“Hi,” she flashed a sexy smile.
“Cory, what a nice surprise,” Adrian offered in return. He wasn’t lying. She was the last person on this earth he had expected to see here, today or ever.
Adrian forgot all about his men waiting in the vehicle. The driver honking on the horn brought his attention back to them. “Go around, man!” Adrian shouted at him.
“Oh, I’m soooo sorry about this,” Cory apologized.
“Don’t worry about it. Nobody got hurt. Especially you,” Adrian offered. “So I see you got your car back … finally.”
“Yeah, I just did. I asked Sergeant Jones where I could find you. I hope you don’t mind?”
Mind? Was she kidding? Adrian thought. She was the perfect distraction. “Well, I’m really happy for you, Cory. So … what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
“Umm, I just stopped by because I wanted to say thank you for all your help.”
“So what makes you think I had anything to do with this?” Adrian asked, still smiling sweetly at her.
“Well, for one, I think I received the royal treatment from your friends today.” They both laughed. Adrian believed her; he had asked Jonesie to warn his men to be nice.
Adrian walked to the back of the car, inspecting it. He had to preoccupy his mind with something, anything, other than being enticed by her heaving cleavage, a sight he was enjoying a bit too much.
“You need to get a new tail light, okay,” he said. “Other than that, I think you’re in pretty good shape. You’re a lucky woman, you know. Thieves usually scrap these as soon as they steal them. They probably just used yours for a robbery.”
“Well, I guess I am lucky.” Hesitating a bit, Cory continued, “Well, I also wanted to apologize to you for my very rude behavior the other day, Adrian.”
“Hey, everyone has their bad days. And no offense was taken,” Adrian assured her.
“Really? Well, please allow me to make it up to you, then. What’re you doing this evening?”
“Working.”
“Oh. So what time do you get off?”
“At eight. Tomorrow morning,” Adrian quickly added.
“What?”
“Yeah. We work twenty-four-hour shifts here.”
“My God, how do you work all day and then stay up all night, too?” Cory asked.
“Well, you get used to it after a while.”
“Okay. Well, I was about to ask you out to have some drinks with me. To show my appreciation and to apologize and everything. My treat, of course.”
Adrian was amused. “You don’t have to do that,” he said. “I have to shoulder part of the blame myself with some of the things I said to you.”
A look of disappointment crossed her face. She wanted to go out with him? “But let me get this straight. You’re asking me out?” Adrian was smiling again. “Seriously though?”
“Yes!” Cory answered. “You sound surprised. Has a woman never offered to buy you drinks before?”
“Never,” Adrian answered her with a grin. The women he dated in the past were more like friends of his friends or friends of his cousins and the like. Most were okay, but nothing he wanted to pursue. Some turned literally into the dates from hell where all he wanted to do was dive through the closest window to make an escape from them.
But he’d always done the asking, so he was stunned at Cory’s brazen invitation. Adrian knew he didn’t have a fighting chance with this woman, with her perfectly manicured nails and power suits. He figured he wasn’t her type. He was just a soldier in her book. Though a financially secure, educated, and well-traveled one at that. After all, she had made her feelings quite clear the way she felt about men like him the other day.
But the mere thought of Cory and he got excited. She stimulated his senses in every way. From her skin that smelled — and he imagined felt — like a floral bouquet, to her crazy hair, her smile, her sexy feminine saunter, those damn legs she often left exposed.
“Never? I find that hard to believe.”
Looking her dead in her eyes Adrian said, “But I’m always willing to try something new.”
Adrian lived his life taking huge risks in combat zones and overcoming challenges every day. Why should he hesitate to take up this one? Actually, this was one challenge he was looking forward to taking.
“So how about we do this tomorrow evening instead?” Adrian suggested.
“That’s perfect,” Cory replied. She gave him the name of the sports bar and the time to meet her at.
“Cory, why don’t you join me in my office for a while? It’s so hot out here,” Adrian offered. “I was about to have lunch.”
Cory quickly accepted his offer this time.
Chapter 8
As they walked together toward Adrian’s office, Cory found herself once again trying to keep up with his long strides. She noticed he had a methodical rhythm when he walked. As they neared the small green military buildings, the base was pretty much quiet and didn’t have as much activity as Cory had expected there.
“Do you mind waiting here a minute?” Adrian asked her. “I’ll be right back.”
“Sure.”
Adrian immediately took off and disappeared into another room. Cory remained standing there, alone. She noticed she was receiving quite a few unwanted stares from some officers passing by. These two looked quite intimidating in their black and blue uniforms, their black boots and weapons gleaming under the sun’s intense rays.
She was relieved to see Adrian heading back her way, nodding at the two policemen. He was holding a set of dangling keys in his hands along with two bottles of water perched on top a white polystyrene container Cory presumed was his lunch.
“Sorry ’bout that,” he apologized, unlocking a door close by. He entered the room and motioned for Cory to step inside. He turned on the air-conditioning with the remote and proceeded to close the door behind her. “Welcome to my humble office,” he announced.
