Whiskey Tribute: A Trident Security Series Novella - Book 5.5 (6 page)

With Curt’s hand on his shoulder guiding him, Connor moved
from stall to stall searching for the tango. He found Boomer hiding in the
third one on the left and fired his weapon. Of course, the former SEAL had to
get dramatic, clutching his chest and performing one of the worst death scenes
ever. Cheering, Connor’s teammates high-fived him, and the kid was on cloud
nine. This is why the men loved to do shit like this with children…to see that
mile-wide smile.

One by one, the kids took their turns on the search and
destroy mission. Even the deputies, Phil and Sean, took turns, then the former
suited up in the attack suit and they gave everyone a show of Kilo’s abilities
as an aggressive tracking dog. After he’d taken the ‘bad guy’ down, the K9 was
rewarded with his favorite Kong toy. It always amazed Curt how dogs trained for
military and law enforcement could switch their aggressiveness on and off with
a verbal command. When Kilo wasn’t working, the big Belgian Malinois was a
mush, just like Trident’s trained dog, Beau. That dog loved his large, human
family, which was steadily growing.

By three p.m., the Trident team and their women and friends
were all packed and they said their goodbyes before heading to the airport.
Curt handed out the SEAL Team Four bronze challenge coins he’d brought with him
for the kids. They were collectors’ items, and the only way you could get one
was from a current or retired member of the team. Challenge coins got their
start in the Air Force during WWI. A wealthy pilot had some made for his
squadron as a token of their service. Over the years, the idea spread and they
were now very popular throughout the service. Some were easier to get than
others.

After making sure everything was cleaned up, Urkel and Pete
headed back to their hotel. They told Curt if he wanted to join them they were
going to go the pub where Eric’s repast had been for a few beers and dinner. He
declined, but made plans for them to come back to Dana’s for breakfast before
heading to the airport for their own flights home. One to Colorado, the other
to Florida.

The rest of the parents attending, mostly women, had helped
clean up the food, cake, and birthday decorations and they all thanked Curt for
making the arrangements for a party their kids would never forget. Connor and
his mother, Susan, were the last to leave. The boy threw his arms around Curt’s
waist until he squatted down so they were eye to eye. “Did you have a good
time?”

“It was the best! I can’t wait to tell everyone at school I
was a SEAL for my birthday!”

Curt ruffled the boy’s hair. “And you have the pictures to
prove it.” The Trident team usually avoided pictures, which might end up on the
internet, for security reasons. But with the black grease paint and the brims
of their ball caps pulled low to obscure their faces, they had joined in the
group photo. After the pictures were taken, they’d all cleaned off their faces
with baby-wipes.

When he stood again, Susan stepped forward and hugged him as
well. “I don’t know how I can convey how much this meant to both of us. You’re
an angel.”

Blushing, he glanced over to where Dana was watching and gave
her a wink. He then took a step back and grinned at Susan. “I think I know a
few terrorists who will disagree with you, but I’m glad we were able to make
Connor’s birthday special for him.”

“Oh, you did! Not sure how I’m going to top this next year,
though.” They both laughed and then the woman led Connor and Justin, who was
going with them for a sleepover, to her car.

Dana stepped over to where Curt was waving goodbye as they
drove away. She gave him a teasing hip check. He chuckled then gave her one in
return.

“Ya know, Elmer? Ya done good.”

He let out a bark at her statement and put his arm around her
shoulders as they walked to the backyard. It was something Eric had said often
after a successful mission or when praising his kids for a job well done. “So,
now what do we do? Amanda’s spending the night at Nellie’s. Justin’s gone, too.
Want to see if the other two want to go see a movie later, or what?”

“I think they would love to go, but would you mind if I stayed
home?”

Stopping, he turned to face her. “Everything all right?”

“Yes. Fine. I’m just tired. It’s been a busy few days. In
fact, I’m surprised you’re not ready to pass out.”

“Are you calling me old, woman?” Reaching out, he tickled her
sides, eliciting a squeal from her. She then pivoted and made a beeline to a
tree to try and hide behind it, but he was right on her heels. Grabbing her
around the waist, he lifted her off the ground and spun in a circle, sending
her legs out in the air.

“Curt! Put me down!”

