Wyne and Dine (Citizen Soldier Series Book 1) (5 page)

Her gaze snapped to his face. She
wished she could see what was going on behind those damn glasses. “I’m not
afraid of anything.”

Other than something happening to
her family and friends. She’d experienced enough loss, and the community had
seen enough during the past decade. With each deployment, the pictures
increased on the wall above the Fallen Soldier’s Table her father had set up in
the corner of the restaurant to salute those who never made it home.

“Except what?” he prodded. “Come
on. I can see it your eyes. You thought of something.”

She nodded and considered lying to
shelter him from the pain she knew her answer would cause. But Ben despised
liars, and she’d already fibbed to her dad today. Besides, he’d know if she
made something up. Damn man was the best lie detector she knew. He should’ve
been a cop like their friend Jeremy.

“Well? Spill it. You know I’ll get
it out of you.”

She stared at her reflection in his
glasses. “Except adding another photo to the wall at the diner.”

He stiffened, and after a second,
gave her a curt nod, and the rest of the trip was made in silence. Not exactly
a good start to the weekend, but this weekend was about truths, and they were
not going to be selective truths.

A half-hour later, Ben pulled
through the opened wrought iron gates to the colonel’s estate, and Lea admired
the vast, manicured lawn, trees and shrubs that surrounded a circular drive
with a working fountain in the middle.

“That’s…um…interesting,” she said,
as he parked behind another truck. Lea was unsure whether to laugh or gawk at
the bronze statue of a very well-endowed, naked man with water spewing from a
plate he held in his hand.

“I know.” Ben grimaced. “Mrs.
Dankirk had it commissioned and flown in from Italy.”

Total waste of money
. “It
could be worse,” she felt compelled to say.

He shut off the ignition, removed
his glasses and turned to stare at her, brows knit together, gorgeous green
eyes narrowed to mere slits. “Worse? How?”

Her lips quivered. “What if he had
no plate? I’d hate to think of where the water would come from then…”

It took all of two seconds before
Ben tossed his glasses on the dash, threw his head back and laughed. The warm
sound reverberated through the cab to her very core, and Lea’s good parts
quivered in response. She twisted to lean her back against her door for support
as she faced him. Goodness, the man was potent in close quarters.

When he finally sobered, the warmth
remained in his gaze as he smiled at her. “What am I going to do with you?”

Several scorching and decadent
suggestions flashed through her head at the same time, but none made it to her
lips. “Put up with me, I guess,” she said instead. “You’re the one who invited
me.”

“True.”

His gaze sobered and lost some of
the warmth, and she suddenly felt cold.

“Thanks for helping me, Lea. I
appreciate you giving up your weekend for me.”

She shrugged, trying to play it off
as if it was no big deal. “Like I told you the other day, I had the time off,
so it’s all good.”

He nodded, and she tried not to take
offense at the relief washing through his features. “Good, because I don’t want
you to get the wrong idea. I just need you to pretend to be my girlfriend when
the others are around.”

“Especially Mrs. Dankirk.”

“Exactly. …” He paused, his gaze
transferring to something out the window behind her.

Was it bad to wish it was the
woman?

A second later, she wondered if the
colonel’s wife was outside because when Ben’s attention returned to her again,
his gaze was hot and interested and…consuming.

Her heart tried to burst from her
chest. Then he shifted closer, sexy smile on his face trapping the breath in
her lungs. She couldn’t blink. Forgot how to breathe. Just sat there watching
the sexiest man alive lift a hand to cup her face.

Breathe, idiot!
The last thing
she needed was to faint. Not when she was about to get the kiss she’d dreamt
about since puberty.

God
, she hoped she was about
to get the kiss she’d dreamt about since puberty…

“I
hope you have some
acting skills, Lea, because we have an audience,” he informed through that
delicious smile still lingering on his approaching lips. “Don’t freak out, but
I’m going to kiss you.”

Freak out?

