Brace for Impact

by Becky Harmon

  She looked at her watch. They had been sitting on the tarmac waiting to take off for almost two hours. She could escort him off the plane right now, but it would delay the flight even longer while they taxied back to the gate. Plus they would lose their spot in the departure line. She picked up the cockpit phone to speak with the co-pilot, keeping her eyes on Mr. Carey.

  Neither the pilot nor the co-pilot wanted to return to the gate. They both were close to reaching their maximum in-flight time and they didn’t want to risk a delay. She relayed her conversation to Michelle and then pushed the drunk into the window seat. She sat down on the aisle to keep him company for the remainder of the flight. She was glad to see Frank had remained in his seat so at least one of them would be in a position to keep an eye on the rest of the passengers. Before the drunk show, there had been rumblings from other passengers, but now everyone seemed content to wait patiently for their turn to depart.

  Within ten minutes of their takeoff, Lucy’s new seatmate had drifted off to sleep. She wasn’t sure which was worse his snoring or his smell. The alcohol combined with his body odor was enough incentive for her to throw him off the plane. Drinking passengers were easier to deal with than drug-related situations or even a passenger who was disruptive for an unknown reason. Once a woman had decided it wasn’t safe to fly and had made a thorough attempt to disembark during takeoff. Keeping an eye on the other passengers to make sure she wasn’t only creating a disturbance to take the attention off someone else had been Lucy’s biggest concern. It turned out the woman had a fear of flying and had mixed a few too many prescription drugs.

  Thankful for the short flight and the clear weather in Nashville, she departed the plane first and handed her charge over to the local authorities. She took a seat at the gate to wait until everyone had departed the plane so she could grab her duffel bag.

  She watched Heidi emerge from the jetway and glance around. For a brief second, she considered moving out of her line of sight, even though that seemed a bit cowardly. She stood and met Heidi away from the other travelers.

  “Not all fun then?” Heidi asked.

  “No, sometimes I have to work.”

  “Are you free now?”

  She wanted to say yes. She wanted to hide away for the night and forget all the things Dex was making her feel. The words fell out of her mouth. “I’m sorry, but no.”

  Heidi shrugged and passed her a slip of paper. “My number. In case you change your mind.”

  She slipped the paper into her pocket and headed back to the plane. Michelle met her at the door and thanked her for the help. Tomorrow morning she would fly to Toronto before returning to Atlanta for her days off. She had barely three weeks until Christmas and her mother had called several times wanting to know what her plans were. She hadn’t returned her call yet because she didn’t know what to tell her. She didn’t plan to take any time off for Christmas, but she wasn’t sure her mother would understand that decision or even believe her.

  She contemplated her decision to ditch Heidi. She knew it had been impulsive, but did it mean something more? She wasn’t ready to attempt to reach Dex, but she couldn’t help wondering what might happen if their paths did cross again.

  * * *

  Dex was in desperate need of her days off. She had flown to London and back twice in the last week. Apparently being a newbie meant taking the crappy shifts. Unfortunately on both trips, she had turn-around flights and wasn’t able to do anything but sleep. Not that she would have had the strength for it anyway. She was relieved to be back in Canada. Maybe it was because she was so tired, or maybe it was only that she was getting used to her condo, but either way she was glad to be coming home.

  Deidra had called several times while she was in the air so she listened to her voice mail while merging with the other travelers trying to depart the terminal. Deidra was checking to see if she would be around for dinner on Sunday so she sent a text to tell her yes. She moved toward the line of taxicabs waiting for their fares and did a double take as her eyes caught a glimpse of Lucy sliding into an open taxi door. In two decisive steps, she pulled the closing door from Lucy’s hand and slid in beside her.

  She gave her condo address to the driver and leaned her head against the back of the seat. She didn’t plan on speaking to Lucy. She knew what Lucy would say and she didn’t want to hear it. She was confident if given the chance she would be able to convince Lucy to break her own rules again. She only had to get her out of the cab once they arrived.

