Born To Fly Wild As The Wind Read online

  Dominic grinned. “My mama made sure all of us boys could cook. Said we shouldn’t depend on a woman to feed us and it was nice on occasion if we would cook for them.”

  “Your mama must have had me in mind when she said that. You’d be starving if you wanted me to feed you three meals a day.”

  Expertly flipping the eggs, Dominic chuckled. “You can cook. You just don’t like to do it.”

  She slid onto a stool and shrugged. “Semantics.

  “Right.” He slid the eggs on her plate and added some toast as well. “Eat up,” he said putting the others on his plate.

  Verity sliced open a grapefruit and put a half by each of their plates. Soon they were eating side by side. “So what did you want to do today?” she asked, casting a glance at him.

  Stabbing a section of grapefruit, Dominic met her gaze and winked. He fought a grin at the flare of lust in her eyes. “I’m good with whatever you want to do today.”

  “The beach?”

  “You wearing a bikini?”

  She smiled. “I think that can be arranged.”

  His cock stiffened within his pants and he shifted on the seat. “Wonderful.”

  He ate his breakfast with alarming speed. It didn’t take long before they had cleaned up and changed before heading off for a day at the beach. They walked together through the people along the crystal waters. Dominic kept one eye on her. He couldn’t help it. She wore a pale lilac two-piece bikini. A string tied the top behind her neck and she wore a small skirt-looking bottom, which barely covered the globes of her ass and had him aroused to an almost painful point.

  They chatted easily as they walked. The beach was long and they walked until there were few people around. His mind continually conjured up images of him stripping her of her clothing and enjoying all the curves of her body.

  “Hey,” she said, pushing him in the shoulder.

  “What?”

  “I asked if you’d like to go in the water.” Verity walked backwards toward the edge of the water. Her gaze was sultry and tempting. Her finger dragged down her sternum to the thin string along the bottom of her bikini top.

  Like he was on a rope she controlled, Dominic found himself moving toward her, his gaze fixed on her slightly parted lips. Before he knew it, they were waist-deep in the warm water and he’d pulled her into his embrace.

  “You are a temptation like no other, Verity,” he murmured along her mouth before nibbling her lower lip.

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “Only if you expect me to behave like a gentleman.”

  He groaned when she slid a hand into his swim trunks and cupped his cock. “I don’t expect anything of the sort,” she said in a husky voice.

  “If you don’t want me to rip off your bottoms, stop now, Verity. I don’t have a lot of control going on here.”

  Her sigh was audible and she withdrew her hand. “For your information, I’m only stopping because we have company back there.”

  Dominic slid two fingers under her bikini bottoms and into her core then turned his head to see a family setting up along the beach. Why here of all places? “Guess we should be on our best behavior then,” he said, glancing back at her.

  “I suppose so.”

  She gasped and looked at him with her eyes wide. He smiled and scissored the fingers which were deep within her pussy. Her whimper made his shaft ache even more. Moving them further out to sea, Dominic never relented the thrust of his fingers inside her. He watched her eyes as she came all over his fingers, her eyes hazy and unfocused, almost rolled back into her head. Her sharp breath barely muffled her scream. Until she stopped shuddering around his digits, Dominic continued to piston them within her.

  “I like behaving with you, Verity,” he whispered removing his fingers and pinching her lightly on the ass.

  She licked her lips and tried to control her breathing. “Not nice, Dominic.”

  He grinned at her and placed both hands along her sides. Verity shook her head as if attempting to dissuade from his current course of action. “Don’t you want to swim?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Then why get into the water?”

  “Just because I am doesn’t mean I want to swim. Sometimes I like to let the cool water touch me. I don’t want my hair wet, Dominic, please. It takes forever to dry.”

  “Fine,” he said.

  Moments later a small boy on a boogie board paddled up beside them.

  “Yassou,” the child said.

  “Yassou,” Dominic replied with a smile, grateful he’d been able to at least learn that much Greek.

  The gratitude vanished in the next second when the boy rattled on, obviously excited about something. Dominic glanced at Verity. She gave him a slight grin before talking to the child. The youngster nodded and spoke again.

  “This is Biton,” Verity introduced them.

  Soon the entire family unit was out there with them. The parents spoke some English so Dominic could speak to them. The father apologized for interrupting their time alone and Dominic assured him it was not a problem. Truth be told, he actually enjoyed watching Verity interact with Biton and his little sister, Calla. She’s really good with kids.

  Kids. Not just kids, but kids with Verity. I bet our children would be breathtaking. I’d love a little girl who looked identical to her. There was a tingling at the base of his spine with that realization. Her husky alto laugh captured his attention and he gazed at her and took a deep breath. That’s what my future looks like. She had a large smile on her face as she talked with ease to the little girl and her mother.

  They were invited to share the lunch with the group of four and as they all sat around the blanket eating, Dominic realized that while he wasn’t allowed to have Verity all to himself, he was having a blast. Calla sat beside him copying his every move. If he ate a vegetable, she would. And so on.

  As he waved goodbye to them, Verity slipped her hand into his. There was silence between them as they walked back up the beach.

