Wyne and Dine (Citizen Soldier Series Book 1) (11 page)

God, he was so damn confused.

As he watched her wiggle and the
sexy sway of her hips, that great chemistry heated him from the inside out and
left him hard. And hanging.

Was this going to be the new normal
for him?

He needed to get laid. Thank God
Charisse had texted him on his way in to work that morning to say she was
returning tomorrow night.

If ever he needed a mindless
coupling, it was now. His gaze continued to fixate on one hell of a beautiful
ass as Lea stepped over the threshold into her restaurant and away from his
view.

Yes, a few hours with Charisse
should put his sex life back into perspective. And get his head out of…Lea’s
pants.

 
F
riday night, Lea
left work and headed to the Confection Connection on the next block to talk to
Jill about placing an order for specially shaped chocolates for Brandi’s
bachelorette party next weekend.

Joy swelled in her chest.

She could hardly believe her friend
was going to be here soon, and getting married. Excitement picked up her pace
and sent her right into Ben. He’d rounded the corner when she’d collided with
him.

Two strong hands clamped around her
shoulders and steadied her. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Sorry,” she stammered,
instructing her pulse to settle down. It didn’t listen. She glanced up into his
concerned gaze and ordered her heart not to catch. It didn’t listen either.
Dammit
.

They stared at each other a few
beats. Heat began to spread throughout her body and her nipples hardened.

Great. She got perky for the guy.
Right in front of…his date. Only now did she notice Charisse stood beside him.
Lovely. Who does that?

Two people with great chemistry,
apparently. Her gaze darted to the blonde at his side. The one whose gaze
narrowed as she glanced from Lea to Ben then back again.

Yeah, this chemistry was definitely
going to cause issues.

Ignoring her body and its
unreasonable needs, she stepped out of his hold and straightened her shoulders.
“My bad. I was on my way to—”

Clark waved from in front of her
destination. “Hi, Lea.”

She waved back, relief eating her
tension as Ben and his date turned around to stare at her old school buddy. She
suddenly didn’t feel like such a loser. “Hi, Clark.” Even though she’d had no
idea the guy was going to be there tonight, she took advantage of the situation
and stepped around the couple. “You ready to take advantage of tonight’s
special?”

“Something like that.” He smiled as
he stood in front of the store.

With a nod to Ben and Charisse, she
said, “Have a good night,” and could feel a gaze burning her back like a blow
torch. She suspected it was Ben’s, but didn’t turn around to confirm as she
crossed the street to meet her friend.

The man was on a date. No doubt
moving on, and about to have sex with his groupie.

So much for suggesting a
friends-with-benefits thing
.

Shayla had been wrong. Charisse was
not in Ben’s past.

Lea was.

 
B
en needed a beer.

Two beers. Hell, a hole damn keg.

He’d just left Charisse’s
apartment…without doing the deed. Never in all his years had he had a
performance problem. And although they hadn’t gotten naked, yet, he knew there
was an issue. No amount of kissing and heavy petting could start a spark in his
jeans tonight.

What the hell?

He’d certainly enjoyed Charisse’s
body many, many times in the past.

Pulling up outside his brothers’
resort, he blew out a breath and jammed his truck into park. It wasn’t as if he
was completely broken, because the spark had definitely been there when he’d
run into Lea earlier in town. As soon as he’d grabbed her slight shoulders and
inhaled her sweet perfume, a shaft of heat had shot down his body and his groin
had twitched to life.

The longer he’d stood there holding
her, the stronger the throb, until he was fully hard. In the middle of the
sidewalk. In front of his date.

Who does that?

Apparently two people with great
chemistry.

Muttering a curse, he made his way
to The Knotty Pine, the bar on the main floor of the resort, relieved to see
none of his brothers were around. He wasn’t exactly in the mood for company.
Just a drink. Or two.

Ben slid onto a stool at the far
end and ordered a beer.

“Hey, Sergeant Wyne.” Lieutenant
Barton appeared out of nowhere and slapped him on the back before slipping onto
a stool. “You here alone, too?”

He
was
. Damn.

“Yes.”

