Ford, page 2
Walking her back to the truck, my heart starts hammering in my chest again. I open the door but instead of helping her in, I tug her hand and spin her around. “I want to kiss you, Tara.” It’s the only warning I give her before my lips descend onto hers. The kiss is everything I knew it would be, and so much more.
It takes every bit of restraint in my bones not to ask her to come home with me, but I don’t want to ruin our future together because I’m impatient. She’s worth waiting for.
When I drop Tara off at the coffee shop, which is now closed, I walk her to a cute, silver hatchback. Our lips collide again, hungrier this time. The urgency and feel of her fingers digging into the back of my neck give me a half hard on. It takes all my strength to break the kiss and step back. “Goodnight, Tara.”
“Really?” She folds her arms over her chest and raises that fucking adorable eyebrow. “That’s it?”
I want to kiss her once more, but I know it’s too risky. Instead, I reach for her hand and thread my fingers through hers. “I have a field exercise that starts in the morning and goes all weekend. Besides, I want you to believe I’m serious about you. I want to see you again.”
3
TARA
“You’ve been smiling like a fool all day,” Kiera says with a shoulder nudge. “You’re going to go out with him again, aren’t you?”
My ability to act unaffected has long since fled. All I’ve been able to think about since the moment I drove away last night is Ford. The way his lips moved so perfectly against mine. The way my entire body responded to our tongues dancing. The way my core tingled with desire. The date was perfect. It thrills and scares me.
I’m still shocked he didn’t try to take me home.
Maybe he’s not like the rest.
“Tara!” Kiera says when I fail to answer her question.
“Maybe,” I answer noncommittally. Ford didn’t set up another date before he left last night, and he has the entire weekend to change his mind. Still, it doesn’t stop me from looking forward to Monday morning. I already have my outfit picked out.
“You’re going to get all steamy-steamy with him too, aren’t you?”
“All steamy-steamy?” I say with a laugh, but the silly phrase causes me to blush all the same. Because it reminds me of the very steamy dream I had just last night.
“How was the date?” My most loyal customer Betty asks, a cheeky grin spread on her face. “Don’t worry, I’ve already told my grandson you’re not available anymore. I know true love when I see it.”
“Betty, it’s been one date. A little soon for true love.” I laugh away her comment, or try to, but the words settle in anyway. True love?
“It’s never too soon, dear. I knew the day I met my Harold that he was it. We’ll be married forty-six years next month.”
I can’t help the warm mushy feeling that surrounds my heart. Though I’ve spent the past few years hyper-focused on my business, not to mention disappointed by one flop of a date after another, I want exactly what Betty is describing. I want that with Ford.
As if he can sense my yearning for him, my phone buzzes on the counter. Ford’s name is on my screen. I barely snatch the phone up before Kiera steals it from me.
“What does it say?” she asks, her eyes eager and expectant. Betty’s too.
Ford: Good morning, Beautiful.
Ford: You were my first waking thought.
Ford: I hope you have a day as wonderful as you are.
First, my heart melts into a puddle. The string of texts is so romantic and sappy I could be in a freaking chick flick movie right now. Second, I raise an eyebrow. “No way he wrote these. He’s trying too hard.” I can’t for the life of me figure out why I keep looking for all the reasons this is too good to be true, but it happens just the same.
“Let me see!” Kiera pries the phone from my hands. “Oh!” she squeals. “I wish Dax was that romantic. He’s usually just like hey babe.” Kiera looks up from the phone. “That’s it. Some men are better with words than others.”
“How do I know he’s not just buttering me up to get me in bed?”
“Oh sweetie,” Betty says with a wicked smile, “He’s definitely doing that. But it doesn’t mean he’s going to disappear on you after it’s over. That man wants you and for more than one night. Mark my words.”
The words from a woman old enough to be my grandmother make me blush a bright red, verified by my reflection in a nearby mirror.
“Don’t leave him hanging!” Kiera latches onto my arm. “Text him back!”
“You two are lucky it’s slow in here this morning,” I say with a shake of my head. I start to type out a reply, but delete my words. This repeats at least four times. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You could start with good morning,” Kiera says, like it’s the most obvious answer. “Maybe add a smiley face.”
“Good call,” Betty agrees. “My grandson gets a kick out of my emojis.”
Tara: Good morning
Tara: You really like those romantic lines, huh?
Ford: Did they work ;)
My heart flutters in my chest at the immediate response. This isn’t the game I’m used to playing with the very few dates who have bothered to text me afterward. None of them seemed to be sitting by the phone eager for my reply.
Tara: A little
Ford: I’ll have to up my game.
Ford: Have to get to work now. Wish I had my Cup of Joe. The coffee out here sucks.
Ford: Have a great day, Beautiful.
FORD
I’m forced to shove my phone in my duffle bag and get to formation. It’ll be a full day of field exercises where cell phones will not only be off limits but grounds for punishment. Our commander is going old-school on us this weekend.
“You’re grinning like an idiot today,” my buddy Kane claps me hard on the shoulder as we trek across the grass to the area where soldiers are starting to form up. “What’s her name?”
