Harrier's Healer (9 page)

Drifting them down over her eyelids, his touch was ever so gentle. One

finger ran down the bridge of her nose and off to the side where it

covered her cheek.

His hands were entirely back on her face as his thumbs moved

tenderly over her full lips, first the top and then the bottom one. The

other fingers trailed down the expanse of her cheeks as his hands

moved to her neck. Her body trembled under his loving touch.

“You are a beautiful woman,” he murmured into her ear, mov-

ing behind her. Strong hands barely made contact with the silken skin

of her shoulders until they reached the straps of her dress. One thick

finger slid under each strap and glided up and down the smooth

material.

The hands moved on, tracing the muscles in her arms as they

scarcely touched her skin, but they touched it more than enough to

ignite the flames in her blood. His head dipped and Scott began to lick

along her collarbone, delving into the hollow of her neck until her

whole body quivered.

Scott caressed up her arms and down the sides of her curva-

ceous body. “I love every inch of this body of yours. Every curve you

have was made to fit perfectly into my body.” His hands moved over

her hips and down the tops of her thighs. “So muscular and yet so

feminine.”

His hands slid up under the dress, allowing their skin to con-

nect. “Smoothness and softness to rival the most expensive silks and

velvets.” Higher and higher his hands rose, exposing her legs to the

night air. Soon the dress had bunched up around her waist and his

hand was heading for the apex of her thighs.

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Aliyah Burke

“Tell me something, Alexis.”

“What?” she whimpered.

“Are you seeing color now?” His fingers traced the edge of her

underwear.

He felt her shudder.
“No,” she breathed. “I’m not. Even though

my eyes are closed, all I know is that I want to be with you. Complete-

ly.”

“Then open your eyes.” She did. His touch was still driving her

crazy but as her head turned towards him, he stopped. Dropping the

dress back down and moving his arms up to encircle around her. “And

now?” he murmured, as she could see his face.

“It still doesn’t matter,” she murmured.

He nodded with relief.
Thank God.
“Good,” he replied as his lips

captured hers in a loving and gentle kiss.

“Let’s go to bed,” she offered.

“Good idea.” He picked her up and carried her inside the house,

stopping only to blow out the final torch.

At her doorway, he set her down and kissed her again. “Good-

night. I will see you in the morning. We need to leave by noon.” Anoth-

er kiss and he slipped into the guest room and closed the door behind

him. That was one of the hardest things he’d ever done in his entire

thirty-seven years of life.

Alexis stared in shock at the empty spot where, mere seconds

ago, a man whom she wanted terribly had stood. He left her; he actually

left her there.
Why am I so freakin’ angry? I have been spouting off about the

UCMJ, not him. Damn the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Why can’t I just

take what he’s offering?

“Well, hell!” she swore as she went into her room and kicked off

her sandals, letting them land wherever, a trait not her norm. Alexis

had never wanted a man more in her entire thirty-four years. Her body

had gone
way
past damp the second he’d laid next to her on that table

outside. Her legs still shook from the feel of his hands touching her

body as she stood there with her eyes closed.

Admittedly, she’d felt very exposed and vulnerable. As his quest

had continued, however, all she could feel was the passion he felt for

her, the raw desire in his voice as he spoke softly in the night air.

“Damn, damn, damn, damn!” She tossed her dress over a chair

as she slid on a pair of short, crimson Harvard boxers and a gray,

spaghetti-strap tank top. Before she talked herself out of it, her bare feet

Harrier's Healer

51

had carried her still-throbbing body out the door of her bedroom and

straight into his.

Without knocking, Alexis just barged right into the room, the

door slamming into the doorstop. “Who in the hell do you think you

are, Commander? To treat people like that?” she raged. “Or is it just

me?” Stepping to the left, her toffee hand reached for the door and shut

it behind her with the force of a gale wind, and then she stopped dead

in her tracks.

Scott sat up against the headboard watching her with his hands

behind that blond head, that perfect chest of his bare and bathed by the

light from the only lamp lit in the room. Her gaze noticed the white

sheet drawn up to his waist as well as the jeans that lay folded on the

chair. For all she knew, he was totally naked beneath that sheet.
Oh,

God, naked…

His gaze met her angry one calmly. “And how did I treat you,

Alexis? You made it clear we weren’t sharing a bed tonight. I thought I

had been respectful,” he said coolly.

“So you never expected to be in my bed tonight? Even when

your hands were running over my body?”

“Expect? No.” He lowered his arms to rest by his side. “Hoped?

Oh, hell, yeah!” Scott looked at her for a moment in silence. “Lex, I

know without a doubt that we will make love. The sparks between us

are too overpowering to ignore. But I have never nor will I ever force or

coerce a woman into my bed. When you say no, it is no.”

Feline eyes narrowed with disbelief. Alexis took slow deliberate

steps towards him in the bed. “I thought you didn’t want me anymore

after you left me at my door.” She quietly confessed as she dropped to

her hands and began to crawl up the bed towards him.

Scott swallowed hard. His direct gaze was glued to the breasts

he saw hanging free inside her skimpy shirt. “Just for the record, I left

you by your door to show consideration for you. Not because I didn’t

want you.”

Her gaze grew as sultry. “So, am I allowed to change my mind?”

Her hips were centered right over his pelvic area and her sweet breath

warmed his chest as she prowled closer.

His hands clenched in the sheet that kept his lower body from

touching hers. “Don’t, Alexis,” he groaned. “You made your choice. I’m

not a little boy. I don’t want to play games.”

