CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Sloane was on her way to New Hampshire, and unlike her normal cool, collected self, she was all over the place with nerves.
When she felt like this, there was only one person to call. Melissa. She hated waking her buddy up early on a weekend, but… That’s what friends were for.
The phone rang three times before a groggy Mel picked up.
“’Lo?” came the muffled greeting.
“Melissa, it’s Sloane. I’m sorry/not sorry to pull you from your dreams.”
“Is this about Kaelyn? Have you found her?” Mel, suddenly awake asked cautiously, as if she were afraid to hear bad news.
Sloane hated lying, but there was no way she could let Melissa know that they’d rescued the girl, and that she was currently in a safe-house with her parents.
Still, she needed to give her friend a little hope. “No. But we have a solid lead, and I hope to have better news next time we talk.
“Well, that’s something,” Melissa allowed. “So,” she yawned, “what are you calling for at this ungodly hour?”
Sloane bit the bullet. “I’m, uh, overthinking something here.”
There was a snort. “When don’t you?” she returned. “This better be good,” she added. “Like maybe regarding something hot and male-like that I can use for daydreaming since I’m still in bed.”
“Well…” Sloane hedged, “I might be headed to New Hampshire to meet a certain someone.”
“That Perk guy?” Melissa squealed, immediately jumping on what Sloane hadn’t said. “I thought he was out on some super-secret spy mission somewhere, and you weren’t allowed to bother him.”
“Well, sort of,” Sloane hedged. “He’s still on that undercover op, but we decided if we met up in another state, it shouldn’t compromise anything.”
“Halleluiah!” Melissa cried heartily for someone who’d been deep in REM only minutes earlier. “And what, pray tell, are the two of you going to do today in New Hampshire?” The innuendo in Mel’s voice sounded smooth, like butter.
Sloane didn’t beat around the bush. “I think I’m going to jump his bones.”
“Of course you are, sweetie,” Melissa scoffed without missing a beat. “But how’s that going to go down? Are you leaping on him the moment you see him? Are you hoping that he takes the lead and springs first? Or will you both dance around things for far too long until shit between you becomes awkward? If it’s door number three, then take my word for it, if you wait too long, no good bodily fluids will get swapped,” Melissa lamented.
Mel was graphic, but she also had a point. Both Sloane and Perk were overthinkers. If they left things to chance…
Maybe meeting up at the breakfast place wasn’t such a great idea. If they had to make small talk for an indeterminate period of time, one of them might have second thoughts and back out entirely.
Sloane made up her mind. That wasn’t going to happen.
“You know what Melissa?” Sloane put out there.
“What, my bestie of all besties?”
“You are a brilliant woman. I’m immediately going to grab the reins and make things happen.”
A second snort sounded over the phone. “Good. I’m glad to help, but that ‘brilliant’ thing? Please tell it to my boss, my coworkers, and all the kids who give me shit all day.”
“You got it,” Sloane answered. “And as an additional thank you, I’ll also write you up in the school newspaper as the resident Wonder Woman. Heroine extraordinaire. How’s that work for you?”
“Dandy, unless I have to wear that sparkly WW outfit. Then the deal’s off.”
“Oh, you’ve stuck your foot in it now, baby. I know exactly what I’m buying you for Christmas!” Sloane teased.
“If I find red, white, and blue in my stocking, I’ll be sending you an equally obnoxious A.R.G.U.S. uniform. You’ll be Etta Candy to my Diana.”
“Uh, Mel? That’s not really a threat. That outfit you’re describing will be an upgrade for me. You’re forgetting, my norm is a Fed-suit, so Army fatigues aren’t the turn-off you think they are.”
“Right. But speaking of clothing,” Melissa changed the subject, whiplash fast. “What exactly are you wearing today? Tell me you didn’t dig out a black and white.”
“I did not.” Sloane glanced down at the jeans and sweater she’d chosen for the occasion. The jeans showcased her ass and thigh muscles, and she hoped the fitted sweater made her boobs look perky. It had been a long time since she’d thought about the girls needing to look spritely. “I have on my favorite jeans, and that forest green sweater you gave me for my birthday.”
“Excellent,” Melissa approved. “And you shaved your pits?”
Sloane rolled her eyes. Now Mel was just trying to throw crap at the wall to distract her from being nervous.
But wasn’t that exactly what she’d called her friend for?
Hell, yes .
Sloane bantered back. “Relax, Mel. I waxed, plucked, and epilated with my razor. I’ll have you know there’s not a stray hair anywhere on my body.”
“Well done,” Melissa yawned. “That’s better than me. Right now, I’m vying for follicular outcroppings that fall somewhere between Bigfoot and a Wookiee.”
