Always for You: Jack (Sergeant Joe's Boys #1)

by Alexis Morgan

  No, that wouldn’t have accomplished anything except to give Tino another reason to give him grief. Besides, he shouldn’t need any help finding something to talk about with Caitlyn; he’d never had the problem before. Of course, up until now, most of their conversations had been about Ricky. Maybe that was a safe place to start.

  “In case you’re wondering, Ricky is down with us going out tonight.”

  Caitlyn immediately turned to face him, her eyes wide. The dim interior of the SUV made it difficult to read her expression clearly, but he hoped she looked surprised and not angry. “You actually asked his permission?”

  Maybe that had been a mistake. “Sort of. I let him know we had plans for tonight. I didn’t want him to find out and think we were sneaking around behind his back.” He glanced in her direction again. “Just so you know, I promise that what happens between us stays between us. Having said that, with a kid like Ricky, trust is a fragile thing. I can’t expect to earn his if I don’t offer him mine.”

  She finally nodded. “All right, I get that. So what did he have to say on the subject?”

  Jack grinned. “He said it was okay as long as I didn’t cut in on his time with you helping him with his lessons.”

  That startled a laugh from her. “Fair enough. Anything else?”

  Might as well go for broke. “He said if I wasn’t good to you, I’d have to answer to him.”

  Before she could respond, Jack went on. “I don’t know how many kids with a background like Ricky’s that you’ve dealt with, but here’s the thing. Like I said, they don’t let themselves get attached to many people. I’m taking it as a good sign that he cares what happens to you.”

  “Then I’m flattered that he feels protective about me.”

  They’d reached the restaurant. Jack parked the SUV and came around to Caitlyn’s side to open the door for her. As she climbed out, she stopped him. “I think it also says a lot that he felt comfortable enough to lay down the law to you.”

  Jack considered her assessment of the situation. “Maybe you’re right. I’m hoping he’ll get to the point that he’ll tell us who he really is and why no one has reported him missing.”

  It was time to lighten the mood. “But enough about Ricky. If I can’t cut in on his time, it’s not fair if we spend our entire evening talking about him.”

  She smiled up at him as they walked into the restaurant. “So, you mentioned something about dancing, but you didn’t say what kind you prefer. Should I have worn some cowgirl boots instead of heels?”

  Jack winked at her. “That would’ve been fine with me. I’ve hit my fair share of places where the favorite dance is the Texas Two-Step.”

  He paused to check in with the hostess, who led them to a small table next to the front window. After they were seated, he continued. “However, for tonight I thought I’d let you choose. There’s a small dance club near here that my brothers like with a live band that plays rock, R&B, and some more contemporary stuff. They also mentioned a nightclub that’s a little farther away that features traditional ballroom music.”

  Caitlyn looked a bit skeptical. “You really enjoy ballroom dancing?”

  He pretended to be insulted. “You doubt my dancing skills?”

  She bit her lower lip as if unsure how to proceed. Finally, she admitted, “I guess I didn’t think the tango and the waltz were part of Special Forces training.”

  It was time to take pity on her. “It wasn’t, but my mother thought a man should know his way around the dance floor. All three of us had to learn to do more than what she called just ‘twitching’ to music.”

  He grinned. “Actually, both Joe and Marlene loved dancing of any kind. You should’ve seen them doing the polka at a friend’s wedding reception. It was quite a sight.”

  So was catching them dancing in the hallway outside of their bedroom back when Jack had first moved in with them. Joe had grabbed his wife and twirled her out and then back into his waiting arms. Marlene’s smile had been the one Jack soon realized she saved just for her husband. Even at fourteen, he’d known that dance had been just the lead-in act for what was to follow after they disappeared into their room and shut the door.

  He wouldn’t mind a few dances along that same line in his own life. The thought had an intense, but uncomfortable effect on the fit of his slacks. Luckily, the return of the waitress came as a welcome diversion from the direction his thoughts had taken. After they placed their orders, he redirected their conversation.

