HeroAdrift_PRC (3 page)

"Yes. Welcome to the building then and thanks for rescuing us yesterday," she said, even as she thought she sounded like such a ditz. Heroes probably would be bored stiff within minutes with a ditz, so she needed to rally her thoughts and start acting like she had a clue.

She didn't want to seem too much like Lois Lane in the presence of Superman. Although, if Superman looked half as good as her hero, Abby could understand how Lois felt.

"Hey, you're welcome," he replied. "I called the hospital. They said the little boy is going to be fine."

"Yes." Abby smiled and started to relax. She could do this--have an intelligent conversation with a god and sound coherent. "Billy is going to be fine. Perfect in fact."

"That's good. We always worry when there are children involved." He held out his hand. "By the way, I don't think we were ever introduced. I'm Oliver."

She placed her hand inside his and felt like she was touching a live wire as the heat from his contact raced up her arms, telegraphed itself down the nerves of her spine and straight into her pussy.

She looked up into his beautiful, dark eyes and it was the same body-engulfing feeling she'd just experienced when she'd dove into the cold waters of the Niagara River after Billy. The biggest difference this time was that she didn't feel one bit cold. This time she felt like she was diving into a river of that molten lava burning through her blood.

"I'm Abby," she replied.

"Well, nice to officially met you, Abby. And even nicer to learn we're neighbors." His smile lit up his eyes.

She felt his pull and knew she could easily stand there looking at him for the rest of her life.

"Nice meeting you and welcome to the building," she said, finally pulling her hand from his. She started to turn back to her door when he stopped her.

"Hey, I know it's short notice, but I'm really not all that tired. Would you like to go out for dinner or something?" he asked. "I mean I only just moved to Buffalo, but I can probably find someplace around here that's decent for dinner."

Abby smiled. "Well, since I'm a native, I can definitely recommend a good place or two. Besides, I'd like to do something for you since you came to the rescue with Billy."

"Aw, shucks, just doing my job, ma'am," Oliver said. "I'll let you pick the place, but I insist on it being my treat."

Abby chewed on her bottom lip and thought quickly. She wasn't sure if she should do this since they'd just met, but she needed a change. Playing it safe hadn't gotten her anywhere except possibly out of work, so she decided to wing it. Until the moment she'd jumped into the river after Billy, she'd played it safe her entire life.

"Give me an hour and come over to my apartment. Deal?"

He smiled and it stole her breath again. "Deal, neighbor."

As she turned to head into her apartment, she heard the sound of a soft whistle. Even if it wasn't safe, Abby had an idea it was going to be a lot of fun.

Oliver finished shaving and whistled as some classic rock and roll played in the background. The first thing he'd done when he'd walked into his apartment was hook up his stereo. He'd left the rest of his stuff, what there was of it, in the boxes. The apartment was furnished, which was good because he didn't own any of his own furnishings. Besides, things like furniture slowed a guy down.

Who'd have thunk on his first night off in Buffalo he'd be going on a date with one of the hottest women he'd met in years.
He'd been so tired after his shift that he'd turned down an offer to go with some of his boat crew members to their favorite watering hole. Once he'd walked into the building, though, and found out who his neighbor was, all thoughts of exhaustion had fled. Sleep and unpacking were the last priorities on his mind now. He was feeling ready to rock the night away.

He wondered where the sexy elementary school teacher would take him. It would probably be somewhere loaded with atmosphere, a place they could quietly get to know each other. He sighed. He could do quiet. Especially if this place had a small dance floor that would give him a chance to get her in his arms again.

He felt himself harden at that thought and looked down at the way his erection was already straining the fabric of his skivvies. He frowned. He probably should have never asked Little Miss Schoolteacher out. She had ivory trellises and forever-after written all over her. She was a woman who needed a hero, like those in a romance novel. She probably had a bookcase full of romances and dreamed of heroes every night.

Once, before Miami, he'd thought of himself as a hero. Now he knew better.

