by Dahlia Rose
“Sounds good, and it leaves you open to date Noelle Cherise too,” she commented casually.
David gave a snort of laughter. “Get out of my head mom.”
“Son, I don’t need to be in your head to see the eyes you were giving her.” She tapped his hand lightly. “She is a really nice person, the kids love her and you should give it a whirl. It’s been three years since Shauna died.”
“I don’t want to bring anyone into our lives that won’t stick,” David admitted. “The three of us are a package deal.”
“Somehow I don think it would be a problem with her. Now, Shauna’s parents on the other hand…” She let the rest of the sentence trail off.
David did need to know what she meant by it. They were rich, and they’d thought they could use their money to get his kids after their daughter died. He’d seen it as grief that made them want the last two connections to Shauna. But it was more than that. They never thought he was good enough for her and even tried to buy off the judge in the custody case. It didn’t go well and he kept his children, but anyone he dated now would be a potential target for Barb and Jim.
“It won’t be an issue, Mom. I’ll think about that obstacle if and when it comes,” David assured her. “They don’t rule my life and I have options. I don’t want to use them, but if necessary I will.”
His mother nodded. “I’m heading off to bed and then off to my own house tomorrow. I have a friend coming over for dinner.”
“A friend, Mom? Is it one of the male persuasion?” David teased.
“As a matter of fact, it is. Tom Rowe, that owns the hardware store, came by to build me some shelves and he asked me out.” Diana Cutter fluffed her hair. “There’s no cooking better than mine, so I invited him over for dinner. The man can kiss like a dream.”
David closed his eyes. “Mom, please. Too much information.”
“You might not want to hear it son, but I’m not dead and neither are you.” She laughed and walked in to the house.
David stood silently drinking his beer and enjoying the sounds of the night. There were no sirens, no bullets being fired in the middle of the night. The sounds of a night incursion were in the back of his mind and the things he saw haunted him. Right now there was peace and quiet, the sweet smell of spring coming to Georgia was in his nostrils and he took in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the fresh, clean air.
He turned his thoughts to Noelle, and a smile pulled at his lips. He hadn’t expected the beautiful woman that he met today when he thought about his kids’ teacher, but he was pleasantly surprised at her beauty. Such soft features and skin that reminded him of milk chocolate were what caught his attention first. Almond eyes behind those neat little glasses she wore, and kissable lips that smiled shyly at him. He felt desire curl in his belly from the time she walked into the teachers’ lounge. He’d had every intention to ask her out even before his mother mentioned anything. He promised the kids a trip to the drive-in movies in the afternoon. Impulsively, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed her number.
“Hello?” Her voice was like a caress.
“Noelle, this is David Cutter, did I wake you?” he said.
She laughed huskily. “Actually this time you did. I fell asleep reading.”
“I guess reading is a favorite for you,” he said.
“It is. I like losing myself in a book,” she explained.
I’d like to lose myself in you, but he didn’t voice his thought.
“What can I do for you, David?” Noelle asked.
“The kids and I are going to the drive-in tomorrow to see the new Pixar movie,” David explained. “Would you like to come along?”
She hesitated. “David, that’s sweet but I don’t want to intrude with your first few days home with your kids.”
“It’s not an intrusion in the least,” David replied. “They would love if you’d go and so would I. The movie starts at seven and maybe we could have some dinner first , since pop corn is not a meal.”
“Why?” She asked simply
“Um, what?”
‘Why do you want me to go? You just met me.”
Straight and to the point. I like that, he thought and didn’t hold back. “Your voice is one reason. It’s sexy as hell. When I saw you today you took root in my head and I’ve been thinking about kissing you since then.”
“Oh.”
He laughed. “Just oh? How about ‘Yes, David, I’d love to go with you and I can’t wait for you to kiss me’?”
This time it was her laugh that charmed him. “I think I’d enjoy a good movie with you and the kids. We’ll wait on that second part.”
“How long a wait?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll change your mind really quickly.”
“Maybe you will.”
“I’m thinking about kissing you right now.”
“Good to know, I’ll be at your house at two.”
“We can pick you up.”
I’d prefer to drive myself for now. Goodnight, David.”
“Sweet dreams, Noelle.”
He took a swing of his beer and grinned like a fool when the call ended. It was the first time he’d asked anyone out in three years, and it went rather well. He could tell Noelle was the kind of woman who had a fiery side. He looked forward to finding out each and every delicious detail about her.
* * * *
Noelle looked at herself in the mirror the next day. What did one wear to an impromptu date with kids involved? She smiled thinking about their conversation last night. David was flirtatious, that’s for sure. Her stomach gave an excited tumble. The last guy that asked her out was a librarian and more shy than her. It didn’t last long with him, not even a good month because she needed more in a man, like strength and assuredness. Still, she felt shy and unsure because she didn’t have much experience with men. David was a soldier, and it worried her that dating him might be a whole other ball game. She pressed her hand against her stomach to try to calm the butterflies there.