  “So tell me about how you became interested in teaching.”

  —

  The prawns had been excellent, as was the wine that Jack had ordered to go with their dinner. After studying the list of the restaurant’s wine selections, he’d chosen a bottle of white wine from one of Washington’s many wineries. It was one she’d never had before but really enjoyed. In between courses, they’d had a lively discussion about their favorite vintages. His knowledge on the subject surprised her a little.

  “I would’ve thought you would have preferred beer to wine.”

  Jack grinned at her. “There’s no reason to choose one over the other. With fish-and-chips, I like a cold beer, while a good wine goes better with broiled halibut. I have to admit that one of my favorite things about living in the Pacific Northwest is the huge number of wineries and microbreweries.”

  From there the conversation wandered on to other subjects as the two of them became better acquainted. Finally, Jack handed her the dessert menu to study.

  “And don’t tell me you shouldn’t. That’s a given. One reason desserts taste so good is the guilt that goes along with ordering them. Personally, I’m going to have the apple tart with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.”

  A man his size could handle those bazillion extra calories loaded into everything on the dessert menu better than she could. Of course, that wasn’t going to stop her from ordering a piece of the triple-chocolate pie or maybe the crème brûlée. Opportunities to eat at a restaurant like this one didn’t come around all that often.

  Evidently he assumed her hesitation was due to her trying to find a polite way to decline. “Come on, Caitlyn. How often do you give in to temptation?”

  Studying the handsome man sitting across the table, her heart was screaming the answer to that question, which was, not nearly often enough. Jack McShane definitely belonged on the dessert menu and came with his own set of dangers. Unfortunately, she was pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to resist him any more than she could chocolate and whipped cream.

  “Fine, I’ll have the triple-chocolate pie.”

  And hope that the dancing they were headed for next would burn off not only the calories but also her sudden hunger for Jack himself.

  —

  In the end, they decided to try the dance club that Jack’s brothers both liked. When he opened the door, the pounding music hit them like a physical blow. The heavy, pulsing rhythm had Caitlyn’s lungs fluttering in her chest. It was either that or her extreme awareness of Jack’s arm around her waist and the press of his powerful body against her side as the two of them fought their way along the edge of the writhing crowd of dancers toward an empty table on the far side of the club.

  A waiter immediately appeared at the table. Jack ordered a beer, but Caitlyn asked for a soft drink. Her escort was already clouding her thoughts enough without adding alcohol to the mix. The music was too loud to make conversation easy, so they sat in companionable silence and enjoyed the pounding rhythms as the live band segued from one song right into the next.

  When their drinks were delivered, Jack asked the waiter to run a tab. After taking a quick chug of his beer, Jack stood up and held out his hand. “Shall we?”

  Caitlyn let him lead her out onto the dance floor. The band was playing a song about hot summer nights, which was one of her favorites, not that it mattered. Any song with a beat meant for dancing was just fine with her. The only question was if she and Jack would suit as dance partners. Back in the day, on the few occas
ions she’d been able to coax Josh out onto the dance floor, they’d never quite meshed no matter what the dance style. Even when slow dancing, they’d mostly bumped toes as they’d shuffled two steps in one direction and then two steps back.

  Looking back, she would’ve saved herself a lot of heartache if she’d been smart enough to realize those few dances would become the metaphor for their entire marriage. Instead, she’d given up dancing and nearly everything else that brought her pleasure before the whole fiasco had come to an end.

  Memories of the past threatened to overwhelm her. But the second Jack took Caitlyn in his arms, the two of them meshed perfectly. He knew it, too. After just a few steps, he busted out a few moves that left them both grinning. Although she’d noticed he sometimes favored his one leg, there was no sign of it tonight, and she loved that he preferred to hold hands as they danced rather than merely standing close together.

