Always Be True
Page 17
He didn’t get away before Benton managed to block his way. “Listen here, you and that bitch can’t—”
Tino cut him off right there, crowding in close enough to force Benton into retreat, the first smart move the idiot had made all night. Tino’s tuxedo offered but a thin veneer of sophistication over a warrior’s need to defend those he cared about. Right now, he was about a heartbeat away from teaching Benton firsthand what that meant. He got right up in Benton’s grill. “Shut up while you still have all those pretty, white teeth, or we take this discussion outside.”
Luckily for Benton, his father returned in time to shove his way between his son and Tino. “That’s enough, Benton. Do what the man says and shut up.”
By now, people at several of the surrounding tables were openly staring at the confrontation. At least none of them had whipped out their phones to start snapping pictures. Now that Mr. Humboldt had his son under control, Tino walked away, still fighting the urge to lay Benton out flat on the ballroom floor.
As he rounded the edge of the table on his way toward the door, he caught Stan Grant’s eye. “I apologize for all of that. Regardless, it was nice meeting you and your wife. Please wish your sons the best for me.”
“I’ll do that.” The older man glanced in Benton’s direction and then back at Tino. “You showed more restraint than I would have. Your father was right to be proud of you.”
Okay, so maybe he hadn’t worn out his welcome with everyone. “Thank you, sir. Now, I’d better be going.”
As he wound his way through the tightly clustered tables, he risked a peek back over his shoulder to see what Benton was doing now. He and his father were having a heated discussion. The elder Humboldt looked more than a little disgusted when he finally all but dragged his son toward the men’s room at the back of the ballroom.
Good. At least one member of that family had the good sense to not let the situation deteriorate any further. On the other hand, his wife might have a different opinion on that considering she was now standing with Natalie and her parents. None of them were looking in his direction at the moment, but there was enough tension in their body language to make it clear that the conversation hadn’t been entirely pleasant.
It was time to put an end to this crap. He cleared the last of the tables and headed straight for Natalie. When he appeared at her shoulder, she offered him a tight smile. “Thanks for retrieving my purse for me. I would’ve hated to have left it behind.”
“It was no problem.”
She lifted her eyebrows just enough to let him know she questioned the truth of that statement. Okay, so she knew his encounter with Benton hadn’t gone smoothly. He gave her a quick kiss, needing that small connection with her. After wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he finally made eye contact with the other three people standing there. Tracy and Randall looked intrigued by their interaction, but Mrs. Humboldt’s displeasure was unmistakable.
Too bad. Tino wasn’t the one who’d made an ass of himself tonight.
Natalie’s father abruptly took charge of the situation. “I’m sorry, Gloria, we should be going so Tracy can take something for her headache.”
Personally, Tino thought Benton had been more of a pain in the ass than a headache, but he wasn’t going to nitpick.
Mrs. Humboldt gave Natalie’s mother a quick hug. “I hope you feel better.”
There was real concern in her voice, which came as a bit of surprise. He’d almost forgotten she and Natalie’s mother were close friends. Maybe the strain of having to spend time with the woman who had hurt her son had taken its toll on her. No doubt the realization that Natalie and Tino were involved in an ongoing relationship had been a real eye-opener for both her and Benton.
Tracy offered her friend a rather wan smile. Maybe the headache had been more than a simple excuse to leave. If not, she was one heck of an actress. “It’s nothing a couple of ibuprofen and a good night’s sleep won’t fix. I’ll see you at lunch on Thursday.”
Randall’s own smile looked strained. “Good night, Gloria. Tell Tom I’ll text him our tee time in the morning.”
“I will.” Turning her attention in their direction, she nodded at each of them in turn. “Mr. Gianelli. Natalie, don’t be a stranger.”
Then she walked away without waiting for a response. Meanwhile, Randall took his wife’s hand. “Once we’re outside, I’ll pull the car around to pick you up.”
“That’s not necessary. I can walk that far. I think the fresh air will actually help.”
The four of them made their way to the front entrance of the building and stepped out into the night. The late-evening air tasted sweet, a nice counterpoint to the stuffy atmosphere back inside the building.
It didn’t take long to reach the Kennigans’ Lexus. Her dad stuck out his hand. “It was nice meeting you, Tino, even if the evening ended up being a little rough around the edges. We’d love to have you over for dinner soon.”
“That would be nice, sir.”
Tracy already looked a little perkier. It was impossible to tell if the improvement was due to the fresh air or the chance to get away from the crowd. Probably both. “Thank you for the dance, Tino. You should know that I was the envy of my friends. A couple even asked if we’d be willing to share you the next time.”
Natalie looked horrified by the prospect. “Mom, please tell me you didn’t actually offer to loan him out!”
Her mother laughed. “Of course not. I just thought I should warn him.”
Randall opened the car door for his wife, clearly ready to be heading home. “Leave the poor guy alone, Tracy. It’s bad enough that he had to deal with the Humboldts tonight without threatening to ask him to dance with the entire menopausal set.”
