Her Survivor: A Black Eagle Ops Novel (22 page)

He feathered sensual kisses from her shoulder to her wrist and trailed his tongue back up again, whispering words of love as he paid homage to her unbroken arm. She sighed as her body prepared for him and for the release he would bring her. Only Dustin knew how to satisfy her, how to make her feel desired and treasured.

Evidently the man was on a mission—to kiss every inch of her skin not covered by a cast. Wait until he noticed.

“Holy hell, Kitten.” His finger trailed over her mons she’d shaved yesterday in the shower. “A bald pussy. Sexy as fucking hell. Your juices glisten.” He swept his tongue along her slit and she nearly rose off the bed. Her freshly shaven parts were extremely sensitive. He circled her clit, moaning how good she tasted. His thumbs pried her apart and his tongue entered her.

Tension coiled deep in her abdomen. “Yes, Dustin! Oh, my God!” He kept up the pressure with his tongue, delving in and out of her opening. Pulling back, he snatched a condom from the drawer and sheathed himself.

She pushed him onto his back and mounted him, holding his cock at her opening and pushing down. Both groaned. She rose and fell, increasing her speed as her climax drew near.

“That’s it, love. Ride me hard!” His hands clasped her ass, raising and lowering her, faster and faster. Her insides quivered in climax and he shouted her name as he came and came. Enveloping her in his arms, he drew her to him, careful of her broken arm. “Sweet Lord…I will love you to my last heartbeat and the heartbeat after that.”

Dustin whisked the eggs he’d broken into a bowl for their breakfast. “ZQ called while you were in the shower. He wants me to spend the day with you. Fran and Junebug are going shopping for cabinets, counter, and appliances while he, JJ, and Clint tear out the old stuff.”

“Was it ZQ’s idea for you to spend the day with me or yours?” Kelcee stopped pouring a cup of coffee and waited for Dustin’s reply.

He couldn’t lie to her. Wouldn’t lie to her. “You’re a smart cookie. It was mine. I’ll go out tomorrow to help. After all you went through yesterday, I can’t just leave you alone today. I like to think you’ll need me hanging around to help keep your mind off things.”

She eyed him over the rim of her cup. “Thanks. I am still shaky today.”

He sliced a couple small pats of butter to melt in the frying pan. “I’m going to call Mark about ordering in your bay window and studding for the job while you get dressed. Do you think you’ll feel up to shopping for components for your work counter downstairs afterward?” His gaze swept to her as he poured the scrambled eggs into the frying pan. “ZQ gave me the directions to the best store to go to. It’s where he sent his mom and Fran.”

Kelcee finished her coffee and poured another cup. “Do you think Junebug’s migraine has improved enough for her to go shopping?”

Dustin flipped the eggs and sprinkled grated cheese on the top before putting bread in the toaster. He jotted some measurements on a notepad and chuckled. “ZQ said it was fuckin’ amazing how placing his charge card in his mother’s hand cured her migraine. Claimed she perked right up. Must be something in the plastic.”

She slapped his arm as she passed by to get plates and silverware. “You guys. Put you all together and you verbally tear us poor defenseless women apart.”

He pivoted to watch her teacup ass as she sashayed back and forth in the kitchen, the hem of her short black, silky robe billowing out. All of his hormonal systems were on high alert. “Defenseless, my ass.”

Something had Dustin distracted. Kelcee studied him as he drove his new
ʼ
stang on the highway, the fingertips of one hand tapping the steering wheel and his jaw clenched.

He was happy to find Mark had a bay window in stock. Mark had recommended some carpenters to create the opening and install it. So, what was up with Dustin?

“Are you going to tell me, or not?”

His head whipped in her direction. “Tell you what?”

“Don’t play Mr. Innocent with me. Something is weighing on your mind. You’re sending out ‘oh, shit, I’ve got to tell her this’ vibes.”

He checked his rearview mirror and pulled onto an abandoned restaurant’s parking lot, weeds growing through the cracks in the concrete. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he shifted toward her in his bucket seat. “ZQ called again while you were getting dressed. He’d just heard from his handler at the CIA. There was a large bounty on Tony’s head. Since I’m the one who shot your brother, the money comes to me.”

