by KJ Reed
A hand latched onto her shoulder and she jerked in response.
“Ah!” She slipped and lost her balance, nearly pitching forward into a white-coated yard. Only strong hands and some fancy footwork kept her from a mouthful of dirty snow. She straightened, made sure her balance was intact and took a step out of reach before turning around. “What the hell are you doing sneaking up like that?”
“Sorry,” Pete said, stuffing his hands in his pockets, not looking one bit sorry. “I called out your name but it must have gotten lost in the wind. Must have been lost in thought. What were you thinking about?”
“Nothing,” she answered quickly. Too quickly.
“Uh huh.” He wasn’t buying her bullshit, but he didn’t say anything else. Just fell in step with her as she trudged toward her apartment.
After a few moments of silence, she asked, “So are you staying with the Millers?”
“In the guest house back there. I guess it used to be a pool house, but then they got rid of the pool, as Mr. M. explained. ‘Perfect for houseguests and in-laws’ were his actual words.”
Sarah chuckled. “Don’t let him fool you. He loves Laura’s parents like they were his own.”
Pete laughed and the rumble slid through her insides like hot buttered rum and pooled at her core. Damn, she was not supposed to be affected like this. This called for a distraction.
She said the first thing that came to mind. “What is hot-buttered rum?”
Brilliant, Sarah.
“Disgusting, would be my first guess. Past that, I’m lost,” Pete replied, not at all thrown by the quick switch in topic.
“Hmm.” Better stick with silence. Safer that way.
A minute later they came up on Sarah’s steps. “This is me.” She patted the peeling wooden rail that led up to her place. “Thanks.”
Pete stood for a moment, immobile.
After another few seconds of awkward silence, she blurted out, “Why did you volunteer to walk me home?”
His lips moved then, a slow smile spreading from corner to corner. “The truth?”
“It’s preferable.” And not offered often enough.
“Because for some reason, despite your prickliness at times, and the Don’t Bother neon sign you haul around, I still have this urge to kiss you.”
“Huh. I did ask for honesty, didn’t I?” And it pleased her in a stupid, girly sort of way that he wasn’t playing a game, wasn’t hiding his intentions. And, of course, that a hot man wanted to kiss her. She wouldn’t even bother denying that one.
“So?”
“So, what?” Her brain was still banked in a fog of possibilities.
He leaned in and said, “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Chapter Three
Sarah’s mind blanked. What? “Yes?”
“Yes.” He captured her mouth with his, cold noses bumping slightly. She felt pressure on her jaw, then the kiss was over. Before she could protest, he spoke.
“Sorry, gimme a sec.”
She cracked one eye open to see him biting the tip of one gloved finger and pulling until the leather came off. He did the same with the other, then shoved both gloves in his coat pocket. Then he gave her a boyish grin and showed off his bare hands. “Now I can do this properly.”
Cupping her chin with his hands, he leaned in for another kiss. His tongue swept in with confidence, as if he could read her mind and know she wanted more. Though the coats made it difficult, she wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him closer.
For warmth. Right. Yes, for warmth, that was it.
What a load of bull. She wanted him. The telltale slickness between her thighs was too evident for even her to deny.
Damn you, hormones. I thought we talked about this.
Her hormones weren’t listening. Or if they were, they were rebelling worse than a teenager with an attitude problem.
Or maybe, instead of the problem, Pete was an answer…
He pressed her against the side of the garage and even with layers of fabric, she would have sworn she could feel the heat of his erection burning against her stomach. She squirmed and wiggled until one mitten-clad hand managed to squeeze between their bodies and cover the bulge. He sucked in a breath against her cheek and she pushed with the heel of her hand in an obvious invitation.
The four lonely years since her ex left slammed into her and she felt the heavy weight of desire for the first time in too long.
How many steps were there to get to her apartment again?
Too many.
Would they develop frostbite if they rolled around naked in the snow?
Probably.
“Not yet.” Pete groaned and repeated, “Not yet.” He dropped his hands and took a giant step back.
“Not yet what?” She panted, breath coming out in puffs of steam. The air around them was freezing, but she might as well have been on fire.
“Just… Just not yet. You need to think. And I need to be sure.”
“Sure about what?” Okay, that came out like a belligerent child. But seriously!
“I like you.”
“I gathered that. I thought that’s what this was all about,” she said dryly.
“So,” he went on like she’d said nothing, “you need to be sure you understand. I don’t live here. I’m not a permanent thing.”
“I understood that. No offense, but I kind of considered that part of your appeal.”
His face contorted for a moment. If she had to guess, she’d say he was biting back a smile. “Just think about it,” he said and turned to walk away. “I’ll see you around.” He disappeared around the corner of Mrs. Nelson’s house and was gone.
Sarah trudged upstairs and let herself into the slightly-warmer apartment. Stripping off her mittens, she bent down to flip on her space heater. Toasty it was not, but it worked. And she never wanted to take advantage of Mrs. Nelson’s energy bill by cranking up the heat too high. The wonderful old lady already let her stay in the apartment for a fraction of the normal rent in the area. She wouldn’t abuse the generosity.
