More Than a Touch (Snowberry Creek #2) (23 page)

Leif was impressed and said so. Then he added, “I’m sorry about your dad, kid. He’s a real piece of work, but that doesn’t make it easy to forget he’s your father.”

Something had changed in the hours since they’d left the coffee shop with Gage. When Austin looked at Leif, he no longer looked like the same kid. There was a new maturity in his gaze that hadn’t been there before. Leif had seen the same kind of transformation in young soldiers after their first skirmish with the enemy. It was like the evil in the world finally held real meaning for them.

“He’s my father in a biological sense, but that’s all. I won’t let him pull me down with him. Not again. Unless by some miracle he gets his act straight, he’s dead to me.”

Leif wasn’t sure that was the healthiest attitude to take, but maybe Austin would eventually find some middle ground. However, if it kept him from trusting the old man, it would save the kid a lot of heartache.

“Gage said he’d see what he could to get Vince into a long-term rehab program.”

Austin’s laugh had nothing to do with humor. “Do you honestly think that will work?”

Leif wasn’t about to lie to Austin. The kid had had enough of that in his life. “Maybe not, but you’ll feel better knowing that he’s being given every chance to change the way he is. That’s what counts.”

Pointing to the whiskey, Austin whispered, “I don’t want to end up like him, but I don’t know how to keep that from happening.”

He focused on Mooch, as if making sure the dog was listening. “Nobody around here sees me as
me
. At best, they see the high school dropout. At worst, they only see Vince Locke’s son. You know, like father, like son, and all that crap.”

With few exceptions, that was probably true. “Then set your sights on getting the hell out of Snowberry Creek. Maybe not permanently, but long enough to give people a chance to see you in a new light.”

“Got any suggestions on how I do that? My options are pretty limited right now, especially with Gage Logan breathing down my neck.”

“Yeah, I do. While you’re working for Nick, you can start earning your GED.”

Leif reached for his laptop and powered it up. After a quick search, he scanned the information, then shared the basic facts with Austin.

At least Austin didn’t immediately reject the idea. From the way he was frowning, he was definitely thinking hard about something. “Or maybe I could enlist in the military and let them train me.”

For the first time all night, Leif had a good reason to be smiling. “Maybe you could at that, kid. If you decide that’s what you want, both me and Nick will be glad to help you figure out which branch of the service offers what you’re looking for, and we’ll go from there. Just know we’re both prejudiced on the subject.”

He raised his fist and shouted, “Go, Army!”

It sounded good to hear Austin laugh. Leif held out the laptop. “There, start reading over what they have to say about the program. Figure out when and where to register, and we’ll get you signed up.”

Austin acted as if the computer would bite him, but at least he took it. “I already told you that school and I don’t get along. What if I can’t pass the test?”

How to answer that one? Nothing in Austin’s past would convince him that he could succeed at anything, especially not school.

“Austin, you’re smart enough to know you want more out of life than what you have right now. Guts and determination go a long way in this world. Besides, you won’t be doing this alone. You’ll have Callie, Nick, and me helping you. Gage Logan, too, for that matter. So get to reading while I go call in an order for pizza, and I’ll invite Callie and Mitch over, too. It’s time to turn this evening into a celebration.”

Austin didn’t look opposed to the idea, just confused. “What are we celebrating?”

Leif laid it all out for him in just a few words. “A future with possibilities.”

Feeling better all around, he left the kid grinning and shaking his head and headed for the kitchen to make those phone calls.

C
hapter 24

O
n Saturday morning Zoe had enlisted Brandi’s aid in shopping for something to wear on her big date with Leif that night. Although the younger woman’s taste ran in a far different direction than Zoe’s, she needed her friend’s moral support. Besides, if Brandi could pick out the perfect lipstick for Zoe, surely she could assist in the hunt for a dress that would fit Leif’s request for “slinky.”

But now Zoe stared at herself in the triple mirror and wasn’t sure that she’d been right about that. She did a little shimmy and watched the flirty skirt twirl around her legs. The deep blue of the fabric held hints of silver and shifted in color as it moved. She had to admit the color brought out her eyes, but it also accentuated other parts of her anatomy that she wasn’t so comfortable having on display. The front was cut low, and the back was almost missing in its entirety.

Brandi stepped back into the fitting room just as Zoe almost succumbed to full-out panic.

“Maybe I should try on something else.”

Zoe studied the three dresses hanging on the dressing room wall. When she reached for the sensible black number, Brandi staged a preemptive strike, grabbed the hanger out of Zoe’s hand, and tossed it over the door.

“No way you’re settling for that. Not when the dress you have on is perfect, Zoe.”

She stood with one hand behind her back, no doubt hiding something else she wasn’t sure Zoe would like. “Admit it. You look hot in that one. It’s even on sale, so you can’t complain about the price.” Brandi’s smile took on a predatory glint. “Which leaves room in your budget for these!”