“Same here.” The man nodded. “Mason
and I are going rock climbing tomorrow.”

He wished he could climb his way
out of whatever the hell kind of funk he was in.

“Why don’t you join us?”

Ben immediately shook his head. “I
promised my nephew I’d take him fishing.” Besides, rock climbing required
intense concentration. Something he lacked at the moment. He couldn’t
concentrate enough to walk a straight line.

“Well, maybe we’ll run into each
other tomorrow night. My wife’s enjoying a spa day tomorrow with her sister and
your girlfriend. I like Lea. She’s a keeper.”

Why did they keep telling him that?
She wasn’t his.

But what about the banana split
guy? His gut twisted into a tight knot. The thought of her licking chocolate
off the slick D’s banana made him sick.

But it was none of his damn
business. Last Sunday, he’d had every opportunity to ask to see her again.

His loss.

No. It had been smart. A safeguard.
The two of them had no future, he reminded himself, sucking down his beer.

She was free to see whoever she
wanted. City dude. Local dude. Guardsman.
Who-the-hell-ever.
He motioned
to the bartender for another round.

It hadn’t taken her long to hook
back up with the city slicker.

Yeah, judging by the three-piece
suit, Italian loafers and not a hair out of place, the guy worked in the city.
Clark was of her people.

Ben was not. No way in hell would
he ever be a city dweller. He loved the outdoors. Lakes. Pines. Open spaces.
They could have New York City. He hated it. Ever since…

Swallowing unwanted thoughts of the
past with a swig of beer, he concentrated on now. He’d take the Poconos any
day. 

He and Lea may have chemistry, but
they had no future. No sense in going down that road.

Since the lieutenant had just given
him advance notice about tomorrow, he’d make a wide berth on the way to the
lake in order to avoid the spa area. Ben had thought he’d gotten past the
avoidance thing, but until he regained control of his mind and body, distance
was his new best friend.

L
ea had passed on the
body massage, but opted for the facial. Her body would get enough of a workout
on Wednesday during her spa appointment with Brandi and the bridesmaids. She
could hardly believe they were all arriving in a few short days. And that a
week from today, her best friend was getting married. Even though she was
immensely thrilled for her friend, Lea couldn’t find her own
happy
.

Hopefully, today’s exfoliation
would peel away her blues, too.

It was silly. She knew it, but her
mind wouldn’t let go of the fact Ben had so easily moved on. It hadn’t even
been a week, and he was in another woman’s bed.

Was I that unforgettable?

Her throat constricted, but she
swallowed past the tightening and forced herself to relax. She doubted tears
mixed well with whatever concoction was on her face. Time to suck it up. Ben
had never promised her anything more. In fact, he’d told her straight out he
wasn’t long term. 

Still, she couldn’t stop her mind
from rewinding to last weekend and how great it had been to spend time with
him. To be the center of his attention for once. Warmth began to overtake the
chill in her body. She sat there for a few minutes and basked in the memories
while the technician peeled and buffed her face. When the woman finished, she
smiled at Lea and gave her a thumbs up.

Guess she didn’t look as bad as she
felt.

“My sister and I are going to head
for a pedicure, next. How about you, Lea?” The lieutenant’s wife eyed her up
expectantly.

“No thanks,” she replied. Even
though the accompanying foot massage was heavenly, she was too keyed up to sit.
“You two go ahead. I’m done for the day. I think I’ll go for a walk by the lake
and enjoy what’s left of the summer weather before fall hits us.”

The women nodded and said goodbye
before Lea made her way outside. She inhaled and closed her eyes. Fall was
already in the air. But she didn’t mind. She loved the fall, too. She could
smell the change in the leaves and feel the slight chill in the air from lack
of humidity.

It was one of her favorite times of
the year. So colorful and picturesque. She couldn’t wait to see the oranges,
reds and yellows of the leaves reflected in the lake with a bright blue sky as
a backdrop.

She took the trail leading to the
lake, and let the silence of the woods seep in and calm her mind. How she
missed this in the city. The Big Apple had many things, but this tranquility
wasn’t one of them. Sure, Central Park was nice, and the next best thing to the
beauty of her hometown, but it couldn’t compare on scope and scale. The Poconos
were vast with mountains and lakes and trees and privacy. 

