Everything fine here. Have a great weekend.
-L
Another vague email. Dee thought about the last couple of conversations with Lily. She’d seemed a little distracted, more so than usual. Dee made a mental note to call her this weekend, and went to her next email. She groaned out loud when she saw the sender. Lt. Franks was a pain in the ass. He’d arrived at Pacific Air Force, or PACAF, two months earlier, newly out of Officer Training School. He still hadn’t learned not to download everything sent to him. He’d already downloaded a worm, which he’d blamed on Dee for some unknown reason. When he was dressed down by the commander at a staff meeting, he’d taken that to mean he had to email her every time he had an attachment.
“God save me from lieutenants and generals. One doesn’t know a damn thing and the other thinks he knows everything.”
“You better be careful who you’re cursing. Anyone could walk in.”
She knew before she turned who it was. Mano’s deep, lyrical voice always had a way of sending a rush of goose bumps along her skin. She glanced up and tried to ignore the way her temperature rose, her heart beat out of control, and her nipples tightened against her shirt. She hunched her shoulders, trying to hide the effect he had on her.
He leaned against the doorjamb. Dressed in his flight suit, his arms crossed over his chest, he looked entirely too yummy for her peace of mind. He smiled and she licked her lips. He broke eye contact with her to follow the movement then shook his head as if to clear it.
“What are you doing here at PACAF?” Her question was abrupt and a little rude but she couldn’t help it. Every time he was around she couldn’t concentrate. It also reminded her how much she would like to lick his body.
“I had a briefing with General Chambers today.” She nodded knowing that people from Camp Smith, where Mano was working, often had meetings at PACAF. “Took me forever to find POSC.” The PACAF Operation Support Center was the high security area in the building. It sat in the center of the building and because of the top level security, only certain people could enter. Everyone else had to go to the second floor then back down to the first to reach the other side.
She chuckled. “Yeah. The first week I was here I ended up on the other side of the building and couldn’t make my way back. I wish they would just put it on its own floor so we didn’t have to walk all over the place.”
He sauntered into the room, no other word for the way he walked, and sat in one of the two chairs in front of her desk. The scent of his cologne caught her attention and she swallowed.
“I wanted to come by and apologize for what happened at the beach.”
Her eyebrows rose. “And it took you so long because…?”
He shifted in his chair and muttered something under his breath. She bit her lip trying not to laugh at him. Sometimes he was just like a little boy.
“Because for most of the last few weeks I’ve been busy. Starting a new job, finding a place to live.”
She nodded knowing that he had been busy. Leila had gone to great extremes to make sure she knew. “And that’s the only reason?”
He mumbled under his breath again and frowned. “I just…Okay, I don’t like to apologize.”
She crossed her arms beneath her breasts and widened her eyes innocently. “Really? I would’ve never been able to tell.”
His eyes narrowed then he laughed. The sound of it made her heart do a little jig. He relaxed back in the chair. “Well, Leila is still mad at me. That gal has one mean temper. What I was thinking was that I could treat you to dinner.”
At first her pulse jumped. He was asking her on a date? Never in her wildest dreams did she think he would want to date her. But, as she thought about his invitation, she realized he wasn’t asking for a date. He was just asking her to dinner to get back in Leila’s good graces.
“I’m supposed to have plans tonight.” Not really, but she could call Derek.
Mano leaned forward, bracing his arms on his legs, his intensity shining in his eyes. The impact almost stole her breath. She thanked God they had the desk between them for a buffer. But nothing could stop the thought of what it would be like to be the center of that concentration, and what it would be like in bed. The idea sent a rush of heat along her nerve endings that made her stomach muscles jump. Pressure built between her legs and she shifted her weight to ease the tension. Unfortunately, the fabric of her panties rubbed against her clit, making it worse.
“You’re not still mad at me are you?”
