If Tomorrow Never Comes (Harper Falls Book 2) (29 page)

"Are you talking about my bike or something else, chicky?"
Chicky
? Where the hell had that come from?

Dani's lips twitched, but she managed to stay in character.

"Why, your bike, of course. I'm just an innocent girl, I wouldn't have any idea what else you could be carrying down there."

"I'd be happy to show you."

"Now none of that dirty talk," she admonished. "Just the idea of such things gives me the vapors."

"You're starting to mix your time frames, baby," Alex laughed. "You've gone from fifties doll to Civil War southern belle. There is no way you can get on this bike in a hoop skirt."

Dani playfully stuck out her tongue. Sashaying up close, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Take off your helmet and let me kiss you hello."

More than happy to comply, Alex did as she asked and then whispered in her ear, "You can kiss me while I have the helmet on, that's why I lifted the visor."

"But then I wouldn't have been able to do this." She ran her fingers through his hairs, fluffing the thick, dark waves. "I love how it gets just a little sweaty. You smell like leather and"—Dani breathed deeply—"you."

"You like the way I smell?" Alex teased her neck with his lips, using his teeth to take a little nip.

"Mmm," Dani moaned. "You send off massive pheromones, the ultimate aphrodisiac. If I could bottle it, I'd make millions—billions."

"You shouldn't talk like that, chicky. Little girls who play with fire get burned."

"Burn me down, daddy-o."

Her mouth crashed onto his, seeking relief. As good as it felt, his tongue playing with hers, his lip—magic. There was no putting out the desire that had risen with such unexpected urgency. She always wanted him. It was like a permanent low-grade fever. This was a flash fire caused by a lightening strike she hadn't seen coming.

"Alex, what are you doing to me?"

"I don’t know, but trust me, it's mutual."

He pulled back before he got them both into trouble. The driveway of a residential area was not the place for the lewd things he wanted to do with her.

"Here." He grabbed an extra helmet and put it on her, securing the strap under her chin. "Get on and hold tight, this isn't going to be a sightseeing ride."

Dani wrapped her arms around Alex's waist from behind, confident he would get them where they were going. The powerful machine zipped through town and she wondered if they were speeding. It felt fast—wonderfully dangerous. No sirens followed them when he turned, taking them up Crossfire Hill and past the gates leading to H&W.

The trail Alex drove down was barely that, but he handled the bike with ease, protecting her body with his as he took the brunt of the hits from branches that grew over the pathway. A few short minutes later, they came to a clearing, one she recognized right away. There was the pond where she'd unsuccessfully tried to secretly spy on him. This time, she wasn't going to hesitate. Naked swimming? Yes, please.

Alex brought the bike to an abrupt stop, whipping off his helmet and securing the kickstand. Dani began to slide off.

"No."

He reached around, pulling her until she was in front of him, her legs straddling his hips. Taking off his jacket he arranged it as cushion behind her, over the handle bars.

"Lean back," he growled. His dark brown eyes were practically molten, desire pulsing off of him in waves.

Dani let her arms hang to the side. Her head rested on the soft leather, eyes closed, chest rising and falling with each ragged breath—waiting.

Lord, she was a feast for the senses. Alex slid his hands under the hem of her shirt, pausing when his fingers encountered warm, soft skin. His touch was light, teasing, eliciting the moan he'd come to crave.

"Do you love this shirt?"

Dani didn't look, a slight smile curving her lips. She knew why he asked.

"No."

"Good."

Even knowing it was coming, the sound of the material ripping made her gasp, the evening air touching her exposed skin with a cool, gentle breeze.

Alex splayed his fingers over her flat stomach, amazed at the contrast of his tanned skin over the milky paleness of hers. He knew she was strong, but she looked so vulnerable, so at his mercy. He'd vowed to protect his country, give his life if necessary. That vow still stood, and once, it had meant everything. Now there was Dani, and he would never let anything or anyone hurt her, especially not himself.

He kissed her just above the snap on her jeans, making a trail up, lingering at her bellybutton, then continuing, his teeth pulling at the front closure on her bra.

