In the Line of Fire (9 page)

“Guess it's something to do on a Saturday night, huh?” Colton said.

“I suppose,” Andi said, even though that had never been part of her teenage experience.

Colton held the door for her and they both went into the brightly lit office. A bouquet of fresh daisies sat in a green vase on the countertop. It was a nice touch. Andi thought it portended good things to come. A dish of potpourri accounted for the scent of apples and cinnamon. A quilt of daisies, which looked handmade to Andi, who recognized an original art piece when she saw it, hung on the wall.

An older man, Andi would put him in his late sixties or early seventies, sat behind the desk watching Brit-com reruns on a television set. The man was thin with a fringe of gray hair around his head. He stood, a welcoming smile revealing a perfect denture smile. “Howdy. Welcome to The Daisy Inn. I'm Burt Pickle, owner and proprietor. Me and the wife, Vernette, are glad you folks stopped in.” He gestured toward the daisy quilt. “Vernette does all the quilts in the inn and even sells a few now and then. I'll tell ya, them big chains have about run us out of business, but we're still hanging in there.” He paused momentarily for breath, sizing Colton up, but the pause wasn't long enough for Colton or Andi to speak up. “You a military man? You look like a military man. I can spot 'em.” Mr. Pickle stood a little taller. “I'm a veteran myself. Korea.” He pronounced it Ko-rea. “And Vietnam. Yessir, seen plenty of action. You been to Iraq?”

“Yes, sir,” Colton said. “Two tours in Iraq and I'm in Afghanistan now.”

“Vernette,” Mr. Pickle bellowed, nearly causing Andi to jump out of her skin—she was already on edge. “Come out here. We got us a bona fide war hero here.” He lowered his voice. “She's started losing her hearing but she's still the finest-looking gal in Ritchie County.”

Vernette, her gray hair in a braided coronet on top of her head, came in from a door in the center of the room. Vernette stood as wide as she was tall. But the light in Burt's eyes when he looked at her said he did, in fact, see the finest-looking gal in Ritchie County. Andi must've been tired and emotionally overwrought because she thought it was incredibly sweet and romantic and it almost made her cry.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome,” Vernette Pickle greeted them. “It's so good to have company.”

She made it sound as if they were long-lost friends who'd dropped by for dinner.

“This here's a war hero home on leave from Afghani-stan,” Burt said loudly to his wife.

“Well, my goodness,” Vernette said, looking at the two of them. “How long are you home for?”

“I have to report back for duty on Friday.”

Andi knew it but hearing it spoken aloud made her feel faintly sick. Colton was here for such a brief period of time.

“Guess you're mighty glad to see him, aren't you, hon?” Vernette said to Andi.

Andi looked at him and didn't bother to mask the feelings in her eyes. “Yes. I am. I'm mighty glad to see him.”

Even with the Pickles there, his eyes held an answering glimmer.

Vernette beamed at them. “Every one of our four children was born nine months after Burt was home on leave. He's a rascal. I bet yours is, too,” she said to Andi. She looked at her husband. “Set these fine folks up in the honeymoon suite.” Andi held her breath, waiting for Colton to protest or tell the Pickles they needed two rooms, but he didn't speak up and the moment passed when Vernette continued. “By golly, I know what it's like to have your man home for a short time.” She winked at Andi and adopted a confiding tone. “It's the only room with a king-size bed and mirrors on the ceiling.”

“It sounds perfect,” Andi said somewhat desperately, as in desperately hoping he didn't protest. She didn't dare look at Colton. Her, him, one big bed and mirrors on the ceiling—the idea set her on fire.

“I think you'll find it so. I clean every room myself once a week, whether it needs it or not. Kinda getting hard with the arthritis in my knees but you won't find a cleaner room anywhere. And we don't have bedbugs.” Andi must've looked surprised. “Oh, I know it's an issue. Me and Burt are on the internet
and we stay informed. I know some folks do but I check regularly.” Vernette nodded with satisfaction over the room's state of cleanliness.

