Chapter 14
The light blushon Brianna’s cheeks makes my dick hard, but I shut those feelings down. The last thing I should do is get involved with her in any other way except protect her.
No, I can’t think of it like that. I need to think of it as babysitting. I need to think of it as something I despise, even though I don’t.
When my laughing subsides, my eyes widen slightly when faced with the facts. “Yes, those things did happen, but it was all circumstantial.”
She raises her eyebrow at me as if she thinks I’m lying.
Why would I need to lie about something so trivial?
I figured after talking for hours during the hurricane that she would see that I’m a pretty honest person.
Except for the shit I’m keeping from her, because I don’t want to see her worry more than she already is.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh.
“I didn’t show up here randomly. My father died, and I inherited his house. I did start the bar fight, but only because the asshole was disrespecting a woman. I refuse to stand by and watch the abuse happen.”
My tone is blunt and confrontational, and she winces in response.
I intentionally leave out anything concerning the shooting.
She doesn’t need to know I was tracking the men, and she definitely doesn’t need to know that I am almost one hundred percent sure her dad is deeply involved in this despite the stolen box being from her uncle’s restaurant.
Shit. This isn’t how I thought our first night here would be. I figured we had a few days before tempers got the best of us.
Slowly, she gets up and walks over to me. She reaches out to touch my arm, but pulls her hand back at the last second.
“I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions about why you came into town and why you started a bar fight. I promise that won’t ever happen again.”
Her sparkling blue gaze locks with mine and the urge to pull her into my chest and slam my lips against hers grows by the second.
She squints her eyes and sniffs the air before pushing past me to walk into the living room. “What’s cooking?”
I follow her into the living room. “Lasagna.”
She spins around so fast I bump into her, knocking her off her feet. As she falls to the ground, my arms wrap around her waist and pull her into my arms.
Her hands press against my chest, and I know she can feel my heart trying to break free from the confines of my ribcage.
Neither one of us speaks for several moments.
I try to keep my dick from turning into a steel rod, but lose the battle when Brianna sucks her lower lip between her teeth and nibbles nervously.
Fuck. It isn’t going to be easy to be here alone with her. I wonder if she can feel how much I want her?
She looks at me through her lashes. “You made lasagna? How long was I laying there?”
I chuckle and shake my head. “Not me. Stouffer’s did. Does that lose brownie points with you?”
Why would it matter if it did? Why am I asking questions like this?
Nothing can happen between us. For multiple reasons, including the age difference.
She takes a step back, my body instantly missing her touch. “No, but I would have been impressed if you did.”
“Maybe next time.”
I head over to the small dining table and take the deck of cards out of their cardboard box.
“Do you know how to play Texas Hold ’em?”
She stops in the doorway to the kitchen and crosses her arms before rolling her eyes. “Really? Would you be asking a man that question?”
I chuckle. “Alright, fine, you got me there, but we didn’t play it during the storm, so I was just making sure.”
She pulls out a chair and plops down. “Each losing hand, we have to tell one fact about ourselves.”
Now, it’s my turn to freeze.
What information does she want me to share?
She must see the hesitation on my face because she laughs and says, “Nothing too deep, just something to pass the time while the lasagna bakes.”
I take my seat and shuffle the cards.
It’s time to get to know one another.
Even though we aren’t playing with poker chips or money, I pause after dealing two cards face down.
I check my cards. Ace of spades and a ten of diamonds.
I automatically go through the motions of putting the top card of the deck to the side before revealing the flop.
They don’t help my hand, but Brianna’s face lights up.
The turn is an ace, giving me a pair of aces. And the river is a three, leaving me with my pair of aces.
Brianna grins and says, “I have a pair of kings.” She flips her two cards over, showing the pair of kings I dealt her.
“That’s good,” I say with a small smile. “But not good enough.”
I reveal my cards as her face falls. “Damn it. That was a good hand.”
She slides the cards over to me and scrunches up her face while she thinks up her first fact.
“How about we ask each other small questions because coming up with random facts might be a little hard?”
I nod. “Alright.”
