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38 - 22 - 36??
He was going to guess right if it took the whole damn flight to do it.
She was incredible. Every man’s fantasy. Standing right there, so close. His blood pressure threatened to go sky high when the mini-skirted young stewardess pressed her thigh against Johnny’s shoulder to let someone pass in the aisle.
Near as Roy could tell, there had been plenty of room.
Some guys had all the luck.
She flashed a smile that dazzled like the warm Southern California sun on an August afternoon at the beach. He almost broke out in a sweat.
Cold. I need something cold to drink.
“Here you go, sir.”
Sir? Good grief, he was only thirty.
“Thanks, uh…,” For the fourth time since leaving LAX, Roy read her name tag as she leaned across Johnny to hand him his coke. “… Mitzy.” Fingers so nimble he could start an IV with his eyes closed suddenly failed him.
Good thing she hadn’t let go of the cup yet, or he’d be wearing it all down the front of his shirt.
She wasn’t just gorgeous, she was… you know… gorgeous. The formfitting outfit, meant to jump start the imagination, had his piston roaring to life every time she walked by. Which was pretty much constantly. Roy shifted uncomfortably, grabbing the open news magazine covering his burgeoning hardware as nonchalantly as one could under the circumstances, before it slid off his lap. Not that it mattered much. Neither the lovely young cause of his affliction -- nor his apparently unconscious partner -- seemed to notice.
Mitzy drew back until her chest was even with Johnny’s line of sight. If he’d been looking, that is. She paused, letting her eyes travel a long, slow flight path from Johnny’s face, down his chest, lingering on his very male bulge, to the book that rested atop his thighs. Long, dark eyelashes fluttered at Roy. “If I can get you… or your friend… anything else, be sure to let me know.” Mitzy sighed softly in disappointment, and moved on to a passenger several rows forward.
“Must be somethin’ new you’re tryin’?” Roy had to nudge Johnny twice before he took his nose out of the book.
“What? Readin’?”
“Whatever it is, it seems to be working this time.”
Pretty sure they weren’t having an apple-to-apple exchange, Johnny frowned in confusion, wondering what he’d missed. “Roy, what are you talking about?”
“That girl.” Roy blurted it out so loudly he was afraid she’d heard, and lowered his voice to a raspy whisper. “The stewardess. Mitzy. In case you haven’t noticed, she’s done practically everything to get your attention, except tattoo her phone number across your forehead.”
Johnny’s hand made a panicked beeline for his brow. When it dawned on him Roy was only trying to make a point, he nonchalantly settled back and played it cool.
“I noticed. She’s okay.” He shrugged and began reading again.
Roy’s bottom jaw dropped as far as it could go before snapping shut again. “Okay? She’s o--? Johnny, she… she’s more than okay. She’s… are you feelin’ all right? Altitude botherin’ you?”
Johnny shrank back in his seat, afraid Roy was going to embarrass him by feeling his forehead to see if he was running a fever. “I’m fine. She’s not my type, is all.”
Roy almost spit out a mouthful of coke before he could swallow it. “Not your… type?”
Just to make sure he hadn’t overlooked something the first time around, Johnny leaned into the aisle and carefully checked out the view of Mitzy’s backside. Hips that curved just right. Nice ass. Killer thighs. Long, sexy legs that disappeared way too soon into the tops of her white patent-leather boots.
He shook his head. “No. Not really.”
Roy opened his mouth again, but words wouldn’t come out. Partly because Johnny’s reaction left him speechless, partly because she turned around and walked by again, taking his breath right along with her. It didn’t matter that Mitzy’s smile was aimed at his best friend.
Johnny found the fact she’d captured Roy’s ‘attention’ highly amusing. Satisfying even, in a funny way, to find the shoe on the other foot for a change.
“Roy…,” Finally getting into the spirit of things, Johnny turned his book over in his lap. “… Need I remind you that you’re a happily married man?”
“Huh?” Roy blinked his eyes a few times to clear her vision from his mind. “Oh. Yeah. You know, that… that might not be a bad idea.”
Johnny picked up a napkin off the tray table and handed it to Roy. “Here. Wipe your mouth. You’re drooling. Now, am I gonna have to keep an eye on you the whole time we’re in Seattle?”
“Not unless she’s going to be at the conference, too.”
