When Carrie stepped up to take Derick’s hands and the ceremony began, Sandy took a deep breath and pulled her eyes away.
She knew that Joe was watching her. But she wouldn’t look at him. She was absolutely not going to look at him. Sandy promised herself that she was strong enough to keep herself from looking up at him. Just stare at the flowers. Focus on the minister. Feel the pinch of her toes in the satin shoes.
It was no use. She could feel the weight of Joe’s gaze, knew that he was silently willing her to look his way.
Lifting her eyes, she stared into his hazel eyes and felt the blush heating her cheeks. She’d barely slept at all last night after that kiss. She’d wanted him so badly! And yet, she knew that she couldn’t have him.
Sighing, she shook her head. He smiled mischievously back at her.
Sandy refused to laugh. She was standing up for her friend, about a hundred people were watching. Granted, they were most likely watching Carrie and Derick. Sandy was off to the side, the last in a row of three ladies wearing lavender chiffon dresses.
Unknown to Joe, Sandy had taken precautions. So, when his eyes moved over the chiffon, focusing on her breasts, Sandy was confident that his sensual perusal wouldn’t reveal the reactions that he’d spurred in her last time. Or every time he touched her, or she thought about him or…well, her body’s reactions were safe!
Not that her body wasn’t reacting. Just like the last time, as soon as his eyes moved down over her body, she felt that instant heat, knew that her nipples were hardening. But she was smarter than the average bear, to take a line from Yogi’s oft-spoken exclamation. She’d dressed with her previous reaction’s revealing…uh…points, in mind.
Confused, his gaze returned to her face. Then back down to her breasts. Slowly, her smile grew wider as his confusion increased.
“You may kiss the bride,” the minister announced.
Startled, Sandy looked around, surprised that the ceremony was over. They were married? Wow, she’d completely missed it!
The bride and groom kissed, the audience stood up and there was a massive wave of applause, hoots, whistles, and cheers. Finally, the kiss ended and the now-married couple walked up the aisle, blissfully happy. The entire Delta Force team was here in force, so the noise was almost deafening.
Lexie smiled as she linked her arm through her husband’s. Sandy’s heart pounded as she watched Abby step forward and take Zeke’s arm, sharing a smile with him, as if they were remembering their wedding.
Then it was her turn. Joe watched, a smug, victorious look in his eyes as he waited for Sandy to step forward. With a tentative touch, she laid her hand on his elbow. But Joe was having none of it and he pulled her hand more firmly onto his arm, and led her up the aisle, out of the sanctuary.
“You’re hiding something,” he whispered to her.
She smiled, but kept her eyes forward. “I don’t know what you mean.”
He laughed and pulled her closer. “You realize that you’re only challenging me, right?”
Uh oh! “I’m not trying to challenge you, Joe. It’s just that…well...”
“You’re wearing a padded bra.”
Oh, he was so wrong. “Actually,” she leaned closer, an evil monster rising up inside of her, “I’m wearing a lovely bustier.” At his blank look, she shrugged. “Okay fine, it’s a fancy bra. Don’t worry about it. You’ll never see it.”
He growled low in his throat and she laughed, feeling free and dangerously sexy.
The wedding coordinator called the bridal party back into the sanctuary for pictures. Joe looped his arm around her waist and led her back inside, waving to his teammates as they headed for the bar. The wedding reception was happening just down the street at one of the hotels and the guys already knew that plenty of beer was waiting on ice. The guests weren’t interested in sticking around for the pictures to be over.
“Okay, everyone crowd in close. Male-female, you know the drill!” The cheerful, teasing wedding coordinator of the night before turned into a drill sergeant as she bellowed orders to the wedding party. Everyone lined up, several of the guys rolling their eyes as Carrie and Derick snuggled closer, kissing every few minutes. It would be nauseating if it wasn’t so cute.
“Feel free to snuggle closer to me,” Joe whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back up against his hard chest. She felt his breath in her hair and shivered, which tightened his arms around her again.
