That Summer Night (Callaways #6) (25 page)

She shivered at the sensual promise in his voice. He was a little too close.

Then he got even closer, running one hand through her hair while the other slid on to her hip.

"Dance with me," he said.

She would not have been more surprised if he'd told her to jump off a cliff with him. "Really? I thought you'd find a way to get out of that."

"Not a chance. I promised you I'd dance with you, and like I said before, I never make a promise I can't keep."

"That's true. Do you actually know how to dance?"

He gave her a cocky smile that charmed her right down to the tips of her toes. "No one has complained yet."

She doubted anyone ever complained about being in his arms, held against his broad, masculine chest. Butterflies danced through her stomach at the thought.

He gave her a speculative look. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. "We're getting some attention." She could see Burke staring at them from the next table.

"We're supposed to be a couple, so that's a good thing. Let's dance, babe."

"I'm not your babe."

"Tonight you are." He grabbed her hand and led her out to the dance floor, which was filling up with couples as the band played a slow song.

Reid pulled her into his arms, and as she slid her arms around his neck, she couldn't help thinking how perfectly they fit together. She liked the fact that her head could rest on his shoulder. She'd been part of a big family her entire life, but she'd always felt like she had to stand on her own, prove herself, and she was a little tired of being so independent. It felt good to lean on Reid, to feel his arms around her. And he had a natural rhythm.

Some men thought dancing was simply walking her around in a circle, and an awkward circle at that. But Reid moved with the beat and with her body, and they seemed so in sync that she couldn't help wondering what it would feel like to make love with him, to strip away the barrier of clothes, and create their own music.

As the heat rose within her, she closed her eyes so Reid wouldn't be able to see what she was thinking, what she was wanting…

Chapter Eighteen

Shayla felt like an angel in his arms with her warm, womanly curves and golden blonde hair that smelled like a garden of flowers. Reid told himself not to get too worked up. It was just a dance, nothing more.

But it felt like something more, like he'd woken up from a long sleep, like his cold body was thawing under a warm sun, like the pain he'd been carrying around was slipping away.

He could still feel the twinge in the muscles of his leg when he moved too quickly, but it was the pain of losing his career and his sense of who he was that was disappearing. Being with Shayla had reminded him that there was a world outside the Army. He'd thought he would hate being at the wedding, but he'd enjoyed himself. He'd liked talking to her family far more than he'd ever imagined he would. He'd even enjoyed the sharp interrogation by her father, because he'd seen the protective love in Jack's eyes, and he'd instantly respected the man for caring so much about his daughter. A part of him had wanted to be the man worthy of Shayla, but he didn't think he was that man.

Jack's questions had only echoed the questions in his own head. Jack hadn't come right out and said, 'you're too old, too jaded, too dark for my beautiful daughter', but he'd come close, asking him questions about his service, about what he was doing now, and his plans for the future. Since he had no idea what he was doing next, his answers had not been that good, and he knew that Jack had not been impressed with him.

But he also knew that Jack's worry about Shayla extended far beyond her wedding date. Jack had asked him whether Shayla had confided in him about what happened to her in Colombia. It was obvious her father was worried about her. And there was nothing Reid could say that could alleviate that worry. So he'd tried to be evasive and had been thrilled when the wedding bouquet and garter toss had distracted Jack and given Reid a chance to break away from their conversation.

Shayla needed to talk to her parents, and he hoped that would be sooner rather than later. He was still concerned about leaving her alone when he went to meet Robert. Maybe he could find a way to persuade her to go to her parents' house in the morning.

In the morning…

His body tightened as he thought about all the hours until then. Would he really have enough willpower to send Shayla to his bed alone? Especially if she didn't want to go?

Their slow dance had brought them so close together he could practically hear her heart beating, and she seemed to like being wrapped up in his arms. In fact, she was holding him like she never wanted to let him go. Which was fine, because he didn't want to let her go either.

