Two of a Kind

While she wasn’t usually one for insights, she was acutely aware that he had yet to decide. That the kiss had been more reaction than plan and he was still in a place where he could say no. She didn’t know why he would refuse, but understood he still could.

She opened her eyes to look at him. His jaw was tight, his gaze filled with indecision.

“You don’t know what you’re asking,” he said, his voice nearly a growl.

She smiled. “I know exactly what I’m asking.”

Four years ago she had pursued Gideon, she thought. Had picked him from all the other men in the bar that night. As she had said, there was something about him. His strength, of course. Nearly any female would respond well to a powerful man. That was merely biology. But there had been something else. An elusive sense of rightness, although if she did some research, she could probably figure out what it was.

Now the need to be with him was as strong, and for a similar reason, she realized. She was unsettled. Confused. There had been so many changes in her life, and the job offer had provided a tipping point of sorts. She needed to feel anchored and safe. How strange she would seek that in Gideon’s arms.

She didn’t have many gut instincts—another hazard of living in her head. But she had learned to trust them when they occurred, and right now her gut was telling her that she wanted to have sex with this man. Hot, hungry sex.

“I want this,” she murmured, still working through the questions.

She studied him, his broad shoulders, the slight tremor in his hands. Her gaze drifted down and she saw his erection straining against his jeans.

Anticipation joined satisfaction. There was no time to get her sweat glands working to tip the scales, so to speak. She would have to be more direct.

She quickly pulled off her T-shirt and dropped it onto the lounge chair beside her. Then she undid her bra and let it fall on top of her shirt.

Gideon’s jaw tightened, but otherwise, he didn’t move. She reached for his hands, took them in hers and placed them on her bare breasts.

Perhaps from instinct or perhaps because he couldn’t resist, he cupped her breasts and rubbed his thumbs against her nipples. She hadn’t felt them tighten, but when she glanced down she saw the tips were puckered.

He moved his thumbs again, and the gentle pressure sent pleasure moving all through her. His skin was more tanned against her paleness. His hands large. He moved back and forth against her until she felt her eyelids start to sink closed so she could get lost in how he made her feel.

She drew in a breath. “I’m enjoying everything you’re doing and—”

“Shut up.”

Her eyes popped open, and she saw him smiling.

“Too much conversation?”

“Yes. This is when it’s best to be quiet.”

Relief made her nearly as weak as his hands on her breasts.

“So we’re going to have sex?”

His answer was to haul her against him and thrust his tongue in her mouth. She met him stroke for stroke, wanting every sensation possible, wanting, no, needing, to be intimate with this man. Vulnerable.

As soon as the thought occurred, she felt herself starting to analyze what it meant. She did her best to turn off her analytical brain and focus instead on the feel of his soft T-shirt under her fingers, of his broad shoulders.

He deepened the kiss, then broke free and stepped back. In a matter of seconds, he’d pulled off his shirt and flung it away. His boots and socks followed. As he reached for the belt on his jeans, she undid her own and pushed them, along with her bikini panties, to the deck.

Before she could even admire his nakedness, he was moving past her to one of the lounge chairs. He raised a bar in back, then released it. The chair collapsed into a flat position.

“How clever,” she began, only to find herself being half guided, half carried to the chair. She was placed on the end, in a seated position, then Gideon dropped to his knees.

He buried his hands in her hair and kissed her. His tongue stroked against her lips before dipping inside. She kissed him back, even as she moved her fingers up and down his arms and his back.

He dropped his hands to her breasts. As he began to trail kisses down her neck, he urged her to lie back.

She did as he requested, her body on the cushion, her knees bent, her feet on the wood floor of the deck. As his fingers teased her sensitive nipples, his mouth moved lower and lower, the ultimate destination quite obvious.

He’d done that to her before, she remembered. The other two men hadn’t, but Gideon had given her her first orgasm with his tongue. She shivered slightly as he kissed his way down her belly, pausing to lightly circle the inside of her belly button.

She moved her arms so she could use her fingers to part herself for him. He’d taught her that, as well, she thought, her breathing already increasing.

