A Courtesy Call (Green Division Series Book #2) (17 page)

Mike’s head was slumped over, the side of his face covered in blood and shards of broken glass.  Flames engulfed the engine compartment and spread to the cab.  He wouldn’t wake, he wouldn’t move, and the door was pinned shut.

“Raleigh?  What’s wrong?”

Mike’s voice brought Raleigh back to the present day.  She pulled her hand away from his chest and stepped back.

“Nothing.”  Her voice was uneven.

“Is it my scar?”  He looked down at his chest.

“No, nothing.  It’s nothing, Mike.”  She ducked under water and swam away from him. 

Mike put his hand atop of his scar and then looked at her.

“What was that all about?”  Mike asked when Raleigh surfaced.

“What?”  She played coy.

“Is my scar that grotesque?”

“I told you no.”  Raleigh ducked under water again. 

You are impossible. 
Mike swam after her.  When she surfaced, he put his arms around her waist, pulling her against him.

“You’re not getting out of it that easy.”  Inches separated their faces, his body snug against hers.  “And don’t tell me its motion sickness.”

Mike evoked a mixed bag of emotions from Raleigh.  Her strong attraction to him was distracting to say the least and the suppressed memories he brought forth made her the fruitcake Mike saw on full display.

Raleigh wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her face against his.

“You’re not grotesque.”  She closed her eyes and held him tightly.

“Then what is it?” 

She didn’t answer him.   Mike thought about the other alternatives besides being sickened by his scar.  Burned.  That was how Luke died, he burned to death.  His scar brought back more memories of Luke.  Mike sighed. 

“It reminds you of Luke.”

It reminds me of how close you came to sharing Luke’s fate.
  Raleigh thought, but didn’t vocalize. 

“It’s not about Luke.”  She said.

“Then what is it about?”

“That I nearly lost you too.”  The thought slipped from her mouth. 
SHIT.
 

Mike pulled back and brought his hands to the sides of her neck. 
What does that mean? 

“Mike.”  Her eyes wandered back and forth from his eyes to his lips.

“Raleigh.”

“Stop interrogating me.”  She held onto his shoulders.

“Stop confusing the hell out of me.”  Mike leaned his forehead against hers.  Both of them strained to not close the minute gap between them.

“No promises.  It’s what we women do best.”

“I know.”  Mike kneeled down in the water and brought his arms around her lower waist. When he knelt, Raleigh wrapped her legs around his waist getting comfortable in their underwater embrace.  “And you are doing impeccably well at it.

Raleigh didn’t want to talk anymore.  She ran her hands through his short cropped hair and focused on his lips once again.  She brushed her fingers across his lower lip and shuddered with another memory, but didn’t run away. 

I want the memory of your lips to not be a haunting one.
  She thought to herself.  She would fix that.  Raleigh lowered her lips and kissed him softly, lingering for only a moment.

Mike’s head spun with her innocent kiss.  He wanted more.  Her stitched lip didn’t form a barrier between either one, neither letting it deter them.  Surprising even himself, he took her lips in a more wanting kiss and Raleigh matched his need.  The haunting memory would be rivaled by the new memory they were making.

Mike’s hands wandered south to her firm derriere and she wrapped her legs tighter around him.  He trailed kisses down her neck when his senses kicked in.

“Woah, woah,” his breath was husky and he didn’t want to stop.  “I leave tomorrow.”  He reminded her. 

“Who’s talking about tomorrow?”  Raleigh kissed him.  “It was you who gave me the advice to live in the present, today, now.  And right now, I want you.”  She whispered.

“I’m not...”  Mike’s body fought what his mind thought.  “I’m not that kind of man.”  His gruff voice didn’t help his cause.  “I don’t do this.  It gets complicated.”

“How can it get complicated?”  She kissed the edge of his lip.  “You leave tomorrow.  All we’re talking about is tonight. It’s like Vegas.” 

“You make it harder than hell to say no.”  He slid his hands underneath her underwear, grasping her bare skin.

“Then don’t.”  She kissed the side of his neck and down his scarred collar.  It sent chills down Mike’s spine.

Mike didn’t need any further coaching.  He stood up in the shallow water and walked out with her legs wrapped around him.

“Where?” 

It was an open ended question, but Raleigh understood.

“Upstairs bedroom.”  Mike carried her upstairs with ease.  A decade of pent up frustration brought Hulk like strength.  He let her slid down his body to the floor, water dripping off of both their bodies.  Raleigh walked into the master bath and returned with a towel.  She started at his head then moved her way slowly down his body, toweling him off in a far too alluring way.  When she finished with him, Mike stole the towel and did the same for her. 

“When did a towel become so sexy?”  He smiled and tossed the towel to the floor.  Raleigh ran her fingers down his abs stopping where his boxers met his hips. 