She tossed her coat over the desk chair and flopped down on the bed, not bothering to remove her scarf. It still wasn’t warm enough yet.
What the hell was going on with her life? Since when had she felt blatant attraction to a perfect stranger? She was a woman with a pulse, so of course she recognized a good-looking guy. But never before had she wanted someone so quickly.
Of course, that might have something to do with her sexual drought. She hadn’t had sex since… Well, it’d been awhile. Did four years count as “awhile”? Or had she moved past “awhile” and straight to “forever”? So maybe her lady parts were just reacting to the excess testosterone in the air and jumbling things up.
Which wasn’t the case. She liked the guy. That much was obvious. But she could put that on the back burner for now. What she really wanted to do was to give her lady parts something to think about for the long months to come. A little sexual snack to tide her over.
But what was up with him playing the emotional Hulky Hero? She was twenty-five, not fifteen, and more than well aware he wasn’t a keeper. But he seemed to think she needed another chance to think things through. To remind herself that he was leaving soon, because he was a Marine and that’s what Marines do.
Ha. If only he knew how aware she was on that front.
God, she was thinking about Trav more and more. There were times she wanted to talk to him so badly she ached. But she wasn’t even sure where he was. He might be in Japan. Or deployed. Or… No, he couldn’t be dead, could he? They’d have notified her, whoever “they” were. Right? But her name was different now. And she never left a forwarding address with anyone.
The thought was more than a little concerning. Maybe she could ask Pete or Tony if there was a way to find out. Just for reassurance. It was a thought she would keep in the back of her mind.
A mind that was currently full to the brim on figuring out how to convince Pete she was mature and
worldly enough to understand that a fling was just a fling, not a prison sentence. For God knows what reason, he seemed to think she was designing wedding bands from one kiss. That she wouldn’t get it.
Well, she’d just show him. It didn’t take a genius to see how this would play out. They’d have a steamy affair, her itch would be scratched, and he’d head home. No awkward around-town meet-ups. And thanks to his own practical outlook, he wouldn’t turn into a sobbing mess when he left. Clean, easy break.
She would just make her willingness known and let him make the next move.
Starting to feel flushed, she unwrapped her scarf. Nope, still warm. She reached over and turned the dial on the heater down a notch. But the change in temp did nothing to help her hot skin or increased heart rate.
Well, hell. Of course turning down the heater didn’t help. The giggles took over and she couldn’t stop them. Rolling on her stomach, she laughed into her pillow until she couldn’t breathe any longer.
Who wouldn’t feel slightly flushed at the possibility of a hot week with a sexy Marine?
* * * * *
It was the toughest forty-eight hours of his life.
All right, not the toughest. He couldn’t quite compare waiting two days for Sarah’s answer with the perils of war.
But staying away from Sarah, when he was almost positive the next time he saw her he’d be dragging her off to have his way with her, had been a serious test of restraint.
What was it about this one woman that made him want to try so hard? Not just try to win her in his bed. But try to win her respect and admiration too. Definitely new territory he was trekking through, and it felt about as stable as an IED-riddled convoy line.
So he dragged Tony along to the bar for backup. Which in itself was pathetic, since he hadn’t needed a wingman for years. But he figured this way, if she said no, he wouldn’t be the jackass sitting alone at the bar mooning over some girl who turned him down. Not that Tony had any idea he was being used for anything other than company.
Self-preservation was a golden rule.
Buffalo’s was relatively deserted when they walked in. Of course it was already past typical dinnertime, which was the entire reason he waited until so late. The less people around to witness possible humiliation the better. They grabbed stools on the far side of the bar. A man was working and Pete wondered if he’d gotten the days wrong. Sarah was nowhere to be seen.
“What can I get ya?” the bartender asked.
“Uh, just a pint of whatever from the draft.” If he wasn’t going to see Sarah, at least he could enjoy a beer before heading back to the guesthouse. Tony ordered the same.
After the bartender left their drinks and a bowl of pretzels in front of them, Tony asked, “So are you going to ask her out?”
Pete nearly choked on his beer. Damn, very smooth. “Who?”
“Don’t play dumb. Obviously I mean Sarah. You stare at her like she’s a gift from God. And she tries to hide it but she wants you too.”
“Yeah?” Eager, much? “Yeah. Well, I thought about it. But she’s not here so this trip was a bust.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Tony drawled. He motioned with his glass toward the back of the bar.
Sarah walked through doors carrying a crate of glasses. As she walked toward the front, she called out to the man who had served their beers.
“Thanks for watching the bar for me, Benny. I’ve got it from here.”
“No prob. You’ve got two new guys at seats three and four.”
Sarah glanced their way, smiled and gave a little nod. “Hey you two. Let me put these glasses away and then I’ll come on over.”
“No rush.” Pete held up his still-full pint of beer. “We’re set for a bit.”
She blew stray hair from her face in an exasperated gesture Pete found adorable. “Actually, I have a few more bar chores to finish up so I’m not stuck here all night. Do you guys mind?”
