Chapter Twelve
Heaven?
Hell?
Vince lingered somewhere in between as he hiked behind Emma the next day. The view of one of his favorite parks was lost on him, thanks to her captivating curves. He used to frequent the place while stationed nearby, enjoying the peaceful solitude of the trails and the muffled thud of his sneakers pounding the ground, keeping pace with his accelerated heartbeat.
Not today.
No. Today his heart beat to a different master. Emma. The beautiful woman ruled his pulse.
Dressed in shorts and a tank top designed to drive him mad, his fake date proved there wasn’t anything fake about her gorgeous body. Awareness hit him in an unexpected wave. And when they rounded corners, he was hard-pressed not to notice the gorgeous ripple of her bouncing breasts.
More than his tongue swelled.
But calling a halt to their hike because of blue balls was not an option, so he soldiered on.
And suffered so good.
Held prisoner to her long, supple, shapely legs, his gaze never strayed on the straight paths, but his imagination—the disobedient bastard—soared with sinful thoughts best left in his head.
He wanted to kiss and lick every mouthwatering inch of the beauty, starting at her ankles and working his way up to the promised land. This attraction was getting stronger and out of control. It reminded him of raging hormones back in his teens.
What the hell?
His body acted as if he hadn’t had sex in years when, in fact, he’d enjoyed several hours with a pretty waitress in Dallas just last week.
The uncontrollable need made no sense.
It was making him a jerk, too.
Emma was taken. She was Stephan’s soon-to-be girlfriend. Or at least that was what Vince told himself to try to keep his desire in check. But it was hard.
And so was he.
Dammit.
The things he wanted to do—
No. He halted those thoughts. This was wrong and damn stupid. Deploying restraint drilled into him through years of training, some not far from where they now hiked, he ripped his gaze from her sweet ass to stare over her shoulder at the trail ahead. There were other concerns prevalent in his mind. Like the ranch.
He knew his friends were more than capable of taking up the slack his absence created, but it didn’t stop his concern over some of the veterans dealing with socialization issues. Time and perseverance helped him build a rapport with a few of them and he hated to jeopardize their progress by disrupting their routine.
According to Leo, everyone was doing fine. He hoped it was true and not just his buddy blowing smoke up his ass to keep him from worrying. But experience had taught him not to stress about situations he had no control over, and right now, At-Ease was one of those.
Unlike his brother.
The stubborn fool had insisted on coming with them to the park today. Dom wanted to stay active because he didn’t have physical therapy until Monday. They left him back near the parking lot to walk around the level path. That was over an hour ago. Vince hoped the idiot wasn’t doing anything stupid.
“You know what?” Emma stopped suddenly and twisted to face him.
Swallowing a curse, he grabbed her hips to avoid plowing her over. “Sorry. Are you okay?” Once they both had their footing, he released her and stepped back.
She nodded. “Yeah. And I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have stopped so quickly. It’s just that I realized something.”
He frowned. “What?”
“Do you hear that barking?” She placed a hand behind her ear as if to listen.
He noted the sound of dogs in the distance. “Yeah.”
“I don’t mean the dogs. I’m talking about my feet.” She grimaced. “These puppies are done. Besides, this place is too big. We’ve already tried two different trails. The chances of running into Stephan are slim. My feet vote we stop. Just the thought of hiking back to your brother makes them want to cry.”
He smiled. “No need to be cruel to your puppies.”
“Thanks.” Nodding, she moved past him to head back the way they came. “Stupid flat feet,” she mumbled, walking with a slight limp.
Memories flashed through his mind of missions and training from long ago, where he’d trekked with blisters or a bum foot. It always made the distance seem twice as long. He hated the thought of Emma going through something similar.
Not while he was around.
“I have an idea.”
Without waiting for her to respond, he scooped her up into his arms and smiled at her startled oath.
Gripping his shirt, she blinked. “W-what are you doing?”
“Giving your puppies a rest.”
This time her eyes widened. “But…you can’t carry me all the way. It’s so far.”
He chuckled, heading back. “I’ve trekked dozens of times in full gear that weighed more than you.”
“At least let me get on your back. You know…like piggyback,” she said, looking way too cute and feeling way too good in his arms.
He nodded, and in two quick maneuvers, flipped her around.
“Holy crap.” She gasped as she clutched his neck from behind. “You’re crazy.” She laughed, loosening her hold while she wrapped her legs around his hips.
She sounded happy. He liked that. A lot.
She felt good wrapped around him. He liked that a lot, too.
Hooking his arms under her knees, he hoisted her up a little more on his back. “How’s that? Better?”
“Yes. Thanks.” Her voice was a little breathless.
