Dare She Stay — Chapter 9 (End)
Alleyways and kisses
After three wrong turns, the Excalibur 33 Club finally came into view. She glanced at her watch — only four hours left until midnight. She slipped out of the car, crossed the street on shaky legs, and hurried toward the club’s front entrance.
The couples ahead of her paused to show their membership card to the door attendants. Without a similar card, she’d never be admitted as a guest. Her press card would for sure get her blocked. She racked her brain for a viable plan. It didn’t have to be perfect, it just needed to work.
She brushed the lint from her skirt and straightened her stance. Approaching the two men guarding the coveted entrance, she nodded, then spoke with solid conviction. “I’m Stormee Waters, Dirk Savage’s secretary. I have instructions to deliver an important document to him.” She patted the side of her purse in hopes the gesture would add weight to her lie.
A strong urge to continue talking fought with her common sense, which required her to stay quiet and let the two guardians mull over their options.
“If you’ll give me the document, I’ll see that it is delivered to Mr. Savage.” The assertive man in the black suit held out his hand.
A smidgeon of relief weakened her knees as she inched closer to success. She raised one eyebrow and wiped any trace of a smile from her lips. “I’m sorry, but that is impossible. My instructions are to hand it over in person. Anything less would get me fired, and…” She paused to let her gaze slide over the man in front of her, from his head to his polished black shoes. “Most likely, you would experience the same outcome as Mr. Savage is not known for his patience.”
The man chewed on the inside of his lip and stared at her in stony silence. Stormee lifted her chin and glared back with equal veracity. When she spotted him darting his eyes toward his companion, she knew she’d won the skirmish. But, the battle still lay ahead.
“Take her to Mr. Savage in room eleven.” With that statement, he turned his attention to a group who’d just walked up, dismissing her altogether.
Almost giddy with triumph, Stormee followed the second man through the semi-quiet bar area into the much louder central lounge and dance floor. Her heart rate pulsed with the tempo of a Latin song played by the band on stage. Dancers gyrated in every conceivable contortion. She barely managed to avoid colliding with a few as she and her escort skirted the dance floor and headed toward a room-sized alcove on the left.
In the private niche, four couples lounged on divans arranged around a low center table filled with drinks and party snacks. Her security escort paused at the room’s entrance and pointed to a spot on the floor. Indicating she should stay put, he advanced another few feet into the alcove.
“Mr. Savage, I’m sorry to disturb you, but your secretary has arrived to make the delivery you requested.” He pointed toward where she stood.
Her bravado shrunk with the speed of a punctured balloon. Fighting her anxiety, she waited for Dirk’s reaction.
He shifted his attention from the attentive woman snuggled in his lap to the security attendant. “What in blue blazes are you talking about?”
The slightly slurred retort worried Stormee. Sober, he was daunting enough. She didn’t even want to think about what he might be like under the influence of alcohol. Did it matter if he turned into a laser-eyed, two-headed monster? Josh’s safety still depended on her enlisting his help.
The confused escort motioned toward her. “Isn’t this your secretary?”
Dirk peered in the direction the man indicated, his brow wrinkled in confusion. He blinked once before the bewilderment gave way to disbelief. Like a missile with an acquired target, his gaze locked on hers. He eased the woman from his lap, crossed his legs, and stretched both his arms to rest easily along the sofa’s back edge.
Seconds dragged by like minutes. This is how a condemned prisoner must feel right before receiving the lethal injection that will end his life. She could almost feel the sting of the needle.
“You’ve made a serious mistake. This woman is not my secretary. I suggest you show her the exit.” Dirk’s frigid voice projected no hint of a slur as he addressed the door attendant.
A hand gripped Stormee’s arm, the fingers digging into her flesh. A hard tug yanked her backward. The unexpected action destroyed her balance, landing her in a heap on the floor. She scrambled toward the round table.
“Wait. Stop! I must talk to Mr. Savage!”
