“I don’t think he cares. His army buddies call him Hellhound. I usually call him Arnie.” My words came out sounding stiffer than I’d intended.
Nichele’s eyes widened. “Oh-em-gee, Aydan, you actually love him!”
“Yes.” I raised my chin.
She blinked and stared, and I had to swallow my amusement at her discomfiture. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she stammered, “Are, you, um… are you guys, um… going to…?”
I relented and let my smile escape. “No. We’re really good friends and we sleep together sometimes. That’s all either of us wants.”
“Oh, thank God!” She flushed. “I mean… sorry. Um…”
“Forget it, you goof.” I reached over to hug her. “If you actually pretended you liked him, I’d figure the real Nichele had been abducted by aliens or something.”
She blew out a sigh, relaxing into a relieved smile. “Girl, don’t scare me like that! Anyway, I do like him, I just don’t want to think about waking up next to him.” She shuddered. “Eeuw. Now, tell me how good Hot John was!”
“Amaz-” I bit off the word.
Her eyes widened.
Shit. Busted.
“Oooh, Aydan, seriously? You’re doing both of them? Oh-em-gee, you bootylicious babe! Tell me, tell me!” Her jaw dropped. “Wait, they’re best friends. Are you doing them at the same time? Ménage à trois?”
My vision unfocused for an instant before I recovered from the mental image. “Not at the same time! Jeez, Nichele!”
“You thought about it!” She poked a finger into my ribs, chortling. “You did, you thought about it! Ha-ha! The strait-laced bookkeeper has a secret wild side!”
“I’m not strait-laced!”
She leaned over to pluck contemptuously at my baggy sweatshirt. “Girl, I know nuns who show more skin than you do.”
“Yeah, so?” I tweaked the sweatshirt back into place, secretly giving thanks I’d worn my ankle holster instead of my waist holster.
“So; strait-laced!”
“Strait-laced is an attitude, not a fashion statement,” I said primly.
“Yeah, girl, you just keep telling yourself that,” Nichele teased. “Now, dish!”
“There’s nothing to dish. It never would have happened unless-”
Shit. I couldn’t say ‘unless we were about to die in a fiery plane crash’.
“Um… it was a one-time thing,” I lied. “Anyway, we talked it over afterward and it won’t happen again,” I added, and seized the offensive. “What about you and Dave?”
“You talked? Girl, are you nuts? That man’s hot enough to melt panties from across the room!” Nichele squinted at me suspiciously. “What aren’t you telling me?”
I brazened it out. “I’m not telling you anything about my sex life, that’s for sure. But it looks like you and Dave are getting along pretty well.”
She smiled, roses blooming in her cheeks. “Yeah.” She dropped her gaze, watching with apparent fascination while her perfectly manicured fingertip traced hearts on the shiny glass tabletop.
My heart warmed at the glow in her smile, and I glanced down the hall to make sure Dave was still out of earshot. “So how’s it going with… well, you know, living together? What has it been, two months? You’ve never lasted this long, even with… um, what’s-his-name…” The name eluded me. “Whatever. The love of your life that you kicked out after seventeen days.”
Nichele waved a dismissing hand. “He was boring.”
“After seventeen days?” She shrugged, and I left the topic for dead. “So… you and Dave…?”
“Oh, we’re completely incompatible. He likes country music, for God’s sake.” She gave a theatrical shudder before continuing, “I’m a stockbroker. He’s a long-haul trucker. We have absolutely nothing in common.” Her lips curved into a smug smile.
“And…” I prompted, grinning.
She gave a happy little bounce in her chair. “And it’s perfect! When he’s on the road I go clubbing with my friends. By the time he gets home, I’m ready for some cocooning time. We like all the same food and he’s happy if I tell him what to wear, and he’s finally gotten over being weirded out because I make more money than he does-”
“Hey, um…” Dave’s voice drifted from the hallway. “You done your girl-talk?”
I turned to beckon him in. “It’s okay, Dave, it’s safe. Come on back.”
He shot me a relieved grin before turning to Nichele. “You better get ready, honey. We leave in half an hour.”
