Читать книгу Ultimate Romance Collection - Rebecca Winters, Amalie Berlin - Страница 59
ОглавлениеTwo days later, Swan didn’t leave the shop for lunch. Instead she accepted Jamila’s offer to bring her something back from the sandwich shop on the corner. Although she’d tried convincing herself her decision to hang around had nothing to do with the fact that David Holloway would be returning today to pick up his items, she knew it did.
And her anticipation was so bad that every time the door chimed, her heartbeat would kick up a notch, only to slow back down when someone other than him walked in. She checked her watch. The shop would be closing in an hour. What if he didn’t make it before closing time? What if...?
The door chimed, and her heart nearly stopped when David Holloway walked in.
She’d told herself the man hadn’t really looked as good as she remembered from that first day, but now she saw that he did. In fact, today he looked even better than she remembered. Maybe it had something to do with the unshaven look. Men with a day-old beard had sex appeal. But it could also be his tan, which indicated he’d probably spent the last couple of days lying in the sun.
If he’d been at the beach, there was a good chance he hadn’t been there alone. But didn’t he say he was in the Keys working?
Why did she care?
She quickly dismissed all those questions from her mind as she continued to watch him walk toward her in a strut that had blood rushing through her veins. His blond hair and blue eyes seemed brighter against his tanned skin. He was deliciousness with a capital D.
But then that capital D could also stand for dangerous if she wasn’t careful. Or it could stand for delusional if she didn’t get control of her senses. Right now, she would play it safe and claim the capital D stood for David. She couldn’t allow herself to think any other way for now, no matter how tempting.
She smiled. “Hello, David.”
“Hi, Swan.”
“Your tan looks nice.”
He chuckled. “So does yours.”
She grinned. “Yes, but mine’s permanent.”
“I know and I like it.”
She didn’t say anything to that because she understood what he was implying. He was letting her know he had no problem with interracial dating. She didn’t have a problem with it either. Neither had her father, although his family had had conniptions about his marriage to Swan’s mother. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind, refusing to dwell on an extended family that had never accepted her or her mother.
She reached behind the counter and retrieved a box. “I hope you like the way the earrings came out.” She opened it to show him the final earrings.
“Wow!” He ran his finger over the stone that came closest to matching the color of his eyes. “You’re very gifted.”
“Thank you, and I believe your mother will love them.”
“I’m sure she will. I think I’ve outdone my brothers this time.”
She closed the box and placed it, along with the one containing the necklace, into a shopping bag. “You have brothers?”
“Yes, four of them. I’m the youngest.”
“My goodness. Any sisters?”
“Not a one. Three of my four brothers are married, so I have sisters-in-law. They are the best.”
“And the fourth brother is still single?”
“He’s divorced but has a beautiful little girl. And she’s my parents’ only granddaughter. They have six grandsons.”
“Sounds like a nice family. Is your father still alive?”
“Yes, Dad is still alive. He and Mom own a medical supply store.”
She nodded as she offered him the bag. “Here you are, David. Thanks again for your business.”
He accepted the bag. “Thanks. Now that this is taken care of, there’s something I want to ask you, Swan.”
She lifted a brow. “What?”
“Would you go out to dinner with me tonight?”
* * *
Normally Flipper was good at reading people, but he was having a hard time reading Swan. He definitely needed to remedy that. Although both Commanding Officer Shields and Admiral Martin were convinced of her innocence, the jury was still out for him. He had to remain impartial and deal with the facts, not speculations.
For two nights, he’d searched the area around her shop. Getting inside without triggering her alarm hadn’t been easy, but he’d done it. Once he’d picked up the location of the interior security cameras, it was a small matter to make sure he stayed out of their range and within a certain perimeter until he could deactivate them and do what he needed to.
“Go to dinner with you?”
“Yes.”
She was apparently mulling over his invitation in her mind and he would give her time to do that. He had no problems studying her while he waited for her answer. Today she looked even prettier than the other day. He figured it had to be the lighting in this place.
