Remember the Night: a Heroes of the Night military romance novel (16 page)

Despite his bravado, his nerves were firing on all cylinders at the mere thought of seeing Evelyn naked again, much less sketching her perfect form. And it was perfect, despite what she believed.

"I'm going to run to the bathroom. I'll be back in a minute."

Once she'd left the room, he closed his eyes and focused on his breath as it entered and left his body. The trembling in his hands reduced but didn't go away. She was right. Drawing her while she slept was an entirely different matter than the situation he'd put them in with his spontaneous request.

What had he been thinking?
Getting her naked, maybe?
He grinned. Yeah, that might've been one of those hidden agenda items. He glanced at the original sketch. She would never look as relaxed and peaceful as she did there, not tonight anyway.

He walked into the bedroom, scanning the area for the perfect spot.
Found it!

Moving quickly to the kitchen, he retrieved one of the bar stools next to the counter. Padded, no back, and about thirty inches high. Perfect for his needs and comfortable for Evelyn. He'd no sooner placed the bar stool at the chosen location when she returned.

"What are you up to?"

"Preparing to put you at ease." A glimpse at her body wrapped in a silky robe negated all the positive results from the earlier relaxation techniques he'd utilized. Straightening his shoulders, he dug deep for the courage to see this through. If he didn't, he'd be sleeping with regret every night rather than the striking blonde standing a few feet away from him.

He crooked his finger, beckoning her close. He slid his hand through the silky strands, recently brushed to a fine sheen. Leaning forward, he anointed her cheek, forehead, and finally, the satin of her mouth with reverence and appreciation for the amazing woman she couldn't recognize, but he did. The softness of her skin was such a striking contrast to the tough exterior. He slid his hands down her shoulders and arms, up her back, and repeated the gesture with varying amounts of pressure until she relaxed into his touch. When he pulled away, the dreamy expression on her face melted through any defenses his heart might have mustered to protect himself from being hurt again.

Moving his thumb across well-kissed lips, he smiled. "Ready?"

The slightest of nods was the only confirmation he received. He could work with that.

"Would you like to have the pleasure, or should I?" Inwardly, he gloated. This constituted a win-win for him. Whether he disrobed her or had the pleasure of watching—either way suited him fine.

The sweet arc of tension electrified the air between them when she clasped his hands in hers and guided them to the loosely tied sash. "Together."

He nodded his head and bit his tongue to stop the words forming in his mind. Words that would take her to places she wasn't ready to go. Their fingers fumbled for a moment until they made room for each other and combined to complete the task. Once the ribbon holding the robe in place released its hold, she slid her fingers up the right side of the material and he the left.

Life-giving oxygen refused to enter his lungs as his gaze swept over her body. As good an artist as he may be, no pencil marks on a paper would ever compare to the flesh and blood version of Evelyn Alexander. When his gaze finally returned to those crystal blue eyes, they were sparkling with laughter.

"Breathe."

In a large whoosh of air, he resumed normal breaths. "See, I've always said you take my breath away."

Evelyn shook her head. "We need to get started before I lose my nerve."

Started on what? Oh, right—the sketch. Slipping her hand into his, he guided her to the stool. "Sit however makes you comfortable. I want you to look out the window. Pretend I'm not even here."

She chuckled. "Right, because I always sit in front of my window, naked, in the middle of the night."

"You should. The blinds provide privacy so no one can see in, but you can adjust them so you can see out." To illustrate his point, he turned the long handle allowing ribbons of light to dance across her skin. He pointed to the stool, "Please, have a seat."

Once she sat down, he transformed from ogling lover to focused artist. After a few moments, he had her positioned and began to sketch. Her face in profile, strands of her hair falling across her cheek, hiding, in part, her eyes. As she was turned sideways from him, the long lines of her body were disrupted only by the crook in her elbow and the slight bend of her knee created from her foot resting on a rung of the stool. The soft curve of her breast, barely visible from his vantage point, added to the subtle curves he captured with the stroke of his pencil.

His hand moved across the paper with purpose and vision. He saw her as only he could. Curves and edges, perfections and flaws, bravado and insecurity. All wrapped up in one mesmerizing package. Lifting the paper, he blew gently to remove any remaining lead. "All finished."

The desire for her to be pleased with his work beat wildly in his chest. Her approval meant more than he cared to admit…far more than it should.

*   *   *

Cody's deep, soft voice wove into the fabric of her thoughts. She'd forgotten his presence. Ironic since he'd solely been responsible for her sitting in front of the window as naked as the day she was born. She was losing it. Thinking of the sad state of affairs her life currently maintained, she corrected herself. She'd already lost it.