“I kinda doubt that, Roy. If she was, I… I think you’d have to stand in line behind all those doctors wantin’ to give her a complete physical.”
“So you do think she’s pretty?”
“Oh, I never said she wasn’t pretty. I just said she wasn’t my type.”
Roy took another sip of his coke, trying not to choke while he pondered just when this impostor had made the switch with the real John Gage. The light bulb finally clicked on. Of course. Johnny had his mind on someone else.
“You… uh, you gonna see Kelsey while we’re there?”
Johnny’s teasing grin slowly dissolved into a wistful sigh at the mention of her name.
“No. I… I haven’t talked to her in a couple months. I decided not to tell her I was coming… figured we’d be too busy. She’s busy too, takin’ summer classes and all. I’m sure she’s got lots of studying to do. ”
“You could always call her when we get there. You never know.”
“Maybe. It’s just that I… we… didn’t know each other all that well. We only went out a few times. She had that rule against dating firefighters, you know. I imagine she’s seeing someone now anyway.”
As Johnny turned his book over again, signaling the end of the conversation, Roy thought about the letter Dixie had read that night at Rampart. Realizing Johnny didn’t know he’d been in the room at the time, Roy decided discretion was the better part of friendship, and let the subject drop. Besides, Mitzy was back, standing on her tiptoes, reaching for a pillow in the overhead compartment directly across the aisle from them. What little there was of her skirt hiked up another inch.
Without looking up from reading, Johnny passed another napkin to Roy.
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CHAPTER ONE
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Johnny checked his watch for the third time. Roy was late.
They’d been in town for four hours, and he was already ready to go home. The tie felt like a noose around his neck. Johnny hooked a finger under his collar, trying to loosen its stranglehold on his breathing. He reminded himself for the umpteenth time that the cocktail reception tonight was the only occasion during the three-day conference that called for getting dressed up.
If he’d given it much thought, Johnny would have known his attire really wasn’t the problem. It simply added to the sense of discomfort that had been nagging at him since the plane had touched down at Sea-Tac. The coat and tie wouldn’t have been so bad on their own, but the warm and airless, dimly lit eighth floor hallway vaguely resembled a sauna without the steam.
Gingerly leaning his back against the wall outside the elevator door, Johnny didn’t bother to suppress a yawn. Normally, he’d be wound up and ready to socialize. But, not tonight. His heavy eyelids closed, and his chin dropped to his chest. Like most seasoned firefighters, he’d learned long ago to grab whatever precious minutes of rest came his way, even standing up.
He and Roy had headed directly to the airport after getting off a rough, busy shift which hadn’t allowed for more than a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Little remained of his headache, but Johnny’s back muscles still felt the strain of overuse. A bruise nearly the size of a Frisbee decorated his shoulder blade in an ugly mixture of pale green and dark purple. Everything that could have gone wrong, had gone wrong with one of yesterday’s runs. Kids. He hated it when kids were involved.
Johnny hoped to excuse himself from the opening speeches later, wanting to take a long walk before turning in early for the night. Unlike their previous visit to Seattle, they wouldn’t be spending time at a station, or on ride-a-longs. Hours sitting on the airplane and in the taxi, coupled with the thought of three days of speeches and panels and discussion groups yet to come, had him feeling too tense and restless to relax by the time he had gotten to his room.
The midsummer medical meeting was being held in an old, once-elegant ten-story hotel near the waterfront. Rates lowered while undergoing major renovations to restore it to its former glory, the normally pricey accommodations had been made even more affordable for those attending the conference. Though used to each other’s late night habits at the station, he and Roy had usually managed to drive each other up the wall with their little idiosyncrasies whenever they had roomed together in the past, so it had come as a pleasant surprise to learn the department had dusted the cobwebs off the County wallet to pay for separate rooms.
Memories of other trips over the years paraded through his thoughts while he waited. Seminars and conferences had always been fun, but Johnny felt his enthusiasm for this one rapidly waning. There was no one thing he could pin it on. Maybe, he thought, because this would be his and Roy’s last together as a paramedic team. Changes were already in the wind in their professional and their personal lives. Captain’s exams were just around the corner. They’d be going their separate ways after almost seven years as partners, and the closest of friends.