For a long moment, Sandy allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of Joe and his tall, strong body almost wrapped around her whole being. She even leaned her head back, resting against his broad shoulder. Just for a moment, she told herself. Only a moment and then she’d pull away.
It had been a long time since she’d been held. And an even longer time since she’d liked the man doing the holding.
Still, it was wrong to lead Joe on like this. Nothing could come of it.
Pulling away, she sighed and patted his hand, silently asking to be released. He did, but not completely.
“Okay, just the couple now,” the photographer called out.
Everyone departed the stage as Carrie and Derick posed for photos. Sandy moved away, wanting to watch, but also not wanting to be a part of this any longer. It was too dangerous and she…liked Joe way too much.
“What happened back there?” Joe asked, standing beside her, but not touching her now. Instead, he leaned against the podium.
She was leading him on and he deserved better than that. Turning, she looked up into his wonderful eyes. “There’s nothing for us, Joe. I’m not…” she paused, her throat tightening as she tried to admit the truth. “You look at me as if…as if you might want something more than sex.”
“I do. I like you, Sandy.”
She sighed, blinking back tears. No tears today! She’d used waterproof mascara, but that wouldn’t stop the tears from causing streaks down her cheeks.
“I like you too,” she replied. “You’re funny and charming and…” her eyes moved over his big, muscular body. “And you’re super hot. There’s no denying that I’m intensely attracted to you.”
“So, what’s the problem?” he asked, taking her hand and pulling her gently forward.
“The problem is me. I’m not…I can’t…”
She blinked again, irritated that she couldn’t get the words out. With other men, she’d been firm and unconcerned what they thought of her. But Joe was different. Significantly different.
“What is it, Sandy?” he asked, his callused thumb stroking the back of her hand.
“Joe!” Mike called out.
Joe turned and noticed the rest of his friends and their ladies standing there, watching them. With a sigh, he pushed away from the podium. “Our turn?”
“Yep!” the photographer nodded.
Joe took Sandy’s hand and led her back to the center of the area where the others had posed. He turned and took Sandy in his arms, holding her close, but not tightly. “We’ll finish this later,” he whispered.
Joe wanted to punch someone or something, although he wasn’t sure why exactly. Something was bothering Sandy. That was the only explanation.
Why did he feel so protective of her? Granted, he had some overblown protective instincts already. But with Sandy, it was different. His emotions felt different, bigger somehow. He didn’t just want to keep the bad guys away, as he felt about most people. No, with Sandy, it was more. Deeper. He wanted to push all the demons away too. He wanted to earn her smile. He wanted to hear her laugh and he loved it when she leaned into him. She’d done that earlier and he’d wanted to wrap himself around her like a blanket. He’d wanted her so close, she wouldn’t know where she ended and he began. He wanted to kiss her until she sighed the way she had last night.
But something was wrong. There was something she didn’t want to tell him. Was she in danger? But she was a police officer. A police detective. She had resources that others didn’t even know about. So no, he doubted t
he issue was physical harm. There was something else. Something in her that was holding her back from embracing what they both felt.
And despite her lack of body signs, he knew that he was getting to her. Just as much as she was getting to him. He swallowed a chuckle at the memory of standing through his best friend’s wedding with an erection as he watched Sandy walk down that aisle. At that moment, he’d known that he wanted to claim her as his own. As his woman.
Unfortunately, his curiosity would have to wait. They needed to get through the pictures and then the reception. But tomorrow, yeah, tomorrow, he was going to find out everything. Maybe she’d let him drive her home tonight and he could discover what was bothering her that much sooner.
Chapter 6
Sandy almost groaned when Joe shifted in his chair. He felt so wonderful and she was almost dizzy with desire. The food was wonderful and plentiful. The drinks flowed steadily, although Sandy limited herself to two glasses of wine.