“Go for it,” Tony encouraged. “We’ll let you know if we need a refill.”
“Okay, great. Thanks,” she said with a larger smile.
Pete felt his stomach clutch and took a sip to hide any evidence that she was getting to him. Seriously, was he in high school again? Women didn’t make him feel like this. They didn’t get to him, didn’t make him sweat with nerves or stumble over his own words and thoughts. They didn’t make him second-guess himself.
Except Sarah.
Well, there was a first time for everything. And as he watched her scoot around the bar putting glasses away, wiping down bar equipment and doing a general cleanup, he realized he might be willing to do almost anything to get her in bed for one night.
Not a good sign. Thoughts like that led to thoughts of continuing the relationship. She wasn’t going to follow him to California. That was permanent. Permanent didn’t exist. Not in his world. Not in his experience.
She stooped down to open a cabinet beneath the bar and Tony whistled low. “I gotta say, I have to envy you a little.”
“There’s nothing to envy.” Yet.
Sarah chose that moment to walk over, wiping her hands on a towel. “There. That should get me ahead of the game for closing duties.” Her eyes swept the empty bar. “Looks like you two get my undivided attention for a while. What brings you out tonight?”
“You.” He could play around, make a joke about it. But she didn’t seem the type to want jokes. The positive response to his blatant honesty after he’d walked her home told him the straightforward approach was best.
She flushed a little. “Ah.” The sound came out strangled.
Tony set his empty glass down with a thunk. “I’m gonna hit the head,” he announced pointedly, then left without another word.
“He didn’t have to go,” Sarah said, chewing on her bottom lip.
“That’s Tony. Perceptive as always. So, how’ve you been?”
She took a deep breath, as if preparing for something bad. Shit. Here comes the rejection.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said, how it wasn’t a permanent thing. I kinda realized this might be my one opportunity.”
His stomach flipped and it had nothing to do with the half-finished beer sitting next to his elbow. “One opportunity for what?”
“Um, okay. Forget I said that part.”
Pete leaned across the bar and grabbed her wrist.
“No. No I’m not going to forget anything. Opportunity for what?”
She chewed her lip some more and he wanted to scold her for doing that to something so perfect. Sarah glanced around to make sure they were still alone, then leaned in and spoke in a low voice that wouldn’t carry. “To scratch an itch. Seize the chance.”
He didn’t breathe, didn’t blink for fear of scaring her out of the moment. Luckily she took his silence as encouragement.
“I was thinking that having a hot Marine in my bed would be amazing.”
He took a deep breath and let it out to steady himself before asking, “Are you sure?”
She nodded but didn’t look at him.
“What’s going on?” Tony slid back into his vacated seat and stared at Pete’s hand covering her wrist. “Everything all right?”
Pete let go of Sarah’s wrist like it was on fire. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”
“Sarah! New drink order coming your way!” a server called from the main dining room. She scrambled over to the ticket printer like it was a lifeline. Damn, had he scared her away with his caveman wrist-grab? He hadn’t held on tight, she could have shaken him off at any point. But fear was something he never wanted to inspire in a woman.
“What the hell happened, man?” Tony asked in a low voice.
“She made the first move.” He was still a little surprised that she had. The speech he’d prepared to ease her into the idea drifted from his mind.
Tony sipped his beer and was silent.
“Yeah. Shocked the hell out of me, too,” Pete murmured, reading his friend’s unspoken words.
; “Hmm.” Tony nodded toward the bar as Sarah made her way back with an empty tray. She set the tray down but didn’t come over to them. Instead she went back to her detailed cleaning list as if they didn’t exist. “So now what?”
Pete threw down enough money for the drinks and a generous—but not obscene—tip and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him off the stool.
“Now we leave.”
“I just got here! I wanted to finish that game, have another beer.”
“You can do that at the pool house,” Pete growled under his breath as he pushed his friend out the front door. “Alone.”
“What are you doing? Where are you going?”
“I’ve got some things to do.”
* * * * *
He left.
An hour ago she’d propositioned a man with a casual, mess-free fling and he’d left. And apparently that was her answer.
No.
It stung more than it should have. A man she’d just met and she would never see again shouldn’t have this much effect on her.
She finished up her closing duties and bundled up tight for the short walk home. That was the good thing about small towns. Walking was possible as long as you were willing to brave the elements. While she wasn’t married to the place—her wandering spirit still wanted to explore, to move, to see—the town and the people in it had been good to her in a serious crisis. She didn’t mind staying for a while, especially while she saved up more cash.
The cold hit her like an icy punch to the face as she left through the back door of the bar. But it wasn’t the temperature that had her sucking in her breath on a surprised gasp.
A man lounged against the exterior of the building. Before she had a chance to figure out whether the man meant her harm, he spoke.
“Finally. Thought I’d have to drag you out of there.”
Pete? She pressed the heel of her hand to her racing heart. “God, give a girl a scare.”
“Sorry. Didn’t think of that.” He eased off the wall and stepped into the weak streetlamp light.
“What the hell are you doing out here?”
“Waiting for you,” he answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.