Operation Love Page 5

  His deep chuckle ran up and down her spine, as if he could read her thoughts. “I supposed we do have time for this later.”

  Spreading her legs apart, he knelt between them. He ripped off his shirt, and tossed it away. She lifted her hips for him, and he pulled way her panties. He thrust into her with one full drive.

  Her cry could have been heard for blocks.

  He plunged in and out of her, hard and desperate. She met his slams with her own need, driving against him.

  Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him tight and relished in the wonderful feel of having him so close. Her body built and built with the growing pleasure. Soon she whirled with ecstasy, and she could not hold on any longer.

  An orgasm took over her body. She shook and convulsed under him, moaning. For a moment it was all there was. Everything else went black. Her body burst with bliss.

  After several moments, it faded away and reality came back. Hunter was burying himself deep inside her, coming in her. His eyes rolled back, and his body convulsed.

  Then he collapsed atop her, and buried his face in her neck. He nuzzled her with gentle kisses.

  It was then that she realized there were skylights in the high ceiling above his bed. The stars twinkled above them, brilliant yellow dots against the dark of the night.

  A tear rolled down her cheeks. The hunter had his prey. And soon the stars would have him.

  Chapter Five

  Sunlight warmed her skin, and burned at her eyes. She squeezed them shut, and moaned loudly. Cheese and crackers! Her head was pounding as if a little man were up there, just hammering away.

  Ughhh. Why was it so sunny?

  She tossed over, wanting to snuggle deeper into the silk and hide. As she jerked onto her side, her nose smashed into his hard chest. For a second, stinging pain distracted her. Then suddenly, the scent of his musky cologne filled her nostrils. Realization hit her hard. She flopped onto her back. Her eyes flashed open to the brightness shining through the skylights.

  Oh hell. Cheese and crackers!

  Last night came back to her in full rush. The wine. The stars. The sex. Hunter. Oh God, what had she done? What in the hell had she done?

  She couldn’t breathe. She was going to hyperventilate. Oh God. Oh God. Cheese and crackers! She had to get out of here. Now.

  Jumping from the bed, she looked for her dress. It lay in a wrinkled black heap on the floor. She snatched it up, and shook it. No underwear. Where in the hell were they? Her eyes darted across the room.

  There they were, atop the dresser. Hanging off one of his space models. Hunter must have just tossed them when he … oh, God. She dropped her dress and went for her thong. She stepped into them and pulled them up.

  Just then Hunter started to stir. He mumbled and moaned as he tossed about. Cheese and crackers! For a moment she froze, so as not to disturb him more. An eternity passed in only a minute. She was sure she was about to get caught. Then, with a loud snort of a snore, he tossed onto his side and threw his arm around a pillow. The low purr of his breathing assured her he was sound asleep.

  Grabbing up the dress as quietly as possible, she tried to straighten it out. She had to hurry. She had to get out of here before he woke up.

  It took forever, but she turned it right side out and found the back. She pulled the little black dress over her head and tried to pull it down. She wiggled and wormed, dancing around the room in her tiptoes. Damn it. The thing was so tight.

  She sucked in her breath and held it. Inch by inch, she squeezed back into it.

  Once she got it down, there was the zipper to get up. Reaching around, she grabbed the tab and started to tug it up. It went maybe an inch and stopped. No amount of yanking could budge it. Damn. At home, she would usually lay on the bed. But, she didn’t dare do anything to awaken Hunter right now.

  Screw it. She’d run home and if the neighbors saw, well, oh well.

  Grabbing up her shoes, she started to flee the room. Just as she got through the door, a choking feeling caught in her throat. Her feet stopped moving.

  She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t help it. She turned back and looked at him as if it were the last time.

  She could leave this room. But she couldn’t take her heart with her.

  Hunter had it. Maybe he always had. But after last night, there was nothing that could undo it. You couldn’t turn toast back into bread.