It was time for the first dance and Sandy couldn’t hold back the tear that slipped out of her eye. Surreptitiously wiping it away, she blinked and forced her lips into a smile.
That’s when Joe shifted his chair again, taking her hand in his as he offered her comfort. How could he tell that she’d needed it?
Sandy didn’t care. She just leaned closer. His arm moved to the back of her chair, giving her a small cradle between his body and his shoulder. Without remorse, she shifted so that she could lean into him, could smell his woodsy aftershave.
“And the bridesmaids!” the DJ called out.
“Come on, honey,” Joe urged, standing up and leading her through the tables towards the dance floor. “This is going to be fun!”
When they were introduced, the last couple thankfully, which meant that the others were swaying to the music already, so not all of the eyes were on her and Joe.
“Have I mentioned how beautiful you look?” he asked.
“Thank you,” she replied. “You look very handsome yourself.” The groomsmen weren’t wearing tuxedos, but they’d chosen dark suits with matching ties.
He smiled, then spun her again. The DJ called out others to join in the dancing and several other guests joined in, forcing Joe to pull her in closer. Sandy didn’t mind even a little.
“This is getting dangerous,” she whispered to him.
“I don’t think it’s dangerous at all.”
Sandy sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. “You don’t understand, Joe.”
“Nope,” he replied, and spun her around. “And you aren’t doing a good job of explaining. So until I understand, I’m going to keep on asking you out.”
She sighed, but couldn’t come up with an argument for that.
“Come with me, Sandy,” he led her out the door, grabbing two beers along the way. Outside on the patio, which was nearly deserted at this point, he took her to one of the far corners where several benches were tucked under the trees.
Immediately, Joe took his coat off and placed it over her shoulders. “Now talk to me.
“You’re going to get cold.”
He shook his head when she started to take it off. “No, leave it on, Sandy. My metabolism is good enough that I can take the chill. Plus, I’ve been in that jacket all night and I’m hot. So, this feels pretty nice. Meanwhile, you’re in a sleeveless dress, so you’ll get cold faster.”
She sighed, nodding and leaned back, snuggling into the coat. Not just for its warmth, but also because it smelled like Joe.
“So, talk to me, Sandy. What’s going on? What’s holding you back?”
She considered for a long moment, then decided to just…blurt out the truth. “I was married before.” There was a stunned silence and she laughed softly. “Threw ya there, didn’t I?”
“Absolutely.” He waved his hand, silently telling her to continue.
“It ended badly. My ex-husband said some things that were harsh, but probably true. Maybe not true. But regardless, they hurt. Deep down inside, they hurt me. So I haven’t been able to be in a relationship since.”
“Okay, so are you planning to be alone for the rest of your life?”
She looked up, noticed the full moon, and wondered about it. “Probably. That was the plan, at least.”
“Okay, so…how about sex? What are you doing about sex?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “Sex isn’t really an issue for me.”
He laughed, standing up and coming towards her. “Sex is always an issue, honey.”
Sandy thought about what it felt like when he touched her, the way it had felt when he’d kissed her last night. She’d really loved it. So in that moment, she looked up at him and smiled challengingly. “Why don’t you prove it?”
He stilled, looking down at her with confusion. That look slowly transformed to heat and she wanted to laugh at how easy he was. Such a guy!
“Are you telling me that you want sex, Sandy?”
“Yes. With you. I want to know what it’s like with you.”
He hissed as he ran a hand through his hair. “Sandy, I think we should…”
Joe froze as she touched his cheek, her fingers cold against his skin. At that point, he knew something was wrong, but at least she was touching him. And because of that, his thoughts spun out of control. She was touching him and that was all he could think about.
“Damn it, Sandy,” he muttered, and pulled him into his arms. He kissed her before he could say anything else. When she lifted up on her toes, fitting her curves against him, Joe knew he was lost. Completely lost.
“Take me to your place, Joe,” she whispered against his mouth.