Her friend finally revealed what she’d been hiding behind her back. Zoe wanted to protest, but she’d always been a sucker for sexy lingerie. She held out her hand to take the garter belt and matching panties in the identical shade of blue as the dress. Oh, yeah, she wanted those.

She surrendered without a fight. “Okay, I’ll get these and the dress. I suppose next you’ll say I need shoes to match as well.”

“Darn straight!” Brandi plopped down on the chair in the corner and gave Zoe another long look. “You know, I almost feel sorry for Corporal Brevik. That poor man won’t know what hit him when he sees you in that dress.”

Then she wiggled her eyebrows and smirked. “Not to mention out of it.”

“Brandi!” Zoe protested, but only halfheartedly. After all, she was right. Why else bother with the sexy underwear?

“Okay, help me out of this, and we can head over to the shoe store next. I want to get home in time for a long bubble bath before I have to get dressed.”

After Zoe paid for everything, Brandi asked, “Do you want me to come over later to help with your hair and makeup?”

It was tempting, but Zoe decided she had to fly solo sometime. “Thanks, but you’ve already wasted enough of your weekend on me. I might be a bit rusty with mascara and blush, but I promise I’ll do the dress proud.”

Her friend looked a bit insulted. “Spending time with a friend is never wasted, Zoe. Besides, I love to shop, and it’s more fun spending a bunch of your money instead of mine.”

Zoe held the door open for Brandi on the way out of the dress shop. “Okay, but try not to have too much fun at my expense at the shoe store.”

Brandi linked her arm through Zoe’s as they headed down the street together. “I’ll try, but no promises. True beauty doesn’t come cheap, you know.”

•   •   •

Zoe managed to squeeze in a short nap between the shopping expedition and her bubble bath. If she was going to go to all this effort, the last thing she needed was to have dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. That didn’t mean she wasn’t still questioning the wisdom of this whole date thing. The trouble was, she couldn’t resist the chance to spend time in Leif’s arms, even if it was only on the dance floor.

But their time together wasn’t going to end when he brought her back to her apartment door. She glanced toward the bed. They might not have a future together, but they could have tonight. And maybe a few more before he left Snowberry Creek for good.

She stared at herself in the mirror. “Foolish woman. It will be great while it lasts, but you’re going to crash and burn big-time when he leaves.”

The small voice in her head, the one she rarely let herself listen to, whispered back,
Yes, maybe that potential pain can’t be avoided anyway. He already means too much to you. Perhaps the sweet memories you’ll create will help soften the blow.

Before she could muster a worthy argument, the doorbell rang. The fight was over, and she was down for the count.

Any doubts she had disappeared as soon as she answered the door. If Leif said anything, she didn’t hear it. She was too busy drinking in the scrumptious sight of Corporal Leif Brevik in a tux. She didn’t know where he’d gotten it, but she hoped they wouldn’t mind getting it back in shreds. Right now it was all she could do not to drag him inside and proceed to rip it off him.

“Wow, Corporal, you clean up nice.”

He didn’t respond at first; he was too busy staring at the neckline of her dress.

“Um, Leif, my eyes are about a foot north of where you’re looking.”

He blinked and jerked his gaze up, his cheeks flushing hot. “Sorry. Zoe, I can’t come up with words that would even come close to telling you how much I like that dress and how you look in it.”

She blushed even though she was quite pleased with his response. “I’ll let Brandi know you liked it. I took her shopping with me, and she was terrified I’d end up buying something her grandmother might wear.”

Stepping back, she opened the door wider. “Would you like to come in for a drink before we go?”

Looking a bit stunned, he stayed right where he was. “I’d better not. If I get you behind closed doors, I’m not sure I’d have the strength of character to leave again. I promised you dinner and dancing, and I try to be a man of my word.”

Leif maintained a frustrating distance between them as his smile turned pure rogue. “Unless of course you’d rather stay in and order pizza. You know, afterward. If that’s what you want, invite me in again. I won’t say no.”

She was still trying to bring what he was offering into focus. “After what exactly?”

He quirked one eyebrow and the heat in his eyes kicked it up another notch. “Seriously? You have to ask that?”

Oh, that.
She swallowed hard and fought for the strength to refuse the doubly spicy offer of both Leif and pepperoni.

“I’ll get my purse.”

If he looked disappointed, she didn’t care. They both knew they’d end up back here eventually. A few seconds later she joined him outside with the door firmly locked between them and the privacy of her apartment. Before taking a single step, Leif drew her into his arms and kissed her. It was long and hot and a promise of more to come.

When he finally broke it off, she counted herself lucky to still be able to remember her own name, much less where they were supposed to be headed. At least he looked just as rattled by the flash of heat lightning that had just ripped through both of them.

As they started down the stairs, he kept his free hand on her lower back. “You know, I’m pretty sure that the effect that dress has on a poor helpless male is illegal in several states.”

“Yes, well, that tux should carry warning signs, too, Corporal. Any woman that sees you in it is going to want to touch. I figure I have a long evening ahead of me having to fend them off.”