As she came out of the clearing,
she spotted several boats dotting the lake. The Wynes had designated the
northern shore for water skiers so they didn’t scare away the fish here at the
southern shore. Here, people spent a lazy day fishing from boats or on several
of the large docks. Some even fished from shore.

“Did you see that, Uncle Ben? That
fish jumped right out of the water,” a familiar young voice said a few yards to
her right.

Lea glanced around a big oak at the
six-year-old boy pointing to the lake, smiling at the man who had galvanized
her thoughts all darn week. She had no luck. Or she had great luck. Depended on
her outlook. Brandi’s nephew Tyler was fishing with Ben near the exact spot
she’d chosen to walk. An inner battle to stay or sneak back into the woods
ended when the boy spotted her.

“Hi, Aunt Lea. Look what I caught!”
Holding up a big fish, Ethan’s little boy, the sweetheart her friend had helped
raise after his mother died in a skiing accident, was growing so fast. His
eager face, with warm brown eyes and a ready smile was always something Lea
found hard to resist. “Dad’s on an overnight hike, but Uncle Ben took a picture
with his phone and sent it to him.”

“Wow, Tyler. You did great. I bet
your dad’ll be proud.” Smiling, she stepped closer to ruffle his hair.

“Yeah, he called and told me, and
also said to catch a lot and kick Uncle Ben’s butt.” The boy giggled. “Can you
stay and fish with us?”

She shifted her gaze to Ben, and
her heart rocked in her chest. Damn, he looked great. Dressed in worn jeans and
an old Army T-shirt stretched tight against his broad shoulders and chest, he
took her breath. She cleared her throat. “I-I don’t want to intrude, hun. I’m
just out for a walk.”

Ben’s expression was neutral. He
didn’t appear upset at the intrusion. In fact, after a moment, he smiled a
killer smile that curled her toes.

“It’s not an
inclusion,
right Uncle Ben?”

“Right, Tyler,” he replied, and the
fact he didn’t correct his nephew only added to his appeal. “I agree. Lea
should join us.”

Sensing a double meaning in that
last sentence, she couldn’t stop the heat from spreading to her core. Damn man
was potent.

“Here. You can use my rod.”

And bold.

He handed her his fishing pole, a
wicked smile claiming his lips as he kept his back to his nephew.

Unable to respond in any suggestive
way thanks to being in Tyler’s direct view, she chose her words carefully.
“Thank you. I think I remember how to
use
it.”

Two hours, ten fish and a lot of
laughs went by in the blink of an eye. Before Lea knew it, the sun was
beginning its slow decent. On the way back to the resort, they talked about
Tyler’s first week of school and Brandi’s upcoming visit and wedding.

“I can’t wait to show Aunt Brandi
the A I got on my first test. She’s going to be happy,” Tyler said, picking his
way through the woods, his steps light and sporadic. “And Uncle Kade said if I
did good this year, I can stay with them for a whole month next summer. So I’m
going to do good, because I loved helping him and Cody out with the animals
when Dad and I visited last month.”

“I know you will.” Lea had hoped to
go to Harland County with them, but her dad had had a setback when he’d fallen
from the bed. Maybe she’d visit next summer, too. “Did you have fun with Cody?”

“Yeah, and Amelia,” the boy
replied.

Brandi said it had been great to
watch her nephew playing with Kade’s nephew and soon-to-be niece. The three
little ones had gotten on well.

“She was okay for a baby. And a
girl.”

“That’s how it starts,” Ben said
under his breath, mischief glinting in his moss colored gaze he slid her way.

Gooseflesh raced down her arms, but
she resisted the urge to rub them. That would give her away, and she was hoping
he hadn’t noticed.

“Cold?” A slight smirk twitched his
lips.

He’d noticed.
Bugger
.

“A little.” She leaned in to
whisper close. “What are you gonna do about it?”

Without waiting for a reply, she
caught up to Tyler as they cleared the woods. If Ben wanted to play with fire,
she’d strike the match.