  She felt Lucy touch her arm and she met her eyes. They were filled with questions.

  “I thought we were clear.”

  She shrugged. What could she say? Lucy had been clear, but Dex knew what she wanted, and she was willing to risk Lucy’s rejection to get it.

  “I’m not getting out with you,” Lucy stated.

  “Why not?” she asked without lifting her head from where it rested on the seat. “We both want the same things.”

  Lucy chuckled. “Do we?”

  “Yes, we do. Come inside. You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.” She knew she didn’t mean it. She only needed to get Lucy inside, and then she could convince her to stay. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of Lucy’s hand still resting on her arm. She had almost drifted to sleep when the driver pulled to a stop outside her condominium.

  She opened the door and slid out, waiting for Lucy to join her on the street. Lucy stopped at the steps leading to the condominium and folded her arms over her chest.

  “Come inside.” She fought to keep the begging from her voice.

  “It’s not going to happen. I don’t—”

  She stepped into Lucy’s personal space and pressed her body against her. “I know it’s going to happen and so do you. The sooner you follow me inside the sooner I can take your clothes off.”

  She tried not to shiver at the look of desire that flashed in Lucy’s eyes. She grasped Lucy’s hand and led her up the steps. Inside the apartment, she dropped her bag and pushed Lucy against the wall.

  “I don’t do repeat performances.”

  “I know. And you don’t do pilots,” Dex answered as she moved closer.

  She could feel Lucy’s rapid breathing, and it made her own pulse race. She closed the remaining distance between their lips with only a slight hesitation to see if Lucy would object further. There was nothing tentative about their connection and she immediately slid both hands under Lucy’s T-shirt. Her hands met the cold steel at Lucy’s waist. She removed the handcuffs, dangling them in front of Lucy.

  “Will I need these?” Dex asked with a grin.

  Lucy took them from her, tossing them on the nearby desk with her pistol and baton before pulling her shirt over her head.

  Being given the green light, Dex slid her hands around Lucy’s waist again. Her skin was on fire. She cupped both of Lucy’s breasts, sliding her thumbs across the cool silk of her bra. Lucy’s body vibrated against her touch. She pushed her leg between Lucy’s, sending a rush of blood to her center. She shrugged out of her uniform jacket and dropped it to the floor. Lucy’s fingers made quick work of the buttons on Dex’s shirt and then moved to the zipper of her pants. She stepped out of her pants and shoes as she guided Lucy to the bedroom. Her knees buckled as Lucy’s mouth found the sensitive spot beneath her ear and she dropped onto the bed with Lucy on top of her.

  Time stopped as she let her fingers trace across Lucy’s back and up into her hair. This time was every bit as powerful as their first time and yet distinctly different. Lucy’s touch was still as passionate as she remembered. And it was something more. Tender and loving. She could feel the bond developing between them. It wasn’t that she didn’t expect Lucy to be capable of it. Okay, maybe she didn’t, but she certainly never imagined she would allow herself to succumb to it. And now that she had felt it, she wasn’t sure she could ever live without it.

  Chapter Twelve

  Lucy slowly straightened her legs and stretched. Her body ached in all
the right places from the previous night’s activities. Dex’s arm was flung across her stomach and her head rested on Lucy’s shoulder. The soft hair she had tried not to dream about was spread across the pillow beside her and with a slight turn of her head she buried her face in the silkiness. Dex was gorgeous and her desire to have her drove her a little crazy. She loved it and hated it at the same time.

  She wasn’t sure if it was good or bad that fate had brought them together once again. She couldn’t have been more surprised to see Dex slide into her cab the previous night. Apparently this was somewhere Dex used as a base occasionally. It wasn’t furnished enough to actually be her home. If she had known Dex worked out of Toronto, she might not have been so surprised to see her. And now that she had seen her, she wasn’t sure she wanted to walk away one more time.

