Dean's List Read online

  There was a beat of silence, then... "I know, sweetheart, and I'm going to do my best to see you get them all."

  A thousand questions, a million doubts, fear and craving both gnawing at her gut. Indecision.

  Dan eased Leigh to her feet, but his arms still held her close. They were at the threshold to her room and she'd never realized they'd been moving. He shifted and tossed his duffel into it. The bag landed with pinpoint accuracy at the foot of her queen-size bed, but Dan made no move to join it.

  "Every journey begins with a single step, sweetheart. Every step you and I have made over these years has led us here, equals. Man and woman. Journeys are meant to be savored. They aren't a race."

  Leigh slowly shook her head. "I...I don't know what that means."

  Her palms rested on the mesas of his pecs. She could feel his heartbeat in sync with hers, his erection pounding with as much intensity as her clit.

  Dan cupped her ass, rubbing circles briefly before girdling his hands around her waist. "Lead me in the direction you most want and need, and I'll take it from there. The decision must always be yours. Saying no won't drive me away...unless that's what you really want."

  "Goldie's rule...when in doubt, retreat?"

  He smiled and slid his hands to the sides of her breasts. "Yes. And don't forget, when all else fails, take a nap." His thumbs brushed over her breasts, calming and exciting her at the same time.

  "Never miss an opportunity?"

  "Never. Unless, of course, it's superseded by the when-in-doubt rule. But there's one more..." He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, then flicked his tongue around her ear. "Patience has its rewards."

  Leigh bit her lower lip and arched her neck for more.

  "I know you're scared." He nipped at her earlobe. "I am, too." Teeth gently scored down the tendon along her neck. "I know you want me and did even before you realized who I was. And, God knows, I want you." His tongue branded her collarbones, melding into a line of kisses right to her lips. He stopped there, a breath away from searing her mouth beneath his. "But consider this, Leigh... We haven't seen each other for over thirteen years. We could be strangers to each other and yet we fell into a rapport most couples would kill to have. You trust me, more than you trust someone you see every day. Trust me now, sweet Leigh. We take this step-by-step, but you have to show me the next step to take. Forward? Or back?"

  Leigh shook inside. Her body was on fire. How could she take any steps at all when it meant leaving the comfort of his body wrapped around her? Unless...

  She closed the gap between their lips, gliding her tongue over his. Dan's breath caught, then he deepened the kiss and tightened his arms around her. Her toes left the floor and Leigh slid her leg up. Dan grabbed it and pulled it to his hip, then yanked her skirt to her waist. Leigh rocked back and gasped at the feel of his cock nudging her pussy. Dan cradled her as he walked into the room.

  He eased them to the mattress without breaking their hold. Leigh snapped her other leg around his hip and dug her heels into his ass. Dan pushed them more securely onto the bed, nudging his jeans-clad cock into the thin shield of her panty crotch. Leigh wiggled against him, driven by only one thing--her desperate need to orgasm.

  Dan broke off the kiss. "That's it, baby. Come; come hard. Then I'm going to strip you bare and make you come all over again."

  He dug his fingers into her ass, lifting her higher, rasping the denim right where she needed. She rocked with him, riding him now, feeling the rise, muscles tensing in anticipation...

  "I want to see your beautiful body laid out for me. Want to suck your tits and bury my face in your hot, wet pussy. Feel you come around my fingers, around my dick."

  Leigh pressed harder.

  Dan's chuckle cut through the haze. "You don't like when I talk to you."

  No, she didn't. It--

  "It distracts you. You're focused on coming. Living a fantasy in your head, rather than what's here."

  Truth bolted through Leigh. Shame made her try to crawl away. Dan kept her in place, grinding into her clit.

  "I want that fantasy to include me. Everything we can be. Everything we will be. Think of me and you, me doing what you most desire. Making you come. Loving you the way no one ever has. Fucking you," he finished in a whisper.

  He caught her wrists and pressed them to the mattress on either side of her head. Then he levered up and rode her to the peak. "Imagine how it'll feel when I'm inside you, baby. Hard, so hard. Like fire consuming us both."

  "Oh God," she whimpered.