She drew in a deep breath hoping to calm her thumping heart. For goodness sakes, the man was just sitting in her office, staring at her. There was no reason for this kind of reaction. Other than being sex deprived. And the fact she’d dreamed of him every night since he had returned. Dreamed of having her hands on that bronzed body, skimming over his chest, down his stomach, encircling his…
She cleared her throat. “No…no. Really. I have some plans.”
“Ahh, come on Dee. Mom finds out you’re pissed at me, there’ll be hell to pay.” He leaned closer. “Whadya say? Leila said you got a little place just out Haliwa. We could hit some place in between.”
She worried her lower lip trying to think of another excuse. She was never very good at lying and if she made up a story, Mano would figure it out.
“Okay.”
The tension faded from his face and the confident smile he usually wore lightened his features. “How ‘bout you meet me over at my place when you get out of here. I’m hitting the gym here at Hickam and then going home.”
She didn’t say anything at first. The thought of him half dressed and all sweaty made her lose all thought. Just imagining him, his chest bare, all that golden skin glistening from exertion, watching his muscles flex each time he moved… She shivered. When she noticed him staring at her, she felt her face heat.
“Sure. Leila said you’re living over in Pearl Ridge, by the mall.”
“Yeah, apartment 503.”
The moment he left, she lowered her head and pounded it on the desk. Just what the hell had she done? Spending an evening in the man’s presence was going to drive her insane with lust.
* * * *
After much discussion, both of them decided to hit the Dixie Grill for dinner. As they dug into spicy barbecue and drank beer, they talked about the years spent apart. It was normal, average chit chat. Mano just couldn’t understand why every time she spoke, the sound of her voice made his skin itch. Or why when she laughed, he felt a shiver down his spine and his blood rushed to his groin. Probably because each time he could imagine teasing her into that laugh while they lay in bed. Naked.
“So, what made a big F-16 pilot give up regular flying to take this job?”
Dee’s question brought him back to the present. He focused on her face, trying to ignore what she would look like without her plain crew neck shirt and baggy trousers. Problem was focusing on her face did no good at all. A quick glance at her facial features left people thinking of sweetness and light. But he knew better. Her eyes were the color of bronzed honey, with flecks of green. She had a full pouty mouth and even the freckles across her nose were sexy. He wondered just where else she had freckles.
“Mano?”
He shifted in his chair trying to ease the tightness of his shorts. Focus. What did she just ask? Right, the job.
“A chance to come home for a few years.” He shrugged. “It was a good move for my career.”
“I don’t know how you live anywhere else. I love it here. The scent of the ocean, the beaches, the people. How could you live anywhere else?”
She smiled when she asked him the question and he felt it all the way to his gut. Curvy, cute, her hair slipping out of the top knot on her head, she was a bit too appealing for his well being.
He grabbed his beer and took a swig allowing the yeasty taste to mellow his mood.
“Well, I wanted to fly jets. They don’t have them at Hickam so I can’t be stationed here. But I had always planned on retirin
g here. You seem to be the only one of your family who wanted to live here.”
Her smiled widened, and her entire face lit up. “Yes. But we all ended up near water. Lily is in Houston, teaching.” She made a face and he laughed. “And Holly is stationed in Virginia.”
“And you ended up here.”
She smiled again and it had the same effect as before. Blood rushed to his groin, his cock hardened, lust licked along his nerve endings. He picked up his bottle for another sip, hoping to quench the heat, when he noticed his bottle was empty. Raising his hand, he ordered another beer. It was going to be one really long night.
* * * *
Mano’s head was spinning as he tried to fit his key in the slot. Damn door kept moving.
Dee sighed, her aggravation apparent. “Here, let me.”
She stepped around him and grabbed the key, unlocking the door with no problem. She smelled good. Like ocean, sex and Dee. And it pissed him off that he wanted her so badly and she didn’t seem affected at all.
“I resent women who take charge.” He didn’t care if he sounded like a baby. The woman was a pain in the butt. She was messing with his body, smiling at him, talking to him, trying to seduce him by being nice. It was sickening. Especially since he’d had a raging hard-on since the moment she picked him up.
