Once a Marine (10 page)

“Who, him?” Kelly answered in a stage whisper. “Who is he?”

“Him. Rafi Cruz.” She slapped her hand to her forehead, walked to the other end of the kitchen, turned, and walked back. “The last time I saw him all he had on was a pair of swim trunks.”

Kelly dropped her head back and placed a hand on her chest. “Be still my heart.” She grabbed BD as she turned for her second trip to the other side of the room. “Wait a minute. How come you never mentioned him to me before?”

“Because I thought I’d never see him again.” She took a breath. “Lord, I can’t breathe. What’s wrong with me? I’m supposed to be mad at him, but all I want to do is go back in there, tear his clothes off, get my hands on him, and crawl all over him. I must be nuts!”

“My goodness, there’s so much more to you than meets the eye. I’m shocked. I’m stunned. I’m jealous.”

“What should I do?”

“How about what you just said?”

Rafi raised his bad leg and placed it on the ottoman. He leaned back with a smile, pleased that Bravo Delta melted into his kiss. Maybe his ass wasn’t grass after all. Those weeks lying in the hospital outside Manila, he barely thought of anything other than having his hands on her again.

He wondered what was taking so long in the kitchen. He stood, reached for his cane, and went to investigate. When he opened the door BD fell backward into his arms. Rafi laughed, caught her with one strong arm, and set her on her feet. “You ladies getting ahead of me in the drinks department?”

Kelly grinned foolishly. “No, ah, we were just coming out with the coffee. Weren’t we?”

“Yes, we were just coming with the coffee.” Her face went rosy with an attractive blush. She flapped her hands. “Is it hot in here?”

Rafi thought better of making any comment with BD and hot in the same sentence. “Anything I can do? I’m pretty handy around a kitchen, even with this.” He held up the cane.

“Oh, no. You two go have a seat. I’ll be right out with the coffee.” She gave BD a little shove, sending her into Rafi’s chest. “Oh, sorry. Uh, go on, I’ll be right there.”

BD took a breath, straightened her back, raised her chin, and led the way back to the living room. She waited while Rafi took a seat on the couch and deliberately sat across from him in a chair. She stared at her lap.

He tapped her knee with his cane. “What’s wrong, sunshine?”

“Nothing, only I have to leave here in about forty-five minutes. I’m flying to New York this afternoon.” She fidgeted. “I wasn’t expecting
you
to show up unannounced. I’m…uh…just surprised to see you. That’s all.”

Kelly carried two mugs of coffee on a small tray. “I’ll just…here’s the coffee. I’ll just go, so you can have privacy.” Clearly flummoxed, Kelly set the tray down on the coffee table.

To Rafi’s amusement, BD shook her head in protest and insisted that Kelly stay. Just then a small cry echoed from the hallway. Kelly excused herself.

He leaned forward and took one of the mugs. Sipped some coffee and watched BD through the rising steam. “I do something to piss you off, sunshine?”

“You think you can show up on the doorstep after all this time, and I’ll fall into your arms? All is forgiven?” She slapped her knee. “Where have you been, dammit?”

He patted his injured leg. “It’s a long story, Bravo Delta, and you said you’re pressed for time. As to you falling into my arms…I did give it some thought.”

She gripped her knees, ignored the coffee. “Not a chance.” She pointed to the cane. “What happened?”

“Got a bum leg. Should be good as new in another month.”

“You didn’t answer my question, flyboy. What happened? Were you shot or something?”

He loved the look of her exasperated and flushed face. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, but she would make him work for it. That was OK. Until several days ago he wasn’t in condition to do anything about getting her in the sack anyway. Even now it could be dicey. In any case, she appeared royally pissed and it was time to stop teasing her.

“Yes—to answer your question, sweet cheeks—I was shot or something. But as you can see I’m on the mend. Except for knocking me on my ass and some blood loss, I’m almost as good as new.” He took a swallow of the coffee. “By the way, you look even better than I remembered.”

She widened her eyes wide with horror, ignoring his compliment. “Were you mugged?”

“In a manner of speaking. But you should have seen the other guy.” He winked. Mistake. That further infuriated her.

“Look, sorry. I can’t talk about it. It’s sort of under investigation.”

“Well, where did it happen?”

“Overseas. That’s all I can say, OK?”