She bounced up and kissed him thoroughly before vanishing down the hall, leaving him smiling as though somebody had just handed him the moon and stars.
As the bedroom door closed behind her, he turned to me, sobering. “Gotta ask you something.”
His seriousness sent a quiver of trepidation to my stomach. I kept my tone casual. “What’s up?”
Dave shot a cautious glance down the hall before speaking quietly. “That you in the plane fire a couple days ago?”
I froze.
He raised a calming hand and spoke before I could decide whether to lie. “It’s okay, you don’t need to tell me. Was watching the news and saw long red hair when they wheeled the stretcher into the ambulance. Thought it looked like you, but I didn’t say anything to Nichele. Been worried sick.”
“I’m sorry, Dave, you should have texted me or something.”
He shrugged and grimaced. “Didn’t dare. What if Nichele caught me? She doesn’t know about your spy stuff, does she?”
“No.” I struggled with the knowledge that I should deny the whole thing, but this was Dave. I owed him my life.
I sighed. “And I’d like to keep it that way.”
He nodded. “I figured.” Anxiety creased his forehead. “They said five dead; crew and two passengers. Good guys or bad guys?”
My hands clenched into involuntary fists and I swallowed hard. “Two bad, a woman and a guy. The flight crew was innocent as far as I know.”
“Shi… crap.” He pulled me into a quick hug and patted my back before pulling away to frown earnestly. “Listen, Aydan... If you ever need help, you know you can call me, right? Any time. No matter what.”
I swallowed the tightness in my throat. “Thanks, Dave, but you’ve already gone above and beyond. Now you need to settle down and enjoy life. You’ve got more to lose now.”
He glanced down the hall, his face softening. “Yeah.” He returned his gaze to me. “But you’re the one that gave it to me. Any time, Aydan. Remember that.”
I squeezed his hand. “Thanks, Dave. I will.”
We smiled at each other, and before the short silence could get awkward I let go of his hand under the pretext of gesturing at the window. “Wow, look at that snow.”
Dave shot an assessing look at the flakes whipping by outside the glass and his brow furrowed. “Yeah. They didn’t forecast that, but it sure blew up fast. It’ll be bad on the highway. You should stay with us tonight.”
“Hardly.” I gestured at his suit. “Wearing Armani in front of Nichele is like waving fresh meat in front of a tiger. You won’t want any listening ears when she gets you home tonight.”
He flushed and a grin tugged the corners of his mouth, but he persisted. “Don’t want you out on the highway by yourself.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ve got winter tires, and I have my survival kit and winter gear and sleeping bag in case I get stopped.”
“Yeah, but the ground drift’ll be bad. Can’t get above it in that little car.”
I shook my head at him and headed for the door. “It’s a full-size sedan, and it’s all-wheel drive. It just seems small to you because you’re so used to your highway tractor.” I paused, frowning. “Um, Dave, you know Nichele can’t climb up into the cab wearing that tight dress and high heels…”
He laughed. “Nope, I know. Hired a limo. Gonna let somebody else do the driving so I can have a few drinks.”
“You’re a professional driver and yo
u actually trust somebody else to drive you around?”
Dave winked. “Hel… heck, I was in your back seat while you drag-raced a train. Nothing scares me anymore.”
We were grinning at each other when Nichele emerged from the hallway. She shot us a suspicious glance. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing.” I stooped to lace up my boots. “I was just leaving.”
“Stay here.” Dave’s smile was gone, his bushy brows drawing together. “Believe me, it’s gonna be bad out there.”
“Dave, you drive in weather like this all the time.” I pulled on my parka.
His scowl deepened. “Not the point. You’re not me.”
I leaned over to give him a quick hug. “And I’m sure Nichele is profoundly grateful for that. Thanks, Dave, but I’ll be fine. You guys have fun tonight.”
“Be careful.” Nichele pulled me into a bear hug. “Call me as soon as you get home.”
“I will. Talk to you later.” I made my escape, avoiding Dave’s troubled gaze.