“I said, have you pushed the button already?” Roy waved a hand in front of Johnny’s face to bring him back from wherever his mind had wandered off.
“Huh? Oh. No. I was waitin’ for you.”
Reaching to press the down button, Roy kept a watchful eye on his preoccupied partner. “Somethin’ botherin’ you, Johnny? I mean, besides....”
“No.” Johnny cut him off quickly, pushing away from the wall. “No, just tired.” He pulled at his tie again, changing the subject. “Man, it’s hot in here. The air conditioner must be broken.”
“Yeah, they’ve got those ‘please excuse the inconvenience’ signs everywhere. My room’s real nice, though,” Roy commented. “How’s yours?”
“It’s fine. I sat out on the balcony. Nice view.” Johnny paused briefly, knowing he needed to make a little attitude adjustment. “The weather’s a lot nicer than the last time we were here, that’s for sure.” There, that was better.
“I didn’t mind the rain so much,” Roy said with a slight air of apology, knowing Johnny’s preferences ran toward warmer climes. Following him into the elevator, Roy punched the lobby button several times, waiting until the door closed before continuing their conversation. “Still, it’s too bad we’ll be inside all day. I’d kinda like to see the Space Needle again. Without the jumper this time.”
“Yeah. I don’t imagine anything too exciting’s gonna happen this trip,” Johnny added, with a more than a trace of disappointment in his voice. “Tell you the truth, Roy, I’d rather be hanging out at a station than being around a bunch of stuffy doctors for the next three days.”
“I won’t tell Brackett and Early you said that,” Roy joked, trying to coax Johnny out of his sulky mood. “Besides, there’ll be plenty of paramedics here, too. It should be interesting to compare notes on how other departments and cities are running their programs now.”
“I suppose,” Johnny answered absently, shifting his gaze to the lighted countdown of floor numbers on the panel above the door. Trying to appear more relaxed than he felt, he slid his hands in the pockets of his slacks, and took a stab at putting yesterday’s events from his thoughts for a while. “You know, it… it’s gonna be kind of strange, not being a paramedic any more, isn’t it?”
“Things could still change,” Roy reminded him. “But, yeah. It’s gonna be different. I… I kinda like the sound of Captain DeSoto, though.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Johnny allowed a little grin to sneak across his face at the thought. “Captain Gage has a real nice ring to it, too.”
The elevator stopped with a thump, and the door opened to a poshly redecorated lobby. Thick, wine-colored carpeting, subdued lighting, soft music, just the right touch of flowers here and there, and framed art on the walls blended to create a mellow, relaxed ambiance. They strolled down the hallway, past the lounge, and headed for the reception being held in the Snoqualmie Falls Ballroom. A fair-sized crowd had already gathered by the time they signed in and went inside.
Johnny immediately perked up when he saw the buffet tables being lined with all kinds of sumptuous food and desserts. “You hungry, Roy?”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t look like they’re ready to serve anything yet. How about you get us a couple of beers, and I’ll go find our table. Maybe we should mingle a little. You know,” he hinted for Johnny’s benefit, “try to be… sociable while we wait.”
Johnny gave Roy a testy I know, I know look, then pointed across the room. “I see Chris Martin and Joe… Joe… you know, the guys from Sacramento. Why don’t you go say hello? I’ll get the beers and join you in a minute.”
Waiting in a short line at the open bar, Johnny glanced around the room. His search for other familiar faces was interrupted when someone impatiently tapped his back to let him know it was his turn to order. “Two beers,” he said, holding up two fingers out of habit. Taking the glasses, he turned around, looking through the crowd for Roy.
It all happened so fast, he never had a chance.
The person in line behind him bumped his sore shoulder. The beer flew from the glasses, drenching the suit coat of a well-dressed, silver-haired man who just happened to be walking in front of Johnny at that very moment. The man blinked in surprise, then scowled irritably when he put his hands to his jacket and realized what had happened.
“Oh. Uh… uh, sorry.” Johnny twisted around to put the glasses down on the bar, and urged the bartender to hand over a towel. Patting the man’s coat with the cloth, Johnny stammered through an apology, trying to explain what had happened. Flustered and tongue-twisted, nothing he said was coming out quite right.