“That's good to know,” Andi said.

Vernette smiled, patting Andi on the hand. She turned to her husband. “Come on, Burt, let's show 'em to their room.”

Colton held up his hand, “You don't have to do that. There's no need for you to get out after dark.”

Burt Pickle shook his head. “Oh, yessir, we do. That's the way it should be done. That's what sets us apart from the others.” Burt pulled a key off the hook with a room-number tag hanging off of it. No keyless entry at The Daisy Inn.

Burt and Vernette insisted on walking out with them. “Son, you want to pull the car down? It's the room down on the far end,” Burt said, pointing a bony finger in the direction where the teenagers were congregated in the empty lot next door.

Vernette winked again. “That way you don't have to worry about whether you're too noisy or not.”

Andi just smiled weakly. She could feel her face flushing at this woman commenting on she and Colton having noisy sex and…well, at the thought of having noisy sex with him.

Colton opened the car door and the interior light illuminated Andi's wedding dress in the backseat along with his folded uniform.

Vernette didn't miss a thing. She lit up like a
Christ
mas tree. “Burt, would you look at that? This here couple is newlyweds. Y'all shoulda told us. Good thing we're putting you in the honeymoon suite. Burt'll bring you down a bottle of champagne and a honeymoon basket.”

Andi opened her mouth to go through the convoluted story of slipping out of her own wedding and then deciding to take a trip, but Burt cut her off before she could get a word out.

“Vernette keeps one cold in the fridge—a bottle of champagne, that is. She drinks it once a month.”

“That's on account of wanting to keep it fresh. You can't expect champagne to keep much past a month. And if you share it—” She shot Burt a look. “Well, it keeps the marriage fresh too, if you get my drift. We haven't had any honeymooners come through, in a blue moon. How long's it been since we had honeymooners, Burt?” She looked back to Andi, shaking her head. “My memory's not what it used to be.”

Burt smiled indulgently, apparently unperturbed by his wife's lack of memory. “About two years. I think that's when Vonda Kay and Randy Simmons tied the knot.” Burt glared at the collection of pickup trucks in the lot next door, down on the end of the honeymoon suite. “Ding-dang kids got nuthin' better to do than loaf around,” he grumbled.

By the time they made it down the sidewalk that ran in front of the motel doors, Colton stood waiting,
having parked the car in front of the room and taken their suitcases out of the trunk.

Burt opened the door, stepping in and flipping on the light. He held the door for them to enter. Vernette brought up the rear.

“Wow,” Andi said, looking around. “This is pretty…wow.”

Vernette preened. “I've added on over the years until I got it as romantic as possible.”

It was an eclectic mix of brothel, antiques and country charm. Red bulbs, definitely a brothel touch, glowed from the bedside lamps flanking the bed, which was covered in a king-size wedding-ring quilt. Sure enough, a number of twelve-by-twelve-inch mirrors had been mounted above the bed. A basket of silk daisies sat in the middle of the table for two tucked in the corner. Gingham panel curtains with daisy trim hung at the windows.

Andi immediately had a good feeling about the room. And the artist in her was drawn to the quilt. She stepped closer and examined it. It was craftsmanship work, the stitches perfect, the pieces sewn flawlessly, the colors all melding. “This is beautiful,” she said to Vernette.

Vernette blushed. “Well, thank you. It's just a little hobby and I figured I might as well put them to good use.”

She dropped Andi a wink and turned to her husband. “Come on now, Burt. Let's skedaddle and
give them some time alone.” She paused at the door. “Burt'll be right back with your champagne and honeymoon basket.”

The Pickles stepped out, closing the door behind them, and Andi forgot all about the quilt. Tension and anticipation swirled around them, between them. It was just her and Colton and one very big bed…with mirrors on the ceiling.

I
T SUDDENLY FELT INCREDIBLY
hot in the room with the door closed. Andi was still standing by the bed but Colton was very much aware that Burt would be returning soon to deliver the basket. Colton turned on the air conditioner. “Let's get some air circulating in here.”

