Zoe threw back the sheet and growled so loud she was surprised the windows didn’t rattle.
She was doing it again.
They’d gone out, one time. Why was she even worried about what could happen? They weren’t going to fall in love and live happily ever after. Aidan was leaving soon. She had a house to sell and a move to—wherever—to plan. Whatever was happening between them had an inevitable expiration date.
Ten days.
Minus travel time and the time he’d already been home and…Zoe sighed. She should be committed.
She climbed out of bed. She needed coffee. And quite possibly a lobotomy to remove the part of her brain that analyzed everything to death.
It was one kiss. The longest, hottest, dirtiest kiss of her life, but still, a kiss. It didn’t mean anything. The way he owned her mouth didn’t mean anything. The butterflies dancing in her stomach with the memory didn’t mean anything.
Just a kiss.
And, damn. She wanted another one.
Zoe whipped the t-shirt she’d slept in over her head and let it fall where she stood. She found her favorite pair of jean shorts and pulled them on. They were faded, frayed, and hung too low on her hips, but they were comfortable. She grabbed a red tank top from the basket of clean laundry she hadn’t taken the time to put away. She spent all of five seconds searching for a bra before giving up and putting the shirt on without one.
She had a ton of work to do to get ready for the realtor visit that afternoon, none of which included leaving the house.
She went downstairs to the kitchen and started the coffee maker. The counters and appliances gleamed, not a trace of the mess left from the other night. The night Aidan had shown up.
She’d spent that day cleaning out her grandad’s room. The task had been as exhausting mentally as it had been physically. She made spaghetti for dinner. Or, that had been the plan, anyway. She left the sauce and noodles on the stove to sit down for one minute, then promptly passed out on the couch.
She snapped awake within a few minutes, but not soon enough to prevent the sauce from boiling and splattering all over the stove and floor. As if that weren’t a big enough mess, when she rushed to pull the boiling pot of noodles from the burner, scalding water splashed her hands, causing her to dump a good portion of the pot’s contents onto the floor.
It had all been too much. Sorting through her grandad’s things. Making decisions about what to do with his belongings. Fucking up dinner had been the last straw. She’d crumbled on the floor in tears. She had no idea how long she’d sat there sobbing before she gave up the idea of dinner and returned to the couch. Where Aidan had found her.
Zoe poured a cup of coffee and took a sip.
Aidan and his hard body and perfect lips. And those hands. Jesus. Warm and deliciously calloused. She wanted to know what his palms felt like against the bare skin of her belly. Or against the inside of her thighs as he spread her open.
Zoe groaned. There was no help for her. Instead of making a mental list of things she should be doing, her mind was completely distracted by the sexy guy next door.
She spied her sketch pad on the other side of the counter.
She shouldn’t.
The realtor won’t arrive for hours yet. She could take a few minutes for herself.
Excitement bubbled in her stomach. Feeling inspired for the first time in weeks, Zoe grabbed her sketch pad, her box of colored pencils, and her coffee, then headed for the back deck.
Aidan leaned against the fence gate and wiped the grease from his hands. He’d called her name several times, but whatever Zoe was working on had her complete attention. He almost hated to interrupt. She was sexy as hell in that chair, her long legs pulled up enough that he could see the curves of her cheeks peeking out from under her shorts. Whatever she was drawing on that pad propped against her legs had brought the softest expression to her face. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyelids were low, and there was a slight blush in her cheeks.
It was the same expression she wore after he’d kissed her last night.
He tucked the grease stained rag into the back pocket of his jeans.
The memory of that damned kiss had kept him up for hours. He wanted more, but the months of celibacy had driven his need to epic proportions. Add to that the intensity of the chemistry between them … Aidan didn’t have a prayer of taking it slow and easy.
The last thing he wanted to do was freak Zoe out by taking things too far, too soon. So, he backed off. Forced his hands to behave until he crawled into his own bed, alone. And when the memory of her tongue against his finally became too much, he gave his body what it needed. Twice.
What is she drawing?
Only one way to find out.
Aidan opened the gate. Since he seemed to have a knack for startling her, he gave her fair warning of his approach.
“Hey,” he called out as he climbed the wide steps to the deck.
Zoe’s gaze snapped up, all traces of softness replaced by wide-eyed nervousness. “Oh. Aidan. Hey.” She hugged the pad to her chest. “I didn’t hear you come in the gate.”
“I called your name a couple of times, but you were in your own little world over here. What are you working on?”
He stopped next to her. She raised a hand and he took it, helping her out of the chair to stand in front of him.
“It’s nothing,” she said to his feet. “Just fooling around.” Bright red stained her cheeks.
Oh, now he had to know.
“If it’s nothing, then it’s not a big deal to show me.”
She skirted by him. Aidan was tempted to snatch the pad from her, but he wasn’t twelve. If she really didn’t want to show him, he’d respect that.
He followed her into the kitchen, stopping short just inside the door. He whistled. “Wow. This looks much better than the last time I was in here.”
“Ha. Ha. I do know how to clean, you know.” She slapped the sketch pad onto the center island and turned to face him. “Contrary to what you—”
“Holy fuck.” Aidan stalked toward the island and stared down at the picture Zoe had created, all the blood in his body rushing to his groin.