Her laughter belied her indignation. But when he spotted
Taylor and Ryan watching them, he thought it best to stop and take his hands
off their mother. They weren’t used to seeing a man other than their father
teasing and holding her. Dana hadn’t told him her decision yet, but he was
determined to have it before he left on Monday. He’d planned for an extra-long
weekend because, honestly, he had no desire to return to Daytona. Every time he
left her and the kids now, a little more of his heart stayed behind. Now, he
just had to hope Dana would, one day, want him to stay.

After making sure Taylor and Ryan were in the latter’s room
playing X-box, Dana took a deep breath and headed for the back porch where Curt
was having a beer. It was just after nine p.m. and she knew she’d
procrastinated long enough. She knew the boys would be occupied until they went
to bed, so she didn’t have to worry about them. It was time to take a leap of
faith.

Passing the refrigerator on her way, she grabbed a bottle of
Bud Light for herself. She rarely drank at home, but tonight she needed a hint
of liquid courage. She opened the back door and stepped out into cool night
air. They’d lucked out with the weather for the party, and the temperatures had
been in the low seventies. Not bad for the last weekend in April. But now it
was cool enough for the sweatshirt she’d thrown on over her V-neck tee.

Curt was sitting on the porch swing as he’d taken to doing in
the evenings, just staring out at the woods surrounding the several acres Dana
owned and the  bluffs in the distance. His head turned when he heard her open
the door and he moved over on the seat to make room for her. “Didn’t think you
were going to join me.”

“I was just finishing a few chores and making sure the boys
were settled.” She sat beside him and took a sip of her beer as he put the
swing in motion.

Not knowing where or how to start the conversation she knew
he was waiting for, she let the silence drag on for a few minutes until Curt
let out a weary sigh. “Your answer is no, isn’t it?”

“What? No! I mean, no, my answer isn’t no.” She shifted and
brought her knee up on the seat so she was facing him. His eyes were wide with
surprise. “I just…I want to take this slow…I mean…God, what do I mean?” He
remained silent as she untangled the web of thoughts in her mind. “I’m
attracted to you, Curt, there’s no denying that. More than I ever expected to
be with you or anyone else after Eric. But I have to think of the children.
While you and I figure out if this is what we both want, we need to keep it
from the kids…at least for now. I don’t want them to think you’re replacing
their dad or get the impression we have a future together, only to be
disappointed if it doesn’t work out.”

He nodded. “I completely understand and agree.” A seductive
grin spread across his face and she felt herself grow wet. “So, for now, we
have to sneak around and hide if I want to steal a few kisses from you. I kinda
like that. It sounds naughty.”

Oh, hell, when he talked like that, all she wanted to do was
jump his bones. He must have had a similar thought because he took her beer and
placed it with his own on the little table next to the swing. Standing, he held
out his hand and when she took it, he pulled her up. Hand-in-hand, she followed
him as he led her to the barn. The big sliding doors on either side were closed
once again, so they entered through the small, pedestrian door. He flipped on a
switch which turned on one overhead light only, so they could see, but left the
others down the length of the building off.

Dana was nervous as hell, but she was also dying of
anticipation. Her body had been craving this man’s touch for weeks now.
Stopping at the bottom of the ladder which led to the loft, Curt turned to her
and cupped her face with his hands. “I’m going to kiss you, now, sweetheart. No
one else is around. It’s just you and me. I’ll stop if and when you want me to,
but no running away.”

His voice was husky and mesmerizing as she stared into his
soft brown eyes which were bright with desire. All she could do was nod and
lick her lips, silently inviting him to take what he wanted. Lowering his face
to hers, ever so slowly, his lips touched hers and sparks flew. One of his
hands went to the back of her head to hold her in place as the other slid down
her back and pulled her close. Her arms snaked around his neck as she went up
on tippy-toes.

The kiss was gentle at first, almost hesitant, as if they
were both expecting the other to back away. But then Curt grew bolder and used
his tongue to encourage her to part her lips for him. When she did, he turned
her and backed her against the wooden ladder. Her hands went into his hair as
he consumed her. Their tongues dueled with each other and he ground his pelvis
against her abdomen. It wasn’t enough for her—she was too short for him to rub
his erection where she wanted it the most.

Putting one hand on his chest, she pushed until he broke the
kiss. He was as breathless as she was. “What? Are you okay?”