She was going to freak out if he
didn’t
kiss her.
Bring it on, Bucko, I’m ready
seemed a little too anxious.
“Okay,” she whispered instead, hands clenched in a ball on her lap to keep from
grabbing his collar and yanking him close.

That would appear too desperate,
and she wasn’t going for desperate. She wanted demure, mysterious…and the rest
of her thought process went to hell in a designer bag when his lips finally
brushed hers.

A fission of some sort skittered
down her shoulders and spine. He must’ve felt it too because he drew back to
blink at her. She inhaled, lost in his incredible manly scent mixed with fresh
soap and something cedar. But Lea had waited a long time for the kiss and was
having none of that air between them. She reached up to cup his face and pulled
that sexy jaw and sensual mouth back where they belonged. On her.

To her joy, Ben needed no coaxing.
Tentative and light at first, his lips resumed their private tasting; then, as
if a switch had been flipped, he increased the pressure, deepening the kiss,
driving her out of her rapidly fogging mind.

He did not disappoint.  His quiet
strength and raw passion she sensed hidden just under the surface felt even
better than she had imagined.

Hotter. Stronger. Just…more.

It was all too much. She closed her
eyes and melted into him, clutching at the collar she tried so hard not to
clutch. Again and again, he tasted her lips, and she willed his tongue to slip
on over for a visit while she fought to keep her tongue to herself, to refrain
from exploring his domain. Wanting, willing him to make that first move.

This was their first kiss. They’d
have more this weekend. She’d have plenty of opportunity to sample all of
Benjamin Wyne.

Of course, if he wanted to sample
more, she was happy to oblige. Right there. In his truck. In the middle of the
colonel’s driveway…

She stiffened a half a second
before him, each apparently realizing where they were at the same time.

“Damn, Lea,” he said, drawing back,
lop-sided grin tugging the warm mouth she already missed. “You are a great
actress.”

Actress?

He friggin’ thought she had been
acting?

The deep, consuming need to touch
and taste had nothing to do with acting and everything to do with feeling. It
was real. They had a connection. And she would’ve told him, but he was already
slipping out of the truck.

Acting my ass.

She sucked in a few breaths and
cleared the fog from her brain. By the time he reached her door, doubt had set
in.

Maybe his need and passion had been
faked. Maybe
he
had been acting. That made sense. Why else would he have
been kissing her like his life had depended on it?

Because it had. Sort of. His
promotion
life.

Idiot.

Here she’d thought it was her. That
she was the reason he couldn’t seem to get enough. That he finally awakened to
the realization she was no longer a child.

Darn man zapped her common sense
along with her brain cells.

“Watch your step, sweetheart,” he
said, taking her hand to help her out of the truck.

Catching sight of Colonel Dankirk
and his wife approaching with another couple behind Ben, Lea conjured her best
smile and slid slowly to the ground, using his body as a buffer.

A rock, solid, hard buffer.

“Thank you, Benny.” She lifted up
on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. Only she could see the shock widening his gaze.
Maybe he wasn’t as indifferent to her after all.

Satisfaction was a warm blanket to
the soul.

“There you two are,” the colonel
said, hand extended to Ben. “How was traffic?”

They drew apart so the two men
could shake.

“Not bad, sir,” her date replied.

Mrs. Dankirk stepped forward. “Good
to see you again, Ben.”

Lea half-expected the woman to look
like an aging porn star, not the attractive, polished blonde in designer
clothes and posture as perfect as her plastic surgery. If Brandi hadn’t
informed her the Velcro vixen was in her forties, Lea would’ve guessed early
thirties. Whoever did her face and boobs was one heck of a doctor.

Her hostess with the mostess pulled
Ben into a hug that started out innocent enough, until she skimmed a hand over
his ass.

Nice.
And right in front of
her husband’s nose, too. Lea was doing her best to keep the distaste from
showing on her face when the woman turned a cool gaze on her.

“And you brought a friend.”

Her date immediately stepped close
and dropped an arm around her shoulders. “This is my girlfriend, Lea
Gablonski.”

“Gablonski? Funny.” The woman
didn’t laugh. “You don’t look polish.”