To process what he’d told her, she glanced out the side window and allowed the words and their ramifications to sink in.

“I told ZQ I didn’t want the damn money. To use it for Junebug’s new kitchen.” He reached for her hand. “All I could see was a man holding my woman hostage with a gun to her sweet flesh. A potential bounty never entered my mind.” He played with her fingers. “I don’t want to financially benefit from shooting your brother, because I don’t want to hurt you.”

He was protecting her again. “I’m glad you gave it to ZQ for the kitchen remodel. That was very generous of you.”

“Yeah, well, ZQ thanked me and then asked what I wanted to do with the rest.” His blue-eyed gaze searched her face. “It was a large reward.” He shifted in his seat. “I want to buy you a car.”

“No!”

“When I’m gone, that’ll be one less thing for me to worry about. You riding that damn bicycle to the bank or jogging there with a backpack full of money. That man put you through hell. Let his death pay for your car.”

“I don’t want anything from him.”

“You’re getting a new car and that’s that.” He fastened his seatbelt and knocked the car into gear. “The matter is not open for discussion.”

Why say a word? The Testosterone Alpha Force just spoke. Well, I can be forceful, too, dammit!

Fran charged into the bookstore five minutes before opening time. “Land sakes, I thought I’d be late this morning. Clint woke up frisky.” She glanced out the window. “Whose adorable baby blue Beetle convertible is that out there?”

“Never mind.”

Dustin made the last step into the store from upstairs. He held a kitten to each naked pec, his tight-fitting jeans cupping his manhood like a pair of lover’s hands. The top two buttons were open and his feet were bare—the real one and the prosthesis. “Good morning, Fran. How do you like Kelcee’s new car?”

Fran’s aqua purse dropped to the floor, while her hand kept patting Kelcee’s good arm. “You…you…sleep with all that?”

“Whatever.” She turned her back on Mr. Testosterone Alpha.

The mountain of heat stepped behind her and wrapped his kitten-full hands around her waist. “She’s still mad at me, Fran. I wasn’t supposed to buy the woman I love a car. Tell me, does Clint buy you cars?”

Fran and her chins nodded. “Why, yes. Whenever I need one.”

“See?”

Kelcee pointed to Fran as she spun in his arms. “That’s totally different. He’s her husband. That’s like comparing apples to oranges.”

Dustin turned that slow sexy-as-hell smile on Fran and she gulped so loud it nearly echoed in the store. “Does Clint have apples or oranges, Mama Fran?”

Well, would you listen to the silver-tongued devil? Her female parts perked up, all needy and wet. Damn traitors.

Fran came at him with open arms. “Oh, bless your heart. You called me Mama Fran.”

Kelcee tweaked his nipple. “So, you want to play dirty?”

“I want you to be happy. Didn’t I show you last night?”

Well, there was that. “Take the kittens back upstairs and get dressed. The sign says ‘Shirt and Shoes Required for Service.’ Besides, the children will be here soon for story reading and arts and crafts.”

He kissed her. “Yes, love. I have an appointment with Dr. Raymond shortly, anyway.” He carried Marmalade and Sox back upstairs.

“Kelcee, you are so mean to him. Do you want another woman to shove you out of the picture with some sweetness and compliments? You can’t keep putting him down and expect him to hang around for your verbal abuse. A man’s ego won’t take that. Do you care for him?” Fran put her purse away.

“Yes, I care for him. It scares me how much I care for him. He’ll soon be leaving, going back to a warrior’s life. I’ll fall apart without him.” Kelcee fiddled with some bills she had to enter into her accounting program. “I’m not always mean to him. I love him very much. I just don’t know how to handle the enormity of it.” She glanced at Fran. “I see you and Clint together. I want that type of relationship someday.”

Fran pointed to the stairway to the apartment. “And you think that man won’t give you what my Silver Stud and I have? Open your eyes! He worships you. He was willing to walk away from you to keep you safe from his posttraumatic rages. He put you before himself. Few men would do that.”

Kelcee poured another cup of coffee. Fran was right; she was acting like a bitch, afraid of her feelings. She loved this man, would probably always love him. When he went back to active duty, so be it. It wouldn’t change how she felt about her protector, her survivor.