The soft pink jumper she had on would have to do, but instead of her usual ponytail she pulled the band from her hair and let her hair fall to her shoulders. She wished she didn’t wear glasses but she needed them to drive and to read. Noelle wished she could stand contacts in her eyes because she felt the glasses made her look ordinary.
With another sigh she grabbed her purse and her keys and went out to her little red Volkswagen bug to drive to David’s house. She knew the address and it was about fifteen minutes from her house. She pulled into the driveway of their house, a sweet ranch style in a nice neighborhood. The houses were not cookie cutter replicas of each other and she liked that in a neighborhood. It was a bit more upscale than where she lived and the houses were way bigger. Her home was like a cottage compared to the eggshell white house with manicured flowerbeds and lawn, green shutters and the window boxes filled with flowers. She got out of the car and wondered if he hired a gardener as she walked up the driveway to the door. Before she could even press the doorbell the door opened and the twins rushed out to greet her.
“Ms. Noelle, Ms. Noelle!” They yelled and wrapped their arms around her waist. Being a schoolteacher, she learned how to plant herself firmly in one spot like a tree so energized kids couldn’t knock her over.
“Hey you two, give her some pace to get inside.” David came up behind them and peeled them off her.
Noelle laughed. ‘They’re fine, and trust me, I’m accustomed to it.”
“Hmm, well can I get a hug too?” David asked and held out his arms to her.
She smiled shyly and stepped into his arms and he wrapped her into his embrace before giving her a soft kiss on her cheek. “You smell good,” he whispered in her ear and she shivered in pleasure.
“Are we ready to go?” Annette asked, jumping up and down.
“Can we get popcorn?” Andy added.
“Yes and yes. Let’s go my little monsters.” David said with a laugh in his voice.
<
br /> “Do you need me to move my car?” Noelle asked as they stepped out and he locked the front door.
“You’re driving a lady bug and my driveway is wide. I can get around it,” he replied.
“Are you making fun of my car because you drive this massive beast of an SUV?” Noelle questioned while looking at the big black Navigator.
“Me? I would never do that.” His voice was teasing as he strapped the children into their booster seats.
As they drove the children chatted in the backseat, pointing out the places his mother took them while he was deployed. She enjoyed listening to the conversation and piped in every now and again. They went to a kid friendly restaurant where there was more on the menu that chicken fingers and fries. They ate and then took in the arcade that was part of the whole dining experience. Between the laughter and games, Noelle and David found time to find out more about each other.
“You’re so wrong. Star Wars was way more advanced than Star Trek,” David said.
“Typical male. You show him a Princess wearing a bikini and he thinks it’s the end all and be all of all sci-fi films.” Noelle snorted. “I’ll have you know that Gene Roddenbury created Star Trek and set Captain James T. Kirk on the path and Lucas is just a close second. And the franchise boasts Deep Space Nine straight up to Voyager. Along with Earth: Final Conflict, which his wife producer finished when he died, so there.”
“I love a woman who can argue her sci-fi.” He kissed her hand before teasing. “Marry me and let’s go to every convention together. We’ll dress the children as Ewoks.”
Noelle laughed. “You nut.”
He chuckled. “It feels good to laugh. I didn’t get to do it much when I was in Afghanistan.” He looked over to where the kids were playing on a car game. “Missing them was worst of all.”
“Did you see much action? I mean were in you in danger?” Noelle asked.
“Even on the days when there was no shooting no bombs and they called it our down time, you never felt relaxed.” David sighed. “There was always the chance that the insurgents would strike or you would have to go out on a convoy that gets hit. It was bad, but I’m hoping now I’m home it gets better.”
“It will be,” Noelle said firmly. She felt as if she had to assure him somehow. He was the man who had signed on to protect everyone. Maybe, just maybe, he needed to be taken care of sometimes.
“Dad, is it time for the movie?” Andy came running up.
David looked at the time. “Yup. We better get a move on, the lines will be long to get in and we want a good spot.”
“Come on, Annette.” Noelle held out her hand for the little girl to take it.
They walked out to the car together and soon were driving on to the movie. It was one of the only four or five drive-ins left in Georgia and they were lucky enough to live at least forty minutes away. David bought the tickets and parked the car in the perfect place to see the screen. She attached the speakers to the car while he went to get them drinks and popcorn. In a few minutes they were all settled. The kids even had their drive-in blanket over their legs as the movie began. There were giggles and laughter, a popcorn fight from the front to the back seats. Eventually the kids settled down and when she looked back they were sleeping.
“I think part of the audience passed out,” she commented. On the screen a giant robot flew through the sky.
“They usually do,” he said. “I technically haven’t been watching the movie either.”
“What have you been doing?”
“Thinking about kissing you,” he admitted.
“Not in front of the children,” she teased.
“Aww.” David picked her up hand. “I reserve the right to taste your lips later then.”
“We’ll see.”
They never finished the movie. With the twins asleep, they decided to pack it in and take them home. Even though their first date technically involved activities centered around the children, she had fun. Noelle helped him get the half asleep kids dressed and tucked into bed. She walked back to the living room and took up her purse from the chair where she had dropped it.