Her tongue snaked out and licked up his sternum. “I am done

playing games, Commander,” she purred as her mouth drew even with

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Aliyah Burke

his. “I can’t lie to you and pretend that I don’t want you. But you’re

right, I did make my choice. The wrong one, but at least I know where

my mistake was and therefore I know how to fix it.”

Scott closed his eyes, as if praying for strength.

“Look at me,” she said against his mouth. He opened his eyes,

dark with longing. “
Bésame
, Commander,” she ordered.

Scott might not have known what she said, but he got the idea.

His hands moved up and, as his fingers gathered fistfuls of her silken

hair, he pressed his lips to hers, sliding his tongue deep into the wel-

coming warmth of her mouth.

Alexis immediately whimpered as his tongue plundered hers.

Moving her lower body up more, she straddled his lean hips and sat

down on his lap so her hands could slide around the back of his head

and hold him as he held her.

Each of them explored the other’s mouth. Eyes drifted closed as

souls were joined. Keeping their foreheads pressed against one another,

Alexis released his mouth and just sat there with his strong hands

intertwined her hair, his erection pressed up between her legs, the scent

of Scott all over her and her kiss-swollen lips aching for more of his

gentle yet masterful touch.

“I know I made my decision, but I don’t want to be alone to-

night,” she confessed in a small voice.

“And you don’t have to be,” came his gravelly response. “You

don’t have to be.”

Slipping into the bed on the side of him that wasn’t injured,

Alexis felt a peace surround her that she hadn’t ever been aware of

before. Security and contentment. As he turned off the light and ga-

thered her against his protective body she sighed deeply. “Thank you,”

she murmured as the days events overtook her and she feel asleep.

“Sleep well, my sexy sienna healer. Sleep well.” With a kiss to

her head he, too, slept.

C h a p t e r E i g h t

“Why won’t you tell me where we are going?” Alexis protested

as the driver put her bags in the trunk of the cab. She climbed into the

backseat ahead of the blond-haired, blue-eyed man with her.

“Don’t you think that defeats the whole idea of a surprise?” he

responded with a chuckle.

“Humph.” She slid across the leather seat so he could climb in

on the same side, and tried to ignore the fact that her neighbors were

watching avidly.

“Come on, now. You’ll love it, I promise,” he coaxed for a smile

and was rewarded with one. His gaze also took in the ogling stares but

they didn’t seem to affect him at all.

Closing the door he smiled as the taxi drove them away from

prying eyes. He looked at the woman beside him. Meeting his eyes, she

fell victim to his cornflower-blue orbs. “Where are we going?” she tried

again.

“These lips are sealed,” he answered with a wink.

Alexis looked down at herself. She wore khaki capris and a

black sleeveless shirt that displayed her well-toned arms. On her feet

was a pair of black sandals that showed off the French manicure on her

toes. Her hair was loose, framing her face, softening her appearance

even more. “How can I be sure I packed the right clothing?”

Scott shook his head. “Not gonna work. I was with you as you

packed so you have the right clothes.”

“Fine,” Alexis huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You’re very adorable when you pout, did you know that?”

“I’m not pouting.”

He shrugged. “Okay, but I still think you’re adorable.”

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Aliyah Burke

Adorable.
That one word made her feel like the only woman in

the world. “Will you do something for me?”

“What is it?” He moved his burning gaze up from her chest to

her face.

“Teach me some self-defense moves.”

His eyes turned stormy. “Who’s threatened you?” The menace

in his voice caused even the cabbie to look at him in shock with a bit of

fear.

She immediately reached across the cab and laid a dark hand on

his solid arm. “No one. I just want to learn.” At his skeptical look, she

reiterated, “No one has threatened me.”

“Alexis,” came a deep rumbling growl.

“I promise, Commander, no one has threatened me.” She began

to move her arm back and he grabbed hold of it and skated her body

across the smooth seat to anchor her next to him.

“You will tell me if anyone does.” It was another order, not a

question.

“I don’t need you to protect me.”

“Maybe not, but
I
need to protect you.” His knuckles skimmed

over her cheekbone. “I want your promise, Lex,” he rumbled.

“Okay, I promise. I will let you know if anyone threatens me.”

She shook her head in dismay as she spoke.

He opened his mouth to respond verbally but stopped. Any fur-

ther protest was halted as the cab pulled up to the airport load-

ing/unloading zone to stop by the door for their airline.

“A flight?” Alexis watched as her bags were whisked away by

an attendant at Scott’s order.

“You’re not afraid to fly, are you?” he asked as he slid his arm

around her back and escorted them inside the cool airport.

“No, I’m not.” Her brows furrowed as she wondered what was

in store for her.

“Don’t worry so much. We aren’t leaving the country. Does that

help?”

“A bit. There’s gonna be access to a phone if my…our pagers go

off, right?”

A low growl slipped from him as if annoyed by the prospect.

“We have our cells.” He began to laugh. “I’m not taking you to bum-

fuck-Egypt, you know. There will be civilization, precooked food. We

aren’t going to be roughing it. I
did
say vacation.”

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55

Alexis narrowed her gaze at the brunette trying to make eye

contact with her handsome traveling companion. “Good,” she said.

“’Cause I am going to expect what you promised. Especially the mas-

sage. I can’t wait to have a handsome masseur rubbing down my weary

body.”

Spinning around to face her, Scott hissed, “I’m gonna be giving

you a massage if you want one.” His eyes were narrow slits.

Alexis gave a half shrug. “Whatever.” Inside she was dancing a

jig.
He couldn’t care less about that cute dark-haired woman who had been

flirting with him!

Jerking her up against his firm body, Scott kissed her hard and

fast. “No, not ‘whatever.’ Nice to know you were jealous.” His words

were whispered. “But why would I want that when I have the most