She was just herding the last of her children and their mothers out when her cellphone rang. It was Dustin and she’d turned over a new leaf. “Hi handsome,” her voice purred.

“Ah…do I have the right number?”

Didn’t she feel like crap? “If you’re trying to reach the woman who’s been nasty to you of late, unless you’ve had her flat on her back, you’ve got the right number.”

He chuckled. “I’m at the ranch, helping with the kitchen remodel. Everyone’s going to Sandoval’s Tex-Mex for supper, since the kitchen’s far from done. We’ve been asked to join in. Are you up for that or are you too tired to go out?”

“No. Sounds like fun. What time?” Her man had changed a lot in the last couple months. Before, he was afraid to eat in a restaurant. Now, he sounded eager to go out with a group of friends. Dustin was overcoming some of his PTSD.

“I’ll pick you up at six-thirty.”

“Give it to her straight,” ZQ’s voice broke in. “Oh-six-thirty, darlin’, military time. Dust, you’ve got to teach her right.”

“I’ll be ready, big guy. I’ll even wear my thigh-highs and fuck-me heels.”

“You’re killing me, here.” Dustin’s voice had dropped to that sexy timbre that made her panties moist. “Later, Kitten.” He ended the call.

“There, didn’t that conversation go better when you put a little sugary effort into it?” Fran straightened the children’s chairs. “Around two or three, why don’t you go upstairs, take some painkillers, and have a refreshing nap. This is your first day back, working full-time. If you’re going out tonight, you’ll need some rest first. Clint texted me a few minutes ago. We’ll be joining you guys. Sounds like a party.”

Shortly after two, her arm started throbbing. Kelcee took Fran’s advice and trudged up the steps. Two angelic kittens greeted her; so did dirt on the floor from a potted plant. She was hurting too much to raise a fuss. She needed a book on cat care. Once she’d taken two aspirins, she toed off her shoes, set her alarm, and crawled into bed. Marma and Sox climbed up the mattress to join her. Kelcee petted them until her eyes closed.

Her alarm went off and the kittens flew out of the room to escape the racket.
The darlings do have their moments.
She chuckled as she chose what to wear tonight—a black slim skirt and a yellow short-sleeved sweater with a crisscross neckline. She chose some sexy panties and hurried to the shower.

Once dressed, she went looking for the kittens and found them playing with Dustin’s hair as he was spread out on the living room floor, catching a few Z’s himself. He was nearly covered in drywall dust caked on by sweat. She stepped closer. Were they playing or grooming him?

She turned to go back to the bedroom to do her makeup and he woke at the sound of her stilettos hitting the wooden floor.

“Hey, beautiful. Bring that teacup ass here.”

“No, not as dirty as you are.”

He stood and she squealed, running into the bedroom and locking the door. A minute later, the shower started and she began the process of making up her eyes. Tonight should be fun, eating with friends. She hoped Dustin could handle it.

Dustin had his arm around Kelcee’s waist as he escorted her into Sandoval’s. To her surprise, he led her to a private room in the back, normally reserved for private parties. She glanced around the gang of friends and a couple strangers gathered at the long table.

A red rose lay across the placemat at the head of the table where Dustin sat her. “Kelcee, you know Owen and our beloved Junebug.” He pointed as he worked his way around the table.

“Yes.” What was Owen doing here? Had he been helping out at the ranch, too?

“This is a very special guest.” Dustin smiled broadly and patted his heart. A dark-haired woman with eyes like his patted her heart in return. “My mom, Linda Franks, who’s exhausted from a spur-of-the-moment flight here.”

Linda dabbed her eyes. “I’m so happy to see my son again.” She shot an admonishing look at him. “It’s been a long time, but we’ll talk about that later.” She winked at Dustin. “I’m thrilled to meet the woman who’s captured his heart and helped him heal.” Her bright smile warmed Kelcee.

Dustin kept moving around the people at the table, giving her little time to wonder why his mother was here. “ZQ, JJ, Clint, and Fran. You’ll remember Jesse, who took care of you after you were run over.”

“I’ll always remember his kindness.” Was this her birthday and she’d forgotten?