It’s no use hiding any of this from Kane, no matter how much shit he’ll give me for it. He knows what it’s like to be hung up on a woman, too. They’re married now. “Tara.”
“She’s special, huh?”
I wait for a couple of soldiers to pass by. “Yeah. She’s it, man. I didn’t believe you about Audra and how fast it all happened. Thought you were full of shit to be honest. But I get it now.”
Kane laughs. “When you know, you know.”
As I find my spot in the back of the formation, browsing the lineup for my squad to ensure everyone showed up, I have to force away the thoughts of the next time I’ll see Tara’s smiling face so I can focus on our mission today.
But when this exercise is over, I’m stepping up my game.
The first date was only the beginning of what I know will be a long and happy life together. I can tell Tara isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met before. She’s kind, spunky, determined, and smart as hell. She’s meant to be by my side.
I’ve already decided to pick out a ring the moment I’m back. Kane’s right. When you know, you know. And I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life as I am about Tara being my wife.
4
TARA
I don’t have to see Ford’s truck to know he’s here. It’s as if the entire earth shifts beneath my feet. I feel his presence before the bells ever jingle overhead. That whole ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ isn’t crap after all.
I’ve missed the man like he’s been gone a year, not just a couple of days.
With the Monday morning rush over, Ford only has to wait behind one person in line. I feel those eyes penetrating into me, like he’s reading my thoughts. If he is, he’s getting quite the show.
It’s not fair to be this consumed by a man. If I’m being honest, it’s a little frightening. “No uniform today?” I try to flirt, but my small smirk transforms into a massive smile. That smug, sexy look on his face tells me he knows the effect he’s having on me.
“Commander gave us the day off after the field exercise.”
My shaky hands fumble his cup, but at least I don’t launch the stack off like a set of bottle rockets this time. His cologne reminds me of that powerful kiss. The one that still makes my lips tingle. “That was nice of your commander.”
“Any chance you can get out of here for a few hours?”
My heart thumps wildly in my chest, begging me to say yes. It’s been a slower than usual Monday, and I know my staff can handle things without me for a while. But I’ve never just left in the middle of a morning like this. “I…”
Ford reaches for his Americano but takes my hand instead. “I’ve missed you.”
“Tara, I can hold the fort down,” Kiera says over her shoulder.
Any guilt I feel is alleviated when she meets my eyes. Besides, if I stay, I’ll never hear the end of it. “Fine. But today only. I don’t make a habit of abandoning ship without notice.”
Victorious smile fixed in place, Ford looks behind me at Kiera. “Any chance you can cover Friday night?”
“You bet,” Kiera replies.
“I feel like you guys are ganging up on me,” I tease, untying my apron. “Let me grab my purse.”
In the office, I take a few deep breaths. But my heartrate has a mind of its own today. I hear a gentle knock on the door. “Come in,” I say without looking back. The wave of cologne that drifts toward me makes me realize it’s not Kiera.
I hear the click of the door close.
“I couldn’t wait, Tara.” Ford stands behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. His hot breath tickles my neck, making me crave his lips. “I’ve been thinking about you every moment since I last saw you.”
I lean my head back against his shoulder, allowing Ford’s mouth to descend on the hollow of my neck. My body ignites with a flame of desire that’ll not be easily extinguished. I want this man, more than I’ve ever wanted another man before.
I haven’t figured out if it’s because he didn’t try to get in my pants after our date, or if it’s because he’s meant to be in my life—in a permanent kind of way. I stopped hoping for my knight in shining armor a long time ago. But maybe—just maybe—he exists.
His hands slide down my arms and settle on my hips, gently tugging my body back against his. My soft curves melt against his hard chest. I’m so overcome with desire that I’d let him take me right here in my office.
Ford’s hands slide up, brushing the sides of my breasts. I yearn for him to squeeze them. “Ford,” I pant his name in a whisper.
“Do you want me to stop?”
“No.”
I feel the absence of one hand, quickly followed by metallic click of the deadbolt. “You’ll have to be quiet,” he says against my ear. “Don’t want to alarm your customers.”
“The customers,” I murmur, ready to let those magnificent hands do what they will to me. I’m helpless to stop anything that’s about to happen. The thought makes me grin like a fool.
FORD
My only waking thought this morning was to get showered and get my ass over to Cup of Joe’s as quickly as possible. I needed to see Tara.
I didn’t intend to get carried away like this in her office, my fingers slipping beneath her shirt and sliding against her soft skin. But now that I’ve started, there’s no way in hell I can stop. “Your skin’s so soft, sweetheart.”
She softly moans, her head still rolled back against my shoulder, eyes closed, and lips parted. I slip a hand up her back and unclasp her bra.
“If you want me to stop—”
“I don’t.”
I kiss her neck as my hands slide under the loosened bra. Her bountiful tits fit perfectly in my eager hands. I palm them and pinch her nipples. Her tiny gasps give me a full hard-on. I know she can feel my desire for her, pressed against that perfect ass. “These feel nice,” I say in a growl against her ear.
