Private North Read online

He took hold of my wrists and braced my hands on the workbench. His hot breath warmed the side of my face as he came up behind me and his hands reached around me. His fingers slid between my thighs and they probed in the moist heat, teasing me with such skill that I had to keep from screaming out again. His long, thick fingers pushed deeper inside of me, and my hips moved instinctively against the pressure of his hand. I gasped as I suddenly felt his mouth on the bare skin of my bottom. His tongue caressed my bare skin and explored every intimate part of me while his fingers moved in perfect, delicious rhythm. I gripped the table edge and pushed hard against his mouth and hand. I turned my face to muffle the scream against my shoulder as my body splintered into a million trembling pieces around his fingers and mouth. My arms wobbled as I leaned on the table for support.

  He took hold of me and I collapsed against him. “We’re supposed to be naked and tucked under a warm quilt in my bed right now, not standing in this freezing, dark shed,” he said.

  “That does sound far more appealing than this, but I think we’re both pretty darn resourceful.”

  He tightened his arms around me. “Hey, let’s go out to dinner tonight,” he said suddenly. “I know this great little steak place and the owner is a family friend. He’ll make sure to give us the quiet, secluded booth in the back.”

  I smiled at him. “I’m not eating steak in the nude.”

  He laughed. “No, it’s not that secluded . . . unfortunately. I’ll give him a call and tell him to reserve a table for us.”

  ***

  I brushed my hair one final time and checked my reflection in the mirror. I’d shared every intimacy with the man, and, yet, I was nervous as hell about the date. It might just have been because dating back at the university had never seemed to be an intimate, romantic affair. Trenton always ended up inviting hordes of his snobbish friends along as if he realized he was too boring to sit with alone on a date. Or maybe he thought I was too boring.

  More than likely, tonight’s extreme case of nerves came just from the fact that my date was with Dalton. Every part of me, physically, mentally and emotionally crackled with excitement when he was near.

  I startled at the knock on my door. “Are you ready, Auggie?”

  I took a deep breath, smoothed my hands over the rather snug fitting sweater dress and opened the door. He was wearing a navy blue sweater and his freshly washed long hair was combed back. He looked down at the dress and nodded with approval. “Nice.” He leaned forward and I could feel his breath on my cheek as he spoke quietly. “Hope you’re wearing some of those easy to remove panties underneath.” He straightened again.

  I smiled slyly at him. “How do you know I’m wearing any at all?” Never in my life had I flirted so brazenly with any guy, but I couldn’t help myself with him.

  His green eyes widened with the possibilty.

  “I’m kidding. It’s already cold as heck wearing a dress, and I’m not that daring.”

  “I guess we’ll have to work on that,” he said. He swept his arm in a half circle to motion me out of the room.

  “My dad lent me his car, but he seems pissed that I’m taking you out. I got the lecture. I’m twenty-three and I’ve been in battle and I got the lecture.”

  I glanced over at him. “What lecture?”

  “About how women are people and that they should be treated with the utmost respect. He acts like I drag women around by their hair and beat them with clubs.” He stopped suddenly and pushed me up against the wall of the hallway. His mouth drifted over mine. “I told him I would never treat Auggie with anything but respect.” His knee pressed between my thighs. “Except, at the moment, I can’t stop thinking about those panties, or the lack thereof.” He kissed me softly before stepping back.

  In that short span of time, he’d flustered me completely. He continued down the hallway, and I peeled myself, dazed and light-headed, off the wall. “Sometimes, I think respect can be overrated.”

  It had taken nerves of steel not to jump into Dalton’s lap the moment we left the driveway. We could barely keep our hands off each other. As we pulled into the restaurant parking lot with windows so fogged no amount of defrosting could clear them, it occurred to me that I’d never had such a profound physical reaction to anyone else . . . ever. My mind kept falling back to the worry that this was all just physical. Dalton was stunning to look at and his sex appeal was undeniable, but I’d never been one of those shallow girls to fall for a guy just because he was hot. I wasn’t completely sure what it was about Dalton that had me so starry eyed, but it was there.

