Page 14 of Her Secret Wish

“Okay, thanks buddy. We’ll try it.”

Dean glanced at himself in the rearview mirror as he parked the truck. Damn, he’d missed a spot shaving. He ran his thumb over the patch of bristles under his chin. Hopefully she would be too enthralled with his good looks to notice the little spot. Yeah, right…

Rachel opened the door almost immediately, as if she’d been waiting for him to knock. Dean tried to control his surprise, but every time he saw her she was more gorgeous. The bruising on her head had faded and she’d done something to her hair to make it curl around her face. Wow, no ponytail. She was wearing the prettiest shirt he’d ever seen her in and he wondered if she’d gone shopping for tonight. Rachel seemed most comfortable in BDUs and a T-shirt top.

But her expression was the most interesting. There was trepidation there but also true excitement. Unable to help himself he grinned at her and leaned in for a kiss.

Dean would have settled for just a peck right now, but she surprised him by leaning into his touch, just a bit. Damn, she felt good.

One of his hands drifted up to cup her cheek and she let him brush his thumb over her skin. “You taste better than my dreams,” he admitted.

Rachel leaned back enough to give him a sharp look, but her eyes drifted back down to his lips as if she couldn’t help herself. There was no way he could say no to that invitation, so he pressed his mouth to hers again. Sharp arousal slid down through his gut and into his groin, shocking him.

Dean had kissed a few girls, but probably not as many as people thought. Yeah, he knew he was a decent looking guy, but dating had never come easy to him. There had never been that one person that just did it for him.

Rachel was making him wonder, though.

When he pulled away she blinked up at him a little hazily, and he was gratified to know that he wasn’t the only one affected. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Yes.” She paused to clear her throat. “Just surprised me, is all. Guys don’t usually…well, that was nice.”

What had she been about to say? Guys didn’t usually kiss her? Like her? Accept her? As he looked at her tentative gaze, he wondered what it had been like in the Marines for her; stories floated around, good and bad. He would ask her about it in a bit, if it felt appropriate.

“Are you ready? My buddy told me about this great place on the south side of the city.”

She nodded and grabbed a light jacket from beside the door. She grabbed her keys and cell phone wallet then pulled the door shut behind her. “I am.”

Dean walked her to the truck, very aware of the heat of her body beside him. He opened the truck door for her then waited till she slid inside. She reached up to grab the overhead handle and he caught himself staring at her lean, rounded bicep, revealed by the frilly sleeve of the shirt. Damn! The woman had some guns on her!

He circled the hood of his truck and slid behind the wheel. Dean started the engine and pulled out of her driveway. “So, you’ve got a great build. Where do you work out?”

“At work, actually, Lost and Found. All of the guys there are former military and very into physical fitness. We’re not real big, but we have a gym in the office.”

Dean was impressed. “I can tell you use it.”

Incredibly, her cheeks flushed with color. “Yeah, I do. I was very active but after the helicopter crash I had to immerse myself in rehab. I don’t have the range of motion I used to, so I can’t fly any more. I tried to rehab myself back into my job, but it didn’t work. I had to take a medical discharge.”

Glancing at her, he tried to read her flat expression. He had a feeling it hurt a hell of a lot to go through that, and not just physically. To have the military turn you out because you couldn’t do the job anymore, even though you were trying, had to hurt. “Being an investigator is cool, though, too. Maybe not as exciting as flying huge helicopters but it has to be interesting.”

A smile spread her mouth. “Oh, it’s definitely more interesting than I expected. I’ve only been here a few months and I’ve already been shot once and helped foil a kidnapping and attempted murder.”

Dean turned to her, trying to tell if she were telling the truth or not. “Are you serious?”

She nodded and tugged up the bottom of her shirt. Dean thought she was showing him the lean planes of her tan stomach but she pointed out a long white scar on her left side. He glanced up to the road, then back down to the scar. “Damn! That sucker is huge!”

Rachel grinned. “Yeah. Fucking burned like fire too. I was fighting a guy and he got off a shot. I didn’t even realize he’d hit me until I took him down and managed to catch my breath.”

Dean looked at her with fresh eyes, totally impressed. “I know I keep saying it, butdamn!”

She shrugged and motioned ahead of them.

The car in front of him had slowed dramatically and he had to hit the brakes rather sharply. “Sorry,” he muttered. “You are a total badass. I already thought you were but the more I get to know you the more impressed I am.”

Rachel winced and shook her head. “Don’t be impressed. I’m just doing my job.”

As much as she protested, he knew Rachel Searles was an incredible woman, and he couldn’t wait to learn more about her.

The GPS voice gave them directions to the Pink Cactus. It was only about ten miles away but far enough outside his district that he was fairly unfamiliar with the businesses.

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