I slide one hand down her stomach until I reach the top of her jeans. Fumbling with that damn button gets me nowhere, so I abandon it and shove my hand down until I feel her wet silk panties.
Tara undoes the button and zipper of her jeans, giving me better access. Allowing me to dip inside those panties. Her wetness coats my fingers as I gently stroke them through her folds. “You’re so wet, Tara.”
“It’s what you do to me,” she says in a breathy whisper, followed by a tiny whimper.
“You have to keep quiet, okay?”
“Okay.” She turns her head until our lips lock, allowing me to swallow most of her moans. I stroke her pussy slowly, teasing that swollen bud. She rocks against my hand and all I can think about is shoving her jeans down, bending her over the desk, and fucking her from behind. If the store was closed, I’d do just that. I want to claim this woman as my own, and later today I plan to do just that.
Right now, I focus on Tara. Pleasuring her in a way she won’t likely forget anytime soon. Her soft whimpers are followed by her pussy convulsing against my hand. I cover her cunt and hold my hand in place while she comes. “That’s it, sweetheart.”
She’s panting heavily when I slip my hand from her pants and suck those sweet juices from my fingers. “Mmm, you do taste good.”
A knock on the door makes her eyes go wide. Her guilty expression is so fucking cute. “Just a minute,” she calls, adjusting her jeans and bra.
“Might want to fix that hair,” I say with a wink.
She peeks into the mirror and lets out a tiny eek.
“You’re so damn adorable, do you know that?” I kiss her neck, unable to keep my hands off her hips. I have so many things I want to do to Tara today, and most of them involve a serious lack of clothes. Our bodies pressed against each other.
“I’ll be quick,” she says, turning in my arms and kissing me. “Meet you outside?”
I trace my knuckles against the side of her cheek, memorizing her flushed, giddy look in her eyes. I know I love her—that I will love her until my dying day. The realization should shake me, but instead, it only reaffirms what Kane told me. When you know, you know. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
5
TARA
The day spent with Ford is perfect. I know it sounds like a total cliché, but it’s true. A late morning spent on a park bench near the water, his hand around my shoulders. Lunch from a food truck he insisted I needed to try—it’s now my new favorite place to eat. A leisurely drive into the country, holding hands, talking, laughing. Stolen kisses at every possible opportunity.
I’ve smiled so much today my cheeks hurt.
“What’s next?” I ask as he turns the truck around and heads back to town.
“Dessert,” Ford says with that dangerous, sexy smirk.
“What kind of dessert?” I ask, biting on my lower lip.
Ford squeezes my hand. “That’s up to you.”
I pinch my leg, certain I’m in some fantasy dream where life is perfect and I’ve finally found the one military man who is ready to commit to more than one night. This can’t be real life. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but maybe Betty’s right. Maybe this is true love.
“Well?” Ford asks.
On any other date I might’ve said cheesecake or ice cream. But the only dessert I want is Ford. “You,” I answer.
“What’s that?”
Dammit, he’s going to make me say it. “I want you for dessert.”
“Good answer.” His hand moves to my thigh. “I’m taking you home, Tara. This is your last chance to change your mind. Because once you’re in my bed, I will claim you. You’ll belong to me and no one else. If that isn’t what you want, you have to tell me now.”
His words send tingles all throughout my body. I’m a mixture of exhilarated and scared shitless. What am I agreeing to? “What does that really mean?” I challenge, lifting my eyebrow. I try to keep my tone light and teasing, hoping I’ll get the answer I seek without him recognizing the jumble of feelings stirring inside me. “Because it sounds an awful lot like some line.”
“It’s no line, sweetheart.” He pulls off onto the side of the road and turns toward me. Those intense eyes are serious. “I’m falling for you. I’ve known since the moment I laid eyes on you that you’re meant to be with me. Once I’m inside you…Tara, there’ll never be another for me. Only you. If you’re not ready for what that means, we can wait.”
I gulp a swallow. My heart is surrendering of its own accord. There’s nothing I want more than to be Ford’s…forever. “I’m ready, Ford.”
He pulls me into his arms, lips devouring mine with an urgency completely elevated from earlier. My pussy tingles with want. I don’t know if I can wait until we get back to his house. I want him now. “Ford,” I pant, slipping my hand over his jeans until I cover his massive erection.
“Tara,” he growls in warning.
“I can’t wait.” I don’t know what the hell has come over me, but I have to have this man. “Please, Ford.”
“Let me find us a spot,” he says, hands back on the wheel. As he pulls onto the highway, I unzip his jeans and slide my hand inside. I stroke him through his boxers, imagining how he’ll feel inside me. The absolute pleasure I’ll experience as he fills me.
Ford turns down a gravel road and finds a grove of trees.
“This isn’t what I planned for the first time,” Ford says.
I bite on my bottom lip. “It’s more spontaneous.”
He pounces on me, pinning me against the seat as our lips crash together. I unzip my jeans and shimmy them down my thighs. Ford pulls them the rest of the way off. He stuffs my panties in his glovebox. “For safekeeping,” he says with a wink.
