by Rachel Lacey
She squirmed in his arms, restless, aching for more. “Mark…”
He lifted his head, his dark eyes blazing with the reflection of the sunset behind them. God, he was absolutely the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. She traced a finger over the scar on his cheek. It was smooth, almost slick, puckered against his skin.
He flinched.
“Does it hurt?” she whispered.
He shook his head.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?” His voice rumbled through her.
“For whatever happened to you overseas.” Because she had a feeling there were other scars, less visible ones, physical and emotional.
He opted to kiss her again instead of answering, and she couldn’t argue with that. Not when kissing him was the most fun she’d had in weeks, months, years…who the hell knew? God, he tasted good, he felt good. She felt good in his arms.
And whoa. This was getting out of hand. “Put me down,” she murmured against his lips.
He lowered her gently, still supporting her with one arm, and holy shit, she’d forgotten why he was carrying her in the first place because, ouch, her left knee screamed in protest when she tried to stand on it.
She shifted her weight to her right leg, holding on to Mark for balance, which refocused her attention to the fact that now their bodies were matched up. His hard length pressed against her belly like a sinful invitation.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice a bit more gruff than usual.
“Mm-hmm.” Instinctively, she pressed closer.
His hands slid down to her waist, anchoring her against him. “Can you walk?”
“Maybe.” But that would mean stepping backward out of his arms, when all she really wanted to do was climb up his body until that bulge in his jeans pressed into her right where she needed it…
“Jess.” His voice rumbled through her, making every inch of her tingle with anticipation.
“Mark.” Her voice was a whisper as she tipped her face up to his, and dammit, why did he have to be so tall? She went up on her right tiptoe (forget her stupid left knee and its inconvenient issues), and then they were kissing again, and this kiss included all the things she’d been missing the first time.
His hands were on her butt, keeping her hips flush against his, and God, he was so hard, and she wanted him so much that she didn’t even care about what a bad idea it was. She slid her hands beneath his shirt, exploring the taut muscles beneath. Every inch of him was hard. There probably wasn’t an ounce of fat anywhere on his body.
She trailed her fingers over the hard slope of his back and around to the drool-worthy six-pack of his abs. He’d been lean and muscular in high school, but now the guy was seriously built. Honestly, she wasn’t sure she’d ever felt muscles as prominently defined as Mark’s. As she shamelessly explored his abs, her fingers encountered another scar.
His body tensed against hers. She skimmed his scar with her fingers, and Jesus, it ran all the way from his navel to his hip, smooth and straight like a surgical scar. But there were others, raised and puckered in his flesh, tangible souvenirs of his time at war. Tears burned at the back of her eyes for whatever he’d been through. And since this was definitely not the time or place to ask, she slid her hands up, rewarded by a harsh groan from Mark as she pinched his nipples, causing them to constrict into tight buds.
Yeah, he’d always liked that.
He rocked his hips into her, deepening their kiss. His tongue thrust against hers, and her whole brain just went poof, leaving nothing behind but lust and want and need. Next thing she knew, he’d popped the clasp of her bra. His hands slid around to cup her breasts, and her nipples tightened into aching peaks, sending a bolt of fire straight to her core, where she already throbbed for him.
They kissed like that for what might have been minutes, hours, days…she’d lost all track of things like time and place. At some point, his hands slid down to cup her ass, lifting her off the ground so that his cock pressed between her legs. Their hips rocked together as they touched, kissing each other like their lives depended on it. And she was so turned on she might—
“Woof!”
Dammit. Jessica had almost forgotten the mutt was there, but when she looked down, she saw the dog sitting at Mark’s feet, staring up at them with a comical expression on her face.
Mark put Jessica down, and she stepped backward out of his arms, relieved to find that her knee felt much better. And wow, somehow things between them had gotten totally out of hand. She just stood there for a moment, gasping for breath, staring at Mark.
