Casanova In Training (8 page)

Her heart thundered in her own chest. “The Navy.”

Gio arched a brow. “And we’re back to the hedging. What aren’t you telling me, Jaydee?”

She breathed a huge sigh of relief when the timer dinged in the kitchen. Without a word, she picked up the eraser and cleaned off the whiteboard then made her way to the oven. Using the hot pads, she pulled out the enchiladas and placed the pan on a lattice bamboo trivet.

“Did you make this?” he asked as he leaned over her island and sniffed.

“I pulled it out of the box and slid it in the oven when it was at the required temperature.”

“That’s a long way of saying no, sweets.”

She lifted a shoulder languidly. “No. I don’t cook.”

“Really?”

Shutting off the oven, she peered at him. He waited for her, his eyes full of laughter. She shrugged and stacked the hot pads beside the dish. Then she moved to the fridge and withdrew a pre-made salad.

“Really,” she said.

“You need a home-cooked meal, sweets,” he observed.

“I am home. And the meal is cooked.”

“I mean one made from scratch. Didn’t your mom ever cook meals like that?” Her walls began going up and, as if he sensed her retreat, his hand shot out and captured her chin. “Uh-uh, sweets. Talk to me.”

“I cannot recall any of them but the last time I saw her was…years ago.”

“I’m sorry. Is she dead?”

“I have no idea.”

“Your parents are divorced then?”

“No. I just don’t know.”

It had hurt years ago and it still did now. Needing something to do, she stepped from his intoxicating touch and grabbed some plates and silverware. She grabbed two glasses and looked at him again. “All I have to offer is water, I hope that’s okay.”

“Fine, thank you.”

She filled them from the fridge and watched him from beneath lowered lids as he dished up some of the food. He looked so comfortable there in her place. For a moment, she allowed herself to think of him as part of her life. Then, with a sharp mental shake, she shoved it from her thoughts.

Her table was small and his size dominated it. The meal was done in silence, as they both ate heartily. She didn’t finish all of hers, for he’d given her more than she would normally eat.

Gio helped her clean up and, as he snooped through her kitchen, she put the remaining food into containers. The storm outside had increased in fury, the black night occasionally shattered by the brilliant flashes of lightning.

After she snapped the lid on the final container, she felt him behind her. His arms landed on either side of her, boxing her in. The heat from him warmed her and called to her to lean back and soak it all up. Take what he had to offer.

“Thank you for sharing your meal with me.”

“You were here.”

“One day, I’ll cook for you, Jaydee.” His breath fanned along her ear and she trembled.

“It’s not necessary.” Inside she melted. It was extremely rare for someone to cook for her. Cafeteria food notwithstanding.

“It is.”

He turned her in his embrace so that they were face to face. His eyes were dark and smouldered with desire. Her heart pounded out of control—this was her weakness, this man here. Giovanni Cassano.

“We shouldn’t,” she murmured as his head closed the distance between them.

“Nope.” He kissed her lightly, dragging his tongue along her lips.

“We could get in trouble for it.”

“Big trouble,” he agreed, nibbling on the side of her neck as his hands lifted her shirt.

Her breaths were ragged as he removed her shirt and bra. Bare chest to bare chest, he gathered her close and stroked his fingers down the small of her back.

“Against regulations.”

“Agreed.” He lifted her and carried her to her bed, laying her there and tugging down her pants.

“It’s foolish.”

“Absolutely,” he agreed, shucking his own clothes and sliding on a condom.

“Really,
really
shouldn’t be doing this.”

Gio rose up over her and settled between her legs. “Career killer,” he mumbled before he sank home inside her with a single powerful stroke. Jaydee closed her eyes and forgot everything else.

Chapter Five

The clap of thunder woke him. Gio opened his eyes and glanced down at the woman in his arms. The light from her flameless candles allowed him to make out her form. Jaydee still slept, their legs intertwined. She had her face buried against his chest and one arm draped around his waist. Turning his head to the left, he saw the readout on the clock. Two-thirty in the morning.

