Hot Pursuit: Hot Zone, Book 5 (13 page)

A blush filled her face. He’d complained a couple of times about her cold feet while they were in bed, but she took it with a grain of salt.

She sipped the hot coffee. “This isn’t half bad. I’m surprised.”

“From the coffee cart two doors down. I’m surprised they’re open this time of night. I expected to find one of those nasty machines that dispense motor oil.”

Lucy swallowed one more sip before replying. “Thanks. I’m feeling warmer already.” She placed her coffee cup on the small table to her left before saying what she knew he had to be thinking. “Maybe we should go home. I didn’t know he’d be in surgery for so long.”

Vic shook his head. “He shouldn’t have been. Maybe there were complications. Even if his artery wasn’t severed, a leg as messed up as his would take some work to repair.”

She kept her hands cupped around the coffee, using it as much to have something to do with her hands as to warm them up. “Did you…did you have to save anyone like that in combat?”

“No.” His eyes turned harder. “He could just have easily died right there in front of me.”

“But he didn’t. Thanks to you.”

She didn’t get another word in. A man and woman pushing seventy entered the emergency room, and it wasn’t long before the nurse named Anna pointed toward Vic and Lucy.

“Those must be his parents,” Lucy said.

The man and woman turned toward Lucy and Vic. The man was bald and with a solid baring and sternness that reminded Lucy of Danny on a good day. The salt-and-pepper-haired woman appeared around the same age, her form petite, her pretty face haunted. Lucy felt something inside her clench with apprehension. She never thought she’d meet Danny’s parents this way in a million years. God, what a horrible way to have to introduce herself.

“Mr. and Mrs. Mendoza?” Lucy said as the couple walked up.

“Yes,” the man said. “I’m Danny’s father. You’re…”

“Danny’s friend, Lucy Creed.” She touched Vic’s shoulder. “And this is the man who saved Danny’s life.”

Chapter Ten

As Lucy drove him to her home from the hospital, Vic ached in every muscle. Once in a while his body shivered, and he couldn’t be certain if it was just cold or leftover reaction to the accident and watching a man almost die in front of him. He wanted to sleep, yet he was pretty damn certain he wouldn’t for some time. He needed to talk, yet he couldn’t think of a thing to say. It stayed bottled within, his mind whirling, unable to land on one subject for long. Only Lucy kept him anchored.

Outside the streets passed by, everything quiet, as if they were the only ones inhabiting the city. Three in the morning would do that to a person. With ice on the streets, it took them longer to reach Lucy’s house. Once there he figured his head would hit the pillow and it would be lights out.

Inside the house, they stripped off their boots and coats and moved into the living room.

“Want to try and get some sleep?” she asked.

“Yeah. Let’s try.” He ruffled his hand over his hair and blew out one weary breath. “Might not work, but my brain is like mush right now.”

They stumbled into the bedroom and in a flash got ready for bed. While he slept naked, she’d chosen turquoise flannel pajamas with penguins on them. He smiled.

“Cute,” he said with a smile as he folded her in his arms and they huddled under the covers.

“What is?” she asked with a yawn.

“Your pajamas.”

She laughed, and the soft rumble vibrated against him. “I’m freezing still.”

He rubbed her shoulders and back. “If I wasn’t bruised up and damned tired, I’d make sure you got hot. Fast.”

She laughed again, this time with a higher-pitched giggle filled with genuine mirth. She propped up on one elbow and gazed down at him. Dark shadows marred her eyes, but so did a relief he wanted to understand.

Seriousness pushed away the joking expression she’d worn moments ago. She sat up, sitting cross-legged next to him.

He tucked his hands behind his head. “You were wonderful at the hospital.”

“What?” Clearly she didn’t expect him to say that.

“You were wonderful. You came to see me, number one, and to make sure I was okay.” He touched her knee, cupped her flannel-clad skin. “More than that, you were fantastic with Danny’s parents.”

Her gaze met his and tears mounted. Ah, Jesus, he hadn’t meant for her to cry. But she did, and though he wasn’t one hundred percent sure why, he didn’t need the answer. He held his arms out to her, and she came into them without hesitation. He wrapped her close, felt her tears moisten his chest. She wasn’t sobbing, her tears silent.