  "Yes, baby," he whispered. "That's it. Come for me, only me."

  Leigh clenched her thighs around him and shuddered with her release. He rode the wave with her, hard breaths matching hers.

  She waited for his frantic fumble to undo his jeans and sink inside her. It never came. Instead, he unhooked her bra and captured her breasts, tweaking her now sensitive nipples until she whimpered a complaint. Then he unbuttoned her skirt. The zipper sliced down. Hot hands pushed the skirt down and her panties with it. Dan crawled down her body, following the descent of her clothing with kisses, tiny sucks, flashes of his tongue along her skin.

  Leigh watched him stand, waiting for the first glimpse of skin. Dan peeled his shirt up and over his head. Her mouth watered for the chance to trace the well-defined planes of his smooth, tanned chest. His hard nipples made peaks for his brown areoles. Her gaze wandered to the trail of dark hair starting just below his navel. His fingers rested on the metal jeans button, as if he'd waited for her arrival to continue. Her eyes locked onto the huge ridge swelling his fly.

  Dan pushed the button through its hole and eased the zipper down. A glimpse of white boxers peeked out, then he pushed jeans and boxers down. A good ten inches of thick, meaty cock surged to freedom. Leigh knew her eyes widened. She couldn't help it. What else could a woman do when the penis of her dreams appeared?

  "In case you were wondering, we won't be having anal sex," she told him.

  He grinned as he stepped out of his clothing. "Never say never, sweetheart. One step at a time."

  She pushed up on her elbows. "Name one woman who let you put that glorious erection up her ass."

  Dan grinned. "I don't kiss and tell, sweetheart."

  The reassurance touched her heart.

  He cupped his tight balls, then stroked his hand up the length of his cock, catching the pre-cum at the tip.

  Leigh rolled to her knees and crawled to him. She grabbed his hand and licked the salty substance away. "Nice." Easing to her heels, she unbuttoned her shirt and slid it and the bra off her shoulders.

  Dan's eyes glazed over. "Yes, very nice." He cleared his throat and reached for his duffel. "Might want to move that beautiful bedspread out of the line of fire. It'd be a shame to risk staining it."

  It was a paisley design of burgundy, hunter green, and gold. Leigh loved it for the old world feel and had decorated her bedroom around it. Hearing Dan's approval... Well, the man knew more ways to turn a woman on.

  She crawled back up to the spindle headboard and shoved the bedspread down. Dan grabbed the edge and pulled it the rest of the way. His cock was fully sheathed; hunger blazed from Dan's dark brown eyes. She knew it had to kill him to wait; she wanted him more than she could bear. He knelt on the bed, lips branding her ankle.

  "No," she gasped out.

  Dan glanced up.

  Leigh shook her head. "It's very fine for you to give me what I want and need, but I also get to do that for you, too." And she knew he needed her badly.

  She reached for him. He didn't hesitate, though he didn't hurry either. He glided over her body, taking time to draw her taut nipples between his lips when the head of his cock nudged her entrance. Leigh brushed her hands over his shoulders, silently begging for more, yet content to let Dan have his way with her. He suckled her breasts until she writhed, until her clit was hot, hard, and ready, then he eased his cock inside.

  A moan of appreciation blessed his possession--a moan Da
n answered with one of his own. She clenched her muscles around him, loving the shudder that rippled down his body.

  Dan pulled her right arm from his shoulder until he could grasp her hand. He kissed her palm, sucked each digit between his lips, then braced himself on his forearm and guided her hand between them.

  "Make yourself come while I fuck you, sweetheart." His voice rumbled over her, begging and ordering her at the same time.

  Leigh slipped her fingers over her clit. His kiss rewarded her compliance. Then he plunged his tongue between her lips and really took her. Slow strokes built her up for what she knew was to come. Leigh savored every one, pushing her clit into each rake and letting him build her to the peak.

  Strokes turned to hard, slow stabs. She locked her ankles around his waist and pivoted in time with him. "Give it to me, Dan. Don't hold back."

  He froze, gaze locked on hers. Then he closed his eyes, clutched her to him and let go. He plunged into her with a speed and strength she'd dreamed of, growing harder and hotter with every stroke. Her clit needed no guidance now; his big dick dragged it with every thrust.