The rain continued to sluice down the large windows and he moved closer, brushing a kiss along her forehead with a smile. He stroked one hand idly up and down her exposed upper arm as he listened to the power of the unrelenting storm.

Yes, so they were violating rules in the Uniformed Code of Military Justice but, for the life of him, he didn’t give a damn. He was a man who loved women but never had being with one felt so right, until he’d met Jaydee.

She mumbled and burrowed closer when the next crack and rumble rocked the building. He closed his eyes and listened to the storm. All the while, he thought about Jaydee. Two sides to the same coin.

Never had he met a woman who was so passionate and giving one minute, only to be so doggedly focused on stuff the next. He’d noticed it at the base. She tended to forget about other things when she worked on those damned equations.
Why did she look so fearful when I first arrived?

Her curves pressed against him, pushing away all thoughts of electrogravitics and whatever the hell else she’d been trying to explain to him. A gentle chime broke the momentarily lull in the storm and she reacted immediately. She rolled away from him and lifted a phone to her ear.

“Yes?”

Gio opened his eyes and stared at the naked expanse of her back, which the flickering light of her candles added an air of sensuality to. His gaze drifted to the yellow fairy on the lower left side. Iridessa. One of Tinkerbell’s friends. He’d looked it up after seeing it painted on her motorcycle, where the name was below the fairy. The fairy loved order, order, and more order. Just like the woman who wore her.

“Yes, sir,” she said, her voice low. “I understand. No. I haven’t figured it out yet. I will. Yes, sir.” Jaydee pushed up from the bed and walked from the room, swinging a robe on as she went.

He waited all of a minute before he got to his feet, tugged on the pants she’d given him earlier and padded out after her.
Who the fuck is calling her at oh-two-thirty?
She’d clicked on a light over where the boards were and he stopped by the kitchen and just stared at her.

Her robe was tan and stopped mid-calf. It was the ugliest thing in the world and it turned him on more than he’d believed possible. Knowing she was naked beneath it made him harder than stone. She knelt on her chair as she spoke with the unknown man on the phone while her fingers flew along her computer’s keyboard.

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” She ended the call and continued to type at a devilish speed on the keys.

“Who was that?” he demanded, moving closer.

She looked up and jumped, a small squeak escaping from her throat. He narrowed his eyes. Why did she look so surprised to see him? Didn’t she know he’d been the one in bed with her?

“I thought you were still asleep,” she said.

Words that only marginally made him feel better. Even that vanished with her next statement.

“You should get going.”

“You’re kicking me out?” He stopped when the desk was the only thing between them.

“I’m on my way to the base, so…yes, I suppose I am.” She paused and looked around. “Unless you want to sleep and head in later from here.” Jaydee didn’t meet his gaze when she offered.

Lord help him, he wanted to stay and snoop around her place. He longed to find out what made her tick. “No, I’ll get ready.” More than that, though, he wanted her to tell him of her own volition about her.

“Okay.” She sighed heavily and walked away from the computer.

He swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bathroom where he set her down in the middle of her large shower. Moments later, her robe lay discarded on the floor along with his pants. Tossing his drying clothes away, he drew her into the shower with him and turned on the water.

“Gio, we don’t have—”

He didn’t let her finish her protest. Repositioning her so she faced the wall, he pressed into her as he used a hand to guide his shaft deep inside her. Her gasp was instantaneous. He nipped along her neck and she whimpered.

“There’s always time,” he promised as he found a rhythm he liked.

In and out he thrust into her, alternating his speed and lifting her up on her toes with each forward, driving stroke. She clenched him tightly, her heated internal walls rippling around him as he tried to stave off his release until she found hers.

He moved her hands to reach above her head and held them there. Stretching her out. The water ran down them, plastering her hair to her skin, and he shoved it aside and continued his assault on her neck. Beneath him, she writhed and moaned as they moved as one. She came with a high cry, her slit tightening around him. He powered into her three more times before pulling out and coming on the small of her back in a rush that left him lightheaded. They remained like that as they caught their breath before he pressed a kiss to the spot behind her ear. The rest of the shower didn’t take too long for them to complete.

