SOLACE: Behind The Shield (Beauty 0f Life Book 2)

by Laura Acton

  A collective sigh of relief escaped, only to be replaced by confused expressions.

  Nick asked, “If there’s nothing to be concerned about, why was he unresponsive and why does he require time off?”

  Dr. Kohli stated in a neutral tone, “Ah, yes. Well. You see, there appears to have been an unintentional medication mix up. Dan indicated he keeps a single dose of analgesic in his work pack. He used the tablets yesterday and brought a replacement dose today.”

  “He ran late this morning and didn’t want to incur the wrath of someone named Jon. In his hurry, Dan knocked over the bottles of aspirin and sleeping aid. The pills are the same color, shape, and size, only a tiny Z on the sleeping pill distinguished the two. Unfortunately, while in the elevator—well, actually, all things considered, it’s fortunate he was there and not on a call.

  “Anyway, while stuck, he experienced a tension headache and took what he believed to be aspirin. From everything we can determine, he mistakenly took his sleeping tablets instead.

  “He’s rather embarrassed at mixing them up. The medication should be fully out of his system in the next five hours. However, given your line of work … it will leave him too groggy to be operationally safe. He needs to sleep it off, so to speak,” Deepak explained.

  The team stared at the doctor and then at each other.

  Loki laughed with relief. “Dan is okay. Geez, I should’ve taken pictures.”

  At that moment, Dan exited the treatment area and turned deep red as he overheard them laughing. This is humiliating. Jon is sure to have a field day reaming me for confusing my meds. What a stupid mistake to make.

  Dan decided to throw out the sleeping pills when he got home. He vowed never to take any meds at work again. He would rather put up with the pain than end up shamed like this again.

  Everyone turned and peered at him. Dan spotted the grins on their faces and mirth displayed in their eyes. Crap, they are gonna razz me about this one forever. I’ll never live this down.

  Jon laughed and said jovially, “Broderick, this is the third time you have been found sleeping at TRF. I’m starting an official Unacceptable Nap Locations list for you. Conference room three, roof, and now, elevator.”

  Lexa perceived Dan’s utter mortification. He required rest, and he needed away from the team’s joking. She stepped forward and linked her arm in his, ignoring the zing of electricity which always accompanied touching him.

  As she led Dan away, Lexa said loudly over her shoulder, “I’m taking Dan home and getting him in bed.”

  Astounded by Lexa’s words, Dan’s mouth gaped. His mind jumped to his earlier fantasy, blushing at the images brought forth.

  The guys’ laughter increased, and Lexa realized her faux pas. God, what a Freudian slip. She cringed a little at first, but stopped, turned, glared at them, raising a clenched fist. “Keep laughing, and I’ll be happy to shut you up.”

  They clamped their mouths shut as Loki rubbed his still aching arm where she slugged him earlier. Chuckles emitted once again after Lexa and Dan exited the hospital.

  As Lexa tugged on his arm and led him out of the ER to one of the SUVs, Dan believed he would be a happy man if only his fantasy came true.

  A Fantastic Dream

  32

  February 25

  En Route to Dan’s Apartment – 12:40 p.m.

  Dan stared out the passenger window while Lexa drove him to his place. Groggy, his eyes kept closing, and he appreciated Lexa’s discretion in not asking him questions as he fought the strong pull of sleep. Despite a valiant, well-fought battle, Morpheus ultimately arose victorious as Dan’s head bobbed once, twice, and gently landed on the window as sleep claimed him.

  Lexa recognized when Dan nodded off. Unable to resist touching him, realizing with him being dead to the world he wouldn’t be aware, she gave in to temptation and placed a hand on his bicep. Ever since Dan took her home on Valentine’s Day and carried her upstairs to a bubble bath, Lexa craved the electricity which flowed through her when their bodies connected.

  After soaking in the tub until the water chilled she managed to hobble to the bed and fell into a fitful sleep. Images of Dan filled her erotic dreams. She woke on the fifteenth with an intense desire to caress him and have him stroke her. Unbridled flames of passion gave rise to a fantasy of Dan’s fingers dipping in and working his magic on her as she pleasured herself to release.

