by Paige Tyler
He put on a hurt expression. “Meaningless? I’m insulted. All action flicks have meaning. Cars chases, things blowing up—what more could you want?”
Lexi laughed. She could think of a few things, one of them being romance, but she didn’t tell him that.
A few minutes later, the two of them were snuggled up on Dane’s big couch with the lights turned down, a bowl of popcorn on the coffee table in front of them, and a horror movie about zombies chasing people around the mountains of Norway on the ginormous TV mounted on the living room wall. Lexi suspected Dane had gone for the scary movie thinking she’d end up snuggling close to him looking for protection from the evil zombies. Little did he know she didn’t need an excuse to do that. But if it helped him think he was clever, she wouldn’t ruin it for him.
It wasn’t long before she lost interest in zombies—as hard as that was to believe. Then again, there was something a lot more stimulating than a silly horror flick to hold her attention. Dane must have thought so, too, because when she turned toward him, he gently cupped her face and pulled her in for a kiss.
Dane’s mouth was hot on hers, his tongue insistent as it plunged in to find hers. She kissed him back as urgently, her tongue tangling with his. She’d never been with a guy who could take her breath away with a kiss.
“You taste good,” he breathed, drawing her lower lip into his mouth and gently sucking on it.
Lexi could only moan in reply. Pulling away, she swung her leg over his, climbing on his lap. It blocked his view of the TV, but she didn’t think he’d mind.
She smiled. “That’s better.”
Dane ran his hands up her bare thighs and leaned in close to nuzzle her neck. “I agree.”
Lexi let out a sigh as the light trace of stubble along his jaw brushed against her skin. She grabbed a handful of his dark hair, silently urging him to continue even as he kissed his way up her neck. His big hands moved up her thighs, cupping her ass.
As Dane’s mouth closed over hers again, Lexi couldn’t miss the hard-on in his cargo shorts. The tingle she’d felt between her legs last night when they’d made out in her apartment was now an intense, throbbing need, and she rotated her hips to ease the ache there.
It occurred to her this was only their second date. Not that she’d ever had any kind of three-date rule when it came to sleeping with a guy. She always followed her instincts when it came to stuff like this. And, right now, those instincts were telling her Dane was special, and that she was more than ready to make love with him.
Dane must have been thinking the same thing because he slid his hands under the hem of her shirt. Lexi quivered at the feel of his fingers on her bare skin, holding her breath as he moved them higher.
His hands were inches from her breasts when a loud ding-dong echoed in her ears. She was vaguely aware it was the doorbell, but Dane ignored it, so she did, too. It rang again, only this time it was followed by a loud knock.
“Hey Dane!” a man’s voice called. “You in there?”
Dane dragged his mouth from hers with a muttered curse. “I better answer it before that idiot breaks down the damn door.”
Lexi groaned, reluctantly climbing off him and onto the couch.
“I’ll get rid of him,” Dane said as he got up.
She wasn’t sure who “that idiot” was, but when Dane opened the door, she realized it was Tory and another firefighter from Station 58, Kole Brandt. Neither of her coworkers seemed surprised to see her there. In fact, they both grinned broadly as they walked past Dane into the apartment without an invitation. She guessed that when Dane said the other guys at the station were like family, he really meant it.
Tory had two pizza boxes in one hand and a six-pack of beer in the other while Kole carried a video game and another six-pack.
“Since the new Call of Duty dropped today, we figured we’d come over and surprise you.” Dark eyes dancing, Kole grinned as he tossed the game to Dane. “That way you can get in some practice before we play it at the station. You know, so you don’t embarrass yourself?”
Dane scowled. “To be embarrassed, I’d have to play worse that you guys, and that’s never going to happen.”
Lexi couldn’t help laughing. She might not be thrilled they got interrupted when things were getting interesting, but she couldn’t hold it against Tory and Kole. The guys were here to mess with them. After seeing the way they ribbed each other at the station, she should have expected it.
Dane glanced at her, a resigned look on his face. “You ever play Call of Duty?”