After a moment, she stood and slipped into her robe. Somewhere she found the courage to face him. "May I see?"

He handed it to her. "Not only may you see. It's yours. If you want it."

The look of regret in his eyes confused her. Did he not want her to have it? If not, why offer? She skimmed the picture, bringing her hand to rest over her heart at the simple magnificence of his creation. She couldn't resist the temptation to trail her fingertips along the paper, mindful not to touch the recently created lines. Unsure how to put in words how she felt, she looked into those deep chocolate eyes of his. "It's so…different than the first one you did. It's like you've captured more than just my body."

"If I were to name it, I would call it 'Essence of Evelyn.' I wanted to capture what makes you who you are."

Her gaze returned to the image. "With the shadows you added, you barely even notice I'm naked." Relief battled with worry at this revelation. Did he no longer find her attractive?

The grin of his smile widened. "Oh, I noticed, sweetheart. I'd have to be blind not to. But hey, I told you I was a professional."

"I'd like to keep it for a while. I want to try to see what you see. Then I'll return it to you. As the artist, you're the rightful owner."

The warmth of his body surrounded her, and the sketch was set aside. All insecurity, doubt, and other negative emotions fled from her body the moment his lips crashed down on hers.

She remained still for several moments, wanting to fight the strong pull of attraction and even deeper anchor of need.
Why? I deserve to feel cherished, even if it's only for tonight.

Emotions won the argument, and she gave herself over to the sensations Cody alone elicited deep within her guarded heart. Heat from their bodies fired her desire. She'd bared her body and soul to him. No one else in her life knew all the sordid details. He knew…and still wanted to be around her. She lifted her leg until her knee rested even with his waist. His groan of pleasure elicited a smile around their kiss. She loved his responses. Deep. Sexy. All male.

"I want you so badly. You're beautiful…sexy…brilliant…" The huskiness in his voice as he shared his praise around and between kisses wound the coil of need deep within her body.

When his hands slid under her robe to cup her bottom and pull her close, she raised the white flag of surrender. Right or wrong, this was going to happen. "Cody?"

"Hmmm…." He burrowed deep into the curve of her neck, sending a trail of goose bumps skittering down her body.

"Batter up. Time to hit a home run."

The sound of the door opening and her name being called shot Evelyn out of bed in a panic. Tossing aside the comforter, she effectively ripped away the blanket of contentment they'd created making love in the early hours of the morning. She scoured the floor for her robe, finally locating it draped on the stool by the window. She grinned, even though no one could see, remembering how it ended up there.

"Evelyn?"

Nathan? Dammit! What was he doing here? She grabbed the robe, drawing it around her body as she made a beeline for the door. No time for any other clothing. As quietly as possible, she closed the door and hurried downstairs. "Nathan, what the hell are you doing here, and since when do you just let yourself in?"

"It is my house."

"Used to be. Not anymore. You got the pool girl, I got the house. You let yourself in again, and we're going to have a problem." First item on her agenda would be to get a locksmith out to change each and every lock. It had been on the list of things to do after the divorce, but work and kids consumed most of her time these days.

"You're crankier than usual."

Don't engage.
She inhaled and exhaled slowly. "I'm going to ask you one more time. What are you doing here, and why aren't you with the boys?"

"Your dad invited them and Annie over to help him make pancakes this morning. I dropped them off and will pick them up in time to get Michael to swim practice."

"That explains why you're not with the boys. Why are you here?" Maybe if she kept asking, he'd eventually answer the question. If they were in court, she would've asked the judge to instruct the witness to answer by now.

He held up a piece of cardstock, white with embossed red lettering. "This is why I'm here."

Apparently, a straight answer wasn't in the cards for this question. She closed the distance between them and snatched the item from his hand. An engraved invitation to a reception at the Alexander household celebrating the Bolingbrook Librarian of the Year, Melodie Alexander Bresland. Forgetting about Nathan for a moment, her heart filled with pride for her little sister. She'd done it. Not only had she been recognized for all of her work at the library, but their mother was also honoring the award. Many parties had been thrown in Evelyn's honor. This was the first for her sister.

"This is fantastic. Good for Mel."

Nathan nodded. "Good for Mel. Not so good for you and me."

At his words, her gaze snapped to his. "What do you mean? This has nothing to do with us." For once, she was glad it had nothing to do with her.

"I didn't hand deliver this invite to you. My guess is yours will be in your mailbox today. Your mother gave this to me. She expects me to attend."

