Alexa laughed and put her arms around him, kissing both cheeks.
“You’re so good for me, Sydney,” she told him, squeezing his arms before she turned him loose.
So okay, maybe she had noticed others sneaking some envious looks at her even though they had returned to their tasks. It had been some time since she’d dressed up for work, or for anything else for that matter. There was no denying she felt good about herself today.
Alexa loved wearing the shirts and jeans to work, but admitted she enjoyed the surprise on their faces. She’d just gotten out of the habit of looking really good, that’s all.
“I’m going to my office. Lauren and Regina are stopping by to check out the date dress at lunch. Can you call in something from Stanley’s for us?”
“Absolutely,” Sydney said, watching her saunter away, hips swaying to a beat playing only in her head.
“Holy moly, the model is back,” Sydney said to himself, when Alexa was out of earshot.
And for that blessing, Sydney would cancel the background search on Casey Carter as soon as he got to his desk. He no longer cared how many skeletons were in the man’s closet. Casey had worked a miracle in bringing the real Alexa Ranger back to life.
*** *** ***
At five thirty that afternoon, Casey walked into the waiting area of Alexa’s business wearing his dress blues. He took his time tucking his white hat under his arm and hooking his cane on his wrist.
“Hey Sydney, how’s it going?” Casey said in greeting.
Sydney raised his head and blinked a couple of times as he looked at Casey. Standing, he held a finger up.
“Wait. Stay right there. I don’t want to miss this. You owe me for letting you in to see her yesterday, so today I get to watch.”
Casey held out his free hand, palm up. “What are you talking about?”
Sydney pressed the intercom. “Alexa, your date is here. He’s keeping me company until you’re free.”
Sydney motioned for Casey to follow him at the same time he pressed a button to open the sliding door to the display room.
“Let me show you some posters of Alexa when she was a model.” You need to be prepared, Sydney thought, laughing a little already about the surprise in store for both of them.
“Sure,” Casey said, shrugging, and followed Sydney into an open display area filled with female busts and mannequins all dressed in underwear. And on the wall on several giant twelve-foot posters was Alexa Ranger in her underwear—literally her underwear, since she’d designed them.
“Wow,” he said, no other words coming to mind. Alexa had certainly been a stunner when those were taken.
Sydney almost laughed at the way Casey was perusing each poster. It brought back memories of watching his brother look longingly at Playboy centerfolds.
When he heard Alexa’s heels clicking in the hallway, he made sure Casey’s back was to the door.
Sydney felt a bit like a director in his own movie. He was actually vibrating with anticipation.
Alexa waited until she was in the room to speak. “There you are. Why—” When Casey turned around, Alexa forgot what she was saying as her purse slid from suddenly limp fingers to the floor. It was the white hat under his arm, the pressed uniform, the way he looked so—she had no word for it. Handsome didn’t even begin to cover it.
When Casey saw Alexa, the cane fell off his wrist bouncing on the wooden floor, and his pristine white hat soon went sliding after it.
“Alexa—” He stumbled a step toward her, then stopped, realizing he had dropped everything.
Sydney caught Casey’s arm. “No, no. Here, I got them,” Sydney said, swiftly bending and picking up the hat and cane. “Don’t wrinkle those pants until you have to.”
Handing the hat and cane back to Casey, Sydney’s eyes bounced back and forth between them as they simply stared at each other in shock.
Alexa recovered her senses before Casey did, stooped to retrieve her purse, and then walked the remaining distance across the floor to him. In her heels, she looked him levelly in his eyes.
“You make that uniform look good, Carter,” she said, hoping she sounded confident and light-hearted, because she wasn’t feeling it. She wanted to throw herself into Casey’s arms and cry for all he had given up when he got hurt.
Seeing Casey in his uniform, Alexa suddenly understood what he had been, what he still was in many ways. It was no wonder he missed the military. He was the military, a live walking icon of noble service. Alexa swallowed the urge to cry and smiled instead.
