by Beth Rhodes
Her smile showed such tenderness, causing a knot of uncertainty to build in his heart. She was with him? A divorced, older man?
He couldn’t quite reconcile the idea that she might be a gold-digger or, worse, an officer groupie. Not when she’d looked down her nose at him.
As the two broke apart, Kevin approached. “General Standish, sir.”
“Captain Morgan, it’s good to see you.” He turned toward Valerie and rested a hand on the small of her back.
Confusion brought Kevin’s resentment to a boil, and jealousy struck him, leaving him angry at her and at himself for caring.
“I was lucky enough to watch you train some of your men a few weeks ago. They’re looking good, Captain.” Which was the same as complimenting him. He was proud of the men under his command.
“Definitely,” Kevin answered. Stay professional. He reined in his careening emotions and forced himself to focus on the conversation. “The men did exceptionally well. The team has come together. I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Valerie smiled politely, resting a hand on the general’s arm. “Please, if you don’t mind—”
She was going to get away from him. He had no way around it but to rudely interrupt his superior officer.
But the general held her next to him. “Kevin, have you met my daughter? Valerie, this is Captain Kevin Morgan. Kevin, my daughter, Valerie Standish.”
Chapter Six
Kevin’s jaw dropped. Not a lot, but enough for a person who couldn’t keep her eyes off him to notice. The slight slackening of his jaw, the blank look that had come into his eyes for a mere fraction of a second. He didn’t know? Everybody knew.
“Valerie.” As nonchalant as can be, he took her hand and shook it. “I had no idea.”
For a man who’d suggested their relationship be as shallow and physically appealing as possible, she was surprised when he acknowledged their acquaintance in front of her father. Past experience had shown her that most men with his intentions would be more likely to white-wash the truth.
His eyes sparked with challenge. For revenge? Maybe, and it made her heartbeat skip. Maybe Kevin was too confident. Or perhaps his intentions were far more gentlemanly than she suspected, and he felt no need to hide them.
Nah, he definitely wanted a fling.
She’d take his challenge and acknowledge it, too.
“Father, this is the man who saved the day when the store was robbed again.”
“Well, then. I owe you more than you know.” Her father grasped Kevin’s hand and pumped it vigorously. She might have rolled her eyes at the manly display, but she was a sucker for his sentimental side. “Thank you, son.”
“Sir, no thanks are necessary.”
She didn’t recognize the formal Kevin before her. He had no warmth, none of the friendliness he’d shown her when he came to her home.
“I tell you, she needs a bodyguard.” The general’s voice rose, as did the hair on Valerie’s neck.
“Father,” she forced through clenched teeth and an exasperated smile, “not now.”
“Why she insists on working in that place…” At a look of warning from her, he trailed off. “Well, you should quit, honey.”
Valerie turned to Kevin. “Would you like to dance?”
“I would love to. If you would excuse us?” With a nod to her father, he took her hand in a tight grip and led her to the floor, where a DJ had taken over from the orchestra.
When he put his arms around her, she wondered if the soothing melody hadn’t been planned for her. The stress of playing her part within this military family melted from her shoulders. How did he make her feel so natural and relaxed, able to handle life?
“So, the general’s daughter.”
Despite her continued warm feelings toward this man, despite the gentle way he held her as they moved over the hardwood floor, there was a distance in his stance, and irritability radiated from his pores. As hard as it was to believe that he hadn’t known who she was, she certainly hadn’t kept the secret intentionally.
Ever since she’d grounded herself in reality, she played on a level field—no more guys looking for advancement and no more Valerie thinking she deserved more than she had. With a shrug, she tilted her chin to him. “Valerie Standish, at your service.”
For the first time in ten years, a man’s silence sent butterflies straight to her stomach. But as he stroked his fingers over the exposed skin of her shoulders, the butterfly dance turned into need. Just like when they’d danced at Dougherty’s, they found a rhythm, matching each move as if they’d been dancing together for years.
The last strains of music faded with her sigh, as did the softness with which he held her.
“You’re as good at dancing as you are with your omissions.” he spoke stiffly and bowed.
His hand still held hers, though she didn’t think he noticed. When he pulled away, she wanted to cling to it and force him to come back to her. With one slow slide, his fingers were gone and her hand fell to her side.
She hadn’t meant to keep a secret.
She’d stopped defining herself by her father’s accomplishments years ago.
Dumbstruck, she stared at his retreating back. He wasn’t supposed to be the one to walk away from her. And who cared if she was a general’s daughter, anyway? She hadn’t chosen her parents any more than he had.
Of all the—
Temper rose within her and choked the breath from her lungs.
She took a step, arms swinging, and a hand grabbed her elbow, stopping her in her tracks. “Easy now, killer.”
Her mouth opened then shut. “Dad.”
“I didn’t know you knew Captain Morgan.”
“Apparently, I don’t.” Distracted, searching for the last sight of him before he left the ballroom, she turned sharply. “I’m sorry, but would you excuse me?”
“Well—”
“For the rest of the evening.” She kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry. I need to clear something up.”
He frowned, which made her smile.
“I promise I’ll call when I get home.”