  Her jaw trembled. She should have never allowed this to happen. She and Hunter could never be anything. He was in the military. Worse, he was becoming an astronaut. Maybe he wouldn’t be going to war, but he would be flying into space. She could never deal with that. Never live like that. The worry. The separation. The devastation if something should happen.

  She had made a vow. It wasn’t just her promise to her sisters. Sure, they’d understand. The thing was, she’d meant it, then and now. She wanted nothing to do with a military man.

  No one held more respect for her father or the military than she did. He was a good man, a good father. Perhaps that’s why it had been so easy to become so close to Hunter in the first place. But nothing, nothing, could change the demands of such a career.

  She just couldn’t do it.

  A tear strolled down her cheek. Last night she had made a huge mistake. Now she had lost her best friend.

  * * * *

  Hunter rolled over, reaching out for her. Sleep still pulled at his eyes, but it was time to get up. He had a lot to do today.

  He wanted her just one more time before that.

  His hand landed on empty space. Jerking his eyes open, he realized she was gone. Panic jerked at him, but he pushed it away. She must be in the bathroom. He stretched his naked body, pulling his muscles awake. He waited, curious at her quietness. A minute passed, then two, then ten.

  It hit him all of a sudden. Hard, like a tractor-trailer slamming into his chest. She was gone. Lily had left.

  Holy moly. An awful knot formed in his throat. Jumping up, he ran naked to the bathroom to check anyway. “Lily?”

  Silence answered him.

  The door was barely cracked open. The cold, silver handle sent shivers up his spine. He swung open the door. Empty.

  He walked to the shower, and slung back the curtain. Nothing. Not even a drop of water. Running his fingers along dry tile, he prayed she was in the kitchen.

  But in the back of his mind, he knew she wasn’t. Lily was a shower freak. She wouldn’t be cooking breakfast without cleaning up from last night. After all, they had gotten a little dirty.

  Gritting his jaw, he ran down the stairs. With each step, he hoped for something. The clang of pots and pans, the scent of pancakes wafting through the air. Footsteps. Anything.

  He was met by an eerie quietness. Emptiness. No pancakes.

  For some unknown reason, he still looked around. It wasn’t that he couldn’t believe it. It was that he didn’t want to.

  But he wasn’t dumb. He knew she was gone and he knew exactly why.

  Sitting at the kitchen table, he laid his face in his hands. The stress built up in him until he thought he would burst. A knot twisted inside of him. His heart constricted into a hard ball, like a rock that didn’t even beat.

  He slammed his fist onto the wooden table. It shook and clattered under the force. It didn’t help, so he slammed it again, hard as he could. A loud creak sounded as the table clanged.

  A combination of anger, hurt and frustration took over him. Part of him was mad at her, no, downright crazy pissed off.

  As her best friend, he understood why she’d left. As her lover, he was utterly confused.

  Holy moly. He drew several deep breaths. There was only one thing he could do. Nip this right in the bud. She was coming back here if he had to drag her.

  He wasn’t going to take no for an answer. He’d would march right over there and straighten this out. He jumped up and headed towards the door. It wasn’t until his hand was on the knob that he saw a problem with his plan.

 
Before he did anything, it would be best to put on some clothes.

  He marched upstairs, grabbed a pair of black jeans from his bottom dresser drawer, and slid them on. His fingers fumbled on the button fly. He didn’t bother with underwear or a shirt. He wanted to get over there. Now. The longer she had to think, the longer she had to worry and fret and make things worse. Every little thing was a big deal to Lily. She didn’t just sweat the small stuff, she cried and stay miserable for days over it.

  His pants on, he raced back downstairs and out the door without any shoes. The cracked concrete burned and scratched at his feet as he ran over to her house. But he hardly noticed. His mind was on her, on them. He went to the side kitchen door, swung open the screen door, and turned the knob. It didn’t budge.

  “Shit,” he swore under his breath.

  He’d been walking in this door for years and now he was locked out. He went around front, and up the white stairs of her porch. He stomped on painted wooden boards that creaked under his feet. He rattled the knob, and once again found himself shut out. He banged loudly on the pale yellow door. Again and again.

