Uniform Desires (Make Mine Military Romance) (39 page)

“So no one’s alone.”

“That’s right. No one gets left behind.”

Nick was serious and focused on the task at hand. Devon wondered if he was annoyed with her. She followed him around, asking about what they would do with this or that. He had answers for some of her questions, but mostly he said he didn’t know and he’d think of something. He kept writing, as if the writing were a mission all unto itself.

She began to feel like a fifth wheel. She missed the close intimate lunch they’d had, the way he’d looked at her and whispered his questions, the way he was careful around her. Now she was feeling ignored.
 

She tried to engage him one more time. “So do you want me to start picking through the flats and throwing out the dead stuff, Nick?”

He dropped his clipboard again and sighed. “Devon, you’re gonna have to leave me alone for awhile. I’m trying to figure it all out, and I can’t think straight with you standing there so close to me.”

He didn’t look at her. He swore and walked away, shaking his head.

Dinner was awkward. Devon could see Marc had been greatly affected by Sophie’s condition. “Can’t wait for Coop to get up here and take a look at her. I think she’s going to need more pain meds,” he said.

The social worker arrived in the evening for a brief visit with them. Sophie dozed in and out of consciousness during the discussion. Marc finally went over to the couch and picked her up and held her on his lap. The social worker explained the hospice procedure.
 

“We want to keep her calm. No big drama. Keep things little, simple, small. Less is better.”

Devon saw the two men look at each other. There was about to be an explosion of activity and a whole lot of big guys hanging around. Things would be far from quiet or small.

“She needs to eat, but of course she doesn’t want to.”

That got to Sophie and she sat up. “You talk as if I’m already dead. I’m right here. My name is Sophie and I can hear everything you’re saying about me.”

The heavy-set social worker appeared rattled, but gave a syrupy smile and continued. “Well now, Sophie, I’m glad to see your spunk. You have some awfully nice friends here.”
 

They made arrangements for two nurses to start working the late night shift on alternating days so Devon, Nick and Marc could get some proper rest, starting right away.

Marc put Sophie to bed after the lady from hospice left.

“I’m sorry I was short with you today, Nick said. I’m expected to have a full plan lined out when the guys get here tomorrow. “

“I understand,” she whispered. “Thought maybe I’d said something wrong.”

“You could never do anything wrong,” he answered.

Chapter 8

The weight of all the fast-moving decisions was pressing on him, giving him a headache. He was in an unpredictable mood, one that he didn’t often let civilians see, let alone his sister’s best friend. He decided to rummage in Sophie’s kitchen for something to put him at ease.
 

“You want some tequila?” he asked Devon.

“I’ve never tried it.”
 

Of course, Nick thought. “Well then you should have just one with me. Would you do that?” He held the bottle in his right hand and two shot glasses in his left.

“I’ll watch.”

“Nope. Gotta participate to be on this team, Devon.”

“Excuse me? You’re going to
make
me have a drink? Don’t you think that’s a little dangerous? People can be allergic to alcohol.”

He could see he’d picked a scab. “But you’re forgetting. I’m a medic. I can quickly assess the signs.”She was getting back some of that edge, but he’d diffused it a bit.
 

She crossed her arms and scrunched her eyebrows up into a delicious little frown he wanted to kiss in the worst way.

“I’m telling you there are some things that should just be experienced. Having a shot of tequila is one of them.”

“Name some others.” She was standing with her feet at perpendicular angle, like in a ballet class, arms still crossed, and her lips were so scrunched up they were downright hot and begging to be violated.

“Having great freakin’ sex on the beach under the moonlight. Having sex in the back of a pickup truck at a campground. Having sex on a mountaintop in the rain in Hawaii. Having sex in a boat and watching the stars in the biggest sky you’ve ever seen.” He’d forgotten who he was talking to. When he looked up at her, her jaw had dropped a good three inches.

He clicked the two little shot glasses together with his third and fourth fingers. “And having your first shot of tequila. Ready?”

“Oh why the fuck not?”
 

She stomped over to the table and plopped down with her elbows resting on the table.

“I like that nasty mouth of yours. You should use it more often.”

“Well, I happen to talk that way all the time,” she said. Her chin was raised. She looked back at him with her eyelids nearly closed.

“Well, thank God for small miracles. You looked a little tightly wound yesterday. You can talk dirty with me any time you want, Devon.” He slammed down the glasses and filled them. Picking up a lemon from the fruit bowl, he sliced it into halves and then quarters and placed one piece next to the glass he pushed in her direction.

“We do this together.” He winked at her. Her scowl looked fake.
 

He motioned she should pick up the glass, and she followed his lead. He brought his to his lips and he nearly exploded when she did the same.
 

“You will drink the whole shot in one gulp and then bite down on the lemon, agreed? Or are you going to chicken out?”

“I’m not a chicken.”

“I can see that.”

“Ready? Go.”

Devon tossed back the drink and quickly grabbed the lemon with a gasp. She bit down on it and wrinkled her nose.
 

Nick had gotten so engrossed in her actions he’d forgotten to take his lemon. The woman was dangerous for him. He could see himself spending a lifetime teaching her everything he knew about everything, especially drinking and sex. But if she didn’t want to drink, well then, just the sex. God, he could live for that alone.

“That was horrible,” she sputtered.

“You did it. You conquered your fears, Devon.” He unscrewed the bottle again. “Another.”

“No!”

He smiled and poured himself another and downed it.

