Dex (HC Heroes Book 3)

by Donna Michaels

  She was everything.

  The black dress she wore fell to just above her knees and was sexy as hell, with sleeves that came halfway down her arms, a neck that scooped down, giving him a mouthwatering view of her cleavage, made from a material that felt soft and silky under his palms.

  Vaguely aware that the song had ended, Dex reluctantly drew back but when she let out a soft sound of protest, he stilled, his entire body suddenly coursing with need. He could feel it coursing through her too in the form of small tremors that made his pulse race.

  “Rylee…look at me,” he murmured, needing to see her gaze, needing to make sure he was reading things that were actually there and not things he wished were there.

  When her gaze finally met his, Dex felt her intake of breath, saw raw, real need swirling in her eyes, and there was no way he could stop his mouth from slowly lowering to claim hers.

  Oh, hell yeah, he was claiming.

  Chapter Seven

  The kiss they’d shared at the rec center had blown him away, but he was determined to make this one better. Their first kiss had started out as a pretense and he’d been caught off guard, not a hundred and ten percent there until a few heartbeats had passed. He didn’t want to miss any heartbeats this time. He wanted to make his presence known from start to finish. To kiss Rylee because she wanted to be kissed, not as a ruse.

  “Dex…” She inhaled again, then drew her lower lip between her teeth and dropped her gaze to his mouth.

  Damn, she was killing him.

  Keeping one hand pressed to her back, he moved the other to her face, and using his thumb, he coaxed her lip free. “Do you want me to kiss you, Rylee?”

  “Yes…”

  With need ruling his actions, he moved both hands to cup her face, and brought his mouth down on hers. A zing skittered through his body and intensified with her moan. He nipped and drank in a slow, unspoken question of acquiescence, making sure she understood he wasn’t doing this for show. She answered by stepping into him, closing the tiny gap between them. That was enough for him.

  Dex tipped Rylee’s head, changing the angle of the kiss, and slipped his tongue inside her hot, eager mouth, learning her taste, her essence, quickly becoming addicted to both. She moaned again, and met his tongue stroke for stroke, and his whole body came to life.

  Which was dangerous. They were under the stars but surrounded by people, and he knew it was time to put on the brakes.

  Damn, it wasn’t easy.

  Finding the strength, he broke the kiss, but didn’t release her. Rylee set her forehead on his cheek and slumped against him.

  “Wow,” she murmured. “Guess it wasn’t the adrenaline.”

  Unsure what she meant, he kept quiet, working to regain his control, while he enjoyed the feel of her soft, warm body pressed against him.

  She felt wonderful, amazing, and he was beginning to realize letting down his guard wasn’t such a good idea. He was in danger of losing a hell of a lot more than his control.

  Besides, he was here under a ruse, and not the one she thought.

  ***

  The next morning, Rylee used the meditation moments of the yoga session to re-center her out-of-control mind. Body. Universe.

  Geez, all it had taken was one touch or glance from Dex and she was suddenly a different person. A hungry, needy person, and although it’d felt great to be in his arms, and the recipient of his crazy, amazing kisses, it also put her right back into a vulnerable, dependent position.

  A position that resembled the one she was finally leaving behind.

  Last night, when they’d returned to their room, her body had been riding a high, teetering toward pursuing things she shouldn’t, but luckily, one of them had some sense…and it hadn’t been her.

  After he took a shower, a long one, he grabbed an extra blanket and pillow from the closet and slept on the floor, leaving her alone in the big bed. Relief and disappointment had mixed and eventually gave way to a fitful sleep. Which was dumb. He’d saved her from making a mistake. Oh, she had no doubt sex with Dex would be amazing, but he’d chosen to keep her in the dark about things in her life that she’d had the right to know and he’d taken away her choice to do something about it, and who was to say he wouldn’t do that again.

  The smart thing to do was fight her attraction to Dex.

  Rylee held back a sigh and changed into the warrior pose Julian called out, but with her mind off-kilter, her body followed suit.

