Over the Line (4 page)

“Are you one hundred percent sure you want to do this?” He chanced a quick glance at her, and she was staring out of the windshield, seemingly deep in thought.

“Sure.” She turned to him and added, “Will we be even? You saved my life, and I’ll save you from your father’s women. My debt will be served, right?”

“Yes, ma’am. Whatever you say.” He wondered what she was thinking, and just had no idea whatsoever. She was totally inscrutable. But she was there with him, which was half the battle.

“Just remember to ignore my parents, okay? You will not have met anyone like them before, so you’ll just have to try to be unfazed by them.”

“Explain?”

He wiped a hand over his face, as if that could wipe his parents away. If only it was that easy. “My parents are a force of nature. And a force of politics. And frankly, my father could ruin my career with one phone call. He’s lived his whole life connected, and he’s spent all of
my
life wishing I was more connected. If he made a call, my job would disappear and I’d be reassigned to a trash disposal plant, in the hopes I’d come home and join the family business. I only tell him what he absolutely needs to know. It keeps him off my back. It keeps me from hating him, and keeps him from ruining my life.”

He thought she would give him shit for this, which would be well-deserved. But she didn’t.

“It’s okay. I understand. I spent my whole childhood in pink lacy dresses playing secretly with G.I. Joe. If my mother hadn’t died—” She paused as if to collect herself. “If she hadn’t died, I would never have been able to join the army. To do what I do.

“If she was still alive, I’d be married, pregnant, and barefoot in the kitchen. It’s all she wanted for me. It’s everything she never had, and always wanted.”

She put a hand on his arm, briefly, obviously to make a point, and the heat of her skin on his almost made him stop listening to her. Almost. His mind wandered momentarily to a familiar place in his fantasies, where she was virtually naked, and reaching for him. He dragged his attention back to the here and now.

“I would never have wanted to disappoint her. It was unfortunate that it took her dying to give me my freedom.” Her voice dropped to a whisper with the last comment.

Damn it.
If they weren’t driving, he’d grab her to him in a fierce hug. He hated hearing the pain in her voice.

“I’m sorry,” he said with a degree of inadequacy that was embarrassing.

“It’s all right,” she said with a stronger voice. “It was a long time ago. A really long time ago. I just wanted to say that I understand the unreasonable expectations of parents. That’s all.”

“Thanks. I’m sorry our plans changed. Especially since we now have to brave the Hammer House of Horror. And I’m not really exaggerating. But maybe we’ll find time to have a little fun, too.” Was that too subtle? Should he just say he wanted to spend time with her and this seemed like a kill-two-birds-with-one-grenade option?

She grinned and settled back in the seat. “As long as there’s an open bar, a band I can sing along to, and drunk uncles I can dance with, I’m golden.”

Oh shit. He was totally owned.

So why was the biggest shit-eating grin spreading across his face?

Walker dropped her off at Nordstrom with a freaking black, metal American Express card while he went off on an errand. If she hadn’t really listened to him in the car, she might have thought he was up to no good. Arms dealing or something. But although he didn’t say it, everything about his Audi, the need to smooth over relations with his parents, and his way of speaking suggested, quite strongly, that his family came from money.

Now here she was in a private dressing room which was only slightly smaller than her own bedroom, and much better furnished. She had given the wedding itinerary to the shopping assistant, and sat perched on a plush, dusty pink chaise longue. The windows and walls were covered in billowing silk drapes that rustled with the flow from the air conditioning vent, and the coffee table had bottles of water and cookies on it.

Who the hell ate cookies while trying on dresses?

A knock at the door preceded a waft of warm air as it swung open. A huge clothes rack on wheels made a bang as it entered the room. The assistant pushed the rail to the side of the room by the window and gestured to the clothes at the end of the rail nearest the door.

“Day dresses, casual evening wear, and then formal evening wear,” she said as she walked the length of the rack. “Underwear for all of the above. I noticed you aren’t wearing undergarments suitable for summer dresses.”

She was right about that, but still it felt uncomfortable having another woman look at her so critically.

“On the rack below each outfit are appropriate shoes. Feel free to mix and match, and put those you would like to take home with you on the rack over there.” She pointed toward a smaller rail attached to the wall. “If you need assistance, please use the call button on the wall. If you get stuck, use the red button.”

“Stuck?”

The assistant gave her another appraising look. “I’m sure it won’t happen to you, but a few extra cookies, some Spanx and a dress that’s a size too small… let’s just say that it’s happened enough that we installed an alarm button.” She drew a silk curtain across the room in front of the door, and left the room.

“Wow. Okay, thank you,” Beth said to the empty space, feeling not just a little overwhelmed. Old Navy and Athleta were more her usual style. She felt way out of her league. Way out.