Her dad’s eyes narrowed as he looked to the spot where Kevin had exited. “Be careful, honey.”
She felt like an idiot running in her heels. A real Cinderella. She raised the hem of her dress as she passed through the front door and ran down the steps, scanning the area for Kevin’s dark hair, his broad shoulders and definitive swagger.
Near the corner of the building, speaking with one of the valets, he handed off what could only be money and took a set of keys. Damn it. He couldn’t wait like a normal person for his car; he had to go get it himself.
She hurried through the southern spring—warm during the day and cold at night. She’d forgotten her jacket inside and now cool air, saturated by the late evening humidity, touched her skin and sent chills straight to her spine.
The parking lot was full, but she’d kept her eye on the target. She called out to him. “Wait!”
Her heel caught in a crack, almost upending her, and she bent down, twisting her head up so as not to lose sight of him.
Kevin turned under a street light, confusion on his face.
Ripping the heel free, she popped back up. “Kevin. Wait.”
He did, not moving one way or the other, guarded. His expression closed.
Valerie finally reached him, out of breath and probably looking a bit like a crazy lady. She patted her hair and sucked in a deep breath, but her mind froze.
“What?” The annoyance in his voice spiked her sense of injustice.
“You’re irritated with me?”
He scowled. “Sure, Miss Standish. And why not? I pursued you, thinking we could have a nice little affair. I liked you, but you’re not Valerie—woman with independence, a job, even if it is a crappy one. Is that all part of the lure? Make ‘em believe you’re a nobody?”
“Now, hold on a minute there.”
But he wasn’t quite finished.
“Not a n
obody, though. My God, you’re Valerie—the general’s daughter! The one man I need to impress, the one man I look up to and want approval from, is your father. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am for people to think that I seduced my way to Major. I don’t fraternize with military personnel, ever.”
“Seduced.” Her voice rose. Disbelief stunned her to silence as her brain jumped from implication to implication. All during her youth, she’d been too good for any ordinary soldier. She hadn’t looked past rank and uniform. Now she found someone who actually made her smile, made her consider throwing all her rules out the window. He was a soldier, an officer. And she wasn’t good enough for him.
It made her want to laugh. It made her want to weep.
She stiffened her spine.
“You call that seduction?” She did laugh then, but it hurt. “Don’t worry about it, soldier. You failed. You can take your stripes and pins, your career aspirations, and find your Mrs. Cleaver elsewhere. I don’t want any part of your life.”
With as much dignity as possible, she turned from him with the memory of the way he held her while they danced and the way he’d kissed her once, raging through her.
“Hey.” His voice rasped and broke on the frustration she’d seen shining in his eyes. “You owe me an apology.”
“Me? You’re the one who pursued me in hopes of a fling, a short-term, commitment-free, shallow relationship.” Her voice rose, the hurt not strong enough to bury the resentment of what she knew had been an ego trip to start with. “And you could have had it.”
She strode back, her blood boiling, and poked a finger at his chest. “Maybe you’re the one who needs to apologize. I never lied to you. You never asked. You wanted to ‘enjoy a few weeks’ and ‘see how things went.’ You didn’t care what my last name was a week ago. How am I supposed to know that you have some moral and ethical objection to dating me?”
He grabbed her wrist and made her gasp as he dragged her close. Chest to chest for an instant before he crushed his lips to hers.
She lost her breath, lost balance, lost all thought, and moaned into the desperate embrace. When her arm was free again and his hand cupped the back of her neck, she reached for his suit, crushing the lapel in her grip.
His tongue swept over hers, and teeth scraped along her bottom lip. Kevin framed her face with his hands and pulled himself away. The disappointment almost broke her heart.
“I have to go.”
She opened her mouth.
“No.” He cut her off with a sharp wave of his hand. “I—I’m sorry. I can’t.”
Valerie hesitated for a moment, wanting to convince him to change his mind. But she had her pride, too. The rumble of his truck serenaded her the entire way back to the library then faded as she took the steps to the main doors.
Chapter Seven
“Oh, my God, Valerie.” Cheryl’s eyes were wide as she sipped the glass of zinfandel. “That is so romantic.”
Valerie set her own glass firmly down on the table in front of her. “Romantic? If I’d been a nobody, we probably would’ve had sex after that first date and never have seen each other again. How is that romantic?”
Her friend shrugged. “Well, good point, but still. He doesn’t take his relationships lightly, even the ones he knows aren’t going anywhere. Sooo, you’re thinking about sex, huh?”
“No,” Valerie spoke too quickly then laughed. “Well, jeez. Aside from wanting to have a career then do it right and get married first, he can be charming. He’s good-looking, and I actually like him. Liked him.”
She bit her lip at the admission and a tear stung the back of her eyelids. You’ve been rejected. Get over it.
Standing, Valerie finished her wine in one swallow. The fridge held chilled merlot, and with a shrug she refilled her glass and set the bottle on the counter.
“Oh, honey. You fell for him.”
“You know what I really liked?” She didn’t turn to look at Cheryl but gazed through the window over the sink to the neighbor’s fenced-in yard out back. “Despite the charm, the egotism, and his undeniable fixation to take our relationship to a physical level, I never felt any pressure to be with him. He didn’t make me uncomfortable by being big and overbearing.