He stumbled over the threshold of his doorway, and she grabbed his arm to keep him from falling on his face. Even though she saved him, he scowled at her and sauntered over to the couch and collapsed with a grumble.
“I would have never guessed you would turn into such a mean drunk.”
“I’m not drunk. I’m inhibitriated.”
She laughed. The sound of it raced through him, sending his head spinning from more than just the beer. “Yeah, I can tell. You going to be okay, make it to bed?”
He sat up and the whole room revolved. Squinting, he focused on Dee. Delicious Dee. Her hair was finally down, having slipped out of the top knot. Her arms were crossed beneath her breasts. Her nice, full breasts. Breasts that would be as smooth as a plumeria petal on a lei. And taste as sweet and tangy as a Lava Flow, the coconut, strawberry, and pineapple drink he’d started on after he’d had too many beers. Ohhh, he would love to glide his hand over her nipple, watch it tighten.
His cock went rock hard with the image. Man, he wanted her naked. And him. He should be naked. That would be good.
She was shaking her head. Was she refusing him?
“Mano, you better let me help you to bed.”
All right. That was more like it. She stepped forward, and helped him to his feet. Unsteadily, she guided him to his room. She accidentally smacked her shin on his end table and he ran into the wall. By the time they were in the room, both of them were laughing.
On the way to the bed, their feet tangled, and they fell together on his queen-sized mattress. She landed beneath him.
“Oh, my.” Her voice was unsteady and slightly husky.
A spark of lust ignited at the sound. Her breasts were pressed against his chest, her legs tangled with his and every bit of blood he had in his head shot straight to his dick.
He pulled himself to his elbow, and looked down at her. Her red hair spread out in disarray across his pillows. She pushed a few strands away from her blushing face as she struggled to get up. In all his life, Mano had never seen anything so downright sexy. She was sensual and sweet all rolled into one delectable package.
And for that reason, and the fact he needed to know how those full lips tasted, he bent his head and pressed his lips to hers.
Chapter Four
The moment Mano’s mouth touched hers, Dee lost all thought. The heat of his body warmed hers. The scent of him, sea and Mano, surrounded her, and seduced her. She knew she should push him away, he was too drunk to know what he was doing, but before she could, his tongue slid along her lips and she was a goner.
His hand was already beneath her shirt, his thumb rubbing her nipple. Dee opened her mouth willingly and he invaded, his tongue tangling with hers. A shot of pure pleasure swept through her. He tasted of lava flows and sex. Before she had enough, savored enough of Mano, he pulled away. The protest died on her lips when he grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it off her. Within moments her bra joined her shirt on the floor. Mano’s gaze fixed on her breasts.
Her nipples tightened, her breasts swelled, her heart beat so hard she thought it would bounce out of her chest. His eyes darkened as he lightly brushed a turgid tip with the backs of his fingers.
“Beautiful.” Deep, resonant, his voice sent arousal spiraling through her. “I dreamed they would be like this, just like little berries, but damn if this isn’t better than the dream.”
The next moment, he bent his head and his mouth was on her nipple. She hadn’t had time to prepare herself for the impact. As her eyes slid closed, she knew that she’d never get used to the feel of his lips on her skin. For years she had dreamed of this, yearned for this, prayed for this. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine it would feel like this. Her body was sensitized by his touch and responded as if he knew some secret. As if she were made just for him.
Mano gently scrapped his teeth over her nipple then licked his tongue over the same spot. A thrill of heat tingled along her nerve endings. He continued that pattern, then moved his fingers over her other nipple. As he scraped his teeth over one, he pinched the other.
