Seduce and Rescue
Jillian Burns
Lieutenant Colonel Ethan Grady is having his very first massage with a rather eccentric, but smokin’-hot redhead, Lily Langford.But her touch isn’t so much calming as it is very distracting. When he accidentally sets Lily’s business and home ablaze, Ethan can’t tell if the smouldering is from the fire…or their attraction to each other!But now Ethan’s condo is invaded by the free-spirited Lily, who’s convinced that he’s the one who really needs to be rescued.And Lily’s methods? Well, they’re not so traditional. Still, Ethan can’t remember having his chakras aligned so…er, intensely. But will this be rescue — or retreat?
“Master, your wish is my command.”
“Er, okay. Well, Lily, we need to talk.” Ethan tugged at his tie and scanned the condo, now full of decorative objects and brightly colored pillows.
Lily quickly approached him and began loosening the knot at his throat. Her scent drifted to him and he closed his eyes and breathed it in. “What is that perfume?”
“Bergamot, lavender and sandalwood,” she said as she slowly slid his tie away and began undoing his shirt buttons. “Do you like it?”
He breathed in again. “Yeah.”
She smiled. “Come, rest yourself.” Taking him by the hand, she led him to the sofa. Rather than sitting beside him, she stood before him and twirled once. “Does Master like my outfit?”
How could he not? It was a classic harem-girl costume. “Sure, but—”
“Would Master like his slave to dance?”
Slave? “Yes,” he heard himself answer as if from far away. She was doing it again … leading him down the rabbit hole, into her fantasy world. He gave up the fight and followed.
Dear Reader,
Have you ever met someone so quirky and free-spirited that they instantly made you feel better about life? I have. I’ve known her a long time and have always thought she’d make a great character in a book. With a few changes to protect her innocence, of course.
But the essence is there. Her joy. Her tolerance for all our imperfections and differences. And her love of life. Throw in a little belly dancing, and a well-used deck of tarot cards, and you’ve got Lily.
Then, when Lieutenant Colonel Ethan Grady showed up as Cole’s friend in Let It Ride, I just knew that free-spirited character would be the perfect yin to his yang. This repressed air force fighter pilot has met his match in Lily.
We’re back at Nellis Air Force base. Home of the Air Base Defense School, where an elite team of fighter pilots teach daring air-combat maneuvers. Oh, those men and their uniforms. With Sin City only a few miles away, anything can happen. And in a Mills & Boon
Blaze
novel, you know it’s going to be sizzling hot.
I was so thrilled to hear from readers who enjoyed Let It Ride and hope you love this story just as much (and yes, Mitch and Alex are at it again, and yes, they will be getting their own story, coming soon). Please drop me a note and check out information on my next Mills & Boon Blaze book at www.jillianburns.com.
Enjoy!
Jillian Burns
About the Author
JILLIAN BURNS has always read romance, and spent her teens immersed in the worlds of Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Bennet. She lives in Texas with her husband of twenty years and their three active kids. Jillian likes to think her emotional nature—sometimes referred to as moodiness—has found the perfect outlet in writing stories filled with passion and romance. She believes romance novels have the power to change lives with their message of eternal love and hope.
Seduce and Rescue
Jillian Burns
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
I had a lot of inspiration for this book and am so lucky to have wonderful friends and family from whom I gather information. Huge thanks to Susan Grant, military pilot and author extraordinaire, who was so gracious to answer all my air force questions. To sis, Mindy, for the belly-dancing inspiration, and to dear friend Von for the tarot-card lessons and guidance in all things enlightened.
And especially to Melody. You inspired Lily long before I knew she was Lily.
And, as always, thank you to my two superhero critique partners, Pam and Linda, who always go above and beyond. And to my brilliant editor, Kathryn.
1
HOW THE HECK HAD HE gotten himself into this situation?
Lieutenant Colonel Ethan Grady clenched his fists as he studied the chaotic mess inside the herb shop located a few blocks off the Vegas strip.
He’d lost a bet, that’s how.
And now he had to get a massage from some old gypsy lady who kept voodoo doodads hanging from the ceiling and bottles of smelly herbs and oils crammed on wall-to-wall shelves. Whatever space wasn’t filled with bottles held candles or plants or … cats.
Ethan looked down at a long-haired black cat winding its way around his leg, and his fists tightened. Now he’d have cat fur on his BDUs.
“Well, buddy.” His fellow airman, Captain Mitch McCabe, shot him an evil grin as he slapped him on the back. “Time to pay up.”
“And you never know,” his buddy Jackson, who’d won the bet, added. “You may like it so much you become a regular.”
Ethan scowled. Not in this lifetime.
He never gambled. But ever since he’d learned of Jackson’s close call with death, something inside Ethan just … felt different. Besides, he’d wanted Jackson’s fifty-year-old bottle of Scotch. And the bet had looked like a sure thing. Who’d have thought the Keno girl would give in to Jackson when she’d turned down every other airman within a hundred-mile radius?
Women were illogical.
“Namaste.” A high, sweet voice floated to him from the back of the small shop. “I’m Lily.”
Ethan shook his boot in an attempt to dissuade the black cat from circling his ankles, and looked up into huge Caribbean-blue eyes as the girl straightened from a bow, her palms still together. Untamed strawberry curls framed a pixie face with an upturned nose. Tiny dimples added the perfect touch to a creamy complexion as she flashed a ready smile from a beautiful mouth.
The neon sign out front read Lily’s. But this was no old gypsy.
The redhead’s smile faded and her curved brows crinkled into a frown. She tilted her head and moved closer. Too close. “Oh, my.” For a minute Ethan thought she was going to cry. “Your aura is black. So dull, so … heavy.” Her arms rose and she held up her hands, one over his stomach and the other over his crotch.
She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them to stare into his again. “Several of your chakras are completely blocked. This makes your chi rough and chaotic.” Her eyes closed and her head fell back as she flattened her palms against his chest and moved them down and around.
The instant she touched him his body sizzled and stirred. Ethan grabbed her wrists, removed her hands and stepped back.
McCabe chuckled and exchanged stupid grins with Jackson. “Sounds like Grady’s got himself a real unhealthy chi, there. Lily, maybe you can unstick that poker up his a—”
“Shut it, McCabe.” Ethan threw him his fiercest glare.
Jackson stepped between them. “Our friend here has an appointment for a massage.”
The hippie swept her attention back to Ethan, her eyes even wider. “You’re Mitch’s friend. Another air force pilot. So that’s what the cards were trying to tell me.”
Cards? Enough of this new age crap. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Lieutenant Colonel … Grady, isn’t it?” She put her finger to her tiny chin and began studying his body as she circled him.
Ethan purposely unclenched his fists and tried to relax. But he couldn’t do it with her gaze burning into him. Then he felt her hands touch his shoulders, and he flinched. She made a hmm sound and then crooned an oooh as her hands moved down his arms. Ethan stifled a shiver.
“This will take more than a massage.” Her serious tone was at odds with her soft high voice.
“Oh, he wants to take yoga lessons, too,” Jackson interjected.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Ethan growled.
“All right, all right. I think you’re in good hands.” Jackson turned to the herb lady. “Take care of our buddy, ma’am.”
“Do you have a girlfriend, Lieutenant Colonel? A lover?” She moved around in front of him and narrowed her eyes.