He was breathing pretty hard himself, and the heat in his gaze almost knocked her knees right out from under her all over again. Okay, she really, really liked this new and improved, more mature version of Mark. Maybe she’d been wrong to think he couldn’t change. And the chemistry between them? Holy shit. It had bugged the hell out of her throughout her adult life that sex had never been quite as good as she remembered it being with Mark. She’d been pretty sure she was just overexaggerating in her mind, but now? Maybe not.
“Wow,” she said, running a hand through her hair. “That was, um…”
Mark said nothing, his expression as frustratingly hard to read as ever.
She refastened her bra and then bent to pet the dog, for lack of anything better to do. What should she say? What did she even want? She had no idea anymore. Was it so terrible if they had sex? Maybe. Probably. If it got rid of all this sexual tension between them, then it might be a good thing. But if it was as good as it promised to be? It was better for her not to go there. No need to remind herself what she was missing because this was a man who’d never trust her with his heart, and she’d be smart to remember that fact.
She straightened to face him. “So, this kiss…maybe we should—”
“It’s forgotten,” he said, and turned away.
She blinked. What? Had she misread him? Had the attraction been one-sided? No. No way. He’d wanted her every bit as much as she wanted him. And yet it still cost him nothing to walk away.
Same old Mark.
Hurt and anger warred inside her. “Right. Forgotten.”
She spun and took off in the direction of the spa, walking as fast as her sore knee would allow. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of looking back so she kept her gaze straight ahead until she’d reached the back lot of the spa, chest heaving and knee throbbing.
Only then did she glance back into the woods behind her. But he wasn’t there.
* * *
Mark stood there for a long time, just staring in the direction Jess had gone. His pulse raced, and his heart…his heart felt full and empty at the same time. Jess had the power to light him up like no one else. She turned him on, sure. His need for her was greater than it had ever been for a woman. But he could control his sexual needs.
The problem was that Jess made him feel.
And he hadn’t felt anything like this in a long time. Feelings were raw and messy and scary as fuck, and they usually ended with someone getting hurt. So when he’d seen the uncertainty in her eyes after they kissed, he’d seized the chance to put an end to this thing before it got any more out of hand than it already was.
He glanced down at the dog still sitting patiently beside him. Time to get her to the shelter. Pushing Jess from his mind, he hiked back through the woods toward Off-the-Grid. His SUV was the only car left in the lot, which suited him fine.
He and Ryan had to be back here later tonight anyway to man the haunted zip-line. Good thing Ethan would be back from his honeymoon in a few days. They’d been stretched awfully thin here without him. Mark enjoyed the extra work, although he’d never understood why people went out of their way to get scared on purpose. What the hell was the point? There were enough truly terrifying things in the world that you ought to enjoy a little peace and quiet when you could find it, as far as he was concerned.
He opened the back door of the SUV and looked down at the dog. She hopped in obedie
ntly. Which meant she was definitely someone’s pet. He was doing the right thing taking her to the shelter so that her family could find her.
He started the engine and headed out of town toward the Pearcy County Animal Shelter. The dog settled down on the backseat, head on her front paws, watching him. Quiet thing, except for when he was kissing Jess. What was that about anyway?
The road unfurled ahead of him as he drove, twisting and curling through the mountainside. It was a rush, hugging the curves. It sometimes tempted him to drive too fast. Not today though. Not with a dog on the backseat watching him out of big, trusting brown eyes.
He realized his mistake as soon as he pulled up in front of the animal shelter. The lot was empty. The sign on the front door said they closed at five. It was six thirty. He glanced over his shoulder. “Looks like you’re spending the night with me.”
The dog watched him out of those soulful eyes, her tail thumping against the leather upholstery.
Right then. He was going to need some food for her. Then he’d have to figure out what to do with her while he worked tonight. Maybe she could come along and hang out in the office. At least there would be people in and out. Who knew what trouble she might get into if he left her all alone in his condo?
