by Laura Acton
“Well, not the exact location, but yeah, with you on a washing machine,” Dan said in a somewhat distracted voice as he replayed tonight in his head. Reality had been much better than his fantasy. He would never be able to do wash again without imagining Lexa sitting on washer number two.
In the dim moonlit bedroom, Lexa could make out the glazing over of Dan’s eyes. She asked in a sultry voice, “Do you have other fantasies, soldier?”
Dan peered into Lexa’s fire-speckled eyes. He rolled, so he lay on top of Lexa and began ardently kissing her. He halted a few moments later, pulling back ever so slightly. “Many, and they all involve you.” He leaned down and started a trail of light kisses down her neck.
His attention sparked and renewed her fire, but this time they engaged in slow, tender lovemaking, taking time to caress and tease each other. When both reached the pinnacle, Dan fell to the side, and he stared at the ceiling as his craving for Lexa grew … each time they connected another piece of him entwined with her.
Lexa snuggled next to Dan and sighed. Tonight was both exciting and tender. Dan is so different from any man I’ve dated. I could lose myself in him.
Giving herself wholly to another person scared the crap out of her, and in the back of her mind, a warning sounded. If your father and brothers, the men who supposedly loved you, can so easily discard you when you make a decision they didn’t like, what will stop any man from doing the same thing?
Fear of her past repeating itself prevented her from completely opening up and committing to a relationship. Though Dan was attentive and affectionate, Lexa decided that for now, it was better to go slow and keep her heart ensconced in her fortress. She could not commit to anything beyond dating … and awesome sex. I must protect myself from the pain of betrayal.
When Lexa’s regular breathing indicated she had fallen asleep, Dan pulled the covers over their bodies. Grinning as he considered bringing a few more fantasies to life with Sexy Lexie, he gently smoothed her wavy auburn hair, enjoying the silky texture between his fingers. He would willingly lose himself to her. Lexa was his beauty of life, although she didn’t realize it yet.
As sleep slowly claimed him, Dan wondered if Lexa would ever trust him enough to invite him into her world and share her history with him. His mind latched on an optimistic thought. He had once been in her position, and in truth, he still was to some extent.
Trusting others was never easy for him, but if he could learn … as he did with Brody, Blaze, Mason, Patch, Winds, and Ripsaw, then she was capable of the same. He needed to prove to her he was worthy of her faith, just as Blaze and the others demonstrated solidarity to him through the consistency of their deeds and words as he discovered they accepted him regardless of his flaws.
Dan comprehended that without them, he would not have recovered from the injuries he sustained in captivity, nor would he have regained his self-worth and confidence. Each man earned his trust, and they developed lasting bonds based on honesty and concern for each other’s wellbeing … true brotherhood. If he applied those same concepts with Lexa … their attachment would grow, and she would likely open up to him.
The only fly in the ointment … they started a relationship in the worst possible way … sneaking around and hiding their involvement from their teammates, while breaking the rules. Dan fully comprehended that secrets often destroyed hard-earned trust when they were exposed. He hoped fate would not screw with him and allow him to enjoy this sliver of happiness.
Keep reading for a sneak peek
at Laura Acton’s eighth novel
in the Beauty of Life series.
Sneak Peek:
Secrets
Passion, Deceit, and Revenge
Available Soon
.
January 6
TRF HQ – Men’s Locker Room – 11:55 a.m.
Sheer unadulterated panic gripped Constable Daniel Broderick as his mouth went dry and his palms became sweaty. The situation he now faced never occurred before, and Dan found himself at a complete loss as to how to proceed. His eyes darted to Alpha Team’s sergeant … Nick Pastore was a man who possessed an uncanny ability to read people, which made him an asset to the Tactical Response Force.
With hesitation unraveling him, Dan feared Boss would pick up on his sense of dread and combine that with the pants he held … thus figuring out the secret Lexa and he kept from the team. Dating his teammate, Lexa McKenna, on the sly was fraught with danger. They chose to break the non-fraternization rule which might end with both of them fired or reassigned to different teams.