“He’s as free as a cocktail in a casino, sweetheart,” McCabe said, and winked at her.
“You’re done here, McCabe.” Ethan crossed his arms and jerked his head toward the exit.
The redhead dimpled at McCabe and then gestured to a doorway covered by hanging beads. “This way, Lieutenant Colonel.”
Ethan waited until the shop door had shut behind Jackson and McCabe, and then followed her through the doorway, careful to hold the strings of beads out of his way.
He stopped short inside the back room. It was cramped and lit only with more burning candles. His nose was assaulted by a sweet yet spicy scent. A red-and-yellow tie-dyed scarf was draped over the only window. A miniature fountain surrounded by river rocks and plants gurgled in the corner. But the main feature in the center of the room was the massage table. He’d rather face combat than lie on that thing.
“Just strip down to whatever you’re comfortable in.” She turned to leave the room.
“I’m comfortable now.”
She laughed, a light tinkling sound, and swiveled to smile at him. Her brows rose with skepticism and he clenched his teeth together.
“Why is that funny?”
“I don’t think you’ve been ‘comfortable’ in years. Perhaps decades.”
“Look, you don’t know me, so you can stop with the woo-woo weirdo act and just get on with it.”
She blinked up at him, her full lips pouting, and he felt as if he’d just kicked a puppy.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at your rudeness, with an aura like that,” she said, shaking her head. “Who wouldn’t be grumpy with their chi in such a state? I need to find just the right aroma for you.” She spun and left the room.
Ethan could hear her light voice out front, chattering, he assumed, to herself. “Let’s see … patchouli? No, no. Too stimulating. Maybe lavender. No, too weak. Something powerful, yet relaxing.”
Rude? Grumpy? She was right. He normally prided himself on his even-keeled nature. And his honorable treatment of females. He’d let this whole situation get under his skin.
Stop being such a wuss. He’d spent more than half his life in the air force. He’d faced down enemy bombers in the first Gulf War at the tender age of twenty-three. Witnessed kids younger than him shot, or blown up in land mines.
He drew in a deep breath, and with it, regained control. This would be over in an hour, tops. He could endure anything for an hour. Then he’d carry on with life as usual.
“Oh, you’re still dressed.”
Ethan blinked at the woman in her flowing, rainbow-striped robe. She’d tied back her hair, and held a small, strangely shaped bottle filled with clear liquid. “Have you changed your mind?”
“No.”
She put her finger to her chin again, staring at him. “Have you ever had a massage before?”
“No.”
“Never? Oooh, a massage virgin.” She grinned and her dimples teased his libido. And for some weird reason, so did the word virgin. “You’re going to love it,” she continued, clasping the bottle to her stomach with both hands. “It’s so relaxing, and I can tell by the set of your shoulders how tense you are. I’ve had only one other massage virgin, and she was …”
Ethan stopped listening. No, he wasn’t going to love it. He didn’t want to be touched. He didn’t like physical contact. Even when … He thought back to the arrangement he’d had with a lady he’d met in town. Every Friday night he would pick her up, take her to dinner, then go back to her place. Excessive touching had never been part of the deal. She hadn’t voiced any objections. Not in two years. But then she had canceled their standing date without a qualm.
“Okay, then, remove everything except your undershorts, get on the table and lie on your stomach.” Lily peeled the robe off her shoulders, spun and hung it on the tail of a brass kitty cat wall hook.
Ethan barely contained his slack-jawed reaction. The robe had hidden a trim figure in cutoff shorts and a tight tank top. Gorgeous legs. Tiny waist. Slim hips. Good-sized … she wasn’t wearing a bra.
And he had to strip down to his skivvies.
She set the bottle on the windowsill and headed out front again. “Call me when you’re ready.”
Heat surged through his body. Every part. Dragging his thoughts away from the woman’s breasts, Ethan pictured the icy winter days of his childhood in South Dakota. He sat on a chair by the door to pull off his boots and socks, and envisioned himself at Thule Air Base in Greenland staring at the arctic tundra. As he unbuttoned his uniform shirt, pulled it off one sleeve at a time and folded it carefully, he remembered the freezing snow on the Afghan mountaintops. Closing his eyes, he unzipped his camo pants, stepped out of them and folded them just as neatly.
“Are you ready back there, Lieutenant Colonel Grady?”
Ethan almost snarled. She’d broken his concentration. He snapped off his undershirt, wrapped a towel over his boxer briefs and lay down on his stomach.
Beads tinkled as she entered the room. “Close your eyes and take a deep, slow breath.”
Ethan gritted his teeth and complied.
With a click the sound of waves crashing against a shore filled the room. “To achieve Zen, one must be in total peace with oneself and nature.” Her warm, oil-soaked hands landed on his shoulders, and he instantly stiffened. But then she began a soft caress along either side of his neck, while her thumbs slid up his nape into his hairline.
He inhaled again and the light scent of coconut aroused his senses. The arctic was gone, replaced with a balmy beach, palm trees and a bikini-clad—
Her. The wacky herb lady. Lily.
He was picturing her in a bikini. In an instant his make-believe self had joined her on the sand and his hands were gripping her waist, then sliding up—
Discipline, Grady.
“Whoa. What happened? You were just starting to relax when your shoulders tightened up again.” Her fingers massaged his temples in slow circles, then combed through his hair to knead his scalp. “Empty your mind of thoughts,” she said in a low voice. “Negative thoughts create negative energy. Breathe in slowly, deeply. Then release impurities as you exhale.”
Since he was here and committed to this, he might as well try to gain some benefit from it. He blew out the breath he’d been holding, and tried to concentrate on fighting his intense aversion to physical contact.
“That’s it, Ethan. Very good.” The praise lightened something inside him. Her voice seemed to be whispering right into his soul, its soft entreaty arousing.
With his eyes closed, his other senses sharpened. The evocative scent of coconut. The repetitive waves crashing and retreating. The touch of skin against skin. Her hands worked their way down his spine, stroking, rubbing, deep into his flesh. As she reached the small of his back, he felt her strokes change from the broader heel of her hand to pointed knuckles making quick circles.
Her knuckles worked their way up his back again and then she started massaging his shoulders, and down his arms, her fingers kneading the muscles. All the while she talked. “Feel your heart rate slow,” she crooned. “Listen to each breath you take.”
Her voice soothed him as she performed miracles on his feet and calves, spreading oil as she caressed up his thighs. Maybe there was something to this massage thing. He was feeling more relaxed… .
Before he knew it, she had him turn over. When he raised his arms to clasp his hands beneath his head, he brushed her breast. A breast that wasn’t covered with a bra. A breast that was the most perfect shape. And the nipple of which had hardened to a bead against his forearm. Suddenly, he realized he’d lost control of his arousal.
She froze. Time seemed suspended. All he could hear was her breathing, quick and ragged.
Ethan closed his eyes, barely stifling a groan. To his horror, his dick hardened even more.
No way she didn’t notice his wood.
Surely this was a common physical reaction to a massage. Wasn’t it?
Her hands resumed their caressing, working their way slowly down to his stomach and then on to the edge of the towel. When she moved to his thighs, she brushed against his out-of-control erection, and he jackknifed up and bolted off the table. But he lost his footing, stumbled into the windowsill and knocked over several candles. Flames instantly ignited the silk scarf.