Instead of giving him a verbal answer, she nodded then turned
around. Placing her hands and feet on the ladder, she climbed up into the loft,
then looked back down at him. Giving him a coy gesture with her finger for him
to follow, she grinned when he practically flew up after her. Dana quickly
found the sleeping bags which were stored up there with the rest of the camping
equipment. With Curt’s help, she opened and spread out three of them on top of
each other on the wooden floor, wishing they had some of the bales of hay to
make it softer.

As he took her hand and pulled her down on their makeshift bed,
there was a moment of trepidation which passed through her and he must have
sensed it. Sitting with his back to the wall, he lifted her onto his lap.
“Sweetheart, listen to me. We don’t have to do anything but cuddle and kiss
right now. No matter how much my cock is jabbing your hip.” She laughed as he
waggled his eyebrows at her. “But seriously. We’ll take this as slow as you
want to go. I just don’t want you to have any regrets afterward.”

Her heart opened to him a little more. Was it possible to
fall in love with two men in a lifetime?
If Eric was still alive…no…do not
go there. He’s gone. Your love for him will always be there, even if he can’t
be. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fall in love again—especially with the man
who has become your best friend over the past year.

Taking a deep breath, she reached up and skimmed her fingers
along his jaw, which was covered with coarse stubble. She brushed her thumb
over his plump bottom lip and his tongue darted out to taste her. Leaning in,
she replaced her thumb with her mouth, groaning as he began to ravish her as
he’d done moments before. She was hungry for him. Shifting, she straddled his
hips. His hands settled at her waist as if he were letting her take the lead.
But she didn’t want that. She wanted them to be equal in this.

As she rubbed against him, chest to chest, she felt him
harden further at the juncture between her legs. He pulled down the zipper of
her sweatshirt and she yanked it off her shoulders and arms, tossing it aside.
His hands slid up on either side of her rib cage, just under her heavy orbs as
he lifted them, feeling their weight. Bunching up his T-shirt in her hands, she
tugged it from his pants. When he leaned forward, away from the wall, she
pulled it up and over his head. Her gaze dropped to his sculpted pecs as she glided
her fingers over them. Wanting…no…needing to be skin to skin with him, she
grasped the hem of her shirt and removed it before reaching back and unhooking
her bra. She was desperate for his touch and didn’t care if it showed.

Through heavy-lidded eyes, he watched her remove her clothes.
The lust she saw there mirrored her own. Rising up on her knees, she brought
her breasts to the level of his mouth. Her pussy clenched in need when he
pulled her closer and his lips latched on to one nipple as his fingers played
with the other. A gasp escaped her when he flicked his tongue over the stiff
peak. Holding his head to her chest, she reveled in the sweet torture he was
lavishing on her. He began to alternate between the two breasts, sucking and
licking one, while teasing the other with his fingertips.

Dana’s head fell back on her shoulders as she tried not to
cry out how good it felt to be touched by this man. He left her breasts and
twisted his torso until she was lying flat on her back. Following her down,
Curt took her mouth once more as he covered her body with his own, holding the
majority of his weight on his forearms at either side of her shoulders.

His pelvis met hers and he ground them together, making her
moan and beg as he nuzzled her neck. “Please. Naked. Need to be naked with you
now.”

She reached down for the fly of his cargo pants, but he slid
down her body, out of her grasp. “
Uh-uh
. You first.”

Kissing her abdomen, he undid the button of her jeans and
lowered the zipper. He tugged at the denim and Dana lifted her hips to help
him. Yanking the jeans off her legs, he threw them aside and ran his hands up
her calves and thighs. His eyes were zeroed in on her plain white panties, and
she silently cursed herself for not wearing something prettier.

Spreading her legs wider, he crawled forward and inhaled
deeply. “Damn, your scent is the sweetest perfume. I wish I could bottle it.”

How the hell did he make her wetter just by giving her a
compliment? Curt lowered his mouth to her mound and she gasped when he blew hot
air through her panties. His hands slid back up to her breasts, kneading the
flesh and flicking her nipples with his fingers. Her moaning grew louder as her
eyes fluttered shut. She squirmed underneath him, her breath increasing and her
pulse racing. “Oh, Curt. Yes…oh, God, yes!”