“I have two brothers, remember? Of course I play.” She grinned. “I’ll even go first, so you three can see how it’s supposed to be done.”
Tory and Kole let out a whoop and high-fived.
“Sounds like an all-night gaming marathon to me,” Tory said. “Let’s get it started!”
Lexi would rather have an all-night sex marathon with Dane—and the way he was looking at her, he would, too—but it wasn’t like they could throw Tory and Kole out. Not without the guys knowing exactly what was going on and ribbing the hell out of them at the station for it.
Chapter Seven
I’M SO GLAD you guys came,” Skye said with a smile as she hugged Lexi. “I was starting to think my brother was keeping you away from me on purpose.”
“Now why would I do that?” Dane asked drily as he followed Lexi into the building.
He nodded at Jax then inhaled deeply through the nose. It smelled like more cake…and maybe something Italian. He wondered if his sister needed a neutral third party to taste anything.
Skye made a face as she came over and hugged him, too. “Maybe you’re worried I’ll tell her about all your bad habits, like that disgusting thing you do with French fries and mustard.”
Lexi laughed. “Too late. I saw that last night. And as long as he doesn’t try and convince me to put mustard on my fries, I’m fine with it.”
Dane smirked at his sister. “See? Lexi accepts me for who I am, mustard addiction and all.”
Skye folded her arms. “Great. So I guess you’ve told her you sing in your sleep?”
“He does what?” Lexi asked in surprise.
“Oh yeah,” Skye said. “He used to hum and sing theme songs from old TV shows in his sleep.”
Dane flushed. “I haven’t done that since I was a teenager.”
Leave it to his sister to embarrass him. Hopefully she wouldn’t bring up any of the names of any of those shows because he used to watch some really lame stuff—as in old reruns from the sixties, seventies, and eighties. Think Gillian’s Island, SWAT, and even Wonder Woman. The first two he might be able to get away with, but Lexi would never let him live that last one down.
Fortunately, Skye didn’t get into it. Instead she gave Lexi a quick tour of the place and told her about the events she was currently catering.
“My sisters and I used to love making cupcakes with my mom when we were little,” Lexi said with a smile. “We couldn’t wait for them to cool off after they came out of the oven so we could frost them.”
Skye’s eyes lit up. “Jax and I were about to start frosting these when you guys came in. You want to help?”
Dane opened his mouth to remind his sister what happened the last time he’d helped her frost cupcakes, but Lexi was already nodding, clearly thrilled with the idea. A few minutes later, they were all standing around the granite topped island frosting several dozen cupcakes.
As it turned out, he ended up having a way better time than he thought he would. He quickly discovered that he loved doing anything with Lexi, even frosting cupcakes. They probably ate a lot more than they should have—and Skye had to redo quite a few of them—but it was fun hanging out together.
Dane watched transfixed as Lexi licked chocolate frosting off her finger. She must have caught him looking at her because she smiled. If his sister and future brother-in-law hadn’t been there, he would have kissed her to see if the creamy confection tasted sweeter on her lips.
He stifled a
groan. He’d never known a woman like Lexi. She could turn him on with a look, a smile—hell, even a snap of her fingers. And if Tory and Kole hadn’t shown up last night and interrupted them, Dane was sure he and Lexi would have ended up in bed. Talk about the ultimate cockblock.
“Jax and I need to deliver these cupcakes,” Skye said as they finished frosting them. “You guys want to hang around here and we can have dinner when we get back?”
Dane gave Lexi a questioning look. She smiled and nodded.
“Sounds good,” he said. “I wanted to show Lexi the horses anyway.”
As he and Lexi helped box the cupcakes, Dane mentioned to Skye he thought it was cool that she had little boxes with cutouts to hold up the cupcakes and her catering company’s name—Her Kitchen—emblazoned across the lid.
Skye elbowed him in the ribs as she led the way outside to the delivery truck. “Hey. This is a serious business. I’m not messing around.”
Dane only chuckled.
After Skye and Jax left, Dane led Lexi over to the barn and introduced her to the horses.
