Heat of the Moment (18 page)

Holly paused in the act of tasting his skin and pulled back to look at him with an enthralled expression. “How do you feel about me?”

Shane stared into her chocolate dark eyes and knew he was lost. He had been since the day she’d walked into Benjamin’s Drugstore and ordered a cherry Coke, and then drank it without once taking her eyes from him.

“I do better with hands-on demonstrations,” he growled softly, and lifted her so that she straddled his thighs. Sliding his hands to her bottom, he pushed them beneath the hem of her sundress and reveled in the feel of her warm skin beneath his hands. “And I think I’m beginning to understand the benefits of wearing a dress.”

Holly laughed softly and raised herself up on her knees to wind her arms around his neck and lower her mouth to his. Her lips were incredibly soft and moist and she tasted faintly of sweet melon.

“Love me before you go,” she begged, her voice low and urgent against his mouth.

Without waiting for his answer, she reached down and fumbled with the fastening of his shorts. He was already hard for her, but he grasped her wrist, needing to slow her down.

“Holly, what if someone comes?”

She leaned back slightly to look at him with a crooked smile. “Well, gee, I was kind of hoping that would be me.”

Shane laughed and then stopped breathing as she unsnapped his shorts and lowered his zipper, and slid her hand beneath the waistband of his boxers. He heard her breath hitch when she found him hot and hard, and that small sound was a complete turn on.

He forgot about where they were or that anyone could come across the stone bridge and find them. There was only Holly, warm and alive and vibrant in his arms. She kissed him, sliding her tongue against his as she gripped him in her hand, until sparks of white-hot lust fire-crackered behind Shane’s eyelids. The only thing that mattered was getting inside her as fast as possible.

Hooking his thumbs in the waistband of her panties, he dragged them down her hips, and she shifted her weight to help push them free of her body. Then there she was, pulsing and warm and soft against the part of him that ached for release. He wanted to go slow, to take his time and watch her reach her pleasure first, but he never had the chance.

Holly braced herself with one hand on his shoulder and positioned him at the entrance to her body, and then lowered herself over him in one smooth, blissful movement. Shane gritted his teeth at the exquisite sensation of sinking into her wet heat, but when she gave a deep groan of sexual pleasure and began rocking against him, he lost whatever tenuous control he’d had.

Gripping her hips in his hands, he thrust deeply and only the fact that his good foot was planted firmly on the floor of the gazebo kept the swing from rocking wildly. Even so, the rhythmic movement of her body against his was too much. He wasn’t going to last, but it was okay because Holly was there too, her hands buried in his hair as she angled for deeper penetration. She clutched at him, rising over him as she used her thighs to leverage her sensual movements. She gasped and Shane swallowed her soft cries of satisfaction as a powerful orgasm gripped her, and then pulled him over the edge to join her.

Breathing heavily, he wrapped his arms around her and just held her, breathing in her scent and feeling the hard thump of her heart against his. Her arms were still wrapped around his neck and her fingers threaded idly through his hair as she struggled to catch her breath.

“Oh, man,” he finally groaned. “That was unexpected.”

“But amazing.”

Shane laughed. “Oh, yeah…. Sweetheart, I hate to do this, but if we don’t head back to the house in the next few minutes, your old man is going to come looking for us. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to have to explain this to the Admiral.”

Holly smiled against his neck. “Mmm, me neither.”

Reluctantly, Shane eased her away from him and helped her to retrieve her panties. With their clothing back in place, they made their way out of the gazebo and back over the stone bridge. Shane kept her hand tucked loosely in his, reluctant to let her go completely.

“So, I’ll call you when I get to Washington and let you know how it’s going.” She nodded.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. We may both have to testify, eventually.”

“I don’t have a problem with that. Do you?”

An image of Martinez raising his gun at Holly’s unprotected back came back to Shane and he felt again that sensation of panic and desperation and utter helplessness. He curled his hand tighter around Holly’s. “No, I have no problem whatsoever with it. If I have my way, he’ll spend the rest of his life in Leavenworth.”

They retraced their steps back toward the house until they came to a small clearing with a fountain. In the center stood a small sculpture of a cherub pouring a jug of water into the surrounding pool. Thick yew shrubs surrounded the circular fountain and ivy climbed over the carved feet of the stone benches on either side.

“I always loved this part of the garden,” Holly mused. “When I was a little girl, I’d pretend I was a princess being kept in a forbidden castle against my will, waiting for my knight in shining armor to rescue me.”

“And then I showed up,” Shane quipped. He’d meant it as a joke, but when Holly turned to him, there was nothing remotely humorous about the expression on her face.

“Yes,” she said softly, “and then you showed up. A reluctant hero who wanted nothing to do with princesses.”

