Hot Pursuit: Hot Zone, Book 5 (9 page)

She fluttered her artificially long lashes in old-fashioned female appreciation. “That’s what I heard. You must be in very good shape.” She sauntered closer and he stiffened. “I mean, there aren’t enough men around Clarksville like you.”

He tried not to laugh. “I’m sure there are. Look, I need to get going.”

She stood at an angle that looked blatantly artificial, like a mannequin or model at a photo shoot. She smiled and her large breasts pushed against her turtleneck. “Sure you don’t want a thermos of hot coffee to take with you?”

He grinned. “No, thanks. I’ll get something at my friend’s.”

“What friend? Maybe I know them.”

“Lucy Creed. She owns the photography shop just off main.”

Once again her mouth opened, eyes widened. “Oh. Her.”

Her cool, almost contemptuous tone took him off-guard. “Her?”

“She’s…well, there are a couple of rumors.”

He was damned ashamed to say he wanted to know the rumors. “Oh?”

“She’s been hanging around with that man who beat you up.”

He gave her a half-amused laugh. “Do I look beat up to you?”

“Uh, no. Of course not. I mean, people were saying he tried to beat you up, but he couldn’t and well, anyway…” She flapped one hand in dismissal. “Lucy’s been seen with that man. So I didn’t want you to get your hopes up.”

Vic came this short of telling her to mind her own business.

“That’s Lucy’s business, I’m sure.” The woman’s mouth opened, as if she planned to add more, but he cut her off at the pass. “Well, I need to go. See you later.” He waved and headed out the front door as quickly as he could.

Wind caught the door and slammed it behind him as if to punctuate the disgust he felt for the inn owner’s gossipy personality. He shivered as another heavy gust of wind blew snowflakes across the ground, swirling at his feet. His stocking hat, parka and thick sweater fought off the rest of winter. He was nuts for traveling when snow promised to turn into a blizzard. At the same time, he wanted to see Lucy, and she apparently wanted to see him. He wondered if Lucy had gone back to the ass wipe who’d treated her so badly, and he hoped the hell not. He doubted it if she’d invited him over.

With that in mind, he drove his SUV slowly as the night closed around him. Two inches of snow had already accumulated in the short time he’d been in his room. Wind picked up, howling as it bombarded his vehicle. Damn, this was coming on quickly. No one with any sense moved on the roads. A police cruiser made its way down the street and drove as slowly as Vic did. It didn’t take long to reach Lucy’s house, and he pulled into the driveway. The porch light was on, and he made his way out of the car, down the slick sidewalk and to the door as fast as he could without falling on his ass.

The door opened before he could ring the bell. “Hey, soldier.” She grinned. “Get in here before you turn into a frozen dessert.”

Oh, yeah. I’d like to be your dessert.
A rush of heat filled his groin as he thought about it. “Ah, I hoped you’d be interested in warming me up.”

She blushed. “Smart ass.”

He grinned as they closed the door on the weather. “I think you like me that way.”

She grunted. “Don’t push it, buddy.”

He liked her attitude and the smile on her face even more. She looked happy, healthy, and that made him feel damned glad he’d shown up. Dressed in a navy blue sweater and baggy sweatpants, she had the aura of a woman who didn’t care what anyone thought. Not an arrogant don’t-care look, but a confident I-can-do-anything woman. Thick socks covered her feet.

“Come on in before you freeze to death. I was just about to spike some hot chocolate.” She strode through the living room toward the kitchen. “Want some?”

“You bet. Not too much whiskey in mine.”

She stopped before she reached the kitchen. “Drinking and driving?”

“Yep. Can’t do it.”

She nodded, her eyes cleared of amusement. “Of course. I didn’t think.”

He smiled, worried by the sudden soberness in her gaze. “Don’t worry about it.” He showed a half inch of air between thumb and finger. “Just a splash.”

He wrestled out of his big coat, hat and gloves and left his snow boots on the entrance rug. She made the hot chocolate, spiked with a dram of whiskey. As he watched covertly, he tried not to wonder where this visit would lead. He needed to take it slow, take things to a natural conclusion, even if it meant he went back to the inn tonight without making love to her. He approached her in the kitchen as she stirred the whiskey into the mugs.

