"He wants to pay you…"
"No way."
"But…"
"Is he paying Tempest and Rogue?"
He waited for her to answer, hearing mumbled voices in the background.
"He said they refused payment, too. He's gonna buy them a new missile, though. Maybe something else."
That sounded like the Rogue of old. Give him a toy over money any day. Ryan chuckled at the thought of the battle that would ensue over installing it on the chopper and ever using it. "I don't need anything, really. The FBI frowns upon weapons of mass destruction even in the hands of one of their own."
"Night says he owes you."
"That works for me." He stifled a yawn as he neared his home. "You going to be okay for the night?"
"Oh, yeah. I already texted Bryce. After I get free of these guys, I have a hot, naked man at home to celebrate with."
"I so didn't need to hear that. Way TMI." Pulling into the driveway, he punched the garage door open.
"Ask Tempest out. Maybe next time she'll meet you at the door in nothing but her birthday suit with promises to rock your world."
"Yeah, yeah." He drove the truck into the garage, turned off the engine, and shut the door behind him. "Okay. I'm off here. Be careful."
"Will do. Happy wet dreams." With a giggle, she clicked off.
She hit the nail on the head. He already envisioned the sexy pilot minus her flight suit and in various poses and positions, making his already hard erection throb with need.
A star in his nightly dreams was one thing, a date was another. He needed the challenges and complications Tempest would bring like he needed a weekend in a straitjacket.
One didn't toy with a woman under a buddy's protection. More times than not the situation led to hurt feelings, unavoidable anger, and a broken nose. Been there, done that, had a deviated septum to show for it. Life would travel down an easier path if he stuck to the scores of women ready, willing, and not interested in a long term commitment. If they just happened to be without a glorified ape as a guard dog, all the better.
With a tired sigh, he headed into the house and straight for a cold shower.
Chapter 6
Back at the office of Chopper Views, Rogue plopped down in his leather chair, scrubbing his face with his hands. Memories of Ryan's retreating back flashed through his mind, his gut churning in a mixture of emotions, the leftover adrenaline from the mission only enhancing the sensation.
Tempest returned from the storeroom, taking her seat at the desk before firing up her computer for the morning. Pride in her abilities and constitution along with the fact he pushed her into mortal danger warred inside him. The missile be damned. He worried about her facing battle situations she hadn't been prepared for.
She turned, arched an eyebrow at him, shot him a quick grin, then grabbed the mouse.
His groin tightened immediately. How she turned him granite hard instantly with just a look baffled him. After two years, he should respond less, develop some immunity to her. Instead, he struggled with spontaneous erections popping up usually at the least convenient times.
Seeing Ryan again didn't help the libido situation that morning, either. Looking better than ever, Ryan whetted his desire while prodding his competitive nature.
He didn't miss the stare of longing Ryan shot Tempest. The act raised Rogue's hackles as not much else could. In the two years they'd worked together, they never went out on a single date. However, that in no way meant he didn't want to ask her out. Quite the opposite. The problem came about with the notion of sexual harassment at work. He didn't want to make her feel pressured to accept his offer in order to keep her job or fear repercussions if she refused him. What if they entered into a relationship then broke up down the road? How could he work with her every day afterward? The obstacles and complications too plentiful, he chose the safest path—simply keeping their interaction professional. It worked well until today when Ryan had looked at her like she was a glass of ice-cold water and he'd just walked across the Sahara desert in search of her.
How long since he'd seen Ryan? Six years? They were in boot camp together, advanced up the ladder together until he headed off to the Green Berets while Ryan opted for the Army Rangers. Always rivals, they pushed one another to the edge of their limits, needing to challenge and win each and every time against a formidable adversary. The entire camp turned out when they sparred or their supervisors set them up in competition.
"Like some long lost puppy."
Ryan's comment wasn't entirely off the mark, although for reasons the blond-haired Ranger couldn't imagine. From their first meeting, Rogue felt an instant attraction to the man, an emotion that soon morphed into angst, frustration, and anger with the no-win situation. Ryan was straight. They served in the Army together where the policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ruled. Without any options, Rogue chafed each day, both wanting to be around Ryan and recognizing proximity only made the maddening situation worse. His outlet became their famous rivalry, trying to beat Ryan at everything and hopefully banish him from his mind.
Unfortunately, the long ago buried feelings popped right back up with the discovery of Blue Blood in the chopper, as did a protective and jealous streak over the little brunette pilot.
He grumbled under his breath and wondered how in the hell his orderly life had fallen into chaos in the course of a five hour mission.
Chapter 7
Rubbing at her tired and blurry eyes, Tempest released a frustrated sigh, grabbed her bottle of diet soda, unscrewed the lid, and took a long drink. After the middle of the night phone call that sent her scurrying out of bed, into clothes, and zipping to the airport, four helicopter tours before noon, and a pile of receipts to enter in the computer, she hit rock bottom on her energy levels. Drained. The word described her to a T.
In all honesty, she never minded performing the mundane tasks that went along with keeping the business afloat. Someone had to do them and there wasn't enough money in the budget to hire a secretary. So she took on data entry in addition to her flight schedule. Once her daily chores were complete she had free rein to work on chopper designs or computer software, anything she desired. Rogue handled the administrative end, setting up and finalizing contracts, advertising, and signing the paychecks. Every other week she received a nice salary for truthfully very little work. For that, she could take out the trash and sweep. Sure, she could fit in at NASA, but the idea of changing jobs left her cold. Besides, the federal government had no more budget money than anyone else, thus a hiring freeze. She knew since she'd checked a month ago. That was fine. Her job provided health insurance, enough money to pay her bills and have a little extra to play with, security, and an occasional flare of excitement. Like today.
