All the Right Moves

chapter 7

JOHN WANTED HER as badly as he’d wanted a woman in his life. He thought of that fool of a guitar player, then dismissed the idiot when her lips parted.

He wanted to sweep away all the plates on the counter and take her right there. He wanted her sitting at the edge, legs parted, naked from the waist down. He liked the idea of looking up at that pink top of hers, watching her hard nipples rise and fall as he made her insane with his mouth. Damn, he could practically feel her hands in his hair as he brought her to the brink.

His gaze shot to the counter, but his eye caught on her textbook, and he stepped back so quickly he nearly toppled the stool.

“What?”

His hand went to the back of his neck, where he rubbed the tight muscles. “You need to study. Why don’t you get your books and I’ll take care of the dishes.”

Cassie laughed, but it was more surprise than humor. “Wow, you are seriously a man of your word.”

“I try to be. Sometimes it’s more difficult than others.”

“To tell you the truth,” she said, her voice gone soft, not quite a whisper, “I wasn’t thinking about grades right then.”

He adjusted his stance, he hoped not too obviously. “I wasn’t, either.”

“I’m glad it wasn’t only me. But thank you. I appreciate the effort.”

“I should get these dishes in the sink.”

She looked at her book, then back at him. “Since we’re both being very mature about this whole thing, I’m thinking we could handle taking the edge off a little.”

“Define a little.”

“A few kisses?” She moved close enough to slide her palms up his chest. Kissed his chin.

Instead of turning away, filling his hands with plates and forks, he took hold of that slender waist of hers. It took all his willpower to keep on breathing, to not push his hardening erection into her hip, show her what she was doing to him.

“I’m not trying to start anything,” she said. “Just a kiss or two to hold me over.” Her slow smile brought out interesting colors in her hazel eyes. Her lashes were dark and thick in contrast to the pale skin that almost looked as soft as it felt.

“I won’t be responsible for you being unprepared tomorrow.” He punctuated the warning with a gentle press of his lips to hers. “That said...we can be sensible....” He came back with purpose, nudging her mouth open, slipping his tongue inside, more deeply than he’d intended.

She swayed backward. The counter helped steady her, which would have been fine if it weren’t for her leaning into his fly, rubbing with just enough friction to push him beyond his limit. He started to move his hips, already feeling the tight coil at the base of his spine that preceded the point of no return.

He froze. His breath came out in ragged puffs against her cheek. “You’re making this extremely difficult,” he said through gritted teeth. “You want help with the dishes, or do I quiz you?”

“I don’t know whether to be impressed by your self-control, or pissed.”

“Be both.” He turned around. If he could have walked, he’d have gone to hide in the bathroom until the crisis passed. “I sure as hell am.”

She didn’t make a sound behind him. Which didn’t help.

“What’s it going to be?” He picked up his orange juice and polished it off in one gulp. He wished it had been something stronger, but scotch didn’t exactly go with omelets.

She sighed. “I’ll wash,” she said, and walked around him to get her book. After a sad shake of her head, she opened the book to the back pages. “Here are a list of questions and answers.”

He watched the sink fill with soapy water, ruthlessly shutting down all the reasons he was being an idiot. But he’d been in situations where studying had to take precedence. Even when it was so difficult the only way to settle was to dig his fingers into his thigh muscle until his cock cried uncle. “You know for sure this material will be covered in your exam?”

“Nope, but some of it should.” Before she collected the dishes, she got herself a glass of iced tea and drank that sucker fast.

Evidently, her body temperature had shot up, too. Speaking of which, he’d probably cool off a lot faster if he started reading over the list of questions.

* * *

CASSIE FINISHED putting the dishes in the water. She faced forward, although the image of him sitting at her counter, head bent over her book, was so clear in her mind’s eye, she wondered how she’d get through the next ten minutes, let alone a few hours.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Shoot.”

“These questions all pertain to where emotions originate in the brain. First one—”

God, she was nervous already. “I warned you I don’t test well, right?”