“This is my punishment, isn’t it? For all those years of sticking my nose up.” She did turn then and flipped her hair over her shoulder, imitating a younger version of herself. “What,” she mimicked in a younger, falsetto voice. “A captain? Well, I nevah. You run along now, soldier. I don’t play with little boys.”
Cheryl laughed but rose from her seat and wrapped comforting arms around her.
“The stupid thing is, I’m not interested in a lifetime commitment with a soldier. The separation, the worry. Kids who grow up without a dad most of the time. You know it wasn’t fun.”
“I don’t know, Valerie.” Cheryl set her glass in the sink and wandered over to the doorway. “You had it rougher than some because your mom left. She wasn’t happy. Did you ever stop to ask yourself why? Maybe it didn’t have anything to do with your dad’s career at all.”
Valerie scowled. “Now you sound like my therapist.”
“You see one?”
“Did. A long time ago.”
And she’d hated it, every fifty-minute session her dad had forced her to attend. But it came back to her, and as her perspective broadened, her appreciation for the torture did too.
“Until now, I’d never met anyone who made me rethink my position on the matter. It’s neither here nor there, now. Kevin made his mind very clear. I’m not in the running for significant other.”
A pout appeared on Cheryl’s face. “I’m a little bummed. My two favorite people in the whole world. I had high hopes.”
“Come on. Let’s watch a girly movie, something funny.”
“I can’t. I’ve got an early lab in the morning.” Cheryl made a face. “Dr. Brummer.”
Valerie brushed off the disappointment, reminding herself that she had her own classes to see to. With a sigh, she hooked her arm through Cheryl’s. “Let’s make a date, then. It’s been too long since we’ve hung out as girls. I’ll make brownies, and you buy the ice cream.”
~*~*~
Pounding on the front door shook Valerie from a restless sleep. Dreams that twisted the robbery from three weeks ago with images of her mom and dad fighting, and again, with the feel and taste of Kevin, only…
Not his face. Her dreams couldn’t pull his face to the forefront.
Too bad. He had a nice face.
When the pounding continued, she eyed the alarm clock on her dresser across the room—one-thirteen. Stumbling from the comfort of her bed, she threw a sweatshirt on over her tank and opened her closet.
Her .32 was stashed in a box on the top shelf. Locked. She didn’t live in a dangerous neighborhood, but she liked being cautious and prepared. The result of growing up by herself with a Boy Scout for a father.
“I’m coming,” she cried out when the pounding started up again. She reached the door. “Who is it?”
“Kevin Morgan, damn it. Open the door.”
Valerie rolled her eyes at the agitated tone in her late-night visitor’s voice and opened the door a crack. “It’s late. Or early, or whichever you prefer. I was sleeping.”
He whispered, over-enunciating each word, “I know. I’m sorry. Hey, can I come in?”
“Are you drunk?” She smacked the door shut, released the chain, and swung it wide. No truck in the driveway. “How did you get here, anyway?”
“I’ve been drinking a little. My buddy’s getting married next weekend. I didn’t drive.” He lifted his foot and pointed to the loafers. “I walked.”
He leaned a bit before finally putting his foot back down and attempting to advance into her home. “I got to thinking.”
“What is it about alcohol that makes men such good thinkers?” she muttered, closing the door behind him. “Well, come in then. I’ll make coffee. Strong coffee.”
The man was i
n her house at one o’clock in the morning. She should have given him the boot, but she was in much deeper than she’d thought. She was actually glad to see him.
She could handle herself.
He would leave. She would move on. But for now…
Kevin walked around the living room once, walked it twice, this time stopping to peer in the kitchen before stopping at the bookshelf.
He touched the photographs. There were a couple with her mother and one with Cheryl. At the very top of the unit was a picture of a man holding a small girl—Valerie. He picked it up.
“I didn’t see this one before.” Placing it back on the shelf, Kevin scooted around the end of the couch and dropped. Flat on his back, stretched out, he tucked a throw pillow under his neck.
“Make yourself comfortable there, big guy.”
He was being cute. Ugh. She left the living room to make coffee and possibly regain her senses. What is he doing here, anyway?
What could he be thinking?
As she poured water from the carafe to the reservoir, the thought hit her. Maybe he wasn’t ready to give up on that fling. Jeez. Her stomach tightened at the thought of jumping into that one.
Dreams of his hard body pressed to hers, of his arms holding her gently. His breath on her neck…the way their conversations always flowed easily, as if they knew what the other was thinking. She sighed.
But she wanted a man who wanted her because he loved her, because she somehow made everything in his life a little brighter. One who would cherish a number of years, like ‘til death do us part.
Valerie slammed the lid of the coffee maker and pressed the on button. Why? Why couldn’t she have both? Always, it was one or the other.
“Do you mind if I use your restroom?”
Valerie shrieked and whipped around. Her heart pounded against her sternum, and she placed her hands over it, hoping to keep it from breaking free. “Don’t do that.”
“I’ve been standing here for two minutes. I thought you were ignoring me.” He came close and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Don’t think that hard. You’ll get lines.”