“Okay. Done. Fixed.”

“You do this sort of thing a lot?” she asked.

He wiped the lemon off his hands with a damp tea towel and then came over to the back of the couch and sat, looking at her with her mussed up hair and her dirty shoes. He knew she’d be a hellcat if she got drunk and lost control. Not that it was ladylike or anything, but he knew he’d have one great time, if she could just loosen up a bit. She looked about as comfortable in her casual jeans and shirt as a buck on opening day of deer season. “No, but when desperate times come it’s time for desperate measures.”

He motioned for her to come over to him.

She hesitated at first, then stood up and meandered in his direction, swaying gently from side to side. She was avoiding eye contact.

He motioned for her to give him her hands, and this time she did without any hesitation.

“You did real good today, Devon. You’ve been holding up like a champ.”

He didn’t want to, but he dropped her hands and placed his palms on his thighs.
 

He decided to wait out the little silence to see if she would shy away. She stood her ground. He could feel the heat from her body and knew she felt the same. Her deep breathing told him she was excited. Maybe a combination of fear, but there was something else there too. Perhaps a tiny crack had developed in the ice queen’s veneer.

The look she gave him next was all longing, pure hunger. He didn’t think she realized how needy she appeared. If she could only see how desirable she was at that very moment. How much he wanted to pull her into his arms and give her a proper kiss. His little brain was doing cartwheels with anticipation, but he looked away and tried to think of something else besides getting sweaty in a large bed with her. He knew what she’d feel like underneath him. He knew he could awaken everything she’d always wanted.

But she would have to ask for it. He was not going to force it.

Well, maybe he could do a little temperature check. He tilted his head to the side. “Can I ask you something?”

She hadn’t taken her gaze off him, feeding off his strength. Her eyes were sending the message “tell me what to do.” He was going to do the right thing, just like what he’d promised Sophie.

“Go ahead. Ask,” Devon said.

“When was the last time you were kissed by someone you really wanted to kiss?”

At first her pupils dilated and revealed panic.
 
As the thought settled in, though, he saw a hint of a smile. But she was shaking, too. She looked down again.

“Never,” she said.

“Say that again and look at me this time, Devon.”
 

She turned her head up towards him and he watched her search his face, give it a good look. Her eyes focused on his lips, “Never.” She suddenly got shy and then looked down again.

He wanted to rise and take her in his arms, but he stayed seated. His package was uncomfortable but he dared not adjust himself.
 

“Would you allow me to kiss you? To kiss you that way, as if you wanted it?” he asked. His heart was pounding in his throat.

“That way. Meaning, you want to kiss me?” she said with a deadpanned expression, except her eyes sparkled just a tad too much.

“No more so than you want to kiss me. It’s a consensual act. Just a kiss. One little kiss. And you never have to do it again if you don’t like it.”

“Teach me,” Her throaty tequila and lemon breath and throaty voice were sexy as hell. The longing in her face broke his heart. He knew for certain then that Devon was a virgin. But he bet she’d suffered trauma too. He beckoned and she obeyed, getting near enough to touch his chest if she wanted. His knees were splayed to the sides as he remained seated on the couch.
 

“Hands here.” He placed her palms against his chest. One of his hands held the back of her head. “Head back a little.” She leaned away from him and let him support her head. “Lick your lips, Devon.”

She tried to lean back and pushed against his chest. He angled a look at her and she relaxed.
 

“Can we get this over with?” she finally said. He could tell she was feigning indifference. It looked more like she was nearly paralyzed with fear.

“We certainly can. So. Resume the position.”
 

She put her hands on his chest again and he felt the wonderful electricity of the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. He began to feel her come alive as she touched him. She licked her lips and slowly leaned her head back into the cradle of his palm.

“Open your mouth, Devon, just a little.”

She was awkward and glared at him for a second.
 

“And close your eyes, please.”
 

She shut them and mechanically opened her mouth like she was a marionette. He felt her shaking like a leaf.

He stood and allowed his chest to come in contact with hers. Pressing against her breasts he brushed his fingers over her cheek, following with a thumb on her lower lip. With a slow exhale, he bent down, and met the flesh of her lips with his.

He didn’t press. He didn’t probe. He let her feel the strength and resolve of his passion, waited for her discover her own as it rose within her.
 

And she did. She leaned into him, pressing their lips together as she took a breath and then pressed again. The woman was starved for affection. He felt her nipples tighten under the cotton T-shirt. He could practically feel the pheromones rising to her skin and sneaking around to entangle him. He kissed his way to her ear, down her throat, and then back to her waiting lips. Her fingers had at first dug into his pecs, but now her hands slipped up around his neck as she pulled his head into hers. He dropped his hands to the back of her waist, desperately wanted to pull her groin into his, but he stopped at her waist. If she was alert enough, and he thought she might be, she might feel his erection looming.
 

He kept a safe distance so as not to scare her. They ended the kiss with her palms pressed against his cheeks as she searched his eyes. He’d opened the doorway all right. The lady had a need maybe as strong as his own. But he had an idea she was feeling it for the first time, or just recognizing it for the first time.
 

He dipped his head to give her another kiss and she immediately backed away.

Damn.

She quickly turned, but not before he saw she was wiping tears from her eyes.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Wow. Just wow,” she said as she stared at the door, arms wrapped around herself with her back to him. Nick sat back down on the couch and watched as she slowly turned in his direction again. “I don’t know what to say.”