Beauty & the Blue Angel

by Maureen Child

  “Yes,” she agreed, wanting nothing between them right now. Not even the flimsy barrier of fabric.

  His hands swept up, under the hem of her tank top, and in seconds, he’d pulled it off over her head to leave her breasts naked to his touch.

  The cool air brushed her skin, making her nipples pucker tighter, harder. She shivered, but not from cold. It was Alex’s gaze locked on her breasts that sent a tremor rippling throughout her body.

  “Beautiful,” he said, his hands skimming across her breasts, pausing long enough to tweak her nipples with a gentle pressure designed to drive her insane. “You’re beautiful, Daisy,” he said. “More beautiful than I’d thought.”

  She didn’t feel beautiful.

  She felt on fire.

  She felt as though, if he didn’t kiss her and touch her, she would erupt into a ball of flame and burn out right before his eyes. Her skin prickled. Her mouth went dry as she looked into his deep-brown eyes and saw an answering fire there.

  “Touch me, Alex,” she said with a sigh that came from her soul. “I want to feel your hands on me.”

  And then he growled, low in his throat, and the deep, rumbling sound rolled along her spine, causing goose bumps and making her body feel even more sensitive, more alive than before.

  He picked her up, sweeping her into his arms, and carried her to the couch. There he sat down with her across his lap, and Daisy squirmed slightly, feeling his body tight and hard beneath hers and wishing she could have him inside her.

  Laying her back until her head hung over the arm of the sofa, Alex bent down to take first one nipple and then the other into his mouth.

  Daisy arched into him, nearly jumping right off the couch. Then she relaxed and sighed at the wonder of his mouth on her body. His tongue, his lips, his teeth tormented her, driving her need higher and higher until all she could do was lie helplessly in his grasp and try to remember to breathe.

  He touched her again, letting his right hand sweep across her belly, his fingertips dancing lightly against her skin, building a fire that needed no stoking. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the sensations coursing through her. It had been so long since she’d felt cherished. Since she’d had someone hold her, kiss her. Even then, it had been nothing like this. Nothing.

  Alex was a law unto himself. He touched her and there was brilliant light. He took his hand away and there was darkness.

  And she wanted the light.

  Wanted the fire.

  Wanted the crashing blow of a release she knew was waiting just out of her reach.

  His fingers dipped again beneath the waistband of her shorts and skimmed lightly down her belly until he found his target.

  Daisy lifted her head, struggled for air and looked at him as his mouth worked her nipples, as his hand poised to begin the final assault on her nerves. She took a gasping breath and held it. He cupped her. She groaned tightly, closed her eyes and clutched his shoulders again as her hips arched off his lap and rocked wildly, impatiently.

  Need simmered inside her, and she nearly whimpered with desire.

  A part of him knew there’d be no satisfaction for him tonight. It was too soon for her. Too soon after having the baby. So he would find his pleasure in satisfying her. To touch her like this, to feel her excitement, her surrender, was like a drug. He lapped it up and wanted more. He suckled her harder, deeper, until he was sure he felt her spirit enter his soul.

  And then he touched her.

  His fingertips found her center, damp and hot and ready. The first time he stroked her, she trembled in his arms and gave a muffled moan that tore at him and fed the hunger within. Still he wanted more. Wanted to give more. Because for the first time in his life, giving satisfaction was like receiving it. He felt each of her tremors. Felt the fire building. Felt the need crowding close. Felt the race toward completion. And he pushed her faster, harder, wanting to feel her release ripple through her and into him.

  Sliding one arm under her back, he pulled her close and lifted his head to watch her face. He relished each moan, savored each whimper. Her hips moved, rocking her body against his hand as he took her swiftly toward the peak of pleasure.

  “Look at me,” he whispered, his voice raspy with need. “Daisy, look at me.”

  Even lost in the hazy world of passion, she heard him and responded. Her eyes opened and her gaze met his and locked on.

  “I want to watch you,” he said softly, and leaned forward to kiss her briefly, tenderly.