Shane gave a small laugh. “I don’t think I’d describe you as a princess, Holly. A real princess would wait for her hero to save her, not go charging into battle to save
him.
”

Holly flashed him a smile. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. I’d do it again if I had to.”

“I hope it never comes to that. You’ve had enough close calls in the past month to last me the rest of my life.” Then, afraid he’d said too much, Shane glanced toward the house. “I should get going. Your father is waiting for me.”

“Come this way. My mother said there’s a new garden she wants us to see.”

Holly led him beyond the fountain to where the path circled toward the side of the house. In a small clearing, they saw Emily had planted red, white, and purple carnations in the pattern of the American flag.

“Very nice,” Shane commented. “I can never think of your mother without thinking of flowers. Are you really going to turn your photos into a calendar?”

To his surprise, Holly blushed. “I don’t know that they’re good enough. Mother thinks they are, but that’s not the reason I took the photos. I just thought that someone ought to capture the beauty of her gardens.”

“I’ve seen your photos, Holly. I think your mother is right—you have a true talent with a camera. Have you ever thought of doing something professional?”

“Sometimes. But dreaming and doing are two very different things. There are a lot of talented photographers out there who’ve spent years perfecting their craft. I just sort of go on instinct.”

“Sometimes instinct is what separates the survivors from the rest of the pack,” Shane said quietly. “And you’re a survivor, Holly.”

She flashed him a quick smile of gratitude. “We’ll see.” She gestured toward the flowers. “Don’t be surprised if you see these gardens all over Chatham next year.”

He’d embarrassed her, but he didn’t care. He knew he’d planted the seed of an idea, and that’s all that mattered.

“Does the garden club usually adopt her ideas?”

“They’re more like strong recommendations. In case you hadn’t noticed, my mother is very determined and she usually gets her way.”

“At least now I know where you get it from.”

Holly laughed, but sobered almost immediately. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

“A couple of days, max. Really,” he said, noting her downcast face. “I’ll call you if anything changes. The only thing you need to worry about is yourself.” Stepping close, he caught her face in his hands and let his gaze drift over her features. “Promise me that you’ll stay in the house. Don’t go anywhere alone, even here in town. Don’t let any strangers into the house, and don’t go back to the lake. Got it?”

“I’ll be fine. Now that my father knows what’s going on, he’s not about to let me do anything or go anywhere alone. In fact, he’ll probably have an entire team of Navy SEALs stand guard outside my bedroom door, just as a precaution.”

“Not if they know what’s good for them,” Shane growled. “I’m the only one who should be anywhere near your bedroom door.”

Holly smiled. “Deal. Just promise that you’ll be back before the parade. I’ve changed my mind and have decided I shouldn’t have to suffer through that alone.”

“I promise,” Shane said, and bent his head to capture her lips with his own. For a moment, she clung to him as if she wouldn’t let go. When they finally pulled apart, they were both breathless.

“I have to go,” he muttered, setting her away from him.

“I know. I’ll be waiting for you to come home.”

Home.
Until that moment, Shane would have argued that for him, there was no such place. Home was wherever his Marine Corps unit was located. Now he realized that wasn’t true.

Home was wherever Holly was.

Turning, he followed the path toward the front of the house. He looked back once, briefly, to see Holly standing where he had left her against the patriotic backdrop of flowers, her fingers pressed against her mouth as if she could still feel him there. He raised his hand in farewell and then resolutely walked away.

The door to the office opened and a Navy Captain poked his head into the hallway. “Sgt. Rafferty.”

Shane stood up and followed the officer into an office with wainscoting on the walls and gleaming cherry furniture. The Captain extended a hand to Shane.

“I’m Captain Aubrey.” He indicated an upholstered chair opposite his desk. “Please, have a seat.”

The Captain picked up a file from his desk and flipped it open. “I see you have eight years of distinguished service, Sergeant, and recently completed your Master’s degree.”

“Yes, sir.” It had taken Shane the full eight years that he’d been in the service to complete his undergraduate and then his graduate degree, but he’d been determined to either move up in the military, or get out and get a job that would enable him to provide for a wife and a family.

“You’re lucky to be alive. Not many soldiers can say they’ve survived a gunshot wound
and
a grenade.”

“Yes, sir.”

Captain Aubrey closed the file and set it back on his desk. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re here, Sergeant?”

“I’m here because I’ve remembered what happened that day in Iraq, when we came under attack in the Anbar Province. I know the report states that I abandoned my post and that I’m responsible for my own injuries and those of Lt. Durant’s, but—”

“Lt. Durant is the female officer who risked her life to save you and was shot in the process.”

“Yes, sir. Until recently, I was unable to recall the specific events of that day. I believed that I was responsible for Lt. Durant’s injuries, and that may still be true, but there’s additional information that I believe needs to be taken into consideration.”

