Whiskey Tribute: A Trident Security Series Novella - Book 5.5 (7 page)

“Hurry up, sweetheart, before I forget every reason why I’m
sending you back to the house, instead of fucking you silly.”

Heaven help her.

“Honey?”

Sitting at the kitchen table, paying her bills online, Dana
glanced over her shoulder at her mother-in-law, Alice. Jeff’s parents had flown
in yesterday to attend the wedding of a friend’s daughter this weekend and were
visiting the grandchildren while they were there. The couple was sleeping in
Amanda’s room, with the trundle bed pulled out, while the six-year-old slept
with her mother. Forty-eight hours from now, it would really be a full house
when Curt arrived on Friday for the weekend. “Yes, Mom?”

The woman, who was a second mother to her, sat beside her. “I
know it’s a school night, but I was thinking that you and I could go to dinner
at Claire’s tonight. Earl can order pizza for him and the kids. Is that okay
with you?”

A night out without the kids sounded like heaven right now.
Sunday had been miserable with Taylor suffering from a stomach virus which had
him puking the entire day. She’d put him in her bed, then she slept in his so
his roommate, Justin, wouldn’t catch it. Curt and she had barely had a minute
alone with all four kids home and needing to finish up their homework. Ryan had
been in a crabby mood for the past few days and Dana was at her wits end. It
wasn’t until Curt pointed out to her that her oldest was starting puberty she
realized this was what her life was going to be like with one or the other kids
for the next few years. “It’s more than okay with me. Thanks.”

Alice patted her hand then stood again. “Good. I’ll tell Earl
he’s on babysitting duty for a few hours.”

After her mother-in-law left the room, Dana’s cell phone alerted
her to a text. Her heart rate sped up as it did every time her phone rang or
chimed since Curt had left on Monday morning. He’d cut it close with his
departure to catch his plane, but he’d wanted to kiss her goodbye properly—his
word—before heading to the airport, and they’d had to wait until the Ryan left
for his bus stop. The elementary school bus the rest of them took was usually
fifteen minutes earlier than his for the junior high. Taylor had stayed in bed
for most of Monday, recovering from his virus, so they hadn’t worried about him
seeing them.

Picking up her cell, she read the text.

Missing you, sweetheart. Hope you have a great day.
Will call you tonight – Me.

She quickly typed a response saying she missed him, too, and
for him to call later than usual because she was going out to dinner with
Alice. Finishing up her bills, she shut down the laptop then went to her
bedroom to shower and change. After closing the door, she glanced around the
room. Her heart clenched. There was so much of Eric still in their private
sanctuary, how could she bring Curt into the bed she’d shared with her husband?
It wasn’t just Eric’s picture, but the little things she hadn’t had the heart
to put or give away. His valet with the gold watch she’d given him upon his
retirement from the SEALs sat on the high-boy dresser. His Kindle was still on
what had been his nightstand, the battery drained to nothing a long time ago.
She’d donated most of his clothes to charity, but saved some of his favorite
T-shirts to sleep in, just to feel close to him.

Sighing, she pushed all that from her mind and began to get
ready to go out to dinner. Two hours later, Alice and she had placed their
orders at the little restaurant they both loved to eat at when they got a
chance. A few minutes of idle chit-chat and a glass of wine had Dana relaxing,
but then her mother-in-law changed the subject.

The petite, black-haired woman sat back with a smirk on her
face. “So…do you want to tell me who’s been calling and texting you, and has
you smiling so much this week, or do I have to play twenty questions before I
can make an educated guess?”

Dana’s jaw dropped and she froze. Had she been that obvious?
How the hell was she going to tell her mother-in-law she had feelings for a
man, who wasn’t her son, only a year and a half after Eric died.

“Oh, honey, don’t look so shocked. Earl and I knew that
someday you might fall in love again and it doesn’t mean you loved Eric any
less. Who is it?”

Taking a sip of wine, Dana hoped Alice wouldn’t be too
surprised with her answer. “Well, honestly, it sort of came out of the blue.
Neither one of us was expecting anything to happen and we’re taking it slowly
because of the children…” She knew she was babbling, but when she glanced at
the other woman’s face, all she saw was love and delight. “It’s Curt.”