  “I’ve got you,” Dex said, rushing forward to catch her when she teetered. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. Just leaned too far to one side.”

  Kind of like last night. She pushed that thought aside. Not going there.

  After he released her, she straightened her shirt. Even though she found it easier to do yoga in a tank top, Rylee opted to wear a T-shirt for her sessions here, since Dex was required to spot her. There were certain people she was self-conscious around and he was one of them. He’d glimpsed her scars over the years, but never up close.

  “Tell me you need some fresh water,” he said in a hushed tone.

  Rylee frowned. “What?”

  “Ross just left the room. I need to follow him.”

  Oh. Idiot. He needed her to give him the excuse. “Can you do me a favor and get my water bottle? I left it in the room,” she said, loud enough for anyone listening to hear. “I don’t drink water from a cooler. The thought of germs…” Rylee threw in a shudder for effect.

  “Sure.” He smiled and leaned in to peck her cheek. “I’ll be back. Just be careful you don’t lose your balance while I’m gone.”

  She snorted. She only lost it when he was near. And the fact that she adopted the pose with no problem when she tried it again was proof. In fact, she’d managed several more in the ten minutes he was gone.

  Julian had come over to spot her during one of the more difficult ones that required her to lay on her belly and reach behind and grab her feet. It was the angle of the shoulder that made it tough. He had to help her right hand connect with her foot.

  At first, it had hurt like a bugger, but after holding the pose for a while, she felt her shoulder muscle loosen with the stretch. Rylee was amazed at how much better it felt, even after releasing the pose.

  “You did well,” Julian said, holding out a hand to help her to her feet. “You might want to add that pose to your personal favorites.”

  She smiled. “I definitely will.”

  The more she was around the guy, watching him interact with others and not just herself, the stronger she felt about his innocence in the identity scam. And that, combined with what was in his file, made her confident enough to put him on the “not guilty” pile.

  Waiting around for the culprit to make a move was more than a little frustrating. Rylee knew there was a better than good chance the person might wait several weeks before utilizing that stolen identity. Her only solace was that if the thief stole the identity from any of the people at this retreat—whether unauthorized charges showed up two days from now or two months—Carter’s computer would catch it.

  But the sooner the better, especially this weekend, because she would be around to catch them in person.

  Adopting the next pose, she studied the people her view afforded, and wondered if her research had missed anything. No one had any recent large increases to their net worth. All of them had at least one credit card. But still, there had to be something they were missing.

  She was still chewing on that thought when Dex walked into the room. Her gaze was currently on the floor as she held a low, lunge pose, but her body was suddenly hyper-aware and warming up. All signals that Dex was near.

  “Here’s your water,” he said, setting it down within her reach on the left corner of her mat.

  He was former Delta, so of course he was uber-observant, and yet, she was hard-pressed not to be touched that he’d noted a personal preference of hers.

  “Thank you,” she said, hoping his observational
skills didn’t spot the heat rushing into her face.

  If he had, he didn’t let on, and she was grateful when the class ended and she could finally take him aside and ask him if he’d found Ross.

  “No, but Carter and Cooper are going through the feed. I’m sure one of the security cameras caught his whereabouts,” he said as they walked toward the elevators a little ahead of the others, his arm around her shoulders, hers around his waist.

  It felt natural and right, and she told herself it was just because there was only a four inch difference in their heights. Her gut was whispering something different.

  A common occurrence lately. In fact, it had happened several times throughout the day. Her gut seemed to have a lot to say about Dex, and she tried to get it to tell her something about the four other couples they ate lunch with, but it was too busy enjoying the food.

  Later that day, Rylee went to the spa with Alma and the wife of one of the other yoga students, but her gut didn’t seem to have an opinion on either of the women. And after an hour and a half she decided she’d had enough pampering and headed back to their room to see if Dex had returned from jet skiing with the guys.