After staring in disbelief for an instant, he turned to the woman. “Go get your fire extinguisher.”
She blinked at the spreading flames. “I’m not sure … I don’t think I have one.”
“Don’t have one? How could you …” Looking around, he grabbed the fountain and splashed water onto the fire, which had reached the shelves full of bottles of … crap. Of oil. The flames leaped higher. The cord from the fountain knocked over several bottles when he yanked it from the wall, and the water pushed the flames closer to the spilled oil. Great.
The fire popped and crackled. Smoke swirled thick and black in the tiny room. His eyes stung. He coughed and turned to tell Lily to get out and call 911, but she’d disappeared. Good. She was ahead of him. He probably only had time for one more chance before the fire engulfed the entire room, if not the premises.
Think, Grady! Oil fires. Baking soda. He needed something to smother it with. Of course. He headed back to the front room, grabbed up the largest potted plant, ripped out the plant and tried to get back in to dump the damp soil on the flames, but the fire had all but consumed the room.
One small planter of soil wouldn’t even slow it down.
As he ran for the front door, Lily appeared in his path carrying the black cat, a tan-and-white guinea pig and a bird cage containing a plump white cockatoo. She thrust them into his arms, her face soot-coated but determined. “Take Ingrid, Scarlett and Bette. I’ve got to get Humphrey and Rhett.” She spun on her heel, heading back into the fog of smoke.
What the hell?
“Wait.” He set the birdcage down, tightened his hold on the squirming animals and lunged forward to block her way. “You’re not going anywhere except out. I’ll get Humphrey and Rhett.” He handed her the cat and the guinea pig. “Who are Humphrey and Rhett?”
Her face crumpled even as she coughed. “Humphrey’s my basset hound. He’s old and almost blind, and I couldn’t find him. He always sleeps in front of the TV, but he wasn’t there.” She pointed behind the counter to a set of stairs Ethan hadn’t noticed before. “And Rhett’s a big orange tabby. He won’t come willingly.”
“I’ll find them. Now get out of here.” More animals? Was she insane? Ethan took the stairs three at a time and opened the door into a relatively smoke-free one-room apartment. If he was lucky he had maybe two minutes before the fire burned through the ceiling.
Now, if he were a dog, where would he hide? Crossing the room in two strides, Ethan dropped to his knees beside the bed and lifted the bedcovers. Sure enough, the stupid mutt was lying sprawled on his side, as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
Ethan swept the solid lump of dog into his arms, stopped to grab up an orange, hissing, scratching tabby, and then bolted down the stairs just as the ceiling snapped and a falling two-by-four cracked across his shoulder blades, knocking him to his knees. Pain shot down his spine and the room spun around him.
LILY HEARD THE CRACK of splintering wood. Mother Earth, protect him. She bit her thumbnail, shifting her weight from one bare foot to the other, her attention riveted on the doorway. But Lieutenant Colonel Grady wasn’t coming out… .
All she could see of the shop now were flames.
Mist had called 911, Sunny had taken Scarlett and Ingrid to her house, and Lily’s other neighbors had gathered across the street from her shop to offer aid and to commiserate.
He just had to emerge unhurt.
The tarot had turned up the Tower, a card of radical transformation. In some cases it could mean the destruction of one’s home. Her home. But she’d think about that later. Lieutenant Colonel Grady had to be okay. There’d been no indication of death or even injury in the cards.
The moment she’d seen Ethan Grady she’d known he was her next project. She was meant to help him. Just as she had been destined to be there for Theo. And the others who’d followed him. When she received a sign from the universe to help someone, she could no more ignore it than she could let one of her pets come to harm.
But how could she help this Ethan Grady if—
There he was! The lieutenant colonel came striding out of the wall of flames holding Rhett and Humphrey as if it were the most natural thing in the world for a man wearing only his undershorts to rescue an old hound dog and a spitting, fighting alley cat from a burning building.
Lily ran to him. “Thank you.” She beamed at him as she took Humphrey. “Oh, Humphrey, were you scared, sweet pea?” She nuzzled the basset hound’s neck, then turned to set him down on the grass. Mist relieved the man of Rhett, whose claws were dug deep into the poor lieutenant colonel’s shoulder.
Immediately, Lily placed her hand on Ethan’s arm. “Are you okay?”
Glaring at her, he stiffened beneath her touch, his spine straight, his jaw clenched. Sirens wailed in the distance as he cleared his throat. “How could you not know where your fire extinguisher is?”
Lily noted his accusing scowl. But she was saved from answering as he grabbed his ribs and bent over, coughing and hacking, his free hand propped on his knee.
Worried, she placed her palm on his back to rub, and noticed the red, swollen bump between his shoulder blades. He had been hurt.
She asked Sunny to get him a glass of water and an ice pack. Sunny nodded and headed back to her shop, but not before giving Lieutenant Colonel Grady’s nearly naked form an appreciative once-over. A possessive tendril flared in Lily’s belly, but she couldn’t blame her friend.
The gorgeous man was standing in the street wearing nothing but his black boxer briefs and dog tags. His biceps were enormous; his body, though soot-covered, was a testament to nature’s divine purpose. What female could look at those broad shoulders, that dusting of dark hair across sculpted pecs, and my oh, my, that impressive package, and not want to procreate with such a man? Hadn’t she been tempted to stray where she never had before with a massage client?
Her gaze traveled up to his gray-green eyes, the color so at odds with his stern demeanor, but just as their stares met, he spun and began barking orders to the onlookers to pull out hoses from their yards and water down the neighboring buildings.
He took control of the entire crowd, commanding obedience from total strangers. And he did it wearing nothing but boxers. Such domineering behavior would normally be a turnoff for her, but that was exactly what was needed right now. With the drought and the winds, the fire could spread.
A fire truck rolled to a stop beside them and they were all ushered out of the way while huge hoses were unfolded and hooked up to a hydrant. Lily watched in anguish as the firemen contained the flames. Black smoke billowed into the sky and even before the blaze had been extinguished, she knew. There was no saving her shop. Everything was gone. The only place she’d ever been able to call her own, the fruits of Theo’s legacy to her, lost in minutes.
A lump of bittersweet memories formed in her throat. Of Theo, so happy, placing the Cracker Jack ring on her left finger in the chapel on the Vegas strip. Of him waving goodbye from the airfield. Despite the grief and guilt, she’d honored his wish and used her survivor benefits to buy the shop. And she’d been happy here.
But fate was calling her toward a different path now.
She wiped at the tears and searched for Ethan Grady. A paramedic approached him with oxygen and a blanket. He wrapped the blanket around his waist, but waved off the oxygen, then stepped forward when a Las Vegas police officer approached him to take his statement.
Another officer questioned her. Without going into details, she explained that the candle had been accidentally knocked over. Every few minutes she glanced back at Ethan to smile in reassurance. This was meant to be. Somehow, this lonely lieutenant colonel’s fate was entwined with hers for a short while along life’s journey.
Eventually the policemen left, the firemen loaded up their equipment and the truck rolled off. The crowd dispersed, except for Lily’s closest friends.