“This guy is called Big Joe,” he said as they stopped in front of a stall occupied by a huge black stallion. “He’s the player of the ranch, always trying to woo the ladies.”
Lexi smiled as she ran her hand down Big Joe’s strong neck. “That explains why he’s making moon eyes at that girl.”
Dane glanced over at the chestnut mare in the stall on the other side of the barn. “Probably. Then again, according to Jax, Star is immune to Big Joe’s charm, so it could be a case of him fixating on the one horse who doesn’t want him.”
Lexi laughed. “I can’t believe that. Big Joe is a very handsome horse. Aren’t you, boy?”
Dane couldn’t help grinning as Lexi moved from one stall to the other. She really loved horses. When they reached the stall holding a dappled-gray mare and her light-gray colt, Lexi actually squeed.
“He’s so cute!” she said, immediately leaning over one of the side rails to gently glide her hand over the colt’s withers.
Momma mare eyed Lexi suspiciously but must have figured she wasn’t a danger to her offspring because she went back to her oats.
Dane rested his forearms on the edge of the stall door. He’d seen the colt a few times now and noticed that his coat was getting a little darker with each visit. The horse would probably be the same color as his mother soon. “This little fella is Smoke.”
Lexi smiled. “Appropriate name since he’s gray.”
“True, but Jax and Skye named him Smoke because he was born right after the barn that used to stand on this same spot was burned to the ground by some psychopath who was obsessed with Skye. In fact, Jax and I could still smell the smoke in the air as we helped his mom, Lulu, give birth to him.”
Lexi’s eyes widened. “Don’t think you’re going to get away with saying something like that and not telling me the rest of the story. What the heck happened?”
Dane chuckled. “Okay. Why don’t we take Lulu and Smoke for a walk while we talk?”
Lexi glanced down at her sleeveless dress and low-heeled shoes. “Sandals out in the pasture?”
“Sure. Pay attention to where you’re stepping and you’ll be fine.”
He got a halter and lead lines on the two horses then let Lexi take Smoke as they headed for the main pasture. As they walked, he told her about the man who’d tried to kill Skye—and him—by burning the old barn down around them.
“He was a friend from New York? What kind of man does something that crazy?” Lexi slanted him a look. “How badly were you hurt?”
“Not too bad,” he said, trying to downplay how much danger he’d been in during the whole situation. “The guy knocked me out, that’s all.”
Lexi frowned. “That’s all?”
He grinned. “I have a hard head.” When she gave him a skeptical look, he added, “It was one of those weird once-in-a-lifetime type of things. It’s a safe bet to say that nothing like that is ever going to happen again.”
Lexi didn’t look too sure about that, so Dane steered the conversation in another direction.
“Since you love horses I’m surprised you don’t have one.”
She shrugged. “I’d love a horse, but I don’t have anywhere to keep one.”
“I’m sure Jax and Skye would be willing to let you stable him—or her—here.”
Lexi considered that. “You really think so?”
“Sure,” Dane smiled. “They board horses all the time.”
“Huh.” She ran her free hand affectionately down Smoke’s neck. “You know, I might think about that.”
Dane and Lexi were brushing the two horses down a little while later when Jax walked into the barn.
“I think I’m in love with Smoke.” Lexi smiled at Jax. “If he’d fit in my apartment, I’d take him home with me tonight.”
Jax chuckled. “I think Lulu might have something to say about that. But maybe if you can fit both of them in your place?”
She made a face. “Probably not.”
“Well, you can visit Smoke as much as you want then,” Jax said. “Skye wanted to know if you wanted to help pick something out for dinner. Dane will eat anything she makes, but she thought you might have a few special requests.”
Lexi shook her head. “Not really, but I’ll go in anyway.” She patted Smoke on the neck and said she’d see him later then gave Dane a kiss. “Have fun.”
“You and Lexi look good together,” Jax said after she left. He picked up a brush and ran it over Smoke’s flanks. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so comfortable with a woman before.”
Dane grinned. “Yeah, I know. I’m not sure what it is about Lexi, but we click.”
