Hot Pursuit: Hot Zone, Book 5 (4 page)

“I’m sorry.” Her fingers pressed his forearm again, then released him.

“Don’t be. I’m not permanently damaged.”

She smiled, and those soft-looking lips tempted. God, when she’d kissed him earlier the heat had seared him down through all levels. This woman affected him more fiercely than Shelly had.

“She called me on the phone today and wanted me to meet up with her for New Year’s Eve. I told her hell no,” he said. “That woman is walking trouble.”

One of Lucy’s eyebrows lifted. She swallowed, as if unsure she should say what she was thinking. “You didn’t tell the military that she was bi-sexual? You could have used that as ammunition for your side.”

He winched. “I could have, but I didn’t want to play dirty. If I could get my name clean by another method, I was willing to try it. She gave JAG the quarreling lovers answer and that doomed her. They’re in the process of kicking her out of the military right now for lying about the sexual harassment.”

Lucy sat there for a moment, apparently processing it all. He didn’t know what conclusion she’d come to, but he’d rather be honest with her straight up.

“Would you have dated her if she had told you right away and admitted she was bi-sexual?”

What could he say, but the truth? “I don’t have anything against people who are bi-sexual. That’s their business. I’d just rather be with a woman who’s into men.” A warm grin slid over her mouth. God, he wanted to kiss her again. He leaned closer, hoping the opportunity would appear soon. “A woman like you.”

She chuckled softly. “Tonight I was really hoping when I first saw you…”

She bit her lower lip for a second, drawing soft flesh between her teeth in a way that made his body yearn.

“Yeah?”

“You might want to be my date tonight.” There was an edge of bashfulness in her statement. “But that’s all changed now.”

He grunted, anger starting to overrun patience. “Because I’m in the military or because you don’t trust me? Come on, Lucy. When I date a woman, I don’t cheat on her. I’m a one-woman man. Let’s just call this old friends catching up.”

Would she be willing to break her no-military rule for one night? He didn’t know what he thought of that. At the same time, his body was responding to hers in an off-the-chart explosion of pure sexual need.

“What about your boyfriend?” he asked.

“He’s history.” More doubt filled her face. “Unless you’re worried I’ll be as crappy a date as I was when we were kids. I must rank right up there with the worst date you ever had.”

Her uncertainty worried him. As time went on, her ready-for-sex attitude seemed to be wearing thin. Maybe she wasn’t as sure about this adventure as she pretended to be.

“Believe it or not, no, you’re not the worst date I ever had. I went to West Point and a girl there threw up on my shoes after drinking too much.”

Lucy laughed, then clapped her hand over her mouth. “Look, I really am sorry what Ann and Carolyn did, but it was my responsibility. I should have stood up to them and said no. I’m sorry that I went along with it. You didn’t deserve that.”

He shook his head and took a big swig of his beer, then put the empty bottle on the table. “If I’d gone with my instincts, I would have realized you didn’t honestly want to go out with me. I was a complete mess.”

“You were a really nice boy. The nicest I knew.”

“Thanks, but girls don’t always go for nice. They want the alpha male.”

“They don’t necessarily want to
marry
the alpha male.”

“Maybe, but in high school it’s more about hormones than thinking through things. At least for a lot of kids. When you asked me out, I wasn’t using my brain.” Vic’s gaze took her in, all traces of good humor erased. He was all for laying the facts on the table, and now was the time to do it. “I was seventeen, I’d never been on a date before, and you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Temptation was too great.”

“We really did a number on you, didn’t we?”

He leaned toward her. They sat closer than he realized. This close her warm scent teased his senses. He swam in those feelings, wanting to touch her. Less primal needs told Vic to keep his hands off.

Screw it.

“Dance with me,” he said.

Chapter Three

Dance?

Lucy didn’t know what to say. Her body pinged with excitement at his suggestion, and while it also scared her in a primal way, dancing with him sounded like heaven.

“Sure.” She winked at him. “How much trouble can we get into dancing?”

The wicked gleam in his eyes insinuated he could think of a few ways to get them into trouble. “It’s only eleven. There’s time yet.”