“H
ey, Grandpa, look
what I caught.” Tyler proudly held up the string of fish he’d insisted on
carrying as he rushed to the older man sitting on an Adirondack chair, drinking
coffee on the large deck.

“Good job, Tyler. Looks like you
came back with more than fish.” Colonel Dennis Wyne, or as he’d always asked
her to call him, Mr. Wyne, smiled at her and held up his mug. “Nice to see you
again, Lea. So, who caught you? Tyler or Ben?”

She laughed. “Neither. I stumbled
onto them on my walk. How are you, Mr. Wyne?”

“I’m good. How’s your dad?”

“He’s getting better, thanks. They’re
supposed to increase his therapy this week.”

“Good to hear. I bet he’s going
stir crazy.”

She nodded. Her father couldn’t
wait to get back to the restaurant. He complained about missing his people.

“I hope you’re going to stay for
supper and help us all eat the catch of the day,” the older man asked, or
rather ordered with a firm nod.

“Yes, Aunt Lea. Please stay.

“I’d love to”

“Okay, Tyler. Come with me and
we’ll get Cook right on them,” Mr. Wyne said, rising to his feet. “This way Ben
can take care of his catch. If he’s smart.”

Not one to blush often, she
couldn’t have stopped the heat that infused her face if her life had depended
on it. Thankfully, the smiling man ushered the little boy through the back door
of the resort without waiting for either of them to reply.

She could feel Ben stop behind her,
his body heat blazing into her back, setting her nerve ends on fire. Twisting
around, she stared up into his face, half-expecting annoyance to fill his gaze
at having her thrust upon him.

Not an ounce appeared. There was a
boatload of interest, though. And heat. Lots of heat.

“Seems I’m supposed to take care of
you.”

He was good at taking care of her.

A smug smile stole across his face.

Damn.

“Did I say that out loud?”

His smile widened.

Double damn.

He reached out and used a finger to
push a piece of hair that had escaped from her pony tail behind her ear. “We
should probably go in and wash up.”

She expelled a breath she hadn’t
known she was holding and nodded. What she really needed was a cold shower.

He nodded for her to go ahead of
him, and Lea was grateful to discover she still had use of her legs, even if
they were a bit wobbly.

When she made to head to the public
restroom in the lobby, a strong hand cupped her elbow and ushered her past
reception to the residence wing of the resort, kept separate from the guest
wings. Ethan, Mason and Keiffer lived at the resort, each with a separate entry
to their own sections. During the redesign a few years ago, her friend had
given her brothers their own built in residence, which connected to a common
area if they wished to meet. Mr. Wyne stilled lived alone in their big house
down the street from her dad’s, and Ben had a private section here, too, but
mostly stayed at his own cabin Brandi had redesign years ago. The cabin was
cozy. Lea had helped paint and decorate alongside her friend, secretly wishing
the place was hers, too.

Silly thoughts from a young college
girl.

Seemed she hadn’t quite outgrown
the silliness. Calling herself all sorts of ridiculous for the sudden shyness
invading her, Lea walked silently with Ben, extremely aware of the hand he
still had on her elbow. A strong, sure hand that had touched a heck of lot more
than her elbow last weekend.

Unlocking the residence door, he
led her into the cozy great room where a huge stone fireplace was centered on
one wall, vaulted wood ceilings sported solid oak beams, and a back wall of
floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the vista of trees and mountains owned by
the Wynes. It never failed to take away her breath. Brandi had designed a
beautiful space that blended in with the outdoors in muted greens, maroons and
browns. A theme her friend had kept throughout the whole resort.

“You can use the bathroom down
here,” he said, stopping outside the door. “I’ll be back down in a few
minutes.”

She watched him take the opened
staircase two steps at a time, enjoying the play of muscles across his back,
and the way his jeans hugged his firm butt.

“Aunt Lea?”  Tyler appeared out of
nowhere, staring up at her. “Want to see what I made in school this week?”

“Sure, hun. Let me wash up first.”

“Okay, I’ll be in the family room,”
he said, and ran down the hall.

Making quick use of her time, she
washed up, splashed several handfuls of cold water on her face, then dried off
and quickly called her dad on her way to join Tyler.