“Go on.”

Shane related the events of that day as he remembered them, leaving nothing out. Not even the debilitating fear he’d experienced when he had seen Martinez aiming his weapon at Holly’s back.

“So she did fling herself into the middle of the gun-fight to save me.” Shane dropped his gaze to where he dangled his hat between his knees. “I’ll have to live with that for the rest of my life. But I did see him take a shot at her as she ran toward me.”

Captain Aubrey leaned forward. “Are you saying one of Lt. Durant’s own men deliberately tried to kill her during the battle?”

“I’ll sign a sworn statement to that effect,” Shane said firmly. “Not only did he shoot her, but I believe he also threw the grenade that nearly killed us both.”

“These are serious allegations, Sergeant.”

“Yes, sir. I’m aware of that. But I have reason to believe that Lt. Durant’s life may still be in danger.”

Captain Aubrey studied Shane for a long moment before rising to his feet. “I admire your conviction, Sergeant.” Without taking his eyes from Shane, he pressed the intercom button on his phone. “Cindy, please send Harrington and Fowler into my office.”

Shane gave a soft of huff of laughter and had to look quickly away at the enormous sense of relief that washed over him. The Captain believed him. That had to count for something.

The door to the office opened and the two investigators whom Shane had met at the lake house entered. They looked surprised to see Shane, but swiftly composed their features and listened as the captain told them what Shane had recalled from the battle.

“Sergeant Rafferty,” LTC Fowler said, “after we were contacted by Lt. Durant regarding the allegations levied against Sergeant Martinez, we conducted an investigation and discovered he was part of a widespread conspiracy of corruption that extends from some of the highest contracting officials in Iraq, to individuals in the United States acting as money brokers.”

Shane frowned. “What about the guy who broke into the lake house? Is he involved in all of this?”

Aubrey leaned forward. “Martinez was flown back from Iraq earlier this week for questioning. He was a tough nut to crack, but eventually he broke down and confessed everything.” He paused. “The man who broke into Lt. Durant’s home is named Miguel Flores. He’s a cousin of Sgt. Martinez and was apparently paid to travel to Virginia to take care of Lt. Durant.”

Shane shook his head in stunned disbelief. “Why? What possible benefit could there have been for him to kill Holly?”

He realized his gaffe in calling a superior officer by her first name, but he was past caring. Even knowing the investigators would likely come after them for fraternization didn’t faze him.

“Lt. Durant’s commanding officer tipped Martinez off about her suspicions, but they believed she was the only person who suspected his illegal activities,” Captain Aubrey continued. “Martinez thought if he got rid of her, he got rid of the only witness.”

“They didn’t know that Holly had also contacted your office.”

“Exactly,” said Lt. Harrington. “Commander Comstock never intended to contact the IG, not when he was one of the ringleaders of the whole scheme.”

Shane scrubbed a hand over his face. “So how do you know there isn’t someone still out there trying to kill Lt. Durant?”

“Once Martinez began talking, he dropped names fast,” said Lieutenant Commander Fowler. “Commander Comstock is being taken into custody as we speak and we believe we’ve rounded up all of their accomplices here in the States.”

Shane sagged back in his chair. “So it’s all true.”

Harrington gave him a sympathetic glance. “Sgt. Martinez confessed to everything, including how he threw the grenade in an attempt to injure or kill Lt. Durant. He says he recalls aiming his weapon at her, but changed his mind when he saw you coming toward him. He said he can’t recall if he actually fired his weapon or not.”

Shane curled his hands into fists. “I believe he did. Maybe he panicked when I tried to intervene. Maybe, if I’d remained with my truck, he wouldn’t have fired.”

“Or maybe he would have fired anyway,” said Captain Aubrey. “The point is, you can’t second guess your actions now, Sergeant. Lt. Durant is alive, and so are you. Isn’t that what really matters?”

Shane grimaced. “I’ll make a full recovery, but she’ll never regain full use of her arm. She believes she’s no longer fit to remain in the military.”

“That’s a decision that only she can make.”

Shane blew out a hard breath. “So what’s next?”

“We’ll need you to make a formal statement, and then you’re free to go. We may require your testimony, but that’s months down the road.”

Shane rose to his feet. “Thank you. I appreciate everything you’ve done. Will your office contact Lt. Durant and let her know the results of your investigation? I’m sure you’ll require her testimony, as well.”

A touch of a smile curved Captain Aubrey’s month. “Oh, I think we’ll leave that to you, Sgt. Rafferty.”

The two investigators left the office, and Shane had turned to follow them when the Captain stopped him.

“Sgt. Rafferty, if you have a minute, there’s something else I’d like to discuss with you. Why don’t you close the door? This could take some time.”