She rose, wiping her hands on her skirt. Why was she doing this again? Oh yes. She owed this man her life, and it would be
really
good experience for her potential new career as a CIA Protection Officer. She needed to know how to blend into any situation, deal with every type of person, and this was as good an opportunity as any to practice. And hello? Missing your own sister’s wedding? Not on her watch. She refused to think about the logistics of them pretending to be girlfriend and boyfriend. It wasn’t until after she’d suggested it that she realized the implications. Hand-holding in front of people at the very least.

Not thinking about it.

She stripped, and replaced her sports bra and Hanes with a pink lace set the woman had put out for her. In the mirror she could see a different Beth. One she’d literally never been before. She undid her braid and let her long brown hair cascade over her shoulders. Wow. She felt… different. Looked… feminine.

Standing a little straighter, she started trying on dresses. They all looked peculiarly fantastic. The assistant really had a great eye. She moved two that fit the best to the “take home” rail and moved on to the evening dresses.

As she checked the fit of the first one, smoothing the black fabric down her hips, she began wondering how James would see her. Whether or not he would approve of the dresses. What his taste was like. If he would find her sexy in them.

She
wanted
to be sexy for him. She winced as the thought crossed her mind, but it was true. She liked him. She had, ever since he’d first started going on patrol with them. Quiet, determined, unflusterable, yet funny. Ready with exactly the right words. In any situation. He was just a few inches taller than her, and so strong. She remembered how he had effortlessly slung her over his shoulder and run with her. How he’d saved her life. Tears threatened to well up again and she fought them back.
Enough with the tears
. This was going to be a weekend of fun. And then she could move on. Concentrate on her work. This was a respite weekend.

It was a yes on this dress. A long black sheath, slightly shimmery with beautiful draping over just one shoulder. It left her other bare, and she figured with her hair up, she may just blend in to James’s fancy family. The black strappy, sandal stilettos were a yes, too. She shimmied out of the dress and hung it at the end of the rail.

She took a deep red dress off the hanger and tried to undo the complicated clasp and a series of hooks and clasps. She dived into her bag for her reading glasses and put them on to see the mechanics of the dress a bit better.

As she examined it, she wondered how difficult James would find it to take it off her. She paused as she visualized that situation in a little more detail. Heat flooded her, pooling between her legs as she thought about the dress sliding down her body, as slowly as his hands were stroking her.
No, no, no.
They were just friends.

Oh God, she should have brought her vibrator with her.

* * *

It had to be a dream. A fantasy. James blinked once, and felt his pulse jump like he was running for cover in a firefight. It was real. It was really real. She was… Words, and coherent thought evaded him. She looked like a princess in a tower room, shiny drapes blowing around her as if she was in an old Aerosmith video. Pink lacy underwear, and high, high black heels.

Sweet Jesus.

He’d been directed into the room by the assistant, and had opened the door and been confused by the weird curtain in front of him. It was silent inside, and for a second he wondered if he’d been directed into the wrong room. Maybe it was empty, or worse, had the wrong person in it.

He’d decided to peek around the curtain, and had every intention of doing a fast, combat scope-out, so he wouldn’t be seen. But as soon as he peeked his head around the curtain he froze at the scene in front of him.

Blood rushed to his dick as he fought with himself. Continue to watch, or make a noise as if he was just coming into the room? He just couldn’t look away.

She was frowning at the dress, peering through glasses that made her look like a crazy-sexy librarian. His hand pressed against his erection as he watched.
Down boy.
She wriggled her legs together as she played with the dress, and he imagined his hand between them, feeling her writhe against him. Her breasts were covered in a lacy bra that only just concealed her nipples. He ached. Ached for her. As he found himself reaching to stroke his dick through his pants, he decided he couldn’t watch any more without drawing attention to himself.

He opened and shut the door noisily and said, “Beth?” as he pulled the curtain aside.

She looked up with a shocked expression and grabbed the dress to her body, trying to hide herself. “Really? You can’t just barge in here…” Her voice trailed off, her eyes dipped down to the front of his pants, and a half smile appeared.

There was nothing he could do to prevent himself from covering the distance between them in a heartbeat. He stopped an inch short and watched the conflicting thoughts flicker across her face. She wanted him, he was sure of it. But some doubt remained still. Against every instinct he took a step back. He didn’t want her to have any doubt about him.

Before he could take more than one step, her hand flashed out and grabbed his shirt, wrapping her hand in the material. She hesitated for a split second, and slowly pulled him toward her.

He was on fire. She was so strong and beautiful and her expression was sexy as hell. She bit her lower lip, but as she propelled him to her, she blinked, long and slow behind her glasses. Her lip pulled free of her teeth and as she opened her eyes, her gaze remained on his mouth. He wasted no time.