  “Alex…” Her breath caught and she moved in his arms again, struggling toward release.

  “Let go, Daisy. Let go and fall,” he urged, whispering against her mouth, keeping his gaze on hers, wanting to see the completion fill those soft blue eyes. “I’ll catch you. Let go.”

  “Alex, I—” Her breath hitched. She stared into his eyes and he saw the first flash of wonder splinter her gaze. Her body quaked, trembled. She gasped, arched high into his embrace and moaned his name as she fell blindly into the chasm where he waited to catch her.

  Ten

  The very moment her body stopped quivering, Daisy took a long, deep breath and brought her arms up to cover her breasts. A little late, she knew, but somehow, now that the firestorm was over, she felt just a bit underdressed.

  One corner of Alex’s mouth twitched. “I have to tell you, locking that barn door isn’t gonna bring the horse back.”

  “Maybe not,” she said, “but I feel better with the doors closed.” She sat up, then immediately stilled when he hissed in a breath. Daisy was suddenly all too aware of his hard-as-steel body beneath her. “Umm…”

  “Just sit still, okay?”

  “Maybe it’d be better if I got off your lap.”

  “Better for whom?” he asked. “I’m sort of enjoying this.”

  “What are you, a masochist?” A smile twitched her lips. “You know I can’t…”

  He let a groan escape him even as he held her firmly in place. “Yeah. I know.”

  Daisy just stared at him. He knew she couldn’t have sex with him, and yet he’d just stirred things up between them to the point where if she hadn’t found release, she would have exploded. He must feel the same way. “Then why—”

  He slid one hand up her spine to cup the back of her head, his fingers spearing through the soft tangle of her hair. “Because I had to touch you. I had to kiss you.”

  She turned her head, feeling his touch against her scalp and savoring the heat tumbling through her bloodstream.

  “It’s been driving me nuts for weeks, Daisy,” he said, his voice tight and harsh with the need still strangling him. His fingers tightened on her hair and he pulled her head closer until her mouth was just a breath away from his. “All I could think about was you. Being with you, being close to you.”

  Daisy’s insides did a quick flip and twist. She stared into his eyes and wondered how she’d lived twenty-six years without being able to see them. To see the richness and the warmth shining there. And then she wondered how in the world she would live through the rest of her life without seeing them.

  When this little interlude was over and he’d shipped out, she’d never be able to sit on this sofa again without remembering the feel of his hands on her body. She’d never be able to come into this apartment at all without expecting to hear the sound of his voice or see his smile. And what she was going to do about that, she didn’t have a clue.

  But for now, she enjoyed his hands on her body and forgot about her brush with embarrassment. Forgot about everything but the feel of him touching her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him slowly, deeply, tenderly, showing him without words just how much it meant to be in the circle of his arms.

  And when the kiss was over and she pulled back to look at him, she saw him smile despite the ache glittering in his eyes. He’d taken her higher, faster and further than anyone ever had. He’d shown her magic and had never thought of his own misery. But she was. And suddenly she wanted to give him the same gift
he’d given her.

  “But now,” Daisy said softly, cupping his face with her hands, “can’t I do something for you?”

  He reached up and covered her hands with his own. Turning his face slightly, he kissed her palm. “No.”

  “Why no?”

  “Because I can wait. I want you, Daisy, but I’ll wait until I can have all of you.”

  No promise of love or forever. But then, she hadn’t expected them, had she? He wanted her, and at least that was honest.

  Her stomach swirled with nerves and expectation, and a brand-new flash of desire simmered even hotter than before. Now she knew what she could find with him. Now she was aware of what his touch could do to her body, her soul. And the thought of waiting to experience it all again was almost more than she could bear.

  For now, he was hers. For now, she had the magic. The sensation of being in the arms of a man she’d never thought she’d find.

  And she was going to enjoy it for however long it lasted.

  She’d mourn its loss when it was over.

  When she was alone.

  “You’re worth the wait,” he said, pulling her to him to rest against his chest.