Once they’d dried off and dressed, he sat on the foot of her platform bed and watched her swiftly braid her hair. She looked efficient, put together, and…and he hated it. Gio longed to undo what she’d just done and lay her back on the bed. To hell with this shit of leaving at three in the morning to get into work. Officially, they had to be back by oh-seven-hundred. So what had happened for her to be called in so early? His pager hadn’t gone off.

He had put on the clothing he’d arrived in—it was now dry. And, as he sat there tying his boots and trying to behave himself, he realised that when he looked at Jaydee he saw something more than a fling. He saw a future with her.

Shit.
He dropped his gaze, and, when he’d regained his composure and glanced back up, she was gone. Boots tied, he hurried after her and found her drinking a glass of water.

“Who was that on the phone?” he asked again.

Her gaze shuttered before she shrugged. “Someone I used to work with.”

“And he calls you whenever he wants?” His tone was low and dangerous.

“Of course.” She turned her glass over in the sink and met his gaze unflinchingly. “Ready?”

No. Not even close.
“Sure.” He led the way to the door and stopped. “Do you have a car?”

“No. I have a motorcycle.”

“It’s raining.”

“Yes. Come on, I have to get to work.”

He slapped his hand against the door, preventing her from opening it. “I don’t like you riding that thing in the rain. Let me drive you.”

“That would be highly improper and is entirely unnecessary. I’ve ridden
that thing
plenty in the rain.” She opened the door and he noticed how she peered up and down the hall before she let him go.

In the elevator she appeared to be on edge. The only reason he could tell was because her fingers messed with the strap of her bag, continually. At the first floor, he stopped her before she could slide open the solid metal door.

“Jaydee,” he said.

She stared up at him, those amazing tortoiseshell eyes wide and innocent. “Yes?”

“Be careful. I’ll see you later at work.”

He kissed her until he felt her sink into him. Ignoring the pounding insistence of his own libido, he ended it and jerked the door open. Then he walked away without a look back. He dashed through the rain to his car and slid behind the wheel. A few moments later he heard the sound of her bike’s engine and watched her drive away, covered in a rain slicker and with the reflective vest visible. Didn’t stop his worry, though, and he almost followed her to make sure she got there all right. In the end, he headed for his house.

After he’d changed, he sat there on the couch and stared through the darkened room, out of the windows. There was a chill in this place and he didn’t like it. Gio sat like that until the beeping of his alarm clock jarred him from the semi-sleep state he was in. Oh-five-thirty.

Muttering to himself, he strode to his room and grabbed his bag. He tossed it over his shoulder then made his way back to his car and headed to work. He stopped for breakfast on the way at a small diner. The rain had only lessened itself slightly, so he ran inside.

He ate heartily, even as he realised that Jaydee hadn’t eaten a thing when she’d got up. She’d drunk some water but that was it. Surely, she must be hungry by now. Shaking his head to rid himself of her, he dug into the meal before him. It didn’t work, for she was back to the forefront of his mind as he drove to his parking spot and headed in to change into his flight suit.

As he entered the briefing room, his eyes immediately located Jaydee. She and Keel sat together, their heads close as they talked. He bit back his possessive snarl and nodded at those who said something to him. A few moments later, Lizard collapsed in the seat next to him.

“Have a good weekend, man?” he asked, stretching his legs out before him.

Gio fought the urge to glance over to where Jaydee sat. “Yes, I did. What about you?”

A deep chuckle emerged from the man. “Oh yeah, I had a great time. You know you should have come with me.”

“I needed a bit of down time, but thanks.”

“Well, Ashley asked about you and hopes you’ll come see her on our next time off.”

Not likely. He knew exactly where he was going to be the next time they had days off. “Perhaps,” he said noncommittally.

“What’s up with you, man? You still pining over her?” he asked with a jerk of his chin in Jaydee’s direction.

“Why don’t you just tell everyone, Lizard,” he growled.

“So…that’s a yes?”

“Fuck off.”

“You haven’t figured it out yet, have you?” The taunt fell.