  Turned out Ross had left the session this morning to set up the jet ski outing.

  She entered the room, and at the sound of the shower running, Rylee knew he was back. Hopefully, he’d had some luck and found a lead. It galled her that she couldn’t figure this out.

  Placing her purse on the nearby desk, she let out a sigh. Something had to give. It would. She could feel it.

  Perhaps, tonight at dinner. She walked to the closet and took off her sandals before glancing at her choice of outfits for the evening. Right now, she was wearing the only skirt she’d brought, which left the three dresses hanging in front of her. One she wore last night. She reached out to touch the black dress, and memories of her dance with Dex flooded her mind. The strength in his arms as he held her close. The way her body fit perfectly against his. The heat in his gaze as he lowered his mouth to hers.

  And that kiss…

  It was another all-consuming, strength-devouring, amazing kiss. But without any adrenaline from the job to blame it on.

  No. Her crazy, soul-deep reactions were because of one very, talented, sexy, capable man…who exited the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel a mere foot away.

  Meow...

  Rylee’s heart rocked, and her gaze devoured the mouthwatering expanse of male perfection in front of her. She knew he’d gotten tattoos from Mel. But had only seen the parts that graced his arm below his T-shirt sleeves. This was the first time she’d seen him shirtless since moving to Texas. To see the whole expanse of tattoos took her breath. Mel’s stunning artwork of an eagle and flag graced the muscles of Dex’s left forearm, bicep, and shoulder, leaving off at an empty area with the promise of more to come on his chest. Whatever it was, Rylee knew it would be just as beautiful as the rest of the tattoo.

  Her gaze dropped lower, and her mouth dutifully watered at how his six-pack abs transitioned into that sexy vee she’d glimpse in her kitchen last Monday. And now, it was teasing her by disappearing beneath the knot in the towel.

  Her brain fogged over and a warm knot of her own formed low in her belly.

  The man was even more incredible without a shirt than she’d ever imagined.

  If she shifted a tiny bit, she could lean forward and lick those ridges…

  Somehow finding the strength to lift her gaze from the splendor of his happy trail, she watched droplets drip from his wet hair onto his shoulders. His incredibly broad, sexy shoulders. Dex wasn’t overly built. He was ripcord ripped and carried himself with a lethal grace that was lethal to her pulse.

  And her resolve.

  All thoughts of fighting her attraction to him disappeared with his clothes.

  Lifting her gaze to his face, she found him staring at her with a mixture of heat and amusement in his eyes while one of his brows slowly quirked.

  Without thinking, she reached out to wipe off a drip of water running down his chest. “I’m guessing Mel isn’t done yet,” she said inanely.

  “No. She needs to connect the dragon from my back,” he said in a low, almost strained voice.

  Interesting.

  Her nearness appeared to affect him. Wanting to test that theory, even more than checking out the dragon tattoo on his back, she brushed her whole palm over his chest.

  “Don’t,” he ground out, his gaze dark with desire while his skin heated under her touch.

  Something inside Rylee snapped. Dex wanted her. She’d tasted it in his kisses, and it was in his eyes right now. And she definitely wanted him. Why couldn’t they act on it? All her life she’d heard don’t whenever she wanted to live a little.

  Not this time.

  Before she could put too much thought into her actions, she reached down and grasped his towel. She’d never done anything so brazen in her life, but this man pushed her buttons, pushed her out of her comfort zone…made her do things she’d never normally do.

  He grabbed her wrist and stilled her hand. “You’re playing with fire, Rylee.”

  Of that, she had no doubt. Nor did she care.

  “That explains why you make me so hot.”

  Yeah, it sounded cheesy, but it was the truth. Heat rushed through her entire body and she shook with need. She’d never wanted anyone as much as she wanted Dex. And it was time Rylee went after what she wanted.

  With his jaw and hold slackening, she took advantage of his fight for control and quickly tugged the towel loose. A heartbeat later, it slipped from his hips and fell to the floor.