  No answer.

  “Shit,” he grumbled. Maybe he should go in the window.

  Banging again, he looked around, and tossed crazy ideas in his mind. His eyes caught a tray of yellow and red flowers drying out on her porch. Lily had taken the time to plant flowers in his gardens this spring, but hers still sat in containers? She’d taken time to take care of him, but not herself?

  There was only one conclusion he could reach. Lily cared for him deeply. The trouble was, getting her to admit it.

  What was taking so long? Was she even home? Of course she was. She wasn’t answering on purpose. This was a nice neighborhood and she rarely locked her doors unless she was out. But her car was still at his house. He banged again, louder and harder. The knock echoed throughout the house.

  “Lily!” He shouted.

  No answer. Nothing.

  “Lily!”

  Still silence.

  “Lily, if you’re in there you’d best answer me. I swear…”

  “Go away.” Holy moly. She’d been crying. He could hear it in her voice.

  “Let me in. We need to talk.”

  “I said go away.” A muffled sniff just about broke his heart. Holy moly. He hadn’t meant for this thing to hurt her so.

  “Lily, I’m not kidding. Let me in.”

  Once again silence answered him. That was it.

  He had her spare key at home. He was getting it. He would not be shut out.

  Chapter Six

  A minute later he was back and unlocking the door. Swinging it open, he was met by an empty foyer. His gaze dashed around, finding nothing. Her living room sat to the left, full of old porcelain dolls and brown plaid. To his right was the dining room, decorated with cherry wood, lace and antique toys. Both were empty. Somehow, he doubted she was in the kitchen. No, she had to be hiding upstairs.

  He took the carpeted stairs two at a time. Her bedroom door was wide open, giving him a view of her strewn clothes and unmade bed. But the bathroom door was closed. He jiggled the knob. Locked. “Lily!”

  “I told you to go away.”

  “I won’t. Not until you talk to me.”

  “There is nothing to talk about.” She sniffled. “What’s done is done. I think it’s best if we don’t associate anymore. Last night was a mistake, and unfortunately cannot be erased.”

  “It wasn’t a mistake, Lily. You’re going to be the mother of my children.” As tender of a thought as it was, it came out like a barked order. “I want you as my wife. Now open this door or I swear I’ll bust it down.”

  “You’re joking, right?” A bitter tone sliced into her words. “I won’t marry you, Hunter. You know that.”

  Annoyance and impatience punched him in the gut. “That damned promise?” Why the hell couldn’t she just let it go, already?

  “That damn promise means something to me. Even if I hadn’t made it with Dee and Holly, I still wouldn’t marry a military man. I won’t have that kind of life.”

  “This is different, Lily. You know I won’t be traveling and moving all the time, like your Dad.” He tried to soften his tone. It was hard, talking through a door to an impossible worrywart of a woman. “Please, let me in.”

  “No, you’ll only be going into space.” Sarcasm bit into her tone. “You’re right. That is a big difference. It’s worse.”

  Holy moly! Why didn’t she just hit him over the head with a frying pan? Knock the life out of him? He got the idea that this whole conversation would be nonexistent, that they would be lying in bed cuddled together even now, if it weren’t for all of his dreams coming true.

  Well, almost all.

  Just out of frustration, he banged on the door again. “You have to face this, Lily. There’s something between us.”

  “No, there was last night. Now it’s done. It is over. Please leave, Hunter.”

  “No.” He banged again. He refused to go. Not until she talked to him. Not until she saw some sort of reason. She was meant to be with him. At this point he was willing to try anything to get her attention. “You’re going to talk to me. I won’t give up. You could be pregnant with my baby even now. I didn’t use protection last night.”

  “You what?” Shock echoed in her voice.

  “I didn’t use any protection,” he said flatly. She was there. She should have noticed. Hell, she hadn’t exactly asked him to.

  “You mean on purpose?”

  “I don’t make mistakes Lily.”