Though he didn’t have room, Mist offered to take her in. Dear Mist, with his waist-length dreads and multiple piercings, eyed Ethan suspiciously. But when she told him about her reading with Sunny this morning, he seemed to relax. Sam and Simone had just returned from their bikers’ rally in Reno, and Simone was deathly allergic to cat dander. Sunny, in her muumuu and wild silver hair, nodded reassuringly with a wink and a wiggle of her penciled-in eyebrows.
And Lieutenant Colonel Ethan Grady … Lily looked over at him, drinking in the firm line of his jaw, the hard glint in his eyes. Even wearing only underwear and a blanket he was formidable. Could she help him?
She’d been so young when she’d married Theo. Just out of high school. But even then she’d known she had a gift. She could sense things in people—whether they were hurting, and whether she could help heal them. Her talent might be unconventional, but she knew she’d made a difference in many lives. And wasn’t that a person’s ultimate goal in the universe? To help each other?
Now, it was Ethan’s turn. The black fog of sadness surrounding him stirred something deep inside her. Oh, yes. He needed her.
Holding her stare with his own, Ethan straightened, as if preparing for battle, and closed the distance between them. His back must have been throbbing in pain, yet he showed no sign of it as he faced her. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Thank you again for saving Humphrey and Rhett. I was so scared. That was the bravest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
“That’s one way to look at it.” He glanced across the street to the charred remains of her shop. “Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?”
She had the perfect place. If he only knew … “Ethan.” She placed her hand on his arm, gentling him to her touch. “I believe this was a sign.”
His mouth quirked in derision. “A sign that you should find another line of work?”
“No, not exactly. I believe karma brought you into my life for a reason.”
His brows drew together. “Karma?” His tone was intimidating.
“Yes, you see, the universe is telling me I’m meant to help you.”
“Please.” He held up his hands as if to ward her off. “Don’t help me.”
“But you need me. And if I live with you for a short while I can bring your chi back into balance, unblock your—”
“Live with me?” His mouth tightened into a thin line and he stepped back. “Don’t you have family—someone you can call?”
She was shaking her head before he’d even finished his questioning. “My only family is my mom, and she lives in San Diego.”
“What about your friends here?” He gestured to the group surrounding her.
“Simone is allergic, Sunny has less square footage than my place and Mist has a pet clause in his lease.”
Ethan shook his own head. “Look, ma’am. I realize this was partially my fault. Let me put you up in a hotel. Why don’t you take—” Ethan reached for a nonexistent back pocket, then his mouth tightened and his jaw muscle ticked. “My wallet was inside.” He eyed her empty arms. “And your purse, too, I guess.”
“Oh, no. My purse is in my car.”
“You keep your purse in your car?”
“Of course. I only need it when I’m going somewhere.”
He blinked. “Fine. You pay for the hotel and I’ll be glad to reimburse your expenses.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I can’t bring Scarlett and Rhett, and Humphrey and—”
“Right,” he interrupted. “No hotel.” As he looked around at all the animals, a hint of panic settled into his expression.
She grinned, triumphant. Of course the cosmos wouldn’t have taken away everything she owned without a reason. “You see? It’s karma. And you can’t argue with karma.”
“Watch me,” he grunted as he half turned away, looking like a man desperate to escape.
“Ethan,” she said, bringing his attention back to her. She was starting to worry. Would he truly refuse her? She had to convince him. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
He made a noise that sounded like a low feral growl. Then he stared at the ground a moment until finally he let out a resigned breath. “I can’t believe I’m going to do this.” He spun on his heel and headed for a large black SUV parked a block down the street. “You can follow in your car.”
She motioned for her friends to bring the rest of her pets, picked up Bette’s cage and followed.
But the lieutenant colonel stopped short at the door to his SUV. His keys were probably with his wallet in the pocket of his uniform pants, along with whatever else he carried. All of it incinerated now. Of course, the military officer was prepared. He reached under the chassis and pulled out a magnetic spare key box.
Silently directing Mist and Sunny to load her loved ones into her orange 1989 Toyota—affectionately known as The Pumpkin—parked in the alley, Lily rose up on her tiptoes to give Ethan a peck on the cheek. “Thank you.”
He ground his teeth, took Bette’s birdcage from her and placed it in his backseat. “This is just for a couple of days, until we can sort this mess out.”
A couple of days? Oh, she had a feeling this project would take a bit longer than that.
2
LILY OPENED HER EYES slowly and rolled to her back. It wasn’t quite dawn, but enough light filtered through the builder-grade blinds to remind her where she was. Bare beige walls. Plain white ceiling fan. She was in Ethan’s bedroom. Where he’d insisted she sleep last night.
Memories of the fire slammed into her psyche and a pang of grief tightened her throat. Her shop, her home, everything. Gone.
She rolled back over and curled into a ball, acknowledging the ache in her stomach, letting the pain of loss seep into her bones. This was exactly how she’d felt after receiving word that Theo had been killed in Iraq. She’d known before he shipped out that something bad would happen to him. Had tried to warn him. And in the end, she’d given in and married him, hoping that would stop the bad feeling in her gut and let him face war with a positive energy surrounding him. He’d loved her so much, he’d deserved that, at least.
And thinking of positive energy … Acknowledging pain was one thing. Wallowing in self-pity would only produce negative vibes. She sat up, wiped at the tears on her cheeks and looked around the room.
The sleek black, king-size bed was ultracomfortable, but the matching contemporary-style dresser was the only other furniture in the sterile room. The only other thing, period. This room—the entire condo—reflected Ethan’s life. Bland. Empty.
But today she would begin to change all that.
She had to believe that the devastation last night had happened for a reason. Ethan needed her here.
Drawing in a deep, cleansing breath she folded her legs and placed her hands palm up on her knees. As she exhaled she blew out all negative thoughts, closed her eyes and cleared her mind.
Before she could begin meditating Humphrey howled and scratched at the door. Lily opened her eyes to find her black-and-tan basset hound glaring at her expectantly. She sprang off the bed, picked up the cereal bowl that was his makeshift water bowl, and padded into the living area to let him out.
Just off the kitchen was a door that led out to the tiny, fenced-in grassy area. Hardly a yard. But at least there were no stairs for Humphrey to have to limp down, as there were at her place. “Nooo, no mean ol’ stairs for Humphrey,” she sang as the dog waddled outside. She’d take him for a walk this evening.
The kitchen was all black granite and stainless appliances. Functional. Uncluttered. In the stark main room there was more of the same. The dark wood floors were bare. There was a black leather couch—more like a black hole sucking up all the positive energy in the room—a monster-size black television and a silver floor lamp. That was it. No plants, no tables, nothing of color. And no pictures of friends or family, either. It was going to take some shopping to fix the feng shui in Ethan’s condo.
She was tempted to peek in and see if he was still sleeping in the spare room, crammed between a weight machine and a punching bag. The futon couldn’t be very comfortable for someone his size, but he wouldn’t even listen to her protests last night, stubborn man.
What would it take to move him from the futon back to his bed to unblock his sacral chakra?
With a shrug, Lily decided to think about that later. She closed her eyes, pressed her palms together and raised them above her head, and rose up on the balls of her feet: salutation to the sun.