  Dalton turned off the car. “It’s a good thing my coat is long.” He reached for the door handle but then stopped and looked over at me. “I think you should become more daring.”

  “What do you mean?”

  His gaze drifted down the length of my dress. “The hem of that dress reaches the middle of your thighs.” He looked over at the restaurant. “It’s a short walk to the door and I assure you it’s warm and cozy inside. Take them off.”

  “What?” I asked incredulously, but, truthfully, the thought of it thrilled me.

  He leaned over and kissed me. “Please.”

  I needed no further coaxing. He watched as I reached under my dress and slid my panties off. I tucked them quickly in my purse. “The last thing I need is to leave them inside your dad’s car.”

  He stared at me in a way that made me want to lift my dress and straddle his legs and he knew it. “Let’s go.”

  We stepped inside the small restaurant, and instantly, I felt nervous and self-conscious as if everyone was looking at me, knowing that I’d just walked in with no underwear. Instinctively, I took hold of Dalton’s arm to ease my nerves. I glanced around. It had not been my imagination. We had drawn a great deal of attention, but quickly, I realized that it wasn’t me and my lack of undergarments that had caught the other patrons’ attention— it was Dalton.

  “Dalton!” an elderly man called from across the room. He wiped his hand on his apron as he scurried through the dining area. He was completely bald but he sported a thick goatee. His brown eyes sparkled with admiration as he reached Dalton. They hugged.

  “Rocko, this is August Stonefield. She’s one of Dad’s students at the university.”

  The man’s smile was even more welcoming than the gleam in his eyes. He took my hand and shook his head at Dalton. “You always have had an eye for beauty.” He patted my hand and released it. “Where is that purple heart, Dalton? You promised to bring it in to show me.”

  Dalton looked uncharacteristically shy. “Yeah, some day, Rocko. So is our table ready?”

  “Of course, of course.” Rocko smiled slyly my direction and then turned back to Dalton. “The quiet one in the back.” He winked at me as he took our coats. We followed him through the homey little dining room that was filled with white linen covered tables, dripping candles and vases brimming with fresh flowers. The fragrance of hot bread, steaming onions and steak filled the air. The other patrons nodded and grinned with admiration at Dalton as he walked past their tables. Rocko showed us to a small booth that was somewhat hidden from the rest of the dining room. A vase of pink roses sat in the center of the pristine, white table cloth. Rocko turned over the wine glasses that were set out. “I will bring you our best bottle, on the house, of course. It is not every day when our hometown hero comes in to dine.” He walked away.

  I reached forward and took hold of Dalton’s hand. “I have to go put on my underwear.”

  “Why?”

  “Because of sweet, old Rocko,” I waved my hand around “and the flowers and expensive table cloths and the homey atmosphere. I feel like I’m sitting naked on my grandmother’s doily covered couch. Plus, I’m sitting with not just any guy but the hometown hero.”

  He leaned toward me. “Yeah, the hometown hero who is going fucking nuts knowing
that the most incredible girl on the planet is sitting across from him in a skin tight dress with no panties.” He smiled at me. “And the way she blushes just makes her that much hotter.”

  Rocko returned with the wine. His weathered cheeks wrinkled as he grinned. “You know, Dalton, this girl reminds me a bit of my niece back in Italy.” His wink reminded me of Kris Kringle in the Christmas poem. Rocko walked away and I took Dalton’s hand again.

  “I remind him of his niece,” I said pleadingly.

  “So?”

  “So, I’ll bet that his niece never sat in his restaurant without panties.”

  Dalton laughed. He pressed my palm to his mouth. “All right.” He sighed disappointedly. “Go put them on.”

  I picked up my purse.

  “Besides, this prim, proper side of you is almost as big of a turn on as the wild side.”