“You’re beautiful.”  He kissed the skin below her earlobe. 

“You’re pretty handsome yourself ole’ man.” 

Their remaining delicates hit the floor and they collapsed together on the bed.  Sunlight beat through the window onto the bed shedding light onto their bare bodies. 

*****

“Dad’s not answering his phone.”  Cass tried for the fifth time in two hours.

“I’m sure they’re fine, perhaps they’re busy, ah, eating dinner.”  Aiden doubted that.  Mike was an overly concerned father who always ALWAYS answered his phone when it came to his daughter.

“We need to talk to him before tomorrow.  Should we go over to Raleigh’s?”

“No,” Aiden said without hesitation.  “Raleigh’s not answering her phone either.  My inclination is they are, maybe, a tad indisposed.”

“No...Dad and Raleigh...no, I mean, he hasn’t even had a date in...not possible.”  She shook her head in disbelief.

“Either way, I say we wait for a ring back from them.”  Aiden reached across the cafe table and took her hands in his.  “Your flight doesn’t leave for another twelve hours, you have time to talk to him.”  Aiden brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

Cass smiled and agreed.

*****

Raleigh ran her finger up and down Mike’s chest deep in thought. His arms were wrapped around her back, their nude bodies intertwined in the darkness.  The comfort and contentedness she found in his hold scared her.  It would all be over in the morning.

“All the fighting we did this week led up to quit a peak.”  Mike massaged her lower back.

“Peaked a few times.”  Raleigh trailed kisses down his chest.  “And hopefully a few more before daylight breaks.” 

Mike lifted her chin back to his lips

“Is that another peak?”  Her hand wandered south and she smiled cunningly.

“Raleigh!”  Aiden yelled from the living room.

“His car isn’t here.  Where could he be?  The plane leaves in two hours.”

“I’ll check upstairs, wait here.”

Aiden jogged up the stairs and peaked into the bedroom.  He got more than he bargained for.

“Sweet Lord.”  He averted his eyes.  Mike’s bare backside was on full display for poor Aiden, Raleigh’s leg wrapped around his side.  Aiden knocked on the door, keeping his back turned.             

“Ah, Miss, Mister Kerr.” 

Mike slowly came to the front and looked behind him to see Aiden standing back to.

“Shit.”  Realizing they both were in the buff, he pulled a blanket up quickly to cover them.  Her alarm clock read 6am.  They were in trouble.

“Sorry to intrude, but Cass was worried, your flight leaving in two hours and all.”

“Two hours?”  Mike said shocked and surprised.  His intent was to leave before the sun rose.  Fail.

“Yes, sir, two hours.”

“Raleigh.”  He nudged her.  She opened her eyes.  “I have to run.  I’m going to be lucky to make my flight.”

“Stay another day,” she pleaded.  She didn’t want him to let go of her.

“I can’t.”  Mike shook his head.  “I’d love to, but I have to go back to work.”

“Sir, Cass has your bags packed and you are checked out of the hotel.  I can take care of your rental, but where is it?”

“It’s at the team’s garage.”

“Very well.  I will take care of it.  When you are dressed and ready, I will give you both a ride to the airport.”

“Ah, thank you.” 
Maybe he’s not as bad as I thought. 

“I’ll be in the sitting room with Cass.  Take your time.”  Aiden closed the door and walked down the stairs.

“Mike, stay another day.  Or another week.” 

He rolled onto his back pulling her atop of him. 

“What happened to it wouldn’t be complicated?”  He pushed her hair back from her face.

“It’s not complicated, you need to stay.”

“I can’t.” 
Trust me, I don’t want to leave.

“You have to admit we’re good together.”  Raleigh kissed the cleft of his chin.

“Like a match and gasoline.”

Raleigh rubbed her hands down his scruffy jaw.

“One more day.”

Mike kissed her deeply wanting more.

“One more time.” 

Raleigh rested her head on his chest.  She would take the offer, but wanted so much more.

*****

Thirty minutes passed before Raleigh came bounding down the back stairs to the patio.  Mike’s clothes were left outside overnight.  She retrieved them from the lawn, popped them in the dryer with a few dryer sheets, and waited a few minutes so they freshened up.  Back up the stairs she went with his clothes in hand.  Aiden and Cass hadn’t caught sight of her scurrying around.

“Here.”  She passed him his clothes.

Mike got dressed in a hurry and they descended the stairs together.  Cass and Aiden sat on the couch together, his arm around her shoulder.

“Are you ready to go?”  Mike asked Cass.   She raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms.

“I think it’s obvious who wasn’t ready to go.”  Cass made her point.

Raleigh came behind Mike and took his hand holding it in both hers.  She wasn’t making it easy for him.

“And there’s something I need to talk to you about.”  Cass said sheepishly.