by S. K. Lessly
“I guess you will have to do.” I grinned looking forward to opening her up on the highway from zero to sixty in two point eight seconds. It was the only way to go.
Chapter Sixteen
Shane
I rested my arm lazily along the top of the booth where I sat and watched the entrance of the restaurant for Misty. I was trying not to get antsy and text her again. I ran my hands down my crisp white, button down shirt in an attempt to stabilize my jittery nerves. Then I picked imaginary lint off of my charcoal gray slacks.
Be cool. She’ll be here. “Yeah, she better be.” I reached for the glass of Bordeaux on the table in front of me and tried to relax.
I was nervous as hell and I couldn’t understand why. After all, this was Misty. We’d been out countless times together. Most of the time, it was a group of us, but there were also times when it was just her and me. Granted, it was never in this type of setting. It was more like grabbing a quick bite to eat at some pizza or Chinese place. But it still should be the same. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.
Get your shit together, Cooper.
I chuckled lightly to myself at the tension rattling me. The anticipation of seeing her grew as each minute ticked by. I wondered to myself if I had ever been this nervous before about a date? The answer was no. I hadn’t met anyone before that excited me this much.
Before I met Casey, I had dated off and on, mainly off due to what I did for a living. At that time, I was part of an elite special forces group that worked in the shadows to keep America safe. I lived, ate, and shitted the army and everything that had to do with the military. I loved protecting this country and fighting side by side with my fellow brothers and sisters in arms. It was my calling in life, and I had no plans of doing anything different.
As anyone could imagine, that caused problems in the few relationships I had. They didn’t understand who I was completely. They didn’t get the pecking order that was my life or how I bled red, white, and blue. I couldn’t explain it to the women in my life in a way that they would understand either, so I just let them go.
Then I met Casey and I thought shit would be different. Casey’s father was the General J.D. Donovan, the military’s white knight and savior of all things army. That made Casey an army brat. She understood the life. She knew it wasn’t pretty or glamorous. It was filled with a lot of empty promises, lonely nights, and a ton of uncertainty. She had dealt with all of that and more with her father. He wasn’t home the majority of her and her brother’s childhood. Her mother had to raise them on her own. So she knew first-hand what to expect from a career soldier.
I figured, she was the closest thing to perfection I would find. Casey was a beautiful, smart, and sexy woman. She had long, straight, blonde hair, bright brown eyes, and a toned and very fit body. She was a successful event planner who knew exactly what to do to handle Washington’s elite.
We had a great time together. From the door, that relationship wasn’t anything like the others I’d had. Sure, she gave me a little bit of her bottom lip whenever I left for missions. I didn’t expect anything less from that standpoint, but it wasn’t as bad as the other women I had dated in the past. That was why after a while, I decided to see where our relationship would take us. I wasn’t ready to settle down just yet, but I was opening up to the idea. But soon things between us changed. She changed.
I wasn’t one of those schmucks that believed a person could change in the blink of an eye. It wasn’t an overnight phenomenon. I just wasn’t paying any attention at the progression. I was that metaphoric frog that slowly boiled in the pot, without realizing I was being cooked until it was too late. I didn’t blame Casey for how things had ended between us. It was partially my fault. I should have read the signs. I should’ve seen where we were heading, but I guess I didn’t want to believe it. Again, she had lived my life. She should have known what kind of man I was and what I would and wouldn’t tolerate or accept. That wasn’t the case. She ended up not knowing me at all, which pissed me the fuck off.
The day I ended things with Casey, I told myself I needed a break. No more wasting time dating. I needed to shift my focus to more important things like making this world a safer place. I wanted to get back to the center of my existence; my family and serving my country. Fate was pretty much giving me its ass to kiss. What I thought I was ready for, a family of my own, kids, I guess life was telling me that I wasn’t. That maybe having a family life with someone just wasn’t in the cards for me. That all changed that night at the beach outside my parents’ home when I fell hard for a friend. And last week when the dynamic of our friendship changed for the both of us, I experienced emotions, I never felt before.
The feelings I had for Misty in the past were rooted deep inside me this time and I couldn’t shake them although I’d tried. Believe me, I had tried like hell. I didn’t like not being in control. I needed control. It was the basis of my life. I was the epitome of an alpha male and if I didn’t have control, shit would get ugly. But I had found that the control I prided myself with having was nonexistent when it came to Misty.
I looked at my watch, it was ten minutes before eight. The server came by and filled my glass with more wine. As he poured, I placed a drink order from the bar with him and grabbed my phone to check to see if she had texted me. Even though I told her seven, I made the dinner reservation for seven-thirty. I knew she wouldn’t be on time.
Seeing she hadn’t texted me, I was about to text her when I heard a light commotion coming from the front of the restaurant. A slight silence came over the room before a couple of forks clattered against China, which was something that you normally didn’t hear in this kind of place. Everyone was too stiff to reveal such bad manners and behavior.
My eyes skidded to the direction of the sound, and I noticed quite a few men were staring at the entrance of the restaurant. I did the same, and that’s when I saw her.
“Fuck me.”
