Remember the Night: a Heroes of the Night military romance novel (5 page)

Cody flopped back on the towel. What the hell had he done? He'd only wanted her to change the location of her relaxation from the pool to beside him.
The closer the better.
She looked so damn hot in her turquoise suit. He'd had to stay underwater and imagine hiding from the enemy to calm his body enough to even step out and come within a few feet of her. He shook his head. This wasn't the time for sexual innuendo. Thankfully, she'd been wearing a one piece. If she revealed any more skin, there wouldn't be enough cold water in the ocean to do the trick.

His hands covered his eyes from the bright sun as he replayed the words in his mind. Nothing. He could think of nothing he'd said to earn the angered response she'd directed squarely at him. Women.

"Where is everyone? Did you run them off?" Daniel kicked some sand in his direction, adding to his foul mood.

He moved his hands to level his buddy with a glare when he noticed Melodie's smiling face. Great. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. He'd promised Daniel they'd play nice in the sandbox.
Damn, what I'd like to do with Evelyn in this sandbox.
"I think the kids are getting ready to get in the water with the nanny. The older couple…"

"Bruce and Lydia," Melodie supplied.

"Yeah, those two went for a walk on the beach, and I don't know where in the hell Evelyn is." Okay maybe that came out a bit harsher than he intended.

Melodie narrowed her emerald eyes, laser focused solely on him. "What's your problem with my sister? You two have been acting weird around each other since the first time you met at the rehearsal."

Cody battled the urge to sigh. Daniel had been telling the truth. He hadn't told Melodie about Cody's one-night stand with her sister. Of course, that put him in one hell of a position at the present moment. Thankfully, Daniel spoke up and saved him from a bad situation getting even worse.

"Mel, why don't you go check on your sister? I'll keep Cody company and try to sort this out."

She eyed them both warily but nodded. She kissed Daniel. "I love you. Please sort this out, or it's going to be a long week. You know how Ev can be."

Once Melodie headed toward the villa, Daniel sat next to him. "What really happened?"

Cody returned to his resting position on the towel, allowing the sun to warm his skin and the sound of the waves to calm his spirit. He covered his eyes. He'd need to remember sunglasses the next time he hit the beach. "I swear to God, man. I don't know. She told me she was going to relax by the pool, and I told her she could do that at home. Then I joked to confirm that she did, in fact, own a pool. She got pissed off and stormed away with no explanation."

A pain shot through his arm. What the hell? He sat up, his large form moving toward Daniel. "Did you just punch me?"

"You big oaf. After they divorced, her husband moved in with the pool girl."

The anger drained out of his limbs. "Oh, shit."

"Yep. If you ask me, I think he might've been dipping his float in the hot little number's pool before the divorce. Know what I'm sayin'?"

Not only did he know, but Evelyn had confirmed it the night at the reception dinner when she'd shared about the affair. "You could've mentioned that little detail." How he hadn't beat the crap out of his best friend over the past several years was anyone's guess.

Daniel plied him with his trademark smartass grin. "In case you haven't noticed, man, I've been a little busy making sure my blushing bride has everything her heart desires."

Suddenly, the ocean's beauty didn't hold any appeal. He stood and shook out his towel, making sure the sand landed on Daniel as much as possible. "Glad you found your happiness, man. The rest of us suckers are just trying to get through the friggin' day."

"Such language," Daniel teased.

"You're a pain in the ass, and if you weren't my best friend, I'd knock that shitty grin off your face."

He started walking to the villa. A hot shower, a cold beer…maybe two, and then he could possibly survive dinner. Remembering the blaze of anger in those crystal blue eyes, he rubbed his temples. Maybe he'd skip the beer and go straight for tequila. Women and he didn't mix. When would he learn?