Natalie snickered as she took Tino’s hand in hers. “And on that scary note, we’ll be going now. I’ll let you know if there’s anything the foundation can do for the orchestra.”
Her father nodded. “I know you’ll do your best.”
Tino let Natalie lead him away from her parents. He managed a quick wave before falling in step next to her.
When they were out of hearing, she said, “God, Tino, I’m so sorry about tonight. Seriously, if I’d had any idea the evening would turn out to be so awkward, I would’ve refused to attend at all. For sure I would never have knowingly subjected you to Benton’s appalling behavior.”
“It’s his problem, Nat, not ours.”
Well, except for the fact he was majorly pissed off about everything that had happened. For Natalie’s sake, he’d bent over backward to disguise himself as one of the crowd—starting with buying a tux he couldn’t really afford, and then dusting off all the good manners Joe had drilled into all of his sons. Anything to fit in with her friends and family. Despite his best efforts, the Humboldts had clearly pegged him as an intruder.
Worse yet, he was still fighting the adrenaline rush from that final confrontation with Natalie’s ex. Having no handy target for his anger, he channeled his frustration into a completely different direction instead. Offering her no warning, he tightened his hold on Natalie’s hand as he veered off the pavement and into the trees that lined the parking lot. Under the cover of deep shadows, he spun his woman into his arms and kissed her long and hard. When she gasped at the sudden embrace, he deepened the kiss as he lifted her high against his chest.
Pressing her back against the closest tree, he guided her legs up around his hips. Settling his raging erection right against her core, he flexed his hips several times, craving the connection that was only slightly hindered by the layers of clothing between them.
“Tino! What are you doing?” Natalie clung to his shoulders, her eyes wide with shock. At least she didn’t demand that he release her.
God knows, resorting to caveman tactics might not be the smartest move he could have made. Regardless, his instincts screamed for him to reestablish his claim on Natalie, to mark her as his now, and to make sure that she damn well knew it.
Natalie was
slow to surrender, but she gradually melted into him. Her soft moan fanned flames, sending the fire perilously close to raging out of control. For sure he shouldn’t have his hands on her ass and his tongue down her throat right out there when any number of her parents’ friends could see them.
It took every bit of strength he had to dial back the heat. His voice was sandpaper rough when he whispered near her ear, “We need to go before I fulfill a favorite fantasy of mine. It involves taking a gorgeous woman up against a tree in the woods.”
Natalie’s voice was equally husky in the darkness, her own hands wandering down interesting paths. “Personally, I’ve always dreamed of a tall, dark warrior carrying me off to have his wicked way with me. Maybe we can check off two fantasies at one time.”
Damned if he wasn’t tempted. But then the headlights of a passing car skirted the edge of the shadows where they stood. “As much as I’d love to indulge in a little loving al fresco, maybe we should take this someplace a little more private.”
She actually looked disappointed. “Fine, be that way. But promise you’ll drive fast on the way home.”
“I promise.”
Then to prove he was that warrior who planned to have his wicked way with his lady, he swept Natalie up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the car.
—
Natalie hadn’t dated all that many men over the years, and none who were anything like Tino Gianelli. He’d shed all pretense of civilized sophistication between one heartbeat and the next, leaving her panting with need. After abandoning the minimal cover offered by the trees, they’d lasted as far as his car before indulging in another kiss that pretty much fried her brain and threatened to destroy any inhibitions she might have had. If that parking lot had been a little more deserted, she just might have learned if being taken on the hood of a car was as romantic as it would’ve been to let Tino finish what he’d started up against that tree.
She’d laughed and braced herself when Tino gunned the engine and peeled out of the country club parking lot. The tires had squealed and briefly fought for purchase on the road.
Tino shot her an apologetic look. “Whoops.”
After that, he reined it in and drove the rest of the way at or at least near the speed limit. Fifteen minutes later, they were on the final approach to her place. She wasn’t sure she would have survived the trip if she’d lived any farther away from the club.
She’d never been daring enough to try out the backseat of a car, but she was tempted to give it a shot tonight. She glanced over her shoulder and grinned. It would be tricky but definitely doable.
“Okay, woman, what has you smiling all wicked like that?”
Her grin kicked it up a notch. “I was checking out the backseat.”
Tino gave her a considering look. “Why?”
“I’m betting you can figure it out.” She trailed her fingers along the length of his thigh in case he needed more of a hint.
It didn’t take him long to connect the dots. “Another fantasy of yours?”
“I’ve never tried it and won’t ask if you’ve ever done it in a car.”
His initial silence was answer enough, but then he grinned. “I’d have to take the Fifth.”
But after another sideways glance in her direction, he added, “Although in the interest of total honesty, it was actually the bed of my dad’s old pickup truck.”
It was hard not to be a bit jealous of whatever lucky girl he’d been with, but she’d never expected him to have been a monk all these years. Tino must have noticed her smile had faded, because he reached over to take her hand in his.
“For the record, there haven’t been all that many women in my life. Between deployments and transfers, it was hard to connect with anyone on that level.”