“You shouldn’t be worried now. This is only prep.”

She’d just bet he was one of those guys who never had to study. “Okay, go.”

“Resilience.”

She knew this one. “Prefrontal cortex.”

“Outlook, as in whether you see the glass half-empty or half-full.”

“Ventral striatum.”

“Two gold stars so far,” he said, and she shook her head, annoyed with herself for caring that she got the answers right for him. “Now, let’s see...sensitivity to social cues.”

She drew a blank.

“Cassie?”

“I’m thinking.”

“This refers to facial expressions, tone of voice—”

“I know what social cues are.” She hadn’t meant to snap. “Fusiform-amygdala.”

“Right again.” He paused. “Okay to interject my own question?”

Sighing, she turned. “I’m sorry for being grumpy. Please, ask away.”

“No apology necessary. I’d be cussing if I had to memorize this stuff. You really need to know this for a psychology degree?” He looked genuinely horrified, and so damn adorable she wanted to hug him. Thank God she was elbow deep in suds.

“No. I was stupid to sign up for the class. It sounded interesting and I couldn’t resist, although I should have audited it instead. I don’t need the credits, but I can’t have a fail on my records.”

“Ah, an overachiever.”

“Um, no, definitely not, just impulsive. Why are you looking at me like that?” She tried to stare him down but he wouldn’t lose the small mystery smile, as if he knew something about her she didn’t. It was ridiculous. He was only privy to what she wanted him to know. “Stop it.”

“Next question—sensitivity to internal bodily cues.”

Oh, perfect...she was experiencing a bunch of those right now. His shoulders were exceptionally broad, and why hadn’t she noticed before? She liked watching him tap his finger on the current question while he scanned the bottom of the page. His nails were trimmed and clean and his fingers were exceptionally long without being too slender. Huh.

He glanced up, met her eyes and smiled. “Did you want the example? Or will you bite my head off?”

“I spaced out for a second, but I know this—” She did. She really did. The answer had been on the tip of her tongue before she’d gotten distracted. “Damn it, I had it.”

John got up and walked around the counter until he was at her back. “You’re too tense,” he said, moving his hands to her shoulders. “Try to relax.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“Right.” He used his thumbs at the base of her neck, where she seemed to carry most of the tension. “Drop your chin.”

“Ouch.”

“You have a knot here.”

“I noticed.”

He didn’t let up. “Breathe slow and deep,” he said, his voice a low hypnotic murmur that made her think of other things she liked slow and deep. “You’re tensing again.”

Ha. No kidding. The thought of him naked in her bed was more than she could hope to handle. She stared down into the sink and focused on the popping bubbles.

“Take longer to breathe out.” His deep baritone yanked her back over to the dark side.

She almost told him that trying to relax would work so much better if he stopped speaking. But then she might have to explain how she was letting her libido take over her entire frontal lobe.

“Bet you hold your breath a lot during exams.” He moved his hands toward her shoulder blades, sinking his fingers into the muscle and rubbing out the tension.

“Yes, and clench my teeth.”

“Like you’re doing now?”

“I’m not—” Cassie shuddered and gripped the edge of the counter to keep from pooling into mush on the linoleum floor. This was pretty relaxed for her. He just didn’t know it.

“That could be why you test poorly. You let the tension escalate into panic.”

“Other way around. I tense and panic because I can’t remember the answer.” Closing her eyes, she let out a throaty moan and didn’t care that it sounded like she’d had an orgasm. “You’re good at this.”

“Feeling mellower?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“The last question...internal bodily cues—where does the sensitivity originate?”

“The visceral organs.”

“Bingo.”

“Huh. I wasn’t even thinking about it.”

“I know.” His fingers glided up the side of her neck. No, not his fingers, it was his lips and warm breath that whispered against her sensitized skin...his hands continued to knead her shoulders and back.

“You do realize you’ll have to come to class with me tomorrow.”

