Chapter 18

18

DEAN

" S omeone's been doing their research," I said, my voice rougher than I intended. "My divorce is none of your business, Sarah. This bar—it was my dream long before I married my ex-wife. But it didn't make sense to work here when we both wanted to live in Texas. Jude agreed to keep the place going, and I operated as a silent partner."

"I didn't mean to pry," she murmured. It was the first time she had actually looked contrite. She was always balls to the wall and now she seemed the slightest bit apologetic.

I shook my head with frustration. "Why am I explaining any of this to you?"

She bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Sarah," Kylee said and grabbed her arm. "Let's dance."

She was pulled away, ending the conversation that was about to turn adversarial like so many of our conversations always did. I watched Sarah's friends pull her onto the makeshift dance floor they had made by pushing a couple of tables out of the way.

Watching them, I felt a sudden pang of loneliness. Sarah's friends were laughing, twirling each other around, and generally making a spectacle of themselves. The jukebox in the corner was blaring out some pop song that all the girls seemed to know the words to. I found myself tapping my foot to the beat, then quickly stopped when I realized what I was doing. They were moving pretty well, which was a surprise given what I had put them through this morning. I supposed the alcohol was helping with that.

"Give me a hand," Jude grunted. "Use all those muscles to bring a fresh keg up here."

I rolled my eyes but started toward the back. "Sure thing, boss."

I hefted a fresh keg from the cellar onto my shoulder and made my way back up the stairs. The laughter and music seemed louder. She was turning my bar into a party place. This was my sanctuary, my escape. Yet here she was, an intruder in my peace. I shouldn't have to be forced to share air with her when I was off duty. Her domain was the dorms on base.

Setting the keg down behind the bar, I wiped the sweat off my forehead. "There you go."

Jude chuckled, slapping my shoulder. "You're getting old, Dean."

"Old? You should see what I can do, even now." I flexed my bicep for dramatic effect, causing Jude to laugh harder. "Your old ass couldn't make it downstairs. You keep puffing on those cigarettes and you're not going to be able to stand up."

"Name the day," he said. "I'll run circles around you."

Laughter erupted from the corner Sarah and her friends had taken over. Sarah and her friend, Kylee, were now dancing in a circle, arms raised high and smiles wide. Their infectious happiness annoyed me.

"So, what's going on there?" Jude asked.

"What?"

"Shit, who are you trying to fool?" He chuckled. "I'm not blind. I've still got twenty-twenty vision. I see the way you look at her and I see the way she looked at you."

"She's Mo's daughter," I said.

"And?"

"And nothing," I snapped, my gaze still firmly planted on Sarah. Irritation swelled within me. Why did her presence in my bar piss me off so much? "She's young, she's foolish. "

"And she's your problem." He laughed.

"Temporarily."

Jude raised his glass of whiskey in a mock salute and drank it down. "Oh right, because age and wisdom have made you the very model of self-control and restraint?"

I scowled at him, crossing my arms over my chest. "You think this is all just a big joke, don't you?"

"Nope," Jude replied. "I just think you're too damn stubborn to admit that there might be a little spark between you and the girl."

I was about to retort when a shrill giggle made me whip my head around. Sarah was now up on one of the tables, dancing with reckless abandon, her friends clapping and cheering her on. She was a handful.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. She moved with a natural grace that drew everyone's attention, her hips swaying to the beat, her hair spilling over her shoulders as she danced. Every man in the place was watching her. I felt a twinge of jealousy for no reason. She wasn't mine. Not even a little bit.

She threw her head back, singing along to the music. When she looked over at me, there was a smile on her lips and an unmistakable invitation in her eyes.

Danger .

Her hand reached out to me, fingers beckoning. For a moment, I felt the pull, a powerful urge to join her, to let go of all the reasons why it was a bad idea. But I shook my head and looked away from her. I needed fresh air. She was sucking the oxygen out of the room.

I turned my back to her and went behind the bar. It wasn't enough distance between us. I went out back into the rear parking lot, where the garbage bins were lined up against the wall. I sucked in a breath and closed my eyes.

"Get a grip," I muttered to myself. "She's off-limits."