He debated stopping in the supermart for some proper dog food, but he needed to be back at Off-the-Grid in half an hour and he still had to change so he pulled through the McDonald’s drive-through and ordered three Big Macs—two for him, one for her—because he was starving, dammit, and she probably was too.
Indeed, she sat up once the perky drive-through operator handed him his bag and the car filled with the greasy scent of meat and French fries. The dog leaned forward so that her chin rested on the seat behind his shoulder and stayed that way all the way home.
A few minutes later, he pulled up in front of his building. It was a three-story brick building that had once housed the town’s newspaper offices. Recently, it had been converted into three spacious condos, which he, Ethan, and Ryan had bought, intending to turn the place into their bachelor pad. Ethan had since moved in with Gabby, renting his space out to Ryan’s younger brother, Trent. Emma had moved in downstairs with Ryan after their wedding. So instead of a bachelor pad, the building now housed Mark on the top floor, a teenager below him, and an expectant married couple on the ground floor.
Awfully fucking domesticated.
“Whose dog?” Trent asked, poking his head out as Mark walked up the steps with the dog at his heels.
He shrugged. “Found her in the woods today. Shelter was already closed.”
“Cool.” Trent bent to pet her, swiping a shock of black hair out of his eyes. The teen couldn’t be any more different than his brother. Where Ryan was boisterous and adventurous, Trent was more shy and reserved. Ryan got his kicks rock climbing while Trent DJ’ed at the local club one night a week. He also helped them out at Off-the-Grid.
“You working tonight?” Mark asked him.
Trent nodded. “Mind if I hitch a ride? My car’s acting funny.”
“Sure thing. And I’ll take a look at your car tomorrow.” Mark knew his way around under the hood. He’d worked part time in a repair shop back in high school and again last year before Off-the-Grid started paying his bills.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” Trent gave the dog another rub and went back inside.
Mark continued up the steps and let himself into his condo. The dog followed at his heel, bubbles of drool forming at the corners of her mouth as she eyed the McDonald’s bag in his hands.
He pulled out a Big Mac, unwrapped it, and set it on the linoleum in front of her. She dove in with unbridled enthusiasm, scarfing down the burger without hardly pausing to chew. Mark ripped open another and began to eat in similar fashion. He’d missed lunch today and given most of his jerky to the dog earlier.
After they’d both stuffed their bellies, he filled a bowl with water, set it down for her, and then popped open a Coke for himself. He sat at the kitchen table and closed his eyes to rest for a moment before he headed back to work. Immediately, his mind filled with memories of kissing Jess. The feel of her in his arms. The taste of her in his mouth. The desperate need to lose himself inside her right before he’d pushed her away.
Fuck. He was so screwed.
CHAPTER SIX
Jessica zipped up her black leather jacket just as the doorbell rang. It was eight thirty on Thursday night, and her sister—as usual—was right on time. “It’s open,” she called.
The door swung open, and Nicole stepped inside. “I’m so stoked for tonight. If it’s as much fun as I’ve heard, we may have to make this a new annual tradition.”
Jessica smiled at her sister’s enthusiasm. When they were growing up, their parents had gone overboard on every holiday, but somehow Halloween had taken on special significance for the Flynns. Maybe it was their slightly warped sense of humor, but they’d always enjoyed scaring each other, and the annual Halloween party was a big friggin’ deal.
So when Off-the-Grid Adventures announced their new haunted zip-line tour this year? Yeah, they pretty much had to come. Even if it meant seeing Mark again so soon after “the kiss they’d never speak of again.”
“Why didn’t Brennan and Patrick come?” Jessica asked.
“Bren has some live thing on YouTube tonight, and Patrick’s working,” Nicole said, walking over to the mirror in the hallway to check her lipstick.
Jessica’s older brother was a YouTuber, which meant he earned a living—and a whopping good one at that—making videos to post on YouTube. His husband, Patrick, owned the art gallery downtown. And yes, both her older brother and her younger sister had gotten married before Jessica.