A younger man stood nearby, observing it all with an insolent smirk on his face. The one whose suit reeked of beer, jerked the towel from Johnny’s hand, and proceeded to wipe his coat himself. He made no effort to disguise his annoyance, briskly stroking the towel down his lapels, grumbling gruffly under his breath.
At a loss for what more to say or do, Johnny stepped aside to nab a handful of napkins to wipe up the beer that had spilled on the floor. He froze in his tracks when he heard the voice behind him.
“Dad! What happened?”
I don’t be-lieve it.
“Damn clumsy fool spilled beer all over me,” came the irked mutter in reply.
Johnny’s shoulders sagged and he closed his eyes for a moment, drawing a deep breath before turning around to face the music. And what sweet, sensual music she was.
He was a goner before he could look at her twice.
“Johnny?” Her eyes widened in surprise. “I didn’t know you were here.”
It wasn’t the tie that had a stranglehold on his breathing any more.
“Kelse’.”
He didn’t know what else to say. Johnny knew what he wanted to say. That she looked incredible in those high heels and that little black dress with her long blonde hair falling around her shoulders, and how was she, and would she go upstairs with him right now and get naked and spend the night in his bed having sex in every way imaginable until the sun came up.
That’s what the head on his shoulders wanted to say. His other one, located due south of his belt buckle, was taking over, succinctly summing it up in just two words:
Let’s fuck.
Kelsey had never seen a man’s eyes turn so dark, so… lustful… as Johnny’s at that moment. The room suddenly went silent, empty, but for the two of them. There were no layers of pretense to strip away. It was all there in front of her. Kelsey saw… she felt… his raw need to have her, to fill her with himself, to devour her as a famished hunter would his prey. His eyes blazed with hot, shameless desire. She could see it wasn’t just for sex. It was a desire reserved for her, and her alone.
She stood riveted, mesmerized, instantly throbbing, wet and hot in that spot between her legs where she wanted to feel his tongue, his fingers, his rock hard cock driving deep inside her over and over until she exploded, calling his name, begging him to do it again. Again. And again.
Kelsey had heard of a man making love to a woman with his eyes, but Johnny was fucking her brains out with his. The passionate attraction they’d always shared jolted her entire body more fiercely than ever before. She hadn’t been with another man, hadn’t wanted to be, since the night they’d spent together. Kelsey couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do than spend another night like that with him. Or a hundred nights. Starting right now.
“Ah-HEM!” Dr. Winters loudly cleared his throat and snatched the napkins from Johnny’s hand before they all fell to the floor. “Kelsey, I take it you two… know each other?”
The resonance of his voice broke the spell, and the room filled again with people and the buzz of conversation. Mere seconds had passed. Kelsey wasn’t sure if Johnny had been able to read her thoughts. He hadn’t moved, hadn’t even breathed, until hearing her father speak seemed to snap him out of his daze. She was hopeful she hadn’t given herself away to the men who were watching her. Fortunately, Johnny had his back turned to them. There would have been no disguising what was on his mind.
Quickly recovering as though nothing had transpired other than greeting an old friend, Kelsey gaily introduced her two favorite men to each other. “Dad, this is John Gage. He’s a paramedic with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. We met while I was working at Rampart. I’ve told you about him. Johnny… meet my dad.”
Stifling a groan of embarrassment over the spilled beer, Johnny turned around and held out his hand, humbly apologizing for what felt like the twentieth time.
The doctor haltingly accepted his handshake, coolly telegraphing his reservations about Johnny’s all-too obvious involvement with his daughter.
The other man standing aside had gone virtually unnoticed until he uttered a haughty “ah-hem” of his own. He arched a perfect blonde eyebrow, as though Kelsey owed him an explanation.
“I’m sorry,” she said, hastily making up for her oversight, “Johnny, this is Brendan Welles. Dr. Brendan Welles.”
When Johnny extended his right hand again, Welles deliberately put his in his pants pocket. Barely nodding to acknowledge the introduction, he subtly looked Johnny up and down, taking in his complexion and ethnic features, his shaggy dark hair and dark brown eyes. No doubt in his mind from what he’d just witnessed, Gage was the man Kelsey had been unconsciously mooning over since she’d come home from LA. Welles had to admit she was amazingly consistent, if nothing else, in her affinity for dredging the bottom of the barrel when it came to men.