“Do all Marines look as good as you?” she asked, teasing.
Casey only smiled at her flirty question. He was still speechless, lost in the impact of seeing in person what Alexa had tried to explain to him, and teased him about on multiple occasions.
More than just beautiful, she literally had no competition from other women when it came to stunning, mesmerizing allure. The image of Alexa walking toward him in that short black dress, mile-long legs, and sky-high heels was burned into his brain. He’d probably never be able to enjoy looking at another woman again.
“Sorry,” he said at last, clearing his throat, and dropping his gaze to her legs. “I’m searching for some compliment to offer you in return, but I think I lost too many brain cells watching you walk across the room to me. What’s left is busy wondering what kind of underwear you’re wearing under that dress.”
“Oh. Oh. I know. I know,” Sydney said, dancing with his hand in the air, like an excited kid who knows the right answer to a math question.
Alexa gave Sydney a quelling look. “Shush, drama queen. You’ve had your fun at our expense.”
She waved her hand at Sydney in the go-away sign. “I gave you a man already. It’s Friday. Go play with him and leave my date alone.”
“You used to be a lot more fun when you were younger, Alexa,” Sydney said, striding away even as he smacked her lightly on the backside, laughing when she almost fell into Casey.
Casey grinned at Sydney’s retreating back.
“Sydney’s like a pesky younger brother,” he commented softly.
“Something like that,” Alexa agreed.
“Did you really give Sydney a man?” Casey asked, offering her his arm. “That’s pretty amazing. Was it a perk, like a gold watch for ten years of faithful employee service?”
“More like five years of faithful service. I’ll tell you the story when I know you better,” Alexa said, hooking her arm through his.
Casey laughed. “I’m not sure I want to hear it. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss. Between the two of us, we’re one step away from being a reality talk show host’s wet dream.”
Alexa snorted as they stepped into the elevator. “You don’t even know yet how close that is to being true.”
When they got out on the main floor of the building, Casey let go of her arm and took her hand as they walked out the lobby door.
“The only two things I know tonight are how incredibly hot you look and how much fun I’m going to have trying to talk you into bed later. I am so glad I sprung for a limo,” Casey said, gesturing to where a driver stood by the open door of a polished white limo.
Alexa looked at him in awe.
“You surprise me, Casey. Every time I turn around, you surprise me.”
“Your turn to surprise me back then,” Casey said, letting the driver help her inside, while he got the pleasure of taking a good long look at her amazing legs. Good thing he hadn’t gotten a good look before she wrapped one around him the other day. He’d have taken her to the floor for sure.
Alexa laughed. “You like surprises, Casey?” she asked.
Casey smiled and nodded yes. “Not that the way you look isn’t surprise enough. You look great in jeans and a shirt, but, lady, you look fucking incredible in that dress.”
“I know,” Alexa said coyly, smiling.
When Casey got in beside her, he reached over and pinched her thigh until she yelped. “You’re supposed to say thank you to a compliment,
even a crude one.”
“Yeah, well men in uniform are supposed to be gentlemen,” she countered, laughing. “Pinching is not nice.”
“I couldn’t be gentle with you tonight if I tried. You’re going to have to have that level of control for both of us, babe.”
Casey put a hand on her knee and the heat seared her. Alexa opened her knees slightly and his hand slid down between them and up a little on one thigh. He cupped her leg under the hem of her dress.
Alexa bit her bottom lip and looked away from him. “If you’re expecting me to exercise self-control, we’re in big trouble. I hope you trust your limo driver.”
Casey laughed softly. “You smell like heaven. Is the offer still open to rock each other’s world?” he asked, pulling her leg tightly against his, liking the sound of her rapid breathing.
He was so tempted to run his hand all the way up her lovely smooth thigh, to take the edge off her desire for her, to watch it happen as she came apart in his hands.