It was stuffy with everything closed. Hell, maybe he was warmer than normal, perhaps because he'd lost sight of normal somewhere along the way. His normal was burying his feelings for Andi, keeping the attraction at bay, not acting on it. His normal was remembering she was his best friend's sister, that he was a soldier who'd be going back into a war situation, that she'd always been off-limits, that they didn't have a future together.

And somehow, somewhere along the line all of that had shifted. Was it when he'd helped her run away from her wedding? Was it the moment he decided to
come with her? Was it unbuttoning her dress or those two potent kisses? Or the yearning that had swirled and wrapped around the two of them all afternoon until he'd wondered if he had lost his last bit of rational thought?

All he knew was he could've and should've told Burt Pickle they wanted two rooms. And he hadn't. And how the hell was he ever going to share a bed with Andi and keep his hands off of her? The bottom line—he wasn't keeping his hands off of her any more than she was staying away from him. They didn't have a future but they had now…and the next five days.

Slowly, deliberately he crossed the room and Andi stood still, waiting on him. In the back of his mind flitted the thought that she'd been waiting on him a long time, the same as he'd been waiting for her. And now, the waiting was over.

Colton reached out and cupped her cheek and jaw in his hand. She felt like warm flannel beneath his palm. She closed her eyes, as if she was savoring his touch, then turned and pressed a kiss into his hand. It was as if something snapped in each of them simultaneously, as if a dam broke.

Andi was in his arms, her lush curves molded against him. He kissed her, his mouth devouring hers, his kisses greedy, hungry. Andi strained against him as if she shared his gnawing want.

They fell back onto the bed together and he rolled so he was on the bottom and absorbed her weight.
For a moment it was as if everything slowed and then stilled to that moment with the press of her body against him, her scent surrounding him, the taste of her mouth against his tongue, the sound of her breathing meshing with his. Her heart beat against his own, the two beats melding into one.

Andi looked at him. Her brown eyes flecked with green seemed to peer into his very soul.

Colton reached up to bury his fingers in the richness of her red hair…and his fingers got stuck.

“Ouch,” she said.

He yanked his hand back. “Sorry.” That's right, she'd had it professionally done for the wedding.

For a second Andi looked embarrassed, then she laughed. “Go figure,” she said. “I've waited a lifetime for this moment and I've got so much goo in my hair, your hand got stuck.” She rolled off of him to the edge of the bed. “We've waited this long, another few minutes won't kill either one of us. I'm going to hop in the shower.” She stood, her knit dress clinging to the curves of her hips and ass, her nipples outlined against the soft material hugging her breasts.

“You've got to undress anyway. Take your dress off here,” he said hoarsely.

Andi shook her head, a siren's smile curving her lips and lighting her eyes. “No. If I take my dress off here and now, we both know I won't make it to that shower, and I need to. I'll be right back. Hold that
thought,” she said with a pointed glance at his crotch, where his erection was making its presence known.

Colton watched the play of fabric over her body as she crossed the room and grabbed her suitcase.

“Trust me. This thought will still be right here,” he said.

Her smile promised very, very good things to come in the near future. “I won't be long,” she said as she closed the door.

It didn't escape his notice that while she'd closed the door, he hadn't heard the lock click.

Just on the other side of the door, she was skimming that yellow dress up her hips, along that same expanse of her sweetly indented back he'd revealed earlier when he'd unbuttoned her. The sound of running water came from the bathroom, followed shortly by the noise of the shower.

He sat up on the edge of the bed. Maybe she needed a little help in the shower with those hard-to-reach places. He rolled to his feet, fully intending to join her in the shower when a knock sounded on the door and Burt called out, “Room service.”

With the muted noise of the shower in the background, Colton crossed the room and opened the door. Burt handed him a basket and plastic ice bucket full of ice. “This is what Vernette calls the honeymoon package. The champagne's cold but you'll want to keep it chilled after you open it.”