So many questions swarm through my mind. I want to know everything about her. I want to know her hopes, dreams, wishes, and fantasies. I want to know what turns her on and what she thinks about when she’s falling asleep.
Those thoughts have me frozen in my spot.
I shouldn’t want to know everything about her. I should leave her alone and just do this job and then move on with my life.
A question pops into my mind. “What’s your favorite food?”
She doesn’t skip a beat. “That’s easy. Tacos.”
Interesting.
I deal out the next hand, but this time I don’t pause between the flop, turn, and river. I’m too eager to learn more about her.
Her face lights up when I reveal my shitty hand. “Yes! I win.”
I shuffle the deck of cards as she thinks for a moment, trying to come up with the best question to ease the curiosity swarming in her eyes.
Her smile falters before asking, “What’s your favorite color?”
My favorite color is green, but that’s not what comes out of my mouth. “Blue, like your eyes.”
We both freeze, letting our thoughts consume us.
Subconsciously, I guess my favorite color has changed. I just can’t believe that I blurted it out like that.
She must think I’m playing games with her. To be honest, my mind is playing games with my heart, and I’ve never felt more conflicted.
She’s the first one to speak. “Blue is also my favorite color, but I love more of a crystal blue color, like aquamarine.”
Does she not realize her eyes are very similar to aquamarine? Her eyes change between the lighter aquamarine shade of blue and the darker sapphire hue based on what her mood is.
I deal out the next hand, grinning when I know I’ve won before we even get to the river.
She huffs and slides her cards over to me.
I need a simple question where her answer won’t cause any emotional response from me.
“What’s your favorite season?”
She immediately answers. “Summer because I love the sun, the beach, and my birthday. What’s your favorite season?”
I give her a friendly smirk. “Win the next hand and I’ll tell you.”
She frowns, and all I can think about is kissing the frown off her pouty lips.
“But I told you my favorite color, and it wasn’t my turn to answer.”
“Fine, I’ll tell you, since you’re changing the rules. My favorite season is spring.”
Bri quirks an eyebrow for me to elaborate, but I shake my head. “That wasn’t part of the rules.”
“I bet that’s when your birthday is and secretly you love surprise parties and that’s why you love springtime.”
I shake my head.
She rolls her eyes and huffs out, “Fine. Don’t tell me, just deal the next hand.”
Giving in, I quietly say, “Truthfully, I missed seeing greenery while I was deployed to the desert. When I was finally back stateside, I would sit outside for hours and stare at the flowers blooming.”
“Oh,” she says quietly and I watch as her expression morphs from annoyance to understanding. “Ohhh. Damn, I feel stupid.”
“No need. It’s something that most people take for granted. I sure as shit did.”
To try to lighten the mood, I shuffle the cards and deal another hand. She wins this round, restoring her happiness.
She doesn’t have to think up another question. “When’s your birthday?”
“The twentieth of February.” Turning the topic to her, I ask, “When’s yours?”
“July 17.”
We continue playing and asking questions, no matter who wins.
She wins and asks, “Are you a dog person or a cat person?”
“Either. I’ve never been a pet owner. Not as a child and not as an adult.”
“I’ve always wanted a dog, but Dad said no. I’ve dreamed of playing fetch with my dog on the beach.”
Her eyes glaze over as she pictures herself playing with a dog.
I can see it. She’d be great with a big, playful dog. Like a golden retriever or a labrador. Maybe even a husky or a Saint Bernard.
A craving begins to build inside me. I want to give her everything she wants and then some.
I want to show her the world and make her dreams a reality.
When we are in the middle of a hand, she perks up and asks, “What was your favorite place to vacation growing up?”
“My family never took vacations, but during spring break of my senior year, me and a few friends flew to Cabo for the week.”
“That sounds fun, but seriously? No vacations? Did your parents work all the time and not take any days off?”
“My mom wasn’t around, and my dad and I didn’t get along.”
“Really?” she asks, while leaning closer to me to pat my hand.
“Yeah, really. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. I mean, I enlisted just to get out of the house and away from him.”
Her mouth falls open as if she can’t believe I’d admit that out loud.