She sighed. “Thank you. Of course I would want to see you. And Danny’s parents are nice people. They’re so worried about him.”

“With good reason.”

“Yes. For more than his injuries.”

“You told them about the whisky bottle in the car?”

She stroked her hand, which was no longer cold, over his chest. “Didn’t have to. The police did. He’ll be charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence at the very least. I think at first his parents thought you’d press more charges.”

He shook his head. “Ain’t worth it. He’s already facing some bad times with the military.”

“I have to go and see him, you know. When he’s well enough for visitors.”

Vic didn’t want her to see him, and yet he did. Mendoza had to know once and for all that she was off-limits.

“I don’t have feelings for him any more, Vic.” Her voice held absolute reassurance.

Damn straight. The possessiveness zinged through his blood was hot and fast.

He tightened his arms around her. “Yeah, that’s for certain.” He almost gritted his teeth. “You should see him.”

She kissed his chest. “Thank you for understanding.”

“You’re welcome.”

Quiet covered them for so long, he thought maybe she’d fallen asleep. Then she said, “I didn’t finish telling you something.” She took a huge breath, as if she might be going for a swim and said, “When I met you I had an attitude about military men. You know that.”

“It’s understandable.”

She tapped his chin with her index finger. “Still, I
shouldn’t
have had the attitude. All military men are not alike. I know there are plenty of men out there that women don’t hit on all the time, and those men still cheat. I’ve come to realize that someone, man or woman, will cheat if they want to. It wasn’t the military that made those guys cheat. They would have cheated no matter what job they had. I just had blinders on and was attracted to them the same way I attracted the wrong friends in high school. Yes, you’re a gorgeous man and other women are going to see that. And no matter what you do for a living, I trust you and want to take a chance.” She caressed his face, touched him with reverence. “I know it’s too early. It’s too amazing to be real. But I almost lost you tonight in that car wreck. So I want you to know, even if you don’t feel the same. I’m falling for you, Victor Moore.”

His chest expanded, but not from breath. From the beauty of her words, the comfort, the sense of home and happiness her statement gave him. No woman, other than his mother, had ever expressed love to him, and this was new and fresh and amazing. He wanted it with a fierceness, a raw emotion, a punch that hit him in the gut. With a vengeance, he grabbed a hold of that feeling, one he couldn’t define, and knew it could sustain him through all his days. His arms tightened, and he rolled her onto her back. He kissed her with a fierceness he couldn’t contain.

He finally released her long enough to look down at her, both of them breathless, his cock aching to find her hot softness. “I understand the trust issues. But I’m willing to trust you with everything inside me. I know you’d never hurt me like Shelly did. You know what I think?” Her tired smile, her soft eyes gave him strength to confess. “I think I’m the luckiest damn soldier ever to live. It would be my honor if you would write to me the next time I go on a deployment. It would make me the happiest man alive if I knew you were waiting for me when I got back.”

He waited, anxiety touching him. What if she said no? What if she couldn’t take the life of waiting for a military man to come home?

She tightened her arms around his neck. “It would be my honor to write to you. Wherever you go. Whatever you do.”

He drew back long enough to say, his eyes burning, his throat tight, “I love you, Lucy Creed.”

With a big smile she reached up and pulled his head down, and despite the lateness of the morning, aching muscles, and tired everything, they made love in the semi-dark. He wanted it that way, so he could see her expression as he brought her to that first shattering climax. Her head thrown back, her body shivering, her cry high and quaking with unmistakable pleasure. As he sank within her, he found a special heaven he understood he’d never known until now. In her arms was where he belonged.

Colorado Springs. Lasting Images Studio. A year and a half later
.

As six o’clock came around, Lucy snapped off the air conditioning in her studio and made sure her security alarm was set. Time to go home. As she always did though, she looked around her studio and the numerous wedding photographs gracing her walls. She smiled. To date, since she’d moved to Colorado Springs a year and a half ago, she’d built a thriving business even faster than she’d expected. Jake, Marisa, Freddie and Keith had transferred to Fort Carson not that long after Vic. She’d found a contentment in life she’d once never knew existed. What else was there other than a career she loved, great friends and a wonderful home?