  Later that morning, when she went downstairs to make coffee and breakfast, what she observed left her flabbergasted. Dan cleaned her kitchen and put everything in its proper place. He even set up the coffee pot for her, so she only had to turn it on. Dan turned out to be more complicated and fascinating than she initially pegged him to be.

  If they were not teammates, he might be someone she would consider dating. Hell, not consider, she would date him, and he would rate more than one date. Dan intrigued her, and she yearned to touch him. It pleased her when he didn’t react to her hand on his arm, so she left it there as she drove.

  Dan’s Apartment – 1:15 p.m.

  Lexa did her best to assist Dan to his room. He refused to take the elevator and insisted on walking up ten flights of stairs. She didn’t blame him after being stuck in one for several hours. Usually, this wouldn’t be a problem, but Dan’s fatigue made him unsteady, and Lexa struggled to keep from taking a header down the steps.

  Although fighting sleep, Dan’s attempts were futile as the Sandman scattered his dust. By the sixth floor Lexa held the hand of the arm he slung over her shoulders and wrapped her other arm around his waist as he leaned heavily on her. Reaching the tenth floor, she carried almost his full weight. Her whole body tingled as they slowly made their way to his door.

  She grinned when Dan slid down the wall outside his apartment door. A dopey smile appeared on his face as he peered up at her with half-closed eyes and said he didn’t have his keys, they were in his locker at headquarters. She picked his lock as he appeared to nod off.

  Helping Dan back on his feet to make it the rest of the way to his bedroom proved difficult. Once there, Lexa managed to turn him to face her before she released her hold on him. He dropped to the mattress, his butt hitting first before he flopped on his back. Lexa knelt and removed his boots and lifted his legs, maneuvering them up on the bed.

  Winded by the exertion necessary to manhandle him up the stairs, into his room, and on his king-sized bed, Lexa straightened and took a few deep breaths as she studied Dan. He went out like the proverbial light … his eyes closed and his breaths became regular and slow.

  Dan appeared younger in sleep. Lexa recalled the night in July when she left his hotel room. She had the impression of him being young then, too. She wondered about his real age. One of her old RCMP partners joined the military in hopes of making it into Special Forces, so she knew the minimum age for trying out was twenty-four. She briefly wondered if Alonzo made it.

  Lexa attempted to calculate his age. Presuming he went to the police academy right after high school and didn’t stay long in the Fourteenth Division, based on Gambrill’s comment about baby steps, she guessed he was likely no more than twenty-one when he chose to join the Army. With basic and specialized training, time as an MP, and assuming he qualified at twenty-four, she added more training, plus six more years, which made Dan near her age.

  He didn’t look thirty-one to thirty-four while awake, and without a doubt not while he lay sleeping. He appeared more like early to mid-twenties. Lexa sighed. Dan is full of contradictions. Boyish-looking yet with his known history he can’t be young. Stoic exterior yet profoundly wounded inside. Womanizer yet he doesn’t appear abusive, he pampered me and cleaned my kitchen.

  Lexa paused at her last thought. She witnessed all the come-hither gazes women gave him as they wrapped up after calls, but Dan never approached any of them while on duty. The only female she ever saw him with was JD, the leggy blonde who came to headquarters on Valentine’s Day. But there were others she didn’t see … Caroline, Gladys who brou
ght him cookies because she wanted him to smile again, and others Tia called Dan’s fan club.

  Is he in truth a player? Ray and Loki believe he goes out with many women—blondes, redheads, brunettes—a different woman every night. Dan certainly attracts a lot of attention from females, but he never talks about going out with them even when Loki pesters him to death. She realized the flaw in her thoughts. He shows respect for his dates, which makes him a ladies’ man, not a womanizer.

  Attempting to stop her musings about Dan’s dating life, Lexa focused on his furnishings. A simple bed, dresser, two nightstands, one with a lamp and alarm clock. Her eyes moved to the other bedside table and noted his great-grandfather’s ivory-handled MK I pistol. Why does he keep the weapon on his nightstand instead of locked up in a gun safe? Is it a soldier thing?

  Lexa decided turnabout would be fair play. Dan snooped in her home, clearing it he claimed. Two can play this game. She went to his bathroom first. Immaculate except for two bottles lying on the floor with scattered pills.