I was second-guessing my decision before I even finished cleaning off my car. Wind-driven snow stung my face while I wielded the brush, and a layer of white had already accumulated on the windshield when I slid behind the wheel only a few minutes later.
I turned on the wipers and stared out at the whirling flakes. A gust of wind shook the car.
Shit, Dave was right. The highway would be bad and getting worse. And I only had an hour of daylight left, just enough to put me in the most desolate part of the trip by dark.
I clenched my teeth and plugged my phone into the hands-free outlet. I wouldn’t spoil Dave and Nichele’s special evening. If the roads were really that bad, I’d go to a hotel instead of driving beyond the populated areas. And anyway, I had my survival gear if I got stopped.
Muttering reassurances to myself, I started driving.
Half an hour later, I drew a deep breath and eased my shoulders down from around my ears for the umpteenth time. The main expressway out of Calgary was a confusing expanse of crisscrossing tire tracks fading into several inches of snow. Disoriented drivers wavered uncertainly across the invisible lanes, and cloudbound twilight darkened the sky already.
I feathered the brakes as some shit-for-brains SUV driver sped past only to slide into a butt-puckering skid a few hundred yards ahead. Fortunately, Shit-For-Brains managed to regain control without causing an accident, and I released my pent-up breath in a hiss between my teeth.
This was stupid. I should just pull off and find a hotel here in the city.
My phone rang before I reached the next exit and I eased the car to a stop on what I sincerely hoped was the shoulder, peeling a white-knuckled hand off the steering wheel to engage the four-way flashers.
“Hello?” My voice came out high and tight.
“Aydan? Are you still at Nichele’s place?” Kane’s warm baritone held a note of concern.
I swallowed. “No, I’m just heading home,” I said with as much confidence as I could muster.
“That’s what I was afraid of. Where are you?”
“Northbound on Deerfoot at Country Hills.”
“Turn around and come back to my place. Don’t leave the city.”
I hesitated. Despite my fervent desire to follow the second part of his advice, I wasn’t quite ready to face him after our sizzling induction to the Mile-High Club. The body-baring had been fabulous. The subsequent soul-baring, not so much…
I made my voice easy and relaxed. “Thanks, John, but I’d really like to get home tonight-”
“That’s why I’m calling. You can’t. There’s a twenty-car pileup north of Airdrie and the highway’s closed.”
“Shit.”
My mouth uttered the expletive automatically, but a tendril of relief crept into my heart. The decision was out of my hands. I could hole up in a warm, safe hotel…
Kane’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “Come down to my place. Dinner’s almost ready and we have far too much food as usual.”
“Thanks, but you’re in the opposite direction to where I want to be, and anyway, I don’t want to intrude on your family time-”
“Aydan, I told you last night, you’re more than welcome. Dad would love to see you again. The turkey’s in the oven and we have all the trimmings.” His voice dropped to a seductive rumble. “I’m making garlic cream cheese mashed potatoes.”
My mouth watered.
“Gravy,” he coaxed. “Stuffing. Roasted root vegetables. Fresh cranberry-orange sauce. Pecan pie with whipped cream for dessert…”
I failed to suppress a small moan.
I could hear the smile in his voice as he continued, “…a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc chilling-”
“Stop!” I protested. “Thanks, but I really-”
“Tell her I’m comin’ to get her,” a gravelly voice spoke in the background. “Where is she?”
“Hellhound will-” Kane began to relay the message.
“I heard, but tell him it’s okay. I don’t want to leave my car by the side of the road.”
“But you’re turning around now, aren’t you?” Kane pitched his voice into an ominous growl. “If you’re not here in forty-five minutes, I’ll get Webb to trace your cell phone and we’ll hunt you down and drag you back here kicking and screaming.”
I laughed, the icy tension easing from my belly. “All right, all right. Jeez, creepy stalkers or what?”
Kane laughed, too, but when he spoke again, his tone was serious. “Drive carefully. Call if you need help.”
Chapter 4
My car wallowed into a snowy berth in Kane’s condo parking lot at last. I pried my aching fingers off the steering wheel one by one, half-expecting to leave deep dents behind. Letting the blessed safety ease into my quivering muscles, I sat for a long moment staring out at the snow slashing almost horizontally in front of the windshield.