Love. Of course. More than any of those things, she couldn’t forget love. She smiled.

Her cell phone rang and excitement jumped inside her as she rushed back to the counter and reached for her phone tucked away in her purse. The screen held the name she wanted to see the most.

A huge smile broke over her face as she answered. “Vic!”

“Hey, babe. It’s good to hear your voice.”

“Where are you?”

“On my way to you.”

She sighed with mock indignation. His flight in to the airport wasn’t due for another two hours. “That doesn’t explain where you are, silly man. I’m just heading out to Fort Carson now.”

“Don’t bother.”

“What?” Worry struck her.

“I’m right outside your door, love. We got an early connection back, and I wanted to surprise you.”

She swung around and there he was outside the studio, waving at her from the window. Wearing his Army Combat Uniform, or ACU’s as people in the military called them. His soldier’s bearing sent a primitive need through her body, but his dear face and wonderful smile took her breath away. She let out a squeal of joy, clicked off the phone, placed it on the counter and ran for the door. She couldn’t get there fast enough. When she did, he grabbed her up, stepped into the store and slammed the door.

His eyes were bright with love, and she hugged him as close as she could.

“God, baby,” he whispered close to her mouth. “I missed you.” He kissed her.

Their kiss went on so long she almost considered dragging him into the back room and having her way with him. Instead they lingered, only releasing the kiss after an eternity.

They stayed in each other’s arms. Vic grinned and pushed her hair back. She’d grown it to that lengthy, black tangle from high school. “Lucy, I can’t believe how long it’s been.”

“Six months of emails and video chats just isn’t enough. Promise you’ll stay home for a long, long time.”

He lifted her left hand, stared at the princess cut diamond nestled between antique diamond ring guards. They’d found the wedding set a year ago right before their simple, elegant ceremony. He held up his own left hand, displaying the white gold, plain wedding band that never left his hand.

He kissed her fingers. With a wicked grin, he said, “Only forever, my love. Only forever.”

And Lucy knew he meant it.

About the Author

Romantic Times Book Reviews calls Denise A. Agnew’s romantic suspense novels “top-notch”, and she’s received their coveted TOP PICK rating. Denise has written paranormal, romantic comedy, contemporary, historical, erotic romance and romantic suspense. Archaeology and archery have crept into her work, and travels through England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales have added to a lifetime of story ideas. A newly minted paranormal investigator, Denise looks forward to exploring the unknown. Visit Denise’s website at www.deniseagnew.com.

Look for these titles by Denise A. Agnew

Now Available:

Marshall’s Law

Dark, Deadly Love

For A Roman’s Heart

Hot Zone

Male Call

Unconditional Surrender

Private Maneuvers

Close Quarters

Intimate Alliance

Coming Soon:

Before The Dawn

First impressions can be dead wrong.

Close Quarters

© 2008 Denise A. Agnew

Hot Zone, Book 4

Neena Williamson is positive the man who just walked into her favorite café is all wrong for the local charity’s new hot male calendar. For starters, he’s wearing the most butt-ugly Hawaiian shirt on the face of the earth. He doesn’t fit anyone’s image of a smokin’ hardbody, even if her friend insists he’s perfect for Mr. December.

When a gunman robs the café, Mr. December proves that underneath his bad taste in clothes, he knows how to bring it.

Clarksville, Wyoming is the perfect place for Mitch Gilroy to hide in plain sight. He enjoys his low-key handyman job, and no one pries into his former life. But in an instant, Mitch is forced to remember everything he’s tried so hard to forget.

Thrown together by sudden violence, Neena and Mitch quickly discover how tangled their emotions can become. And the only way to banish the monsters that haunt them is to do the one thing they fear most. Become vulnerable—to each other.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Close Quarters:

Mitch unlocked the screen door and front door, eager to lead Neena inside and discover how quickly he could bring her into his arms and taste her delicious skin under his tongue. He ached; his cock had been hard as a rock for what seemed forever.