“Yes, David. I’ll go to dinner with you. You name the restaurant and I’ll meet you there.”
She wasn’t going to give him her address and he had no problem with her being cautious. Little did she know he already knew where she lived and had visited yesterday while she’d been here at her shop. She had a beautiful home on the ocean. Inside it was as neat as a pin with no clutter. She’d even made up her bed before leaving.
“I noticed a restaurant off the pier. Summer Moon. I’ve heard only good things about it since I’ve been here.” And he knew the place was within walking distance from her home.
“Everything you’ve heard is true. Summer Moon is fabulous and one of my favorite eating places. I’d love to join you there. What time?”
“What about seven? Will that be a good time for you?” He figured since it didn’t get dark until close to nine, he wouldn’t have to worry about her walking to the restaurant in the dark. After dinner, he would walk her home or put her in a cab regardless of the fact that she lived only a few blocks away.
“Seven is perfect.”
“Good. I’ll see you then.”
* * *
Swan watched him walk out of the shop.
David had the kind of tush that made a woman want to squeeze it...after doing all kinds of other things with it.
She jumped when fingers snapped in her face. Frowning, she looked at Jamila. “What did you do that for?”
“To keep you from having an orgasm in the middle of your shop.”
Swan rolled her eyes. Jamila, the attractive twenty-two-year-old green-eyed blonde, evidently thought reaching a climactic state was that easy. “It would take more than ogling a man for that to happen, Jamila.”
“I don’t know. Your eyes were about to pop out of their sockets and your breathing sounded funny.”
“You’re imagining things.”
“Denial can be good for the soul, I guess. So who is he?”
Swan and Jamila had more than an employer-and-employee relationship. Their friendship had started when Jamila first moved to the island a couple of years ago and patronized Swan’s. It didn’t take long to discover that Jamila liked nice things and decided Swan’s was one of her favorite places to shop. Last year, Jamila had been looking for work after she lost her job as a day cruise ship captain.
As far as Swan was concerned, it hadn’t been Jamila’s fault when an intoxicated customer had tried coming on to her and she’d kicked him in the balls. Surgery had to be performed and the man had sued the ship company. They’d settled out of court but not before firing Jamila for all the trouble she’d caused.
Jamila had gotten an attorney herself so she could not only sue her former employer for an unfair firing but also sue the intoxicated customer. To avoid negative publicity, her former employer wanted to settle out of court with her as well. The intoxicated customer was also trying to settle since the woman he’d been with on the ship hadn’t been his wife. If things worked out in Jamila’s favor, she wouldn’t need a job at Swan’s much longer.
“He is a customer who came into the shop a couple of days ago to buy a gift for his mother.”
“His mother and not his wife?”
“He says his mother.”
Jamila snorted. “Men lie all the time.”
How well she knew, Swan thought. Then she wondered why Jamila was men-bashing today. This wasn’t the first comment of that type she’d made since arriving to work. Her boyfriend had come to town a couple of days ago with the cruise ship, right? So what was going on?
Swan decided not to ask. She didn’t want to hear another sad story about a man that would ruin her date tonight with David. It was a date she was definitely looking forward to. She figured going out to dinner with him wouldn’t be risky as long as she kept things in perspective.
She knew what could happen if she let her guard down when it came to a man.
* * *
Flipper deliberately arrived at Summer Moon early so he could see when Swan arrived. His stomach felt floaty the moment she turned the corner from the street where she lived.
Be still, my...everything.
She was wearing a printed sundress and a pair of high-heeled sandals, but what caught his attention—and was still holding it tight—were her long shapely legs that seemed to go on forever. He would love to see where they stopped under that dress. He forced that thought to the back of his mind.
But the closer she got, the more that thought wiggled back to the forefront. He shouldn’t let it. He was on assignment and she was the subject of an investigation. He shouldn’t see her as temptation. Letting his guard down around her could be a dangerous and costly mistake. He had to keep his head screwed on straight, no matter how innocent she seemed and how beautiful she was, and she was definitely one gorgeous woman.