A gust of wind made the car shudder before settling deeper into the snowbank as if in relief of its own, and the taut corners of my mouth creaked into a smile at the notion. I patted its dashboard and crooned, “You’re such a good car!”
It made no reply, and I let out a breath that felt as though it came from my toes and punched Nichele’s speed-dial on my cell phone.
She answered on the first ring. “Aydan, where are you? Are you okay?”
“What are you doing answering your phone?” I teased. “Pay attention to Dave.”
“Girl, where are you? Just tell me you’re safe.”
“I’m safe. I’m staying in Calgary tonight after all.”
“Oh, thank God! I was so worried about you but I didn’t want to spoil Dave’s plans…”
“She okay?” Dave’s gruff voice spoke in the background. “She need me to come and get her?”
“Tell Dave thanks, but I’m fine and he’d better pay attention to his date.”
Nichele giggled. “I’ll tell him. Thanks, Aydan. Now we can relax and enjoy ourselves.”
“Enjoy,” I agreed. “Get back to your date. I’m going to go and collect a turkey supper.”
Cold was already penetrating the car when I hung up and stowed my phone in my waist pouch. Feeling as though I’d aged twenty years, I dragged myself out into the savage gale and tottered to the front entrance to ring the buzzer for Kane’s apartment.
When the security door released, I crept up the stairs clinging to the handrail, the soft light and warm silence wrapping around me like a blanket.
By the time I gained the third floor, Hellhound stood in Kane’s doorway. His battered face creased into a smile as I approached, and a moment later his arms closed around me, their strength tempered to gentleness as always.
“Jesus, darlin’, ya look like ya got nothin’ left but eyeballs an’ asshole,” he rasped, and bestowed a kiss on my lips. “An’ lips,” he amended. “Lucky for me.”
I let out a shaky giggle and cuddled into his warmth, tucking my head under his bearded chin and giving him a careful hug in case his injuries still hurt as muc
h as I suspected they did. “I feel like nothing but eyeballs and asshole,” I mumbled against his chest. “And actually, the eyeballs are questionable.”
“Well, come on in an’ get a drink. Ya look like ya need one.” He drew me into the apartment with an arm around my shoulders.
Shedding my boots and jacket in the entry, I inhaled the mouth-watering scent of roasting turkey. When I straightened, Kane and his father stood regarding me with almost-identical smiles.
My gaze locked onto Kane despite my attempt to control it.
God, no man should be allowed to look that good. His wide shoulders and bulging biceps filled his snug black T-shirt to perfection. A dishtowel was tucked into his jeans as a makeshift apron, emphasizing his hard midriff and triggering a smoking-hot memory of what was behind that towel. Strong, square features, short dark hair with a sprinkling of silver at the temples, warm grey eyes bracketed by sexy laugh lines… yum. The bruised and sutured cut above his left eyebrow only added to his deliciously dangerous vibe.
And I had nearly killed him.
A cold wave of guilt swept the warmth from my belly and I gave him what I hoped was a casual smile before turning to greet his father.
Beside his towering son, Doug looked smaller than the last time I’d seen him, but his square shoulders and straight military bearing left no doubt as to the origin of Kane’s stature. The maze of wrinkles on Doug’s face folded into his widening smile as he stepped forward, extending his arms.
“It’s so nice to see you again, Aydan,” he said. “Especially since it’s under much happier circumstances this time. Merry Christmas!”
I stepped into his hug, guilt twisting my guts. If not for sheer dumb luck, we’d be meeting at another funeral. And I doubted he’d want to hug the woman who had killed both his biological son and his unofficially-adopted one.
“It’s nice to see you, too, Doug,” I mumbled, and summoned up a smile. “Merry Christmas.”
When Doug stepped back, Kane and I hesitated before giving each other a short, awkward hug. The brief contact brought back steamy memories and my cheeks were hot when I pulled away to offer him a fake smile and too-hearty ‘Merry Christmas’.
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