TJ Read online

  “Yeah. I’ll give you that. But there’s friends with benefits, there are casual relationships. My point is that if you sleep with her it can mean something other than a one-and-done or you’re in love with her.”

  TJ blew out a sigh. “I know that. At least, on the conscious level, I do. I’m not sure if I’ll remember it when my instincts kick in.”

  “Do you have any idea which way you’d go?”

  “No.” He didn’t want to admit it, because it scared him.

  “So, how much are you happy for me to tell Mom and Grace?”

  “You can tell them about Darren, and Mastro’s and that we went to the pier and walked on the beach. Mom’ll love that.”

  Oscar chuckled. “And Grace will! You’ll make me look bad. She’d much rather go for a walk on the beach than any of the stuff I come up with.”

  TJ smiled. “That’s because she’s real. She’s about the meaningful, not the materialistic.”

  “Yeah. I don’t see why the materialistic can’t be meaningful though.”

  TJ chuckled. “It can. I’m only pulling your leg. She knows that with you all the money and expensive stuff is just you wanting to show her you’re successful—that you work hard and you’re smart. It’s only a different take on the caveman who came home all proud of the woolly mammoth he hunted down.”

  Oscar laughed. “If you say so.”

  “I do. But some little simple pleasures, they aren’t about success, they’re about enjoying what is. The sunset, the breeze off the ocean. That kind of thing.”

  “Damn! You’re going all poetic and romantic on me.”

  “No. I’m just …Never mind. I was telling you what you can tell Mom and Grace. About the pier and the beach and the candy floss, and that I dropped her off at home and I’m seeing her again.”

  “Awesome. I’ll leave you to it, then. I hope this afternoon goes well. And tonight.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Don’t overthink it. If things lead you in the direction of the bedroom, roll with it. It can be a fun way for two people to spend an afternoon; it doesn’t have to be a commitment or a dismissal.”

  “Yeah. Thanks. See ya.”

  “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “And grill me for more?”

  “Yup.”

  He laughed and hung up.

  ~ ~ ~

  Dani peered out the window. It was only twenty till two, but she had a feeling he’d be early. In her experience, military men were punctual, and most planned for contingencies, which meant they gave themselves a ten to twenty-minute lead time. She smiled when she saw the limo pull up at one-forty-five. She couldn’t see his face from up here, but she could picture the way he’d looked the first time she’d seen him sitting in the driver’s seat. Goosebumps prickled on her arms and her tummy flipped over. From the way he’d looked at her and the way he’d kissed her before she got out of the car last night, she was almost certain that they’d have sex today. She hoped so. She’d spent hours getting rid of every stray hair she could find on her body this morning. She’d gotten up extra early, so that she could—she didn’t want her freshly smooth legs and other bits to break out in a shaving rash once she got in the pool.

  She looked over at her bag. Her swimsuit was in there, and toiletries so she could shower after they swam. It was only about the swimming—it had nothing to do with the fact that they might also come in handy in the morning—if she stayed. The change of clothes was for later. In case they decided to go out to eat. And the second change? She shook her head. For tomorrow. She was hoping she’d spend the night. There, she’d admitted it. And now she had, she picked up her bag with a nod. She stopped on her way past the kitchen and smiled at Matt. “I think you’d like him.”

  She let herself out on the street and made her way to the limo. He got out before she reached it. He was breathtaking. In jeans and a white shirt, he looked more relaxed than she’d seen him before. His smile was more relaxed too. He held his arms open to her and she dropped the bag and happily stepped inside them. He closed them around her and she slid hers around his waist. The first hug they’d shared, up on stage at the auction, had been wonderful. She’d thought it would be one of those one-off moments that she’d always look back on and smile. Now his hugs—the way he greeted her like this—already felt familiar. She wondered what it would be like to look back on that first hug and have it be not just a pleasant moment, but a beginning.

  He rested his chin on top of her head. She loved the way he did that. “Sorry I’m early. I didn’t mean to rush you.”

  She leaned back to smile up at him. “You’re right on time. I reckoned you’d be here somewhere between ten and twenty minutes early and you split the difference and went for fifteen.”

  He smiled through pursed lips. “Are we all the same in that respect?”

  “Matt was.”

  His smiled faded.

  “Don’t worry. I like to talk about him, and you have a lot in common with him. You’ll understand. I don’t know anyone here who knew him, and that makes it hard. I can’t share memories—people find it weird to talk about a dead person they never knew. It makes them uncomfortable.”

  He nodded, and she wondered why she’d told him all that. It wasn’t the best way to set the tone for a fun and light-hearted day. He picked up her bag and put it in the back. “Do you want to sit back here and be chauffeured?” he asked with a smile.

  “No! I want to sit up front with you.”

  He opened the door for her and she slid into the passenger seat.

  When he had his seat belt on, she put her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to start us off on a downer.”

  “No! You didn’t. I didn’t see it that way at all. I was thinking that it has to be hard for you. I hang out with a bunch of guys who have all lost people; brothers. We can talk about it, we understand each other—even though we didn’t know their brothers, it doesn’t matter. We all know the need to remember, to share, to talk about them.”