I shrug. “It’s the truth. I hated my childhood. I wasn’t happy, and the military was a guaranteed paycheck with a roof over my head.”
“I can’t imagine being so unhappy that I’d willingly join the military.” Her eyes widen before she yells, “Oh my God, I didn’t mean it the way it sounded coming out. Not that joining the military is a bad thing. I mean, look at you, you made an entire career out of it.”
My smile grows the more she rambles. It’s cute.
Her cheeks blush a deep red as her gaze moves down to her hands. She mumbles, “I’m going to shut up now. Wow, that’s embarrassing.”
I glance at the timer on the stove. Two minutes. “We have time for one more hand, if you are interested.”
“There’s nothing else to occupy our time, so deal away.”
My insides are being torn in opposite directions. I know being here in a safe house is the smart thing to do for the time being, but I don’t enjoy seeing her miserable.
We are only on the first day, and there’s no telling how long we will have to be here. I’m hoping for only a week or two, but I won’t make promises to her I can’t keep.
I shuffle the cards and deal out our last hand, not bothering to place the first two cards face down.
Brianna raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything.
After the last card is placed down on the table, I gather them up and look at her, waiting for her question.
Brianna thinks for a moment before standing up. Just as I think she’s not going to ask me a question, she says, “I want you to kiss me.”
Without thinking, I blurt out, “Why?”
She takes a few steps until she is standing next to my chair.
After throwing her long hair over her shoulder, she crosses her arms and says, “Because I’m tired of being cooped up inside. I’m tired of playing cards. I’m tired of being single. And because I’ve wondered what it would be like since the night of the bonfire.”
My dick bounces in my pants, but I swallow my needs and wants and say, “I can’t.”
She doesn’t like that answer. She purses her lips and juts out a hip and demands an explanation. “Why?”
I stand and say the only thing that will keep me from giving her what she wants. What I want. “You’re off limits.”
She steps closer to me until her body is pushed up against mine. “Says who?”
“Says me.”
She presses her perfectly manicured finger into my chest. “Bullshit. I’m not an idiot. I’m more observant than you think I am. Did my dad tell you I’m off limits?”
Her feisty attitude makes me want to haul her ass in the bedroom and show her exactly what her dad warned me not to do.
I don’t answer her question. I try to push past her, but she plants her feet and refuses to move.
“Brianna, move.”
“Make me.”
I let out a deep growl and try to step to the side, but she moves with me, once again blocking my way.
My heart races in my chest and before I can register what I’m doing, my hands wrap around her waist and pull her to me until there’s not even a breath of air between us.
Our lips crash in a frenzy as hands explore places we’ve only dreamt of touching.
Her hands work their way under my shirt before moving up my muscles. She digs her nails into my flesh, causing my hips to press my cock against her stomach.
I trail my hand up her back, tangling it in her long locks, before giving it a tug.
Her head tilts back, breaking the kiss.
Keeping a firm grip on her hair, my mouth moves to her neck as my other hand palms her breast.
She closes her eyes and lets out a moan.
“Fuck. That is the sexiest sound in the entire world.”
Her hand moves between our bodies, finding the large tent in the front of my pants. She gives it a squeeze before stroking me through the fabric.
Needing to taste her sweet lips, I release her hair. Our lips find each other once more. A jolt of electricity passes between us, igniting the lust burning inside.
Fuck, this is better than I ever expected, and it’s just a kiss. Imagine how explosive we would be if I were buried inside of her tight pussy.
She moans into my mouth as my fingers find her hard nipple.
I pick her up and carry her over to the nearest wall, pressing her back into the peeling paint.
She wraps her legs around my waist and pulls me in until my cock is nestled in her warmth.
Her kiss is hard and fast, like she can’t get enough. I kiss her back with equal fervor, needing to get my fill of her.
But I already know it’s never going to be enough.
Finally, when we are both breathless, I pull back. My chest heaves from the lack of oxygen.
Her face is flushed, and her lips are swollen. Her eyes are as dark as sapphires.
Damn, that was explosive, and I instantly regret it.
This impetuous kiss might have just complicated this mess even more.