She lifted her head and gave him a dreamy sensual smile. The sparks of fire in her blue eyes reflected the passion brewing between them. They were an explosion waiting to happen. The match was already lit. It wouldn't take much to set off the fireworks.

But the fallout could be really bad.

That's what he needed to focus on. That's what would give him the strength to stay away from her.

Dancing with her had been a really bad idea, but he'd wanted to get her into his arms all night. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. There were too many clothes between them, too many people surrounding them, too many curious eyes watching. Maybe that was a good thing. The fact that her family was being so attentive would stop them from doing something stupid. Maybe…

The song finally ended, and as the other couples began to clap, he knew he needed to let her go. But he couldn't seem to move. She couldn't either. As everyone started walking past them, she finally stepped back. She ran her hands down his arms, her fingers touching his. She lingered, held on, and the fire crackled again.

"Reid," she murmured. "I think we should get out of here."

Her words hit him like an electric jolt. "But—but the wedding isn't over."

"No one will notice."

"Are you kidding? Everyone will notice. But why the hell am I saying no?"

"Are you saying no?"

There was a question in her eyes now and a hint of insecurity, reminding him that Shayla had an innocence about her that he didn't want to crush.

"I thought," she began. "I misread. Never mind." She let go of his hands. "I'm going to get some champagne."

She ran off the dance floor, and he quickly followed. When she reached the bar, he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the front door.

"Reid. You were right. We shouldn't leave," she protested. "What will people think?"

"I don't care what they think," he said, hustling her outside. "And you didn't misread anything, Shayla." He wanted to get her to the truck, to the houseboat, but he couldn't wait that long for the kiss he'd been wanting for hours. So he pulled her into the shadows of the trees. His mouth covered hers, and as he tasted the warmth of her lips and the hint of champagne, he knew that he was going to get really drunk tonight. It wasn't going to be on booze but on Shayla.

This kiss wasn't like the other ones, because this one was going somewhere, and they both knew it.

"Truck," Shayla mumbled, pulling away, her golden hair shining in the light of the moon.

"Another good idea. You're full of them tonight."

She laughed as they jogged across the parking lot. "I was actually thinking that they were probably all bad ideas."

He pressed her up against the truck and stole another kiss. "Bad can feel really good." Then he opened the door for her and jogged around the front to his side. As he started the engine, he said, "You've got fifteen minutes to decide if you want this to happen or not."

She stared back at him with those wide blue eyes, but she didn't answer, and that made him nervous.

It was going to be a really long fifteen minutes.

* * *

It didn't seem like fifteen minutes, more like five, Shayla thought as Reid pulled into the harbor parking lot and shut off the engine. But she hadn't needed time to change her mind. She'd made it up a long time ago.

She stepped out of the truck, meeting Reid on the sidewalk, and they walked down the dock to his houseboat in silence. It was a beautiful summer night. The midnight blue sky was filled with bright, twinkling stars, and the air was warm, even here on the bay. The breeze was coming from the east, from the valleys, and not from the ocean as it usually did, and with it came the heady scent of flowers and grapes from the vineyards and farms that were miles away.

It was the perfect night for romance. Not only was she warm and tingly from the champagne and from watching a wedding between two people who adored each other, she was with a man who made her feel more feminine, more needy, and more filled with desire than she could ever remember.

Reid extended his hand to hers, and she took it, the heat between them shoving away any lingering doubts.

"Shayla?" he murmured, his husky voice sending a shiver down her spine. "If you want the bedroom to yourself, you only have to say so."

She shook her head. "I don't want the bedroom to myself. I want to be with you, Reid."

His eyes sparked but despite the glitter of desire, he hesitated. "I don't want to take advantage of you. You're a little drunk."

"I had two glasses of champagne. I'm not drunk."

"Well, you seem a little reckless."