He frowned when he thought back to the discussion he'd had with the Group Commander that morning. At one point Oliver had been a poster Guardsman.
That was before Miami.
The commander had reminded him of what the Guard's motto,
Semper
Paratus
meant. Always Ready
.
Though the official stance was they didn't want heroes, they wanted well-trained men and women ready to do a job and save lives. But the perception of the public, especially after well-publicized rescues during recent hurricanes, was that hero and USCG were synonymous.

Well, he wasn't ready for it any more. He was weary. He was tired. He just wasn't cut out of the hero cloth.

As for the other...well, he wasn't a forever kind of guy. In fact, he couldn't even say if he was a six-week kind of a guy.

He sighed and turned away from the mirror. He wouldn't think about what he saw in there now. He'd concentrate on having a good time with a woman. It didn't matter what she wanted in the future, as long as she understood he only came for the night.

The knock sounded on her door exactly one hour later. Abby smoothed down the line of her black mini skirt and tugged at the red Jacarda silk jacket. The jacket covered a barely-there tank top. Abby hoped she wouldn't have to worry about being cold for long, but just in case, she pulled her fall coat out of the closet, then took one last deep breath to calm herself. Tonight, she was determined to forget everything and just have fun!

She opened the door and smiled at her flesh and blood hero. "Hi. Right on time. Let's go."

Oliver set his drink down and tried to keep from jumping over the table and climbing on Abby. She looked delectable. The restaurant she had directed him to was a place full of people dancing and talking, and she was the hottest looking woman there. Since they'd been here, he'd had to give several guys a back-off stare. All because the witchy outfit she was wearing nearly screamed, "Fuck me." Oliver glared at another guy leering at Abby. This was his demure elementary school teacher?

"Let's dance," he said, taking her hand in his.

He pulled her behind him and made a spot for them on the crowded floor. When he pulled her into his arms, she smiled up at him.

"I thought you'd never ask. If you'd kept quiet for ninety more seconds, I'd have dragged you out here myself."

"Well, if you hadn't worn that outfit that's driving every man in here insane, I wouldn't have had to spend the last hour protecting my turf," he replied.

Her head rested perfectly against his chest and her arms were entwined around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his body. She was soft and her curves were like holding heaven in his arms. He knew she could feel the way his erection was growing, but he wasn't trying to hide it.

"Sorry," she said.

He could tell from the way her eyes glinted that she wasn't sorry at all.

"I don't usually dress like this. In fact, I never come here. But tonight I just felt like doing something dangerous."

"Ah. Well, I'm glad you allowed me to be part of it. I can do danger as long as you're involved." He moved his mouth so it hovered over her lips, letting her feel his words as well as hear them.

She shivered a bit and he hoped he was correctly reading the desire she was feeling by the way her body moved sinuously against his. He pulled her tighter against him and kissed her. He tried to keep it slow, sensuous, even though every inch of him was demanding hard and hot. She gasped and opened her lips, allowing him to sweep his tongue inside her mouth. He could taste the remnants of her dinner and the sweetness of the after-dinner cocktail she'd been sipping. When the tip of her tongue tangled with his, he forgot everything, including where they were and what they were doing.

Long moments later he finally came up for air and realized the music had stopped. Her lips were glistening, red and juicy like sweet cherries. It took all of his control not to swoop back in for another taste of heaven, but he didn't think getting arrested for public indecency his first night off in town would look good.

"Can we leave?" he asked instead, hearing the unsteady need in his voice.

"Yes."

He kept one of her hands in his as he led her back to their table. They picked up their coats and he threw some cash on the table to cover the bill and tip. He followed her from the restaurant and he looked up. The moon was so bright and the night sky was a perfect ink black. He could feel the bite of a chill in the air, but otherwise it was a beautiful night. The restaurant she had chosen was one that sat on a pier overlooking the Niagara River just north of where the
Belle
had been rescued. The wind had died and he could see the moonlight laying a blanket of white light across the glassy calm water.

