Rescuing Harley: Delta Force Heroes, Book 3

by Susan Stoker

  Harley hugged her sister tightly. “I like him,” she whispered, as if she were spilling state secrets. “And I think he likes me too.”

  Montesa pulled back. “Oh he likes you all right.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. He can’t take his eyes off of you.”

  Harley smiled in delight. “What awful things do you think Davidson is telling him about me?”

  “There’s no telling with him. We’d better get back out there before he spills the beans about that time when you were five and sleepwalked naked through his slumber party.”

  “Oh shit,” Harley exclaimed, horrified. “You’re right, he’d totally tell Coach that story. Come on, let’s go!”

  “I don’t know why she’s embarrassed by it, she was asleep. I was mortified…all my friends had seen my sister naked!”

  Coach chuckled at Davidson’s story about Harley surprising him and his friends during a sleepover when he was nine when she’d suddenly appeared, naked as the day she was born, and walked through the group, oblivious as to what she was doing since she was asleep.

  The night had been good. He genuinely liked both Montesa and Davidson. They were down-to-earth people who obviously cared a great deal about their sister. It made him feel good that Harley had that.

  Montesa had only grilled him a little bit, and seemed to rein herself in when she realized she was doing it. Davidson had given him a few side glances, obviously trying to get a good feel for him and what his thoughts were for his little sister.

  “So, you like Harley,” Davidson said, bringing it out in the open for the first time.

  Finished with their meals and hanging out in the lounge area waiting for Harley and her sister to return from the bathroom, Coach didn’t mind addressing it, but only until they got back. He didn’t want to embarrass Harley in any way.

  “Yeah. She’s great. I like everything about her.”

  “She looks nice tonight,” Davidson noted.

  “She does.”

  “She doesn’t always look like that—”

  “Seriously?” Coach ground out. “You think I don’t know that? You think I care?” Not giving Harley’s brother a chance to respond, he went on, agitated, “If you must know, I actually prefer her everyday look. She’s too nervous tonight. Part of it is you and your sister and the fact I’m meeting you guys for the first time, I know, but the other part is that she’s just not comfortable in the dress. I love that she wore it for me, but she’s much more…Harley…when she’s wearing her sweats and T-shirt and swearing at her TV or computer screen as she tries to figure out the game she’s working on.”

  Coach took a breath to continue berating the other man, but paused when he saw Davidson was smiling. “What?”

  “You. I was just making a comment. I was going to say, that she doesn’t always look like that, but it’s obvious you don’t care.”

  “Oh.”

  Davidson chuckled. “Yeah, oh. And I’m pleased as all get out that you think so and would jump to her defense so quickly. Harley hasn’t had an easy life, but she’s an amazing person, through and through. All I ask is that if there comes a time when you find you don’t care for her as much as a man who wants her in his life forever would, please let her down easy.”

  “I will. Although you should know, I have no intention of letting her go. I’m not an idiot. I’ve been around the block a few times and have seen way more than my share of shit. I know a good thing when I see it. And when I find something I like, I stick. Like glue.”

  “I have one other thing I’d like to discuss, but I know that it’s a tricky subject.”

  “My job,” Coach responded accurately.

  “Yeah.” Davidson held up a hand to forestall the denial that Coach obviously was ready to give. “I’m not asking for you to tell me any details. I just wanted to say that I’ve worked a few government contracts in my time, living near Killeen makes that almost inevitable, but now that I’ve met you, I can see my suspicions about you and your friends are most likely correct.”

  Davidson took a breath, obviously considering his next words, then continued. “Thank you for what you do. Seriously. I know the world will never know the half of it, but thank you anyway. With that said, you need to do whatever you can to keep your work from affecting Harley as much as possible. Whether it’s a damn terrorist who wants to get back at you and your team for something, or if she can’t deal with long absences from you, or even if the secrecy starts to get to her…take care of my sister. Don’t let her stew on anything, because she will, if only to try to keep you from knowing something is going on in her head. She acts tough, but she’s not nearly as hardy as she might portray to the world.”