She bent at the waist and flattened her hands on the floor, touching her forehead to her knees. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her breathing. She walked her feet back into the downward facing dog position, stretching out her spine. She held the position a moment, but the T-shirt she’d borrowed last night bunched around her shoulders and fell in her face. Without thinking, she pulled it off and then resumed the pose.
But what if Ethan woke up and came in here? She wasn’t ashamed of her body, but she wasn’t an exhibitionist, either. Well, she’d hear the doorknob turn and could yank the shirt back on before he got down the hall.
With a click the dead bolt turned and the front door whooshed open. “What the—”
Lily looked up just as Ethan slammed the door closed and spun to turn his back to her. She grabbed the shirt as she straightened, and held it in front of her. “Namaste, Ethan.” Her heartbeat raced and her breathing stuttered. She’d always been comfortable with her sexuality, but there was an energy that crackled between her and this remote man. She’d felt it as soon as he’d walked into her shop.
“Would you please put some clothes on?” Ethan growled through his teeth. He was wearing athletic shorts and a T-shirt with a sweat stain clinging to the middle of his back. His black, military short hair was wet also. He’d been running. Before dawn.
Something visceral pumped through her as she breathed in the energy of this large, hard-muscled man. His glutes were taut. His scent was musky. Her body answered the call of man to woman.
“I always practice yoga before work,” she said, sticking her head through the T-shirt and shoving her arms through the sleeves. “But I lost my leotard along with the rest of my clothes.”
He gave a wary glance behind him, then turned to face her.
“Did your friend mean it when he said you wanted to learn?” Lily asked. “During yoga you commune with your body and strengthen your mind. It’s a spiritual quest for unity and illumination.”
“Ma’am?” He raised his left wrist to look at a serviceable watch on a leather band. “I have to be at the base in a half hour.”
“On a Saturday? And please call me Lily.”
He glanced down and gestured loosely at the lower half of her body. “Don’t you at least wear—Never mind.” Taking a step, he almost tripped over Ingrid, who circled his leg, purring and rubbing her head against him. With an expression of annoyance, he gently pushed her away with his running shoe before striding into the kitchen. He reached into the refrigerator for a pitcher of filtered water, poured himself a glass and downed the entire contents in a few gulps.
“My panties are hanging in the bathroom to dry. I washed them out last night.”
Ethan was pouring another glassful of water, but stopped abruptly and closed his gray-green eyes. When he opened them again his gaze held only blank iciness. “I’ll be gone all afternoon. Can you find a store around here to shop for clothes?”
Ethan lived in a fairly upscale neighborhood northwest of Nellis Air Force Base in a newly built, Mediterranean-style condo with an attached garage and—according to the sign at the manager’s office—a pool and spa on the premises. It was a world away from her one-room apartment above the shop on the wrong side of the Strip.
“Oh, yes. I’ll find my way around. What would you like for dinner tonight? Have you ever tried the Raw diet? I have a wonderful recipe for beets. Or I could make—”
“No dinner. I’ll get something on the way home.”
“But I want to thank you for letting me stay here.”
He rounded the kitchen counter and headed down the hall. “No need.”
“But you have to eat. Unless you have plans.” Lily followed him, admiring the flex of his thick quads as he walked. “I didn’t think about that. Maybe you have plans. What about tomorrow?”
With a sigh, he stopped just inside the bathroom, turned and gripped the door handle. “No plans. I usually just pick something up on the way home. And tomorrow I work.” He looked pointedly out into the hallway, then back at her.
“But tomorrow’s Sunday. You work all weekend?”
His jaw muscle ticked as he stared at her. “Sometimes.”
“Oh. Well, maybe Monday.”
His brows lowered and bunched together. “You didn’t call your insurance agent last night. Are you going to speak with them today?”
“Um … about that.”
He took a step toward her and leaned in. “You do have insurance on your place, right?”
Lily breathed in his musky scent and an ache of a different kind spread through her body. “Oh, yes. I do, but …” He should have been intimidating, he was such a big guy, towering over her. A few inches over six feet. A large frame. His jaw was dark with stubble, so utterly masculine.
“But?”
She blinked and tried to remember what they’d been talking about. Oh, yes. Insurance. Oh, Ethan. There’s so much more to life. And I can’t wait to show you. She smiled and waved a hand. “Nothing. I can look it up.” She took a step backward, out into the hallway. “Have a nice shower.”
He studied her with narrowed eyes and then shut the door. A split second later it jerked open and he tossed her thong out.
Through the door she heard the shower door open and the water turn on. She pictured him tugging the T-shirt over his head and stripping out of his shorts, and had to press a hand to her stomach. A strident feline yowl was followed by a low male grunt, and a moment later the door opened just a crack and Rhett was pitched out. The orange tabby landed easily on his feet and stalked away.
Lily chuckled. Poor Ethan.
While he showered, she let Humphrey in, then pulled the towel off Bette’s cage and filled her water dispenser. “Good morning, Bette,” she greeted her cockatoo.
“Life is like a box of chocolates,” the bird squawked.
Lily smiled. “It sure is, sweetie.”
As she went back to the bedroom to look for Scarlett, the bathroom door swung open and Ethan strode out with only a towel wrapped around his waist. It reminded her of last night, except this time he didn’t even have the boxer briefs underneath. His jaw was clean-shaven now and she caught a whiff of some woodsy aftershave.
He stopped short when he saw her, and cleared his throat. “My clothes.” He gestured at the walk-in closet on the opposite wall.
“Of course.” She spied Scarlett with her twitchy nose beside the dresser, scooped her up and headed for the hallway.
Lily cuddled the quivering guinea pig under her chin for a few minutes, then busied herself finding the coffee, filters and mugs, and got a pot going. Within ten minutes Ethan emerged from the bedroom dressed in a sharply pressed uniform complete with an air force tie pin and shiny black shoes.
As he stood before the door adjusting his tie Bette squawked. “Fasten your seat belts.”
He looked over at the bird and scowled. “It talks?”
“She talks. Sometimes. That’s Bette. And she must like you because she doesn’t talk to just anyone. She was telling you to stay safe today.”
Ethan blinked at Lily, his dark look seeming permanent. “I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your menagerie confined to the bedroom at night,” he said, glancing away. “The black cat tried to sleep on me and the rodent scratched around on the floor all night.”
Lily moved into his line of vision. “Scarlett is not a rodent, she’s a guinea pig. And Ingrid likes you, too. That’s a good sign.”
“Just keep the cats away from the leather, and get something to confine the rodent.”
“Don’t you like animals, Ethan?” Lily stroked Ingrid’s soft black fur.
“Not particularly.”
“Well, no wonder your aura is so dark. Do you have anybody you really love?”
He looked blank. “Love?”
“You know.” Lily moved closer, tilting her head back to look up at him. “People you care about. Who care about you? Who would be there no matter what? Who love you, warts and all?”
Still no response.
“You know. Like a mom. A mom loves you no matter what. You love your mom, right?”
In a heartbeat his expression turned icy and he glanced at his watch again. “I have to go. Your clothes are in the dryer. There’s a spare key in the third cabinet on the right. Lock the door when you leave.”
Before she could say anything more, he was out the door.
Lily stared after him, still caressing Ingrid. Wow. He wouldn’t even talk about his mom. This might be her worst case yet.
Before she left, Lily wandered about the condo, getting a feel for what would help Ethan the most. Sad. Lonely. Cold. She shivered and rubbed her arms. It seemed desperate measures might be in order.