  Which was exactly why she needed to. She needed to run, not walk, and she needed to do it now. She slid out from under Dex’s arm and quickly pulled on sweats and a T-shirt from her bag. The sun came through the curtains almost making her believe she wouldn’t need a coat to go outside. Knowing that was a lie, she pulled on her coat and grabbed Dex’s keys from the kitchen counter.

  She stepped out on the curb and felt the cold penetrate all the way to her toes. She started to jog at a quick pace, trying to warm her body. After the first couple blocks, her lungs started to thaw and she was able to take a breath. Dodging the piles of snow that had been pushed off the sidewalks, she maneuvered around the occasional person out walking, keeping track of her location so she could make her way back to get her bag. She followed Park Road to Rosedale, making a right and winding around until Crescent Road brought her back to Park. She made the loop twice, hoping the second time would make her resistance to Dex stronger.

  Thanks to the weather that had canceled her flight the previous night, she was now stranded in a city with the only woman in the world she seemed unable to resist. The only thing she wanted to do at this moment was to return to Dex’s condo and join her in bed for the day. That was not an option. Staying for longer than she already had would give the impression she had changed her mind. But she had, hadn’t she? Staying away from Dex had now become harder than staying with her. As true as that statement was, she knew she didn’t know how to be in a relationship. Even attempting it would be devastating for both of them. She had to find a way to get away from her. Making an escape before she woke up was her only choice.

  As she climbed the exterior stairs into Dex’s Park Road condominium complex, her eyes caught the entrance to the underground mall. She hadn’t noticed it yesterday when she arrived with Dex, but it wasn’t surprising she had missed everything around her after the way Dex had spoken to her on the street. She hadn’t been able to think about anything but getting her hands on Dex’s body. Truth was she had already been thinking about that from the second Dex had climbed into the taxicab.

  She checked the directory when she reached the landing and followed the signs to the Hertz rental car counter.

  “Would you like to rent a car?” the young woman at the counter asked. She was overly thin with a narrow nose and high cheekbones. She smacked her lips together loudly as she chewed the gum in her mouth.

  “I would,” she said as she laid her driver’s license and credit card on the counter.

  “Headed to the falls?”

  Lucy shrugged. “Sure.” She had always wanted to see Niagara Falls and now would be a perfect time. “Can you give me directions?”

  “Yep. I have a map. It’ll take you a couple hours, but it’s worth the drive. I can make you hotel reservations too. If you want.”

  “That would be great.”

  “Days Inn or would you like the Hilton?”

  “I’d like a room with a view of the falls, please. Whichever hotel offers that.”

  “Hilton it is then.”

  As young and inexperienced as the young woman had looked, she proved to be capable of the tasks requested. Within a few minutes, Lucy was returning to Dex’s apartment to get her bag. Her clothes were chilly from sweating, but a shower was out of the question. She knew she couldn’t remain in the room with Dex any longer than necessary and certainly not if she was naked. She unlocked the door and was surprised to find Dex standing in the kitchen. Her hair hung loose and she wore nothing but a T-shirt that ended too far above her knees for Lucy to look longer than a second. She leaned against the counter with both hands wrapped around a coffee mug.

  “Nice run?” Dex asked.

  “Yeah.”

  She hurried to the bedroom and gathered her clothes, tossing them into her bag. If it was possible, Dex looked even more beautiful than she had the night before. She had to get out of this apartment before she did something she would regret. She had already spent one night longer with Dex than she should have. Forgetting her the first time had been harder than expected. This time she already knew it might be impossible.

  * * *

  Dex’s throat tightened as she struggled with her desire to block Lucy’s path. She could tell by the way Lucy looked at her that she could coax her into staying again, but she didn’t want her company that way. She wanted Lucy to want to stay with her and to be brave enough to make the decision to do that. She could see Lucy moving around the bedroom as she gathered the clothing that had been so hastily discarded the night before. She couldn’t shake the feeling of Lucy’s touch as she surrendered to her.