  She nodded.

  “If I looked like it was a downer, it was only because I felt bad for you. I’d like to hear all about Matt. He was a brother to me, too, in a way.”

  Her eyes pricked with tears and she turned away to look out the window before turning back to him.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Please. I’m sorry I’m such a cry baby around you. It’s just that that might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

  He took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Now that is sad. If that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever heard, you’re going to make me cry!”

  She chuckled. “Don’t.”

  “Don’t what? I’m going to have to make sure I tell you all kinds of nice things.” His eyes seemed even lighter when his smile reached them.

  “Only if you mean them.”

  “I told you. I don’t do fake nice. Are you ready? Shall we go swim instead of sitting around here?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Eleven

  TJ pulled the limo through the gates and waited for them to roll shut behind him before he cut the engine and turned to smile at her. “Here we are.”

  She nodded. She looked nervous. He felt it, too. And today wasn’t supposed to be like that. They’d relaxed with each other on the beach last night; he didn’t want them to go back to the awkward, stilted conversation they’d had at dinner.

  “Come on. Let me show you around. Then you can get changed.” She got out and he grabbed her bag from the back.

  “This place is lovely,” she said once he’d given her a tour of the house.

  “I like it. It’s good for now.”

  “It doesn’t seem like you live here, though.”

  He smiled. “I was thinking that myself this morning. There’s no sign of me being here, is there? It’s just a furnished rental.” He smiled. “I promise though. I do live here, I’m no
t just some creeper who rented a house with a pool so I could see you in your swim suit.”

  She laughed. “The thought had never occurred to me, but now you’ve got me wondering.”

  He pursed his lips. “You know me better than that already.”

  “I do.”

  “What do you want to drink? I’ll fix us something and you can go change. I’ll meet you by the pool.”

  “I’d love a water, thanks.”

  TJ took two glasses of iced water out and set them on the table between the loungers. He unbuttoned his shirt and took off his jeans, then folded everything neatly and took them inside.

  He stopped when she emerged from the guest bedroom and hoped that his swim shorts could hide just how much he liked what he saw. She was slender, tall for a girl. Her long legs went all the way up to her ass, which he caught a glimpse of as she turned to close the door behind her.

  “Oh!” She jumped when she turned back and saw him standing there.

  “Sorry. I was just putting these away.” He held up his clothes as if they could explain why he was standing there with his tongue hanging out, trying to drag his eyes away from her round, firm little breasts.

  She didn’t seem to notice. She was too busy checking him out. The realization made him smile. She let her gaze take in his shoulders, work its way down over his chest and stomach. Her eyes widened as she looked farther down—giving him the answer that, no, his swim shorts weren’t concealing his excitement. He risked another glance at her breasts. From the way she was breathing, he got the impression that she liked what she saw. Maybe it wasn’t surprise, but lust in her eyes?

  She stepped toward him. Was she going to …? Did she want …?

  She reached him and slipped her arms around his waist.

  She did! Damn. He wasn’t ready, much as his cock would disagree. He wanted them to hang out, talk, relax together—and only then take it to the bedroom if it flowed naturally. If he took her now, there’d be nowhere left for them to go. He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead. “You look amazing. Come on, let’s swim and cool off.”

  She stepped back a little too quickly. He didn’t want her to think it was a rejection.

  “I’m sorry. I …” She shrugged. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It should be me apologizing. Don’t think I don’t want to, but I want us to be about more than that. Let’s swim, talk, hang out.” He smiled and ran his fingertip down her arm. “Let’s build the anticipation.”

  She shivered visibly and nodded. “That’d be better.”

  He took her by the hand and led her outside. When she settled herself on one of the loungers and started applying sunscreen to her long, slender limbs, he wanted to declare that the anticipation had been built to a boiling point. Instead, he sat down on the other lounger, in hopes of hiding his eagerness.

  Once she’d done everywhere she could reach, she gave him a rueful smile. “I don’t know if I dare ask you to do my back.”

  He chuckled. “I’ll do it, but I can’t make any promises.”

  She waggled her eyebrows. “Neither can I.”

  She handed him the bottle and he straddled her lounger to sit behind her. Dumb move! Now her rounded little ass was between his legs, and all he could think about was getting between hers.

  She lifted up her hair, and for a moment, all he could do was stare at her long, slender neck and silky, smooth skin. Then he remembered and squirted some cream into his hands. He placed them on her shoulders and proceeded to rub in the cream and massage her neck.

  “Mm. That feels so good.”

  He nodded but couldn’t speak—his throat was dry. He worked his way down her back and then back up. He slid his fingers under the clasp of her bikini top—to make sure she didn’t get burned where he missed. She tensed, and he withdrew his hands. Later! They were supposed to be waiting until later.

  He wasn’t sure if that was going to be possible when she leaned back against him and rested her head on his shoulder to look up into his eyes. “Thank you.”

  He nodded. “I think it’s me who ought to be thanking you.” His hands moved of their own accord and traced their way up and down her sides. She shivered again, and this time he could feel it as well as see it. He closed his arms around her and held her to him, her back against his chest, her ass pressed against his already aching cock.