Of all the things she expected from her mother-in-law, it
hadn’t been her clapping with glee. “Oh, I was hoping you were going to say
that.” She then reached across the table and took Dana’s hand. “I think Eric
would give you and Curt his blessing, honey. And Earl and I certainly do. If
any man was as honorable and kindhearted as my Eric, it would be Curt. Every
time the two of them came to visit, he treated us as if we were family, and we
felt the same way about him. And when they were leaving, Curt would always hug
me and say, ‘Momma P.? I will lay down my life for your son. That’s how much he
means to me. You raised a great man.’”

Her eyes filling with tears, Dana grabbed her napkin and
dabbed at them. “Yeah, that sounds like him. But are you really sure it’s okay?”

“Aren’t you?”

Sighing, she tried to put into words what she was feeling.
“Yes, I’m attracted to him, very much so, and he’s become my best friend over
the past year…”

“But…” Alice made a ‘continue’ gesture with her hand.

“But I’m worried about the kids. How they are going to take
it? Are they going to think I’m trying to replace their dad? What will other
people think? Is it too soon? And, well…this is kind of embarrassing, but I
know you and I can talk about this stuff. I’m scared to bring Curt into the bed
I shared with Eric. You probably think I’m crazy—”

“Stop it, Dana.” The woman’s stern expression and tone had her
snapping her mouth shut. “Okay, first things first. The children. Yes, in the
beginning, they may think Curt is trying to replace their dad, but talk to the
school psychologist—I’m sure she will be able to give you pointers on how to
approach them with it. Next. What will other people think? Who the heck cares?
Many years ago, a friend of mine passed away. Mary and her husband were a match
made in heaven and he was devastated when she died suddenly from a stroke at
the age of thirty-two. At a grief counseling group, six months later, he met a
woman who made him smile again. Twelve months later they were married and still
are after thirty-some-odd years. Only you know when it’s right, and to hell
with everyone else.”

Dana smiled, her heart feeling lighter than it had since Curt
had left on Monday. Afterward, she’d started having all these doubts again, but
her mother-in-law was dispelling them in one conversation.

“Now, about that last issue. The bed. I’ll tell you what
we’ll do. You know Eric had taken out a small insurance policy for us, in
addition to the one you had. Earl and I have never touched that money—we were
leaving it to you and the children. You and I are going furniture shopping
tomorrow at that next-day-delivery place and we are getting you a new bedroom
set.”

Her mouth couldn’t drop any further if it tried. “I-I can’t
ask—”

Alice held up her hand. “Please. Let us do this for you and
Curt. You’re the daughter I never had, Dana. It would mean a lot to me to see
you happy once again.” When Dana just nodded because she was too choked up to
respond, Alice grinned and patted her daughter-in-law’s hand before leaning
back so their waitress could put their plates down. “Good. Now, let’s eat and
have a wonderful evening.”

* * *

Curt hugged Eric’s mother then turned to shake Earl’s hand,
but the slightly shorter guy pulled him into a man-hug. “We meant what we said,
son. I hope it works out for you and Dana because you both deserve to be happy.
We know you loved Eric and would never do anything that would harm his wife and
children.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat. He’d known the couple
had arrived earlier in the week to spend some time with Dana and the kids, but
when he’d gotten there himself a few short hours ago, he hadn’t expected the
greeting they’d given him. Somehow they had figured out Dana was interested in
someone after all this time and they’d hoped it was him. The wedding they were
going to was an hour away, so for the next two nights they were staying at the
hotel where it was being held, and then heading straight to the airport on
Sunday. “Thanks, Pop. It means a lot to me that you approve.”

“We were always as proud of you as we were of Eric. You’re a
good man, son, and I couldn’t ask for a better one to look after my
grandchildren. We’ll be coming back up the week after the fourth of July for
another wedding, so we’ll see you then. Take care.”

Curt clapped the man on the shoulder. “You, too. Have a good
time at the wedding and call when you arrive at the hotel, so we know you got
there okay.”

“Will do.”

After Alice finished talking with Dana a few feet away, she
turned and gave him one more hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Love you.”

“Same here, Momma P. Always.”

Dana and he waved as the couple drove away, then he put his
arm around her shoulders. “Well, I didn’t expect that.”

She snorted. “Neither did I.” Taking his hand, she tugged him
toward the front door of the house. “You won’t believe this either.”

His eyes narrowed in confusion, but he still followed her
willingly. “What?”