  I slid out of the booth and stared down at the floor as I walked through the dining room. I was sure that the blush in my cheeks was darker than the pink roses on each table. I dashed into the bathroom and pulled on my panties.

  Feeling my old self again, I walked back out with my chin up. A framed newspaper article hung in the hallway, and I glanced quickly at it and then stopped. I stepped back in front of it. The article had been lovingly saved behind a piece of glass and oak frame. There was a picture at the bottom. Dalton was standing in his army uniform next to another soldier. There was a mischievous twinkle in the other guy’s eye that matched Dalton’s. Hesitantly, my eyes drifted down to the caption. Private Dalton North and Private Bryce Colton, Baghdad, Iraq. I began reading the article, not completely convinced that it was a good idea, but also not able to look away.

  “It’s not easy to pull the pieces back together after losing your best friend. I left a piece of my soul back there,” Private Dalton North commented from his hospital bed where he has been recuperating from the fourth surgery to save his leg. It was his only comment. The young Private had lost muscle and bone fragment from his left leg when a nearby IED exploded. He’d been injured carrying his mortally wounded friend, Private Bryce Colton, to safety. Colton succumbed to his injuries on route to the medical facility. “Our lead vehicle had been hit. North jumped out and ran to save his friend without any concern for his own safety,” Private Tex Felton commented. “That kind of loyalty, that kind of bravery, sticks with you. North definitely earned our permanent respect that day. We’d all like to think we’d risk life and limb for a friend, but I don’t know how many of us would dive headlong into a field of explosives.” “Nothing about it surprises me,” Dalton’s father, Professor Thomas North, commented. “Dalton has always been the type of person who would do anything for the people he loves. He loved Bryce like a brother. They were inseparable growing up. My son’s unselfish act was not extraordinary. It’s who he is. That’s why people love him.”

  My throat tightened as I ran my finger lightly over the picture of Dalton’s face. That’s what it was. It wasn’t just because he stole my breath away with his kisses and his touch. Dalton North was the kind of guy you could trust with your heart, your soul and your life.

  “I thought you got lost,” his deep voice drifted down the narrow passage. He looked at me. “What’s wrong? You look upset.” And then he noticed the frame on the wall. “Jeez, does Rocko still have that article up?” He walked up next to me and looked at the picture.

  “I think I would have really liked him. He looks full of mischief and humor.”

  Dalton stared at the picture and his lip turned up. “Yeah, he was. We got into plenty of trouble together, but we always had fun.” His arm went around my back.

  I turned to face him. The sadness I’d seen before in his handsome face had returned. I placed my palm against his cheek. He closed his eyes and pressed his face hard against my hand. I kissed him and he led me silently and with pain filled steps back to the table.

  ***

  The dinner had been delicious and we’d spent half the time just looking at each other. We hadn’t needed suggestive comments to keep us completely hot and aroused. As hard as we’d concentrated on enjoying our meal, it was obvious that both of us only had an appetite for one thing.

  The inside of the car was freezing. Dalton turned on the engine to start the heat. He pulled out of the restaurant parking lot. I leaned over to the driver’s seat and nibbled his ear lobe as he tried to stay focused on the icy road. I sat back in my seat and reached up beneath my dress. My hands surfaced with my panties, and I dangled them on the end of my finger. “I think I’ve really confused my panties tonight.”

  He laughed.

  “There must be some dark, secluded place to park around here,” I said hopefully.

  “Well, there’s always the old mill but then there was that incident out there—”

  I dropped the panties. “What incident?”

  “Oh, it was nothing really. People say it might just be a myth, but still—”

  We’d turned onto a dark road. “What myth?”

  “Hey, now that you’ve slid your panties off, there’s no turning back. We’ll just keep the doors locked.”

  I scooted over closer to him. “What incident?”