  “Sorry if it wasn’t quite what you were expecting to do for your last day here,” she said. Her voice was quiet and barely audible over the noise of the beachgoers.

  “This was just perfect, Verity.” He kissed her temple and squeezed her hand. “Absolutely perfect. You look really good with children.”

  She snorted. “Something you need to tell me?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Well, I only look good with them because I can send them back to their parents. I don’t have much maternal instinct.”

  I think you are wrong about that, Verity. “If you say so. Still looked hot to me.”

  Verity elbowed him in the side. “Not supposed to think of sex when you’re around children.”

  “I was thinkin’ how fun it would be to practice making some. And trust me, that thought is forefront even if there aren’t any around.”

  “Oh my,” she laughed.

  “Tell me you weren’t thinking it too.”

  She stopped at the car and looked at him over her shoulder. “See, now why would I admit to that?”

  “I’ll give you something nice.”

  Her eyes dropped to his crotch. Her tongue snuck out and he groaned. She tossed her hair and sauntered toward him, hips swaying seductively. “In that case, I was thinking that and more.”

  Primal lust roared up within him. “Get in the car, Verity.”

  She didn’t, she moved closer. Her hands travelled up over his torso and he gasped when she pinched his nipples. “If you say so.” Verity dropped her hands and got in the vehicle.

  Dominic drove back to her place, fast. The front door had barely closed behind them before he’d ripped her bottoms off her and had her pressed against the door as he sank his cock balls deep into her in one powerful thrust. Her screams of pleasure echoed throughout him and his own cries shadowed hers.

  Chapter Five

  Verity bit her lower lip and did her best not to cry out in anger and frustration. Every last
one of her tools was smashed and scattered around the ground of the parking lot. Not that it was the only thing wrong. Her vehicle was being loaded onto a flatbed. Stay calm. Don’t get emotional. Stay poised and put together. Her internal advice was hard to follow.

  “You okay, Verity?” Yusuf asked, wrapping an arm around her waist.

  “I don’t think so, Yusuf. I just...I can’t...I don’t...” She waved a hand around and swallowed hard to keep the tears at bay. “Who would want to kill me?”

  “I don’t know, moro. I just don’t know.”

  Moro. Baby. The familiar way in which Yusuf called her ‘baby’ almost spilled the tears over. It was like she was still in diapers the way he liked to protect her. Setting her jaw in a line, she took a deep breath.

  “I think I’ll just work in my office today, Yusuf, if you don’t mind giving me a ride there.”

  “Of course I don’t mind. Are you sure you don’t need to stay for more questions?”

  “I don’t care. I need to be doing something other than thinking about this. They need to know more they can come find me at the office.”

  Still, she informed the officers she was leaving and where she was going, should they request more time with her. Settling back against the seat of Yusuf’s truck, Verity fought to retain her hold on her emotions. It took her a few moments to convince Yusuf she was fine and he could leave her alone. Once she was alone, she gazed with sightless eyes around her crowded office in which she had numerous artifacts waiting to be cataloged. None of it registered to her.

  Verity sank to her knees and grabbed herself around the middle. The room became filled with a low keening sound, which grew louder and louder until it snapped her out of her trance, making her realize she was the one creating the nigh unholy sound. The tears busted through the flood gates and streamed down her face in torrents. Head bowed, rocking to calm herself, Verity lost track of time as she tried to face the fact someone wanted to kill her. Or seriously injure her.

  Get a grip, Verity. We can figure this out. Just have to do a bit of memory searching. She took five deep breaths and pushed to her feet. At her desk, she chewed on a pen cap while the tapped the rest of it on the scarred wood of the desk. None of this happened until after Dominic showed up in your life. That thought left a foul taste in her mouth. She shook her head, not even wanting to give that credit.

  Verity did a mental scan of other archeologists with whom she didn’t always get along. There were some with who she had a volatile relationship, but murder? Would they go that far? Before today she wouldn’t have thought so. Recapping the pen, she banged her head on the desk a few times and groaned, then jumped when her cell phone rang.

  Without looking at the caller id, she answered with a raspy voice, not even caring to attempt and hide the fact she’d been crying. “Hello?”

  “What’s wrong, Verity?” Dominic’s strong timbre flowed from the phone and wrapped her in a sense of security.

  “Why do you think something is wrong?” she asked, barely summoning the strength to sit up.

  “Verity,” he growled. “What happened?”

  “Just a bad day,” she muttered.

  “Why are you lying to me? Are you hurt? Do you need me there?”

  It was a huge temptation to say yes, but she didn’t. “I’m okay. I’m just stressed.”

  “Tell me.” She could have been deaf and still heard the command in his tone.

  “There was more vandalism today.”

  “And you’re sure you’re not hurt?”

  “Not a scratch on me.”

  His sigh of relief was audible. “Then what happened?”

  “All of my tools were destroyed.”

  He muttered low and dangerous. “What else?”

  Verity stared at the flat computer screen on her desk and held the gaze of her own reflection. Worrying her lower lip, she shifted on her seat. “My brake line was cut.”

  “What?! How the hell did that happen?”

  “They don’t know, and neither do I.” She turned on the tower and waited for him to say something else while her computer powered up.