A look of acceptance softened her face and her eyes went from glittery green to warm aqua. He loved the way she could change in a flash.

“OK. I see you’re still a master of communication.” She picked up her cup. “I really do have to leave soon.”

“I know. Grayson told me. That’s why I’m here.”

“What did Shari tell you?”

“She said you were on your way to New York and would be there for about a month. I said if you could wait one more day, I’d take you early tomorrow. I have a charter loading as we speak.”

Before BD could answer him, Kelly came down the hall holding sleepy-faced Chase, who sucked on two fingers as he squinted around the room. His eyes lit up when he saw Rafi. He squealed. “Daddy!”

Kelly stopped in her tracks. And the three adults burst into laughter.

Rafi extended his arms. “Let me see this big boy.”

Kelly whispered in Chase’s ear. “That’s not Daddy, sweetie. That’s Mr. Rafi.” She handed him over. “Say hello.”

Chase reached up and pulled on Rafi’s bottom lip. “Hayo, Wafi.” A wide grin filled his chubby face. He fell back in a fit of giggles as Rafi tickled his neck.

“Would you look at that?” Kelly had wonder in her voice. “He usually won’t let anyone hold him except me, Jack, or BD. What’s your secret?”

“Darned if I know. Kids like me.” He yanked up Chase’s shirt and chewed at his round little belly. The boy shrieked, and Rafi made blubbery woofing sounds into his soft skin. He loved the feel and smell of babies.

BD relaxed and gazed at Rafi and Chase. She and Kelly exchanged smiles. Rafi looked as though he were born to bounce babies on his knee. A big, tough, tattooed Marine playing with a child as if it were the most natural thing in his world. She’d been on the receiving end of that tenderness herself a long time ago. Rafi could kill an alligator with his bare hands, but just watch the way he cuddled that baby. She shivered, remembering his touch. She wanted that touch again.

Wait till tomorrow to leave for New York? She’d wait till forever for another night in his arms.

* * *

The ride to the Cruz Aero hangar seemed endless. BD gazed at him from the passenger seat.

“Like what you see, sunshine?”

BD bit the inside of her cheek. “I think you like it enough for both of us.” She grinned when her reply evoked a hearty laugh from Rafi. “Obviously you remember the first time I answered that question, Marine.” His brief glance away from the road ahead lasted a split second, but that’s all it took to cause her breath to catch and heat to burn in the obvious places.

“I remember everything about that day, Bravo Delta.” He squeezed her knee. “You do too, I bet.”

She sighed. “Don’t think I haven’t tried to forget. I have.” She traced the veins in the back of his hand, ran the tips of her fingers up and down, and measured his wrist with her thumb and index finger.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Why would you want to forget?”

“Oh, I don’t know, just the way it ended I guess. Me, standing there in nothing but your shirt, watching the taillights of your Range Rover as you disappeared down the drive. After a couple of weeks I decided I’d never see you again, so I tried to forget.”

He brought her hand to his mouth and nipped her knuckles with the gentleness of a kitten. “I’m here now.”

Yeah, he was here now, all two-hundred-twenty pounds of him. She was lost. She had no defense against this guy. Not good, not good at all.

Rafi pulled off the access road and steered the big Mercedes to the side of Cruz Aero’s hangar. He popped open the trunk and pulled out her luggage one-handed. Then he instructed one of the mechanics to place it on board the big cargo jet being readied for tomorrow morning’s departure to Chicago and New York.

BD called out, “Wait! Not the small one, I need that, it’s got my—I need it.”

Rafi carried the small bag to the door of his office. “Wait in here, sunshine. I’ve got some preflight inventory check to do. I’ll be about an hour. The coffee’s hot, strong, and nasty. Help yourself.” He nipped her ear and slid his hand across her bottom. She preceded him into the small functional space.

An hour? She had to wait an hour to get her hands on him?

BD reclined in Rafi’s office chair and turned it so she could enjoy an unobstructed view of the hangar’s interior. The aircraft resembled nothing so much as a patient in Intensive Care. Hoses and cables snaked into every port. Mechanics swarmed around, inspecting the aircraft like busy nurses dressed in greasy white coveralls.

Rafi supervised every aspect of the activity. He was everywhere, questioning, pointing, gesturing, and making notes on a clipboard. If not for the cane, his movements were as sure and smooth as a jaguar, the wild kind—confident and dangerous.