I stood, my eyes transfixed on a vision of beauty that made the world stand still. Misty was coming toward me and she was breathtaking. The art of breathing, moving, and even thinking had escaped me. I was reduced to nothing but a distant admirer just like every other male around me.
Misty had on a strapless black dress that clung to every curve of her body. Her cleavage wasn’t over the top or sleazy. Her breasts were beautiful and the dress accentuated them. The form-fitting dress stopped mid-thigh and coupled with her heels, made her legs, especially her thighs, look amazing.
Her makeup had been expertly applied to enhance her natural beauty. The dark mascara and eye shadow around her eyes made them sexy and mysterious. It also made the gray in her eyes stand out even more. I could see them from the distance. They were alive, vibrant, and filled with lots of nervous fear.
She wore her hair pulled back in a long ponytail that brought more attention to just how striking she truly was. Her neck appeared longer, sexier, and more delicate, giving off this air of distinction and sophistication that lots of women often tried to pull off but couldn’t.
She was just…Wow!
I looked around the restaurant and saw the many eyes on her and I instantly felt that jealousy streak of mine come alive. Jealousy was something I had never expressed or admitted feeling when I was growing up. I didn’t like the fact that it meant someone had control over me. However, I knew it existed within me. I didn’t like to share and I didn’t like it when someone touched, looked at, or thought of something or someone that belonged to me. The results of my jealous behavior sometimes got violent if I let it get out of hand. The possessive way I was feeling right now told me I needed to get to Misty now before shit got ugly, especially for the host who was standing too close to what belongs to me.
I awkwardly shifted from around the table inside the booth; not very smoothly I might add. I almost knocked my half-filled glass of wine on the sparkling white table cloth on our table.
When I saved the tablecloth from tragedy, I looked back at her. Her mouthwatering red lips were turned up in a
musement. I guess she had witnessed my blunder.
Smooth, Cooper, real fucking smooth.
I smiled back and moved to intercept and get rid of the host who was now staring at her breasts. I met his eyes and gave him a look that surely made him piss his pants. He backed away quickly, tripping slightly over his own feet, as I closed the distance.
“Hey, sorry I’m late,” she whispered, bringing my focus back to her.
I stood there and took her in. Up close she was even more amazing. I couldn’t stop staring at her. I definitely couldn’t get my dry mouth to work. Finally, I found my manners and moved closer to her. I wrapped my arm possessively around her and pulled her to me. My lips lightly grazed her cheek as I breathed her in deeply. Damn, she smelled good.
“You look incredible, Grace.”
Her hands resting on my chest, she smiled shyly up at me. My dick twitched.
“Thank you. You look hot as usual, Cooper. Did you get a haircut just for me?” She reached up and ran her fingers through my hair. I stifled a groan, and my dick twitched again.
“Yes, ma’am. I figured I’d cleanup for you. But I wished you would have told me when you pulled up.”
Confused, she narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
“Because I could’ve met you at the door and escorted you inside instead of that horny little shit that was drooling all over your breasts.”
She laughed, and I offered her my arm to take hold.
“I’m sure my breasts aren’t the only ones he’s seen tonight.” Her eyes roamed around the room.
“No, but they are spectacular by far.”
She brought her eyes back to mine and I met them unapologetically. I showed her just how much I meant what I had just said. She looked away. Once we got to our booth, I waited for her to take her seat before I took my own seat across from her. Once I was setted, I resumed eye fucking her.
“Are you going to stare at me like that all night?” she asked, reaching for the napkin in front of her. She placed the white linen over her lap.
“Yup,” I replied simply.
“Well, I’m going to need a drink if…”
The server approached our table and placed a glass in front of her before she could complete her sentence. She looked up at him. “I didn’t…” she began, but stopped and looked at me.
I smiled. “I took the liberty. I figured you would need that when you got here.”
It was her turn to just stare at me. She did for a long time before she finally reached for her glass and took the brown liquid down. I signaled the server to bring her another one and I reached for her wineglass. I filled it and reached for mine.
We extended our hands and touched glasses but didn’t toast to anything. Or rather I didn’t express what I had toasted to. But I hoped that this night would end with us tangled in each other’s arms naked and sweaty. Damn, I missed this woman.
“So…” I started.
“So how was your trip?” she asked me.
I nodded. “It was frustrating but informative. I got enough information to move forward with the case, but it wasn’t the outcome I was looking for.”
“Oh, so, it’s a case now? Do you want to share?” she asked, picking up her glass of wine.
“I got a tip that Diane has finally surfaced and is in Russia.”
Misty stopped moving, her glass just touching her bottom lip. Her eyes, however, were wide. She put her glass down. “Are you serious?”
I nodded, bringing my own glass to my lips. I took a sizable sip then replaced the glass on the table. “Yes. The second she disappeared after we found Sweets, I had Nickels looking everywhere for her. He used the NSA’s facial recognition software, checking every water port, airport, and train station all over the world. Finally, about two months ago, we got a hit that she was in Russia. I couldn’t make the trip to investigate because at the time, I was going with Josh for that cleanup mission in South America. So I sent Jacks to do some investigating.”
Misty’s beautiful face instantly turned hard. “You trusted him with that?”