Right now, Dan didn’t mind they couldn’t go out in public. It left more time for bed sports. He had been with many women. He was no saint … actually, his best friend had called him Sinner years ago. But Sexy Lexie was by far the most intriguing partner and to him what they shared was more than just sex. Lexa was his beauty of life. Though Dan realized last night, he must be patient and gain her trust before she would commit fully.
All his plans might be moot now. After fulfilling his fantasy of having sex in the laundry room, he and Lexa left their folded clothing in his basket. Neither one remembered to set an alarm, and as a result, they woke with only moments to gather their items before rushing out of his apartment.
They barely made it to headquarters on time. Lexa entered through the front, and he came in the back door. He ran up the stairs to the lockers and tossed his go bag on the bench before joining the team in the gym for a shorter one-hour workout since they shifted to the noon to midnight rotation.
Dan glanced at Jon Hardy. His tactical lead’s keen, gunmetal gray eyes didn’t miss much either. Dan grimaced at the thought of the verbal dressing down he would receive from Jon if they discovered he was sleeping with Lexa. The guys might pulverize him … they behaved as protective brothers, though Lexa didn’t require a man’s protection. She could hold her own … and they all received bruised biceps at one point or another as proof.
The others finished dressing and began closing lockers while he still stood in his boxers. Dan dropped his head and stared at the gray uniform pants in his hands. I’m a dead man.
TRF HQ – Women’s Locker Room – 11:55 a.m.
Lexa stood before the mirror as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. She stopped and gazed at herself and questioned, “What are you doing, Lexa? You worked extremely hard and sacrificed everything to achieve your dreams. Are you willing to screw up the whole enchilada for sex with a hot blond?”
She sat on the bench and tugged on her black, TRF undershirt. Picking up her long-sleeved uniform shirt, she brushed over the sniper patch attached to the pocket flap … a tangible representation of all her hard work … hours on the range. Her other accomplishments, profiler and negotiator, didn’t have a patch but were no less valued. If only her father and brothers would understand and accept her choice and that the entirety of her skills helped save lives and made the world a better place.
After slipping her arms into her shirt, leaving it unbuttoned, Lexa peered at her reflection again and answered. “Yeah, I am going to play with fire. Perhaps I’m still rebellious and Dan is forbidden fruit.”
“It is more. Trust your heart,” her inner voice whispered.
Lexa replayed the wee hours of this morning in her mind. The hot and fast tryst in the laundry room offered an element of daring. Their later foray, though slow and tender, likewise satiated both. Dan exhibited an equal measure of saint and sinner … a unique combination of incorrigible boy and capable lover.
Grinning, she realized she left him with a few bite marks. Luckily the guys all believed Dan dated many women, so marking him would be attributed to another woman. Distracted, by a surge of jealousy, Lexa yanked on her pants then sat to button them. To combat the unwanted feeling, she focused on recalling the sweet kiss Dan planted on her cheek a block from headquarters.
She drove him today because he didn’t fill his gas tank yesterday, thinking he had time on their days off, but now they were covering Echo Tea
m’s shift, and they woke too late for him to stop. Lexa stood as she touched the spot where he kissed her. Her uniform pants pooled at her ankles, and her mouth gaped open as she overheard Dan’s yell. Crud! These are Dan’s pants.
About the Author
Laura Acton, author of the Beauty of Life series, has a passion for writing stories which pull the reader into a complex world of courageous men and women riding a roller coaster of emotions and danger, highlighting the nature of relationships and bonds developed in adversity.
Ever since she was a teenager, Laura entertained herself crafting stories in her head. One quiet night, with music softly playing, Laura sat at a computer and finally allowed her stories to flow onto the page. Thus, discovering her
writing passion as she began FORSAKEN, the first novel
in the Beauty of Life series.
If you like action, angst, intrigue, romance, details, twists, turns, and connections, Laura’s novels are chocked full of them.
To receive an email notification for the next release, send an email to [email protected].
For a complete listing of Laura’s novels, visit amazon.com/author/lauraacton