“I’m fine,” he insisted. “Enjoy
yourself. George came over with some pizza. We’re watching college football.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure. Have fun,” her father
said, then hung up.

She shoved the phone in her pocket
then spent the next hour sharing a delicious meal with her friend’s family.
Just like old times. Except her friend wasn’t there.

Yet.

Four more nights, then Brandi would
arrive. It was going to be a great week. Even the dinner table conversation was
alive with excitement of the upcoming nuptials and arrival of cowboys. At
least, from her and Tyler’s end.

Lea had gotten to know and became
fast friends with all of Brandi’s bridesmaids, so she couldn’t wait to meet
Jordan and Kerri’s husbands, and Shayla’s fiancé, the man she was standing up
with. The handsome guy they all dubbed the Casanova cowboy. Sure, she’d seen
pictures, but knew sometimes photos didn’t do justice to the real thing. So she
was in for a treat, because Kevin looked all sorts of fine in his photos. Movie
star fine.

“Lea, are you going to take the
girls into the city while they’re here?” Keiffer asked as they ate their apple
cobbler for dessert.

“Yes. Brandi said they wanted to
visit the Big Apple. Especially, Kerri. She’d gone to culinary school there a
few years ago. It should be fun.”

“Well, if anyone knows that city,
it’s you,” Mr. Wyne said with a nod. “I hear you’re going to look for a job
there soon.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she
saw Ben set his fork down.

“Yes, once I talk with the doctors
this week to gauge my father’s progress, I should be able to start applying,
soon.”

“Good for you.” Mason smiled at
her, a rare occasion, enhancing his breath-taking good looks, placing a sparkle
in his brown eyes.

She smiled back.

“Yeah.” Keiffer nodded, pointing to
her with his spoon. “You’re at home there.”

“I like going to the city with you
and Aunt Brandi,” Tyler added, before shoving more ice cream into his mouth.

Ben fastened an unwavering gaze on
her. “It’s something she’s wanted since she was small. Since her mother used to
take her to the museums.”

Her heart caught, not just from the
memory, but from the fact
he’d
remembered. It was an admission she’d
only shared once. When she’d been eleven years old, just before her mother’s
car accident. She’d just gotten back from a day trip to the city with her mom
and sister. Ben and Ryder had rushed to help with the armful of bags. Gwen had
been gushing about all the fashions and stores and all the clothes she’d
bought, while Lea had carried a lone bag with a book on Teddy Roosevelt from
the Museum of Natural History. When he’d asked if that was all she’d gotten,
she’d told him it was enough because some day she’d work there or in another
museum in the city.

Lea couldn’t believe he’d
remembered, especially when her sister had gone on to model all her outfits for
him, looking stunning as usual.

She nodded, holding his gaze. “It’s
what I’ve wanted since I was little.”

And for the life of her, she
couldn’t decipher if she meant working in the city, or him. The longer she
stared, the louder the pulse pounded in her ears, and the more the room began
to fade.

“Well, it won’t be long now, I’m
sure,” Mr. Wyne said, breaking the spell as he pushed back from the table.
“It’s getting late. Time I headed home.”

“Night, Dad.” Mason rose to his
feet. “Come on, Tyler. That dinosaur movie you wanted to watch comes on in less
than a half-hour, and I promised your dad you’d take a bath tonight.”

“Ah, do I have to, Uncle Mason?” At
his uncle’s firm nod, the boy relented. “Okay. Goodnight, everyone.” A second
later, he disappeared with Mason through the door leading to his uncle’s place.

“Guess I’d better go before I get
stuck doing the dishes,” Keiffer said as he stood. “Have fun.” And with a
salute, he pivoted on his heels and strode down the hall out of sight.

Ben cracked a smile from across the
table. “You can leave, too, if you want. I’m used to cleaning up everyone’s
messes.”

“Nope.” She shook her head as she
rose to her feet, already stacking dishes. “Sorry, I think you know by now I’m
not a deserter.”

Her heart caught again, because the
strange expression that flickered across his face told her he didn’t know. Too
many women had disappointed him by doing that very thing. Deserting him.