  She crouched and picked up the bottles and medicine. Lexa realized how easily a mistake could be made with them being the same size, shape, and color. The only distinguishing difference, little z on the sleeping aid as the doctor indicated. Lexa took the time to sort them out before placing both closed containers on his counter.

  Peeking in his shower, Lexa noted one bottle of shower gel. She flicked open the lid and sniffed. The clean, woodsy, masculine scent she associated with Dan wafted into her nostrils. She didn’t find any other shower products, so she assumed he used this for both body wash and shampoo. She put it back and returned to his bedroom. Glancing at Dan, a wild thought popped into her head. What would it be like to wake up next to him?

  To quash the notion, she turned and gazed at his dresser. Lexa opened the top drawer before she could stop herself. It contained socks and boxers. So a boxer not briefs man. Her eyes landed on a spot of red. Oh God, my thong! He kept my underwear! As her hand grasped and retrieved the lacey bit of cloth, Dan’s sleepy words startled her.

  “Find something you want?” Dan opened his eyes in time to glimpse Lexa reaching into his bureau drawer.

  Lexa bit her lower lip and blushed because she got caught snooping. She felt heat infuse her cheeks. I never blush. What is going on with me? Why does this man tilt my world so much?

  Whipping around to face him, Lexa went on the offensive. “Just taking something of mine back.”

  Dan pushed himself up on his elbows, half-reclining as he gave Lexa a lopsided grin. “What makes you think that is yours?”

  The blush burned deeper. “I know my clothing. I must’ve left it in your hotel room by accident.”

  His tone laced with fake disbelief, Dan teased, “You were in my room?”

  “You know damned well I was!” Lexa shoved the red thong into her pocket.

  As Dan sat up and swung his feet to the floor, he said, “That never happened. Right?”

  Lexa growled in frustration. She strode forward to Dan, getting close. “Right!”

  Almost eye level with her from his position on the edge of the bed, Dan glanced up enjoying the golden flecks of fire he put in her eyes. He grinned. “Then those can’t be yours, because we never slept together.”

  Emotional fury brewed underneath in response to Dan’s droll grin and waggish words, but Lexa made a mistake and locked on to his velvety sapphire eyes. Along with humor, hunger pooled in his eyes. They stared a long moment, and before her rational mind objected, the powerful combination of emotions caused her to lean down and kiss him.

  Their lips met and smoldering desire which had been banked and held at bay for months exploded as the inferno consumed them. Neither would remember how, but in a blur of tugging and pulling Lexa ended up clad in only her plain, black bra and black panties and Dan in his t-shirt and boxers before falling back on his mattress.

  No rational thought existed for either of them as their hands groped each other, their kissing deep and energetic. They burned with need. Each touch emblazoned their senses like a red-hot branding iron … scorching and leaving indelible marks on both.

  Incessant ringing brought the real world back into focus. Panting jaggedly, they broke apart. Lexa grabbed her phone. “Crud!” As she tried to smother her fire and slow her breathing, she pressed accept call. “Hey, … Boss.”

  Nick became worried about both Dan and Lexa when Lexa failed to check in or return to headquarters in a reasonable amount of time. A bit of relief washed over him as she answered, but new concern crept in at the sound of her ragged breathing. “Is everything alright? You sound a little out of breath.”

  An oh shit expression covered her face as Lexa bit her lower lip and moved away from Dan. “Um … well … I am. Dan insisted on taking the stairs, not that I blame him after being stuck for hours, but he became overtired and ended up leaning on me for most of the way. Took longer than expected, but I finally got him in bed.”

  Her comment caused Dan to grin and wink at Lexa.

  Glaring at Dan, Lexa raised and shook her fist menacingly. She began to explain to Boss when she would return.

  Dan’s smile grew broader as he leaned back on his elbows again and ogled Lexa. Damn, Sexy Lexie is hot, gorgeous. He realized he shouldn’t be doing this, but damn, it was becoming too hard to fight.