“Thanks so much,” Colton said. At first glance he
saw a champagne bottle, two plastic glasses…and handcuffs trimmed in hot-pink fur.

Apparently Colton wore his surprise on his face because Burt nodded knowingly and clapped him on the shoulder. “Yep, Vernette sure can do some shopping on the internet. Oh, and the champagne is screw cap. Every time we had to pop that cork, it scared the bejesus out of Vernette so we finally went to the screw cap.”

In the other room, the water stopped. Even though Colton appreciated the gift, Burt needed to leave now. Colton hoisted the basket in acknowledgment. “Thank you.”

Burt clapped him on the back with a smile. “Just ring the front desk if you need anything.”

Colton closed the door behind the other man and slid the locks into place. The air conditioner wasn't quite as loud as a freight train, but it definitely drowned out any hint of noise outside. At least they wouldn't hear interstate traffic all night.

He crossed the room and placed the basket on the table, at a loss as to how to proceed. And he was never at a loss. He didn't want to just jump on her like a starving dog with a juicy bone but that's about how he felt. They could at least start out with a champagne toast…before he jumped on her. He pulled out the bottle and glasses. Vernette had included candles, as well. Candlelight would work, too. Colton made quick work of putting the bigger candles next to the bed and
some of the smaller ones on the dresser and the round table. After lighting the candles, he killed the rest of the lights in the room.

The candles flickered and danced in the dark and the ones next to the bed were reflected in the overhead mirrors. He'd unscrewed the champagne and poured each of them a glass when the bathroom door opened and Andi emerged from a cloud of steam. She saw the candles and reached behind her, turning off the bathroom light before she walked farther into the bedroom.

Colton's breath hitched in his throat. She was beautiful. Her hair hung in damp, dark red curls past her shoulders. A short black nightgown and a robe knotted at her waist showed off the shapely length of her legs, her delicate collarbone and the base of her neck and the creamy rise of her breasts.

“You're beautiful,” he said as she slowly crossed the room.

“So are you,” she said, her voice low and quiet, no trace of teasing there.

He held out a glass of champagne. She took it, her fingers brushing against his. A tremor ran through him. Their gazes tangling, he lifted the champagne glass. For as short-lived as the two of them together would be, he meant for it to be good. “To us.”

 

A
NDI RAISED HER GLASS
, touching the plastic to Colton's. She echoed his toast, loving the way it sounded,
loving the implication, especially since it was coming from him. “To us.”

She sipped. He was about to be hers…finally…at least for the next five days. The champagne was sweet and cool against her tongue. But it wasn't champagne she wanted against her tongue.

Both she and Colton put their glasses on the table and moved into one another's arms of one accord. He was warm, solid masculinity. He sighed, his warm breath stirring her hair and teasing against her temple. Burying his hands in her hair, he scattered kisses over her face and along her jaw. Andi was melting inside. She wrapped her arms around him, her hands seeking and learning the contours and lines of his body.

Their lips met and it was as if they'd tuned into the same station, as if they were coming from the same place. His kiss was tender and reverent, yet hungry.

Andi immersed herself in the feel and taste of his lips. His tongue teased at her mouth and she opened herself to his quest. He swept the moist recesses of her mouth and her entire body responded. The damp heat between her thighs intensified and her breasts felt sensitized.

With a small moan, she rubbed against Colton, loving the feel of his hard chest against her nipples through the material of her gown and robe, the press of his erection against her belly and the top of her mound.

He dragged his mouth from hers and murmured on a ragged breath, “Put your arms around my neck.”

As soon as she was holding on, he scooped her up. In three strides he'd closed the distance between the table and bed. Bracing on one knee, he lowered her to the bed, following her down to the mattress. The quilt's surface was cool beneath her heated skin.

She glanced up and caught their reflections in the mirrors on the ceiling above them. At first she'd thought the mirrors over the bed tacky. They now struck her as erotic.

She smoothed her hands over the back of his closecropped hair and then down his back. She tugged at his shirt. “I want your shirt off,” she said.