“A fireman… among other things. That explains a lot,” Welles scoffed in disdain. “Tell me something. Johnny… is it? Are you that handy when it comes to starting IVs on patients?”
“Brendan! That wasn’t called for.” Swift as it was, Kelsey knew her reproach came too late. Johnny’s jaw clenched, and she could see anger ripple across his face, but he didn’t say anything. Though he certainly didn’t need defending, she felt the need to smooth things over.
“A lot of people owe Johnny their lives, Brendan. He was one of the first paramedics in the entire country. The program in LA County is one of the most successful there is, because of him and his partner, and others like him,” she proudly explained. The other half of Welle’s disparaging innuendo had sailed right over her head.
Welles just sniffed, unimpressed, then flashed a brilliant smile right out of a dental ad in Dr. Winters’ direction. “I have another coat in my room, if you’d like to try it on. You can’t very well make your speech tonight wearing that one.”
Still stinging from the insults, neither of which sailed over his head, Johnny started to apologize to Kelsey’s father again, stopped by the older doctor when he held up his hand.
Wanting to compensate for Welles’ display of unnecessary rudeness, Dr. Winters softened his tone. “No need, young man. I didn’t mean to get so upset. I’m sure it was an accident. I’ll borrow Brendan’s coat, and everything will be fine.”
Though letting a slightly rattled Johnny off the hook, his face nonetheless wore a stern look of fatherly disapproval when he addressed Kelsey. “I suppose you two have some catching up to do. You’ll be here when I get back?”
Only a daughter would understand that look, and the protective timbre of a father’s voice. Kelsey refrained from sighing out loud, knowing he would probably still think of her as his innocent little girl, untarnished by contact of any sort with the male of the species, even when she was fifty. Ironic, she thought, because he knew better.
“Yes, Dad. I’ll be here,” she patiently assured him.
Brendan smoothly stepped in front of Johnny, gave her a kiss on the cheek and whispered something in her ear. Kelsey rolled her eyes when he and her father walked away.
“Men,” she muttered disgustedly.
Figuring he was unfairly lumped into that appalling category purely by nature of his birth, Johnny suddenly felt awkward about not letting her know he would be in Seattle. Even though he’d seen the name of Dr. Kurt Winters on the agenda, it hadn’t occurred to him that he might be her father, and that Kelsey would be here. Blinded by his reaction to seeing her, the uncertainty over how she felt in return added to his unease. That… and the uncertainly over exactly how Brendan Welles fit into the picture.
Unaware of the underlying causes and the depth of his discomposure, Kelsey crossed her arms in mock indignation and impatiently tapped her foot on the floor. “Johnny, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
Disconcerted though he was, those high heels were damned distracting. Mighty damned distracting. Johnny’s mouth went dry and his pulse pounded. He took a shaky deep breath before coming up with a half-baked explanation. “I don’t know. You… when you didn’t return my last couple of phone calls, I just assumed… well, you know. You were too busy.”
“But, I did call you back, Johnny. You were never home. I even called the station once, but you were out on a run. I guess I should have left a message. When you didn’t call again, I just assumed… well, you know. You were too busy.” Her good-humored riposte proved to be the ice breaker they needed. Kelsey was relieved when he finally appeared to relax, and a smile almost found its way into his eyes.
“I’d never be too busy to talk to you, Kelse’. I’ve kinda missed seeing you around Rampart,” Johnny confessed, growing serious again. “And, I’m sorry. I guess I… I didn’t make much of an impression on your father.”
With a wave of her hand, she made light of the whole thing. “Oh, don’t worry about him. He’s just nervous tonight. Dad’s spent the last two weeks rehearsing his speech, and he’s convinced he’s going to forget every word of it as soon as he stands up.” Kelsey took hold of Johnny’s hand, and pulled him toward the door to the patio on the other side of the room. “Let’s go outside and talk for a while. And then, maybe I’ll decide if I’m going to forgive you for not telling me you were coming.”
The fresh air helped clear his mind of all thoughts but one. Letting Kelsey lead the way to a small table at the end of the patio, Johnny took his time following her. He stopped, imagining unzipping that sexy little dress, slowly slipping it off her shoulders, watching it fall down around her ankles, seeing her naked -- except for those black, strappy high heels -- hot and aroused and wanting him as much as he wanted her. He began to ache in ways and places he hadn’t since that night a year ago.