It was Sloane’s turn to snigger. “That’s a very pretty picture.”
“Well, considering I haven’t had a date in two months, let’s just say I’m insulating to conserve energy.”
“Now you’re just trying to make me feel bad that I might have a…space heater later,” Sloane quipped.
“Nuh, uh. Don’t feel bad,” Melissa threw back. “Just give me all the dirty deets afterward so I can live vicariously through you. And don’t get all nun-like on me. You’ve pumped me for info enough times, Agent Vessers.”
“Guilty,” Sloane admitted. “But only because you serial date, and I’ve been dealing with an endless void.”
“A self-imposed slump,” Melissa returned. “Because of that dick-head ex-husband whose name shall not be mentioned.”
They’d made a late-night, drunken agreement years ago that her ex’s moniker would never take up residence on either of their tongues, ever again.
“So does that mean I’ll get the low down on…any, uh, low-downs?” Melissa kept prodding impishly.
“We’ll see,” Sloane prevaricated. “I might not be proud of myself if I actually ambush the man.”
“I will,” Melissa replied smartly. “You are who you are, girlfriend, and if this Perk character can’t handle the heat—”
“—he needs to get out of the kitchen,” they both finished together before laughing.
Except…
Sloane didn’t want to scare Perk away.
Could she stay true to who she was and not have him think she was too aggressive? Too assertive? He’d soothed her fears on that front when it had all been…cerebral. And they’d shared the lead position when they’d kissed. He’d also seemed quite flummoxed that her ex hadn’t appreciated her forthrightness. But now? She guessed it was time to see if Perk would still be okay with her intensity when greater physical shit between them came into the mix.
Sloane spotted the retro diner up ahead.
“Okay, Melissa. Thanks for talking me down. I’m pulling up to the breakfast spot now, but you’re a life-saver. I’m feeling better, and you know I was almost ready to turn around and call the whole thing off.”
“Glad to be of service,” Melissa replied. “Now I suppose I have to get up and find coffee, since nobody’s here to bring it to me ,” she emphasized.
“Boo, Hoo,” Sloane gave back. “If I know you, it won’t be long before you have someone new wrapped around your devious little finger.”
“From your mouth to my…” Mel hummed, then snickered, but Sloane got the point. Mel loved herself a guy who would give oral. “Now go. And don’t be anyone but yourself.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Sloane said goodbye and hung up, then pulled her Pontiac—which she’d chosen to drive today in lieu of her Fed-mobile—into a parking space. She didn’t see Perk’s Volvo, so she opened her phone again and began thumbing through some mind-numbing social media to kill time.
When the knock came on her side window, Sloane jumped. She’d been deep into the latest Caturday memes, and hadn’t heard Perk approach.
Seeing him standing outside her car, his face wreathed in smiles, she immediately was hit with just how good looking the man was as she fumbled with her phone to put it in her purse. How did Perk get more and more delicious with every appearance? Maybe he didn’t. Maybe she just thought so because this time he was here for her . There was no wedding as a diversion; no work-related matters to discuss. This was an actual, freaking date.
Which meant…
Oh, hell. It meant that she needed to let her actual self fly, or she might end up compromising who she really was, only to get shot down later if hints of her true personality started seeping in.
Sloane sighed. It was better to let Perk know what he was up against right away. Then, if he hated it, he could cut loose and end things before too much of Sloane’s heart got involved.
As if it wasn’t already.
Which sucked.
Taking a deep breath, Sloane opened her door and stepped out, closing it behind her with a solid clunk.
“This is a sweet ride,” Perk emoted, not knowing the turmoil that raged inside her as he eyed her prized vehicle. “Is it a sixty-seven?”
“Sixty-five,” she corrected, calming her jitters. “And I went for her this morning, because she doesn’t get a chance to stretch her legs very often.”
“Totally cool,” he said.
Sloane was inordinately pleased that he loved her baby, but… “Uh, where’s your Volvo?”
Perk grinned. “I ditched it for my F150 today. But don’t worry, I made sure no one was tailing me when I switched vehicles.”
“I wasn’t worried,” she told him, then, running out of small-talk, she shifted awkwardly from foot to foot.
“Well. So…” Perk cleared his throat, also seemingly at a loss. “You want to, uh, go in and check out the menu?”
Shit. If she was going to do this, his inquiry was the perfect segue.
“No. I don’t,” she wrenched out.
“You—?” He scowled.
“I don’t want to eat, Perk.” Her voice got stronger. “I don’t want to dance around any longer. I just want to fuck you,” she bit out, watching carefully for his reaction.