“Yes,” Alexa said, leaning against his arm, inhaling his cologne and wishing they were headed to her house now. “The offer is still open. Tonight. Come home with me. I have to work tomorrow afternoon, but not until two.”
Casey moved his hand a little, stroking her knee and just above it.
“Now that I know how busy you are, I’ll just take the first week of sex in installments,” he said.
“Still bragging about your sexual abilities? The male ego knows no limits.” She pretended to brush lint off his sleeve just to have an excuse to touch him.
Casey just grinned at how obvious Alexa was being, thinking how much he really liked being the object of her flirtatious interest.
Alexa turned her head and spoke softly into his ear. “I’m wearing a black bustier, black garters, black stockings, and black lace bikini panties that can be ripped off with one hand,” she listed, watching the grin fade as his hand tightened almost painfully on her leg.
Alexa inspected her fingernails on the hand she’d used to pet his sleeve, pretending not to notice his new level of body tension.
“I thought it was little too early in the dating game to skip wearing panties,” she said matter-of-factly.
Casey counted to ten. He recited the Marine’s Prayer in his head. Then he made the mistake of looking at Alexa still pretending to study her nails in the semi-dark of the limo’s back seat as if she hadn’t just completely destroyed his peace of mind.
Oh, he knew a dare when he heard it. There was no other choice but to find out if she was telling him the truth. He just hoped he could control his reaction to finding out.
“Alexa.” His throat was so tight with desire all he could manage to say was her name.
Twisting in the seat as much as his injury would allow, he pressed Alexa against the back of it, his mouth urgent and seeking on hers, finding hers urgent and seeking in return.
He slid the hand already on her leg up until he felt a garter. He ran fingers over and around the snap, wondering if he could unfasten it without tearing it all to hell. His mouth mated itself to hers until they were both groaning.
Fortunately, a tiny bit of sanity peeked through the lust for a moment, just enough to let him stop. He cupped Alexa’s leg, keeping his thumb stroking the top of the garter.
Alexa had been telling the truth, which meant he could probably rip her panties off with one hand, especially with all the adrenalin pumping through him at the moment.
Then she’d be walking around tonight among all those other military men with no underwear at all.
Not a good option, Casey decided.
He had barely enough control left to not take her in the back seat of the limo, audience or not, but the first time tonight was definitely not going to be pretty. It couldn’t be helped since Alexa was teasing him to the point of madness. He eased away from her carefully, and slid his hand firmly back down to her knee.
Casey’s voice was hard when he spoke, all evidence of his lust gone, replaced by a determination and an assured confidence that had shaken the Marines he’d served with over the years. There was a reason he had earned the uniform.
“You need to say good-bye to the pair of panties you’re wearing tonight because they’re history. You have my word I’m going to rip them off you and completely destroy them first chance I get. Then I plan to sexually torture you until you’re begging me to put you out of your misery.”
Casey felt justly rewarded for his self-control by a quivering knee under his hand and a mostly silent ride the rest of the way to the Arlington VA Center.
*** *** ***
Later that evening, Casey had trouble following the conversation of the newly wounded solider he was welcoming to the center. Instead, he was absorbed in watching Alexa from across the ballroom, standing in a swarm of men in uniform. There had never been less than five or six men around her at any given time. Most of them were officers.
Worse than the number of men, Casey could tell from her light laughter and smiling face that Alexa was enjoying every minute of the attention.
He’d been cornered by the director of the center the moment they came through the door, and ended up seeking out the new attendees. So far, he’d not made it back to Alexa in almost an hour—not that it probably mattered. Surrounded by fly-boys and chief petty officers, Alexa seem to be having a grand time without his company.
If this was what Alexa Ranger was really like in public, Casey didn’t think he could live with the flirting.
He was also wishing like hell he had never brought her.
*** *** ***
Alexa was getting tired of smiling and making charming conversation with every man in the place but her own date. For over an hour, she had been watching Casey moving slowly around the room, talking to various young men on crutches or in wheelchairs.
