Allegiance - Chiah Wilder Page 0,71
the past three days, they’d played hooky from their respective businesses, and she was having the time of her life. Since she’d opened the restaurant, she’d only taken a few half-days off, but they were only for errands or dentist appointments—nothing fun or exciting. But with Tank in her life, everything seemed new and exhilarating. For the first time since the plane crash, she felt alive, and he was instrumental in that. Tank was the last man she ever thought she’d be in a relationship with, but he swept her off her feet when she’d least expected it, and she couldn’t imagine her life without him.
When he’d come over to her condo several days before, she’d been thrilled to see him, but she played it cool. And when she’d scrolled though his phone and saw all the missed calls from Ms. Spoiled Bitch, she felt stupid at her jealousy and insecurity, especially when he’d told her about his ex-wife. The last thing she wanted was to remind him of his ex. Lena laughed. Yeah, there’s no way that’s going to happen.
Since they’d made up, they’d been inseparable, and she loved every second of it. Of course, she’d gone through the “it’s too soon to fall this hard,” and the “you’ve only known him for a short time.” But as Fe had pointed out to her, several of their friends had married men they’d dated for a long time, who were now divorced. The important thing was that the connection she felt to him went deeper than just attraction. When she’d met him for the first time, she felt a strong pull to him, but she’d fought it. Tank kept telling her it was fate, and she was inclined to believe him.
Pulling off the road, Tank brought the bike to a stop. Climbing off, he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply.
“How’d you like it?” he asked.
“It was the best! At first, I was terrified, but then I just let go.”
“I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, babe.” He swatted her butt. “I’ll always have your back.”
The heat in his eyes connected with something feral, something wild inside of her. She threw her arms around his neck and fused her mouth on his. The kiss was savage and arrhythmic, passionate. Pushing her down on the sand, he hovered over her, his body pressing against hers, rubbing her in all the right places. When he unbuttoned her shorts, she stiffened.
“What’s wrong, darlin’?”
“We’re in a public place.”
“So?” he murmured against her lips.
“I don’t want anyone seeing us.”
His hand slid under her shirt. “No one’s around.”
“You’d be surprised. Besides, we’re not on a blanket, and there’s nothing but sand under us. The idea of it is romantic and sexy, but the reality is, I’ll probably end up at the doctor’s office for a vaginal infection. I’ll bet anything I already have gum in my hair.”
Laughing, Tank moved to the side. “Gum? Where the hell did that come from?”
“Ask any girl who’s made out on the beach and she’ll tell you, she got a wad of gum in her hair. It’s inevitable.”
He tapped her nose. “You’re kooky.”
Lena sat up and ran her hand through the back of her hair, then stopped when she felt something sticky. “I knew it!” She grabbed his hand. “Feel this.”
Amazement crossed over his face when he put his fingers in her hair. “Fuck, that’s just weird. How do you get it out?”
“Peanut butter or olive oil, but it’s a pain in the ass. Depending on where it’s at, I may just cut it out. That’s what I did when I was in high school.”
Tank stood up and she took his offered hand.
“Do you want to get something to eat?” she asked, dusting the sand off her shorts.
“Besides you?”
Desire heated his eyes. The look sent a bolt of fire between her legs.
“No, in addition to me,” she whispered.
“We’re gonna be at it for quite a while, so why don’t we just order a pizza later on? I’ll take you out to dinner tomorrow night.” He dipped his head and kissed her hard. “Deal?”
“Best deal I’ve ever had.”
Tank swung his leg over the bike, then she scrambled on. The vibrations of the motor beneath now drove her crazy with lust, and, for her, they couldn’t get back home soon enough. He pulled back onto the room and sped down the road while she tried to concentrate on the scenery instead of the ache between her legs.
Time had flown