The Promise of Love

by Billi Jean

  “Right,” Will growled as soon as they hit the garage. “This is a full disclosure operation, no secrets, Petrok, that kind of—”

  “Calm your shorts, Will. Tazz. He’s going to be a problem.” She held up her hand at their immediate denials. “Yes, he will. He’s with his little woman, but he’s gonna realize that the storm surrounding his location isn’t going to keep him safe for long. Walters is going to be sent after him, and Tazz has to know that.”

  “And? We have to warn him,” David said.

  “No, we don’t. Walters is an idiot. He’s gonna screw up, and if I know Tazz, he’ll kill him for threatening Kristen.”

  Will let out a frustrated snort. “Kristen? Who the hell is—?”

  “The woman,” David answered for her. So Tazz had found his future and wasn’t letting go. David’s thoughts filled with Paris, her shining smile and sweet but hesitant teasing. This morning he’d thrown out McDonald’s as a breakfast option just to see her wrinkle her nose, but she’d nodded eagerly and told him she loved Egg McMuffins. Hell, is that even possible? What woman loves those and admits it? “Tazz doesn’t have a crystal ball to see the future, Petrok. We need to warn him.” He worried for Paris now, and his buddy, Tazz. If something happened to Paris… Hell, one night in her arms and you’re already worrying about that? Slow the hell down, man.

  “No, it’s not safe. I’ve tried calling him, so don’t give me that look. He’s not answering. If we go there, we draw the wrong attention. We foul up his chances. He’s on the other side of this mountain, already under the same storm we’re about to get, if I’m reading the Weather Channel right. Let Walters will take some of these men, not you two. You’re both in charge of training, so don’t do it right. Take your time, I mean, how long can this last? Another day, possibly a week, tops.”

  “What?” Will demanded. “That’s your plan? Have us hang out here with our thumbs up our asses?”

  “Sure, if that’s what gets you off,” Sonya snapped, not missing a beat. Hell, Will had to have grown a bigger set than David sported, talking to her like her that all of a sudden. “Just work on looking like you’re busy getting them ready for training. Buy me some time. Go slow. Duke won’t ask. He’s too busy with his other operation and by the time he does wonder, this will all be tied up and handed to Carson with a nice little bow.”

  “Shit,” Will cussed. “That’s too damn easy and you know it.”

  David agreed. It was too easy. That meant it was going to be messy. “What aren’t you telling us?”

  “I’m telling you everything. Believe me.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and stared him in the eye. “You have all you need to know.”

  “The sex drug.” David exhaled when she nodded. “Did you take it?”

  “No!” She was so shocked then pissed that he grinned despite the fact that they were in some deep shit. “If you thought Chung’s was fun, do it. Otherwise, steer as clear as you can of that crazy shit.”

  “Hell, Chung’s is still messing with me, so not going there,” Will said from his position over by the entrance to the garage.

  She frowned at that, but nodded. “Right. Let’s hope it’s not permanent.”

  “Shit, I hope not,” David said, although the drug hadn’t impacted him as harshly as it had the others.

  “Naw, no way, Chung said it wasn’t.” Will rubbed his buzz cut, not appearing to buy his own words. “Just go do the perimeter thing, in case he’s more intelligent than we give him credit for. I’ll go check out the men and gear. We’ll need to make this look good.”

  “Right.” David considered the day and what he had to do, and realized with a burst of excitement he could take her with him. She might even like hiking the outskirts of town. Hell, they’d made love like crazy last night, but it’d really been an early to bed kind of night. They’d both woken up early, too, but that didn’t mean she’d be tired. She hadn’t been this morning, skating circles around him. Still, he tried not to sound too eager. “Petrok, check in, girl. No going silent on us.”

  “Of course not. This isn’t my first rodeo.”

  He laughed at that, and smacked her on the shoulder like a guy, earning a dirty look he ignored because he knew she didn’t really mind. “Nope, it’s not,” he told her.