And no, she wasn’t bitter about it at all. Or not much anyway.
“All right then. Let’s go get scared shitless.” Jessica smiled as she led the way toward the front door.
“Are you limping?” her sister asked.
“I did something to my knee a few weeks ago. It keeps hurting off and on.”
“And let me guess, you haven’t been to the doctor,” Nicole said.
Jessica hung her head guiltily. But seriously, as long as she could still walk on it, surely it would get better sooner or later.
“Your mom is a nurse, and yet you still stubbornly refuse to go to the doctor for anything!” Nicole elbowed her playfully as they headed out to the car.
“That’s not true. I went last week after I had the flu to make sure I was germ-free.”
“So that you could go back to work sooner than you should have. I’ll drive,” Nicole said, clicking the lock on her car. “I have better music.”
“You have country music, which you know I hate.” Jessica climbed into the passenger side of Nicole’s Acura.
“Not my fault you have horrible taste in music.” Her sister cranked the engine with a grin, and as Keith Urban began to blast from the speakers, she turned the car toward the outskirts of town, where Off-the-Grid was located. As they passed the spa, Nicole asked, “So have you done anything with the new land yet?”
“Not yet. I’m meeting with a few builders this week to get things moving.”
“I get to stay at the nicest cabin free of charge, right?” Nicole asked.
“As long as you don’t abuse your little-sister privileges,” Jessica answered.
“I would never,” Nicole answered, with a look that said she planned to do just that.
They pulled up at Off-the-Grid, and Nicole parked in one of the empty spaces beside the house. A swarm of hyper butterflies took flight in Jessica’s stomach, partly in anticipation of the haunted zip-line but mostly because of Mark, dammit.
Why, oh why, had she kissed him yesterday?
“This is going to be so awesome,” Nicole said as she climbed out of the car.
“Definitely.” They walked inside the office, where Trent stood behind the desk, busily texting on his cell phone. And then the brown dog from yesterday walked out from behind the desk
, tail wagging, and Jessica felt a big smile cover her face. She crouched down. “Aww, you’re still here.”
Mark hadn’t taken her to the shelter after all.
“No microchip,” Trent said. “Mark left her description at the shelter and the vet in case anyone comes looking for her though.”
“That’s smart,” Jessica said, but something told her this dog didn’t have a family out there looking for her. She had that same lost, haunted look in her eyes Mark had had as a teenager. She might be good for him.
“Whose dog?” Nicole asked.
“Mark found her out in the woods yesterday,” Jessica told her.
Her sister’s eyebrows rose. “And what were you doing in the woods with Mark yesterday?”
“Scouting who gets to use which parts of our new land.” And kissing. If she was lucky, she wouldn’t even run into him here tonight. The property was huge, after all.
“You guys have tickets already?” Trent asked.
“Yeah, nine o’clock,” Jessica told him.
“Oh yeah, I see your names.” He pulled off two orange wristbands and handed them to Jessica and Nicole. “Have fun, ladies. It’s a screamin’ good time out there.”
“That’s what we’re counting on,” Nicole told him with a smile.
There weren’t any spooky sounds on the breeze as they walked across the lawn, following the arrows that guided them toward the first zip-line platform. No cheesy Halloween props in the yard either. The night was cool and clear, the moon bright overhead. In the distance, something flashed deep in the woods, and Jessica jumped in spite of herself.
Then she grinned. Yep, this was going to be fun. She and Nicole climbed the steps to the first platform, and a figure stepped out of the darkness, standing silently before them. The hairs on Jessica’s arms rose, and her heart beat faster, but not out of fear. Somehow, even in the pitch dark, her body recognized Mark’s.
A thin, green beam of light pierced the night as he gestured them forward. She hung back, letting Nicole go first. By the flashes of green light, she saw him strapping her sister into the harness for her zip-line ride, and if she hadn’t known him so well, she had to admit it would have been a little freaky, this tall, silent man, dressed all in black, fastening their harnesses.