  It had been a long time since she’d spent this much time dancing, and three songs later she was feeling the effects. Not that she wanted to sit one out. Who knew when, if ever, she’d have another chance to indulge herself in an evening spent with a handsome man who danced with her as if they’d been partnered for years instead of a handful of songs.

  Then the lights dimmed as the band played the opening strains of an old Bon Jovi ballad. Jack tipped his head to the side and held out his hand, evidently leaving it up to her if she wanted to slow dance with him. Why not? At first, he held her close, but not too close. It didn’t take long for it to feel perfectly natural for his hands to settle on her hips while hers traveled upward to encircle his neck. The tips of her breasts brushed against the hard expanse of his chest, setting off a fierce ache that spread through her body. She wanted more of his touch, more hard contact, in fact, just plain more!

  He must have felt the same, because one powerful arm wrapped around her waist to pull her flush against the length of his body as he bent his head down to rest against hers. Neither of them said a word as they swayed ever more slowly to the smooth melody. His scent was intoxicating, a heady mix of aftershave, sweat, and the faint tang of the beer he’d been drinking.

  “I love your hair.” He murmured the words right next to her ear. “I’ve never actually seen you wear it down. I’ve lain awake nights imagining what it would be like to slide my fingers through it as I undid your braid. I’m guessing it reaches past the middle of your back, and that’s sexy as hell. One of these days, I’d love to find out for myself.”

  What could she say to that? How could something as simple as the image of him unbraiding her hair sound as intimate as him unzipping her dress? When she couldn’t come up with any words to show her approval, Caitlyn did the next best thing. She tilted her head to the right angle to press a soft kiss on his cheek.

  Or at least that was the plan. But at the last second Jack turned so that his mouth found hers. Maybe because they were on a dance floor and surrounded by other couples, he kept the kiss almost chaste. Regardless, the soft play of his lips across hers packed quite a punch as her knees went all loosey-goosey and her pulse picked up speed.

  Whoa, brother, the man should definitely come with a warning label. Something about not driving or operating machinery or even walking after kissing him. Luckily, the next song was another slow ballad, giving her more time to rein in her body’s reaction to Jack’s embrace. By the time it wound down and the band announced it was taking a short break, she was reasonably sure she could make it all the way to the table without melting into a puddle of lust before they got there.

  Jack scooted his chair around to her side of the small, round table so they were sitting pretty much shoulder to shoulder and thigh to thigh. “Would you like another drink?”

  “Yes, I’d love another Coke.”

  After catching the waiter’s attention, Jack pointed toward their drinks and then circled his finger in the air to signal another round. “So, have you always enjoyed dancing?”

  Caitlyn nodded. “Yes, although it’s been awhile since I’ve gotten a chance to put my dancing shoes to good use.”

  She could tell Jack had found something about her response a bit curious but wasn’t sure if he should say anything. “Go ahead and ask, Jack. If it’s something I don’t want to talk about, I’ll let you know.”

  As usual, he didn’t mince words. “I take it your ex didn’t take you dancing.”

  “No, or at least not often. Josh had two left feet and no sense of rhythm. He wasn’t the kind of guy who liked to be reminded that there was something he wasn’t good at.”

  Especially if it involved something she was not only good at, but really enjoyed. But she didn’t want thoughts of Josh to take the shine off her happy mood. “How about you? When was the last time you had a chance to show off your dazzling dance moves?”

  They both knew what she really wanted to know. Jack focused his gaze on the far wall for a second before answering. “You know, I honestly can’t remember. When we were stationed stateside, a bunch of us would hit a few bars near the base where we’d dance with anyone who was willing. However, I’ve spent most of the past few years deployed in one war zone or another. That didn’t leave me much time to work on any kind of a long-term relationship. Hell, not even a short-term one.”

  She hated knowing how much of Jack’s life had been spent living in danger. It had to be a relief for Marlene to have at least one of her sons home and out of uniform. “Is that why you left the army?”