  “If you’re sure you want to know— the story goes that a crazy man lives in the woods around the old mill. The place shut down years ago, and the mill is in ruins. The guy was a fisherman with a hook on one arm. Lost it to a shark bite, supposedly. Two kids drove up there to make out, and just as the girl took off her bra, there was a scratching sound on the car door. She pleaded with her boyfriend not to go outside, but he wanted to make sure his car was all right. She heard a yell and her boyfriend disappeared. She drove down to the police station to get help, and when she got out of the car—” His eyes went wide with mock terror. “—there was a hook hanging on the door handle.”

  I smacked his arm. “That’s the exact same story we used to tell at slumber parties. You could have at least mixed it up a little.” I reached for my panties. “But if you think it’s too dangerous, I could always slide these back on.”

  He reached over and grabbed them from my hand and shoved them in the pocket of his jeans. “I’ll risk being skewered by a hook.” He turned the car into an empty lot that was surrounded by tall pines on one side and an abandoned building on the other. “I lied. Mill sounded more romantic. It’s actually an old mini mart that went out of business. I’ll leave the engine running for heat and music.” He scooted the seat back as far as it could go.

  “That’s all right.” I reached over and unzipped his pants. “I just experienced an hour and a half of the hottest foreplay I’ve ever had in my life and you hardly touched me. I don’t think this will take long.”

  He pushed his pants down, freeing himself from his jeans and making me instantly breathless. I unbuckled my seatbelt and got up on my knees. He pushed my dress up. “God, you are fucking beautiful.” His hand slid up the inside of my thigh.

  I couldn’t wait any longer. I climbed over the console and straddled him. I leaned down and kissed him long and deep while his hands went around the back of my legs. His fingers found the slick moisture between my thighs. A cry caught in my throat. I had to hold back to keep from losing control with just the feel of his fingers on my hot flesh. “Did you come prepared my very sexy,” I rubbed against him, “very hard, boy scout?”

  He reached into his pocket. “Do I earn another badge?”

  I took the package from him and rolled down the condom. “Definitely.”

  He took hold of my waist and lifted me up. I sighed with contentment as he pushed deep inside of me.

  “I knew they should have let girls into those meetings.” His fingers roughly grabbed my bottom and we moved together in urgent rhythm.

  I wrapped my arms around his head and pulled his face against my breasts as he slid in and out of me. “I can’t get enou
gh of you,” I said breathlessly. My head felt light on my shoulders as his movements intensified. I clutched him harder inside of me as the spasms began and rolled through me in waves that made me nearly faint with ecstasy.

  His hands tightened around my hips and he drove deeper and deeper. “Don’t ever leave me, Auggie. Please don’t ever leave.” And his head dropped back with a deep groan as he climaxed inside of me.

  I collapsed into his arms and lowered my face to his shoulder. He reached up and his calloused fingertips ran along my cheek. “I mean it. I’m fucking tired of losing people I love.” I lifted my head and gazed down at him and blinked back tears. He took hold of my face. “Don’t ever leave me.”

  Chapter 15

  Once again, a light snowfall cascaded past the kitchen window. I poured myself some hot coffee and smiled as I listened to his uneven footsteps approach. His body warmed me like a heated blanket as he pressed up against me from behind. He leaned down and kissed my neck, and his mouth lingered on my skin until sharp footsteps forced him to pull away.

  Professor North came around the corner of the kitchen. His mouth was drawn tight in a thin line and the hardness in his face sent a chill through me. “I have urgent business and phone calls to make so I have no time to make breakfast.” The tension surrounding him was palpable as he leaned past me to the coffee pot. He made none of his usual overtures or morning greetings and his unusual coldness led me to believe that he knew Dalton and I were more than just friends. A few days earlier I would have been embarrassed about it, but now I was so crazy about Dalton that Professor North’s opinion of me no longer mattered. I would finish the task he’d asked me to do and then return to my apartment. And I had every intention of inviting Dalton to join me for as long as he wanted to stay. Professor North shot an even harsher scowl at his son and then walked out of the kitchen.

  I looked at Dalton questioningly.

  He shrugged in response. “I’ve never seen him like this.”