A Kiss in the Dark (21 page)

They reached their rental car and Angel opened the passenger door for her. Sedona paused, one hand on the door frame, and looked up at him.

“Ken Larson has made it pretty clear that when he’s on business travel, he’s on the make,” she said, trying to convey a sense of what Ken was up to, without mentioning the Membership. “I try not to associate with him unless the reason is business related. Ken’s the kind of guy where if you’re friendly to him, he thinks you want to have sex with him.”

Angel’s eyes glittered as he stared down at her, looking intently at her mouth. “Oh, yeah? So if what Larson says is true, and you never go out when you’re on business trips, why’d you agree to have dinner with me tonight?” He shrugged. “Maybe I’m cut from the same bolt of cloth as Ken.”

“Well,” she said archly, her insides churning, “a girl can always hope.”

She slid into the car and waited while Angel came around to the driver’s side and eased behind the wheel. He started the engine and flipped the air-conditioning on, but made no move to put the car in gear. Sedona held her breath when he turned in his seat to face her. His expression was taut. His entire body seemed coiled with tension.

“Okay, Sedona.” His voice was low. “That’s about the third time in the last ten minutes you’ve made a suggestive remark to me.” One black eyebrow arched in question. “So tell me now, do you get some kind of cheap thrill from teasing guys? Are you the type who likes to string a guy along with your sultry come-ons, but never comes through with the goods?”

Sedona stared at him in dismay, momentarily at a loss for words. Did he really think that of her? That she was a tease? She felt wild color come into her cheeks as she forced her gaze to deliberately travel over the thrust of broad shoulders, down the arms corded with muscle, to the lean, hard body that dominated the interior of the small car. But when she slowly met his eyes, there was no mistaking the heat she saw there, and it lent her courage to say the things that until now, she’d only ever dreamed about. She drew a deep, unsteady breath.

“I never tease, and I never string guys along.” She ran the tip of her tongue nervously across her lips. “And I’m definitely not stringing you along. If you really want
the goods,
then come and get them.”

6

A
NGEL
STARED
AT
her, stunned. This couldn’t really be happening. It was like a miracle or something. Here he’d been trying to figure out how he was going to get her into bed, and she’d practically offered herself to him on a plate. If someone had told him yesterday that Sedona Stewart would put the moves on
him,
he’d never have believed it.

Want her? Was she kidding? For just an instant he let his imagination soar with all the possibilities the coming night held. He had an incredibly sharp image of Sedona, less her clothes, straddling his hips.

He’d surprised himself with the intensity of his desire for her. When she’d opened her hotel-room door to greet him, his eyes had immediately been drawn to the rich abundance of glossy hair that framed her face and fell softly around her shoulders. She didn’t wear any perfume, yet he’d caught the clean, light scent of something floral. Her shampoo, he’d guessed, and his eyes had lingered on her hair. He’d wondered briefly how it would feel beneath his hands. Silky? Cool?

Her breasts thrust gently against the soft fabric of her blouse and for the first time he’d noticed how green her eyes were. And when she’d preceded him down the corridor toward the elevators, his attention had been fixed on her luscious backside, encased in a pair of jeans that were worn nearly threadbare across her buttocks. She wasn’t all that tall, but her long legs and curvy hips lent her an aura of height.

Oh, yeah, he wanted her. But as he stared into her eyes, he also realized she was the kind of woman a guy could get serious about. The kind of woman who probably didn’t get involved with someone unless she had long-term plans. She probably fell in love with every guy she slept with. He had to make it clear that he wasn’t interested in anything permanent or long lasting.

He’d seen plenty of relationships fall apart under the stress and demands of a military career. Add combat duty and extended overseas deployments, and it was a recipe for marital disaster. Nope, it took a special woman to commit herself to a navy man. So while he was perfectly willing to engage in a fling, he didn’t want Sedona to delude herself into thinking it would be anything more than that. He could be recalled to combat duty at any time, or be reassigned to another squadron, and there was no way he was going to ask a woman to wait for him while he was gone. It wouldn’t be fair.

But in the meantime…he was already anticipating fitting himself against her lushness, and was unable to prevent the tightening of his body in response.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Sedona said.

Angel arched one eyebrow at her, and couldn’t quite suppress a smile. “Oh, I don’t think you do,
mina,
or you’d already be halfway back to the safety of your hotel room.”