He chuckled, the vibration from his mouth making her skin tingle. “Give you a massage while you take your exam?”

“Exactly.”

“Talk to your professor and let me know how that works out.” He was no longer touching her, she realized with a jolt. His hands and mouth had been on her a second ago.

Cassie spun around so fast she almost lost her balance. “What are you doing?”

“Removing myself from harm’s way.” He’d already reclaimed his stool and had transferred his attention to the book.

“But—but...”

His eyebrows went up in amusement. “Yes?”

“You have great hands, really, you should do that for a living.” She stretched her neck to the side and flexed her shoulders, acutely aware of the ache in her breasts. Damn it, she didn’t care about cleaning or studying...she could do those things later. “But if you need more practice, I’m here for you.”

John smiled. “That’s very kind.”

“Yep, that’s me. Always willing to take one for the team.” She could seduce him. Eventually he’d fold.

“When I was in college I used to choke at key times, myself,” he said. “Not consistently, which almost made it worse because I didn’t know when I would freeze.”

“Here I thought you were one of those people who sailed through school without breaking a sweat.”

“I admit, I had it easier than most of my friends. I didn’t have to study as much as they did and I tested fine, but I had a couple of problem areas.”

“Expectations about your performance?”

He frowned. “What makes you say that?”

“The colonels. Two of them in a row.” It was clear she was navigating a minefield. He seemed uneasy, which reinforced the awful thought she’d had earlier. He’d enlisted but hadn’t cut it. A failed military career would keep him mum on the subject.

“My family wasn’t pushy about me joining the air force. Of course they knew that’s what I wanted. If I’d said I planned on being a professional masseur, I imagine they would’ve had a rather strong opinion.”

“A masseur.” She grinned, feeling less anxious. He didn’t appear to be a man who’d flunked out of the air force after all. “You would’ve been terrific.”

“Guess we’ll never know.”

She turned back and got washing, finishing the dishes quickly, and moving on to the bowl and measuring cup. “So, are you still in the service?”

“Yep, stationed right here at Nellis.”

“Are you a colonel?”

He laughed. “A captain. I’m only thirty-three.”

“What’s next?”

“I’m up for major.”

“Then colonel?”

He hesitated, and curious, she turned to look at him, but he wasn’t at the counter. Instead, he’d gone to the fridge and pulled out a beer. He glanced at her, but didn’t say anything until he’d gotten back on the stool and was able to take a swig off the bottle. Finally, he shrugged. “If I stay in long enough,”

“That was a joke, right?” She kept swirling the sponge in the batter bowl, but couldn’t stop looking at him. “I mean, you must be halfway to retirement by now, unless my math is wrong.”

“You’re right on both counts.”

She didn’t believe him. At least not about the joking part. Why make light of something like that? His family would, as he’d put it, have a strong opinion. “You must be on leave.”

“For another week.”

“And you stayed here? It’s broiling. Are you crazy?”

He leaned back, confidence oozing from his smile, his shoulders taking up so much room he looked as if he owned the place. “And aren’t you glad I did?”

Cassie gave him a long look. “The cockiness finally surfaces.”

“I meant that I’m here to help you study.” He was clearly annoyed with her comment. “Finally surfaces? What does that mean?”

“You pilots are a different breed.”

“I didn’t say I was a pilot.”

“But you are...” She grinned with her own brand of smug. “Aren’t you?”

John kept staring at her but he didn’t respond. Was he still pissed about her remark? That didn’t seem like him. He had a sense of humor and was a good sport. The kiss at the bar proved that.

“I should’ve taken Lisa’s bet.” Cassie stopped and thought a moment. “No, she wanted to bet on whether you’d leave after your first sip of scotch. She wouldn’t have put money on whether you were air force or a pilot. We both knew you were a flyboy the moment you walked in.”

“Is it the haircut?” His flat tone felt off.