  The fiery flecks in her eyes still flickered with hunger. Lexa is my match in bedsports, and she turns me on when she takes charge. Dan liked sex—a lot. Not that he had much opportunity to indulge with women since joining Special Forces, and not that he wanted to play with just any woman after spending one night with Sexy Lexie, but he would enjoy a romp with her anytime.

  As her breathing evened out, Lexa concluded her conversation with Boss, “I’m going to make sure Dan has something here to eat and drink before leaving.”

  Nick happily smiled. The heart of our team is reaching out to Dan in earnest. “Okay. I appreciate you taking care of him. I believe he needs people to look out for him. I think he is beginning to accept he is a member of this team. So, keep doing what you are doing—it’s making a difference.”

  Lexa nearly laughed. If Boss only knew what she had been doing, he wouldn’t be telling her to continue. She managed to say, “Copy,” before hanging up. Turning back to face Dan, Lexa noted his barely open eyes, which made her realize how much the sleeping pills affected him. Dan’s behavior is excusable given the medication mix-up. I have no such excuse for mine.

  Dan flashed Lexa a WOW smile. “So, did this not happen, too? I guess I can chalk this up to a fantastic dream.”

  “Oooo, Dan … you … you …. dammit,” Lexa ground out as she went to grab her pants.

  As he watched her dress, the silence became heavy between them. When she tucked in her uniform shirt, Dan said, “Should we fight against or accept this attraction?”

  Lexa stopped and stared at him. She waged war with her attraction to him for months now. “Truthfully, I don’t have a clue.”

  Dan yawned and rubbed his eyes as the need for sleep tugged at him again. Unable to resist the pull much longer, he suggested, “I’m too tired now. Why don’t we meet later for a burger and beer at Jarmal’s place and talk?”

  Sitting on the edge of Dan’s bed to put on her boots, which she was not quite sure how she removed … passion had burned so brightly that disrobing had been a haze. “Not today. You need sleep, but perhaps after shift tomorrow. We can grab dinner because we both have to eat. Nothing big or anything.”

  Dan grinned. “So, not a date.”

  “Exactly! Only dinner and conversation,” she stated more severely than she intended, as a surge of self-protection spiked.

  “So, only teammates, colleagues,” Dan said in a monotone.

  Lexa studied him. The lack of emotion in his tone disturbed her, and she didn’t like it one bit. She glimpsed his shields slipping into place and realized her inflection caused his withdrawal. Softening her voice, she said, “Friends. Friends having dinner.” A l
ittle flicker of life reentered his eyes, and she smiled.

  Dan lay back as Lexa stood and moved toward his door. He couldn’t resist as he tossed out playfully, “What, no goodnight kiss?”

  She turned and grinned at him. If I’m not careful, this man will ruin everything I created. Regardless of her concern she still wanted to learn more about the man behind the shield.

  “It isn’t nighttime,” Lexa retorted. “Go to sleep, Broderick. I’m sure Jon’s gonna have a wonderful day planned for you tomorrow. Just sayin’.”

  Dan groaned. Yeah, Jon will probably put my ass through the wringer tomorrow. And the teasing will be endless.

  When his apartment door clicked closed, Dan drifted in a drowsy, hazy world, not quite believing Lexa kissed him. Perhaps this is all a fantastic dream. Slumber claimed a smiling Dan … his thoughts filled with images of Sexy Lexie having her way with him … any way she wanted.

  Price and Perks of Being General

  33

  February 25

  General Broderick’s Office – Afghanistan – 10:35 p.m.

  Still in his office as the stars lit the sky, General Broderick, now consumed his umpteenth cup of coffee as his day dragged on. Up since zero five hundred hours, he realized there would be more hours to traverse before his day ended. He attempted to take a long draught of his coffee only to find the cup empty. Rising, William strode to the coffeemaker for a refill.

  He must speak with Tom and Mike and make a call to Walter before calling into a meeting with Chief of Defence Staff McFergus later. It would be after two in the afternoon in Toronto now, a decent hour to contact an old friend. He needed to share information with him and obtain an update on Daniel.

  The reports lately from Walter had him hopeful Daniel’s life had begun to stabilize with a new foundation to build on. Maybe this bit of fortuitous news would allow him to approach Daniel sooner about rejoining Special Forces.