Two hours later, his mood hadn't improved much. A couple drinks had removed the edge, but he still had no clue how to act around Evelyn. Life had screwed her over, and her actions were clearer now. Fight or flight. The divorce had taken the fight out of her, so now she was hiding. Not just from him…from life. He'd managed a shower and made himself presentable. Dinner was going to be served out on the veranda of the villa they were staying in. This place was nothing short of amazing. Five bedrooms, two full baths, a large eat-in kitchen, and a living room with enough seating for all. Of course, the inside paled in comparison to the outside. The veranda hosted enough room for a table to seat twelve comfortably along with a pool and fire pit. The view…well, he might have to capture it at sunset with his pencil and sketchpad. Dragging in a deep breath, he left the safety of his room and ventured outside to find an empty seat at the table.

"Cody."

Her voice filtered into his tequila-infused brain. A low, calm, almost sensual quality caressing him from the inside out.

He might not be from the south, but he had manners. Standing, he moved to pull her chair out, trying to keep from staring at her long legs in the royal blue skirt. "Ma'am."

Ma'am? What the hell is wrong with me? She's going to eat me for the appetizer.
Biting his lower lip to keep from saying anything further, he braced himself for the outburst. He may not know a lot about Evelyn, but she'd been very clear almost from the first moment they met—she didn't like being called ma'am.

"Seriously?"

Did he detect a slight thawing in his ice queen? He shrugged and smiled. "Still angling for the southern gentleman thing. I hear the ladies, well, most ladies anyway, like that sort of thing."

For his attempt at charm, he received a smirk before she redirected her attention to her sons. "Jason, you promise to behave if I let you sit next to Annie?"

The little mop of brown hair nodded enthusiastically before pulling the little girl into a big hug. "I've missed you, Princess. You're late. We've already played in the ocean with Nat…Natal…"

"Natalia, you moron." Michael growled at his little brother.

"Michael, that's enough. Sit down, and get ready for dinner." Evelyn's voice held an edge of frustration.

Cody's grin widened when Michael jumped up to assist Natalia with her chair. As he pushed Evelyn's chair in, he leaned forward and whispered. "Siblings like to harass each other, brothers especially. It's a rite of passage."

When she didn't reply, other than a long exhale of breath, he wasn't sure if that indicated happiness or disappointment. Something about the fire in her eyes, regardless of the emotion responsible for putting it there, stoked the fires deep in his soul. He could handle hot or cold, though he preferred hot. An unresponsive Evelyn worried him more than an angry one.

"Is this seat taken?" A distinguished, older man pointed to an open chair across the table from Samuel. Cody had been grateful his buddy and fellow groomsman had been able to join them on vacation. It gave him someone to talk to since he never knew if Evelyn was in the mood to talk and Daniel needed to tend to his new wife.

"No, sir, all yours."

"Who's that?" Lydia whispered into Cody's ear.

"Bartholomew Deveraux, patriarch of the Deveraux family and plantation in Mississippi. CEO of Deveraux Industries, one of the largest producers of cotton and soybeans."

Lydia grinned, "So, Annie's grandfather."

Cody chuckled. "Yes, that too."

About that time, Daniel stepped onto the patio where everyone was seated awaiting the arrival of the newlyweds. He moved over to Bartholomew and extended his hand. "Thank you for bringing Annie, sir."

The older man nodded. "Thank you for allowing me to stay in this beautiful home with you tonight. These old bones aren't as young as they used to be. Making the trip back to Mississippi tonight would have been difficult."

"Let me introduce you to everyone." Daniel started at the far end and opposite side of the table. "This is Melodie's sister, Evelyn. Next to her, my best man, Cody. Mel's friend from work, Lydia, and her husband, Bruce. You've met Samuel, another buddy of mine from our time together in Afghanistan." He pointed to the other side of the table now. "This handsome young man seated next to Mel at the end is Evelyn's oldest son, Michael, and their guest, Natalia. Then her youngest son, Jason."

"My brave knight!" Annie chimed in.

The older man smiled indulgently. "Ah, yes, I do remember you mentioning him a time or seventy to me over the last week."

