Authors: Maryann Jordan
“Now, I did start running a preliminary check on the warehouse you said the truck driver stopped at. It seems to be somewhat buried in layers of ownership, which is not necessarily unusual, but can also indicate someone trying to hide who really owns or runs the place.”
“Would it help if I could get in there?” Patrick asked. He noticed the grins right away from Monty and Jack. The camera swung around to a large Hispanic man, sitting next to Monty.
“Patrick, I’d like to introduce you to Cam. He’s our best at…uh…entering facilities, and I don’t mean through the front door.”
Cam nodded his greeting and said, “Jack’s arranged a little trip for me. I know Monty and Angel were going to fly out to see you, so we’ve moved their trip up and I’ll come as well if that works for you. Marc’s a pilot and he’ll bring us, so you don’t need to meet us anywhere.”
The thrill of the hunt coursed through Patrick as he realized how dedicated the Saints were. “Jack, I don’t know how to thank you—”
“You don’t need to thank us,” Jack interrupted. “You know I was Army Special Forces, just like you, and some of my men are former military. We know what it was like to be in a warzone without all our equipment. Nothin’ pisses us off more than our brothers who can’t be protected ’cause some asshole stole it to sell on the black market. We’d do this for you even if you weren’t considering joining us.”
Nodding, chest swelling with pride, Patrick agreed. Settling upon the details of the mission, they disconnected. Leaning back in his seat, he swiveled around to peer out of his window once more. Seeing the soldiers moving equipment, he smiled.
Now, we’re going to make a fuckin’ difference.
His mind moved to Evie, and his grin grew wider.
Placing a call to Dude, he brought him up to speed on what was happening and thanked him for contacting his computer expert, Tex. “It appears that Tex and Luke work well together.”
“Appreciate it, man,” Patrick said. “The more people working on this, the better chance we have of finding out about the missing shipment.”
“No problem,” Dude replied. “Missing military equipment…especially stolen military equipment, meant for the war zones, pisses us right-the fuck-off!”
With vows to get together soon, they disconnected, leaving Patrick feeling more and more like a new career in investigation might be just what he needed.
* * *
Evie snapped her laptop shut at the exact moment her workday was over. Snatching her purse from the drawer, she threw it over her shoulder and stalked down the hall. The hours since her meeting that morning had done nothing to quell her anger. She had moved through the emotions of fury, indecision, hurt, betrayal, and finally ended right back at anger again.
She heard her name called and, recognizing Saul’s voice, kept on walking. Stopping only when she arrived at her car, she jumped in and pealed out of the parking lot. Behind her, in the building, Saul and Gary peered down at her.
“Did you have to threaten her job?” Saul growled, his own anger undisguised.
“Look, you know how dad hates negative publicity,” Gary retorted. “The last thing we need is for her to be digging into things that don’t concern her.” Noting his brother’s silence, he turned, saying, “What’s with you? I thought she made it clear she didn’t date co-workers.”
“I know, but that doesn’t keep me from really liking her. Not to mention, we’ve wanted her on board as an engineer anyway. Now, who knows what she’ll do.”
The two men sighed as they turned from the window. Staring at the street she drove down would not solve their problems.
“H
ey, Evie,” Patrick greeted, answering his phone.
“I want you to come to my place,” Evie jumped in. “I need to see you.”
Now alert, he asked, “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
“Just come straight to my place after work. Can you do that for me?” she begged.
“Of course. I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.” Hearing her disconnect, he gunned his engine a little faster, matching his heartbeat.
Something’s up…what the fuck happened today?
Patrick jogged up the stairs to Evie’s condo door, anxious to see her. He lifted his hand to knock when the door was flung open and her hands darted out, grabbing his shirt.
Jerking him in, she launched herself at him as she slammed the door and with as much force as she could muster, plastered her body to his front. With both hands on his square jaw, she pulled him down for a kiss, not waiting for him to speak.
Stunned, Patrick welcomed her luscious body pressed up to his, wrapping his arms around her. She surprised him again when she jumped up and he caught her with one hand under her ass for support.
“Babe…Evi—”
She refused to allow him to speak, wanting her lips and her body to do the talking. Owning the kiss, she slipped her tongue into his mouth, the taste intoxicating. Sucking on his tongue, she heard him moan…
or maybe that came from me.
Whirling around, Patrick pressed her back against the front door, their bodies pressed tightly from hip to head. He allowed her to take charge of the kiss for a moment, reveling in the delicious sensation of her tongue tangling with his, her breasts crushed against his chest, and her pelvis grinding against his erection.
Moving her hands from his face, she fumbled with the buttons on his shirt—at least the ones she could reach. Sliding her hands down, she jerked his shirttails out of his pants. His buckle was proving to be more difficult so her hands found their way back to his shoulders where she tried to push the offending material away.
