me like a defective toaster. But then I wrecked my father's new car on my learner's permit - tested that theory pretty damn well, and guess what? They kept me anyway."
Staring at her profile, he said, "I don't think you give yourself enough credit."
"The only thing I did was take advantage of the good example that was in front of me."
"And that's tremendous."
When she turned into his neighborhood five minutes later, he realized she'd taken her own advice about him and his bike and the weather.
The brakes squeaked slightly as she stopped in his driveway, and abruptly, the rain hitting the roof of the car sounded like Ping-Pong balls.
"I think we're having some hail," he said.
"Yes." She stared through the front windshield. "Bad storm."
"No thunder."
"No."
The wipers flopped back and forth, clearing the view only momentarily.
Eventually, he looked over at her. "I want to kiss you again."
"I know."
He laughed a little. "Am I so obvious."
"No ... I want it, too."
Then turn your head, he thought. All you have to do is turn your head and I'll take it from there.
The rain fell. The wipers slapped around. The engine idled.
She turned her head. And focused on his mouth. "I really want it."
Veck leaned in toward her, and pulled her to his lips. The kiss was very slow and very deep. And as her tongue met his, he was well aware he wanted something more from her than just sex, but if he'd had to name what the hell it was, he'd have been out of words. Ultimately, however, the definition didn't matter. Not in the interior of this unmarked, parked in his driveway, with the storm on the outside of the car.
What they both needed had nothing to do with talking.
God, she was still so soft beneath him, soft skin, soft hair, soft scent, but it was the tough inner core of her, the resilience and the single-mindedness, that really turned him on. The idea that she was such a survivor, that she was so strong and clear with who she was and where she was from, made him respect the shit out of her.
And what do you know ... that was sexier than anything that came in a Victoria's Secret bag.
With a surge of his torso, he tried to get even closer, but the steering wheel bit into his side, and blocked him. The caveman in him actually growled as he gave it another shot, but he got nowhere near where he wanted to be.
Which was naked and on top of her.
On a curse, he eased back. In the reflected brightness of the headlights on the garage door, her beautiful face was minated clearly, the pattern of the rain on the windshield playing across her features, spotting them up before the wipers cleared away what looked like tears.
He thought of her with her family, so happy and at peace.
He thought of her, period.
"I'm going to go in alone," he said abruptly.
Veck didn't wait for a response. He was out of that car a split second later, and he hotfooted it over to the front door of his house, not because of the storm, but because he could see too clearly into himself.
"Wait!" she called out as he palmed up his keys.
"Go back to your car," he muttered in a rough, hungry voice.
Rushing over to him, she shook her head. "I don't want to."
With that, she lifted up her hand and pointed it in the direction of her unmarked. As she hit her remote, the locks punched down and the blinkers flared.
Veck closed his eyes and let his head flop back on his spine, the rain hitting his forehead and cheeks. "You come in here, I'm not going to be able to stop."
Reilly's reply was to take the keys out of his hand, unlock the dead bolt, and subtly, inexorably push him back into his house.
Just as with the kiss in the car, he took it from there.
Kicking the door shut, he unleashed himself, grabbing her and yanking her against him, holding her hard, taking her mouth again. And she attacked him right back, locking her arms around his shoulders, pressing herself against him.
The couch.
He'd moved the couch.
Thank fuck.
It was a shuffle to get over there, and the fact that he was taking off her wet coat and his, and then both of their gun holsters, didn't make the going any easier. But soon enough he was maneuvering her down so she was stretched out on the cushions ... and he mounted