She heard a crack over her head, like the sound of wood splintering. The attendant landed on the tile flooring next to her.
“Keep your hands off her.” Dirk stood over the man, his fists tight, and his eyes glowing with fury.
Stormee squealed in surprise as he bent and lifted her to her feet in one swift tug. He gripped one of her wrists and pulled her toward a door in the back of the room, down a narrow hall, and through an exit to the alley. She yelped again as he spun her to face him and pushed her back against the building, placing his hands on either side of her head.
Trapped, scared, and drowning in despair, she sobbed, “Hel — help me.”
“Lady, you’ve got a lot of nerve. The last I remember, you didn’t want any part of me or my help. I’ll do you a favor and walk away. Do yourself a kindness, and don’t look me up again.” His body momentarily pressed toward hers as he flexed his elbows and pushed away from the wall.
He’d put ten feet between them before she forced a sobbing plea from her throat. “Please, don’t leave me.”
He froze in place with the fingers of one hand curled and fisted at his side, the other gripping the back of his neck.
Without taking time to reconsider, she did what instinct dictated. She surged forward and flung herself against his back, wrapping both arms around his waist like a harness.
He stumbled, then braced his feet wide apart. She pressed tighter against his back, refusing to loosen her grip. His stomach muscles tightened under her fingers.
With little effort, he pried her hands from around his waist and turned to give her a penetrating look. He grasped her shoulders and gave her a jolting shake. Startled, she looked upward in surprise — and wished she hadn’t. His brows pulled toward one another, leaving a severe, uncompromising crease between his eyes.
“This makes no sense, Stormee. Why would you track me down? What’s wrong with you?” He moved her body backward, an arm’s length from his.
She fought the trepidation that hindered her efforts to push words past her chattering teeth. Clutching a throat that ached with despair, she vocalized one word. “Dirk…”
He’d dreamed about hearing his name on her lips in just that way, with her soul bared and her voice heavy with need. This woman had never been easy to understand, but this time, she confounded him completely.
He yanked her forward, not leaving a molecule of air between them. Nestling her in the fold of his arms, he waited for her body to stop trembling, then edged them both toward the side of the building and braced his back against its solid mass. Her tears tore through his shielded emotions. Their wetness penetrated the linen fabric of his shirt, seeping all the way to his traitorous heart.
Her body leaned heavily on his, the shaking and sobbing finally giving way to soft sighs. Her cheek caressed his chest as she lifted her face and stared up at him through tear-drenched lashes.
“I — I love you.”
The unexpected declaration siphoned the blood from his head as she stroked him with her eyes. A full three seconds passed before he realized the new sensation warming his lips was the soft texture of her sweet mouth.
She kissed him with a fervor that belied her inexperience, communicating a need that didn’t require words. The last thread holding his resistance intact unraveled under her surrendered lips. He accepted what she offered, devouring her mouth with fevered eagerness. She quivered and pressed her open lips harder against his. None of his imaginings compared to the beauty of her passion.
Not caring if her feet dangled in the air, he lifted her higher and deepened the kiss. She stiffened, then wrapped her legs behind his knees. He pressed his advantage, thoroughly exploring her moist mouth, claiming his new territory.
Possession, raw and primal, seared through his soul. For this woman he would live or die, she belonged to him. With that thought, reality slammed him in the gut. More than an affirmation of love had been in her kiss, there had been desperation. Now, there was something more he needed to know.
With gentle pressure, he separated their bodies. “Stormee, I’m taking you to my car, and when you’re ready, you can tell me what’s wrong.”
Dirk’s supportive arm stayed locked around her waist until he’d helped her into the car’s front seat. She sank into the soft leather and took a deep breath, her slender fingers clenched in her lap.
Dirk slid easily into the driver’s seat and turned in her direction. His gaze traveled over her face and searched her eyes. She had to fight the urge to hide in his arms. She felt like a sand sculpture facing a rising tide.
