friend, she
hates to break his heart."
The
light in Lindsay's eyes danced. "Does loverboy know the boyfriend asked
her to marry him?"
"Yes,
and so does his entire unit. He did it in front of them."
"Sweet
Jesus! Pass the eggs and grits, he had a set of balls on him to do that."
"Yes,
and he would have lost face in front of them had she told him she wasn't
interested in him, but in his best friend."
"And
loverboy was there and didn't say anything? Didn't stake a claim or punch out
his lights?"
"No."
Again, that was the crux of the matter. Tuck hadn't told Cory that he'd been
seeing her. Now Delaney had a lie by omission and a dangling proposal hanging
over her like a broken rotor, ready to crack, fall, and decapitate anyone
standing too close to the bird.
"Honey,
you should have stuck to the truth from the get-go. Men don't appreciate a
woman who keeps them hanging when there's clearly someone else in the
background."
"I
know. You're right." Delaney gathered her things and stood. "I'll
tell her to fess up."
"You
do that, honey. And let me know how the fellas take it."
Toiletries
in hand, Delaney stepped through the tent door.
"Good
luck, Delaney," Lindsay said with a gentle smile. "If she tells the
truth, they'll understand."
"They
might understand. But will they forgive?"
"If
they love her, they'll do anything."
Her
head shook. "I'm not so sure."
"Then
raise the stakes. Tell loverboy you come with strings.: She pointed a finger at
Delaney’s chest. "Either he accepts you with those strings, or you go your
separate ways."
Delaney
frowned. "I didn't say it was me."
Lindsay
winked. "Sweetie, you didn't have to."
As
late as the hour was, she would do no good to go stumbling around camp
searching for the two men in the dark. Whatever she had to say, she'd have to
do in the light of day. With a purposeful stride, she reached the shower tent,
took a quick shower to wash off the dust from the flight, and pulled on her
robe.
When
she emerged from the shower tent, wearing flip flops and carrying her boots and
uniform, a shadow slipped up beside her.
Before
she could throw her boots at the figure, he slipped an arm around her waist,
crushing her back against his front and clamping a hand over her mouth.
"Shh.
It's me, Tuck." He dropped his hand from her mouth and turned her to face
him.
"Damn
it, Tuck. You can't go around scaring a girl to death all the time."
"You
were so deep in thought, I'd have startled you either way. At least, this way I
got to hold you in my arms for a moment."
He
wore a tank top, gym shorts, and tennis shoes.
"How'd
you find me?"
"I
pulled a few strings." He bent to sweep her lips with his. "Are you
mad?"
"I
don't want anyone getting the idea we're fraternizing."
He
eased her into the deeper shadows between a tent and a Quonset hut made of
sturdy metal. "How's this?"
She
raised her arms, pressed her body into his, her damp towel, T-shirt and flight
suit dangling down his back. "Better." All he had to do was part her
robe and...
Tuck
slid his hand up the back of her thigh and beneath the edge of her robe,
cupping her naked bottom.
She'd
gone to the shower with only her robe and what she'd been wearing, so flustered
by her talk with Lindsay, she'd forgotten clean underwear and her pajamas.
Now she was glad she had.
Tuck
lifted her, wrapping her legs around his middle, his cock nudging her entrance
through the fabric of his shorts. "You make me hotter than a desert
scorcher."
A
thrill of excitement seared through her veins like a lit fuse racing toward
dynamite. "Are you sure no one will see us?" The potential of getting
caught added to the nerves and lust fluttering in her belly. Her breathing grew
rapid, shallow, barely able to keep up with her lungs supplying the oxygen to
her brain. All the blood in her body seemed to rush to her core—heating,
slicking and sensitizing her to his every touch.
"Everyone
is asleep, or manning their guard posts. We're alone here," he
hates to break his heart."
The
light in Lindsay's eyes danced. "Does loverboy know the boyfriend asked
her to marry him?"
"Yes,
and so does his entire unit. He did it in front of them."
"Sweet
Jesus! Pass the eggs and grits, he had a set of balls on him to do that."
"Yes,
and he would have lost face in front of them had she told him she wasn't
interested in him, but in his best friend."
"And
loverboy was there and didn't say anything? Didn't stake a claim or punch out
his lights?"
"No."
Again, that was the crux of the matter. Tuck hadn't told Cory that he'd been
seeing her. Now Delaney had a lie by omission and a dangling proposal hanging
over her like a broken rotor, ready to crack, fall, and decapitate anyone
standing too close to the bird.
"Honey,
you should have stuck to the truth from the get-go. Men don't appreciate a
woman who keeps them hanging when there's clearly someone else in the
background."
"I
know. You're right." Delaney gathered her things and stood. "I'll
tell her to fess up."
"You
do that, honey. And let me know how the fellas take it."
Toiletries
in hand, Delaney stepped through the tent door.
"Good
luck, Delaney," Lindsay said with a gentle smile. "If she tells the
truth, they'll understand."
"They
might understand. But will they forgive?"
"If
they love her, they'll do anything."
Her
head shook. "I'm not so sure."
"Then
raise the stakes. Tell loverboy you come with strings.: She pointed a finger at
Delaney’s chest. "Either he accepts you with those strings, or you go your
separate ways."
Delaney
frowned. "I didn't say it was me."
Lindsay
winked. "Sweetie, you didn't have to."
As
late as the hour was, she would do no good to go stumbling around camp
searching for the two men in the dark. Whatever she had to say, she'd have to
do in the light of day. With a purposeful stride, she reached the shower tent,
took a quick shower to wash off the dust from the flight, and pulled on her
robe.
When
she emerged from the shower tent, wearing flip flops and carrying her boots and
uniform, a shadow slipped up beside her.
Before
she could throw her boots at the figure, he slipped an arm around her waist,
crushing her back against his front and clamping a hand over her mouth.
"Shh.
It's me, Tuck." He dropped his hand from her mouth and turned her to face
him.
"Damn
it, Tuck. You can't go around scaring a girl to death all the time."
"You
were so deep in thought, I'd have startled you either way. At least, this way I
got to hold you in my arms for a moment."
He
wore a tank top, gym shorts, and tennis shoes.
"How'd
you find me?"
"I
pulled a few strings." He bent to sweep her lips with his. "Are you
mad?"
"I
don't want anyone getting the idea we're fraternizing."
He
eased her into the deeper shadows between a tent and a Quonset hut made of
sturdy metal. "How's this?"
She
raised her arms, pressed her body into his, her damp towel, T-shirt and flight
suit dangling down his back. "Better." All he had to do was part her
robe and...
Tuck
slid his hand up the back of her thigh and beneath the edge of her robe,
cupping her naked bottom.
She'd
gone to the shower with only her robe and what she'd been wearing, so flustered
by her talk with Lindsay, she'd forgotten clean underwear and her pajamas.
Now she was glad she had.
Tuck
lifted her, wrapping her legs around his middle, his cock nudging her entrance
through the fabric of his shorts. "You make me hotter than a desert
scorcher."
A
thrill of excitement seared through her veins like a lit fuse racing toward
dynamite. "Are you sure no one will see us?" The potential of getting
caught added to the nerves and lust fluttering in her belly. Her breathing grew
rapid, shallow, barely able to keep up with her lungs supplying the oxygen to
her brain. All the blood in her body seemed to rush to her core—heating,
slicking and sensitizing her to his every touch.
"Everyone
is asleep, or manning their guard posts. We're alone here," he
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