  She listened to the thundering beat of his heart and told herself to remember it all.

  Remember it for the time when he was just a memory.

  And the nights were too long and too lonely.

  The next week crawled by.

  Alex felt as though he was balanced on a sword’s razor edge. That one night with Daisy was on permanent rewind in his brain. He saw it all over and over again. He felt her silky skin, heard her soft moans and experienced her tremors as completely as he had then. And it tortured him, knowing that he couldn’t have her again.

  Not yet, anyway.

  “Damn, Barone,” Mike Hannigan nearly shouted. “Where the hell are you?”

  “Huh?”

  “She must be something else,” his friend said with a shake of his head.

  “She who?”

  “She whoever’s taking up all of your brain space.”

  Thunder rolled and crashed in the distance, and Alex reached for his beer. The other guys were bowling another round, but he and Mike were sitting this game out. Around him, people laughed and talked. From the bar came the slow swell of blues blasting from speakers. Kids scattered at the door to the video game room like marbles shot out of a circle.

  Alex just looked at his friend for a long minute. “It’s Daisy.”

  Mike frowned thoughtfully, then his expression cleared again. “The pregnant waitress from the restaurant?”

  “Not pregnant anymore, and yes.”

  Mike picked up his beer and leaned back in the booth. Taking a long sip, he swallowed, then studied the label on the bottle. “This serious?”

  When Alex didn’t say anything, Mike hooted a laugh. “Who woulda thought it? Babe Magnet Barone, off the market?”

  Babe magnet. The guys were always giving him grief about how easily he met women. And for the most part, they were right. He’d never had trouble finding a woman to kill a few hours—or a few weeks, with. He’d only sucked at finding the one right woman. Which was why he’d sworn off even looking, for the last couple of years.

  Until Daisy.

  Was he off the market now? Hell, he didn’t know. God knew he cared for Daisy more than he had ever cared for anyone else. Even what he’d felt for his former fiancée didn’t compare to this. But that didn’t make it real. Didn’t promise happily ever after.

  Besides, Daisy was stubborn. Proud. Hell, she even fought him when he tried to give her gifts. When she talked about her plans, the future she hoped to make for herself and Angel, he wasn’t a part of them. Maybe she was already trying to close him out of her life.

  Except for one heavy petting session, his and Daisy’s relationship had been nothing but friendly. So if he were interested in something a little more…intimate, who was to say that she would be? He’d believed in a woman before, and all it got him was a slightly used engagement ring and a lot of unwanted condolences from sympathetic friends and family.

  Just the thought of that was enough to make him take a mental step back from wherever his brain was starting to lead him.

  “Are you in love with her?” Mike asked, and the question fought its way through the fog in Alex’s brain.

  He thought about that for a long minute or two, trying to put a name to his feelings. But it was as elusive as the emotions themselves. “I don’t know,” he said finally.

  “Well hell, boy,” Mike told him. “You’ve got about fifteen days of leave left to figure it out.”

  Alex picked up his beer and took a long swig. The last few weeks had gone by so fast, he’d hardly noticed. But Mike was right. Leave time was almost up.

  Fifteen days. Then he’d be out of here. Back on duty and shipped to who knew where for who knew how long. Usually, the thought of getting back into the cockpit of a navy jet was enough to cheer Alex right up.

  So how come now it sounded more like a sentence?

  A few days later, Rita smiled and waved to Daisy as she and the baby approached the sidewalk café.

  “Oh my God,” Rita exclaimed as she jumped from her chair to scoop Angel out of her stroller for a closer examination. “I can’t believe how big she is.”

  Daisy smiled proudly as her daughter was cooed over. Time was moving fast. Angel was becoming her own person now, more aware of her world and the people in it. She lit up like a Christmas tree when Daisy came into the room—but when she saw Alex, the baby reacted as if Santa himself had shown up.