He lifted his fingers to her chin and then slid them gently across her jaw to cup her face.
“Dirk, I’m so sorry for what I did before.” Stormee swallowed hard and rushed her words, hoping he would understand her regret. “I — I don’t know why it was so difficult for me to believe in you…”
“Stop.” His index finger pressed against her open mouth. “You will never owe me an apology for being who you are. It will be my job to make sure you feel safe enough to express those feelings to me. We’ll work on that together. The past is done and we have yet to write our future. Okay?”
Stormee nodded.
“Now, let’s take care of what has you so upset. Are you ready to share that?” he asked with a coaching smile.
She related Josh’s circumstance and answered the pointed questions Dirk shot out in rapid succession. Word by word, she transferred her burden onto his shoulders, knowing with her whole being that no one was better suited to help Josh.
His countenance hardened with a dangerous edge. This time, instead of anxiety, his commanding demeanor filled her with trust. Dirk might have an indomitable will and an assertive arrogance, much as the fearsome lion she so loved, but he could be gentled by the touch of a woman’s heart, as she’d proved when she’d entered his lair.
“Stormee, will you trust me and do as I say?”
“Yes.” Her nod was confident and firm.
His smile conveyed approval. “I’m going to make some phone calls, and then we’ll have a few minutes to talk before my team arrives. Will you be okay while I do that?”
“Yes. Please, don’t worry about me. We need to help Josh. I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
She’d barely ended her sentence before he’d placed one hand behind her neck and the other on the side of her hip and pulled her across the leather seat in one smooth slide. His fingers fisted in the hair at her nape and tugged her head back.
“What I need you to do is trust me. And while I’m making those phone calls, I don’t want you thinking about Josh. I want you thinking about this.”
She felt the titillating pressure of his lips against her neck and in the pit of her stomach where it swirled in wild abandon. He lifted his head and she sighed in reprieve, but not for long. The hot breath he softly blew in the hollow of her throat before tasting her there with a wet, suckling kiss erased reality and transported her to a world of his making. Gently, he eased away from her, leaving a promissory kiss on her forehead before stepping from the car.
True to his words, Stormee could think of nothing but the rioting emotions swelling in her heart. She felt weak and willing, more than that, she wanted to give, and give, until nothing about her wasn’t his.
The sound of Dirk’s return jerked Stormee from her altered world. The car’s interior seemed to suddenly shrink, causing his closeness to send flames of heat into her cheeks. Looking at the satisfied smile softening his face made her even shyer.
“Nothing turns a man on more than seeing his own reflection in his woman’s eyes.”
Stormee froze in place as her breath caught in her throat.
His hand palmed her cheek as his gaze drifted to her mouth. “I love the fact that you haven’t learned to guard your eyes. It makes you open to me in a very precious way. And I make you a promise. What I see there, I’ll always protect. Because you’ve given me your heart, I’ll own you in ways that will scare you at times. But I will never abuse that gift. You are my home, my haven, my reason for living. Is that enough for you? Can you stay by my side and build a life with me?”
Stormee couldn’t bear another moment apart from this man who committed himself to her in such stark honesty. She surged toward him, burying her face in his chest, moaning her acceptance against the strong rhythm of his heart.
An hour later, six dangerous-looking men with a truck full of equipment had gathered at Dirk’s order. Separating from the group, he walked toward her. By the length and purpose of his stride, she could tell that he was in commander mode.
“Stormee, I’ll have one of my men take you home. He’ll stay with you until I return. Trust me. Josh will be safe with you in a few hours.” He wiped a residual tear from her cheek with his thumb.
After a bone-crushing embrace and a hard kiss that embarrassed Stormee to the very marrow of her bones, he said his goodbye. Since he had no compunction about kissing her in public, she foresaw a lot of embarrassing moments in her future. Elation and fear seized her heart.