Reality taking root, Patrick moved back slightly, his lust filled eyes attempting to focus on the woman in his arms. Mewling at the loss of contact, she ground her hips into his.
“Evie babe, slow down, slow down,” he said, gulping air as desire coursed through his body.
“I don’t want to slow down. I don’t want to stop,” she moaned trying to press tighter against him. “Don’t you want this?”
“You know I do,” he rasped. Twisting away from the door, he moved to the sofa with her still in his arms. “But I want it to be real, not a reaction to whatever is goin’ on inside your head.”
Tucking her face in his neck, she breathed him in, his rejection stinging. “I’m sorry—”
“No, no. Don’t be sorry. Girl, you’ve got to know I want this with you. I’ve wanted this with you for a while now.”
“So what’s holding you back?” she whispered, her face still buried.
“Talk to me first, Evie. Something’s happened and I want to know what. I know you have feelings for me, but until now, the fact that I’m leaving has put a stop to you wanting to see what we could become.” He gently pulled her face from his neck and, pushing her long hair back from her forehead, held her gaze. “Don’t get me wrong, baby. I’m loving every second of having your mouth on mine, your body pressed against mine, and swear to God, I thought I was going to come in my pants the way we were grinding. But I gotta know what’s changed.”
She dropped her eyes, staring at his chin, not willing to see his doubts. Heaving a huge sigh, she shifted her body to move off of his.
“Uh uh,” he said, smiling. “I like you right here.” Then, seeing the tortured expression on her face, he softened his voice as he pulled her in for a hug. “Come on, Evie. Tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s…complicated,” she confessed.
“Got all night, baby.”
“I don’t even know where to start,” she replied, her fingers absentmindedly fidgeting with his shirt collar.
“How about the beginning?”
Her gaze jumped to his, seeing nothing but concern. Licking her lips slowly, she nodded. “I promised myself when I got out of college, I wasn’t going to be like my dad—always moving. I wanted stability. You know, the kind that comes with staying in one place. Getting to know my neighbors. Finding a favorite pizza place. Having a yard that I could plant flowers in and then see them the next year when they bloomed.” She hesitated for a moment, weighing her words. “Then I met you.”
“But you didn’t like me at first,” he reminded, the corners of his eyes crinkling at the memory.
Smiling, she said, “Well, after the first meeting. You’re gorgeous, sexy, fun, smart—”
“Whoa, then how’d you stay away from my awesomeness?” he teased, brushing her dark hair back away from her face again, this time leaving his hand cupping the back of her head. Her hair felt like silk and he fisted his fingers through the strands.
Now chuckling, she pretended to swat his shoulder. “It wasn’t easy.” Sobering, she sought his gaze and continued, “The fact that you were in the Army was actually a strike against you. Then you said you were getting out and I thought we might have a chance. Then you said you were moving and I knew then that we’d have nothing to build upon.”
“And now?”
“The more time I spend with you, the more I really like you.” She sighed heavily again. “I felt conflicted…like I was in a battle with myself. The plans I had made with what was now in front of me that I wanted.”
Her fingers continued to play with his shirt, almost driving him to distraction, but he wanted her to feel comfortable enough to touch him…talk to him…confide in him.
“I called my mom this morning,” she confessed. She saw his lifted eyebrow and hastened to explain. “I told her about you. And I asked about my dad. About how it was for her to move and not put down roots.”
“What did she say?” he asked, curiosity overcoming his nervousness.
Boldly keeping her eyes on his, she said, “Mom loved dad. So she accepted everything about him. His deployments. The moves. Everything. She said she wouldn’t have had it any other way except to have him come home after his last tour.”
Patrick knew Evie was struggling with something profound and her actions spoke of this battle. Staring at the woman in his arms, he hoped she trusted him enough to reveal what was in her heart.
Come on, baby. I need more. I need you to be sure.
“Mom told me that I always wanted to have my life planned out so I wouldn’t have any surprises, but she said it was all right to have adventures. Especially if you’re with someone you love.”
At the word
love
, he sucked in a breath and then saw the doubt pass through her eyes. “Keep talking, babe. Say whatever you need to say and I promise, I’m right here.”
Blushing, she admitted, “Well, I’m not saying that I love you…but…I really like you…a lot.”
Gliding his hands through her hair, he moved them to cup the sides of her head. “I’m glad, Evie. So fuckin’ glad to hear you say that.” He paused for a moment before prodding, “But I know there’s more. What happened today?”
Pushing off his lap, she began to pace the floor, her body needing to work off the emotions burning through her. “I’ve had almost seven hours to think about everything. I was so angry at first. How dare they? I was furious, livid, pissed off and wanted to kick some GMS butt!”
His lips curved ever so slightly at the emphatic threats his girl was making.
His girl? Hell yeah! Whether or not she knew it…she was his girl.
“Then I was upset, thought about quitting, thought about playing nice and doing what they said, and then I was right back to being angry again.” She stopped pacing and turned sharply, facing him once more. “And then I thought about what my mom said this morning.”