Looking pleased, Leif laughed. “Then I’m glad I let Callie talk me into renting it. She said you deserved better than a Hawaiian shirt and khakis. Having said that, thank you for stroking my ego. After one look at you in that dress, I wasn’t sure I’d measure up.”

His ego wasn’t the only thing she intended to stroke, and she already knew firsthand that he more than measured up to her expectations. She kept that information to herself, however; otherwise they would never reach his truck.

Maybe it was time to change the subject. “So, big guy, where are we headed?”

•   •   •

Dinner had been good and the dancing even better. He’d convinced the deejay to play a handful of slow songs in a row. Leif hated playing off the guy’s sympathy by admitting he was a wounded warrior just back from the front. However, he’d have stooped far lower than that to hold Zoe swaying in his arms out in the middle of a crowded dance floor.

Her hair carried the scent of oranges, or maybe tangerines. Something citrusy. Whatever it was, he liked it. He closed his eyes and breathed it in deep. Yeah, the moment was perfect. The back of her dress plunged down to stop just below her waist. He loved having the palm of his hand resting directly against her silken skin. It was a delicious reminder of what it would be like to touch her all over, which he planned to do as soon as he got her somewhere a lot more private.

This would be their last dance, maybe ever, and he was determined to make the most of it. He leaned down to kiss the side of her neck. There was no mistaking the shiver that coursed through her, so he did it again.

This time she leaned back to look at him directly. Her pretty blue eyes were smoldering. “Soldier, keep that up and I won’t be responsible for what happens.”

The song was already winding down. “Then maybe we should take this back to your place.”

He loved that she didn’t hesitate. “Yes, we should.”

•   •   •

The drive back from Seattle took a hundred times longer than the same trip had taken going the other way. It didn’t help that she’d ridden the entire trip with her hand on his upper thigh. Every so often, she’d given his leg a gentle squeeze, her soft smile making it clear she knew exactly what she was doing to him, and liked it.

He pulled into the first parking spot he could find. He started around the front of the truck to open her door for her to prove his mama had raised him right. However, Zoe had already gotten out on her own. She grabbed his hand and practically dragged him toward the steps.

Okay, so he wasn’t the only one in a hurry to get upstairs and get down to it. Mentally, he gave himself a stern lecture about taking his time, going slow, and a whole bunch of shit about savoring the moment.

Yeah, right, like that was going to happen.

Oh, he’d savor the moment all right, but there wasn’t going to be anything slow about it. Not the way things were going right now. They made it up to the second floor in record time. If it bothered his leg at all, he didn’t notice.

Zoe unlocked the door of her apartment with impressive speed and tugged him inside. This time there was no hesitation, no second guesses.

After tossing her purse and keys on a small table, Zoe backed away from Leif. “Wait there.”

He did as she ordered, curious to see what she had in mind. She fiddled with the stereo for several seconds before the slow strains of the same song they’d been dancing to at the club filled the space between them.

“I want to dance.”

“So do I,” he agreed, although maybe they weren’t talking about the same thing. Regardless, he held out his arms, wanting her right back where she belonged.

Zoe kicked off her shoes before slowly starting toward him, her hips swaying softly as she danced her way across the room. She stopped a few feet away and turned her back to him. From this view, her dress covered less than it revealed, yet he wanted it gone. She peeked at him over her shoulder, her lips curved in a siren’s smile.

“Thought you wanted to dance, Leif.”

She put an extra little shimmy in her next move, slowly raising the hem of her skirt high enough to reveal a hint of silky thigh above her nylons and garter belt. Then she released the fabric and the glimpse was gone.

Enough was enough. This time when she tried to dance back out of reach, he took advantage of his superior arm length and spun her right back toward him. He kept his hold gentle but firm.

“Dancing isn’t as much fun if you’re doing it alone.”

She settled into his embrace. They finished out the song, moving slowly with their bodies pressed together from shoulder to thigh. Zoe laid her head against his chest and rested her hands on his shoulders. He bent down to nuzzle her neck and sought out the pull tab on the zipper of her dress, tugging it down in short bursts.

When the song ended, Zoe stepped back to let the dress slip down and pool on the floor. As sexy as the dress had been, it paled in comparison to the lacy concoctions she wore underneath. The next song started playing, and she moved closer but just out of reach.

“I’m thinking you have on too many clothes for my taste.” She paused to lick her lips. “Lose the tie, jacket, and shirt.”

If there was one thing the army had taught Leif, it was how to snap to and execute orders. The jacket joined her dress on the floor. He was pretty sure the tie missed the back of the couch and fell behind it.

His shirt took more effort. Too many buttons, and the cuff links were a real pain. Whoever thought cuff links were a good idea? No matter. Once he finally jerked them free, the shirt was history. So were his belt and shoes.

“That’s enough for now, Leif. No need to rush things.”

The music swirled around them, filling the room. The singer’s voice was raspy, low, and sang of two people sharing twisted sheets and a long night of loving. It was Leif’s new favorite song.