She flushed, allowing the possibilities to wash through her imagination. He smiled and slid from the booth. She moved to the edge of the seat, and he offered his hand. Heat tingled all the way down her body as his big palm enveloped hers. Oh, yes. It was way too much and yet not enough.
Go ahead. One dance. A little companionship. You aren’t getting involved.

The music had switched—someone had entered a different melody on the jukebox, a seriously different tune that throbbed, that imitated lovemaking with an exotic beat. This wasn’t a country song that spoke of broken hearts and lust in the dark. This song swirled, the singer’s soprano liquid sensuality. Drums pulsed, the music exotic as Lucy imagined a belly dancer working her hips. She shook her head.

Sure, the song was sexy, sure the dancers now swayed in a more languorous fashion. The whole thing screamed sexy. Or maybe the way this man drew her to his chest as they found a spot on the dance floor made her dream of possibilities.

Vic’s body burned against hers, pressing so that her breasts brushed lightly once. Twice. Settled against his body. She caught his glance and dared to linger. Undeniable wanting smoldered his eyes, told her he understood every secret she’d ever had and would have. It scared the crap out of her.

“Do you come here often?” she asked, well aware this was an old line. But God, she had to speak before her body combusted. Anything to take her mind off the sensations bombarding her.

He grinned. “No. Remember, I’m from out of town.”

Her cheeks went pink. “Oh. Right. Why did you come into town originally?”

“I wanted to get away for a while and I always liked this town.” His hand slid up her back, sending a riot of arousal burning inside her. “Do you come here often?”

She laughed softly. “No, but I might start. After all, if I can find a guy like you every time I come in here, it might be worth it.”

His eyes narrowed, and she felt the heat in that stare go all the way to her toes. “There isn’t anyone else like me. They broke the mold. Fortunately.”

Lucy giggled, and the girly sound took her off-guard. She didn’t laugh like this. Something about him though, did this to her. Her arm lay along his shoulder, her hand almost touching his neck. His hand and arm braced her waist and made certain full-body contact continued. She couldn’t escape his circle of influence and why would she?

Music poured into her veins, drugged her as their bodies caught a rhythm and swayed. “You’re a very modest man.”

“I know what I can do, and I never pretend that I can do anything I can’t.”

She pursed her lips. “Hmm. Now that’s pretty extraordinary for the military men I’ve met.”

“Well, give me some time. I’ll prove to you it’s true.”

As his body moved against hers, she melted into the feelings. She wanted to be inside the moment, to savor it in case it never came again. Yet the crowd made it harder, made the bump and grind, the sensual movements, the intimacy an impossible dream. To do this, to perhaps seduce him once and for all, she needed to believe what she felt, to understand why this crazy attraction affected her far more than any other relationship. Time got away from them. They returned to their table at one point and conversation flowed as they talked about the town and how it had changed over the years since high school and where their lives had taken them. Before she knew it, they were on the dance floor again and Vic held her so gently for a slow song. One slow dance after another blended until she could hardly remember how long they’d danced.

His hand smoothed down her back again and his arm drew her closer. She closed her eyes. Feeling him against her would prove easier with her sight blocked. As hard chest pressed her breasts, her nipples tightened into achy points. Muscle to softness, heat to cool, he contrasted her in so many ways. She didn’t want to feel small in his arms, but she did. Her conviction that he’d protect her against anything returned. She had no evidence for it, no understanding of how she knew it was true. Maybe it wasn’t the feminist thing to admit, but it just was. The primal idea thrilled Lucy, stole her breath, brought her closer to the edge. Arousal shot through her, warming her between the legs until it built into a liquid desire she ached to extinguish.

“Do you date much?” Lucy had to know, a weird possessiveness coming over her.

“No. Like I said earlier, I’ve been in the sandbox for so long, it wasn’t practical.”

“The sandbox. Is that what they call the desert?”

“Yep.”

“You met Shelly though.”

His gaze caught and held hers. “That’s all in the past now. I’m going to do my best to forget her. Want to help me?”

The sensual drug pouring into her belly demanded attention. “Very much.”