As much as she wanted to counter
the remark, she curbed her inner snark for Ben’s sake. “I know. I think most of
it went to my older sister.”

The woman stared at her like she
didn’t know what to do with her, which made sense to Lea because she didn’t
know what to do with herself either.

Ben introduced the other three
couples who had gathered near, and she wasn’t surprised to find each of them
were customers from the diner. Thanks to her upbringing in the restaurant, Lea
suspected she knew everyone in the county.

 “Come on inside and Malloy will
show you to your room,” Colonel Dankirk said, leading the way.

Room
.

Her heart leapt. So they
were
sharing a room. Maybe the negligee would see the light of day—or
moonlight—after all. Of course, she had to get up the nerve to wear it in front
of her
boyfriend
.

Stepping into the two story house,
she found the foyer open and airy with high ceilings and gorgeous crown
molding. At every turn was an antique, a piece of history Lea longed to
explore, but the dowdy housekeeper was already heading upstairs expecting them
to follow, so she had to drool on the run.

When they were finally alone in
their room, she brushed past Ben and took advantage of the opportunity to
openly covet the furniture. 

“I can’t believe this, Ben. Look.”
She pointed to an ornate vanity dresser. “They have a Chippendale. A
Chippendale
.
I think I’ve died and gone to heaven,” she said, gently running her hand over
the mahogany wood. “Who would’ve guessed the house would be full of such
treasures? Especially after seeing that fountain.”

He shrugged. “It’s just furniture.”

Her intake of breath filled the
room when she punched his arm. Hard.

“Ouch.”

“Exactly,” she said, frowning at
him. “These aren’t just pieces of furniture. They’re history. Someone’s
history.”

Again he shrugged, unzipping his
duffle bag to remove a modern day shaving kit. “If you say so.”

“I do.” She nodded, moving on to
examine a settee in the corner.

It was a Victorian walnut settee
from the 1800s, and in excellent shape. Excitement rushed through her veins.
This wasn’t a museum piece; she was allowed to touch. Drawing in a shaky
breath, she gingerly sat down, then stretched out and smiled.

“I left room in the—” Ben reentered
from the adjoining bathroom, stopped mid-sentence and stood staring at her as
if he’d walked into a pole.

“What?”

He blinked and gave his head a
slight shake. “What?”

Lea turned on her side, propped her
head in her hand and smiled. “I asked you first.”

Ben blanked.

Again.

Why the hell did that keep happening?
He couldn’t seem to filter in Lea’s words or form a thought, other than she was
so damn beautiful and sexy lying on the old couch, come-hither stare fastened
on him through eyes the same unique shade as her outfit.

Damn. 

The urge to strip her naked and
join her was so sudden and strong he nearly doubled over.

What the hell?

The same unexpected need had hit
him when he’d kissed her in the truck. That wasn’t supposed to happen. The
simple staged kiss in front of the colonel’s wife to show he was off limits had
turned into anything but simple. It should’ve been like kissing his sister.
Unfeeling and unpleasant.

But it wasn’t.

Hell no. The instant his lips had
brushed hers, a wave of heat had shot down his body and stirred his groin. He
should’ve stopped and pulled back, but Mrs. Dankirk had been watching from a
distance, and he’d wanted to make sure she got the message.

Bullshit
, his mind balked.
It had been all Lea. He couldn’t get enough of the blue-eyed beauty. He’d
wanted more, needed more, and it was all he could do not to thrust his tongue
into her mouth and sample her essence. Luckily, common sense had kicked in. She
wasn’t offering—she was acting.

At his request.

So, what was she doing now? There
was no audience. Just them.

He needed to cool it and get his
thinking back on track. Use his other head. He cleared his throat and nodded
toward the bathroom. “There’s room for your stuff in there.”

“Thanks,” she said, then scooted
back and patted the cushion in front of her. “Come here and try this out, Ben.
It’s more comfortable than I thought.”