“Mark, Nina, and my buddy Dusty in his SEAL cap. Gina, my physical therapist, who could certainly help you with therapy once the cast comes off.”

Gina was a slender blonde with chocolate eyes and a warm smile. “So, you’re the woman who’s been beating up on Dustin? How nice to meet you. Thanks for all the hard work you’ve put into his recovery.

“He can be a bit of a grouch. You
do
know that.” She winked and laughed. Kelcee liked her personality right away.

Pitchers of sangria sat on the table. Little Dusty had his own small pitcher of grape juice with orange and lemon slices floating in it. Platters of food were brought in and they ate family style. The conversation was easy and the laughter loud. Dustin seemed at ease, although Kelcee caught the corners of his mouth tensing a time or two.

Dustin asked the waitress to hold off on bringing in the dessert. He stood and the room grew quiet. “Everyone, I have a few things to say. All of you have helped my adjustment from hospital life to normal life. I’m grateful.” He rubbed his hand across her shoulder.

“I’ve decided once I get some minor surgical treatment done, I’m taking my medical discharge from the Navy.” He looked at Kelcee. “Close your mouth, love, I know it’s a shock. It’s something we should have talked about, but the thought of leaving you was too much for me to handle. I need you in my life. Not just in letters or on Skype or a few months a year, but every day.”

ZQ coughed.

“Well, unless I’m doing work for ZQ.” He winked at her and she understood what that meant. He was joining Black Eagle Ops. “I’m thinking of opening a small, one-man architectural firm here in Warrior Falls.” Heads nodded in agreement.

This was all too much to understand, to wrap her mind around at once. “You…you’re not going back to Coronado?”

“No.” He slipped a small box from his pants pocket and dropped to one knee. “Kelcee, I love you. I’ve loved you since my first day here in town when I ran into your jasmine wall of attitude.” He flipped the box open to reveal a round diamond flanked by channel-set dark blue sapphires, the color of his eyes. “Will you do me the honor of marrying me? Of having my children. Of growing old with me?”

Now the setup made sense. The private room, everyone they knew, the rose at her seat, and his mother. He’d planned this well. He’d created a memorable event for his proposal. She placed her hand on his cheek and he turned into it, kissing her palm. Tears of happiness flooded her eyes. She did love this man, her protector, her survivor. “Yes! Oh yes, I’ll marry you!”

Dustin took the ring from the box, kissed it, and placed it on her finger. He stood and pulled her out of her chair. “I’ve got witnesses, Kitten.” He waved an open hand to include the entire room. “You’re mine and we’re getting married.” Cheers and clapping accompanied his kiss of pure possession. Damned if her garter belt didn’t ping against him again.

Once the kiss finally ended, he turned her toward the group as she frantically tried to cover her errant garter. His arms went around her waist, drawing her back to the solid wall of his chest. His hand brushed hers away and covered what she was trying to hide. “Friends, SEAL brothers, I present to you the future Mrs. Dustin Sloan Franks.”

“We need a date,” ZQ demanded. Trust the commander to always try to run the show.

Kelcee couldn’t take her eyes off the ring and kept fingering it. Dustin leaned and whispered in her ear. “The blue sapphires are my eyes always watching out for you, protecting you.” She nodded. What a beautiful sentiment.

“A date?” ZQ pushed further.

“New Yearth Eve,” little Dusty chimed in. “On accounta…on accounta I alwayth get to thtay up late on New Yearth Eve.”

What a perfect idea. Starting a new year out as this man’s wife. “I like what Dusty said. He can be our ring bearer.”

“New Year’s Eve! Well, land sakes, we can’t plan a wedding in three months.” Fran jerked toward Clint for his opinion.

“Our girl can have whatever she wants, Sugar Loaf. You, Junebug, and the bride will get your heads together, make calls back and forth to Linda, and plan something beautiful. Won’t they, Owen?”

Owen shook his head once. “And the honeymoon cruise is on me, if the groom can handle bein’ on water.” He threw his head back and laughed.

Kelcee pivoted in Dustin’s arms. “If we don’t soon get out of here, this gang will have our whole wedding planned.”

“I will love you forever, Kitten,” and she joined in so they spoke their private oath together, “until my final heartbeat and the one after that.”