Her insides clenched as he got closer and closer. She was so swollen. Her clitoris would be completely engorged with blood and extremely sensitive.

He shifted his hands so his palms were flat on her breasts. He massaged her, distracting her for a second. She felt the warmth of his breath, then he flicked the tip of his tongue against her. Just once. She gasped as a jolt of involuntary movement caused her to jump. He chuckled, then did it again.

This time she was prepared and felt herself sinking into sensation. He explored all of her, easing his tongue all the way inside her before returning it to her clit. Once there, he settled into a steady, slow rhythm of back and forth and around, his hands keeping pace on her breasts.

The predictable movements allowed her to focus on what she was feeling instead of anticipating what should happen next. As more and more muscles tensed, as her nerve endings fired more quickly, she felt her brain starting to shut down. There was only the sensation. She, who lived in a world of thoughts and ideas, was reduced to simply feeling. It was glorious.

Back and forth, around and around, with each stroke of his tongue, her body began the steady climb to release. She pulsed her hips, an unconscious signal that she wanted more. She was aware of her breathing getting faster and faster. Of small moans.

He moved one of his hands, sliding it down her body before inserting a finger deep inside her and curving up. Scientists argued about the reality of the G-spot, she thought hazily, trying to part her legs more, to press down. Right now she was convinced it existed, and when he rubbed it like that she was—

Her orgasm caught her unawares. One second she was tense and ready and the next she was flying. She rode the waves of pleasure, calling out, gasping and begging, screaming maybe. She wasn’t sure. She shook and shuddered. One finger became two, and she pushed down, wanting him to fill her.

His tongue stayed steady, allowing her release to go on and on until there was nothing left. This was what it felt like to be boneless, she thought, barely able to open her eyes.

He straightened.

She half raised herself on her elbows and glanced at his large erection. She smiled as she reached for him, guiding him inside her.

He was large enough to stretch her as he pushed in. She wrapped her legs around his hips, reached her hands to his. He grabbed hers. Their fingers laced together. She tried to keep her eyes open, to watch him as he pumped in faster and faster, but she was unable to stay focused. Not with the need growing inside her. Not when she was drawing closer to the edge once again, straining and straining until they came together.

CHAPTER THREE

FELICIA ARRIVED FOR her morning meeting right on time. As she parked by the warehouse that was the new offices for CDS, she found herself unable to stop smiling.

She’d spent the night with Gideon. They’d slept in a tangle of arms and legs in his big bed, then awakened before dawn to make love again. She’d left around five and had driven back to her place to shower and prepare for her day.

Although it was simple biology, what she’d done sounded so illicit. She liked that. Usually she was the boring one. The predictable friend who was always around and rarely had plans. She didn’t have sex with men she hadn’t seen in years—certainly not outside. At night.

She had a job offer and the aftereffects of the hormone bath that went with a satisfying sexual experience. Right now life was very, very good. Still grinning foolishly, she collected her backpack and walked into the building.

What had once been one big open space had been partitioned into offices, classrooms, locker rooms and a large workout facility. The plumbing was taking the longest. In addition to the usual toilets and sinks, there were also showers, lockers and a dressing area. Segregated by gender. Angel had foolishly suggested they make the women’s locker room smaller, but Felicia had stared him down. Justice and Ford hadn’t bothered coming to his defense. Probably because they knew better.

Justice was already there, his large presence seeming to fill the room. He sat at a battered desk he’d picked up at a garage sale a few weeks ago. Their “real” office furniture was on order.

“Hey,” he said as she entered, not bothering to look up from his laptop. “Did you file the permits for the shooting range?”

“Yes.” Her tone indicated she really meant “Of course,” but why state the obvious? “I took them directly to the city officials myself. They’ll be processed by the fifteenth.”

There was a professional mission statement in the articles of incorporation, but at its heart, CDS was a bodyguard school. It would provide advanced training for those in the industry as well as refresher courses. Ford would be working with corporations who wanted a unique team-building facility, while Angel would be in charge of the actual training. Justice was going to run the place.