His arousal brushed her stomach, and she knew denying that she wanted him wouldn’t work. Yeah, he was in the military—so what she hadn’t wanted when she came into this bar. Yeah, she’d met him again after all these years. It didn’t matter. Her body ached with longing, desired him with a burning pitch that rose with every touch. They were close, not plastered together, but each tentative movement, each sway of their hips, reminded her why she’d come here tonight. Why her body wanted his in no uncertain terms.

Lucy glanced up and caught his gaze, loving that his thoughts ran as wildly as hers. Vic’s eyes went half-mast, and that look caused every hormone inside her to sit up and take notice.

He whispered into her ear, “Do you want to get out of here? Talk somewhere quiet?”

Talk. Well, that was a euphemism, a polite way of saying what he wanted to do. What she wanted to do. “Yes.”

Before they could move, Vic’s head snapped up as if he’d felt something, some danger. He stopped dancing, but kept his arm around her.

He whispered in her ear again. “There’s a guy coming our way across the room. He’s staring at me like he wants to kill me. Is that the rat bastard?”

Apprehension made her spin out of his arms to look. Vic’s right arm slipped around her middle in a possessive, protective shield. Damn it. Danny, big, tall Danny with a battle-hardened look on his craggy face, headed right for them. Other dancers parted before the storm to get out of his way.

Lucy said the only thing that popped to mind. “Oh, crap.”

“You!” Danny said in a loud, slightly slurred voice. “You stay away from Lucy!”

She couldn’t believe that he’d walked in here like this, staggering a little and belligerent. “You have some nerve.” Her voice was deadly serious and royally pissed. “Go back to Felicia and get out of my life.”

Suddenly, she recognized the wildness in his eyes and the stench of heavy liquor hit her nose. He was steaming drunk.

Before she could blink, Vic eased around until he stood in front of her. She didn’t have time to protest or even think as Danny’s big fist headed for Vic’s face.

Vic was lightning, his arm coming up to block Danny’s punch. Danny swung again, Vic blocked. Lucy jumped back to avoid the fray and caught a glance at her ex-boyfriend.

Danny’s face was a mottled red, his eyes bloodshot. “She’s mine!”

Vic stood at the ready, feet slightly apart, arms at his side. Tension held his shoulders taut. “She doesn’t belong to anyone.”

She had enough time to be flabbergasted—two men were fighting over her.

Three bouncers headed right for Danny and grabbed him from behind. Vic held his hands up and backed away. He wasn’t fighting Danny, he was simply protecting himself from getting smashed in the face. Gasps and exclamations echoed around Lucy, then claps. People were clapping because of a fight? Then it occurred to her they’d clapped because of Vic’s quick thinking to deflect Danny’s hits. Lucy admired the fact he hadn’t busted Danny in the face. The bouncers continued to drag Danny outside. She heard someone say the police were on the way.

Vic turned to her, his arm encircling her waist as he eased her off the dance floor to stand in a secluded spot. “You okay? You’re shaking.”

“Me?” She realized her hands trembled, her body wracked with fine tremors. “I’m fine. Just adrenalin, I guess. What in the world did he think he was doing? I never thought in a million years he’d do anything like that. I’ve never seen him drunk.”

“Maybe you don’t know as much about him as you thought.”

As she gazed into Vic’s eyes, she realized she didn’t know as much about this man as she thought either.

Maybe that was the point. The time for pretending had left the building a long time ago. “In high school I was wrong about you. Tonight, when I realized who you were, I was wrong about you. When I walked in here tonight…” She took a deep breath for bravery. “I planned to find a hook-up. I wanted pure, unemotional sex and that’s something I’ve
never
done before. I saw you and you blew me away. You’re different than you were in high school.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. Mature, confident.” Dare she admit it out loud? She allowed her gaze to do a blatant once over that took in his whole body with ravenous admiration. “Hot.”

He chuckled softly. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“You aren’t the same woman either.” When she didn’t answer he said, “Do you still want the unemotional sex?”

She swallowed hard. “Yes.” Her not-getting-involved-with-military-types rule flushed right down the toilet. There couldn’t be emotions in this, in the short time they’d renewed their acquaintance. “Yes.”

All the way to her house, Lucy reflected on the night. Vic insisted on following her home. His SUV following her to her neighborhood did make her feel safer on a crazy night like this.