The colors are what drew his attention at first. Vivid oranges and blues, yellows and purples, all perfectly blended into a stunning rendition of last night’s sunset over Lake Mead. But that wasn’t the reason he was hard as a fucking railroad spike.
She’d drawn a couple lying on a rock overlooking the lake. Naked. The details were fuzzy, the abstract quality giving a more sensual feel to the picture. The man had the woman stretched out, her arms pinned high, his faceless head against her breast.
Zoe reached for the pad, but he stopped her, bracing his palms against the edge of the counter on either side of her, caging her in.
“Is that us?” Need hit him low and hard, sucking the air from his lungs.
Her hands settled on his hips. Her tongue peeked through her lips, teasing him. Taunting him. Begging him.
“Last night might’ve been the inspiration, bu—”
He didn’t let her finish. He took her mouth with his and swallowed whatever lie she was about to give. He didn’t want to hear it. She’d drawn a light haired woman and a dark headed man. Naked. Under their sunset.
Oh, he knew it wasn’t their sunset any more than it was their bodies wound together on that paper, but logic had no place in his current carnal thought process.
“Is that what you want?” He wrapped an arm around her waist. He pivoted, taking her with him, and backing her against the refrigerator. He slid his hands up her arms, raising them much like the woman in the picture. “To be naked under me?” Although fucking on a rock overlooking Lake Mead was out of the question. He didn’t want either of them to go to jail.
“I’m not sure what I want is a good idea.”
He pressed his lips to her skin and chuckled against her neck. “The best ideas rarely are the good ones. Where’s the fun in that?”
She groan
ed his name.
“I thought about you last night.” He nibbled his way to her ear. “Thought about how good you felt against me on the bike. About how delicious apple pie tastes from your lips.”
Zoe went still.
Fuck. Maybe she wasn’t into dirty—
“Is that really the time?”
The worry in her tone went straight through him. He let go of her arms and followed her gaze to the clock on the stove behind him. Verified the time on his watch. It was almost noon.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Oh, God.” Her gaze darted between his mouth and his eyes and back. “I’m sorry, Aidan. I didn’t think I’d been outside so long. I have so much to do, and the realtor is going to be here in a couple of hours. How did I lose the entire morning? Shit!”
When she tried to wiggle out from between him and the fridge, Aidan looped his arms around her.
“Settle down, sunshine.” He gave the same demand to his erection. “Whatever it is, I’ll help you get it done.”
“I can’t let you do that.” She pulled the rag from his pocket and held it up like a white flag. He surrendered and let her go. “It looks like you’ve got your own stuff going on.”
“I was just doing some maintenance on the motorcycle. I thought while I was at it, I’d take a look at your car. I was coming to get the keys when I saw you on the porch.”
“My…” Zoe’s lips thinned. She picked up the sketchpad, flipping the pages until she got to the front cover. With their picture covered, she shoved it into a drawer. “I don’t suppose it would do any good to argue with you, would it?”
Oh, he liked this girl. Probably more than he should, considering he’d only know her a couple of days. “You could try, but then again, the clock’s ticking. It would be easier all the way around if you’d just give me your keys.”
She leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “You sure you just don’t want to hot wire it?”
He rubbed his chin, pretending to consider the option. “Since you left it unlocked, I certainly could have. But, if I’d gone that route, I wouldn’t know how fucking talented you are.” He reached out and brushed a stray piece of hair from her forehead. “The way you captured the sunset over Lake Mead…” He shook his head, unable to come up with words adequate to describe what she’d created. “I’d love to see more of your work when we’re not pressed for time.”
The sparkle in her eyes told him she was both pleased with the compliment, and willing if he were to pull her in for another kiss.
Tempting, but he sensed now was not the time to start something he couldn’t finish. Being a SEAL had taught him to be patient. To bide his time until the best possible moment or risk blowing a whole mission to shit.
For reasons he didn’t understand, he didn’t want to blow this thing with Zoe. Whatever this thing was.
He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to give me your keys so I can pull your car around to the garage over at my parent’s place to look at later. Once that’s done, I’ll come back and help you get the house ready for the visit this afternoon. I’ll clean, lug boxes, whatever you need me to do.”
One of Zoe’s delicate brows arched, but she didn’t interrupt. He took that as a good sign that she was on board with his plan. He plowed forward.
“While you do your thing with the realtor, I’ll run next door and get cleaned up. Then, when you’re done with your business, we’ll hit the strip for some fun.”
She chewed on her bottom lip, her head slowly moving from side to side. “You didn’t come home so I could put you to work. And what about your parents? I’m sure they expect to spend time with you.”
“They’re busy with the show.” And after being with the guys 24/7 for months on end, the quiet in his parent’s house was unnerving. He could only take so much. “I’ve got plans to see them tomorrow, which means I’m free all day today.”
He gave up trying not to touch her. He stepped into her space. He trailed his hands from her shoulders down her arms, stopping to cup her elbows. He applied the slightest bit of pressure, encouraging her to uncross her arms so he could continue his journey. He caught her shiver as she did as he wanted, as well as the way her nipples pebbled as he laced his fingers with hers. He brought their linked hands up to rest against his chest.