He levered up to sitting position. “Your wish is my command,” he said with a slightly wicked grin. Grasping the shirt at the bottom, he pulled it over his head in one fell swoop.

With a dual sense of wonderment, she reached her hand up and smoothed it over his chest. It was amazing that after all these years of pent-up longing and fantasizing and masturbating herself to orgasm thinking of him, she was actually touching his bare chest. Her other sense of wonderment was that his chest was even better than she'd fantasized. He was a lean man but he boasted a muscular upper body. Not only was his chest a delicious mix of satin skin stretched taunt over lean muscle, but he had just the right amount of hair sprinkled over his chest and then
down his tight, flat abdomen. She tangled her fingers in his chest hair and said precisely what was on her mind. “You are one incredibly sexy man.”

“I'm glad you think so, but, honey, you're the one. You take my breath away.” Reaching between them, he tugged on the end of the belt she'd knotted about her waist. Her robe fell open. In the flickering light, his eyes glittered as he looked down at her. His action deliberate, he used one finger to slide the narrow strap of her nightie and the edge of her robe over and down her shoulder. The touch of just one fingertip against her skin and she was wound even tighter inside.

She lifted just far enough off of the mattress to slip out of the robe. She settled back on the quilt. “You were saying…”

The sound he made was something between a sigh and a moan as he lowered his head to kiss the edge of her shoulder. A shudder rippled through her at the sensation and warmth of his mouth against her nakedness.

Her breath quickened and her pulse raced as he worked his way down to the rise of her breast. His lips were warm against her skin. Andi closed her eyes and arched her back, desperate for him. Rather than slide the material farther down, he captured her nipple in his mouth. She sucked in a steadying breath as he enveloped her turgid point in his warm, wet mouth, the sensation arrowing straight from her breasts to her thighs.

Colton repeated the same on the other side. Andi had never known her breasts to be so sensitive. At one point she nearly came as Colton licked and sucked her nipples. She fisted her hands in the quilt, crying out.

He stood and divested himself of his shoes and socks. Andi, her body humming with want and need, knelt on the mattress and pulled back the covers on the big bed. The sheets were a soft white cotton.

Her nipples tightened even more, the room's cool air teasing against the wet material of her gown where his mouth had been. Still kneeling, Andi turned her attention to Colton. He was just stepping out of his jeans, revealing trim hips and leanly muscled, wellshaped thighs and legs. The rigid line of his penis stood outlined against his dark BVDs.

She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue, nearly quivering with the need to touch him, to have him once again touch her. The hum of the air conditioner formed a backdrop of sound. Colton, looking at her, hooked his fingers in the band of his briefs, tugged them down and stepped out of them.

His penis, thick and long, saluted her from a thatch of dark hair. His scrotum hung full and heavy beneath. She swallowed a moment of trepidation. He was considerably larger than what she'd left behind at the altar and her one other experience before that. One thing was for sure: Major Colton Sawyer wasn't a card-carrying member of the Little Dick Club.

She didn't stop to think, she simply acted on instinct. She knelt farther on the bed and reached out. She slid one fingertip down the length of his erection. Wrapping her hand around him, she gently tugged him toward her until his knees were almost touching the mattress. She stroked up and back down, loving the feel of his hot cock against her hand and fingers.

This wasn't just any man, this was her man. Keeping her hand on him, she leaned forward and pressed kisses onto his beautifully sculpted chest. She teased her tongue against his male nipples and his cock surged in her hand. Ah, he was as responsive to that as she was. She drew his nipple into her mouth and sucked. Once again his member quivered in her hand and she wrapped her fingers just a little tighter around him and stroked.

She kissed her way down his belly to the outside of his hips, stopping to lick and suck his skin along the journey. With each touch of her mouth and tongue to his body, she felt him tense. Andi paused, inhaling his total masculine scent. She hadn't put on any panties beneath her nightgown when she'd dressed after showering. She was dripping wet between her thighs, awash in need and desire.