  Leigh clutched his back, burrowed her face against his neck...and came. Dan tensed on a hard plunge, grunting, then groaning with force of his ejaculation. He pulled out and sank in again, grinding into her clitoris in its final throes. She thrashed against him, and he plunged again, then sagged with her in the aftermath.

  She listened to their hard breaths, felt their pounding hearts gradually subside to normal. Bliss set in amid gentle kisses, caresses, and sexy glimmers that said they were definitely going to be doing this again.

  "Ready for ice cream now?" she asked.

  Dan brushed his fingers over her cheek. "It'd be a great way to pass the turnaround time before we go again."

  She giggled. "Yes, I suppose it would. I understand ice cream's better than sex."

  "Depends on who you're having sex with." His voice was raw and husky...sexy all by itself. "It's definitely not better than making love."

  What did he mean? Leigh didn't want to ruin the moment by tearing it apart with questions. She treated it as a tease. "Oh? Is that what we've been doing?"

  Dan stared into her eyes with an intensity that made her heart skip. "If I'd wanted sex, any woman would do and I'd be home in pajamas by now scratching my balls and watching TV. I wanted to make love. With you."

  Now how was she supposed to respond when he had her all choked up?

  She cupped his face. "You did. We did." She kissed him and pressed her forehead against his. The emotion was almost too much to bear.

  Leigh drew back. "You wear pajamas?"

  Dan laughed. "I do. And you if make fun of me, I'll turn you over my knee."

  "Weren't you going to anyway?" she asked.

  "In due time, sweetheart." He gave her a coveted smack on her thigh, then rolled out of bed. "Turnaround time, you know."

  Leigh smirked. "So I hear." She admired his backside while he hauled on his boxers, then crawled from the bed.

  Chapter 6

  * * *

  Dan crushed graham crackers over his ice cream. The crumbs showered down the chocolate syrup, nudging Oreo cookie crumbs farther down the slope.

  "Chocolate or butterscotch chips?" Leigh held out the two bags.

  He weighed his choices, eyeing her concoction for ideas. She had a can of whipped cream at the ready to top off the treat. "Both," he decided. "I'll let you do the honors while I slice that banana."

  "Good, and then I think that'll just about do it." She sprinkled the chips in the peanut butter base around the edge of the bowl. "I have to admit you have me curious." Leigh placed the banana as he sliced it. "If you're with NCIS, you already have a degree--"

  "I do and will be starting on my masters soon." He got up to throw the banana peel in the trash and put what little remained of the ice cream into the freezer. It felt good, them like this, so easy with each other. He wore his boxers, and Leigh had on a threadbare green velour robe that had clearly seen better days and looked comfy as hell.

  "Then why are you taking an English comp course from a community college?" A spoonful of ice cream was halfway to her mouth when she suddenly put it down. "Please tell me it's not undercover work and I'm collateral damage."

  He lifted her chin on the pads of his fingers. "It's not, and you definitely aren't. You are like the bonus prize for me actually having the courage to take the course." He kissed her, then licked his lips. "Sweet...someone's been nibbling."

  "So has someone else." A smile lit her eyes. "Courage?" She took up her spoon and then rolled her eyes closed with the first delectable mouthful.

  "Don't laugh." Dan scooped up a healthy taste for himself.

  "I won't," she said around her ice cream.

  He knew she wouldn't, but he'd never told a soul. It'd been his little secret, nothing more than a fledgling dream. "I got an idea about a story. It just wouldn't go away, so I decided to write it. Only once I got started, I realized I needed a refresher on fictional composition. I couldn't believe how little I remembered. I've been doing reports and technical information all these years, but writing fiction is another thing entirely. So I finally decided if I was going to write, I needed to brush up."

  "You write very well, by the way." She blushed and ducked her gaze. "Tell me about your story."

  Dan wasn't going to, but the words poured out on their own. She listened with rapt attention, asking questions, helping him pull out threads and plot on details. By the time he'd finally shut up, the ice cream was gone and he was washing the bowls at the stainless steel sink, while Leigh put a pot of coffee on the timer for morning.