In addition, CDS would provide classes for the community. Self-defense mainly with a few gun safety lectures and some hands-on training.

Felicia had been offered any job she wanted with the company, but knew she needed something different. She was ready to be as close to normal as she could get. She wanted to be part of a community, to fall in love, get married and have kids. A common dream, she thought, but one that seemed especially difficult for her to accomplish.

The job Mayor Marsha had offered was a big step in that direction. If only Felicia was brave enough to accept it.

She pulled her own laptop from her backpack and walked over to the desk. She pulled up a second chair and sat opposite Justice. Once the machine booted, she logged on to the internet and began typing.

“The equipment Ford and Angel ordered for the obstacle course will be delivered by the end of the week. The cherry picker is coming next Monday to help with installation of the suspension bridge.”

Justice glanced at her, his eyes bright with excitement. “Can’t wait to try it.”

“It’s high, it’s a bridge, what’s the big deal?”

He grinned.

She knew he was really looking forward to having one of his friends on the bridge and trying to shake the other guy off. The three business partners looked all tough and burly but in their hearts, they were still boys who liked to play practical jokes.

At least they were smart about them, she thought. They were all keenly aware that each of them was trained to be a deadly killer. It would be easy for any situation to get out of hand and they made sure that didn’t happen.

The main door opened, and Angel and Ford walked in together. Wearing jeans and T-shirts, they should have looked like a couple of regular Joes. But they didn’t. After her years in the military, Felicia was an expert at spotting men with special training, and these two had all the characteristics.

There was a confidence in the way they walked. Anyone looking at them would know they could handle themselves, regardless of the situation. Ford was a couple of inches taller and maybe twenty pounds heavier. He had dark hair and dark eyes, and an easy laugh. On the surface, he was the most fun-loving of the group. But Felicia knew that was a facade. Underneath, he was as emotionally distant as any man who’d spent his career viewing life through a sniper rifle.

Angel might have gotten out of the military sooner than any of them, but he’d moved into the type of private security that was just as dangerous as black ops. He had pale gray eyes that had seen too much and an intriguing scar across his neck, as if someone had tried to cut his throat.

Felicia had started to ask him about it once, and he’d stared her down. As she wasn’t usually intimidated by the men she worked with, she considered that a testament to his mental powers. She knew Angel had been married before, and that his wife and son had been killed in a car accident. How sad to have everything and then lose it, she thought.

Justice, Ford and Angel would be the partners in the company. There would be several permanent employees, including her friend Consuelo, who was due to arrive shortly. Felicia knew the team wondered if they could fit into life in a small town, and they worried about blending in. She had only been in Fool’s Gold a couple of months, but she was pretty sure that in a test of wills, the town would win. Justice had already changed; it was just a matter of time until the others found themselves behaving in ways they would have sworn wasn’t possible.

There was little scientific data to back up her assertion, but she was willing to stake her reputation on her supposition all the same.

“Is my gym ready?” Angel asked. “I’ve been using the one in town, and there are too many people there.”

Felicia smiled. “You mean women, don’t you?”

Angel turned to her. “Look, dollface, you don’t know what it’s like.”

“It’s Eddie,” Ford said, snickering. “She came up to him yesterday and asked about his scar. Then she wanted to touch his biceps.”

Angel’s face took on a pained expression. “The woman is what? A hundred? What the hell was she doing in a gym?”

“Mostly checking out cute guys,” Felicia said cheerfully. “From what I hear, she and her friend Gladys do it all the time. I don’t think she’s much past her seventies, by the way. In case, you know, that makes a difference.”

Angel glared at her. Justice and Ford laughed.

Felicia grinned in return, pleased to have made a joke. “The gym equipment is coming this week,” she told him by way of a peace offering. “It will be installed and ready to go before the weekend.”

Ford pulled up a chair and sat by the desk. “Didn’t we say we were going to let people in town work out here if they wanted? Should we send Angel’s new friend an invite?”

Cool, gray eyes turned glacier. “You really want to take me on?” Angel asked.

“Any day, old man.”