To his surprise, she smiled, a slow, sensual curving of her lips. “That’s where you’re wrong. I might be anxious to get back to my room, but only because I’d be dragging you with me.” She turned slightly toward him in her seat. “I want you, Angel Torres. So, what do you say? I know you’re hungry. You said so yourself. Shall we forgo dinner and go right for dessert?”

A primal response coursed through Angel, a rush of heat that poured through his veins like liquid fire. But although her words were full of bravado, he could sense her uncertainty. This wasn’t something she did frequently, if she’d ever done it at all. His gaze drifted to her mouth, ripe and moist. He wanted so badly to sample those tempting lips, to taste her and find out if she was as delicious as she appeared.

He leaned toward her across the center console as his eyes swept her features. Why had he never before noticed how damn pretty she was? Her skin was smooth and golden beneath a dusting of freckles across her nose and brow, and her lips…Jesus, her lips could tempt a saint.

Hardly aware of doing so, he reached out and slid a hand beneath the cool, silken fall of her hair and drew her forward. Her pupils dilated, turning her eyes almost black, before her breath escaped in a soft rush and her lashes drifted down to shield her eyes from him. Her lips parted, and then he was covering them with his own.

Her mouth was incredibly soft and pliant, and she tasted vaguely of something sweet, as if she’d recently sucked on a piece of candy. But if he’d thought he was going to be the one doing the kissing, he’d thought wrong.

She made a soft, needy sound that inflamed his senses, and then she arched against him, tentatively seeking his tongue with her own. When he responded, she met him eagerly. She wound her arms around his neck. She drew him closer, gently thrust her tongue against his and did some exploring of her own until he groaned aloud and angled her head for better access. She clutched at his shoulders, slid her hands along the back of his neck and speared her fingers through his hair.

Her mouth was hot and sweet, and Angel’s entire body responded to its pull. His hands moved down her back, over her smooth shoulders and the bumps of her spine, to the bare strip of skin revealed where her shirt gaped away from her waistband. His fingertips caressed the exposed flesh, learning its texture and warmth.

She gave a soft gasp and wriggled closer, slanting her mouth across his. She caught his tongue and tugged on it, sucked it until Angel’s world was reduced to nothing more than the woman in his arms and the feel of her hot, insistent mouth on his. When he ran one hand along her rib cage and captured her breast, she gasped and arched her back. He caressed the soft mound through her blouse, reveling in the weight of it against his palm. When he rubbed his thumb across the peak, her nipple hardened instantly, thrusting against him until he rolled it between his fingers.

He was only dimly aware of working the buttons on her blouse until the fabric fell away and he encountered the silken flesh beneath. He dragged his mouth from hers and used his lips to sear a path along the elegant arch of her neck to her collarbone. She gripped his head, encouraging this new exploration. Her breath was warm and ragged against his cheek, his neck.

Slipping one hand behind her, he bowed her across his arm and tugged her bra downward until her breasts spilled free. They were round and firm, pale and smooth except for the ruddy nipples. He bent his head and sucked one into his mouth, pressing the hard nub against the roof of his mouth while he cupped and kneaded her other breast.

Vaguely, as if from a great distance, he became aware of a car engine roaring into life somewhere close by, accompanied by the sound of voices. Slowly, the realization of what they were doing in the parking lot of the hotel sunk into his lust-sodden brain.

“Jesus.” Angel jerked himself away from her.

She lay half collapsed against the seat, her naked breasts pushed high by the bra that was still bunched beneath them. Her nipples were stiff and rosy and gleamed wetly from where he’d suckled them. Tousled hair fell around her flushed face.

She looked like an erotic fantasy.

Her breathing was as labored as his, but her eyes were still closed, her lips moist and parted as she struggled to draw breath. If Angel didn’t know better, he might have thought she was still savoring the taste and feel of him. When she did open her eyes, they were hazy with pleasure. She stared at him with a mixture of wonder and longing, and for the first time in years, Angel felt a frisson of fear.

Almost harshly, he dragged the open edges of her blouse together. “Cover yourself,
mina.
” His voice sounded rough, even to his own ears.

Confusion, then embarrassment, replaced the warmth in her eyes, and she struggled to sit up. She bit her lip and turned slightly away from him as she adjusted her clothing.

Angel blew out his breath in frustration and resisted the urge to drag her back toward him. He flung himself into his seat and scrubbed his hands over his face. What the hell had just happened? He’d come so damn close to losing control. Too close. He’d wanted to haul her across the console, tear her jeans off and take her, right there in the freakin’ car in the middle of a goddamn parking lot. He still wanted her. He was aching and uncomfortable with need, and it scared the hell out of him.