  "I love it," she said, taking his hand. "Let's go sit on the sofa. You can tell me more while our dessert settles."

  He let her lead the way. "I don't know if there's much more to say. I'm surprised it's taken hold of me the way it has. Now I have other ideas trying to nudge their way in." They sank onto the dark red sofa and stretched out, each taking an armrest so their legs draped over one another. "Another reason to take the course."

  Leigh twirled a tendril of blonde hair around her finger. Her gaze focused outward. Dan knew that feeling well. He often zoned out when he was thinking about his crazy story.

  "I wish I could say you were going to get some benefit out of Hilary's class," she said. "Her curriculum isn't exactly designed to nurture creativity. She's very methodical and by the book."

  "Unfortunately for me, the cool teacher appears to be off limits." Dan kneaded her foot.

  Leigh smiled and flexed her toes for more. "I would consider tutoring you privately."

  "Would you now?" He winked.

  She gave him a nod. "I'd consider it a pleasure."

  "Honestly, so would I...and not in the context of bed and ice cream. You challenged your class to explore their minds and put those thoughts into form. Hilary...well, made me want to--"

  "Cut your eyes out with a spoon?"

  He laughed. "Yeah."

  "Drop the class," she said, lifting her other foot. "You don't need her; you have me."

  Did he? Dan liked to think so, in every context.

  "So, why NCIS? I knew you'd probably wind up in law enforcement since you'd mentioned that before, but I figured you'd be local."

  "One of those paths we take, I suppose." He moved up to her calf, working the muscles there. She had strong legs. "I was on the fence between joining the military or applying for NCIS. I felt the need to be somewhat out in the world, away from any home field advantage."

  "If you hadn't, we might never have met now." That faraway look was in her eyes again.

  "I like to think Fate may have found a way." Dan slid up next to her. She wiggled around until he was behind and she lying in front. "So how did you wind up living out here in the desert? Granted, it's not far from San Diego, but it is a world of difference."

  She hugged his arms around her. "It's that difference that appealed to me. I came out here to explore the National Park
. Once I saw the wide-open space, dark skies with stars so close you could touch them..." She shrugged. "I don't know. It was peace. I knew I'd found home. So I moved. I've been living here for about ten years. I finally found the perfect home out a ways on five acres. It's a fixer-upper, and I know it'll need work, but I've decided it's got my name written all over it. I put in an offer and am now holding my breath."

  It sounded wonderful. "I've been known to be pretty good with a hammer and screwdriver. I'd loved to see the place."

  "I'd show it to you, but the current lack of transportation..."

  "There's always tomorrow." He pulled in a breath, hoping she wouldn't think what he was about to say was bullshit. "You know, this is my second time here. This was where I had my first assignment. I loved it here. I loved being able to hike in the National Park, to know I could easily go anywhere else I might want in under three hours. I loved the stars, the smell of the desert--"

  "After the rain," they said together.

  "I spent time in Iraq and then Afghanistan and needed a place to readjust, for lack of a better explanation." Leigh didn't need to hear about the horrors and fears of being in a war zone. One day, yes, but not now. "I asked to come back here. I've been back for about six months. And, believe it or not, I live about six blocks away."

  That pulled her up. "Seriously?"

  "Yep, it's what I mean when I talk about Fate. All the time we were both in the same place, a relatively small community, and yet our paths didn't cross until now."

  "I wonder why." She settled back in his arms.

  Eyes closed, Dan inhaled the scent of her hair. "Because, sweet Leigh, we were meant to be." How could he make her understand he meant that with all his heart, that he'd loved her for so long and hadn't even realized that himself until a few years ago? It sounded crazy, impossible...

  Leigh rolled over. The edges of her robe fell open, pressing them skin-to-skin. Heat flared instantly. His cock swelled down the leg of his boxers. He cupped her head with one hand and her ass with the other. She kissed him without hesitation, dancing with her tongue, meshing the cacophony of flavors from the ice cream. She raked short nails up his stomach, setting off goose bumps. Then she swallowed his gasp when she pinched his nipples.