  Coach leaned forward on the bar-height table, resting on his elbows. He met Davidson’s gaze directly. “I hear you, and I have every intention of making sure I’m always communicating with Harley. I’m sure in time she’ll learn more about what it is I do, but you have nothing to worry about when it comes to your sister. I’ll protect her with my life, and my teammates will do the same. I have no intention of doing anything to make her worry more than I know she already will. And if there’s anything I don’t think I can handle myself, I’ll call you.”

  “Then welcome to the family, Coach.” Davidson stuck out his hand.

  Coach grasped it and shook hands firmly with Harley’s brother. “Thanks. I appreciate it. More than you know.”

  “What do you appreciate?” Harley asked, arriving at the table with her sister. Coach reached out and put an arm around her waist as she stood next to the table. She settled into his half embrace, enjoying the feeling of his arm around her.

  “Nothing. Guy talk, sis,” Davidson told her with a teasing grin.

  “Shit, we don’t want to know,” Montesa griped. “I hate to be the one to bring this little party to a close, but I need to get going. John and I have a case we’re trying in the morning.”

  “Thank you for coming,” Harley told her earnestly. “We missed our dinner last week, so it was good to catch up.”

  “Definitely.” Montesa pulled back and turned her gaze to Coach. “Take care of her.”

  “Always,” Coach returned easily, shaking her hand as well. “It was great meeting you. Maybe sometime we can do this again, and I can meet your friend, John.”

  “Sure. That’d be great.”

  “On that note, I need to be going too,” Davidson said. “You guys stay as long as you want. I’ve already paid the bill.”

  “What? No! It was my turn this week!” Harley protested.

  “Nope. You got pizza the other week,” her brother told her definitively.

  “That didn’t count! Jesus, you guys never let me pay,” Harley sulked.

  Coach smirked, liking Harley’s siblings even more. He wouldn’t let her pay either if she was his little sister.

  “Deal,” Montesa told her unsympathetically.

  “Whatever.” Then as if she hadn’t been pouting, Harley smiled. “Drive safe, you guys. Let me know when you get home.”

  “Of course.”

  “Always do.”

  Both Montesa and Davidson waved as they headed toward the front of the restaurant.

  Harley turned to Coach. She was still standing next to the table and she felt Coach’s fingers stroking her hip over the material of the dress. “You want anything else?”

  “No.”

  “You sure?” Harley pressed. “We could get another glass of wine or something.”

  Coach leaned into Harley and brushed a lock of hair back over her ear. His lips brushed her lobe as he said, “What I want, I can’t get here in the middle of a public place.”

  “Oh.”

  Harley’s breaths sped up, and Coach inwardly smiled, glad he could affect her the same way she affected him. “You ready to go?”

  “Yeah.” Harley turned to him fully. “They liked you.”

  “And I liked them. They’re great, Harley.”

  She smiled, see
mingly relieved that her siblings liked her boyfriend, and the feeling had been mutual. “I’m ready to go.”

  “Just to be clear about what’s going to happen tonight.” Coach kept his voice low so the people at the surrounding tables couldn’t hear him. “We’re gonna go back to my place and I’m gonna strip this dress, which has been driving me crazy all night, off your body. Then I’m going to take my time, learning what you like and what makes you squirm under me. You’re going to orgasm at least once before I ease myself inside your hot, wet body. I’ll go slowly so you can adjust to me. Once you’re comfortable, I’m going to move, slowly at first, then faster, until you can feel nothing but me. You okay with all that?”

  “Yes and no.”

  Coach didn’t even tense up. Harley was practically panting. She shifted from foot to foot as she stood next to him. She was aroused by his blunt talk. “What’s the no part?”

  “I want to touch you too.”

  “Jesus,” Coach breathed. “Okay, amended plan then. I’ll learn what you like, you learn what I like. Then I’ll make you come, then I’ll make love to you. Better?”