PAIN SHOT THROUGH ETHAN’S neck and back every time he moved. It had been a long day. Like the city it was located near, Nellis Air Force Base was never quiet. After briefing his students on their training sortie, he’d taken them out to the test range, flown four runs and then debriefed back at the office.
Now, after hours of sitting hunched over at his desk, filling out reports, he found himself wishing for Lily’s talented fingers to massage away the kink in his neck. He could imagine her standing behind him kneading the tense muscles of his neck and shoulders, murmuring soothing words in her soft, oh so feminine voice.
Naked.
He swallowed as the memory of how she’d looked this morning invaded his mind. Bent over to reveal she shaved … everywhere. Her white breasts tipped with pale pink nipples. And he’d caught a glimpse of a tiny jewel in her belly button… .
Ethan groaned and shifted in his chair. Even the brief glimpse he’d gotten had burned the image in his brain forever.
Then he remembered she was the reason he hurt.
A bruise the size of an ostrich egg had formed between his shoulder blades where the beam had hit, and trying to sleep on that futon had given him a crick in his neck. Thankfully, he would only have to stay there a couple more nights. Maybe she’d already found another place that would allow pets. He would offer to pay her rent for a month or two until she received her check from the insurance company.
He couldn’t have her staying with him indefinitely. But he was honor-bound to help her out, at least temporarily. He had been the cause of her losing not only her living quarters, but her livelihood, as well.
Guilt wrenched him. In twenty years with the air force, during countless tours of combat duty, he’d done his share of blowing up structures. But those missions had had a purpose. Destroy enemy outposts. Secure an area. Ensure safety for the ground troops. But not this.
All because he’d lost control of his reactions.
“There you are.”
Ethan recognized the voice and winced. Captain Mitch McCabe lounged against the door frame, still wearing his flight suit from this morning’s training session.
“Thought the massage was supposed to help with that kind of thing,” McCabe said as he pushed off the jamb and sauntered in.
Ethan realized he was rubbing the back of his neck, and snatched up some papers from his desk. “Need something?”
“Yes, sir.” McCabe saluted. “I need a SIT REP, sir.”
“A situation report?” Ethan couldn’t think of anything new to report. Well, nothing McCabe needed to know about.
“About last night, sir. Since Jackson won the wager, he asked for a … Well, how’d it go, sir?”
McCabe’s barely contained smirk grated on Ethan’s nerves. “It went.” He directed his attention back to the papers and shuffled them around.
But instead of leaving, McCabe planted his scrawny butt on the desk and folded his arms across his chest. “I heard that things—” he cleared his throat “—heated up fast.”
Ethan’s gaze shot up to the captain, and pain pierced his neck again. “Where’d you hear that?”
He shrugged. “Jackson heard about it on his police scanner. What the hell happened in there?”
Ethan bit back a curse. This crazy situation … “That place broke so many fire codes it was only a matter of time. But the lady will be out of my place by Monday.”
“Whoa, you got that delicious strawberry to go home with you? I prefer to stay at a woman’s place myself, but whatever works for you, man.”
Ethan shot up from his chair. “I am not sleeping with that whack job.”
The captain was chuckling and shaking his head before Ethan had even finished his sentence. Too late, he realized McCabe had been baiting him. And it had worked.
Ethan had to take control. Regaining his seat along with his temper, he went back to studying the papers in front of him. “We’re done here, McCabe. Have a nice weekend.”
“You want to shoot some pool tonight? When Jackson’s not on cop patrol he’s all wrapped up in Keno girl. And Hughes has been a pain in the ass ever since she got back from Langley.”
Ethan sometimes stopped by the officers’ club on a Saturday night for a game or two with his buddies. But he probably shouldn’t leave the kooky lady alone in his condo for any longer than necessary. “No. I’m heading home.”
“Hey, it’s cool.” McCabe nodded and winked. “I understand.”
Ethan didn’t take the bait this time. He stared his friend down until the man known at Nellis as “Casanova McCabe” finally saluted and headed down the hall.
After sending an email to his commanding officer that he’d be late Monday morning, Ethan headed for home. He’d stopped by the bank this morning, but he still needed to replace his driver’s license.
Within fifteen minutes he pulled his SUV into the garage. He opened the door to his condo and stared around the room as he slowly stepped inside. A leafy tree as tall as the ceiling sat in a clay pot beside his television. The sofa was covered in bright yellow, orange and green pillows. And a neon pink beanbag chair sat in the center of the room.
What had she done? Irritation burned through his insides like acid. His stomach growled at the aroma of barbecue wafting from the kitchen. He looked to his left to find the culprit of this reverse home invasion.
Lily was pulling something out of the oven, head banging to the beat of a song only she could hear on her iPod earbuds. Her hair was parted on either side of her head and tied with ribbons beneath her ears, and she wore a baggy pink shirt and a pair of plaid men’s shorts that looked as if she’d stolen them off a retiree at a golf course.
She glanced up and saw him, and her eyes widened. “Ethan.” She flashed a dazzling smile. “You’re home.”
Her million-watt grin hit him like blowback from an F-16. Something caught in his throat and he had to clear it. No one called him Ethan. And no one had ever been glad he was home.
Before he could fully push down the unwanted feelings, she was chattering again. “You’re just in time for dinner. I made tofu burgers, with sweet potato wedges to help balance your chi. Do you like honeydew?”
“Lily.”
“And I want you to try this wine. It’s made from mangos, but you’re going to love it. Mist says it balances his energies.”
“Lily.”
Squawk. “You can’t handle the truth,” the bird called out, clear as a human.
“Rhett, get off.” She shoved the orange tabby—Ethan’s archenemy—off the closest kitchen bar stool. “Here, Ethan. Sit down and I’ll make you a pla—”
“Lily!” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d raised his voice.
“Yes, Ethan?”
“Turn off your music.”
She reached up, pulled out her earbuds and waited for him expectantly.
“Where did all this stuff come from?” He gestured back into his living room.
“I know. It looks so much better, right?” She grinned.
“You can’t just come in here and redecorate.”
“Oh, it cost me hardly anything.” Her eyes twinkled. “I got all this from the Goodwill store. They have some wonderful stuff. Come on, let’s eat.” She was on her way back to the kitchen, when Ethan took a step to grab her arm, but he didn’t see the rodent in his path and tripped over it. The animal squealed as if it was being tortured. “I thought I told you to get a cage for that thing.”
Lily scooped up the long-haired rat. “Oh, poor baby. Are you all right?” Her brows crinkled as they had yesterday. “You’re mad about the pillows and stuff. I should have asked first. But I wanted to surprise you.” Those big blue eyes gazed up at him. “I’m so sorry I upset you.”
He’d expected an argument. Recrimination or tears. But staring into her apologetic eyes, he was appalled at his show of temper. The fury drained from his body like water through a sieve as guilt hit him full force. The poor woman had just lost everything she owned. This was the second time he’d lost command of himself. Around her. “I’m not upset.” He unclenched his fists.
“I just couldn’t stay here the way it was. The negative energy was bringing me down.”
Huh? What was he supposed to say to that? She had a way of confusing him and turning him on at the same time. Not good. He needed to get this conversation back to sounding rational.