  She lifted her lips to him and he lowered his head. Last night he’d held back a couple of times when they’d kissed; today he couldn’t. He claimed her mouth, tasting her, exploring her, his tongue giving her warning of what his cock wanted to do; thrusting inside her as he held her to him. His hands closed around her breasts and she moaned into his mouth, igniting him further as his fingers found their way under the thin fabric of her bikini and stroked her taut nipples.

  Just as he was trying to figure out how he could move her from this awkward position into something that would give him better access, his phone started to ring. Dammit! He tried to ignore it, but she tensed. They kept kissing, but the moment was lost.

  He lifted his head and gave her a rueful smile. “Sorry.”

  She chuckled. “I’m not. That was the best anticipation builder ever, and I don’t think the anticipation would have lasted very long at the rate we were going.”

  He laughed with her. “Yeah. You’ve got a point there.”

  He hugged her to him and rested his head on her shoulder. His cock was still straining in his shorts, but the kiss he planted on her lips felt more like building closeness between them than anticipation.

  “Do you need to see who it was?”

  He sighed. “I should. Just in case. If something happens at the center, they call.” As he got up, he hoped it wasn’t something at the center. He’d go if they needed him, but he sure as hell didn’t want to.

  He picked up his phone from the outside bar and checked the display. It was Oscar. He hadn’t left a message. He looked back at Dani. “I just need to call back, make sure everything’s okay.”

  She smiled and raised her glass of water to him. “I’m not going anywhere—except maybe in the pool.”

  He smiled and tried not to imagine droplets of water running down over her breasts. Damn. He needed to get a grip. He called Oscar back and waited.

  “I am so sorry!” he answered, without even a hello. “I forgot you have Dani there. I’m a dipshit. I hung up as soon as I remembered.”

  TJ smiled. “No problem. It might have been a good thing. What did you want?”

  “I told you. I’m a dipshit. It was only to ask about the limo.”

  “It’s here. Do you need it?”

  “No. Forget it. We can take a cab.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. Now get off the phone and get back to her. And remember, it’s okay to get physical without it meaning anything—there’s a whole spectrum between goodbye and forever.”

  TJ smiled. He wasn’t about to tell him that if he hadn’t called that was exactly what he would be doing.

  “I’m good. Talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Yeah. You call me, though. Sorry, again.”

  He hung up and smiled at the sight of Dani who was in the pool, her elbows up on the side as she sipped her water. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yeah. It was just Oscar checking in.”

  Her smile faded. “Does he know I’m here?”

  He nodded. “Do you mind?”

  “No. I guess not. It just seems strange, but then he can’t know what we were up to when he called.”

  “No. He had no idea.” He wasn’t going to tell her that Oscar would be thrilled to know what he’d interrupted—but not that he’d interrupted it.

  ~ ~ ~

  Dani smiled at him. She might not like the thought of Oscar knowing what she and TJ had been doing, but she hoped they could get back to doing it soon. She knew he was right. They should take their time, hang out, relax and talk�
�keep getting to know each other. But every time he came within a couple of feet of her, all she could think about was getting to know each other more intimately. For starters, she wanted to get acquainted with what was inside his swim shorts—that kept standing up as if trying to get her attention. “Are you coming in?”

  He nodded and jumped right in, soaking her.

  “Hey!” She laughed indignantly and splashed water in his face as he came toward her.

  “What?” His smile could only be described as mischievous. It was a look she hadn’t seen on him before, and she liked it.

  She swam away from him. “I didn’t have you down as the kind to play dirty.”

  He came after her with a laugh. “I guess that depends on what kind of dirty you’re talking about.”

  “Ooh. I like the sound of that.” She’d reached the shallower end and tried to run, but he was too fast for her. He caught her arm and pulled her to him.

  She surrendered eagerly.

  He pinned her between the side and his body, giving her her first introduction to what was hiding in his swim shorts. He was so hard, and even in the cool water, she could feel the heat of him pressing eagerly between her legs.

  He braced his hands on the edge of the pool on either side of her and leaned back, thrusting his hips forward.

  She heard the moan escape from her lips but couldn’t stop it. She reached her arms up around his neck and pulled his head down to her. “Kiss me,” she breathed.

  He claimed her mouth, and she gave herself up to him. His kisses were like him. There was no middle ground. Sometimes they were fleeting, a brush of the lips, a chaste peck. Other times, like now, they were intense, full-on, all consuming. She clung to his shoulders as she kissed him back, feeling as though he was exploring what was once enemy territory and claiming it as his own. He ran his hands down her sides, and then back up to close around her breasts. Between his fingertips tormenting her nipples and his cock rocking eagerly between her legs, he could take her over the edge any moment he wanted.

  She dropped her hands to his waistband. It was time to even things up. He tensed as she unfastened the drawstring and she waited. She was learning his ways; he was like a skittish colt. When something threw him off, he took a moment, and then decided either to carry on or back off. It was only a slight hesitation and she waited. She knew if he moved away, it wouldn’t be about her, it would only be a question of whether he was ready. It seemed he was. He cupped her face between his hands and kissed her with renewed vigor, leaving her free to push his shorts down.