  “Uh huh.”

  Coach put one hand under Harley’s chin and turned her head until she had no choice but to look at him. “If at any time you want to stop, just say so. I’ll stop. Got it?”

  “Stop? Coach, there’s no way I’ll want you to stop. I can’t wait for you to put your hands and mouth on me. Your finger on my…nipple tonight almost made me explode as I stood there. I can only imagine what your mouth on me will do. So no, I’m not going to want you to stop. No way, no how.”

  Coach couldn’t stop the silly smile from curving over his lips. “Okay, sweetheart. No stopping. Come on, let’s get this show on the road.”

  16

  Harley supposed she should’ve been nervous about finally being naked with Coach, but she wasn’t. Over the last month or so, she’d spent almost every waking hour with him. When they weren’t together, and weren’t working, they’d talked on the phone. He’d come over and they’d play a quick game of This is War, or he’d sit in her office and they’d both work until it was time for him to go home.

  She’d been over to his apartment a couple of times, but it seemed they both usually preferred her townhouse. But it was important to her, for some reason, that they made love the first time in his bed. Harley wasn’t sure why, except that it seemed right.

  The ride to his apartment was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. Harley could barely sit still; she was more than ready to take this next step with Coach. They’d spent so much time together, she felt as if she truly knew the man. She knew his favorite things to eat, how he tended to always look to the right first when he cleared a scene in one of her video games, that he preferred to sleep on his back than in any other position, that the men he worked with were like brothers to him, and that he had a soft spot for little Annie.

  All in all, Harley liked everything about him. The fact that her sister and brother also seemed to like him was simply a home run.

  Coach pulled up into his parking space at his apartment complex and shut off the engine. Without a word, he climbed out. Harley followed suit and managed to get out without tripping over her feet. Before she could take a step, Coach was there. He didn’t comment on the fact that she hadn’t waited for him to open her door, as usual, merely put one arm around her waist and pulled her into his side.

  Harley snuck her own arm around his waist and tucked her hand into one of his back pockets. As they walked toward his apartment, she could feel his butt flexing as they walked. Smirking, and feeling bold, she squeezed it tightly and smiled up at him. His stride faltered, but he didn’t stop.

  “You’re playing with fire, Harl,” he commented dryly as they approached his door.

  “Good.”

  Coach unlocked the door and held it open for her. Harley walked into his space and before she could turn around to face him again, felt both of Coach’s arms engulf her from behind. The door snicked closed, but all Harley could concentrate on was the man standing behind her.

  One arm wrapped around her waist and rested on her opposite hip. He’d swung the other one over her shoulder and his palm snaked inside the V of her dress to cup her naked breast. Harley moaned and rested her head back on his shoulder.

  “God, Coach.”

  “You have no idea how much this dress has been driving me crazy all night. How you have been driving me crazy. Every time you moved, I swore I could see a hint of your nipple. When you leaned over the table to smack your brother, your dress dipped just enough that I know I could see your nipple. Your scent, your sideways glances…all of it has been a precursor to this moment. To me having you in my arms.”

  Harley moaned as Coach’s fingers lightly pinched her nipple, making it even harder than it’d been all night. She tried to turn in his arms, but he wouldn’t let her.

  “No, let me play, Harley. Please.”

  She squirmed where she stood, but didn’t try to get away.

  “You’re perfect,” Coach murmured in her ear, his warm breath tickling and making goosebumps break out on her arms. “Spread your legs farther apart.”

  She did as Coach asked, widening her stance. She felt the hand at her waist slowly pulling up the skirt of the dress.

  “I imagined doing this from the moment I saw you tonight. Putting my hands on you. Listening to you moan as I touched you. You’re beautiful, Harley. Wearing a sexy-as-sin black dress, or wearing what you call your fat pants. It doesn’t matter. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fantasized about pulling the drawstring to your sweats and stripping them down your legs. Or pushing up whatever huge T-shirt you’re wearing and sucking on your nipples.”