Gritting his teeth, he glanced into his living room. It was only a plant and a few pillows. And a kitty litter box he noticed by the back door. And the noisy bird. But it was just for tonight and tomorrow. He could stand it for one day. Then he’d pack it all off with her when she left on Monday. “Fine, it can stay. But the roden—the guinea pig needs to be contained for his own safety.”
“Her.”
“What?”
“Scarlett. She’s a girl.”
“Well, she needs a cage.”
“But she needs her freedom. No animal should be confined against their—”
“Lily.”
“Yes, Ethan?”
He folded his arms across his chest. “It’s not negotiable.”
She sighed and cuddled the guinea pig under her chin. Then she looked up at him with that beautiful smile. “Well, I suppose every relationship requires compromise. But I want to get one that has a house, and a wheel, and—”
“That’s fine. Let’s go.” He fished his keys from his pocket and headed out the door while Lily set the tray of tofu burgers in the fridge.
Wait a minute. He stopped on the first step. Had she just used the word relationship?
3
ETHAN GRABBED A bright red Pet World cart as Lily bounced down the aisle. Sometimes he wondered if she’d been dropped on her head as a child. On the other hand, he also couldn’t stop picturing her naked. What kind of sicko did that make him?
“Good evening, sir, can I help you find something?” A teenager with a severe case of acne, dressed in khaki pants and a red polo shirt, stood near the cash registers.
“Guinea pig cages?” Ethan kept an eye on Lily as she rounded a corner into a side aisle.
“Yes, sir, the small pets section is in the back, to the left,” the teen answered, as another customer walked up to ask him something.
Of course it would be all the way at the back. Shopping of any kind was a necessary evil. But a pet store? With grim determination Ethan headed deeper into hostile territory, stopping at the corner where he’d last seen Lily.
“Aren’t these cute?” She held up several brown stuffed animals. “Rhett would love these. Which one? A catnip hedgehog or a catnip squirrel?”
Yeah. Just what he wanted. To buy the scary feline a toy. “Small pets stuff is farther down the aisle.” Ethan moved on, expecting her to follow. And she did, until they passed the intersection.
She squealed. “Oooh, Ethan. These are so adorable.”
Maybe if he just kept going she’d put down whatever she’d seen, and get on board with their plan of action.
“It’s a Cuddle Pal for Humphrey to lie on. Ethan, you’re not looking.”
Why couldn’t she act like a normal adult? He had better things to do than stand around looking at pet toys with a weird, infuriating female. He rounded on her. “Lily, our goal is to acquire a guinea pig cage. We get in, complete our mission and get out.”
She stared at him as if he was the crazy one, then shook her head and laughed.
“What?” He tightened his grip on the handle of the cart.
“This isn’t a combat zone. We don’t have to save the tropical fish section from reptile terrorist attacks.”
He narrowed his eyes. “It’s simply a matter of expediency. If you pick up and comment on everything we pass, we’ll be here until they close.”
“And what would be so bad about that? What else have you got to do tonight?”
“I—” He’d think of something in a second. Surely there was something he needed to do at home. “That’s not the point. The point is there is no reason to examine every single item when you don’t intend to buy them.”
“The point—” she emphasized the word “—is to have fun.”
“Fun?”
“You know. That thing you did as a kid? Playing? Cops and robbers? Cowboys and Indians?” She lowered her voice and wiggled her brows. “Doctor and nurse? Didn’t you and your friends play?”
“No.” Playing is for sissies. His dad’s words echoed in his head.
Her smile disappeared. “Oh.”
Avoiding the pity in her eyes, he pushed the cart toward the back of the store.
She caught up to him and tucked her arm in his. “Where did you grow up?”
“You’re the psychic, you tell me.”
“Actually, that’s my friend, Sunny. She’s amazing. But I like guessing games. How about after three wrong guesses you tell me the right answer?”
Ethan sighed. Nothing was going to stop this woman. “Fine.”
“Okay. Ooh, this is fun. Hmm …” She put her finger to her lips and tapped. “Let’s see, um, Detroit, Michigan.”
“Nope.”
“Is it south, east or west of Michigan?”
“That wasn’t part of the deal.” He bit back a smile.
“Humph.” She pouted. And it looked sexy, damn it.
She wasn’t going to ge—
“South Dakota.”
He came to a halt and turned to face her. “How did you do that?”
She wiggled her eyebrows. “You twitched when I said the word south. And you don’t have a Southern drawl, so I knew it wasn’t South Carolina.”
He … twitched? “Huh,” he grunted, the only way he could convey a grudging respect for her. No one had ever read him like that.
“Omigosh, that was fun. Okay, what city? Gosh, I don’t know very many cities in South Dakota. I know about Mount Rushmore, and the Black Hills, and Crazy Horse.”
“You’ve never heard of it.” He barely remembered it. He remembered shoveling snow, taking out the trash, homework. But not playing with friends. His only memories before that were of sitting around in the hospital waiting room.
Lily shrugged one shoulder. “I still want to know. Is it Sioux Falls?”
He sighed. If he didn’t answer, he figured she’d bug him until he did. “Belle Fourche. It’s in the northwest part of the state,” he continued, as she opened her mouth. “Just north of the Black Hills National Forest.”
“Belle means beautiful in French. I bet it’s beautiful country up there.”
“I guess.” He’d been too desperate to get away to care. He’d joined the air force right out of high school, and could count on one hand the number of times he’d been home since.
“Are your parents still there?”
They weren’t the snowbird type. It would take an act of God to pry them out of their house. His mom with her blank stare spent her life in the kitchen, cooking and cleaning, and his father sat coldly at the table with his paper.
“I’m sorry.” Lily squeezed his arm. “Have they … passed on?”
He resumed his mission in the small pets section. “They’re fine.” As far as he knew. Last time he’d received a letter from his mother was seven months ago. Right after Christmas. After he’d sent his usual card with a check.
“Any brothers or sisters?”
Ethan gritted his teeth as a familiar pang hit his chest. “What is it with you? What do you care?”
Lily stopped in her tracks and pulled her hand away. “Oh, Ethan. Your aura just now. I’m sorry I brought up something so painful.”
Denying the pain was on the tip of his tongue. But for some reason he couldn’t. Without a word, he continued down the main aisle.
Lily caught up to him and again slipped her arm through his. “So, what do you do in the air force?”
He raised a brow.
“Oh, right. Three guesses. Okay, fighter pilot.”
He shrugged. “Was. I’m an air combat instructor now.”
“Air combat? As in teaching maneuvers? Like the Red Baron?”
“Lily.” Thankfully, they’d reached the back of the store. He turned left. “We don’t have to do the whole get-to-know-each-other thing.”
“Eeethan.” She said his name as if he’d just burped the alphabet at the queen’s tea. “Of course we do. But I’ll tell you about me for a little while.”
He almost stopped her. But she was going to chatter about something, so he might as well … Okay, so he was curious.
“I grew up all over the West Coast. San Fran, L.A., San Diego. And everywhere in between. It was usually just my mom and me. But sometimes we lived with my mom’s boyfriends.”
Lily gasped and disappeared down an aisle to the right. “Omigawd, Ethan. They have Halloween costumes for pets.”