"Now how did you know how much I love red polka dots?"

"It's part of a set," she teased. "But you'll never find that out if you don't get cracking."

"What happened to my sweet, innocent, inexperienced little chicky?"

"You'd be amazed what a girl can learn on the back of a motorcycle. The vibrations alone are a Masterclass. Don't even get me started on rubbing up against a big, sexy man in a leather jacket."

Alex pushed away the cups of her bra exposing the firm, scarlet tipped slopes of her breasts. He blew a puff of air over one nipple, smiling as it hardened, practically begging for his mouth.

"Are you saying there's nothing left for me to teach you?"

Dani raised her head, her fingers lacing through his hair. Green eyes sparkling with heat, she whispered, "Every time you touch me I learn something new. I feel something…more. Do you understand?"

"Completely."

Alex laid his chest along hers, careful not to crush, but firm, their bodies rubbing together as he captured her mouth with his. Dani lifted her legs, winding them tightly around him and grinding herself against his straining erection.

The rest was magic, some kind of sexual sorcery. Clothes melted away and Alex was inside of her, taking her higher and higher until she was certain the next movement would send them crashing over. He kept inching just a bit further, carrying her with him step by pulse-pounding step.

"Fly with me, Jordanna, now. Fly!"

How they got back safely to earth, she never knew. The next thing Dani was aware of was being in Alex's arms, resting on a cool, grassy patch near the pond, a pine tree shading them from the last of the days light. She looked over at the motorcycle wondering how it could still be standing. Magic indeed.

"Superman."

"Hmm?" Alex asked absently, his hand making idol circles on her bare back.

"You aren't Batman, you're Superman. Though there's nothing mild-mannered about your alter ego. Unless…"

"Unless…?"

"You're awfully skilled at motorcycle sex. How many women have you
taken for
a ride
on that thing."

Alex could tell by the tone of Dani's voice that this wasn't some trap question. She was just curious.

"You're the first. I was just playing it by ear. Now that I think about it, that could have been a disaster."

"Well, I'm going to forget about how it might have ended with an embarrassing trip to the emergency room, and just lie here, in your arms, loving the afterglow."

"Afterglow. Good word."

Dani didn't know how much time passed, it was getting dark, the air was cooling. Maybe she slept for a little while. Even so, Alex's arms still held her close, his body cushioning her from the ground. She could have stayed like that all night if it weren't for two very important facts. Wild animals used ponds like this as watering holes. Deer she could live with, rabbits, squirrels. But bears and cougars—no. Then there was the problem of her rumbling stomach. Woman could not live on sex alone.

"Hamburger."

"Where?" Alex sat up, looking around with a hopeful expression on his face.

She laughed. "Unfortunately, they don't grow on pine trees." Dani, ever helpful, reached over and brushed a blade of grass from Alex's butt. The fact that it took four times longer than it should have wasn't lost on him.

"Baby, you can pet my ass anytime you like, but it’s bound to lead to me touching you back, and right now, as tasty as you are, I need sustenance."

"Yes, absolutely." Unable to resist, Dani gave his luscious left cheek a couple of pats, then ran for the water.

Fast on her heels, Alex yelled, "Not heated."

Well aware, Dani scrunched her eyes closed as if that would gird her against the cold and jumped, hearing a bigger splash right behind her.

She broke the surface, taking a deep breath. Not as bad as she'd anticipated. Cold, but not frigid, mostly refreshing.

"What do you think?" Alex was treading water next to her.

"I think I could become addicted. Sex with you, a little nap and then a refreshing swim. What's not to like?"

Alex nodded his head towards the bank and they swam over. Once they were out, he used his t-shirt to dry Dani and himself.

"We're still a little damp but it was worth it," Dani said, using her own ripped shirt on her hair.

"Let me."

Alex moved behind her. His fingers gently combed through the long, wavy, tangled stands and then carefully fashioned an expert braid, tying it off with a piece of material from the torn shirt.