  Suddenly the door swung open. At this point, he didn’t even expect it. It caught him totally off guard. Before he could open his mouth or make a move, Lily’s hand lashed out. She slapped him across the face. Hard.

  Stunned, his face stinging, he stepped back. Slowly he lifted his hand to his cheek. “What the…”

  “You cocky bastard.” Her lips trembled as she spoke. “On purpose? On purpose? You were trying to get me pregnant! Did you ever think of asking me?”

  “You would have said no.”

  “Exactly.” Lily started back into the bathroom. “Leave my key on the kitchen table on your way out.”

  *

  Lily slammed the door behind her and slid to the floor. Tears flooded her eyes. She promised herself a hundred times in one second that she could not be pregnant. Her birth control had only run out last week. She’d forgotten to pick up her prescription. But it hadn’t been that long.

  Besides, it wasn’t the right time. It was impossible. Right?

  Oh, God. Cheese and crackers!

  Fate couldn’t be so cruel. A sarcastic snicker caught in her throat. Of course it could. Hadn’t it been playing its games her whole life? But the concept of her having a baby with Hunter was ridiculous.

  But then again, wasn’t everything else in her life?

  Oh. God. One by one she began to crack her knuckles. It was all she could do to keep from hyperventilating with worry.

  Truth be told, that wasn’t even what bothered her the most. She’d rather be pregnant with triplets than to be losing her best friend this way. A lump formed in her throat, rather like she’d swallowed a golf ball. She didn’t know if she could even speak, but she needed her sisters. Nothing, nothing ever, had made her hurt like this.

  She waited to hear him go away. It seemed to take forever before the door slammed shut. Only then did she crawl to her feet and go call her sisters on three-way. Daisy would understand. Holly would talk some sense into her. That was what she needed, understanding and sense.

  * * * *

  How many times did he have to come knocking on her door? Would she ever answer her damn phone? At school he could get nothing from her but cool, professional responses.

  He’d decided to give her a day to cool off. A day had turned into two, then turned into two weeks. He’d sent her flowers and pizzas. Left rented movies on her doorsteps with notes begging for an invitation.

  How could he reason wi
th her if he couldn’t even get her to give him the time of day? God. He was losing her. School was about to let out. He wouldn’t even see her. His training would start, and he’d be busy.

  This was his last resort. His hope was that she couldn’t turn it down, despite herself. A woman’s will could only be so strong. With any luck, he held her soft spot in his hands.

  He walked up the front stairs and knocked on the white door. Then he quickly stepped aside so she wouldn’t see who it was through the etched glass panels. His heart thudded with excitement. His soul ached in his chest.

  A moment later, she came to the door.

  Holy moly. She looked beautiful. Her hair was down, falling like red silk around her shoulders. The sun had dotted her button nose with a few freckles. She was sucking on a freezer pop, a beer in the other hand. Dirt browned the front of her jeans and old white tee shirt. He bet she’d been gardening today. If only he’d caught her while she was outside.

  If he didn’t know better, he’d think she’d gotten started early just to avoid him.

  The urge to kiss her, to wrap her red mane around his fingers and molest her with his mouth was so strong it made his jaw shake. He wanted to smash his lips against hers, to make her believe in them in any way it took.

  Sucking in his breath, he quickly stepped in her view. He held the box of chocolates up for her. “Can we talk?”

  Her jaw gritted, her hazel eyes sparked at him. Their feline shape made her look like a cat about to pounce on a mouse and tear it up. “No.”

  She slammed the door shut in his face so hard the old windows rattled.

  Damn.

  A second late the door suddenly swung back open. “Are those chocolate covered cherries?”

  He gave her the best, lopsided dimpled smile he had in him. “They sure are. They’re your favorites.”

  Before he could blink his eyes, she had the box from him, and was slamming the door in his face again.

  * * * *

  There were some things she just couldn’t let go.

  The box of chocolates in hand, Lily marched back to her bedroom to feel sorry for herself.

  Cheese and crackers! When would he ever give up? Having to resist him every day tortured her. She wanted to say yes to him. She wanted him back in her life.