A hand suddenly clamped down on his shoulder. Johnny practically jumped out of his skin. He turned his head, half-expecting Dr. Winters to be standing there, ready to read him the riot act for thinking what he was thinking.
Roy simply handed him a napkin, smiled, and walked away to rejoin the small group of paramedics he’d hooked up with.
“Funny, Roy,” he called after him, “Real funny.”
Kelsey sat down and waited for Johnny to catch up with her. Until a few minutes ago, she hadn’t realized just how much she had missed seeing him all the time. Even when she had discouraged his attempts to get her to date him, his visits had often been the highlight of her work day. He had always been sweet and funny, never forceful, yet incredibly persistent in his pursuit of her. Kelsey had come to realize, to her everlasting regret, that her rule had gotten in the way of something special between them.
There had never been any doubt about how much she had missed the way Johnny had made love to her that night. Kelsey felt the throbbing again between her legs at the very thought of his lips brushing hers, his hands caressing her bare breasts. She grew moist at the thought of exposing herself, legs spread wide, inviting him to feast to his heart’s content. She fantasized how she would take him in her mouth and suck him until he flooded her with his hot, salty cum. And that would just be foreplay to the real thing.
The question Kelsey had asked herself all these months -- if their one night stand had been merely that -- had been answered by the smoldering look in his eyes, when Johnny had turned around and seen her standing there. It had taken remarkable restraint not to throw her arms around his neck, plunge her tongue down his throat, and rip his clothes off right there in front of her father and half of Seattle’s prominent medical community. Remarkable restraint.
Johnny pulled up a chair, his hands gripping the arms so tightly his knuckles turned white, fighting the urge to touch her. It wasn’t the only urge he was fighting. Even though they’d only been together one night, Kelsey Winters had stolen a piece of his heart long before that. He had never felt this way for so long about any woman before. Johnny knew if they made love again, he would never want to let her go.
It was the real reason he hadn’t told her about the trip. Johnny had kept reminding himself they had separate lives, and separate careers to pursue. Kelsey’s future was in Seattle and his was in LA. The hotel surroundings, the doctors… and Brendan Welles… also confirmed in no uncertain terms that he and Kelsey traveled in different circles, and that hers was a lot further uptown than his.
“Johnny?” she said softly, curious why he was so distant again. “You’re being awfully quiet. Is everything okay?”
In addition to everything else, he wasn’t sure if her cool composure earlier had been for her father’s benefit, or if the intense attraction they’d once shared had been reduced to a fond memory. Johnny was at a rare loss for words around her for the second time tonight. A quiet “yeah, everything’s fine” was the best he could come up with.
His reticence was so out of character, Kelsey didn’t know how to act or what to say. Johnny was normally so easy going and playful, and she found it strange for him to be nervous and uncertain. She was positive she hadn’t misread him a while ago. There had been nothing shy about the way he had looked at her then. Coming to the conclusion he must be having second thoughts, Kelsey settled for casual chatting, hiding her disappointment as best she could.
“So, tell me. How are things in the paramedic business these days?” In an effort to draw him out, it sounded like a safe enough subject, one he had never failed to warm to in the past.
“Busy. Addin’ more squads all the time.” Johnny kept his eyes on the napkin he was fiddling with, trying hard to overcome his edginess. “The department keeps adding new stations, too. If things work out, it looks like Roy and I’ll be gettin’ out of the business soon. We’re both planning to take the captain’s exam in another month.”
“Johnny, that’s great!” Genuinely thrilled, Kelsey almost leaned over and kissed him, holding back only because he seemed so uncomfortable. “Isn’t it? I mean, I know you love being a paramedic, but a promotion.... Captain John Gage. I like that.”
He finally lifted his head, showing her that slow, sexy grin of his. “Yeah, I do too. It’s time to move on. Make some changes. The job’s not getting any easier, and I’m not getting any younger, you know.”
Wondering if the changes he mentioned involved someone special, or something more than his job, Kelsey sighed in understanding about the not getting younger part. “I’m beginning to know what you mean. I never would have thought I could feel so old at twenty-six, but this last year has been a lot tougher than I expected. There doesn’t seem to be time for anything. Not even sleep. I’m sure it shows, too.”