  “Damn it, Verity. I can’t stand this. What are they doing about it? Do you have protection?”

  “From what? There’s no way to know anything of who may be doing this. No one saw a thing.”

  “I want you safe, Verity,” he said, his voice oddly graveled.

  “I’d like that too, Dominic, but I can’t fight what I can’t see.”

  She heard a loud voice behind him, like from a speaker. “I have to go, baby. I’ll call you once I’m done with the traps. Okay?”

  Baby? Created an entirely different feeling within her than when Yusuf used it. “Alright. Be careful, Commander Stark.”

  “You too, Doctor Andrews. I miss you, baby.”

  “Bye, Dominic.”

  “Bye.” He ended the call.

  Verity closed her phone and stared at it. Placing it on the desk, she propped her elbows up and rested her chin on her palms. It had been two months since Dominic had spent that entire week with her. They spoke on the phone as often as they could, but he had been out doing training afterward and it was not easy to get together. She’d only seen him once since then, but every time they spoke she felt more attached to him than ever.

  She couldn’t let go of his comment of having her fall in love with him and wanting to agree to marry him. One day she’d caught herself doodling on a piece of paper as if she were still in middle school. Verity Gemma Andrews Stark. Over and over again. That wasn’t where it ended though. As if her daydreams of him weren’t enough distraction, she also dreamed of him at night.

  Pushing Dominic Stark to the back of her mind, Verity focused on placing an order for more tools. When she had finished with that, she got up, began cataloging some items and tried to come up with a mental list of people who would want her hurt. Dominic was no longer an option. He wasn’t even home for this one. It sounded like he was on a ship.

  At the end of the day, Verity was no closer to compiling a list nor did she feel any better. Locking her office, she walked up to the first floor of the museum and headed for the front. She got stopped by an officer.

  “Can I help you?” she asked him in Greek.

  “I’m here to escort you home, Dr. Andrews.”

  “On whose authority?”

  “Dr. Yusuf Cone. He called and set it up.” The man frowned slightly. “And given what you’ve been through today I think you should accept.”

  Another fuckin’ reprimand. Not like I haven’t gotten them from everyone else today about being more careful. “Fine. Thank you,” she said, after calling Yusuf to verify the story. “I’m ready to go then.”

  The ride back was silent and she waited by the door for him to check out her house. Her cell rang again and as she watched him move through the downstairs, Verity flipped it open. “Hello?”

  “Are you home?” the masculine voice questioned.

  Dominic. She smiled and leaned against the door. “Just got home.”

  The officer stopped before her and said, “All clear. You have a nice night, Dr. Andrews.”

  “Thank you, you too.” She closed and locked the door behind him.

  “Who was that? Why did I hear a male voice?” Dominic growled low.

  “I had an escort home,” Verity informed him. “He checked out the house and just left.”

  “He’s not staying?”

  “You want me to invite another man to stay in my house?” she asked.

  “Hell no!” A slight pause. “But I want you safe, Verity, and if that means you having a male officer there, then so be it. Your safety is the most important thing.”

  Walking upstairs, Verity smiled. “That’s sweet. But I’m not about to let this sicko change my life that much.” She shucked off her pants and pulled on some sweats. “Now, tell me about your day. How were the...um...traps?”

  “I’ll tell you in a minute. I need you to do something for me, Verity.”
/>
  He sounded so serious, it paused her midstep. “What?”

  “Tell me honestly. Are you okay?”

  Tears pricked her eyes at his concern. “I promise. I never got in the car and because I’d worked a double there was a big puddle under the car. Along with my tools.”

  “Okay. Thank you.”

  “Did anyone tell you, you’re one hell of a man, Dominic Stark?”

  “Just my mama, but I think she’s prejudiced on that front. My brothers would disagree with you.”

  “Well I agree with your mama. Your brothers are wrong. You are one hell of a man. Don’t let anyone tell you different.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Now, tell me what you’ve been up to.”

  * * * *

  Dominic leaned against the railing of the carrier he was on and watched the ocean slip by. The landing of other planes didn’t distract him like they normally did. He was focused on one thing and one thing only. Verity. He hated the fact he was away from her and she was still in danger. Phone calls were nice but damn it, all he longed to wrap his arms around her lush body and hold her to him. Smell that intoxicating scent mixture of rosewood and black currant. Feel her lips beneath his, slip into her wet channel and journey to the stars with her.

  “What’s up, Hurricane?”

  He glanced up from the water to stare into Charlie’s face. “Just lost in thought, Charlie.”

  “Your hot doc, huh?”

  “The one and only.” Forcing a grin, he asked, “What are you up to, Charlie?”

  “I don’t have a damn thing to do. Figured I’d watch some planes and wait for chow.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  “Hey, Hurricane. Back at the beach party, I know I never thanked you for saving my ass like that. You and Komodo are the best friends I have.”

  “So long as we don’t make a habit of it, Charlie, you’re welcome.”

  Charlie nodded and leaned against the rail beside him. “Did they catch the person or people trying to kill your woman?”

  “No. At least, I’ve not heard that they have yet. I don’t get to talk to her that often.”