"Aren't you handy to have around." Dani turned, giving him a quick thank you kiss. "Now, can you pull a McGyver and whip me up a shirt out of leaves and tree bark?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to settle for my jacket. Unless you want the t-shirt. The water has made it a bit transparent but as long as you keep your chest plastered to my back, no one will see anything."

In the end, she took the jacket. It was miles too big, but it smelled like him and kept her warm on the ride home.

Rather than have her sit in the diner still half wet, Alex dropped her at her loft and then went for takeout. Dani figured she had time to jump in and out of the shower and dry her hair before he returned. The shower she accomplished, no problem, but just as she was reaching for her blow-dryer, her phone rang. Oh, well, if she had to eat dinner with wet hair, she would survive.

"Hello?"

"How's my girl doing?"

Dani smiled. Her father never said hello, never. It didn't matter who was on the other end of the phone, Terry Wilde always personalized his greeting. I was just one of the many, many things that made him utterly lovable.

"Your girl is doing pretty darn spectacular, thank you very much."

"Now that's what I like to hear," he chuckled. "So life is good? You're work is going well?"

"If I had any complaints you would be the first to know," she assured him.

"No leaks or other little repairs that need my attention?"

"Sorry, even my place of residence is tip-top." Dani grabbed a dry towel and started running it over her hair. "Don't tell me Mom hasn't any projects for you? I thought there was a list long enough to get you through the next decade."

"No, no, your mother's list is never-ending, like the story."

Dani smiled. She didn't have to think too hard on that one. Her father loved his references and it always kept her on her toes, but
The Neverending Story
? He was going to have to do better than that if wanted to stump her.

"I loved that book. I think I must have made you read it to me every night for a year. How you didn't go crazy, I'll never know."

"It's what parents do, Dani. We read the same books, watch the same movies, over and over again. We love you, want to make you happy. It's that simple."

"I love you too, Dad," Dani said earnestly.

Had she not told him enough? Was that what this call was about? Dani realized she sometimes took her father for granted. When her mother had gotten sick, he had picked up the slack, being a rock for his children and his wife. So easy going, never asking for anything, she just assumed he knew that he had her complete love and respect. She needed to tell him more. In the morning, she would call her brother and remind him, too.

"I was thinking," she began. "Why don't we meet for lunch tomorrow? In fact, we should start making it a regular thing. There's always a new restaurant opening in town. Once a week we could do our own unofficial food critiques."

"Well, that sounds like a fine idea." There was a pause. "I hope you don't think I called to guilt you into spending more time with me? Not that I'm complaining, and as far as I'm concerned those lunch dates are carved in stone. You're stuck with me now."

"Right back at ya." Suddenly concerned, Dani asked, "Is something wrong? Are you and Mom okay?"

"Well, I've certainly made a mess of this." Terry sighed. "We're fine, healthy as the proverbial horse."

Dani sank back onto her bed, relief allowing her to relax.

"I actually called to invite you to dinner on Wednesday night."

"Since when do you need to issue an invitation? Or do it in such a roundabout manner? Are you having Royalty over to dine? Do I need to break out my formal gown and tiara?"

"Nothing quite so grand," Terry assured her, the humor of the situation evident in his voice. "But if you would like to bring a friend along, your mother assures me there will be plenty of food to go around."

And there it was. She had never known her father to be anything but direct. Yet he had spent the last ten minutes circling around the subject of meeting Alex. It was kind of cute and sweet with a touch of weird all rolled into one. She decided the best course of action was to tease him—mercilessly.

"I'm sure Rose and Tyler would love to come, though you could have asked them directly."

"They're always welcome, of course, but they weren't exactly who I had in mind."

"Hmm," Dani pondered. "I know you don't need me to invite Caleb and his family. They come to dinner at least once a week already."

"
Jordanna
…"

Ah, the full name. It would seem her father had finally reached the end of his normally long rope.

"Yes,
Father
?"

"I have always been proud of the fact that I contributed greatly to raising a smart ass, but in this case I'd appreciate it if you'd check the sass."

"It is true you have no one to blame but yourself," Dani responded, tongue firmly in cheek.