Everyone laughed. It was no secret how close Annie and Jason were. Bartholomew stood and bowed slightly. "A pleasure to meet each of you."

"He's my grandpa…well, one of my grandpas."

Bartholomew smiled at Annie. "Shall we eat? I'm starving."

Cody eyed the steaming plate of pasta set before him. He wasn't going to miss army food. His smile disappeared as he considered the uncertainty of the future. In a few days, he'd know. All he could do now was wait and hope the review board didn't return a decision that could lead to him eating prison food for the next ten to sixteen months.

"Mom, you cleaned your plate. You even had seconds!" Jason's proclamation drew the attention of all the dinner guests.

Evelyn smiled at her son while cringing on the inside. "Yes, well, apparently all of the fresh air has helped my appetite."

"You'll get a chance to work it off. Don't worry," Daniel added from the other end of the table.

"Not sure I follow. I'm on vacation, which means lounging by the pool or lying on the beach, curled up anywhere reading a good book. Right, Mel?" She knew her sister would have her back on this one. If she had a dollar for every time Mel had tried to get her to relax and take it easy, she could retire a rich woman.

Mel shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, Sis, but no relaxing after dinner tonight."

"What?"
Seriously?

Samuel piped in. "Big battle on the sand volleyball court tonight. Boys versus girls. I suggested we all go for a run, but not being the groom, I didn't get to vote."

"I'm not really the volleyball-playing type. Besides, not being able to relax after a big meal can't be good for your digestive system." She fixed a pointed glare at her sister. "I'm certain there's research to support me on this."

Mel laughed. "Maybe if you'd gorged yourself, but you finished your proper portions and had an extra helping of pasta. I hardly think that qualifies as stuffing yourself. Besides, the kids are going to play too. Give them a chance to burn off any remaining energy before bedtime."

"Mom hasn't been eating much lately." Michael's grim voice sobered the mood at the table.

Now they were talking about her like she wasn't even here. She stood. "I think we've discussed my eating habits enough for one night. Natalia, if you'll look after the boys and bring them back to the room after their festivities, I would appreciate it. Now, if everyone will excuse me."

She'd made it about five steps when Cody spoke up. "It's all right, Evelyn. We understand you're afraid of losing."

His statement stopped her cold.
The nerve!
Her—afraid of losing? No way. He might be able to sketch the outside of a woman, but he certainly didn't understand the first thing about what made a woman tick on the inside. She turned. Every person at the table stared in her direction, mouths at various states of openness waiting for her reaction.

Oh, she'd make this easy for all of them. "I never lose."

"Then maybe you only play in games you know you can win."

The flush of heat rose up her chest and onto her face. He was baiting her…in front of witnesses.
Maybe he does know me.
The urge to engage in a verbal sparring match with him held tightly to the tip of her tongue.

"Leave her alone, Cody. If she doesn't want to play, she doesn't have to. We'll play two down." Her sister came to her defense.

Six to four, not a fair fight. One of the reasons she wanted to be an attorney was to ensure a level playing field. That—and she really did love to argue. "No, I'll play." An idea for a little payback sparked. "I'm going to change, and I'll meet you on the beach."

Melodie and Annie both rushed over and hugged her. "Thank you, Auntie Ev. We'll win for sure with you on our side."

The little girl's optimism and unfailing belief in those around her inspired a small smile. "I'll certainly do my best, Princess."

"I hope I can be excused from the game. As I mentioned earlier, these old bones need a rest. Besides, chasing after the little princess for the past week reminded me I'm not as young as I used to be."

Annie moved away from Evelyn to hug her grandfather. "You were great."

Bartholomew patted her head. "Hopefully next time your mother will be able to watch you."

Annie nodded. "I hope so too."