  Harley reached behind her and palmed the back of Coach’s head. “If you don’t stop talking, I’m gonna lose it right here.”

  “That’s the goal, Harl. I can see, and feel, how turned on you are by my dirty words.”

  He tightened his hold on her breast and squeezed. His thumb stroked her nipple as he did it, and Harley could swear she felt herself swell in his hand. She arched her back and pushed into his grip. “Yes. God, Coach. Harder.”

  Coach took her earlobe between his lips and sucked, running his tongue over the small diamond stud in her ear. Harley shivered again.

  “Just feel, Harley. I’ve got this. I’ve got you. Let’s see if I can get you off this way.”

  Coach’s hand had gathered up the skirt of her dress far enough to expose her panties. They were black lace, to match her outfit. “Later, I want to see these more clearly, but man, from this angle, they are sexy as hell.”

  Harley looked down and saw Coach’s dark hand against the white of her thigh. It was erotic as anything she’d ever seen and she couldn’t look away.

  “Hold this, Harley. Hold your skirt up and out of the way so I can see what I’m doing to you.”

  Without thinking, Harley’s free hand moved to grab hold of the material of her dress, freeing Coach’s fingers to trace the front panel of her panties. She shivered, and couldn’t stop her natural reaction of pushing her hips into his touch.

  “Shhhh, I’ve got you, Harl. No worries. Close your eyes.”

  She tipped her head back, resting it again on Coach’s shoulder and doing as he suggested, closing her eyes. She couldn’t think straight, from his fingers on her nipple, rolling and tugging, to his other hand getting closer and closer to her soaked folds. All she could think about was Coach.

  “So pretty. I can feel how wet you are already, and I haven’t even touched you yet.” Coach ran a finger down her panties, tracing her folds through the cotton.

  Harley moaned again. “Please, Coach. Touch me.”

  “I am touching you.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Tell me,” he ordered in a gruff voice.

  “My clit. Please. I want to come.”

  “Oh yeah, I love that. Tell me what you want.”

  Harley squirmed in Coach’
s tight grip, wanting his fingers inside her, stroking her…wanting all of it.

  His touch went back up to the front of her panties and instead of pushing them off, his hand pushed under the elastic and down, brushing against her tight curls. He didn’t tease this time, and she felt two fingers glide over her clit, down through her folds, and push just inside her.

  “Yes, Coach!” She tipped her hips forward, trying to give him more room, a better angle, something.

  “Soaked,” Coach breathed. His fingers continued their sweep of her sex, spreading her juices up to her clit, then pushing back down and teasing her entrance before gliding back up. He kept a running commentary as he teased her.

  “I can’t wait to bury my face down there. You’ll taste so good, I won’t be able to get enough of you. You’re gonna be so tight around my dick, you’ll squeeze me so hard I have a feeling I’m gonna lose it before I even get started. It’s been a while for me, hon, and I can’t wait to feel your hot sheath sucking me in. Are you always this wet? It’s amazing.”

  Harley couldn’t answer him if her life depended on it. She was so close to the edge and needed to be pushed over. But Coach’s fingers never stayed in one place long enough to get her there.

  When his fingers brushed over her clit once more, she jolted in his embrace and couldn’t stop the plea. “There. More. Coach, please.”

  “Here, Harley?” he teased, rubbing against her clit with two fingers.

  She moaned. “Yesssss. Harder.”

  His hand tightened on her breast and Harley arched her back, pushing against both his hand at her chest and the one down her panties at the same time.

  “Hang on to me, Harley,” Coach ordered in a voice that was no longer teasing. “I can’t wait to see you come.”

  Harley opened her mouth to respond, but gasped instead. Coach had stopped messing around. His index finger started rubbing against her clit as if he knew exactly what kind of touch she needed to get off. At the same time, he pinched her turgid nipple with two fingers, alternating rolling it between his fingers and flicking it with his thumb.