She hung her head a moment and sighed. She turned toward him, and damned if there wasn’t moisture in her eyes. She shoved a hand through her hair, and the inky strands stood up like she’d jammed her finger in a light socket.

Instinct pushed Vic to cup her face and swim into those deep ocean blue eyes. “What’s wrong?”

She swallowed hard. “Sorry. I’ve had a strange day.”

He released her face, but cupped her shoulders. “Like what?”

“Hormonal. Or just plain out of it. It’s been one of those days where things went wrong. I went over to the studio and sorted through paperwork. My business…well, things aren’t looking so good for my business.” Her voice went soft, weary. “I’m sorry. I didn’t invite you over to whine.”

His heart pinched in sympathy, and he realized it hadn’t done that in a long time. Pinched because he felt her pain down deep, down inside him where he didn’t want to feel it.

He rubbed her shoulders gently. “If you want me to go…”

“No.” She shook her head. “No, that’s not what I mean. I…this week has been kind of a mess.”

“All of it?”

A weak smile touched her mouth. “The only time that felt good and right was the time I spent with you.”

Sensing a lot more to this saga than he understood, he kissed her forehead. “Come on. Let’s sit down and talk about this.”

Lucy settled on the couch, cupping her mug in both hands. Her eyes threatened to tear up again, and she wished the day could return to the beginning and she’d have the opportunity to start from scratch. Vic settled near her and put his mug down on a coaster on the coffee table. She dared look at him and saw such understanding and compassion in his eyes that a sweet wave of emotion sideswiped her.

He sat with his arm up on the back of the couch, the rest of his body facing her.

“Whatever’s been happening this week, you can tell me. I’m a good listener.”

A smile managed to touch her lips. “I remember.” She also recalled the delicious way he’d touched her, caressed her, kissed her until she’d screamed with the joy of it. “All of it.”

He grinned, and that knowing look in his dark eyes made her heart thump. God, maybe she was glad she’d let him come by.

“’Fess up,” he said, his attention full on her.

“How was your day?”

“Excellent. Don’t try and change the subject. Out with it.”

She shifted on the couch, glad he hadn’t pressed anything more physical by sitting closer. Not because she didn’t want him near, because she really did, but because she couldn’t think straight when he was.

“Like I said, I think my business is getting dodgy. Things have been slowing down over the last year. Clarksville’s economy isn’t really recovering as well as some small towns. I think I may need to move to a bigger city.”

His eyes narrowed. “Damn, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“My last wedding account cancelled today. They broke up and that was the third wedding in the last month that I was supposed to do that was called off.” She sipped her chocolate, then placed it on the coffee table. “Like I said, it’s just been a weird month. Danny, my business…” She shrugged.

Vic dared to capture her gaze and hold it. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. “Where are you thinking of moving?”

She shrugged again. “I’m not sure. Maybe Jackson Hole. The thing is, it’s a lot more expensive to rent office space there, and to live.”

He laced his fingers together. “Ever consider Colorado Springs?”

Some of the pain eased from her midsection where the weight of the world was sitting. “Marisa and Jake are moving there soon.”

“Jake got orders to PCS to Fort Carson,” he said.

“PCS?”

“Permanent Change of Station.”

“Gotcha. I’m not up on all the military terms, though I probably should be.”

Silence settled down between them before he spoke again. “You’d miss your friends here if you moved, wouldn’t you?”

She nodded, and weariness returned. “I’ll miss them. My biggest thing is deciding once and for all where I’m moving. I can’t let this go on any longer.”

He frowned. “What about Danny?”

Her lips tightened, as if he’d asked a far more egregious question. “As I said the other night, he’s history.”

“No regrets that you aren’t with him?”

She shook her head vehemently. “None.”

Relief hit his face so hard, she thought maybe she’d imagined it. No, it was there, clear as day. He didn’t speak for a moment. “The lady who owns the inn was hitting on me before I came over here, and she said you were back with Danny.”

Her mouth opened a little in definite surprise. “She hit on you?”

He laughed. “Yep. She’s been flirting since I checked in.” He wanted Lucy to know up front that he wasn’t going to mess with another woman if he dated her. “I’m not flirting back. Not even harmless flirting. I don’t want her getting the wrong idea. Besides, she’s married.”