His eyes widened.
“You just want to fuck me?” he repeated tentatively. “Or you want to fuck me as a way to get to know me even better?”
Dammit. She hadn’t exactly been clear.
“The second one,” she clarified swiftly. “Because… I don’t think I can sit across from you in that restaurant for an indeterminate amount of time, when all I’ll be thinking about is how you look, naked.”
A shit-eating grin split across his face. “I’ve been wondering the same thing.”
Sloane couldn’t resist. “You don’t know how you look, naked?”
“Solo, yes. But not with you in my arms, skin to skin,” he growled.
Yikes. That was one helluva picture. Perk was clearly onboard. It was now or never.
Sloane took two leaps simultaneously; one of faith, and the other right into Perk’s arms where she wrapped her legs around his waist and hung on for dear life.
The mountain-of-a-man didn’t move an inch. He simply cupped her ass with two ready hands, and squeezed.
As she dragged his head down to hers, wanting more contact, he actually mumbled… “It’s about fucking time.”
That was the last coherent words either of them had for the other before Sloane latched onto Perk’s mouth. And feasted.
Sloane wasn’t holding back. She was taking her fill of him; his taste, his scent. But just like the other time they’d kissed, Perk wasn’t offering himself up as a complete pushover. He let her ravage his lips for a few minutes before growling into the kiss and switching things up to become the aggressor.
Holy hell , that was good.
Once Sloane felt well and devoured—enough that she thought her head might explode—Perk leaned back from his forceful foray and once again had her overtake the action.
Yes !
It was the most electric, give-and-take lip-lock of Sloane’s life; like Perk was reading her mind. Every time she got greedy, he worked with her instead of against her, but the minute she backed off, he dove in and filled the void.
Was it perfect?
Uh… Hell, yes .
It was also a little too X-rated for a diner parking lot since she was rubbing against his impressive package; both of them practically giving off steam.
“How far to the cottage?” she asked, coming up for air and nipping his chin.
“Three minutes,” he ground out, his tongue laving her earlobe. “You drive?”
“Absolutely.”
Reluctantly, she slipped from his arms, and when her feet hit the ground, she almost reconsidered. Her knees were shaking and her legs were spaghetti, but…
“Good. Because my cock is so engorged right now,” Perk admitted, “I doubt if I have the blood flow in my feet to work the pedals.”
It was settled then. Sloane was driving because she wasn’t about to let anything deflate that magnificent hard-on.
“In,” she ordered bitingly, turning and opening her door.
Perk, bless him, didn’t waste time. He was around to the other side of the vehicle almost before she had his door unlocked, because yeah, in her vintage vehicle you leaned to do that shit. There was no such thing as automatic door locks back in the day.
Once Perk was seated, Sloane turned the key, revved the engine, and…
“Which way?” she asked, not bothering with her phone’s GPS anymore when she had the live version.
“Take a right out of the lot, then take the second right after that and follow it to the end. It’ll be the red trimmed cottage on the left, facing the lake.”
Perk hadn’t fastened his seatbelt, and as she followed his directions, he scooted across the bench seat toward her. He attacked her neck using his tongue and his teeth, dragging both repeatedly across her sensitive skin. Sloane’s nipples hardened even more than before—a near impossibility—and she didn’t want to waste their interest, so she grabbed his hand and thrust it up under her sweater.
Perk didn’t hesitate. He dragged one bra-cup down, cupped her breast, then scissored his fingers around her aching, rigid peak.
Sloane moaned as she spotted the cottage up ahead, wondering if she could make it before orgasming in her jeans. “Fuck.”
“Yes,” Perk hissed. “As soon as you stop the car.”
Did he mean…in the car?
Sloane felt more moisture gush between her legs. She couldn’t wait to find out. She’d never had sex anyplace other than a bed before. Her ex hadn’t been very adventurous.
She pulled up to the property as described.
“Around back,” Perk clipped. “Away from the road.”
Sloane couldn’t conjure enough spit in her mouth to answer, but did as he demanded, finding a likely spot between two pine trees. There was, however, still the matter of a cottage next door…
“Don’t worry. It’s vacant,” Perk told her, clearly reading her mind as she put the car in park. He reached over and turned off the key, then dragged her prone, her back hitting the seat while he kept his body hovering over hers, virtually tucking her beneath him.
All doubts left Sloane’s brain about vying for supremecy.
For the first time in her life, she felt…protected. It was an odd sensation. Sloane was always the one doing the securing; sometimes by circumstance, but more often by choice.
In this situation, however, she found herself handing control over to Perk.
She smirked to herself.
It was perfect…for now.