Felicia glanced at Justice, who shook his head. This was familiar territory with Angel and Ford. They exchanged banter and insults, staged ridiculous competitions and generally drove each other crazy.

As Angel was probably forty or forty-one, the “old man” comment was simply part of their fun.

“Can we get on with the meeting?” Justice asked. “If you two can hold off on your playtime for a few minutes. Felicia, bring them up to date.”

They spent the next two hours talking about the business. Ford had a few leads on potential corporate clients, and Angel had some interesting ideas for team-building exercises. When the meeting finished, Ford and Angel went off to wrestle or race or something that required one to win and the other to lose. Felicia shut down her computer, then looked at Justice.

“I’ve seen Gideon.”

Justice studied her. “Okay.”

She thought about mentioning they’d had sex but didn’t think her friend wanted that level of detail. “I might continue to see him.” Hopefully with and without clothes, she thought. She wanted to get to know him better. Perhaps not the traditional sequence for a relationship, but she hadn’t found any traditional path that worked for her.

“I know you want to protect me,” she continued, “but you can’t. It’s important that I learn in my own way. Make my own mistakes and suffer the consequences.”

“As long as you’re admitting Gideon is a mistake.”

She sighed. “You know what I mean.”

“I do. Look. I’ll admit I don’t like the guy very much.”

“You don’t know him.”

“I know what he did to you.”

She rolled her eyes. “I picked him up in a bar. I practically begged him to have sex with me, and he complied. He did nothing wrong.”

Justice winced. “Could we not talk about that part of it?”

“Why not? It’s the reason you’re upset. Justice, I was twenty-four. It’s not unexpected I would have sexual relations with someone by that age. I wasn’t irresponsible. You had no right to barge in back then, and you’re not invited to do the same now. I love you. You’re my family. But I’m twenty-eight years old and you don’t get to tell me what to do with my personal life.”

Justice opened his mouth, then closed it. “Fine.”

She waited.

“I mean it,” he grumbled. “I won’t say anything about Gideon. You can see him if you want.”

She resisted pointing out she’d just told him she didn’t want his opinion or involvement. “Thank you.”

“Just wait to have sex with him this time, okay? Get to know him a little.”

She did her best not to smile. “You’re probably right.”

“I am.”

* * *

LIKE MANY THINGS in Fool’s Gold, Jo’s Bar defied expectation. Instead of catering to men and their love of sports, Jo’s served mostly women. The lighting was flattering, the decor feminine and the large screens were tuned to shopping shows and reality TV. Men were welcome, as long as they retreated to the back room where there was a pool table and plenty of TVs showing sports. If they insisted on staying in the front of the house, they were expected to keep quiet about the signs counting down the days until the new season of Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders—Making the Team.

Felicia liked the bar. When she came here, it was to meet her friends. Because in the few months she’d been in town, she’d made friends. Women who didn’t seem to mind that she was socially awkward and often said the wrong thing.

She sat at a table with Isabel, Patience and Noelle. They’d already put in their orders and each had a soda or iced tea.

“I’m thinking Labor Day,” Noelle said, stirring her diet soda with her straw. She laughed. “A traditional Christmas holiday.”

Noelle planned to open a new store in town. The Christmas Attic would celebrate the season. Like Felicia, Noelle was new to Fool’s Gold. The tall, willowy blonde was friendly and funny, but there was something about her eyes. Felicia would guess secrets but had no idea what they were.

Isabel, also a blonde but a little curvier, had grown up in the area. She was back in town for a few months helping her family with Paper Moon—a wedding gown boutique. Isabel was irreverent and self-deprecating. She was the one who teased first and laughed the longest. Felicia secretly admired Isabel’s sense of style and easy grace.

Patience had made Felicia the most nervous at first. The pretty brunette was the single mother of a ten-year-old girl and engaged to Justice. When Felicia had first arrived, Patience thought there was more to her and Justice’s relationship than friendship, but their siblinglike connection had become apparent. Since then, Patience had welcomed Felicia to her world and had made her feel welcome.