Jax lifted a brow. “You sure that’s not because you two are sleeping together?”
“I doubt it since we haven’t gone there yet.”
On the other side of Smoke, Jax did a double take. “Seriously? I thought for sure you had. Well, if anyone deserves to have someone special in their life, it’s you. Skye’s going to be thrilled.”
Dane slanted him a hard look. “Don’t you dare tell her I said any of that. The next thing you know she’ll be asking Lexi what flavor cake she wants at our wedding.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get married someday, but he and Lexi had only gone on a few dates. Sheesh.
Jax chuckled. “I won’t mention it to Skye. I don’t think that’s going to matter, though. If I picked up on the vibe between you and Lexi, she will, too.
“Wonderful,” Dane muttered.
“Come on.” Jax clapped him in the shoulder. “Let’s get Lulu and Smoke back in their stalls then go inside before Skye starts digging all this stuff out of Lexi on her own.”
* * * * *
Lexi stopped outside the door of the house to check her shoes and made sure she wasn’t tracking anything in. She’d loved taking Lulu and Smoke for a walk, but when she came back to do it again, she’d remember to wear jeans and boots. A sleeveless dress and flip-flops weren’t the right outfit for this kind of stuff.
She smiled to herself as she thought about how Jax had gotten her and Dane separated. It’d been obvious he wanted to talk to Dane alone, most likely about her. That was okay since she wanted to talk to Skye, too, and get the scoop on her big brother.
Lexi knocked then opened the door and stuck her head in. “Skye? Jax said you needed some help with dinner.”
“Come on in,” Skye called. “I’m in the kitchen.”
Lexi stepped inside and closed the door then turned to see a black lab standing in the entryway regarding her with a curious expression on his furry face.
“Um…hello there,” she said.
He looked friendly, but she wasn’t sure if she should pet the guy or be concerned that he might not let her pass.
“That’s Rodeo,” Skye said. “Scratch his ears and he’ll love you forever.”
She took Skye’s advice, crouching down to ruffle the lab’s big ears. It work
ed like a charm. Rodeo gave her a doggy smile, his eyes all drowsy and happy.
Giving his head another pat, Lexi stood and walked through the living room with its stone fireplace, big sectional couch, and ginormous flat-screen TV into the adjoining kitchen where Skye was rolling out biscuits.
Lexi inhaled appreciatively. “Something smells delicious.”
“Thanks. It’s beef stew.” Skye jerked her head at the slow cooker on the granite countertop. “Can you give it a stir?”
Lexi washed and dried her hands then used the big spoon Skye had set out to stir the savory stew.
“Dane told me about how you and Jax got together,” Lexi said. “Something about a guy following you all the way from New York City to kill you and Jax saving your life? That’s crazy—and romantic as hell, I have to admit.”
Skye laughed as she cut out perfectly round biscuits and placed them on a cookie sheet. “It didn’t feel so romantic while it was happening, but afterward I realized I wouldn’t change a minute of it. Okay…that’s not quite true. There are quite a few things I definitely would have changed. The parts where Jax and Dane almost got killed certainly come to mind. But ultimately, I’m very happy with how it all turned out.”
“I don’t blame you.” Lexi put the lid back on the slow cooker with a smile. “Between finding a guy as hunky as Jax and the way your business is starting off, things seem to be going really well for you.”
“They are,” Skye agreed as she slipped the cookie sheet into the over and closed the door. “But that’s not the best part. The thing I’m most grateful for is the fact that I’ve found a man who believes in me and supports me. He’s never suggested that what I’m attempting is crazy or too big for me. Instead, he finds a way to help me get to where I want to be. I never knew how important that quality was in a man until I found it with Jax.” She opened the cabinet over the dishwasher and took out four dinner bowls and four small plates. “What about you and Dane?”
Lexi was tempted to fib, afraid Skye might not like the idea of her and Dane moving too fast, but then realized that was silly.
“I know we just started going out, but I have to admit, I’m already falling for him,” she said. It was true. A couple of dates and she was already thinking long-term with him. “Do you think that’s crazy?”