He swallowed a snort. “No, I might
break it.” And by
it,
he meant his resolve not to touch the woman while
they were alone. He could tell by just that one kiss things could get out of
hand fast. At least, on his end. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand.
“We’d better get downstairs. It’s just about time for dinner.”

A flash of reluctance crossed her
face. He could relate. He was not looking forward to mysteriously ending up
next to Mrs. Dankirk again. At the last party, he had to endure her grab-hand
tactics under the table.

“Okay.” Lea scooted to the edge of
the chair, flashing a good portion of supple leg and thigh before standing.
“Let’s go see your girlfriend.”

 “Very funny.” He wasn’t amused. 

A few graceful steps brought her to
him at the door, where she hooked her arm through his then glanced up and
smiled. “I know.”

Despite himself, his lips twitched
into an answering grin as he opened the door and ushered her into the hall. No
matter what life threw at the woman, she was always upbeat and positive, ready
with a smile. A Godsend for Brandi and the whole Wyne family. And it was never
more apparent as they entered the dining room a minute later.

“There you are, Ben,” Mrs. Dankirk
smiled and patted the chair on her left. “Just in time.”

Damn
. He didn’t think he
could take another dinner with the hostess feeling his crotch.

Lea stepped forward. “Oh, would you
mind if I sat there, Mrs. Dankirk? Benny is left handed, and we’ll do nothing
but bump elbows all night if he sits there.”

The woman hesitated, and he held
his breath until she forced a smile and nodded. “But of course.”

God he could’ve kissed Lea. She
actually got him out of the hotseat. And with the truth. He
was
left
handed.

“Thank you,” Lea said when he held
the chair out for her.

He bent down to whisper in her ear
as he pushed her in. “I owe you.”

She turned to him as he took his
seat, mischievous grin curving her lips. “Yes, you do.”

He should’ve been afraid, but he
wasn’t. Not this time. He was still enjoying the high from not having to sit
next to their hostess. Then a twinge of guilt shifted through him. This meant
she was going to endure Mrs. Dankirk’s wrath for getting in the way.

“So, tell me, Lea,” the woman began
as she shook out her napkin and settled it on her lap. “What exactly do you
do?”

“Right now I’m working at my dad’s
diner,” Lea replied, smoothing her own napkin over her thighs, shoulders
relaxed, not in the least put out by their hostess’ condescending tone.

He was noticing this pattern with
her lately. She wasn’t easily put out. Maybe her time alone in a big city had
matured her. And maybe he shouldn’t find that trait so attractive. That was
asking for trouble.

Colonel Dankirk leaned forward and
cocked his head. “She’s being modest, my dear. Lea also has a Masters in
History.”

The colonel’s wife jerked her head.
“Really? Why in the world are you waitressing? Seems like a waste of time.”

Lea shrugged, expression still
amicable. “My dad is recovering from surgery, so I’m just filling in until he’s
back behind the counter.”

“And she works at the train
museum,” one of the other women at the table spoke up.

Distaste broke through and soured
the corner of Mrs. Dankirk’s mouth. “I see,” she said, reaching for her wine.

“Oh my,” Lea exclaimed, gaze
trained on the woman’s hand. “What an exquisite Fede Gimmel ring. It’s
Victorian, right?”

And just like that, the distaste in
Mrs. Dankirk’s eyes disappeared to be replaced by delight. “Yes, it is. Do you
know jewelry?”

His date smiled. “No, but as they
say, I do know history.” She fingered the ring still on their hostess’ finger. 
“It’s actually three rings that fit tightly together to form one. This piece is
incredible.”

“Yes, it is,” their host repeated,
removing the ring and spreading it to reveal three parts.

The women around the table all
murmured their delight at the thin gold ring with a hand on one, half a hand on
another and twin hearts on the middle. When fit together, it appeared to be two
hands clasping the double hearts. Ben never would’ve guessed it was a set, or
expensive.

“Then you’ll probably love our
dinner plates. And here they are now.”

The staff set out their first
course and Lea sucked in a breath. “My God. These can’t be real.”