Cocking his head to the side, he said nothing, simply allowing her the opportunity to come to her own conclusion.
“I’ve been battling the feelings I have for you. The ones you want to build on, but I wanted to stay safe more than take a chance. I thought if I stayed in one place, then I’d be safe. I’d be happy. I thought I’d be in control.” Shrugging while throwing her hands up to the side, she added, “But today showed me that no matter how much I plan…life changes all around me. So, I either let it just happen to me or I decide to come out of my safe zone myself and take some chances.”
Standing, Patrick stalked over to Evie, stopping when his polished, military shoes met her tiny toes. Towering over her, he reached up to cup her soft face, seeing her eyes search his. “Baby, I promise, I’ll always be a safe place for you. You decide to take a chance…I’ll be your safe harbor and your adventure. You decide to build on this friendship and I’ll tell you, I’m already with you. You decide to fall, Evie girl…I’ll always catch you.”
Leaning into his hand, she closed her eyes as the warmth of his palm caressed her face. She felt his other hand come to rest on her waist, gently pulling in so that her body leaned against him. And she made the choice to fall.
* * *
Patrick lifted Evie back into his arms, feeling her legs wrap around his waist. Remembering the way she had greeted him at the door already had his dick hard and ready. Her warm center, now once more pressing against his erection, only made it sweeter this time. Walking toward her bedroom, he let her body slide down his slowly once reaching the bed. Pressed tightly against him, their gazes held for a moment, then her eyes lowered to his shirt, still mostly unbuttoned, and her fingers moved to complete the task.
Pushing the material off his shoulders, she let the shirt hit the floor. Her eyes followed its path and she looked up, concern in her eyes. “Should I…um…hang it up?”
Chuckling, he shook his head, cupping both of her cheeks in his hands. “I think it’s fine if it gets wrinkled. There’s no regulation that says my shirt can’t lie on the floor…especially when it’s gonna be joined by your clothes in about two seconds.”
Her eyes dilated with lust as she lowered her gaze to his muscular chest, prominently displayed in the tight t-shirt. Her fingers traced his abdomen through the material before pulling it from his pants as well. Bunching it up in her hands, she raised it up to his chin before he reached back and snagged it over his head, tossing it onto the floor.
Oh my, God,
she thought, seeing his naked chest up close.
Seeing it from a distance at the pool had been eye-catching, but this?
Her breath whooshed out as her fingers trailed along the ridges of his chest and abdomen. She recognized his dog tags, but it was the silver medallion hanging around his neck that had her curious. Lifting it in her fingers, she read the inscription. St. Patrick.
“My Gramps gave that to me when I graduated from college.”
“It’s lovely,” she admitted, turning the pendant over in her hand.
“St. Patrick is the Patron Saint of Engineers.”
At that, her gaze jumped from the emblem to his eyes. “That would make him my Patron Saint as well,” she smiled.
“Gramps taught me that it takes time, patience, and care to build something, and then to protect what I built. He said that I’d be good at that.” Patrick hesitated for a moment, saw her smile and continued, “He also said the same thing would work for people as well as machines.”
“Is that what we’re doing now?” she whispered.
His answer was sealing his lips over hers. Plunging his tongue into her sweetness, he stoked the flames roaring back to life.
Her fingers moved down to his belt, making quick work of it until his hand stilled her motion. He reached down, pulling her t-shirt up, forcing her hands to lift into the air as the garment slid off her body. Hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her yoga pants, he slid them down, snagging her panties along the way, as she unhooked her bra and added it to the ever-growing pile of clothes on the floor.
Standing completely naked, she was self-conscious for only a second before seeing the unmasked look of approval and lust on his face. Grinning, she backed up to the bed and sat on the edge. Lifting her feet to the mattress, she scooted herself backward until she was in the center.
Lust now rushing through his body, Patrick toed off his shoes and then jerked off his pants and boxers. Leaning forward as he placed his hands on the mattress, his cock stood at attention, already leaning toward her with a mind of its own.
Gotta wait, boy. Gotta take this slow and make it perfect for her.
Crawling over her body, he laid down beside her, his gaze roaming over her perfection from her smooth skin, over her full breasts, down to the treasure at the apex of her thighs. He trailed his hand over her body, feeling the silky smooth skin beneath his calloused fingertips. Her body responded to his touch and he grinned as her hips lifted naturally toward his hand as it slid between her legs.
Leaning over, he left a trail of kisses from her lips to the pulse at the base of her neck, and then down to her luscious breasts. Latching on to one nipple, he licked, tongued, sucked, and nipped at the swollen, sensitive bud.
Evie’s hands grabbed the back of his head and she wished his hair, cut in the traditional short military haircut, was longer so she could grasp it in her fingers. Instead, she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, encouraging him to continue his delicious torture.