The hum of music and laughter from the bar were a reminder of the life I'd built here so long ago. I remembered being one of the young pilots letting loose at the bar. I remembered having drinks and meeting girls. I needed a moment to clear my head, to push away the images of Sarah's body moving in a seductive dance.

Sarah Thomas was Mo's daughter. Period. Full stop. Mo was a respected figure, a man who'd taken me under his wing and guided me through some of the toughest moments of my life. He was also a friend. The idea of betraying that trust by pursuing something with Sarah was unthinkable. I couldn't do that to him. He had entrusted me with his most precious possession.

But damn, she was tempting. The thoughts I'd been having, the lines I'd been crossing in my own mind? They weren't just inappropriate. They were dangerous. They could ruin everything I'd worked so hard to build.

My new bad habit was picturing her naked. It had become my dirty little pastime. When I closed my eyes, I pictured her writhing under me.

I shook my head, trying to banish the image of her dancing, her body moving with such effortless sensuality. It wasn't good. None of this was good. I was only human. I considered myself to be a pretty strong dude, but this woman was proving to be too much to resist.

Just as I was beginning to regain my composure, the door swung open again, and there she was, breathless and still smiling from dancing. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair slightly tousled.

"Where'd you run off to?" she asked, her tone light and teasing. "Are you hiding from me?"

I tried to keep my voice steady. "Go back inside, Sarah."

She shook her head, taking a step closer. "Out here, off base, you're not the boss of me."

Her words were a challenge, and despite every rational thought telling me to walk away, I found myself stepping toward her. She took a step back, probably one of the smartest things she had done. But I wasn't finished. I took another step toward her, backing her against the exterior wall.

I leaned in, my eyes dropping to her mouth. "Are you sure about that?"

The air between us was thick with tension, the kind that was full of heat and an absolute demand for relief. There was an undeniable attraction. I was losing the battle against my own desires. She wasn't helping matters. The way she was looking at me was making me crazy.

Her words, her touch, everything about her made it impossible to keep the walls up. I put my hands on either side of her, telling myself it was okay if I didn't touch her. Before I knew what I was doing, I leaned in, my lips brushing against hers. It was a tentative kiss at first, but the moment our lips met, it was like a dam breaking. Passion surged between us, desperate and hungry.

My hands moved to her waist, pulling her closer as the kiss deepened. She responded with equal fervor, her fingers tangling in my hair, pulling me impossibly close. It was a kiss that spoke of all the things we couldn't say. It expressed all the feelings we'd been trying to ignore.

For a moment, I allowed myself to get lost in her. I forgot about the complications and the consequences that came with touching her like this. My hands roamed over her back, feeling the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric of her shirt. She fit perfectly against me, her body responding to mine in a way that felt completely natural.

As excited as I was, reality came crashing back all too soon. I pulled back, my breath coming in ragged gasps. "We can't do this, Sarah."

She looked up at me, her eyes dark with desire but also with understanding. "Why not, Dean? We both want this."

I shook my head. My heart was pounding against my chest. Every cell of my body was demanding to get close to her. I needed the physical connection. She was staring at me with her lips slightly parted and her eyes heavy-lidded. She was the sexiest woman I had ever laid eyes on. For her, I was actually considering going AWOL and hanging up my wings just so I could taste her again.

"But it's wrong," I said, my voice rough with the intensity of my desire. "Your father?—"

"He's my father, Dean. Not yours. And he's not the one kissing me."

There was a defiance in her tone that startled me. This was typical Sarah. Always so willing to break the rules and do whatever she wanted. She was bad news. She was going to be my downfall. The realization was clear as day. I wasn't even afraid of it.

"I'm not a child anymore, Dean," she continued, her voice softening. "And you're not just my father's friend to me. We're here. Me and you. That's all that matters."

"We need to go back inside," I said softly. "Before someone sees us. Before we do something we regret."

She grabbed the front of my shirt, yanking me back to her hard enough to make me stumble and nearly fall against her, which I had a feeling was her goal. I didn't resist. Our lips met again, the kiss even more urgent, more intense. My hands were everywhere, exploring her curves, committing every inch of her to memory.

I knew this was dangerous. I was crossing lines that shouldn't be crossed. But in that moment, I didn't care. All that mattered was her, the way she felt in my arms, and the way she responded to my touch.