Humble was right. Cory looked around and there wasn’t much of anything there at all. The room was small, hot, and stuffy. There were only two desks and two chairs with a computer monitor and keyboard perched on top of one of them. Definitely, Adrian’s office was nothing like the ones she was accustomed to. The ones in her building were big, bright, and tastefully decorated. Not to mention they had a million dollar view of the Queen’s Park Savannah. One of the main reasons for the ridiculous real estate prices for property in that area.
Cory watched a bit apprehensively as Adrian removed his gun. He seemed to sense her discomfort because he said, “Don’t worry, it won’t just go off.”
“I just don’t like guns. At all. They scare me,” she admitted. “This is the first time I’ve seen one up close.”
He nodded and put the weapon on the other desk, as far from Cory as possible. Great, now she could concentrate on him and what he was saying without feeling like she could be shot at any moment. Next, he unsnapped and removed his bullet-proof vest. Adrian then took the liberty of removing his military jacket and was sensitive enough to drape it over his gun, totally obscuring it from Cory’s view. The man was stripping in front of her, revealing his snug-fitting T-shirt underneath. Cory wondered why he even found it necessary to wear it in the first place. She was expecting to see some of that honeyed skin below. Well, if he was bold enough to be ogling her, she sure as hell could ogle him back!
After opening a bottle of water, Adrian offered it to her. As soon as he opened his, he took a long gulp, finishing the bottle in another go. Cory watched him as he took the water in his mouth, the movement of his jaw as it went down his throat. She needed a sip herself just from looking at him do that.
“That was good,” Adrian said as he tossed the empty bottle in the bin. The tropical heat was overwhelming today. It felt like another blistering 97 degre
es and the nearby sea offered no comforting cool breezes over the land mass. On this island, when the sun shone, it really did, beating down on the islanders like a slave being mercilessly whipped by his master. Then, when it rained, it poured. This was the typical tropical weather pattern in the Caribbean.
“I guess you’re not as hot as I am,” Adrian innocently commented after looking at Cory’s three-quarter filled bottle of water.
Oh, the mischievous thoughts that were going on in her head in response to that shocked even her.
Cory looked around and didn’t notice any photos on his desk or on the walls. No paintings or plants even. Just bare walls and starkness. Rather, the only thing in Adrian’s office of interest to her was a huge map on his desk.
“Hey, is this a map of the city?” Cory asked. She leaned over and closely scrutinized the huge map that practically filled Adrian’s desk.
“Yes, it is,” he answered.
“And this is only of the capital?” she asked again with the inquisitiveness of a child.
“Yeah, it’s a very detailed one actually,” Adrian answered looking quite amused. “It’s to help us with our patrols in the city.”
“I should get one of these for my office wall.” Cory scoured the map for her own office location.
“Why don’t you come over here? You’ll see it much better right side up,” Adrian joked.
He motioned for Cory to join him on the other side of the small desk and she obliged, quickly scooting across. “Show me where we are,” Cory said.
Adrian covered her right hand with his and used both their index fingers to point to a spot on the map.
“Here we are,” he whispered in that low, sexy voice Cory was beginning to love.
At that exact moment, they could have been in Timbuktu for all she cared. She couldn’t concentrate on anything besides the warmth of Adrian’s body slowly seeping through hers, his strong hand covering hers, and his hot breath in her ear. Her knees were getting weaker with every second. Cory grabbed on to the desk with her other hand fearing she would faint or something. The sexual tension between them was unmistakably flaring.
Cory caught her breath as Adrian slowly turned her body to meet his, holding her firmly but gently with his other hand.
Cory pressed her soft curves up against his rock-hard body as Adrian pulled her even closer. There was a smoldering look in his eyes as he lowered his head to kiss her. The anticipation was too intense as Cory waited for his hot lips to brush hers for the very first time. Without disappointing, Adrian kissed her slowly, softly.
His warm hand caressed her neck causing her to inhale sharply. Breathe stupid, breathe, Cory thought. As Adrian’s lips brushed hers, a sweetness and warmth flowed all the way down to her toes. When she responded to him with the same eagerness and intensity, both their passions ignited.
Cory closed her eyes. After what seemed like sweet eternity, Adrian hesitantly raised his lips from hers. Cory didn’t want this kiss to end.
“Thank you for not slapping me, Cory, but honestly, I wanted to do that since the first time I saw you,” he admitted.
Fresh shivers ricocheted throughout her body with his admission. “Why would I ever want to slap you?”
Adrian smiled and kissed her again, more fiercely this time. As his tongue slipped inside her mouth, Cory moaned.
He lifted his head. “Shhh,” he whispered in her ear and placed his index finger gently against her lips. “Easy, baby.”
“Sorry,” she giggled softly. “I’m just loving this.” Cory took his same finger and kissed it. Then, a naughty grin flashed across her face, she slowly inserted it into her mouth. She playfully sucked on it.
“Are you enjoying teasing me, Cory?” Adrian asked in a raspy voice, laced thick with sensual passion.
“Uh-huh.” She didn’t know what had come over her just now. Suddenly, she felt so alive, so uninhibited. So brave and wanton, all wrapped in one horny package.