  Muttering a curse, he released her wrist but didn’t make a move to cover himself…not even when her gaze dropped to take him fully in.

  Dayamn…he really was mouthwatering.

  “This isn’t smart.” His voice was deliciously rough and commanding enough to draw her attention from his thickening length to his smoldering gaze.

  “Smart?” She frowned. “It actually might be. We’re both attracted to each other. Our kisses have more than proven that.”

  Since learning he’d stood up to Gabe for her—how he’d had her back—she had to admit she wondered if he’d done it more than that one time. And since spending more time with him lately, her attraction to him had tripled.

  She wasn’t going to fight it anymore.

  Holding on to her bravado, she grasped the hem of the shirt she’d worn to the spa and quickly lifted it over her head, letting it fall next to his towel on the floor. Since most of her scaring was on her back, Rylee had no misgivings facing him. She lifted her chin before unzipping and stepping out of her skirt to stand in front of him in nothing but her matching bra and panties.

  His intake of breath cooled the air between them. “Rylee.”

  Although desire heated his tone, there was a warning in his voice, too. Choosing to ignore the latter, she stepped closer, but he grasped her shoulders and held her at arm’s length.

  “Rylee, don’t.”

  She frowned again. “Why not? I’m attracted to you. You’re attracted to me. Last night you practically devoured me while we danced. What’s the problem?”

  He clenched his jaw and bent to retrieve her clothes off the floor and thrust them at her.

  Okay…not the answer she was hoping for.

  In fact, that didn’t work for her at all. She needed an answer. A verbal one. “Why are you still fighting this?” It didn’t make sense. She stared up at him, waiting for his revelation, but when his gaze swept over the light blue lace barely containing her boobs, then trickled over to her right shoulder, she had a revelation of her own. “Oh.” She stiffened. It finally dawned on her…and hurt. More than she thought possible. “I didn’t think you were one of them.”

  “One of whom?” he asked, still holding her clothes.

  “Guys who are attracted to me until they see my scars. If I’m lucky enough, sometimes one of them is fine having sex with me as long as I’m on my back.” Why th
e hell did she just tell him that? The man made her nuts. With disappointment knotting her stomach and stinging her eyes, she yanked her clothes from his hand. “My mistake for thinking you were different.”

  How could she be so stupid?

  “I am different.” He reached out to grasp her upper arms and hold her still. “And these,” he said, shocking her by bending down to slowly and meticulously kiss her messed up shoulder, including a couple of the scars on the front, side, and what he could reach of the back, “they made you who you are today—brave, resilient, determined.”

  There he went again. Dex’s flip-flopping attitude had her completely off balance. His words and his sweet touch sent warmth swirling through her chest and she could do nothing to stop it.

  “Great.” She shrugged. “You just described a pushy bitch. Yay, me.”

  He straightened to look her in the eyes. “What you are is hot as hell, Rylee, and make no mistake, I’m very attracted to you. And if you don’t believe me, I think the evidence speaks for itself.”

  Her gaze followed his to the thick erection jutting out proud between them. She swallowed and cleared her throat. “Then what’s the problem? Why are you fighting this?”

  Exhaling, he released her and stepped back. “Your brother.”

  “Gabe?” She closed her eyes and groaned before opening them again. “Jesus, don’t tell me he warned you off me, too?” Of course, he had. Just because Dex wasn’t a SEAL like Gabe didn’t matter. He was military, and Gabe had no doubt warned all his military buddies to keep their hands off her. She loved her brother, she really did, but his over-protective nature messed with her desire to enjoy life. It always had, and she was getting right tired of it.

  “He cares about you,” Dex said, as if that made it okay for Gabe to control her life. “You’re his sister.” His brown gaze was dark with desire, and regret.

  Once again, her brother had cockblocked her.

  Literally, this time.

  She sighed and waved her fist full of clothes back and forth. “And you’re my brother’s friend. I get it. The code…blah blah blah.”