Sedona wasn’t the first woman to come on to him in such a blatant way. In fact, women had been chasing after him or propositioning him since he was in high school. He was, to a certain extent, used to it. The difference was that he was the one who decided whether or not to let the pursuer catch him. He always retained the upper hand, never let his libido rule his better sense. He never let himself lose control. End of story.

Until now.

It was as if an unseen hand had tilted the world ever so slightly on its axis, causing the very laws of nature to redefine themselves. He recalled again those three little words she’d uttered, and the instantaneous surge of reaction they’d elicited.

I want you.

Christ. He’d responded like a horny teenager. How was it that a woman he’d scarcely noticed until a few short hours ago was now the single, white-hot point of focus in his life? He wanted to consume her, to eat her alive.

He raked a hand over his hair.
Madre de Dios.
For several minutes, he’d completely lost control.

What was worse, though, was how much he’d liked it.

7

“L
ET
’
S
GO
GET
that bite to eat.”

Angel growled the words as he thrust the car into gear and maneuvered out of the parking lot. He drove faster than he should have, but there was no question he handled the car with smooth efficiency.

Sedona risked a peek at him, more unnerved than she cared to admit by the raw hunger and energy that rolled off him in waves. She ran a shaky hand through her hair, still stunned by what had just happened.

The reality of being kissed by Angel was far different than the fantasies she’d indulged in.

Her trembling fingers absently traced the swollen fullness of her lips as she remembered the fierce intensity of Angel’s kiss and the all-consuming passion that had both shocked and delighted her.

Any girlish daydreams she’d harbored about him had been completely and utterly destroyed in the scant moments she’d been gripped in his arms. In her feeble imaginings, she’d envisioned Angel as a tender, considerate lover who would woo her with gentle patience and all the gallant consideration of his rank, anticipating her needs and satisfying them with sweet eagerness. Never had she imagined the incredible strength or heat that had accompanied his embrace, sweeping over her like a firestorm, melting her resistance—if she had any—and incinerating her on the spot.

Her breasts ached where he’d touched them; no, where he’d devoured them. Just the memory of his dark head bent over her, tasting her, caused liquid heat to gather at her core. She thrummed with longing.

Neither of them spoke as Angel negotiated the busy local roads and pulled in to the parking lot of a small pub. He was clearly disturbed by their encounter, but Sedona couldn’t tell if he was pissed off, disgusted by her behavior or just plain regretted his response to her.

He turned off the engine, but when it seemed he would get out of the car without saying anything to her, Sedona reached over and touched his arm. He stiffened and slowly turned to face her.

Sedona recoiled at the raw flame she saw in his eyes. He waited, not saying anything, but a muscle worked in his lean jaw.

She wet her lips nervously. “I, um—I’m not sorry about what happened back there. So if you’re going to apologize to me for your less-than-gentlemanly behavior, forget it. I don’t want to hear it.”

He smiled then, a predatory smile that caused Sedona’s heart to kick into high gear. “I have no intention of apologizing,
mina.
” His eyes raked over her, the intensity of his scrutiny as palpable as if he had touched her. “But before we get completely carried away and do something we both regret, we need to talk.”

“Oh.” Sedona nibbled her lower lip and stared at him uncertainly. Was she right?
Did
he regret kissing her? If there was even the slightest chance of getting him into her bed, she certainly didn’t want to give him any opportunity to talk himself out of it. She could almost hear the arguments he’d present: he had a thing about getting involved with coworkers, or his military career made relationships impossible, or he had too much integrity to screw around with somebody while they were on official business.

She watched him as he gave a self-deprecating laugh and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “You blew me away back there. You know that, don’t you?”

“I did?” Sedona couldn’t keep the pleased surprise out of her voice. She’d been operating on pure instinct, responding to him on a primal level. He’d overwhelmed her senses, reduced her to a quivering mass of greedy nerve endings that clamored for more, and he was saying she’d blown
him
away? Maybe she was better at this sex thing than she realized.

With newfound confidence, she slanted him what she hoped was a come-hither look from beneath her lashes. “Well, consider that the appetizer, flyboy. Just wait until I serve up the entrée.”

Angel’s surprised laugh gave way to a choking fit as he stared at her in utter disbelief. “You’re not serious?”

“Why not?”

Angel made a noise that was part laugh and part groan. “It’s just that I’m having a little trouble convincing myself you’re for real. One minute, you’re this no-nonsense engineer who’s all about getting the job done. The next, you’re this smokin’-hot babe who practically gets me off in the driver’s seat of a car in broad daylight! Pardon me if I’m just a little confused by it all.”