Men, even some with female companions, were giving Swan second looks, and Flipper tried to downplay his anger. He had no right to be upset about other men checking her out when he was checking her out himself. The best thing to do to control his crazy reaction was to stop looking at her, so he glanced down at his bottle of beer and thought about the reports he’d finished reading a short while ago on her employee and her tenant.
Jamila Fairchild had worked for Swan for a year. He knew all about her former job as a captain of a day cruise ship, why she’d gotten fired and her litigation against not only her former employer but also the man who’d caused the ruckus in the first place. Naval intelligence hadn’t left any stone unturned in Ms. Fairchild’s report and she’d come up clean. Flipper would verify that she was.
Then there was Rafe Duggers, the tattoo artist. Although his parlor was located inside Swan’s shop, there was a back door for his customers to use without entering through the jewelry shop. Flipper hadn’t gotten a chance to look around the tattoo parlor and he intended to do another visit in a few days. Rafe was too squeaky-clean to be true.
No wonder naval intelligence was trying to point the finger at Swan. After all, it was her shop and they had somehow traced activity as originating there. But how? When? He hadn’t found anything.
He had searched Swan’s office, the small kitchen in the back, the bathrooms and another room that she used as a workshop where she made her jewelry. He’d come up with nothing, even after checking out her computer. So what were the grounds for accusing her?
Flipper’s mind flicked back to Swan and he stood when the waiter escorted her to his table. “Hello, Swan. You look nice.”
“Thanks and so do you. I was trying to be early and you still beat me here,” she said, sitting down across from him.
“I was thirsty,” he said, sitting back down and indicating the beer. Now that she was here and sitting directly across from him, he was more than thirsty. If he wasn’t careful, he could have a full-fledged attack of desire. She had a pair of beautiful shoulders and her skin appeared soft and smooth to the touch.
Then his mind drifted to wanting her and he quickly snatched it back. “You walked here. Does that mean you live close by?” he asked, deciding it was best to keep the conversation moving.
“Yes, not too far,” she said. He knew she was deliberately being evasive.
The waiter handed him another beer and gave them both menus. “What would like to drink, miss?” the waiter asked her.
“A glass of Moscato please.”
When the waiter left, she glanced over at Flipper before picking up her menu. “You’re not working so hard that you’re not enjoying the Keys, are you?”
“I’m doing a bit of both. I admit the ocean is beautiful tonight.”
She smiled. “I think it’s beautiful every night.”
He nodded as he took another sip of his beer, straight from the bottle. “So are you a native or a transplant?”
“A native. I was born and raised right here on the island in the same house I live in now. My mother never made it to the hospital before I was born.”
He raised a brow. “She didn’t?”
“No. Mom came from a part of Jamaica where the belief was that when it comes to delivering a baby, a midwife is better than a medical doctor. My father promised to find her a midwife here. Otherwise she would have insisted that I be born in Jamaica and he didn’t want that. He wanted me born in America.”
“So he was able to find a midwife?”
“Yes, but I was born a few weeks early and the midwife wasn’t here.”
“So who delivered you?”
“My dad, with the help of three of his closest military friends. They were stationed at the base here and were visiting, watching a football game at the time. Needless to say, over the years I’ve gotten four different versions of what happened that night. My mother didn’t remember a thing other than it took four men to deliver me. Although Godpop 1 claims my father passed out trying to cut the umbilical cord.”
Flipper laughed. He then asked, “Godpop 1?”
“Yes, my father’s three closest friends, the ones who assisted that night, became my godfathers. That’s how I distinguish them. Godpop 1, Godpop 2 and Godpop 3.”
Flipper nodded. No wonder the three men felt such strong ties to her. “You’re lucky to have three godfathers. I don’t have a one.”
“Yes, I’m lucky,” she said, after the waiter set the glass of wine in front of her. “They were my and Mom’s rocks after we lost Dad, especially when my grandparents showed up at the funeral trying to cause problems.”
Then, as if she realized she might have shared too much, she asked, “So what do you plan to order?”