He slid his hand into her hair at the back of her head and virtually yanked her to his lips. Her mouth opened under his instantly, no chaste first kisses here. His tongue dominated hers, laying claim to her mouth.

She moaned under his assault and the sound seemed to pluck finely vibrating strings inside him, making his dick so hard he could feel his pants almost cutting off the blood flow to his lower body.

He backed her into the wall and she pulled his hips to hers. In a second his dick was pressed against her panties. Her breasts heaved against his chest as she gasped for air.

“More. I want to feel more of you,” she said, rocking her hips against his.

He wanted to feel more of her, too. Taking a step back, he slowly drew his hand down her throat, kissing her in its wake. His hand grazed her breast and gently plucked her nipple, before dipping and stroking across her taut stomach. As his fingers stroked the front of her panties, his teeth found her nipple.

Beth whimpered, and he tightened everywhere at the sound. Her softness and hardness aroused him more than he ever remembered being aroused before. It felt as if his soul wouldn’t be satisfied until he owned her. Totally. He needed to be the master of her body, to know it better than she knew it herself.

His dick surged at the thought, and as if she read his mind her hand reached down and pressed the hard ridge in his jeans. A low groan rumbled through the room and only abstractly he realized it was his own.

She ground herself against his hand, although he was teasing her with only light touches over her panties. “Please. Touch me,” she whispered, her sweet hot breath fanning across his face.

“How bad do you want me right now?” he ground out, desperate to hear the words he’d longed to hear the year before.

He slid his hand under the elastic of her panties and hesitated, wanting to hear the words before he touched her, although at this stage, he was wildly uncertain which of them he was teasing.

“Bastard,” she whispered as she bit the lobe of his ear. She touched his inner ear with her tongue and he nearly exploded. “You want to hear the words?”

“I do.”

“Touch me and I’ll tell you.” As she said the words she pressed her hands against his dick again, making him feel as if the world was folding in on him, becoming only as big as them both, pressed against the wall.

“Ahem.” The disapproving sound came from the door.

Fuuuuck.

“Oh my God.” Beth said, coming out from behind him. “I’m so sorry. We’re so sorry.” She cast a look at him. “I’m nearly done.” She gestured at the clothes.

The woman frowned and said, “Come out when you’re ready.” She raised her eyebrows at the pair of them and shut the door behind her.

“I feel like I’m back at Catholic School.” She winced and looked away, a flush creeping up her face.

The room was suddenly filled with awkwardness. He wasn’t going to leave it like that. No way.

Beth ducked her head and went to pick up the dress she’d dropped when he came in. He grabbed her arm gently and pulled her to him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you in a position where you could be embarrassed.”

“It’s okay.” She still wouldn’t look at him, and there was no way he was going to let this moment pass into weirdness.

He put two fingers under her chin and made her eyes meet his. Then he leaned forward to kiss her gently on the lips, smoothing the hair off her face. “I’m sorry about that. But I saw you, and you looked so beautiful. I thought about doing that all the time we were downrange together. I want to see where this goes. You have to admit our chemistry is insane.”

She looked into his eyes and he wondered what she saw there. “I don’t know. I mean yes, of course we have chemistry. I just have no interest in a relationship, so I don’t do… this.” A small line furrowed her brow. “I don’t want to deploy and leave someone at home. I don’t want the stress, the wondering what he’s doing, who he’s with. I need a clean mind when I go. You should understand that.”

Fuck. His heart shrunk in his chest as disappointment rushed through him as quickly as desire had. “Sure I do.” He nearly choked on the words. What was up with her? Had someone done the dirty on her while she was deployed? He took her hand and kissed her cheek. “Whatever you need. And speaking of that…” He gestured with both hands toward her and the rail of clothes and the various bits of underwear that were draped over the chaise and the rail. “Just tell her we’ll take everything, and we’ll sort it all out later.”

She nodded as he stepped away from her and moved toward the door. Every bone in his body ached for her again. He paused to look at her, sexy with her newly mussed hair. And then he remembered his recent errand and delved into his pocket.

“I nearly forgot. You gave me a great idea in the car.” He tossed her a ring box in Tiffany’s signature blue. “Marry me? I figured we may as well draw a line under our relationship. Show people, especially my parents, they can’t mess with us this weekend.”

She laughed uncertainly as she opened the box. Her hand flew to her throat in surprise, and then her expression turned wistful. “Oh, it’s beautiful.” She dragged her gaze from it and said with a frown, “For God’s sake, don’t lose the receipt!”

“I’ll see you outside.” And against every impulse in his body, he closed the door behind him, and on his every fantasy of actually being in a relationship with her.