“That might’ve had something to do with it, though your hair’s a bit longer than most airmen. I think mainly it’s the swagger.” She saw straight off that she’d used the wrong word. Or maybe he’d interpreted it as something negative, because the firm set of his mouth said he wasn’t pleased. “But not in a bad way. I’m not in any way dissing you. So you’re a pilot...I think that’s fine.”

He let out a short surprised laugh. “Huh,” he said. “I appreciate it.” He shook his head, his amused expression a relief. “Those men who sit in the corner with your pal Gordon. They say anything?”

“Not to me. Why?”

“I noticed a couple of retired lifers in the group. Those guys aren’t always happy to share their space with officers.”

“The retirees aren’t the problem,” she said. “It’s the others who came back wounded. Not all of them, just the guys looking for someone to blame. I can’t pretend I understand what they went through, but I get that it’s easier to be angry than frightened.”

“Including your brother?”

“He was wounded in Iraq,” she said quietly, and rinsed the last of the utensils.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s fine.” She unplugged the sink and turned around to wipe her hands. “You’ve probably heard Tommy’s story a hundred times. An IED took out half his unit and part of his leg. But he’s lucky. He has Lisa, who loves him even though he can be a complete ass, and he has the bar. It’s not exactly a gold mine, despite the name, but it generates a few bucks and allows him to be his own boss. Which, if you knew my brother, is a major advantage because his attitude sucks and he never shows up when he’s supposed to. He was fitted with a new prosthetic a few weeks ago—did I already tell you?”

She frowned, trying to remember. “No, when could I have done that...? Anyway, the first one had been a bear for him, he won’t even give this one a fair chance. He could have a pretty normal life. But nooo...he’d rather bitch and moan about how it doesn’t feel right. Now, when I see him coming through the door in his old wheelchair, I could just throw—”

She drew in a quick breath, startled at how she’d gone off, ranting like a lunatic. It unsettled her that she’d been staring at John but not really seeing him. She did now, and she felt foolish. Maybe she should’ve found comfort in his sympathetic brown eyes, but she had no business talking about Tommy. God, she didn’t really know John. This wasn’t like her.

“Aren’t you glad you asked?” she muttered, pushing her hands through her hair and fixing her gaze on the countertop.

“Yeah, I am.” His voice seemed closer, and she dared to slide him a look. He’d left the stool and was coming toward her. “You forgot something.”

“What?”

“Tommy has you.”

“Does that go in the plus or minus column?”

John put his arms around her. “I assume that’s rhetorical.”

“Not really. I should be helping him to live an independent life instead of enabling him.” She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his chest under her palms, his arms around her back. “Technically I’m the one who’ll be leaving, but he has to be able to stand on his own.”

“Do you think he can?”

“I know he can, but he doesn’t believe it. I think he’s in denial about me leaving after school.”

“Good thing he has Lisa.” John tucked her head under his chin and stroked her back.

“If he doesn’t blow it. She loves him, but she has her limits.” Cassie didn’t know John well enough to feel this safe and content with her cheek pressed to his heart. If anything she should feel guilty for not shutting up. But she hadn’t realized how much she’d bottled up and it felt good to unload. There was only so much she could say to Lisa. For as long as she’d known Gordon and Spider and some of the others, Cassie would never have this conversation with one of them.

Sadly, she couldn’t even discuss Tommy with her parents. They cared, of course, but in an odd, detached way. She’d never really understood them. Other than the fact that they put each other first, and she and Tommy came second. It wasn’t a guess. When Cassie was ten, her mother had come out and said as much.

“When the time comes, will you be ready to cut the strings?” John asked, his breath stirring her hair.

“Absolutely.” She looked up at him. “I hope.”

“Luckily, today you don’t have to think about that. But you do have to study.”

“Here I was thinking we could’ve spent all this time kissing.” Her stomach did a flip-flop at his strained smile. Had she ruined everything by complaining about Tommy?

John left her at the counter. While she finished straightening the rest of the kitchen, he quizzed her. He kept their focus narrow, and kissed her only once more. On the cheek, on his way out the door.