* * *
Swan thought David had picked the right place for them to have dinner. When he asked for recommendations on what to order, she suggested Summer Moon’s crab cakes and, as usual, they were delicious. The mango salad was superb, and after dinner they enjoyed listening to the live band.
When the band played their last song, she glanced over at David to discover him staring at her. The intensity in his gaze nearly scorched her and she took a sip of her wine. “Thanks for dinner, David.”
“Thank you for accepting my invitation. The place is about to close. Are you ready to go?” he asked her.
“Yes.” Because she knew he would suggest that he walk her home, she added, “If you still have a little bit of energy, I’d like to treat you to something.”
He lifted a brow. “What?”
“A laser show that officially kicks off the summer season. It’s a short walk from here.” Since it was in the opposite direction from where she lived, she would have no problem catching a cab back later—alone.
He smiled as he beckoned for the waiter to bring their check. “Then by all means, let’s go.”
Once the show began, it didn’t take Swan long to decide that David was wonderful company. She could tell he was enjoying the laser lights as much as she was.
She attended the event every year and it seemed the displays only got better and better. Each year, they honored a different state and tonight that state was New York. The New Yorkers in the crowd showed their happiness with whistles and shouting. And when a huge display of the Statue of Liberty flashed across the sky in a brilliant variety of colors, Swan caught her breath.
After that, the showrunners took the time to honor the servicemen in attendance with a flag salute. She couldn’t hold back her tears as she remembered how much her father had loved his country and how, in the end, he’d given his life for it and for her.
David must have detected her weepy state. He pulled her closer to his side.
“Sorry,” she said. “I get all emotional about our servicemen and servicewomen, especially those who sacrifice their lives.”
“You sound very patriotic.”
She pulled back and looked up at him. “Of course I’m patriotic. Aren’t you? You did say you used to be in the military, right?”
“Yes, I’m very patriotic,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. She wished she didn’t think the arms around her felt so strong and powerful.
“I thought you would be, but you said I sounded patriotic as if you thought that perhaps I wasn’t.”
“I apologize. I didn’t mean it that way. I’m glad you’re so patriotic.”
She nodded, accepting his apology. Scanning the area around them, she said, “They are serving complimentary wine coolers over there. Let’s go grab a couple.”
“Sure thing.” He placed his hand on the small of her back.
The contact sent a rush of desire through her that was so strong she had to force herself to breathe. Swan quickly glanced up at him and noticed he’d been affected by the feeling as well. However, he hadn’t removed his hand.
Instead, he pressed his hand more firmly into her back and she felt him urging her away from the crowd and toward a cluster of low-hanging palm trees. Once they stood in the shadows, he turned her in his arms, stared down at her for a long moment and then lowered his mouth to hers.
The moment their lips touched, he slid his tongue inside her mouth, and she recalled her thoughts from earlier that day. He was delicious—and dangerous—with a capital D. And it wasn’t just because he tasted of the beer he’d consumed at Summer Moon, but because he tasted like a hot-blooded man. All the sexiness she’d seen in him was reflected in his kiss.
When she began kissing him back, he wrapped his arms around her and deepened the exchange by crushing his mouth to hers.
She didn’t mind his eagerness. In fact, she welcomed the pleasure of his hunger, his taste, which was getting more provocative with every stroke of his tongue. It had been a while since she’d been kissed, and certain parts of her were reminding her of just how long it had been. Not only that, those certain parts were goading her to keep up with the forceful demands of his mouth. She hadn’t been kissed so thoroughly or possessively before in her life. Or so passionately.
Swan wasn’t sure how long they stood there kissing. It wasn’t until they heard the sound of fireworks that they disengaged their mouths. She glanced up as more fireworks exploded in the sky. Instead of looking up, David trailed his tongue along her neck and collarbone with wet licks.
“Say you’ll go out with me again, Swan.”
There was no way she wouldn’t say it. She looked at him and saw deep desire in the eyes looking back at her. “Yes, I’ll go out with you again.”
“Good.”
And then he lowered his head and kissed her again.