Wait a minute. What about her mom’s boyfriends? Why had she said the word boyfriend as if it was cow dung? Had any of them hurt her? Ethan pulled to a stop when he spied her on a side aisle holding up a devil costume and a bear in a red T-shirt.
“Wouldn’t Humphrey look adorable as Winnie the Pooh?”
She was insane. That was the only explanation. “You didn’t finish.”
“Finish?” She put the costumes back and returned to his side.
“About your mother’s boyfriends.”
“Not much to tell.” Lily changed directions again to stroll down the main aisle, and he followed. “I never knew my dad. My mom was really young when she found out she was pregnant with me, and she said he freaked.”
Ethan wondered which was worse—his father or no father?
“I think his family sent her some money, and she went to college. It was just me and her for a while until … she fell in love with this guy and seemed to just go crazy. She quit a good job, moved to be with him, and then it didn’t work out. She was crushed.” Lily stopped and looked at Ethan. “But you know what’s crazy? A few years later, she did it again.”
“So, that’s why you moved around a lot?”
Lily shrugged. “I didn’t mind. Every new city was an adventure. A chance to see what fate had in store for me in each new place.”
Karma. Fate. Who lived their life like that? “So, did karma tell you to buy an herb shop in Vegas?”
Her smile faltered and she hitched her purse higher on her shoulder. “I came out here with my best friend right after high school. He wanted to be a croupier and I …” She gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I went to massage school.”
Ethan scowled, certain there was more she wasn’t telling him. But they’d finally located the small pet cages. Then there was bedding. And that house he’d agreed to. And Lily loaded one of those hollow plastic balls an animal could roll around in into the cart, as well.
“Can we go now?” he asked.
“You really hate shopping, don’t you?”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
She shook her head. “Theo didn’t. He loved shopping with me.”
“Theo was your friend?”
She bit her lip and Ethan wanted to soothe it with his thumb. “And my husband.”
Husband? She was married?
“He was killed in Iraq five years ago.”
Killed. Guilt oozed past the wall of Ethan’s perfectly legitimate detachment. She’d been so young to be widowed. “I’m sorry.” He looked into her eyes and then couldn’t look away. All he could think about was that horrible cliché about drowning in pools of … something. But that’s what it felt like. They were exactly the turquoise color of the Caribbean.
Thankfully, she broke eye contact and said, “It’s okay.”
Without thinking, he tucked his knuckle under her chin and lifted her face. “I’ve lost friends in battle, too. It’s never okay.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and before he could stop her, she stepped close and wrapped her arms around his waist. “No one’s ever said that before. But it’s true, isn’t it?”
Just as he was regretting the rare moment of spontaneity, she sniffed and stepped back. “Thank you.” She pulled her shirt up and wiped the tears off her cheeks, and then gave him a brilliant smile. “Well, so much for helping you have fun tonight.”
Stunned, he stared at her, his arms still held away from his body. He’d liked having her cheek against his chest. He’d liked the feel of her body pressed to his.
She took a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s go home now.”
Relieved, he pointed their cart full of goodies toward the front before she changed her mind.
AFTER REHEATING AND offering him the tofu burgers, which he declined, Lily began setting up the cage for the guinea pig.
Ethan retreated to his weight room and worked out an extra fifteen minutes, then went a couple rounds with his punching bag for good measure. After a quick shower, he slipped on jeans and a T-shirt and braved the main room.
She was messing with the rodent when he entered the kitchen. “Good night.”
“You’re going to bed?” She abandoned the cage and stood.
Ethan tried to look away, but his gaze wouldn’t obey his survival instincts. She’d changed into a pair of oversize men’s boxers and a tight tank top. And she must have showered earlier while he was working out, because her hair was damp. It was swept up off her neck, all her strawberry curls held with a clip. She smelled like some kind of sweet flower.
He glanced at his watch. “It’s ten o’clock.”
“And you always go to bed at ten?”
Always. He shrugged. “Usually.”
“But you haven’t eaten anything.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Would you like that glass of wine? It’s—”
“I don’t drink.”
She blinked. “Ever?”
“No.”
“Are you … a recovering alcoholic?”
He frowned. “No.”
“You have some religious strictures against alcoholic beverages?”
Where was this going? “No.”
“Oh.” She cocked her head, studying him.
There was an awkward silence, and all Ethan could think about was how she’d looked this morning.
“Well …” He gave her a curt nod. “Good n—”
“Wait.” She rushed to the refrigerator, opened it and bent over to pull out one of his dinner plates. “I almost forgot. I made this for you.” On the plate was a crusty golden cake with whipped cream and strawberries on top.
Ethan’s stomach growled and his mouth watered. “Is that—”
“Strawberry shortcake.” She confirmed his suspicion with a grin. His all-time-favorite dessert. How had she known?
Setting it on the counter, she turned to grab a smaller plate from the cabinet and his largest chopping knife from the block. “Please say you’ll eat just a bite.”
Ethan told himself he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. And he was weak from hunger. He reached over the counter, swiped a fork from a drawer and dropped onto one of the bar stools.
Before he knew it he’d finished off two huge slices and was licking the fork. Suddenly, he realized Lily was sitting beside him, sucking on a strawberry, watching him with half-closed eyes.
Swirling her tongue around the red fruit, she wrapped her lips around the fat end. Then she closed her eyes and moaned as she bit into it and chewed.
That was the oldest trick in the book. But there was a reason women still used it. Because it worked.
He stared at her, fighting the pull, fighting the need.
Her tongue swept a trickle of juice from her lips, and Ethan groaned. A man could take only so much temptation. He grasped her shoulders and pulled her against him, watching her mouth part in surprise right before he took possession of it.
She opened up to him as if she’d been waiting all her life for him to kiss her, wrapping her arms around his neck and rubbing her stiff nipples against his chest.
That trampled the last vestiges of his control. He slid an arm around her back and crushed her to him, devouring her mouth, bruising her lips. She whimpered, which only served to ratchet up his lust. His cock surged and pulsed. It’d been too long since he’d been with a woman, and his body was making up for lost time. His free hand cupped her breast and squeezed, his thumb rubbing across the puckered peak. She was a perfect fit, filling his palm. So soft, yet firm. He wanted a taste.
He stood, lifting her with him, and carried her to the couch. Shoving pillows out of the way, he laid her down, dropping on top of her. His lips moved over hers and his tongue swept in to taste her whipped cream and strawberries. But he wanted more. He had to taste her breasts, and lick the pink nipples that he’d seen in his mind all day long.
“Wait, Ethan,” she murmured as he kissed his way down her neck, lifting her tank top to expose the soft globes. She tried to pull away, but he held fast, denying her release. His body was in command, his cock straining for completion of the act. Needing to touch her flesh, he brought his mouth to one tight peak and suckled.
“Hold on.” She wriggled beneath him. “Hold on!” She brought her palms to either side of his face and tried to push him off, but he only growled and moved to nip at her other breast while his hands slipped beneath her boxers, cupped her butt and pressed her against his hard, aching erection.
“Ethan,” she gasped, fear in her voice.
The haze of lust cleared. He froze, shocked, and lifted himself off her. He was shaking. What was he doing, forcing himself on a woman? Had he lost his mind?
No. He’d lost the ability to reason. And that was why he never allowed himself to be this much out of control.
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