“Well, then I have to warn you,” Adrian began, kissing her along her neck. “I don’t fare too well when I’m being teased.”
“Oh. I see.”
“Good.” With that, Adrian quickly lifted her onto his desk, planting her firm behind on the map. He nudged her legs apart with his hands, fitting himself comfortably between them, like he belonged there.
“Ooh!” Cory was loving Adrian’s warm hands against the inside of her thighs. She ran her own hands down his muscular ones, reaching as far as she could but suddenly stopped short. She quickly moved her hands upward again after feeling the cold steel of his pistol still strapped to his right leg.
Instead, she focused her hands under his T-shirt, finally feeling firsthand his hard chest. Cory’s eager hands roamed wantonly and hungrily over it. Smooth. Hard. Beautiful. Though she couldn’t see them, the power she felt from his rock-hard abs seeped into her.
“Is everything okay down there?” Adrian stopped kissing her to ask.
“Oh, yeah. Perfect,” she smiled.
“Okay,” Adrian started unbuttoning her blouse, slowly. “Now it’s my turn.”
“Ummh,” Cory moaned again as excitement gushed between her legs. She could tell by his movements that this man was definitely experienced. Adrian effortlessly removed her blouse and unclasped her bra and before long, she was completely topless. Cory shivered as the cold air of the room assaulted her bare breasts.
Adrian cupped them gently, warming them, stroking them, her small nipples instantly responding to his every touch and hardening even more so in his hands. Cory arched her back, inviting him to sample.
“These are really beautiful,” he murmured. “And just the way I like them,” he whispered against her neck. “Just thought you should know that.”
“Oh, I like them too,” Cory laughed softly.
Adrian tasted her nipple and when his wet tongue encircled it, Cory gave an even louder gasp. As he gently began to suck, her stomach clenched and she drew air into her lungs.
“Oh, Adrian,” Cory finally managed, able to speak again. “This is so damn good.”
“But I haven’t even begun with you yet, Cory.”
His tongue lingered, and more agonizing seconds ticked by before Adrian moved on to her other erect nipple, sucking even harder now as moan after moan consumed Cory.
“Now, how do you like being teased?” Adrian asked her when he surfaced for air.
“Mmm, I think I love it,” Cory answered breathlessly.
“Do you have any idea how much I want you right now, Cory?” Adrian asked her.
“I do,” she whispered.
As Adrian bent his head, a knock sounded on the door. He stopped in midair and just stood there looking at her, contemplating.
Then he sighed and grumbled, “One sec, Cory.” He walked across the small room as the knock came again. Adrian unlocked and eased open the door. Thank God his tall frame and muscular shoulders almost filled the entire doorway so whoever it was wouldn’t see her.
Cory hastily grabbed her blouse and pulled it over her shoulders. Her hands were trembling as she hurriedly began to button up. She quickly stuffed her chocolate-colored lace bra into her purse. She didn’t have time to put that on right now. But her still erect nipples were pushing against the fabric of her blouse, still tingling from Adrian’s hot lips.
“LT, there’s a telephone call for you from Sergeant Jones,” a male voice was saying.
“Thanks, private. I’m just finishing up lunch. Tell him I’ll call him back.”
“Okay, sir.”
Whoever it was made a hasty retreat. When Adrian turned around again, Cory was standing with her blouse all intact. She was about to pick up her handbag when Adrian said, “Sorry ’bout that, Cory. Boy, you sure move swift!”
“You should talk,” Cory laughed.
“And where do you think you’re going?” Adrian asked, holding her possessively around her waist.
“You’re a very busy man, it seems. Besides you have to finish your lunch, LT.” Cory giggled.
“I was really, really enjoying my lunch,” Adrian teased, causing her to blush all over.
“I should go. It’s about time I get back to the office and I certainly have no intentions of getting arrested today.”
“Arrested? For what?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Inappropriate behavior on a military base perhaps? I’m sure you all will think of something,” Cory teased. She was now trying to smooth her hair back but in vain.
“And who’s going to arrest you? I certainly don’t have any arresting powers.”
“That may be so, but your friends in black sure do.”
“Well, in that case, let me walk you out. Once you’re with me, you’ll be safe.”
Cory believed him. She remembered how safe she had felt with him the other day. And after just now, she absolutely knew she was in good hands.
As they stepped outside Adrian’s office, the coolness of the room quickly dissipated into the steamy atmosphere. Cory was finding it difficult to walk now. Between her legs was wet from their steamy lunch-time rendezvous. What just happened between them, she completely blamed on the weather. It was just too hot and steamy today and this man was just like the weather.
The handsome, charming, polite and not forgetting sexy-as-hell package that he was appealed to her even more now. But she distrusted men in uniform. Didn’t she? She was probably getting delirious from all this heat.
More curious looks were directed at them as they walked toward Cory’s car. Embarrassed now, she wondered if anyone besides Adrian had heard her moaning. She needed to get out of here, fast. When they finally reached her car, Adrian moved swiftly enough to open her door.
“So are we still on for tomorrow evening?” he asked, looking at her expectantly.
“Yep.”
Romance in Color Page 189