Stormee stretched and yawned as she watched the testosterone-driven basketball game on the opposite side of the pool. This weekend, scheduled months earlier, served as a special training event for the Strike Force team members. The fact she and Dirk had returned from their three-week honeymoon just two days earlier made things a little awkward, but Dirk’s squad went out of their way to keep from embarrassing her.
She wished she could say the same for Nana, who took delight in dropping provocative innuendos at every opportunity. Stormee glanced to the side where her grandmother lay snoozing in a passion-plum bathing suit atop a chartreuse beach towel. She looked healthy and happy, all thanks to Dirk.
In his Houston home, he’d set up an apartment for Nana, complete with twenty-four-hour assisted care. The fact that Nana could see her Precious Boy daily gave her a great deal of joy. Not to mention, a mischievous compatriot. Though Nana’s mental state seemed to be more stable, she still exhibited early signs of dementia. Stormee’s heart swelled with gratitude for this gift of time with a woman she loved unreservedly.
She turned her attention back to the game just in time to see Josh end up on the bottom of a three-man pile. The kidding he received from the older team members never bothered him-in fact, he loved being the team’s youngest member. Since his kidnapping and rescue, he’d shown a marked change in his attitude toward Dirk, manifesting a measure of hero worship.
Recently, Josh had approached Dirk for permission to take a three-day fishing trip with two of his friends. The small deflection hurt a little; she’d always been Josh’s guardian, of sorts. But she remembered how Dirk’s words eased the transition. “Let him go, Stormee. You’ve done all you can. He’s growing up. Trust me. I’ll take care of him and teach him to be the man you want him to be.”
The shadow cast across her midsection gave the first indication of Dirk’s presence at her side. He nodded toward the caregiver, who sat next to Nana’s lounger, and then lifted Stormee from her comfortable spot, pressing her close to his hot, sweaty chest. She opened her mouth to protest, but a quick, purposeful kiss convinced her otherwise. She acquiesced since she knew changing Dirk’s mind on these matters required skills she had yet to master.
He carried her toward the back stairs leading to their bedroom. She nibbled his earlobe, loving the way his breath caught in his throat. He stopped halfway up the stairway and lowered her to her feet. Standing barefoot next to him, she couldn’t contain the sudden need to hug him. Wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing with all her strength, she tried to tell him without words how adorable and necessary he was to her happiness. The pressure of his kiss against her temple and forehead validated her desire as achievable.
“You have more power than any woman should be allowed,” he said, scattering kisses along her jaw. “You’ve penetrated my heart in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Do you know how much I love you?” The last question he whispered in her ear as he kissed the side of her neck.
Her budding sensuality responded eagerly, tingling in her stomach and surging through her like a hot summer breeze. The touch of his searching hands caressing her back and hips ignited her desire in the most satisfying way. His lips recaptured hers, devouring her sweetness.
With a painful groan, he lifted his head. “Baby, we need to get to the top of the stairs before I can no longer walk.”
The passion in his eyes burned away her shyness. A teasing giggle prefaced her words. “My big, bad tiger is ready to admit defeat?”
Dirk’s bemused expression turned to one of pure deviltry. “As long as you’re doing the taming, I’m willing to surrender.”
“Okay, just remember, I’m in charge.” She poked him in the side and bounded up the stairs. Pausing at the top, she turned to give him a mischievous wink and found him just two steps below. The hunger blazing in his dark eyes sucked every thought from her brain and nearly short-circuited her heart. He fused their mouths with persuasive intensity, teasing and taunting her with his passion, leaving her with no doubt as to who was in control. She returned his kiss with reckless abandon.
A disjointed memory scrolled across her mind. THE ALLURE OF THE ALPHA MALE — Desirable or Not?
How would she answer that question now that she had one of her own? Excitement sparked along her skin like electricity as she felt the male strength in the arms that lifted and carried her toward the bedroom. “Desirable,” she whispered, “very, very, desirable.”
The end…
Start from the beginning:
Chapter 1: https://readmedium.com/dare-she-stay-chapter-1-91af5aa8767c