He could relate. The woman interfered with his damn breathing. Between the heat from her body and the way her soft curves pressed against him, he fought to keep his eyes from crossing as awareness skittered down his spine.
Sweet torture.
“I can’t believe you’re carrying me,” she said a few minutes later. “I feel bad.”
He glanced sideways at her. “No need. Just because I’m not active duty like Dom doesn’t mean I’ve gone soft.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, soft isn’t a word I’d use to describe you.”
Since that sentence could lead them into trouble, Vince decided to ignore it. “I haul and lift a lot working at Foxtrot.”
“Like what?”
“Tools, boards, bags of cement, cinder blocks, you name it,” he replied.
“Foxtrot is the construction company created in conjunction with the ranch, right?” she asked. “Both to help veterans?”
Since it was a safe subject, he was more than happy to answer her questions. “Yes, me and my buddies—Stone, Brick, and Cord—created the ranch for veterans who have trouble transitioning back into civilian life.”
“How the heck big is the ranch house?” she asked. “It has to be huge to house everyone. Or do they sleep in tents or trailers or something?”
“They sleep in the male and female barracks we built, but come up to the main house for chow.”
“Which you cook,” she said with a smile evident in her tone.
He nodded. “Yes, but several of the vets help with food prep. They look forward to it, too.” It was good for them to have something to do. To feel useful.
“Is that why you also have the construction company?” she asked. “To give them jobs?”
“That’s part of it, but it also helps generate income to keep things going.”
Taking a deep breath, he braced himself for the question he knew was coming.
“What made you all start this?”
And there it was. He exhaled slowly, then answered, “Our other buddy, Leo. He was hurt on the same mission our Ranger brother Drew was killed. Leo witnessed it. Couldn’t help. It messed him up pretty bad. We all retired soon after. He was still on pain meds because of his injury, and drinking to silence it all in his head, spiraling worse than we realized until one time, he did both too close together—maybe on purpose, maybe not…we don’t know, he doesn’t even know—but he ended up in the hospital and nearly died. That’s when we realized we had to do something. Had to help other veterans trying to cope.”
“Wow.” Her voice was soft, and he could tell it was full of emotion.
“It’s hard enough dealing with flashbacks. We all deal with them,” he said. “But I can’t imagine having a photographic memory like Leo. It’s no wonder he sought solace in a bottle and pills. He wanted a break.”
She cleared her throat. “Well, it’s a good thing you all were there to help him through,” she said quietly. “And now you’re helping more veterans, too.”
“It’s an honor.” He was only too happy to help. “We saw a need and felt compelled to do something.”
“Which is so great. Most people wouldn’t do anything, and yet, you all did.” Her hold on him tightened.
She was so easy to be around. Not judgmental or opinionated. She was someone he would be happy to have as a friend.
Coming to the end of the trail, he pushed the past from his mind and concentrated on the now, like his scowling brother meandering several yards away.
“You really did carry me all the way back,” she said, that smile evident in her tone again. “You have to be the sweetest man I have ever met.”
Sweet?
“Not sure I want to be sweet.” He frowned, coming to a halt. “Hot. Irresistible. Unforgettable, maybe.” He flipped her around until she was in his arms again. “Now those I can live with.”
She laughed. “You’re all of those, too.”
“Well, all right then.” He returned her smile, not in any hurry to release her.
Still grinning, she raised a brow. “You can put me down now.”
“I know.”
She laughed again. “Are you planning to carry me all the way to the car?”
“Maybe.” Now that it came down to it, he didn’t want to let her go.
Dom lumbered close, both brows raised. “Is this a new way to hike? Or is Emma hurt?”
“Not hurt, but her puppies are barking,” he replied with a grin.
“What puppies?” His brother glanced around. “I didn’t hear any barking.”
Emma laughed. “He’s talking about my stupid feet. Your brother was kind enough to give me a lift.”
“Was he now?” Dom lifted an eyebrow. “Something tells me it wasn’t such a hardship.”
Vince sent the idiot a warning look, but didn’t get a chance to follow it up with words.
“I know.” She glanced at Dom and nodded. “He didn’t strain at all. It was as if I weighed less than a feather. I wish.” Her gaze returned to his. “But you can put me down now.”
Despite his brother’s deadpan expression, Vince knew disapproval lurked just below the surface. Nodding, he set a smiling Emma on her feet and stepped back. He wanted to remind Dom that he and Emma were just putting on a show…only, they hadn’t acted today. Not once.
“Oh my God. I don’t believe it. There’s Stephan.” Emma smiled and stepped close to cup his face. “I’m going to kiss you. Hope that’s okay.”
Without waiting for a reply, she pulled his face toward hers and kissed him.