* * *
Flipper had tried everything possible to get to sleep. He’d counted sheep, counted backward, rolled his eyes for a full thirty minutes and had even tried hypnotizing himself. None of those things helped.
He couldn’t remember ever feeling this tight with need. So here he was, close to four in the morning, and still wide awake. Nothing he did could erase the taste of Swan from his mouth and the act of kissing her from his mind.
The kiss would complicate his mission, but it hadn’t been an act. It had been the most real thing he’d done in a long time. He had wanted that kiss. Needed it. It had been inevitable.
Sitting across from her at dinner and watching the movement of her mouth had caused a throbbing need to erupt in his gut, making him rock hard. There had been no way to ignore the delicious heat of carnal attraction spiking between them.
And the patriotism he’d seen in her eyes when she’d gotten teary-eyed in support of servicemen, and then when she’d told him about her work with the city to find lodging for homeless vets, hadn’t helped. Neither had the fact that she’d looked stunning and had smelled irresistibly hot tonight.
Kissing her had made his entire body feel alive. Had revved up his passion to a degree that his libido had him tied in knots and had his pulse tripping. He could feel himself riding the fine edge of intense desire heightened by more sexual energy than he’d felt in a long time.
While kissing her, he hadn’t cared that they could have been seen in spite of the low-hanging trees. He’d been beyond the point of caring. He’d been tempted to drag her to the ground right there.
Damn. How was he going to clear her of anything when the only thing he’d wanted to clear her of was her clothes?
He had access to women whenever he needed them. There were always women who went bonkers for men in uniform and he had no problem engaging in one-night stands. Those types of relationships had always been the way to go for him. He liked being single, coming and going as he pleased, with no one to worry about but himself.
It had been a long time since any woman had kept him up at night and that wasn’t cool.
Grabbing his phone he texted the message: If anyone is awake. Call me.
Within seconds, his phone rang. It was Bane. “What’s going on, Flipper?”
“Why are you up?” Flipper asked his friend.
“Feeding time. Crystal and I rotate.”
“Oh? You’re breastfeeding now?”
“No, smart-ass. The trio are on bottles now. What are you doing up?”
Flipper stretched out across the bed. “I couldn’t sleep. I tried everything. I even tried to hypnotize myself.”
Bane chuckled. “I guess it didn’t work.”
“No, it didn’t work.”
“So why can’t you sleep, Flip?”
He wasn’t one to kiss and tell, no matter who the listener was, so he said, “I still haven’t figured out anything about the situation down here and the CO and the admiral are depending on me.”
“Maybe they’re going to have to accept naval intelligence’s report that she’s guilty.”
“I don’t think so.” Flipper paused. “She cried tonight.”
“What do you mean, she cried?”
“Today was the first day of summer and there’s an annual laser show to commemorate the change in season. One of the laser displays was a salute to New York, where they did an awesome light replica of the Statue of Liberty and American soldiers. She got emotional and cried. Dammit, Bane, a person who is betraying their country doesn’t cry for those in the service. Call me a sucker for tears but I don’t believe she has a traitorous bone in her body.”
“Then it’s up to you to prove it. What about those two people who hang around her shop?”
“The woman who works for her and the tattoo guy? Both seem clean. But I will dig further. I have to.”
“Okay, but make sure while you’re digging for answers that you’re not burrowing yourself into something you can’t handle.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think you know what I mean, Flip. You were sent there to prove her innocence—not to prove she has a passionate side. Remember that. Good night.”
Flipper clicked off the phone and rubbed a hand down his face. Little did Bane know that after the kiss with Swan tonight, Flipper was driven to do more than prove her innocence, or her passion.
He wanted to possess Swan completely.
And he had a feeling the desire wasn’t one-sided. He’d seen the look in her eyes during dinner. He’d felt how her body had responded to his touch. He was certain the same sensations that rushed through him had affected her, too. Kissing her had been inevitable, something they both wanted and needed.
The genie called desire was out of the bottle and Flipper honestly didn’t know how to get it back inside.