  “Will, I’ll catch you later.” He stopped at Will’s grip on his arm. “What?”

  “Just use your head,” he warned. “The one up here.” He flicked David on the forehead with his finger, almost earning a punch in return.

  Instead David smiled, feeling as if he’d caught one hell of a lucky break.

  “Always, man, always,” he muttered and took off at a light jog. If he hurried he could pick up some sandwiches and take her out for a hike and eat while the sun set. If she liked Egg McMuffins, chances were she’d like sandwiches, too.

  Has she ever had sex in the snow?

  * * * *

  Paris stuffed everything back into her suitcase, and tried to convince herself this was the right thing to do. David was fun, too much fun, but more of him and she’d be worse off than when Greg had dumped her. Heck, I already like him more than I ever liked Greg, so what now?

  Stay and have more amazing sex, then watch him walk away? On to the next—

  “No, he’s not like that, not at all. He’s a good man,” she said to herself, but she had to force herself to believe it. “He is. He might only want sex, but that’s okay since you practically climbed into his bed.”

  Practically? I did!

  “Oh, God.” She stood there, struck dumb by what she was saying, let alone thinking.

  “I did. I did fall right into his arms, bed, sex,” she murmured and sat down as the strength left her legs. “And not just with him but with his friend, too!” She buried her face in her hands. She’d loved every minute of it, so was that wrong? Does that make me some kind of sex freak?

  Maybe. She laughed, but it sounded hysterical even to her. Not like the way David makes me laugh.

  “Oh, God.”

  If I miss him this much now, what’s going to happen once this weekend is over?

  She stood at that and paced the room. The place smelled like him—them. She’d made the bed and cleaned up but she could still remember the weight of his body on hers. The feel of his rough whiskers along the inside of her thighs when she’d climaxed from his mouth and tongue in the shower. By the time she’d paced the room, she’d decided she needed to talk to Sara. She did one more back and forth. I’ll stay. I can’t just go… Right?

  “Hey there, princess, how about a picnic—”

  She screamed and threw a pair of socks at his head. They bounced off and he grinned, catching them before they hit the floor.

  “Whoa, whoa, girl, what’s the—?” He zeroed in on her suitcase, her, then the clean room and right back to her. “Going somewhere?” he asked, hands on his lean hips.

  He seemed so aggressive and, well, stern that she giggled then covered her mouth when his frown turned to a truly impressive scowl. He was bigger when he was angry, she noticed, then grumbled to herself for noticing and getting hot all over at the thought.

  “You were gonna run off?”

  “Run off?” She twisted her sweatshirt sleeve in her fingers. “No, not run off, I was…” She paused when he dropped his arms and stalked toward her like a hungry wildcat. “Tidying up?”

  “Oh?” he murmured and scanned the suitcase filled with her tossed-in clothes, bathroom toiletries and hair products. “Well, let me help you then,” he said smoothly and pulled her clothes out. He opened a drawer of the bureau and tossed them in, shutting it a bit too firmly because the mirror trembled.

  “David! If you break that mirror—”

  “You get seven years of bad luck, I know. Now, explain why you were leaving.”

  She swallowed at the earnest expression in his blue eyes. He quirked one eyebrow at her when she didn’t speak then rolled his hand like she needed to start.

  “I kinda don’t know what
I’m doing with you. I mean, I’m supposed to be here.” She started pacing the room, tugging on her sleeves. “I said I’d wait for Sara, but I am not that type of girl, I mean I don’t, well, fall into bed with a stranger, let alone two!”

  The last came out on a wail that she wished she could take back, but what was done was done. She hung her head and tried to think past the embarrassed pulse of blood roaring in her ears. Obviously this was more than sex, why else would David get so upset with her for leaving? Or maybe it is sex and that’s okay. Or maybe it is sex and more and that’s okay, too.

  David touched her shoulder then turned her to face him. She didn’t look up until he began laughing softly. Then she glanced at him to see the silly man grinning down at her.

  “Stop thinking so much, I think there’s smoke coming out of your ears.”