Evelyn's heart hurt for Annie. Her mother still waged a losing battle against the bottle. Thankfully, Daniel's petition for full custody had been granted. In the true spirit of selfless parenting, he provided opportunities for Annie to have supervised visits with her mother. The supervision was typically provided by Bartholomew.

Daniel stepped closer and took Annie's hand. "Okay, everyone, let's meet in ten minutes at the court on the beach. We'll cool off in the ocean afterward."

"Let's go, boys. We'll get you changed into your swim trunks, and then you'll be ready for whatever Uncle Daniel throws your way."

She managed to get the boys changed in about five and sent them on ahead with Natalia. After wasting three of her five minutes, she finally decided what to wear. A few dozen memories slid over her legs as she pulled on the turquoise bikini bottom and then covered it with a pair of stretchy black shorts. She'd considered denim shorts but needed to be able to move freely. This was, after all, a competition she intended to win. She secured the bikini top and double checked the ties. No wardrobe malfunctions needed to occur with so many witnesses. A dark green tank top finished the ensemble. A smile formed. Cody's eyes would darken to obsidian in reaction to this suit. He would remember, and the advantage would be hers.
Finally.

"Evelyn, come on!" Melodie's voice filtered in from somewhere outside the villa.

One last twirl in front of the mirror. All put together. A quick ponytail to secure her shoulder-length blonde hair out of her face, and she was ready. "I'm coming!"

Oh, this was going to be fun.

*   *   *

"Boys lead six to two," Daniel announced.

Cody wanted to be happy about their lead, but this really wasn't a fair match. The girls huddled together, and he smiled. No doubt Evelyn was in charge.
I rock.
He hated seeing her defeated, so he assigned himself a personal mission to stoke the fire in her again. He could think of far better ways to bring out the passion in her…
kissing and caressing her, for starters.
With so many people around, though, challenging her had to be his first strike.

When the ladies took their positions again, Evelyn grinned and looked right at him. "I say it's time to level this playing field. Don't you, girls?"

Lydia laughed. "I'm going to leave this particular brand of leveling to the younger ladies."

Evelyn and Melodie had taken up positions in the front, by the net. Cody and Daniel were in front, opposite them. Evelyn nodded at her sister, and the tank tops were removed and tossed to the side. Both women sported bikini tops.

Cody's mouth went dry. This wasn't just any bikini. This was
the
bikini.

Daniel found his voice first. "Mel, that's not playing fair. I think you just set women back a few decades at least."

"And you deciding a team of four grown men, almost five if we count Michael, is playing fair against barely three able-bodied players." She turned to Lydia. "No offense."

Lydia's thick middle jiggled from her laughter. "None taken."

"We're simply using the, shall we call them assets, we were born with, along with your known weaknesses, to make this a fairer competition." She leveled the full force of her glare on Cody. "Not only do I set out to win every game I play, but I also fight to ensure a level playing field for everyone. Otherwise, the win means nothing."

Damn, she's hot when she's fired up.
"The lady has made her point." He turned to Daniel. "I'm pretty sure we can ultimately trace this back to your fault. So, if women just hightailed it back to the fifties, you're to blame, my friend."

Daniel grinned. "Well, hell. I wanted them to stop when they got to the eighties. That's when girls just wanted to have fun, right?"

"Ugh, Mel. Why did you have to marry an eighties fanatic?" Laughter started to bubble in Cody's chest.

Melodie seemed to hold back her laughter. "Because he took my breath away."

"Enough with the
Top Gun
references. Let's play." Evelyn assumed her ready stance and looked directly at Cody.

He was about three seconds away from crossing into enemy territory and dragging her off as his prisoner. He'd start with a strip search and then move on to oral interrogation, kissing her until she confessed she couldn't live without him. Before he could let the fantasy continue, the volleyball dropped right in front of him.

"Hey, Babyface, wanna join the rest of your team and, I dunno, play ball." Daniel's voice grated into his fantasy.

He looked over at Evelyn. A look of satisfaction rested comfortably on her beautiful face.
Well played, you sexy minx. Well played.