As they cleaned the table in
silence, two things became clear to Lea. One, they made a good team, both
having learned efficiency in their jobs, and two, they made a good team
physically because every brush of the hand or arm or thigh as they worked
side-by-side sent awareness through her body and set her temperature on simmer.

He wasn’t immune, either. The more
they brushed, the hotter his skin felt.

After Ben shut the dishwasher and
hit the ON switch, he turned to face her, green eyes full of the heat rushing
through her body.

“So, how was your banana split the
other night?”

Completely thrown off by his
question, it took Lea a moment to blink through the haze of desire and grab
onto the memory of her time at the Confection Connection the night she’d bumped
into him and the blonde.

“Good.” She shrugged, then
countered. “How was your date with Charisse?”

“Fine.”

Uh oh. Guy code for not fine
.
She’d learned that early on in the Wyne household. But she kept her trap shut.
Not
going there. Not going there
.

She wanted to go there.

Lea also wanted to go outside. She
walked past him, opened the French door and stepped out onto the private deck,
lured by the setting sun.

It had been years since she’d
watched a sunset.

A warm glow hovered over the
mountains, sending orange shafts of light through the trees, illuminating the
shadows in a last ditch effort to remain. God, she could relate. Sinking onto
one of the cushioned benches, she watched the rest of nature’s spectacular
display with Ben, who’d followed her outside and silently settled in beside
her.

After it was over, and none of the
sun’s rays remained, only the glow from strategically placed solar lights, she
wiped the wetness from her cheek. “Why haven’t I done that sooner?”

“Done what? Cry?” he asked, using
his thumb to wipe away a missed tear.

“I’m not crying.”

A sexy smirk crinkled his face in a
very good way. “Of course not. Your eyes leak all the time.”

“Only when I’m moved.” She reached
up to touch the corner of his mouth with her thumb. “Are you ever moved, Ben?”
Some of the playfulness disappeared from his gaze as he shrugged, and she’d be
lying if she said that hadn’t hurt just a little. “I don’t move you?”

He stiffened and caught her wrist
to remove her touch from his face. “Don’t, Lea,” he warned, setting her hand on
her lap.

“Don’t, what, Ben? Feel? Too late.”
She quickly grasped his arm to keep him from leaving.  “It’s what I do. It’s
ingrained in me. You know I’m a
feel
person.”

“Don’t feel for me.”

His expression was as grim as his
deprived heart, and she wanted to reach in and guard it close, hold it safe.

“You’re wasting your time. Once
people get to know me, I tend to tick them off or disappoint and...” His voice
trailed off, leaving her to fill in the blanks.

She didn’t like the blanks. “I’m
not ticked off, and I know you really well, Ben.” He just stared at her so she
continued. “You make me smile. You make me happy. Sometimes you annoy the heck
out of me, and other times you make me so hot I think I’m going to self
combust.” She bumped his shoulder and winked.

This got her a smile, but it never
quite reached his eyes. Her heart snagged on that one because she realized he
wasn’t sure what to do with her. He wasn’t used to a female staying in his
life. First his mom. Then Gwen, then Brandi’s mom. Even Brandi was now
technically gone.

“Look, I just don’t want to hurt
you, Lea.” His gaze was direct and bleak. “Please don’t fall for me.”

A smile tugged her lips despite the
seriousness of their talk. “Conceited much?”

His soft chuckle filled the night
air. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “I do. And it’s
okay. I’m leaving in a few weeks, remember? We’re good. I promise.”

Now was a great time to mention the
friends-with-benefits thing, but the heat that entered his gaze zapped the
brain cells connected to her voice. And when he cupped her face and lowered his
head, she was lucky she remembered her darn name.

“We’re very good,” he said a second
before his mouth captured hers.

Yes, they were.

Lea slid her hands over his
wonderful chest and touched her tongue to his, eliciting a rough groan from the
man who was taking her right out of herself. He kissed her long and wet and
deep. Her body trembled in anticipation. Still holding her face with one hand,
he skimmed the other down her side to her hip, where he snuck under her shirt
to stroke her flesh. She moaned, and that’s when things got a little nuts.