“You’ll see.” He was surprised when she led him to her
bedroom and was even further shocked when she opened the door. “Alice and Earl
insisted on getting me a new bedroom set…” She turned and her gaze met his.
“They knew I was going to have a hard time bringing you into the bed I shared
with Eric, so…” She shrugged and gestured to the new, solid oak bed, night tables,
dresser, and highboy. “They were delivered first thing this morning and I paid
the delivery men to deliver the old set to this couple I know from church who
just got married, but don’t have much money to decorate their place. I asked
Father Jaffe to arrange it.”

Grinning, Curt placed his hands on her hips and pulled her to
him. “How much time do we have before the kids get home?”

Dana chuckled as she ran her hands up his arms and locked
them behind his neck. “About an hour. What did you have in mind, Elmer?”

“I figured we could get started on the case of condoms I
brought with me.”

“
Hmmm
. Sounds good to me. Shall we break in the new
bed?”

He backed her up to it, then tightened his hold on her hips,
lifted and threw her onto the bed as she squealed. “You read my mind.”

Digging his wallet out of his pocket, he tossed it on the nightstand
after removing one of the three condoms he’d stuck in there. Call him optimistic.
He grabbed her ankles and dragged her toward him. First, he removed her
sneakers and socks, then tugged on her jeans when she undid the snap and
zipper. They didn’t have much time so he began to remove his own clothes with
zeal, starting with his T-shirt. “Take the rest off, honey.”

He licked his lips when she shed her shirt and bra as he
shucked his pants to his ankles, stepping out of them after toeing off his
boots. Dropping to his knees, he tucked his hands under her thighs and brought
her to the edge of the bed. Her skin was silky smooth as he kissed his way up
to her wet and inviting pussy. “You have no idea how many times I got hard as a
fucking rock thinking about how you tasted the other day. Reach down here and
spread these lips wide for me, baby. I want you to hold yourself open for me.”

His nostrils flared when she didn’t hesitate and he breathed
in her womanly scent. Damn, he really wished he could bottle that. Dipping his
head, he ran his tongue up her pink slit, eliciting a moan from her. He sucked
on one swollen lip and then the other before stiffening his tongue and impaling
her with it.

“Oh, shit! Curt!”

“Finger your clit, sweetheart. Show me how you got yourself
off while you were on the phone with me.” Monday night, long after the kids had
gone to sleep, the two had gotten into a hot and heavy phone sex session. Curt
couldn’t remember the last time he’d done that with a woman, but with Dana, he
planned on making it a regular occurrence.

Replacing one of her hands holding her open with his own, he
licked her again as her fingers made circular motions over the tiny bundle of
nerves above her pussy. He slid two fingers into her soaked sex and fucked her
in time with the pace she set on her little clit. When she sped up, he sped
up…when she slowed, he slowed. He grinned when she realized what he was doing and
she picked up the pace again. Sliding his other hand up her body, he took a
nipple between his two fingers, pinching and pulling it.

Overcome by the combination of sensations, Dana gasped and
bucked her hips. Her fingers worked her clit furiously as he plunged his
fingers into her core over and over again. “Curt! Oh, God! Harder!
Ah…ahhhhhhhhhhh
,
sssshhhhhhhit!”

His fingers and hand became drenched with her cum as she plummeted
into an orgasmic abyss. He didn’t let up his assault on her pussy as she screamed
for him. Replacing her fingers on her clit with his mouth, he prolonged her
pleasure as long as possible. Her walls clenched and quivered around his
fingers and he couldn’t wait to shove his throbbing cock in her. As she drifted
back down, he grabbed the condom package from the nightstand and ripped open
the package. He didn’t waste any time rolling the latex over his sensitive,
hard flesh.

“Move back, sweetheart.” After she used her feet to propel
herself into the middle of the bed, he crawled over her body and settled
between her widespread legs. Lining himself up with her slit, he fought the
urge to just thrust in with abandon. Being it had been such a long time since
either of them had had sex, he eased into her, using short strokes to advance
further and further until he was buried to the hilt. Closing his eyes over how
snug she was, he held himself still until she adjusted to his length and girth.
When she began to squirm beneath him, he lifted his hips, pulling part of the
way out, then plunged back in. The drag of his cock against her walls was pure
heaven and it took everything in him to wait until she began climbing the cliff
to coital bliss again, taking him with her.