"Well, it isn't Miami, but we like it," she said softly as she stood on the pier and looked at out the river and Lake Erie in the distance.

"Not being Miami is a good thing," he replied. The air had cooled his desire somewhat. He still wanted her, but he also wanted to spend some time in the welcome quiet of the pier after the frenetic party scene inside. He followed when she walked over to the rail and leaned against it. He stood behind her and placed one arm on either side of her. She leaned back against him and he felt a sense of something deeper than simple desire wash over him.

"Can you tell me what happened there?" she asked softly.

"What makes you think anything happened?" He was uncertain if he was ready to bare his soul.

She shrugged, the movement brushing her head against his chin. Her hair smelled fresh and was softer than the silk she wore beneath her coat. He moved his arms from the wooden railing and wrapped them around her waist, pulling her back until her spine rested against his chest.

"I don't know. It just sounded like it just now."

He sighed. "Let's just say I'd had enough of Miami, okay?"

She stiffened momentarily, then relaxed. "Sure. You know, the way the river looks now, it's hard to believe how much trouble we were in yesterday."

"Yes, and we just got you guys ashore when the storm rolled in. It was pretty nasty. I guess the weather is very unpredictable here," Oliver replied.

"Not usually at this time of year. We were their first tour of the season for the company."

"The tour company is probably going to face a huge fine. They're probably going to have to stop their tours for a while until all their boats are re-inspected."

Abby said, "Let's talk about something else. What do you think of this place?"

"The place is fine," he answered. "The company is better, though."

She relaxed again and he pulled her tighter against him. Even through her coat he could feel the way her hips nestled against his cock. The desire in his blood that had turned down to a simmer began to boil again.

He turned her around so she was facing him. She smiled up at him and he kissed her again, this one going to scorching immediately. When they finally separated, they were both breathing rapidly.

"Take me home, Oliver." The hot desire in her eyes inflamed him even more.

The short trip home seemed interminable to him, but finally they stood at her door, and the light from her front room, warm as it spilled out into the hallway, made her eyes glimmer like soft pools of jades. He couldn't remember the last time he had wanted a woman this quickly or this completely. He started to reach for her and pulled back his hand when he realized it was shaking with need.

"Well, good night," he said, needing some space before he lost all his sanity.

"Oh, no, not good night," she said She reached for the lapel of his jacket and pulled him inside her apartment. "You're not going to get away from me that easily. Not after driving me insane at the restaurant."

He saw the look in her eyes. It was all desire. She was right. They'd both gone too far to turn back.

She fused her lips with his as she backed them deeper into her apartment. Two sets of hands were frantic pulling off coats, then top layers of clothing.

He couldn't stop kissing her, which made finishing undressing a slow but sensual process. When he got her down to just the silk tank top and her panties, he broke the kiss to move his mouth over her breasts. Cupping them both in his hands, he stretched the fabric until it was taut over her rapidly hardening nipples. He plucked at them and smiled in delight at their response.

Yes, everything about this woman was just perfect, he thought as he moved back to her lips to send them both spinning again.

Abby felt the jolt of desire rage through her and set up an answering throbbing in her clit when he touched her breasts. Good Lord, he was like a fever in her blood with his intoxicating kisses and touches. When his hands moved back to her breasts and he plucked at her nipples, she felt her legs begin to quiver. She pushed his shirt--which she'd finished unbuttoning before he began his sensual assault on her breasts--off him and managed to unbuckle and unzip his pants.

She could see the outline of his erect cock through his white boxer briefs. She traced it with her fingers and was rewarded by his all-over body shiver. Her eyesight skidded back up his chest and saw the wicked-looking scar on his right shoulder. It appeared new and still just a bit angry. She started to touch it, but he stopped her by taking her hand in his and carrying it to his mouth. He nibbled on her fingers and she sighed just before her eyelids started to lower as if against her will.