"Shit."

"Exactly."

Lack of sleep, emotional exhaustion, and the reoccurring problems in her life stacked weight after weight on her slim shoulders, weighing her down. Dropping to the couch, she finally looked at him. "So, attend the party. Just don't bring Monique."

"Monique is a part of my life. You don't get to dictate what I do and don't do anymore." Irritation resonated in each syllable of his statement.

She fought the urge to laugh and ask for an example of when he'd ever let her dictate what he did or didn't do.

"I don't think you should talk to the lady of the house like that, especially when you're in her house."

Evelyn turned toward the sound of Cody's voice. Under any other circumstances, his appearance would be welcome as his strong, tanned body wrapped in nothing but black pajama pants fueled any number of fantasies she'd be happy to play out right here in the living room. Instead, the testosterone level in the room increased several notches, catapulting them straight into the danger zone. She opened her mouth to try to diffuse the situation before it started.

"What the hell, Evelyn? You're shacking up with some young stud? What would the boys think? What would your mother think?!"

All her indignation turned tail and ran down the length of her leg like a scared child. What would her mother think about her liaison with Cody?

An involuntary shudder slid up her body on the path indignation had blazed on its way out. "It's not what you think."

"Who the hell cares what he thinks?" Cody's voice left no doubt as to where he stood on this matter.

She shot him a look. "Not now." Returning her attention to Nathan, she tried to address his concerns in order. "The boys know nothing about Cody. We're friends. They met him while we were all on vacation with Daniel and Mel in Mexico. They aren't going to know anything about this. Do I make myself clear?"

Nathan moved into her personal space, and she sensed Cody making his way closer. Ah, the joys of elevated levels of testosterone.

She pulled herself to her full five foot eight inches and stepped closer to Nathan, her left arm lifting in a stop motion in Cody's direction. "You aren't even man enough to tell your sons about why you left. I've kept my silence as that is your responsibility to explain. Don't you dare threaten me under my roof, or so help me, Nathan, you will regret it. That's a promise."

Utilizing the old "the best defense is a good offense" strategy worked, and Nathan took a few steps back. Time to move in for the kill. "You're welcome to join the celebration in Mel's honor as you've known her for a long time, but you and I both know mother invited you in order to try to get us back together. I'll handle her, but if you show up with Monique, I can't protect you."

"You think I need
you
to protect me?"

Evelyn fought to suppress a grin. Apparently, the indignation that scurried from her body must have crawled right up his leg. She crossed her arms, leveled a glare in Nathan's direction, and smiled. "From her? Yes, you do. And you know it."

Emotions flitted across his face, anger chief amongst them. In the end, though, he simply turned and walked out the door. Thank God. This was over—for now. Her jangled nerves contracted, making her body jump when arms surrounded her from behind. Cody.

"So proud of you, sweetheart, standing up to him like that."

"He infuriates me, the pretentious bastard." She might not talk bad about him in front of their children, but she still had her opinions.

"Hell yeah, he is." His hands moved to her shoulders, massaging away the tension taking up permanent residence there. "Come on. Sit down. I'll make us some coffee, and we'll talk."

"Okay." Totally not okay. Her head throbbed from the unrelenting pounding Nathan kick-started the moment he broke into her home. She needed a hot shower and a nap.

His lips grazed her forehead before she sensed his warmth moving toward the kitchen. Finally, alone.

The light from the room receded as she closed her eyes, willing everything back into an orderly quiet place. Her divorce had been amicable enough, but these unresolved issues supported an ongoing blanket of tension.

She only wanted everyone to be happy. Was that too much to ask?
Cody makes me happy.
Her eyes fluttered open.

He might make her happy, but figuring out how he fit into her life created a puzzle she hadn't been able to solve. She had the boys to consider. This wasn't just about her and what made her happy.
It never has been…
And the question burrowing deep in her brain, refusing to let go? Could she truly love Cody and make him happy when she wasn't sure these days who she was or if she loved herself right now? Maybe a step back to gain perspective and reevaluate everything needed to be done.

"Coffee's brewing. Should be ready in a few minutes. I'm assuming you take yours black since no evidence of creamer could be found." He sat beside her and took her hand in a comforting gesture.

"I'm a straight-up kinda gal. No time for additives or games in my life."

"That's what's irritating you with Nathan, isn't it? He's playing games, with your life, with the boys' lives."

Unable to contain the nervous energy rapid firing through her body, she stood and started pacing. "It's not just Nathan. It's everything. My job, my family, my ex…" She stopped long enough to focus on him. "Even you."