“Come on, Zoe. There’s no reason to be stubborn here.” He dropped a kiss against her knuckles. “It’s a good plan. You don’t have to stress about getting everything done, and I get a gorgeous date for a night on the town. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
When she rolled her eyes, he knew he had her.
“I’ll only agree if you agree to let me pay for whatever we do tonight.” She tugged one of her hands free and poked him in the chest. “And that’s not negotiable. You’re not going to do physical labor for me all afternoon and then buy me dinner. That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.”
He laughed, loud and sudden. The girl was full of surprises. There was no way he would let her pay, but they’d cross that bridge when they got there. For now, he enjoyed the fact that he’d scored another night with her.
“Done.”
Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Why do I feel like I just made a deal with the devil?”
He winked, grinning so hard his cheeks hurt. “They don’t call it Sin City for nothing, baby.”
9
When Aidan said they were going to spend the evening on the Vegas strip, she assumed that meant gambling, drinks, maybe dinner and a show. Not in a million years did she expect to be strapped into a harness—superman style—eleven stories in the air.
In a matter of minutes, the door would open and she’d be flying over Fremont Street with nothing but a harness and a zipline rig to keep her from plummeting to her death.
Aidan flashed her a thumbs up as one of the guys who worked there latched the harness and the straps below her knees to the line overhead.
“You’re going to drop a little bit,” the guy told her. “Just relax.”
Relax. Yeah. Not happening.
Her stomach bottomed out as the platform she was laying on started to lower, leaving her hanging in midair. Thank God they hadn’t gotten around to dinner yet. She’d never be able to look at Aidan again if she puked all over the unsuspecting pedestrians on the street below.
She shot Aidan a glare. “How did I let you talk me into this?”
Aidan tossed her a wink, his grin pure mischief and sin.
Oh, right. That’s how.
He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. “Say cheese, sunshine.”
Resting her hands on the platform below her to keep herself steady, Zoe scrunched up her nose and stuck her tongue out at him. “If I die, I’m going to haunt you for the rest of your life.”
“Trust me, if I put you in danger then I deserve to be haunted. But, you’re not going to die. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t completely safe.”
She started to sway. Hands trembling with adrenaline and healthy bit of fear, she grabbed onto the edge of the platform. The crazy people around her whooped and hollered, ready to get the show on the road.
The guy who took Aidan’s money—he’d made some excuse she couldn’t remember now about why she couldn’t pay—told them the “ride” lasted less than a minute. Less than a minute. Sixty seconds. She could do anything for one measly minute. Yeah. She had this.
“You gotta let go, Zoe. Look at me, babe. Hang on to the front of your harness. Like this.” Aidan demonstrated for her.
She did as he instructed, swallowing hard against the nervousness bubbling in her throat. “Have you done this before?”
“I’ve jumped out of planes more times than I can count, but I’ve never ziplined like a superhero over Vegas. A first for both of us, sunshine.” He turned his phone sideways and moved it around. Was he recording a video? “The guys are gonna fucking love this.”
The doors started to drop, like a jaw opening. “What
guys?” And why had he jumped out of planes more times than he could count? Was he some kind of adrenaline junkie?
“Here we go!” an employee yelled over a microphone, momentarily drowning out the old Elvis tune playing through the speakers.
The neon lights of Vegas lit up the night sky. Zoe let out an embarrassing squeal as she started to move. The warm night air hit her skin and suddenly she was … flying. Weightless. Unencumbered. She’d never felt anything like it. High above the street, there was nothing to hold her back or down. She felt … free.
For those few precious seconds, all of her troubles fell away. She stopped worrying about the house, her relationship with her mom, and the texts from Max.
As she flew into the mouth of the famous Fremont Street tunnel, she stretched her arms out and screamed again, this time in exhilaration. The light show was spectacular from up here. Flashing neon lights from the casinos below while the roof of the tunnel was lit up in a bright display of flowing colors. Pinks and purples and giant white polka dots.
By the time they reached the end, Zoe couldn’t contain her laughter. Her blood felt as if it had been carbonated, making every part of her body tingle with excitement.
She waited while an employee unhooked her from the overhead line, and then she was off the platform and throwing herself into Aidan’s arms.
He grunted at the force of the impact. “I take it you enjoyed that?”
Zoe had never felt so alive. She understood now why a person would become an adrenaline junkie. She tightened her arms around his neck and hooked a foot around one of Aidan’s legs. “That was amazing!”
His arms hugged her waist, keeping her dangling above the ground. He smelled like a man should. A rich combination of leather and spice with a mild underscore of sweat. His chest rumbled as she buried her nose in his neck, trying to memorize the scent.
She didn’t want to forget this moment. The adrenaline high. Aidan. The way he felt against her.
I want him.
She could blame it on the rush, but it wouldn’t change anything. She wanted him with a desperation she’d never felt before. With him there was no room for types. No space to think about the fact that he was leaving in a matter of days. There was only want, want, want. Consequences be damned.
Hot SEAL, Vegas Nights Page 6