  And what would she think when Alex stopped coming to see her? Would she miss him? Would she even notice? Yes, Daisy thought, wincing slightly at the twinge of pain that gripped her heart. Angel would notice his absence. But no more than Daisy would.

  Since that one night on her sofa, things between her and Alex had become even more strained. As time ticked past, both of them knew that soon she’d be physically ready to make love again. But the real question was, was she emotionally ready?

  Her feelings for Alex were already so confusing she knew that the moment she slept with him, her brain would short-circuit.

  “She’s a beauty,” Rita was saying, and Daisy steeled her mind against thoughts of Alex. At least for a while.

  “Thank you. And thank you again for delivering her. I really don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t helped me that night.” Daisy took a seat opposite Rita at the table. Smoothing the skirt of her pale green outfit, Daisy was glad she’d taken the time to dress up a bit. Her usual choice of jeans and a T-shirt would have been decidedly out of place at the tiny, but exclusive restaurant.

  “Oh,” Rita said, cuddling Angel in the crook of her arm, “you’d have managed. Mother Nature would have kicked in and taken charge.”

  “I’m still glad I had you to help me.” In one incredible night, Daisy had forged a bond with Rita, Maria and Alex. And that connection to the Barone family made her feel almost as if she belonged. Which was a lovely feeling—even if it was pretty much a fantasy.

  Rita smiled and smoothed the tip of one well-manicured finger along the baby’s cheek. “It was my pleasure. Heck, I’ve been bragging about that little adventure for nearly six weeks.”

  The waiter came, dropped their menus on the table, then walked away again, giving them a few minutes to talk.

  “And speaking of six weeks,” Rita said, “I know this is nosy, but I’m a nurse. I can’t help myself. Have you been to see your doctor?”

  “Tomorrow,” Daisy said, and a swirl of emotion fluttered through her in a haze of brilliant colors and breath-stealing heat. Once she got the all-clear from her doctor, there’d be nothing standing between her and Alex sleeping together.

  Was that a good thing? Or a bad thing?

  “Seen Alex lately?”

  “Hmm?” Don’t blush at the sound of his name, for pity’s sake.

  “Alex,” Rita prodded with a wry grin. “My brother.
Big guy? Good-looking?”

  Daisy smiled and took the baby from Rita long enough to settle her into the stroller. The stalling tactic also gave her an extra second or two to compose herself before having to speak again. After all, she didn’t want to drool in front of the man’s sister. “Yeah, I know who you mean.”

  “Just checking.”

  “I saw him yesterday.” Daisy sat up straight again and took a deep breath.

  “You’ve been seeing him a lot.”

  “Sort of,” Daisy said, not really sure where this was going.

  Rita laughed and picked up her menu. “Relax, Daisy. It’s not an inquisition. I’d just like to get to know my brother’s girlfriend better, that’s all.”

  “I’m not—”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Rita brushed her denials aside. “Do you know what you want for lunch?”

  “No.” She looked around, her gaze sweeping the lunch crowd scattered at the tiny white tables shaded by green-and-white striped umbrellas. “Aren’t we going to wait for Maria? Weren’t the three of us going to have lunch together?”

  “Well, we were,” Rita said. “But Maria’s got some weird flu bug or something. Can’t keep anything down lately.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “She’ll live.” Rita set her menu down and folded her hands on the table in front of her. “Besides, without her here, I can ask more questions.”

  “Swell.”

  Questions Daisy couldn’t answer. Questions she really didn’t want to even think about.

  The waiter stepped up to their table, notepad in hand and a surly expression on his face. Professionally speaking, Daisy thought he deserved a talking to. If any of the wait staff at Antonio’s greeted customers like that, they would find themselves out on the street looking for a new job.

  “I’ll have the club sandwich and tea,” Rita said.

  “Tuna and a diet soda, please,” Daisy ordered.

  “Right.” He snatched the menus up, turned on his heel and marched off.

  “Charming,” Daisy muttered.

  “Oh no,” Rita said, smiling. “You’re not going to get me off track by talking about a waiter, for God’s sake.”