  He reached for his beer, which had to be warm and flat by now, and took a long drink. Clearly she’d brought up a painful subject. She laid her hand on his arm, and said, “I’m sorry for prying, Jack. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

  “That’s okay. I don’t mind.”

  The tight grip he had on that long neck bottle said otherwise as he slapped the side of his knee. “I left because this leg got screwed up on my last mission. The VA’s docs did a bang-up job screwing it back together. Most of the time it doesn’t bother me all that much, but there are days…Well, let’s just say that it wouldn’t be smart to risk landing wrong again on another night jump.”

  He laughed a little after that last part, but Caitlyn didn’t find it at all funny. Maybe Jack could make light of what had happened to him, but what if it had been his neck and not his knee that had been shattered that night? She’d only known him a short time, but the thought that she might never have even met him hurt like heck. From that first day when he’d greeted her with one of his wicked smiles, a part of her that had been wounded and hurting since the disaster of her marriage had blown up in her face had started healing.

  And then there was Ricky. What would’ve happened to the teenager if Jack hadn’t been there at the exact moment the boy badly needed someone to step forward and offer him sanctuary? Especially someone who understood all too well what he was going through?

  There were a whole lot of reasons to be grateful that Jack had survived the incident, but she hated that he still carried the scars, both inside and out. He wouldn’t appreciate her sympathy, so she turned her focus in another direction, one that would restore them both to a better mood. After setting her drink down, she stood up and held out her hand.

  “The band is back. Ready for another round?”

  The shadows that had darkened Jack’s eyes immediately faded as he led Caitlyn out to the center of the dance floor. Within seconds of the band playing the opening bars of the next song, all dark thoughts were firmly banished. The music filled her heart and soothed her soul, and Caitlyn felt lighter than she had in years.

  As they danced, she was pretty sure as he sent her spinning that Jack’s teasing grin was all that kept her feet tethered to the earth. When the band immediately launched into another slow song, she walked right into Jack’s waiting arms and smiled as he cradled her with such care.

  Sighing with pure pleasure, she said, “I suppose it’s too much to hope that this song will never end.”

  Jack’s voice was a d
eep rumble right next to her ear. “Probably, so let’s enjoy every moment we can.”

  Then he tightened his hold on her, his arms cradling rather than crushing her. If it had been Josh holding her, she would’ve felt smothered. In Jack’s arms, she only felt cherished.

  Chapter 13

  The witching hour had come and gone two hours ago. Jack’s SUV hadn’t turned back into a pumpkin, but then he wasn’t anybody’s idea of Prince Charming, either. This wasn’t some fairy tale, but it was the best date he’d been on in years. Possibly ever.

  No, definitely ever, and he hated that it was about to end.

  His conscience whispered he should walk Caitlyn to her door, kiss her goodnight, and thank her for a fun evening. At the same time, another voice shouted that he should walk her to the door, really kiss her, and see if he couldn’t convince her to invite him in for a whole lot more fun.

  It had been a painfully long time since he’d indulged in that particular brand of fun. Between deployments, his leg surgery and recovery, and then the odd jobs he’d been doing for Gabe, his dance card had been pretty much full. On the other hand, he suspected it had also been a long time for Caitlyn, maybe even since her marriage had ended and probably for some time before that. She hadn’t said much about her ex-husband, but he’d definitely left his mark on her. Obviously the man had hated to dance, so he’d denied his wife that one small pleasure.

  What other small and petty things had he done to his pretty wife that had left her so gun-shy when it came to men? If their paths ever crossed, maybe Jack would demand a few answers and then a reckoning for hurting her. As he parked the SUV in front of Caitlyn’s place, he wondered how she’d react to the knowledge that Jack would like to go a few rounds with her ex just on general principles.

  Unaware of the dark direction his thoughts had taken, Caitlyn took Jack’s hand as they walked the short distance to her front door. “I’ve had a wonderful time tonight. My feet might regret those last few dances, but I won’t. I loved every minute we spent out on the dance floor.”