  She rolled her eyes and growled. “David, be serious.”

  “Okay, okay. First, I know all that, and I’ll be honest, princess, if you did fall into bed with men like that, I doubt I’d be racing back to take you on a hike and picnic, possibly getting several speeding tickets on the way.”

  She blinked at the overload of information. “You got a ticket?”

  He winced. “Maybe. If they have those cameras, but that’s not the point.”

  “It’s not?” She swallowed at the way he traced his thumbs over her collarbones and massaged her shoulders.

  “No.”

  She nodded. “Okay, just spit it out, already. I guess I need to hear what the point is.”

  “You need to keep up. You’re the point. You. Not any of the other women you imagine I shack up with, you. So, just breathe, and trust me, it’s going to be all right.”

  She wasn’t sure about that. “I don’t think you shack up with women.”

  “Or a woman. There’s no one else—”

  “I know that,” she said, even though she had worried over it. “I mean, I thought there wasn’t. But it’s not that, David, it’s just—” She stopped when he shook his head, smiling briefly when she paused.

  “Paris, I promise, this is gonna be fun. A hike and a picnic. I picked up sandwiches and some fruit. You said you liked fruit. I got some ice tea as well. It’ll be fun.”

  “I don’t doubt it.” She still wasn’t certain she should do this. He’d been gone barely an hour, but she’d been so certain leaving was the way to go. Kinda. Sorta. Okay, maybe not, but… What happens when he’s gone?

  “David, what about, I mean, aren’t you supposed to be at that place?”

  “Not yet, and when I do have to go, I kinda hoped you’d go, too.”

  She must have looked as floored as she felt, because he suddenly hugged her close and brushed a kiss to her hair. “Just go on the picnic. I’m gonna show you the mountains, while I see them, too, but hey, it’ll be fun.”

  “You said that.” She pressed her head to his warm chest.

  How can I be so attracted to him already? So quickly?

  “Thank you, I would like to go,” she added while he held her. “I’m sorry.”

  “No, don’t say that, really, I get it. Okay, I push hard, what can I say? It’s my downfall maybe, I’m pushy and impatient.”

  She frowned at that, not agreeing. “I don’t think so,” she said shyly, and wiggled until he loosened his death grip. “I think you’re kinda nice.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  She snorted and shook her head. “But never serious.” He ducked and kissed her. Once their lips touched, every doubt melted away. Or whatever remained of them once he’d returned, larger than life, she admitted. She sighed and tightened her fingers on his shirt, deepening the kiss on her own. Just like he always did, he took over making her toes curl. He dragged her leg up his thigh and fit his erection tightly to her pussy. Passion erupted all over again, but at the same time, that subtle doubt that all he wanted was sex rose to the surface.

  He broke off the kiss, surprising her, and tugged her braid. “None of that or you’ll be dragging me back to bed. First we hike and I see if you like turkey and cheddar or roast beef and Muenster better.”

  “You are too much.” There was no heat to her words, instead her heart fluttered at the way he was treating her—as if he really wanted to spend time with her. Thoughtfully, like he had last night and this morning, too. “I like both,” she added.

  “Ah, good,” he said with an exaggerated-sounding sigh. “Because I got a veggie and a ham one, too, in case.”

  “You did not!” she exclaimed, but he shrugged. “You did?”

  “I’m a big guy, I eat a lot.”

  She could attest to the ‘big’, she still felt the memory of him making love to her. The sensation had her on pins and needles, wanting more, but not sure if she should.

  He gathered her coat and picked up the pair of her socks she’d thrown at him and tossed them at her. She caught them and smiled at his whistle.

  “Nice catch, how about you get ready? I’ll go warm up the truck. Get your gloves and hat, too, it might snow.”

  She nodded and watched him confidently gather a few things from his bag then bend to kiss her.

  “I’ll be quick.”

  “No hurry, it’ll give me time to make sure the truck’s warm.”