He lifted his head and blew across her wet nipple. She shivered in reaction, her body pulsing with sensual energy. He moved away, and pulled off her pants and panties, which joined her other clothes on the floor. For someone so drunk, he pulled his clothes off with amazing speed and soon he was gloriously naked. She sat up and wrapped her hand around his cock. Thick, long, and hard, he throbbed beneath her hand as she slid it up and brushed her thumb over the top of it. Pre-cum wet the head of it. She caught his gaze and lifted her thumb and licked it off. His eyes almost glazed over, his nostrils flared. But still he stood, a warrior of stone, as if daring her to push him over the edge. She moved to the edge of the bed and with deliberate, sure movements, pulled him close. She didn’t hesitate to take him in her mouth, enjoying the salty taste of him. As she moved him in and out of her mouth, her hand trailed behind, sliding up and down with her movements. After a few more strokes, she flicked her tongue over the tip of his penis and he growled.
“That’s enough.”
He grabbed her and urged her back onto the bed, covering her but then cursing. Leaning to his right, he fumbled with the night stand drawer and pulled out a condom. He ripped open the package and threw it on the floor, then rolled it down his cock in record time.
Moving back over her, he settled between her legs and smiled down at her. Her body hummed at the cocky look on his face. Oh, it wasn’t as potent as usual because a hint of drunkenness tinged his grin, but it was very potent nonetheless. She licked her lips and his gaze followed the movement.
She fought the urge to fidget as he continued to stare at her, his eyes dark with arousal, his shaft pressed against her slit.
“Mano.”
“What?”
“Why do you keep staring at me like that?”
His lips curved more, turning his grin into a seductive smile. Leaning closer, he brushed his mouth over hers. “Like what?”
The breath she’d been taking caught in her throat. His voice had moved past aroused and slid right into seduction. His Hawaiian lilt was more pronounced. He was no longer speaking to her as a friend but as a lover. He kissed her jaw then her neck, flicking his tongue over her skin as he moved to her ear. She swallowed a nervous giggle.
“Like you want to eat me up.”
His lips curved against her neck. He scraped his teeth against her ear lobe. “Probably because I do.”
She gulped. Her body was a mass of nervous energy wrapped around the ball of lust in her stomach. Before she could come to terms with his intent, he kissed his way down her body, deviating to lick then kiss each of her nipples. His lips
skimmed across her stomach, his tongue dipped into her navel, then he moved on.
He settled between her thighs. Dee lifted herself and then rested her weight on her elbows to look down at him. Leaning forward, he breathed deeply.
“Ahh, Dee. Musky woman, sea, and plumeria blossom all rolled into one.”
At the first touch of his mouth, she fell back against the pillows. His tongue slid between her lips then licked up to tease her clit. A gush of liquid filled her sex as he continued his ministrations, but then added a finger. Her body wound tighter as she felt herself edging closer to the pinnacle. He inserted another finger.
“Ahh, Dee, that’s it, baby.”
The sound of desire threading his voice pushed her over the edge into sheer bliss. Her muscles contracted as she closed her eyes and savored the pleasure of breaking into a thousand glittering pieces. Before she was done, he moved back up her body and entered her in one thrust.
Her muscles still contracted from her orgasm as he moved, pulling himself almost all the way out, then thrusting back in. As the tremors from her release faded, his rhythm increased. The tension she’d just released began to build again.
“Come on, Dee. I want you there with me.”
Pulling himself to his knees, Mano grabbed hold of her hips. The angle, along with his fingers pressed against her clit, sent her screaming over the edge of another orgasm. A second later, he groaned her name and followed her.
He collapsed on top of her, then murmured an apology, and rolled off her, taking her along with him. She shivered as cool air washed over her heated skin. Mano kissed the top of her head.
“Sorry, Dee.” He pulled back the covers, and soon they were snuggled together, her head resting just under his chin and his arms securely locked around her. His lips whispered over her temple. “Sweet Daisy.” Then his muscles relaxed and his breathing evened.
Dee tried not to think about the ramifications of what just happened but it was no use. She didn’t think Mano was going to be too happy with this turn of events in the morning. He’d treated her as if she were the little sister since his return until…
Operation Love Page 11