Evelyn smiled. "Six to three. Keep 'em coming, Lydia. Serve it again. I think Cody's ready this time. Aren't you, soldier?"

He grinned, enjoying the little bit of her feistiness that had returned. Hell, he'd take full credit for that. Both of their competitive natures had been revealed pretty early on. His mind started to drag him back to the past, but the sound of the ball being smacked brought him promptly to the present. This time he'd be ready. She wanted to compete. He'd oblige. Bruce bumped the ball to him, and he set it over to Daniel.

"Annie, be ready," Evelyn's voice directed from the other side of the net.

"I know!" Excitement tinged Annie's voice, along with a hint of exasperation, undoubtedly from the countless orders her aunt had issued since the game began.

Annie's response set off a ripple of laughter from Daniel right as he started his leap to spike the ball passed from Cody. The ball smacked solidly into the net and bounced back, hitting Daniel square in the chest.

"Six to four." Evelyn high-fived Annie.

The young girl smiled proudly. At nine, she might not understand it all but definitely basked in her aunt's approval.

Cody tried to focus as the volleys continued back and forth, but too many memories of Evelyn in that bikini played on the giant television screen at the forefront of his mind. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail for the game, but he remembered the blonde strands splayed over the pillow.
Damn.
A cold shower or swim in the ocean needed to happen soon, or losing this game wouldn't be the biggest embarrassment for him tonight.

"Daddy, I'm tired."

Daniel frowned. "The score is tied, Princess. Can you hang on for a few more minutes?"

"I'm pretty sure we can pick the game up tomorrow," Melodie reasoned. "Ending in a tie might not be such a bad thing anyway. Everyone walks away a winner."

Cody managed to pull himself away from the movie. Time to help Mel out so he could go for that swim. "Excellent idea. You okay with that, ladies?"

Evelyn's face progressed through several emotions before she finally nodded. "I can live with that." She turned to Natalia. "Will you get the boys started on their nightly routine? I'm going to take a quick walk on the beach to burn off the rest of my energy."

Cody perked up. Did that mean she wanted some time alone with him? His thoughts might border on obsession. He'd like to think she couldn't stop thinking about him, but given the alternating heated looks and cold shoulders over the past couple weeks, no way to really tell.
Complicated woman.

"Sure thing, Ms. Alexander." Natalia grabbed the bag, and the boys followed without any complaints.

"You'll come kiss me good night. Right, Mom?" Jason asked after a few steps.

"Of course, sport."

"Night, Princess." Jason smiled in Annie's direction.

"Good night, my brave knight."

A few minutes later, the group had dispersed. Just he and Evelyn remained.

He drew in a breath for courage. "I know you mentioned a walk, but what about a swim?"

She hesitated entirely too long for his liking. "I could swim out first and put an orange pylon out there so we could race." Finally, she smiled.

Oh yeah, still got it.

"As much fun as that sounds, especially since you'd be at a disadvantage after swimming out there and back before racing me, I'll leave the competitive swimming to Michael."

The kids. Yeah, they'd have to be factored into the equation this go-round at the beach. "I understand." He understood she didn't want to be in the water with him. Bottom line, he didn't want this night to end. They'd made some progress, and these days away from the realities of life would be over too soon.
Just like last time.
"If I promise to be quiet, can I walk with you on the beach?"

Again with the long hesitation. Damn, this woman might be the death of him. Two bullets hadn't succeeded, but she might.

"It's a free country."

Not overly warm, but not an outright shutdown either. He flashed a big smile and saluted. "All in the line of duty, ma'am, but you're welcome."

Evelyn shook her head, and a small amount of laughter escaped those beautiful lips. The sound soothed over all the ice and distance she'd been dishing out. "I swear, if you don't stop calling me ma'am…"

Taking advantage of her lightened mood, he grabbed her hand and started their walk down the beach. "I'll work on it, but no promises."