Then he waggled his eyebrows with a playful leer. “But just in case you’re interested, we still have that old truck. You know, if you ever want to try it out.”
Was she a bad person for being tempted to give it a go? Before she could decide, she realized the car had stopped moving, and Tino announced, “We’re here.”
This time, Natalie didn’t wait for him to open the car door for her. She was out and waiting for him almost before he had a chance to turn off the engine. When they reached the front door, he drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I know this evening was rougher than either of us expected. Do you still want me to come inside?”
“Yes, I do,” she assured him, although she appreciated that he asked. “None of what happened was our fault, and I really am sorry how things played out. I will also say that I’ve never seen Benton be that much of a jerk. He takes his public image pretty seriously.”
Tino swooped in for a quick kiss. “Well, hearing that you’ve moved on and actually seeing it for himself are two different things. It probably hadn’t really hit him how much he’d lost until he saw us together. I’m done talking about him except to say the man was a damn fool for letting you get away.”
How odd to realize she’d somehow stirred such strong passion in even one man, much less two. Right now, the same hungry gleam that had been in Tino’s eyes when he’d almost taken her up against that tree was back in full force. It was clear that what was coming next wouldn’t be the same gentle seduction they’d enjoyed the last time.
She couldn’t wait.
Her hand was remarkably steady when she put the key in the lock and turned it. They’d barely cleared the doorway when Tino took her purse from her hand and tossed it on a nearby table. Then he swept her up in his arms for the second time in one evening and headed straight for the staircase.
When they reached the top step, he hesitated only long enough to ask, “Which room?”
“The last one on the left.”
Funny, that she was the one who sounded breathless when he was the one doing all the heavy lifting. Upon entering her bedroom, Tino settled her on the edge of the bed. Instead of joining her there, he took a step back. She hated even that much distance between them. But if he needed a moment, she’d give it to him as long as he didn’t retreat any farther.
Finally, he nodded as if he’d come to a decision. “Nat, I want you so damn badly, but after everything that happened tonight—not just with Benton, but afterward in the parking lot—my control is shot. I want to move slowly. To make things good for you…for us, but I’m not sure I can. Go slowly, that is.”
His voice had taken on that same rough and hungry edge it had had earlier in the deep shadows under the trees. She’d liked it then. She liked it now as the weight of his words sank deep within her, fueling the flames of her own hunger, her need for this man.
Smiling up at her handsome lover, she held out her hand to entice him back within reach. “I like slow and easy just fine, but we can save that for later. Right now, fast sounds good to me.”
For a brief second, the dark expression on Tino’s face lightened. “Lady, I love the way you think.”
Then he was right there within reach. He drew her back up to her feet and then framed her face with the warmth of his hands, tilting it up for the right angle to kiss her. Contrary to his claim, he took his time and teased her with soft brushes of his lips at the corners of her mouth. When she tried to protest, he finally got down to business, his tongue sweeping past the barrier of her lips to take possession of her mouth and quite possibly her soul.
She clung to his shoulders for support when suddenly her legs would no longer support her. Tino immediately broke off the kiss and eased her back down onto the bed and knelt at her feet as he slid his hands up her calves to pause at her knees. “You okay with this?”
Considering her lips were a bit swollen from his kiss, her smile might have been a bit ragged when she nodded. “So much more than just okay.”
Her answer clearly pleased him as he tugged the hem of her dress up out of the way. Without waiting to be asked, she braced her feet on the floor and lifted her hips to aid him in removing her panties and pantyhose in one motion.
With that warning, he positioned himself over her, taking her with one hard thrust and no hesitation. She expected the abrupt invasion to hurt, but her body was clearly ready for him. Had been, in fact, since they’d left the dance. Tino knew it, too, because he didn’t hesitate to set a pounding rhythm that left them both gasping.
The experience was an incredible hodgepodge of sensations. Her dress was bunched up around her waist while his cotton dress shirt felt slick and cool to her grasping fingers. It provided a sharp contrast to the few places where their hot skin came into direct contact. In only a few strokes, her body was already tightening, straining to reach completion.
Tino was having none of it. “Not yet, babe. It’s too soon.”
He slowed the pace, rolling his hips as he nearly withdrew from her body before once again burying the hard length of him deep within her core. He held them both still for the longest time before once again pulling back and then pushing in again, but only a little. Holding himself steady, he reached between her legs to flutter his fingertips over the center of her desire, fanning the flames into a full-out burn.
“God, yes, Tino! Just like that.”
She wrapped her legs around his lean hips in a vain attempt to take more of him, but he held her still. Clearly, he was determined to remain in charge this time. Once she quit struggling, he gave her what they both wanted—a hard, fast ride that had her screaming his name as he sent them both flying over the edge.
Chapter 16
Tino struggled to fill his lungs right now. It was as if the air in the bedroom had somehow grown thin. Considering how hot the sex had been, maybe they had burned up the entire supply of oxygen. His conscience whispered he should have used greater care with Natalie, but he couldn’t find it in him to regret a single second of the amazing roller-coaster ride they’d just been on.