"That's not because of the champagne, that's because of you." She squeezed his hand. "You don’t have to worry, Reid. I know what I'm doing. And I'm not expecting any promises. I know we might not see each other after tomorrow."

"We might not," he agreed.

"If tonight is all we have, let's make the most of it." She leaned forward, put her hands on his shoulders and kissed the corner of his mouth. Then she went for his tie, loosening the knot and pulling it over his head. Next she went to work on the buttons of his shirt, pulling the hem out of his pants as she impatiently undressed him.

As she got him out of his shirt, she caught her breath at his masculine beauty, the broad shoulders, the muscled abs, the light smattering of hair that ran down his chest, and the slash of a white scar that started at his waist and disappeared below his belt line.

She put her fingers on that scar, giving him a questioning look. "How did you get this?"

"We don't have time to count all my scars, Doc." He pulled her to him, his hand sliding through her hair, as he kissed the side of her neck. Then he stepped back and pulled her inside, letting the door clang shut.

He turned her around and slowly pulled the zipper down on her dress. It slid off her body, pooling on the floor, as his fingers trailed down her spine, raising goose bumps along her bare skin. He paused at the clasp of her strapless bra, then flicked it open with one sure move. His tongue then took the same path his hand had already taken, and she shivered.

She'd thought with Reid it would be hard, fast, impatient, but he was taking his time, and with her bare back no less. She could only imagine his tongue on other more needy parts of her body.

Slowly he turned her back around to face him. She let her bra fall off of her arms, so she was standing only in a skimpy lace thong and her high heels. Reid stared at her with an intensity that made her heart beat even faster.

"Beautiful," he murmured, his hands sliding down her shoulders to her breasts.

His fingers stroked the tender peaks, and it was all just too much delicious torture. She needed to even the score.

She pulled at his belt buckle, then the snap on his slacks, the zipper, finally sliding her hand inside to cup the hot hardness.

Reid moved, obviously no longer interested in being patient. He kicked off his pants and slid down his briefs.

He was a magnificently gorgeous male and she swallowed hard at the sight of him, not knowing where she wanted to touch first. She was more than a little familiar with the human body. She'd seen many, but none that were like this. Reid's body had been a weapon and a shield. It had been well used. And she felt not only passion but also tenderness at the jagged scars that marred his skin. He'd been through tremendous pain, and she wanted to take that pain away.

Reid took her hand, pulling her toward the bedroom. They squeezed through the tiny doorway, tumbling on to the bed together. He pulled her panties down her legs, and she kicked off her shoes as he kissed her long and hard, his tongue sliding into her mouth, his kiss changing from passionate to possessive.

His mouth slid down her jaw, his lips trailing a hot path down the side of her neck and across her breasts. As his tongue swirled around her nipple, his fingers sank into her core, and she let out a moan of pleasure that was echoed by the low growl in his throat as he lifted his head and his eyes met hers. He came in for another kiss as his body covered hers.

She loved the taste of him, the feel of him, the impatient passion of his kiss, echoing the growing need within her.

"Now," she said, shifting beneath him.

He lifted his head and smiled. "So impatient. How about a little foreplay?"

"We've been playing all night. Actually, we've been playing since we met. Don't make we wait, Reid. I want to be with you."

His eyes flared with passion. "All you had to do was ask."

"Now," she repeated, and his lips came down on hers as he slid into her body, taking possession in a way that thrilled every nerve and satisfied all of her senses. They moved together in perfect sync, each anticipating what the other needed, until they collapsed together.

Reid rolled off of her and on to his side, but he brought her with him as he did so. She snuggled against him, her head on his chest as he slung one arm around her as if he didn’t want her to leave. She liked that he wanted to keep her near to him, because she wasn't at all ready to go. She wondered if she ever would be.

"You're an angel, Shayla," he murmured, his eyes heavy and a little dazed.

"That was pretty close to heaven," she agreed, stroking his chest with her fingers.

"We should have gone slower. Next time."