  His thoughtfulness eased the doubts so much that she smiled and blew him a kiss he pretended to catch as he eased out of the room. Immediately quiet descended. He filled a room. That’s what David did. He took all the darkness away and replaced it with his big personality.

  She smiled and covered the happy laugh that rose. He did like her. He liked her as much as she liked him—she hoped. Either way, she was staying. She got her boots on, then raced to the bathroom. She rearranged her things and quickly adjusted her braid, tugging it like he did, and smiled wider at the happiness that overflowed her eyes.

  Happiness. He did that to me, made me happy. Just breathe. Go with it, and him.

  Chapter Six

  David started the truck and immediately hit the steering wheel.

  She was gonna leave. He couldn’t believe how right he’d been. She had to think he was after tail and nothing else. Any other time, any other woman, and she’d be right.

  Not this time.

  He hit the steering wheel again with the palm of his hand. He had to show her a bit more than how much he wanted to make her scream. She never did scream—she had no idea how insane that made him, knowing she was so lost to the pleasure she couldn’t even gather enough breath to shout.

  But sex isn’t gonna get her trust, dumbass.

  No it isn’t. Use your head.

  “Yeah, both, maybe.” He watched her rush out of the side door of the hotel and scan the parking lot. She was so damn pretty that his breath stalled in his throat. Men dreamed of women like Paris. She spotted the truck and him in it. A happy grin broke out on her rosy face. His stomach nosedived as if he’d just done a tricky jump from a low-flying plane. Had anyone ever seemed so happy to see him?

  As soon as she got in she scooted over and kissed him, giving him some of her cinnamon flavor. Her toothpaste was minty but she had cinnamon gum—he knew because he’d snooped. Oddly enough, she’d not gone through his bag. He’d left a few things on top of his pants to test her, but he could tell she’d not seen them or she’d be one nervous girl.

  “Was that quick enough?”

  “I don’t mind waiting, but yeah, you’re fast,” he assured her after he cleared his throat. “Warm enough?”

  She took off her jacket, showing him the white scoop neck shirt she’d been wearing when he’d caught her worrying her little head off. He liked it, especially since it was low cut and hung off one shoulder, normally, but now gave him one hell of a view. She bent farther down, having a battle to get her jacket off, but blessing him with a glimpse of a dazzling white lacy bra and her plump breasts rising over the top. He had to adjust his hard-on or get a zipper burn.

  “It’s hot in here,” she said, still struggling with her jacket.

  He
helped her, hiding his grin when she glanced at him. “Yeah, I thought you might be cold.”

  “Um, it’s like ninety,” she complained, turning the temp down with a suspicious expression. “What are you up to?”

  “Oh ho, so you think you have me figured out, huh?”

  “No,” she said defensively, “but you are sneaky.”

  Sneaky. He winked at her. “Damn right.”

  “You like that, huh?” she said and bumped his shoulder, cute as heck. “Drive. It’s going to be dark before we even get anywhere.”

  “Whoa, princess, no back seat driving. I got this covered. It’s barely noon here. Now, can you hand me a sandwich?”

  “What? I thought those were for a picnic?” she asked, giving the time a quick peek to see if he was serious. Then she gave him a puzzled frown. “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see. Snacks are in the back,” he reminded her.

  She gave him another once-over, making him grin, then glanced over her shoulder to the back seat. He turned, too, but to back up out of his parking space. “I’ll take a tea and that big one,” he reminded her.

  With a sigh, she got up on her knees so she could lean over the seat, trying to get the bag. He resisted the urge to pat her cute butt because he knew that was what she expected. When she sat back down he got a suspicious glance before she unwrapped the sandwich so he could hold it and drive. Pretty neat, too, he thought. She also opened his drink and waited for him to take a big bite and hand the sandwich back in exchange for the drink.

  “You are hungry, aren’t you?” she said and laughed. “Wasn’t breakfast enough?”

  “That was hours ago.”

  “Mmm.” She took a bite of his sandwich.

  “What did you do, besides freak out and try to leave?”