She hadn’t gotten over Jacks’ temporary lapse in judgment during Sweets’ kidnapping. A lot of us hadn’t, but he’d shown his worth countless times, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
“Yes, I trusted him with that. Understand, Diane played the hell out of him too. He wants retribution just as much as we do.”
She rolled her eyes. “Spare me. What did the lame duck find out? Did he find her?”
“Yes, he followed a few leads that surfaced and he found her.”
“And did he or you put two in her?” she asked.
“Actually, no.”
“Typical. You shouldn’t send a man to do a woman’s job.”
I chuckled. “That may be true, but when he found her she was already dead.”
That made her pause. “Was she killed?”
“It looks that way.”
“How? When? I mean how long was she—”
“She’d been gone for a couple of weeks before he got there. She looked to have been tortured before she was killed. Her neck had been snapped in a couple of places.”
“The GRU?”
“I don’t think so. Diane just wasn’t sloppy like that to get caught. Besides, that woman stayed in Russia. She spoke the language fluently. The GRU would’ve grabbed her up a long time ago and made her a spy for them at any time and hell, maybe they had. No, her demise was the result of something and someone else.”
“What then? Who?”
I shrugged, not really wanting to get into work right now, especially in this restaurant. I noticed quite a few familiar faces dining around us tonight; one being our boss, the secretary of defense.
“I haven’t worked out everything yet. Jacks covered a lot of ground the moment he found out about Diane, and when I landed in Russia, we went over it again. I currently have Nickels and Junior trying to make sense of what we collected. They should have something in a couple of days; probably after this weekend.”
Our server came to the table with Misty’s drink in his hand. We took this time to quickly peruse the menu and placed our dinner orders before he left again.
Once we were alone, I changed the subject from work. “How are my favorite docs?”
She looked at me a bit surprised by my question. I knew she was expecting to talk about us, but I didn’t feel the need to do so. I knew damn well there was no way I was keeping my hands to myself. There was no fucking way. So instead of wasting time talking about that shit, I figured we’d use this time wisely and talk about everything else.
“They’re good,” she replied. “They were making me nauseous as usual with their PDA, but other than that they’re good.”
I laughed and from there, she and I fell into a very light conversation. We talked about our parents and growing up. Our stories became animated as the wine disappeared from our glasses and from the bottles we ordered. We told embarrassing stories about our childhoods. I didn’t talk about myself, but I gave her an earful about Malcolm and Josh.
We discussed the upcoming football season and how it was going to suck for Washington, especially without RG3, Robert Griffin III, as our quarterback even though all he had done since he’d signed with the Redskins was get hurt. She and I were very relaxed, getting into our settled groove as we always did.
I even kept my gawking at her boobs to a bare minimum. When she admitted that this was the first time eating at the BLT, I almost spit my wine at her in shock. Where the hell had the men she’d dated taken her?
She went on to explain that her father had told her about the place, informing her that the wealthy and powerful came here all the time. I had agreed with her father and started pointing out the people that I recognized. Some football players were at a couple of tables around us. There were some senators I recognized and the SOD was a couple of tables to our right. In fact, he had a slight staring problem that I didn’t like. He seemed to be unable to keep his eyes on his own date because he was t
oo busy looking at mine.
The server finally returned to our table with our entrées and placed the hot plates in front of us. I had ordered the twenty-two ounce ribeye steak, which was no surprise. Misty had ordered the grilled lobster and shrimp.
A pair of greedy gray eyes watched me as I poured a little steak sauce on the side of my plate and then cut a piece of the medium rare beef of goodness. It was still sizzling as if it were still cooking. I was about to pick the morsel up and reward my taste buds with a well-seasoned steak when I saw the expression in her eyes change.
I smiled. “You want a taste?”
Her eyes lit up even more. “Uh, yes, of course I do. It’s the reason why I was squeezed into this dress and why my boobs are about to burst out.”
I laughed and dipped the piece of meat I’d cut into the sauce and moved the fork to her lips. She tried to take the fork from me, but I snatched it back. What the fuck am I doing?
“Nope, I got it. Open up. That’s it.”
She rolled her eyes, but she did as instructed. The moment her red lips covered the piece of steak, she moaned, her eyes rolling in the back of her head. It was the same thing she did whenever I… Shiiiit!
“Mmmm, that is good,” she said finally. I was still staring at her mouth so my reaction was a bit slow.
“Yeah, it’s good, right?”
“Mmm hmm. The steak is seasoned to perfection and cooked perfectly with just the right amount of pink. Very good.”
I nodded to her lobster. “Let me taste the lobster.”
She lowered her fork to the exposed meat and speared a nice piece for me to taste. She dipped the lobster into the buttery sauce before she moved her fork toward my mouth. She cupped her hand underneath the fork, preventing any butter droppings from hitting my shirt. I looked in her eyes as her hand got closer to my lips. Usually, I didn’t do this kind of shit; share meals like this. But this was her doing. Being with her was making me do shit that I normally wouldn’t do.
I opened my mouth for the succulent shellfish and moaned as the taste hit my tongue. As I chewed she rubbed her thumb along my lower lip before she placed her thumb between her red lips.