“Hey where’re you going?” David came out of the hallway. “Do you want to stay for a little while, check out my back porch? There some very soft chairs out there.”
Noelle smiled. “Actually, I have to go home and get the study plans ready for Monday morning.”
“So then I should collect my goodnight kiss.”
She put her hand on her hip. “Who said you were getting one?”
David took a step forward and she took a step back. “A guy takes you home and you don’t give him a kiss at the door?”
Noelle laughed huskily. “This is your house.”
“Call it a house warming gift.”
“You’ve probably lived here for years,” she pointed out. Her back touched the wall near the front door. He was close, so close she could feel the heat of him.
“Better late than never.” David smiled. “Kiss me, Noelle.”
She nodded and the first touch of his lips on hers was electric. It was languid and sweet but left heat in its wake. She put her hands on his shoulders and caressed the back of his neck. He groaned and took the kiss deeper, she opened her mouth to his invading tongue and loved how he pressed closer. Noelle had never been kissed like this before. Just a little bit more, she thought when he lifted his head.
“Damn.” His voice was a husky whisper. “You taste so good.”
She felt a surge of bravery and cupped his cheek. “Take more.”
His eyes darkened with desire. This time when his lips met hers she felt the heat sizzle to her toes. He took her hands and raised them over her head, pinning them to the wall with one of his. All the while his lips ravaged hers, his tongue penetrated her mouth and with his other hand he molded her to him. Noelle swore her body was pulsing under his hands. She wanted to feel him, traced the muscles of his body with her fingers. This time his moan was guttural and she echoed it in repose. He pulled away, breathing harshly, and he pulled her into a hug while he caught his breath.
“Do you know how much I want you,” he muttered and caressed her cheek. He kissed her again.
“I’ve never felt like this before,” she whispered against his lips. “I—I should go home. The kids might wake up…”
He bent to touch his forehead against hers. “You’re right, but one of these days soon, I’m going to have you.”
“‘Okay,” was her simple reply.
“So I know you have to be busy as heck in the week, taking care of school. Next Friday night I want to take you out for an adult date,” David said. “And Saturday is the kids’ birthday, so you have to come over for the party.”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” she said. “Yes to both.”
“I’ll call and make sure you get home,” David said as she went down the steps, and then called out, “Hell, I’ll call you every day just because I need to year your voice.”
She got in her car and waved before pulling out of the driveway and heading home. The grin on her face never left and the want in her never ceased. David Cutter had turned out to be the most interesting thing that happened to her in a long time. She couldn’t wait to see what else was to come.
Chapter Three
The smell of gun oil was in his nostrils and the sweat in his eyes as they moved across the rocky plains of Afghanistan. The convoy had been hit and now they were searching for cover, bullets peppering around them. Dunhill had been hit and the wounds to his shoulder and his side were bad.
“Get cover, get cover!” he shouted, and cursed when a bullet creased his helmet.
It was way too close, and thinking about how he might never get to see his kids again filled him with trepidation. They’d already lost their mom, and there was no way he was about to leave them as well. He moved with determination , firing shots upward to where the insurgents had advantage by being in the rocks above them. He saw a figure in white garb fall and knew he at least got o
ne of them. That didn’t stop the barrage of bullets.
David pressed his back up against a cropping of rocks and looked out to the rest of his unit. The medic was tending to Dunhill the best she could. And his men kept firing even though they were pinned down. He heard the radio and scratchy frantic voices coming through. He moved quickly to grab the pack and get back to his position of cover. Not before a bullet hit his back. Luckily his Kevlar kept it from penetrating his skin. It hurt like a motherfucker, but at least the damage to his body would be minimal. That was twice he almost got killed and it pissed him off.
David grabbed the receiver and shouted. “This is Alpha Delta Whiskey two four niner three! We need immediate evacuation from these coordinates. Convoy attacked, at least three wounded and one critical. Hostiles have us pinned down and we need additional units, air and ground.”
“We’ve got you in our sights,” The scratchy voice came back over the radio. “Air support in ten. You boys get your heads down, we’re going to light up the sky.”
He could hear the jets coming in. Hell, they were probably already there since they traveled faster than sound.
“Get cover and get cover now!” He yelled. “Up against the rocks as tight as you can!”
He’d barely gotten the words out before he heard the first explosion and the jet streaked across the sky. The ground rumbled and rocks fell, but nothing could compare to the wave of heat that rolled down from the explosion.
David woke up in bed, sweating as if he were still wearing his combat uniform and carrying fifty pounds of gear. For a moment the heat of the explosion still took his breath away, and he could actually taste the charred remnants of the explosion in his mouth.
You’re home, you’re not there anymore. He kept the repeating the words until he could take a good, clean breath. He looked at the time and saw it was four in the morning and knew there would be no more sleep for him.
He climbed from his bed and peeking in on his kids. Both were sleeping soundly and he went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. He’d made it home to them and that was all that mattered, he would deal with the dreams and the nightmares.