rejection. “Pretty sure of yourself, huh, Sergeant?”
He heard the tease in her question, but there was no hiding the uncertainty in her pretty gray eyes. “Ms. Bell, when it comes to you, the only thing I’m sure of is how much I missed you this week.” He reached for her hand and interlaced their fingers while extending his other arm to her chin and tilting her head back until their eyes met. “I want you. I won’t bullshit about that. Hell, I still have no clue if I’ve already had you, and it’s screwing with my goddamn head. But I promise—I give you my word—I only want to talk to you. Get to know you better. And I had no intentions of walking away from you tonight until we made that happen.” He felt his lips begin to lift as his eyes traveled from her curious eyes to her parted lips.
Skepticism was written all over her raised brows. “Are you drunk?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Okay. How about this time, we go to my place? And just so you know, the only screwing that happened between us is what’s going on in your head.”
Her admission stunned him, but that was followed immediately by relief. While there was no way to change the past, knowing their first time together wouldn’t be when he was a drunken fool filled him with an inexplicable sense of joy.