Finally the lights dimmed and the employees departed one by one. At last Rafi came to the office. She stood. The last light went out in the hangar as he closed the office door behind him and opened his arms for her. His kiss was nothing short of wondrous.

BD came up for air. “Where are we going?”

“Going?” He gripped her bottom with both hands, nearly lifting her off her feet. The cane clattered to the floor.

She felt breathless. “For the night.”

“Oh, yeah.” Rafi gripped her head and gave her a hard kiss. “The jet.”

BD reared back. “What! The jet! Don’t blow me away with unnecessary romantic gestures, big boy. I’m not rolling around on the floor of a cargo jet.”

“No?”

“No!” The man was destined to drive her loony. He showed up after weeks and expected her to fall under him on the deck of a cargo plane? Fat chance.

“Settle down, sweet stuff. That airplane has a very comfortable bedroom. Pilots require a comfortable place to sack out on long-haul flights.”

“While your good friend, Joe, flies the plane?”

“I see you didn’t forget much at all, Bravo Delta.” He crushed her in a tight embrace. “Shifts, sugar lips, we sleep in shifts.”

“Oh.” Heat rose like a firestorm just below her navel and migrated downward. Her knees gave way.

He bit her neck. “Are you ready?”

“Are you kidding?” Her legs went around Rafi’s waist. She kissed him hard.

Rafi closed the door on the microscopic bedroom in the rear of the jet and pushed BD back against it. He yanked up her skirt and pulled down the lacy black panties, smiling with approval at her choice of undergarments. She wanted him. That was good because he wanted her more than any woman he’d ever been with. This little, complicated, stubborn, self-assured dynamo was all the woman he could handle, ever wanted to handle. She was passion in condensed form. Potent. Addictive.

She worked on his shirt buttons at the same time he dropped his trousers. “Never mind me, sweet cheeks. Get out of that suit and get your delicious little ass over on that bed.”

“Why can’t we do it right here? Like this?” She took a wide, shameless stance and pushed her hips forward.

“Jesus! Not that I don’t want to, baby, but my leg isn’t up to it yet. I’m gonna need your help as it is.”

“Then you get your delicious ass on the bed, big boy. I’ll do the work.”

Rafi thought he’d die right there where he stood. He shook his head in wonder and appreciation. “Where were you all my life till now, Bravo Delta?”

In answer, she pulled his shirt off his shoulders. When it stopped at the wrists and refused to come off, she gave it a sharp yank, ripping the buttons from the cuffs.

“Shit, you mean business, don’cha? You’re scarin’ me, sugar.”

She shoved him the short yard to the edge of the three-quarter-size bed. “Just do as you’re told, flyboy, and you won’t get hurt.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her on top. “Hurt me.”

She straddled him. “I intend to, but not yet.” BD ground her bottom into him and stretched out her arms. Starting at his hairline she brushed his skin with feather-light touches, tracing her way down the sides of his neck, shoulders, and chest. All the while she murmured over and over, “Mmm, mmm.” He breathed and told himself to keep breathing.

He put a big hand on each of her breasts. Just right, one sweet handful each. After all, more than a handful was wasted, wasn’t it?

She lifted his hands, first one, then the other, and licked his palms. In no hurry, she slid his fingers one at a time in and out of her mouth. With an impish smile she returned his hands to her breasts and pressed them tight against her.

Tremors of excitement rippled through his belly. He arched his back and ground his head into the single pillow. “You’re one surprise after the other.”

She ground her bottom into him again. “Am I hurting you yet, flyboy?” Eyes glittering with green fire, she moved her face close to his. “Am I?”

He grinned. “I’m a Marine, sweetheart. I’m trained to withstand torture. I’m nowhere near cracking yet. Name, rank, and serial number is all you’ll get out of me with your wicked little lap dance.”

She grinned back. “Wanna bet?”

* * *

Loud pounding on the door startled BD awake. Rafi wasn’t in the bed. She grabbed the sheet and pulled it up to her chin. Where was he? Who was banging on the door? “Rafi?”

“Hey, Cruz! Get your fat lazy ass out of the sack. We’re coming up on our slot.” The door flew open and a tall blond guy with a military haircut stood on the threshold, eyes agog.