“Say it again, sweetheart. Open your eyes and say it again.”

Her hips bucked, needing him to put his mouth back on her.
“Yes!”

He nipped the inside of her thigh and her eyes flew open. Her
gaze met his intense one. “Say my name again, Dana.”

She knew what he meant…what he needed. He had to make sure it
was just the two of them in the barn…in the moment…and not the ghost of the
dead man they’d both loved in different ways. “Conrad Michael Bannerman, if you
don’t rip off my underwear this instant and put that mouth of yours to better
use, I’m going to go insane.”

Chuckling and smirking, he grabbed the white cotton fabric
and pulled, shredding it from her body. Dana let out a quick squeak. “That’s
not what I meant!”

“Too bad. Now, what was that second part again? Something
about putting my mouth to better use?”

He didn’t wait for an answer from her, instead attacking her
pussy with fervor. Flattening his tongue, he dragged it up her slit, over and
over again. He ate her like a starved man, feasting on her swollen pussy lips.
His hands seemed to be everywhere at once as he took her higher and higher.
Chin stubble rubbed against her inner thighs.

“Oh, shit! Curt! Please!” She clutched his hair, the silky
blond strands tickling her fingers. One of Curt’s hands trailed down her
abdomen and stopped right above her mound. His thumb brushed against her clit
and her hips bucked. “Oh! Oh, God! Don’t…don’t stop! Oh!”

Bringing his mouth to her sensitive bud, he sucked while
dropping his hand further. One finger, then two, eased into her core and she
felt another rush of fluid escape her. Her grip on his hair tightened, but it
didn’t seem to bother him as his assault picked up speed. Plunging his fingers
in deep, he curled them, searching for the spot which would push her over the
edge. Dana was just shy of hyperventilating, gasping for air as her body
prepared to explode.

“Cum for me, baby. Let it go.”

His order sent her soaring. She bit her bottom lip to keep
from screaming at the top of her lungs as her body quaked with the force of her
orgasm. His mouth was on her again, as she came for him. He drank her, licking
and swallowing every drop, and it sent her over the edge again. She squirmed to
get away, to get closer, to…damn, she didn’t know what she wanted, but it
wasn’t for him to stop.

As she returned to Earth, his tongue rasped her slit a few
more times before he lifted his head and their gazes met. Her eyes were almost
closed but she could still see him. “That was better than I dreamed it would
be.”

Grinning, he wiped her cum from his chin and cheeks. “Really?
So you
have
been dreaming about me. Good to know.” He went up on his
knees, his hands going to the pockets of his pants and his face plummeted. “Shit,
baby. My wallet is back in the house. I don’t have any condoms on me and I
don’t suppose you’re on the pill, are you?”

Ah, shit
. Wide-eyed, she bit her lip and shook her
head. “No, I’m not. Sorry.”

He sat back on his heels and rested his hands on her calves,
rubbing his thumbs over her skin. “Don’t be sorry, sweetheart. It’s my fault,
but maybe it’s a sign to take things a little slower. I meant what I said
before—I don’t want you to have any regrets in the morning.”

“I won’t.” Her gaze dropped to his crotch where his bulging
cock was very noticeable. Her mouth watered. “Maybe we could take care of that
in another way.”

Curt groaned and his head fell forward on his shoulders. “As
much as my dick would love that, baby, I’m going to say no. I want the first
time to be inside that delicious pussy of yours and if I have to wait, I’ll do
it.” His eyes met hers again, the intensity there burning into her soul. “But
be forewarned, I’m buying a case of condoms because I have a feeling once I get
inside of you, I’m never going to want to leave. I’m going to fuck you ten ways
to Sunday, then come back for more. Now, before I forget I’m an honorable man,
get dressed and go back to the house. I’ll follow after I get rid of this
hard-on.”

As she sat up, he leaned forward and brought his mouth down
hard on hers. She tasted herself on his lips and tongue, and it sent her body
into overdrive again. When he pulled away and stared at her, she could see his
reluctance and knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him. He rolled over
onto his back as she stood and got dressed, sans the underwear he’d shredded
and now held in his hand. Watching every move she made through half closed
eyes, he licked his lips and brought her panties to his nose. She faltered as he
inhaled her scent which was lingering on the fabric. The sensual act caused her
pussy to throb again.