Tempest thought about the men and one woman she'd delivered to a drug factory in the middle of nowhere. All tough, seasoned, and true heroes in her book. Willing to put their lives on the line in order to make a dent in the exploding drug trade.
Seeing Lark with the group surprised her. Not that she thought women didn't belong in the armed forces, quite the contrary. The rough and tumble bunch didn't seem the kind to take a backseat to anyone, yet the petite blonde held her own, even put them in their place when needed, including her brother.
Ryan. His short blond hair, bright blue eyes, and smiling face appeared in her mind. More easygoing than the others, he eased the tension in the helicopter between her and her boss on the flight home after she launched a missile without Rogue's permission. Ryan handled his gun with familiarity, dressed the part, and possessed the build and strength to back up his claim of a special ops background. Handsome. Charming. Capable. He came across as happy-go-lucky and at ease with his lot in life. Something about him caught her attention and demanded she learn more.
She glanced to the back office, looking through the ceiling to floor glass panes, catching sight of Rogue in his leather office chair, poring over papers. As she watched, he palmed his quietly ringing cell phone and answered the call.
Talk about polar opposites. Rogue stood perhaps an inch taller than Ryan, sporting black hair and brown eyes, a stark contrast to Ryan's lighter hues. Their frames both carried thick muscles that shouted stamina, conditioning, and sheer power. However, from her short exposure to Ryan, she noted the differences went beyond physical. Ryan teased, smiled, and flirted, a man accustomed to winding women around his finger. On the other hand, Rogue conducted himself like a drill sergeant. Direct. To the point. Even gruff at times. He kissed up to no one and had no problem going toe to toe with anyone that didn't fall into line. An alpha male lion to Ryan's sly fox.
Both snared her attention and set her imagination into overdrive. Ryan walked away today without a hint at wanting to see her again while Rogue hadn't noticed her as more than an employee in the two years she worked for him, leaving her to pine away with little hope of a romantic union. For some unknown reason, when she really wanted a man to notice her, he went on about life, ignoring her as if she were mist. Now if she didn't care for the guy, he would be all over her with flowers, candy, and marriage proposals. Short of wearing a thong bikini to work or tracking down Ryan and throwing herself in front of his truck, she came up empty-handed in the idea department of how to attract their attention.
The spark she felt for Rogue at their first meeting still blazed, albeit small and contained. After months of trying to capture his attention, leaving subtle hints, and wishing, she'd finally given up, deciding he didn't return her interest in the least despite giving off mixed signals now and again. Determined to move on, she pushed dreams with her boss to the back recesses of her mind and focused on finding a man who wanted her, would treat her right, and had no problem committing to a lifetime full of the ups and downs of marriage.
Could Ryan be that man? Mentally shrugging, she puffed out a breath.
Talk about putting the cart before the horse.
She had to be hard up to already be considering years together with a man she'd just met and spent perhaps an hour total with. Either she needed to find a playmate soon or stop by a toy store for some personal care devices. Besides, both guys probably had a dozen women who would only be too happy to spend a few hours with a hunky, successful man.
Movement in the back office drew her gaze once more. Rogue walked around his desk to stop in front of the back window, staring out as if pondering the meaning of life.
Rogue. His real name was Matt, but no one ever called him that, with the possible exception of his sister, Lori. Tempest had met her a couple of times and couldn't help but smile at the obvious love and constant bantering she witnessed between the siblings. It was Lori who had explained Rogue's overbearing attitude and radiating dominance to Tempest at last year's Fourth of July cookout.
"Our mother was only sixteen when she had Matt. Eighteen when she delivered me. With little home support, no job, she basically bounced between boyfriends exchanging sex for a roof over our heads." Lori glanced away, finding Rogue with her gaze. "One day she chose the wrong one. She left to run errands, leaving us with an abusive man who started with the beatings almost as soon as she stepped off the front porch." She paused for a long moment as if reliving the experience in her mind. "He started on me first, hitting, yelling, and twisting my arm until it broke. Matt stepped in, but couldn't do much as a five-year-old against a grown man. He tried. So hard. Earned a few punches, a black eye, bloody nose, and a concussion for his troubles."
"That's horrible. What did your mother do?" Tempest asked, angered and shocked at the other woman's story.
"When she came home and saw us, she picked us up, drove directly to the emergency room, and sent the cops after the guy."
"Did things change?"
For the first time a ghost of smile appeared on Lori's face. "Yes. She realized she couldn't adequately care for two small children with her life in shambles. So, she talked to counselors and the Division of Family Services, finally deciding to leave Matt and me in foster care for a short time, until she could get back on her feet and make a life for all of us."
"How long until she returned for you?"
"Never."
Tempest gaped at Rogue's sister. "She never returned for you?"
Lori shook her head sadly. "Come to find out, she signed us over as dependents to the state."
"That's terrible." Her heart went out to the two small children who suffered so much, betrayal by their mother, beatings from her boyfriend.
"Not really." Lori shrugged. "Our foster parents were a dream. Understanding, supportive. They showed us a different world and what being a family meant. It's because of them that Matt and I turned out like we did." She met Tempest's gaze. "Long story short, Matt's never forgotten the one time he couldn't protect me. Carries the guilt like an old war wound that never heals. I'm afraid it carries over to any other woman he cares about."
"Wow. I can understand why now." Tempest swiveled her head, staring at her boss as he chatted with a couple of middle-aged businessmen.
As if feeling her interest, he turned, met her gaze, and arched an eyebrow.