Even surrounded by handsome men in uniform, Casey stood out to her in his. It was the way he carried himself, she thought. There was just so much pride, so much dignity in his posture. Casey was absolutely the most masculine man she’d ever gone out with, and she couldn’t wait to take him home.
Finally, when Casey seemed to no longer be talking to anyone specific, she excused herself from the group and walked over to him.
“Hey,” she said with an easy smile. “I’m looking for the Marine that brought me here. Have you seen him?”
Casey didn’t smile back and it sent a little warning alarm through Alexa.
“Why? Don’t you have enough military men in your fan club?” Casey asked, unable to keep the mean out of his voice.
“No. I’m missing one Marine. What’s your major malfunction?” Alexa demanded in the military speak she’d been hearing all evening. She was intrigued by Casey’s show of jealousy, but also hurt by his comments. “You’ve basically ignored me since we got here. I was just making polite social conversation while I waited on you.”
“Polite social conversation?” Casey said in disbelief, laughing harshly. “It’s called flirting, Alexa. And it’s disrespectful.”
Alexa’s hands came to her hips. “Disrespectful? I don’t believe this. You drop me inside the door, ignore me for more than an hour, and then have the nerve to chastise me for talking to people? You left me alone, not the other way around. And for your information, I was not flirting.
“Like hell,” Casey said. “I heard you laughing everywhere I went. I’ve been on the receiving end of your friendly conversation before. I know exactly how you are. You flirt so much you don’t even realize it.”
“You,” Alexa said, poking an angry finger at Casey’s chest, “don’t know anything about me, and I just became really thankful about that. Rather than stand here and let you keep insulting me, I believe I’ll find my own way home.”
Alexa turned and started toward the door, shaking so hard she was surprised her teeth weren’t chattering. Then she stopped, turned, and walked back to him.
Casey’s chin came up when Alexa stood in front of him again. He was right about this. If s
he wasn’t interested in being monogamous with him, then he really didn’t want to be in a relationship with her.
“Just in case you try to tell yourself later that I had the hots for some other guy here tonight, I thought I’d set the record straight with witnesses,” Alexa said tightly.
Grabbing a couple fistfuls of his uniform, Alexa yanked him hard enough against her to have him dropping his cane with a clatter on the cement floor.
Then Alexa plastered her mouth to Casey’s in a kiss so hot and full of genuine longing, it would have melted a glacier. It almost melted her. She hated—really hated knowing she still wanted him so much despite his opinion of her.
She let go finally. What was the use? He hadn’t returned the kiss at all.
Fine, she thought. Forget him. She didn’t need him or his approval.
“All I wanted tonight was you, Casey Carter. I can’t believe you ruined what was between us just because you were jealous. Well, now you can go straight to hell as far as I’m concerned. We are done.”
Alexa turned him loose then and walked away, her heels clicking on the floor. She didn’t look back, and she didn’t hang her head in shame. Instead, she wound back the clock inside her to the woman she was before she’d kissed him the first time.
Too embarrassed and prideful to call out to her, Casey started walking slowly after her, but never caught up. He was still mad, but something in the punishing kiss she had delivered, some desperation in her action, had made him regret their fight.
He watched, frustrated as Alexa climbed into a taxi that magically pulled up the moment she got outside.
Everything probably worked that way for her, Casey thought resentfully.
When he came back to the ballroom, a fellow Marine and friend had retrieved his cane and was holding it for him.
“Hey, Gunny. Did Alexa have to leave?” Corporal Aaron Franklin asked, noting the frown. “That was some kiss goodbye. You could hear hearts breaking around the room. I’m surprised you’re still here after that lip lock.”
“Alexa thought I was ignoring her and went home early,” Casey said, not willing to spill the whole argument, but unable to keep all of his anger in check.
Dating A Cougar Page 10