“There will be lots of tourists,” Isabel was saying. “We fill up for all the major holidays, and Labor Day is when people want that last rush of summer. Which is why it’s called the End of Summer Festival. I think you’d get a big crowd in the store.”

Noelle sighed. “I hope you’re right. Maybe it’s too early for people to be thinking about Christmas.”

“I know what you mean,” Patience said. “I’m going to have to figure out when to start decorating for the various holidays. It’s not anything I had to worry about before.”

Felicia often helped Patience out at Brew-haha, picking up a shift a few times a week. The work wasn’t very challenging, but she enjoyed the chance to work on her people skills in a low-key setting. She was also able to eavesdrop on people’s conversations and try to learn from them.

“I think the abundance of tourists would outweigh any concern that you’re asking them to think about Christmas too early,” Felicia told Noelle.

“She has a point,” Isabel said. “The day after Labor Day is the traditional start of the fall season. And then comes Santa.”

“You’re right.” Noelle nodded slowly. “If I can pull it all together by then, I’ll open over Labor Day.”

Patience leaned toward Isabel. “Justice and I are talking dates. How long do I need to order a wedding dress?”

Isabel grinned. “I can’t wait for you to come in and try on dresses. As for timing, it depends on the manufacturer.”

“I want something simple. It’s a second marriage for me.”

Felicia didn’t know the details of Patience’s past, but she’d heard that her ex had disappeared shortly after Lillie had been born and he’d never come back.

“It’s a first marriage for Justice,” Isabel reminded her. “He’ll want you to be a princess. You are perfect princess material. There are some great dresses you’ll love.”

Patience blushed. “Maybe. We’ll see. I’ll come in and try a few things on this week.” She waved her hand. “Okay, enough about me. Someone else talk, please. One of you must have news.”

Felicia thought about her job offer, then hesitated. She wanted to accept, but still wasn’t sure she was the right person.

“Wow, I saw that,” Isabel said, staring at her. “Okay, you have to tell us.”

“I’m not sure I...” Felicia hesitated, then decided to plunge ahead. “Pia Moreno is going to step down from her position running the festivals. Mayor Marsha asked me to take her place.”

All three women stared at her.

“That’s great,” Patience said. “You’ll be perfect for the job. It’s all about staying organized, and you’re really good at that.”

Isabel nodded. “I don’t know how Pia managed with three kids, and now she’s pregnant with her fourth. The town is lucky she lasted as long as she did.”

Noelle patted Felicia’s arm. “I know nothing about the festivals, but I can’t imagine you not being brilliant at anything, so well done you.”

“Thanks.” Felicia hated the insecurity welling up inside her. “I wasn’t sure what people would think. I’m new in town. Maybe someone who has been here longer would understand the nuances of what goes on better.”

Patience shook her head. “No, no and no. Noelle’s right. You’ll be great. As for being new, I’m sorry, but you’re already one of us.” She sighed heavily. “I suppose this means you won’t be filling in at Brew-haha anymore.”

“I don’t think I’ll have the time.”

“Don’t worry. I need to hire more full-time people. I’m blessed with many customers.” She raised her glass. “To festivals and whipping them into shape.”

Everyone drank.

Isabel leaned toward her. “Okay, so what’s the scoop on some fighter chick coming to town? I’ve been hearing rumors that we’re getting our own girl soldier. Is that true?”

“Yes,” Felicia said. “Consuelo Ly should be arriving in the next couple of weeks. I haven’t heard from her recently, so I don’t have an exact date. She’ll be teaching classes at CDS. Self-defense, hand-to-hand, some advanced weapons training.”

“Seriously?” Noelle asked. “I can’t decide if I’m excited to meet her or terrified.”

“I’m excited,” Isabel said. “Have you seen how Ford and Angel walk around town like they’re so hot and we should all be falling all over them?”

“They haven’t been like that,” Patience said.

“Ford struts. I’ve seen him strut.”

Patience’s expression turned knowing. “Someone is worried about her past.”

“I’m not,” Isabel said firmly. “I refuse to be. I was a child and he can’t hold that against me.”