A grin broke over her face as she reached for her hot chocolate, and he thought he saw relief in her eyes. “She’s known for spreading gossip, and I’d heard that she likes younger men. Even the rumor about me isn’t surprising. What they say about small towns is true. Gossip runs the show.”

Lucy took a long sip of the chocolate, and when she licked her lips, his eyes narrowed again and she saw them follow her tongue. A slow burning arousal ignited inside her.

“Did you believe her?” she asked. “I mean, about me and Danny.”

“Maybe for about two seconds.”

She brought her legs up onto the couch, putting her body in a more defensive position. “You honestly thought I’d go back to him? Or was there a tiny bit of concern there?”

He blinked.

Busted.
“I didn’t know what to think. Sometimes rumors are true.” He continued the confession. “I guess you could say I was gun shy after Shelly. I asked about Danny because for a few seconds I was scared I didn’t have a chance with you. I was scared that you’d tell me to disappear or that you believed I really could sexually harass a woman.”

She returned the hot chocolate to the table, crawled across the couch to Vic and sat directly at his side. “Not a chance, Vic. I was hoping you’d come here tonight and the snow would get so bad you’d want to stay.”

Lucy watched Vic’s eyes smolder, but not with anger. Pure sexual heat. His nostrils flared a little, his lips parted.

“Then you don’t hate the military anymore?” he asked, a soft rebuke in his voice.

“Never really did. I was just smarting from the other guy and Danny and, well…there’s even more to my military story than I’ve told you.”

His eyes turned wary, and she thought maybe she’d screwed things up by not telling him the entire story up front.

“Have you ever thought maybe a military man isn’t the kind of guy you should date?” he said before she could respond.

She smarted again, but this time from his insinuation. “Does that mean you don’t think I should date you?”

He nodded. “Maybe. If the military lifestyle would drive you nuts. It’s not easy. Some jobs, like mine, require that I’m away from home a lot. A woman like you is independent, you have your own interests and career. Your own life. But some women still can’t handle it even when they’re independent.”

She considered it for a moment. Hell, who was she kidding? She’d considered it a lot in the two days since he’d left her house. “You putting me on notice?”

“In a sense.”

Challenge. Well, she was up to the task. “As much as I don’t know about the military, I’ve heard enough from my friends to understand what they go through when their husbands are shipped off. Marisa and Freddie are very special women to withstand it. They don’t know when their husbands will be back, and they know the missions they go on are very dangerous.”

“A lot more dangerous than mine.”

“But you’re still not completely out of harm’s way. No one is in the wars going on now. There isn’t any place to hide, is there? Your injury is proof of that.” Lucy waited as darkness clouded his gaze and provided the answer even before he spoke.

“No.”

She nodded toward his leg. “You never said how you got hurt.”

“You sure you want to hear it?”

“Yes.”

He shifted down on the couch until he could lay his head on the back. His long legs sprawled out, and her libido wanted her to reach out and touch his thighs. Touch any part of him she could reach. Instead, she pulled her legs up so she could hug them and rested her chin on her knees.

He blew out a puff of air. “I was stationed at Firebase Delta when I got to Iraq a few months ago. It was my second tour there. One night I was heading to my commander’s quarters. He wanted to tell me about some plans for the next day. I was halfway across this area that’s like a long courtyard between quarters when I heard this high-pitched sound.”

She waited while he gazed at the floor near his feet, his eyes glazed as he remembered. “A mortar. But couldn’t tell from which direction it was coming. There was this huge explosion in the courtyard. Knocked me on my ass. I was out cold for a few seconds. I woke up and Shelly was there hovering over me with her medical kit, and one of the quarters nearby was on fire. There was a lot of yelling and running around. At first I didn’t realize I was hurt until some guy said, ‘Dude, your thigh is bleeding.’ That’s when I realized I had this big gash in my leg. Shelly and a couple of other guys hauled me over to the hospital. I was damned lucky though, a shrapnel wound and a mild concussion kept me in bed a few days, but there was another guy across the area who was killed when the mortar hit. Considering it could have landed right on some buildings, we were pretty fortunate.”