Happiness, pure and dizzying, swept through Sedona. She’d done it. She’d made him want her, maybe even as much as she wanted him. All her life, she’d been called the brainy one, the sensible one. Hearing Angel describe her as hot was amazing. She knew she had the advantage and there was no way she was letting it go. She was nothing if not determined.

“Oh, I’m for real,” she murmured, and leaned toward him, not at all deterred when he pulled back, as if afraid she might touch him. “And just so there’s no confusion, I’m definitely all about getting the job done.”

Angel’s eyes drifted to her mouth and lingered there for several long seconds. In the next instant, he seemed to give himself a mental shake. “Oh, no, lady,” he growled softly, “we’re not doing a repeat performance in this parking lot. We’re going to go inside and have something to eat. Then, after we’ve cooled down, maybe we can talk about this rationally without jumping on each other.”

Sedona smiled. She did want to jump him. “Okay,” she conceded, “but can’t we do fast food or, even better, takeout?”

He chuckled warmly and squeezed her fingers. “We’ll save that for another night.”

Clearly, there would be no more exchange of delicious intimacies until he’d had his chance to talk. But at least he’d said there would be another night. All was not lost.

She gave him a quick smile. “All right. Something tells me we’re going to need sustenance, so let’s go eat.”

She didn’t wait for him, but opened the car door and climbed out, taking a quick opportunity to comb her fingers through her hair and smooth her clothing. The sun was just beginning to sink over the horizon, streaking the skies with brilliant pinks and yellows. Even now, Sedona could feel the heat of the day beginning to subside, with the promise of a cooler night in store.

Inside the pub, Angel steered her past the lounge area, with its noisy crowd of young people, to a booth in a quiet corner. Sedona was scarcely aware of ordering her meal. She was completely focused on the man who sat on the other side of the table.

He perused the menu and after the waitress had taken his order, sat back and surveyed their surroundings as he absently drummed his long fingers against the table. They might have been complete strangers for all the notice he took of her. Sedona sipped her drink and played with the stir stick as she watched him from beneath her lashes. Finally, unable to stand his inattention any longer, she cleared her throat.

“So…you wanted to talk?”

Almost reluctantly, he turned to look at her. He held her gaze for several long moments in which Sedona was unable to discern his thoughts, before turning his attention to the beer he cradled in his palms.

“You must know I find you attractive,” he said at last. When he glanced up at her, his eyes were banked with heat. “I guess I’ve made that pretty obvious.”

Sedona swallowed. Why was this beginning to sound like a gentle brush-off? “I’m sorry. I know I came on pretty strong—”

“Let me finish,” he admonished, taking the sting out of his words by slanting her a quick grin. “I had absolutely no problem with the way you came on to me. But I think it’s only fair to let you know I’m not in the market for a serious relationship.”

Sedona almost sagged with relief. “That’s great. Neither am I.”

He gave her a look that clearly said he didn’t believe her.

“Really, I’m not,” she insisted. “It’s just that—well, it’s just that I’ve had this thing for you for so long now. And here we are, together for a couple of weeks… I just thought…”

“You just thought you could indulge in a little sexfest with the itinerant military guy, and nobody would ever know, is that it?”

“What? No! My God, I can’t believe you’d even think that!” Sedona stared at him in horror, despite the fact that was exactly what she’d thought. “I’ve never done anything like this before in my life.”

Angel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “Okay, forget I said that. You’re right, I don’t really believe it, anyway.” He leaned back in the booth and considered her. “I must be insane to even question your motives. I mean, what do I care what they are? You’ve made it clear you’re interested in me. You’re attractive and single, so why shouldn’t I take you up on your offer?”

Sedona gave him a wary smile. “Right.”

“So long as we both go into this with our eyes open, with the understanding that it will only last for as long as we’re out here, right?”

“Right.” Sedona moistened her lips, hope flaring inside her. “I mean, it would be too uncomfortable if we continued to see each other when we got back to the office.” She didn’t see any reason to tell him that for her, there would be no going back to the office.

“Right.”

“So…we’re on?”

Angel laughed. “We’re on. Jesus, this is just too weird.”

Sedona tilted her head to one side. “I don’t know, I’d think it’s what every guy fantasizes about. I mean, think about it.”

“Oh, I have,” he said, and let his gaze travel deliberately over her.