Joe needed no other prompting. He took her hand and turned, practically pulling her around the building to the parking lot. As soon as they reached his car, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her again, more deeply this time. He pressed her against his truck and his body, desperate to feel all of her.
“Home,” she whispered.
“Right!” He opened the passenger door and placed her carefully on the seat. He heard her laughter, but didn’t care.
Joe tore out of the parking lot as if someone was chasing him. He’d never felt this level of intensity before.
It took him less than ten minutes to get home. He parked and, before he could open his door, she leaned forward and kissed him again. It wasn’t just her kiss, but that was tempting enough. But she also touched him, her hand sliding over his arm to his chest. For a man who had craved her touch for less than a week, her fingers still sent him into a dizzying spiral of need.
“Get out of the car, Sandy!” he ordered abruptly.
She laughed again, triumphantly and sat back. But he couldn’t. This need to have her, to be inside of her and feel her clenching around him was too intense.
He came around to the other side of his truck and she was already stepping down. But he didn’t allow her feet to touch the ground. Instead, he swept her into his arms and, damn, her legs wrapped around his waist and she kissed him again, her soft fingers diving into his hair. Joe knew that he was lost. He wasn’t sure how he made it to the front door of his house. He pulled his mouth away as he fumbled with his keys, but Sandy moved to his neck, sliding her teeth and her lips against his skin, sucking, nipping at his earlobe. It was a miracle he was still standing!
Getting inside was a miracle, but once the front door to his house was closed, the game changed. Pressing her back against the door, he lifted her higher so that their bodies were more perfectly aligned. Over and over, he slanted his mouth against hers, their tongues tangling, lips exploring as he ground himself against her. His hands slipped under her dress, pushing it higher. He found the zipper at her back and tugged it down, revealing that she hadn’t been lying when she’d warned him about the pretty underthings. Joe had never seen a bustier before, but looking down at Sandy’s perfect breasts encased in soft, glowing satin, he was now a fan!
“Damn, that looks amazing,” he groaned, tracing a finger along the edge. Kiss
ing her again, he tugged the material away from her breasts and…froze.
“What the hell?” There was no nipple!
“What’s wrong?” Sandy asked, straining to feel more of him. If he could just…she shifted against his hard shaft once more…but he pulled away and she blinked, trying to figure out what was wrong, why he’d stopped.
“Sandy, have you…what’s….?” he trailed off, nonplussed, nodding at her breasts.
Sandy was confused and almost furious that he’d stopped. But she followed the direction of his gaze and…burst out laughing. She laughed so hard that she couldn’t stand up any longer, bending over at the waist.
“I think that I need an explanation,” Joe growled, pulling her back up and pressing her against his door once more.
Sandy chuckled again, looping her arms around his neck. “Remember at the engagement party when you noticed my…uh…?”
“Nipples pressing against that soft sweater?” he finished for her. With a grin, he nodded while his hands slid back under the lavender material of her dress, moving against her thighs, up and down, distracting her.
“Yeah, well…” she closed her eyes, shivering. “I knew that this dress would show everything and I would be standing in front of hundreds of people. So, I made sure that I wouldn’t reveal anything I didn’t want to.” She delicately peeled the silicon pasties off.
Joe stared at the silicon circles in horror. “That’s cheating,” he declared, then lifted her up again. Instead of carrying her to his bedroom, he lifted her higher so that he could latch onto her breast, his tongue lashing against her nipple until she moaned. He even nipped at it gently and Sandy cried out, arching and pressing her breast farther into his mouth. Her head fell back against the door and she ground herself against his hardness, desperate for relief.
Suddenly, he lowered her to the ground, and grabbed something out of his back pocket. It was a condom. For a moment, Sandy considered telling him that he didn’t need a condom. But then considered potential diseases. They hadn’t talked about that so she ignored the issue. And in truth, she didn’t want to have that conversation at all. She loved feeling this wanted! It was refreshing after the hateful things her ex-husband had said.
Joe (Delta Forces Book 4) Page 3