If he could have his way, she wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight, either. “You look… great, Kelse’.” Johnny couldn’t take his eyes from her face now. It was impossible to deny what he wanted so badly. He had never wanted a woman the way he wanted her. Right now. This minute.
Kelsey quivered and felt herself go wet with excitement when his eyes had that look again. He was so damned hot. So utterly… male. Prowling. Tense. Ready to take her down and ravish her. She was ready, and so willing. Surely, he could see that.
The air crackled, and flash of heat singed the narrowing distance between them as she reached for his hand. In a heartbeat, Johnny’s facial expression and body language did a complete one-eighty. It didn’t take but a few words for Kelsey to know why.
“There you are.” Welles had come up behind her, and put his hands on her shoulders. “Your father’s looking for you, Kelsey. There are some people he wants you to meet. Important people.”
Their eyes met, and both men read each others’ intentions perfectly. With an arrogant sneer of contempt, Brendan Welles was unmistakably marking his territory, warning Johnny to back off.
Kelsey’s breath caught in her throat when Johnny looked away. There had been something different in his eyes. Hurt, anger. Something deep, dark. Unsettling. He hadn’t been himself all evening. Knowing there was more than the interrupted moment upsetting him, she also knew it wasn’t the time or place to discuss it. The heat had disappeared, and the air had taken on a distinct chill, making her shiver slightly.
“You’re cold. We should go in now.” Brendan gallantly offered his hand to help her up, but offered no apology to Johnny for intruding on their conversation.
She rose to leave, hesitating, waiting for Johnny to get up too, but he stayed put. His and Brendan’s instant dislike for each other had left her bewildered, and feeling very in the middle of something she couldn’t put her finger on. “Johnny…. I need to go. We’ll talk later, okay?”
“Yeah. Later,” he said sullenly, feeling like he’d been cast aside in favor of more significant matters, and more significant people.
Johnny watched them walk away, irritated to no end for letting that impeccably manicured, insufferably pompous, blue-eyed sonofabitch take over every time he came near Kelsey. But then, she didn’t seem to notice, much less object. She had failed to explain their relationship, and Welles had certainly given Johnny reason to assume they were far more than passing acquaintances. The doctor had a way of making Johnny feel thoroughly out of his league around Kelsey, and that wasn’t something his healthy sense of self-esteem was used to dealing with.
“Thought maybe you’d be hungry.” Roy appeared out of nowhere with a plate of food, and sat down at the table with him.
Slumping back in his chair, Johnny raked a hand through his hair, a gesture of pure frustration so automatic, he didn’t realize he did it half the time. More than a little unfocused, he gazed at the plate in front of him for a minute, then gave it a little push back in Roy’s direction. “Seems I lost my appetite.”
Not one to pry, Roy picked at the food, letting a few minutes go by in silence, until he sensed Johnny had a handle on it. Whatever it was. “Some of the guys are talking about getting together to have a few drinks later. Wanna come along? Or do you… uh, you have plans?”
Johnny drew a weary breath and exhaled slowly, then shook his head. “No plans, but I think I’ll pass. Been a long two days, you know? I’m beat. I think I’ll just turn in early.”
“Yeah. I’m not gonna stay up too late myself. I guess… I guess we should go in now. They’re about ready to get things started.” Roy stood, but Johnny didn’t. “You comin’?”
“You think anybody’d notice if I didn’t stay?”
Roy could tell by his demeanor that Johnny wasn’t ducking out in order to meet Kelsey. Just the opposite. Things obviously hadn’t worked out. “You sure you’re okay?”
Johnny pushed his chair back and stood up, stretching his back. “Yeah. Like I said. Just tired. And desperately in need of a woman. Maybe I’ll go for a walk, then call it a night.”
Passing through the banquet room again on his way out, Johnny couldn’t resist looking for her. She wasn’t hard to spot in a room filled with men. Kelsey mingled easily with a group of distinguished-looking doctors. Welles had his arm around her waist, and she appeared at ease, laughing and enjoying the company and the attention.
Johnny left in a hurry, not seeing her look over her shoulder, searching the room for him.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Dormroom -:-:- Locker
-:-:- Door -:-:- Bunk -:-:- Shower -:-:- Sheets
-:-:- Submissions
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