Sedona blushed. She could scarcely believe she was really going to do this. She hadn’t had a relationship of any kind since she’d been in college, and even that had been more physical than emotional. She’d briefly dated a guy in one of her thermodynamics classes, and while the sex had been good, it hadn’t been great. Too many times, Sedona had been left unsatisfied, wanting more. Pragmatic to the core, she’d become pretty adept at satisfying herself. After that, having a guy in her life had seemed, well, superfluous.

As a whole, she found men to be self-absorbed, needy creatures. Thanks, but no thanks. After she graduated and took the government engineering job, she hadn’t met anyone who interested her on any level.

But with Angel… Suddenly she couldn’t wait to find out what it would be like to have him in her life, even on a temporary basis. He didn’t strike her as being egocentric. And she was quite certain that his lovemaking would never leave her frustrated or wanting.

Their food arrived, saving Sedona from having to respond to Angel’s words, but as she looked down at her plate, she realized she wasn’t the least bit hungry. Her stomach was knotted with nervous anticipation.

“So,” she blurted as Angel took a healthy bite of his burger, “I notice you keep calling me
mina.
What does it mean?” She laughed and held up her hand. “I only want to know if it’s complimentary. I mean, if it’s something like man-hating she-bitch, please don’t tell me.”

Angel smiled, clearly amused. “No, it doesn’t mean that, although I’m not so sure you’ll like the true translation.” He folded his napkin before he arched her a look that was half challenging, half defensive. “In Cuba, it means mine. Or my little one.”

Sedona nearly choked on the iced tea she was sipping.
Mine? As in…his?
She coughed until her eyes watered and Angel half rose to his feet. She held up a hand to forestall him.

“No,” she finally gasped. “I’m okay.” She took another, careful sip of her drink and wiped the moisture from her eyes. “It just surprised me, that’s all.”

“I know, it sounds a little territorial and corny, but it’s actually a common form of address among Cubans.” He shrugged, and Sedona could have sworn that was embarrassment coloring his neck and jaw. “More like a casual endearment.”

“Mmm. It’s fine.” She nodded, as if contemplating his words; as if she was accustomed to having men call her
little one
every day. But she couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes for fear he’d see her pleasure. Instead, she snatched her napkin up, held it over her mouth and pretended to cough a little more. Anything to hide the silly grin that threatened to spill free.

Mine. His.

The words were more than just music to her ears. They were like a full violin concerto.

“Well,” she said, when she could finally speak, “I think it’s very…sweet.” She gave him a bright smile. “I didn’t realize you were Cuban.”

He shrugged again. “My parents fled Cuba in the sixties, after the revolution. I was raised in San Diego.”

Sedona tilted her head as she considered him. “Not Miami? Don’t they have a huge Cuban population there?”

He smiled. “Actually, I was born there. But my father wanted his kids to be raised in a community that was fully American. He said too many Cubans refuse to assimilate, believing they’ll eventually return to Cuba. So we moved to San Diego and…assimilated.”

“Your mom didn’t mind?”

Angel laughed, but Sedona thought it had a slightly bitter edge to it. “My mother still dreams of returning to Cuba. She let my dad move us to San Diego, but refused to speak anything but Spanish in our home.” He chuckled wryly. “She’d like nothing better than for me to marry a nice Cuban-American girl and settle down.”

“Oh.” Sedona looked at her hands. Her pale, WASP hands. “Is that what you want?”

There was silence and after a moment, Sedona looked up to see Angel smiling at her. “Is this a fishing expedition?”

Sedona flushed. “Of course not. I was just making conversation.” She knew her voice sounded defensive, but couldn’t help it. Yes, dammit, it was a fishing expedition. Just because he didn’t have a ring on his finger didn’t mean he wasn’t committed to somebody.

“Then the answer is no,” he said smoothly. “I have no desire to marry.”

“Not ever?”

He shrugged. “Not anytime soon. My job isn’t exactly conducive to settling down.”

Angel’s dark eyes locked with hers, and for a brief instant, Sedona thought she saw something in their depths; regret. Then it was gone, carefully shuttered behind his roguish grin and nonchalant shrug. “Maybe someday, when the war is over, or when my flying days are done. Who knows?”

Sedona tried to imagine what it would be like to be married to a guy like Angel. To send him off, not knowing if he’d come home or not, enduring long months without him. It would take a special woman to share his life on those terms, but Sedona was willing to bet she could do it. The guy was incredible, not just amazingly good-looking, but intelligent and funny, too. Not to mention that he kissed like a dream. It’d be hard to go six months without him, but she could do it in a heartbeat. The rewards would be well worth the wait.