  She met Lucy’s eyes as she came back into the kitchen. The pain she saw there showed Lucy’s internal struggle. How was it possible she could even read this woman that she hadn’t even had a conversation with? Their time together had been so short and she wanted so much more. But she didn’t want to want a woman who wasn’t obtainable. She wanted someone who wanted her too. Even though she knew Lucy did want her, at least sexually, she also could see the demons Lucy was fighting. Clearly she had been hurt before and for whatever the reason, the experience had left her scared to death of relationships. Even though her heart raced at the thought, Dex knew that wasn’t the basis she wanted to start anything on.

  So she took a deep breath and watched Lucy walk out. Again. As the door closed behind her, she walked to the window. Where was Lucy going to go? Maybe she had to work today. They hadn’t talked at all last night so there’d been no way for her to even ask. Lucy emerged from the building and crossed the sidewalk to meet a woman standing beside a blue SUV. Dex moved to the other window to get a better view of the scene below her.

  At first she was angry. How could Lucy leave her to meet someone else? The woman looked so young. Clearly, it was someone that would let Lucy continue her string of one-night stands. After a few minutes, Lucy slid behind the wheel and the woman returned to the building. As the SUV pulled away from the curb, heading out of the district of Yorkville, Dex saw the Hertz sticker on the bumper. It was a rental!

  She quickly pulled on shorts and bolted out the door, stopping only long enough to grab her keys and the wallet they were sitting on. She wanted to know where Lucy was going. She didn’t pause long enough to wonder why she wanted to know. It wasn’t like she was going to follow her. Was she? Was she really that desperate?

  She approached the counter at the Hertz office and the man behind it looked up at her. He didn’t offer a greeting, but his smile told her all she needed to know. His large bulk filled the length of the short counter, making him the only thing she could see in the small office. She surged forward before she could let herself change her mind.

  “I’m not sure if you can help me or not, but I believe you just rented an SUV to a woman with short, dark hair. She was wearing a Toronto Blue Jays T-shirt. Could you tell me when she’s scheduled to return it?” Hearing her words out loud made her cringe. What was she doing? She felt and probably sounded like a stalker.

  “I’m not aware of any rentals today, but we have plenty of SUVs if you’d like to rent one?”

  “No, no. That’s okay.”

  She turned to leave. This was crazy. If Lucy wan
ted to be with her then she wouldn’t have left.

  “Sunday evening,” a female voice said.

  Dex turned back to the counter. The man had stepped to the side and she saw a woman sitting at the desk behind him. It was the same woman she had seen outside with Lucy.

  “She’s going to return it Sunday evening.”

  Dex nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Do you want to know where she went?” The chewing gum popped as the young woman stood and approached the counter.

  “No.” Dex shook her head. “No.”

  She hurried out of the office and back to the staircase that led to the condominium above. Lucy would be back Sunday evening, which probably meant she had to work Monday morning. The young woman had seemed eager to share Lucy’s destination. She could leave a note for Lucy with her. Or she could follow her? What if Lucy was going to meet someone else? At least she could find out where Lucy was headed and then she would decide what to do.

  She returned to the Hertz counter and smiled sheepishly at the man. “I changed my mind. I’d like to know where she’s headed.”

  He looked at the woman seated behind him. She jumped to her feet, pulling maps and brochures from a stack behind the counter.

  “Niagara Falls.” She used a highlighter to show on the map which roads led to the famous resort. Dex had been there many times as a child and knew the way well, but she didn’t stop the woman from talking.

  “And then turn right and you’re there. Do you need to rent a car?”

  “Yes.” The words sprang from her mouth. “No. I mean no.” She wasn’t going to follow Lucy. Besides Niagara Falls was a big place and the odds of finding her wasn’t likely.

  “I can book you a room at the Hilton too,” the woman pushed.

  “You booked her room?”

  “Yep. Falls view. Just like she asked.”

  Dex dropped her driver’s license and credit card on the counter, glancing at the man. “I’d like that SUV you offered.”