Carried Away

He looked dubious.

“It’s that or cut the damn thing off. I’d rather not do that to Viv’s dress. Who knows, maybe she can get a refund or…or something. Let’s just try, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Great. And stop ma’aming me. Makes me feel like an old granny or something.”

He grinned then, just before dropping the robe over her head. “Trust me,” he said, his voice muffled by the voluminous folds of white cotton. “You’re nothing like any grandmother I’ve ever seen. It’s just habit. Military.”

She wisely said nothing as she squirmed out of the dress straps, keeping her arms inside the robe. She’d shrugged out of her tank top straps when she’d put this monstrosity on, and tucked them inside the dress. But she couldn’t untuck them now. Why should that surprise her? She tried to tug the top part down, but while the front part was willing—her boobs were thrilled to finally be free—the sides and back were all hung up with the cotton of her undershirt.

“Should I tug now?”

“Just a minute.” She tugged a scrap of tank top from the front and held on tight to it. “Close your eyes.”

She felt his fingertips brush her thighs again. “Eyes closed,” he said.

She realized hers were, too. “On three. One, two—now!”

She gripped, he yanked…and the dress gave way and fell to the floor. Right along with her panties.

“Just, uh, just turn around, okay? I can take it from here.”

She opened her eyes as he stood, gulping a little when he seemed suddenly so much taller than before. The heels, she realized. She was not a small woman and it was odd to feel so…petite. Well, not that she’d ever be described as petite, but maybe it was all relative.

“You okay? You look a little flushed.”

“Oxygen deprivation,” she quipped, not bothering to tell him that he, and not the dress, was more to blame for that little problem. She shifted and stood over the pool of sequins…and her panties. “I…um…” Damn, but his eyes were piercing. “Could you…turn around?”

He grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”

She made a face at his back. It was that or smile. And was that uniform padded, or were his shoulders really that broad? They filled her entire line of vision. But she’d had her hands on those shoulders. They were all his.

She hastily pulled on her panties and scooped up the pile of sequins and silk, along with the strappy heels. Clutching the billowy robe against her, she said, “I’m ready.” He turned to face her and all she could think was, Boy, am I ever. Sleep. She desperately needed sleep.

He held out an arm, all spit and polish and blazing baby blues. “I had someone bring my car around back. It’s right outside the door here. I’ll take you directly home.”

She wasn’t sure she should touch any part of him. She wanted to, though. So much so that she gestured in front of them instead. “Lead on.”

He moved to open her door, but she scooted in front of him, climbed in and all but lunged for the seat belt. “I got it.” She reached for the door handle and yanked the door shut in his face. She didn’t even care if it seemed rude. Lord knows he deserved worse, she told herself, no matter how charming and polite he was being now. But no way was he going to touch her again. Sleep. That was what she was going to focus on.

She let her head drop on the back of the seat and closed her eyes, pretending she didn’t know he’d climbed in beside her, all big and warm, with those long fingers wrapped around that steering wheel.

“Listen, I really do want to apologize.”

“Just get me in bed and all is forgiven.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized how they sounded. Her eyes popped open and she sat up straight. “I mean—”

He glanced at her and smiled. “I know what you meant.”

She opened her mouth, realized saying anything right now would just make it worse, and let her head drop back again.

He remained mercifully silent on the short ride back to Vivian’s. She was drifting off to sleep when he pulled into the driveway.

“Christy?”

She stifled a yawn and blinked her eyes open. “Here already?” She was so tired she wasn’t sure she’d make it to the bed. Of course, no way was she letting him know that.

“You did want to come back here, right?”

She nodded. “I’m having the floors redone at my place and they didn’t get the sanding done on time, so they were still staining and sealing them when I got home…whatever day it was. I’ve lost track. Vivian let me bunk here.”

“You’re obviously beat and it’s my fault I’ve kept you from catching up on your sleep. I am sincerely sorry.”

She smiled to herself. She was daydreaming about him carrying her off in his arms…and he was telling her she looked about as delectable as day-old bread. Ah, reality. “I know Kate can make even the sanest person go a little nuts when she gets a plan in her head. She should be the one apologizing. To all of us.”

“Let me help you inside.”

“No!” At his surprised look, she calmed down and smiled. “I can take it from here.” She put her hand on the door. “Just how did you get in anyway? Or is that just part of military training?”

“Back door was unlocked. You’d better tell your friend Viv to be more careful about that.”

“She wasn’t exactly thinking clearly when she cut out of here.” She sighed then. “I hope she’s okay.”

“Can’t you call her and tell her the coast is clear?”

“She’s up at her parent’s lake house. She’s planning on staying the weekend and it’s probably just as well. If Eric flew in for the reception then he’s likely staying through tomorrow anyway.”

Just then there was a light tap on a horn and they both turned in time to see a car pull into the drive behind them.

“Oh, great. And here I thought the day couldn’t possibly get any worse.”

“Who is that?”

A tall, blond man climbed out from the car. Dressed in an impeccably cut suit, his hair just as impeccably trimmed. He went directly toward the house, a sense of purpose clear on his handsome face.

Trevor was already opening his door. Christy swore and leaped out of the car first. “Eric, wait.”

4

ERIC SPUN AROUND. “Christy. Don’t try and stop me. I have to talk to Vivian.”

Christy almost tripped over her robe as she scooted between Eric and—She realized she still had no idea what her abductor’s name was. She looked at him. “What is your name anyway?”

He came to a halt. “What?”

“Where’s Vivian?” Eric demanded. “And why are you dressed like that?”

She looked back to Eric. “It’s a long story. But I don’t—”

“I never told you my—?” Trevor broke off with a smile and shake of his head, then grinned and saluted her. “Former Lieutenant Commander Trevor McQuillen, at your service.”

“I don’t care who the hell you are,” Eric interjected.

“Well, perhaps you should care,” Trevor said, pushing past Christy, who grabbed hold of his arm at the last second.

“Wait a minute!” she shouted, her head pounding in earnest now. “Just stop, both of you.”

She turned to Trevor. “Thank you for bringing me home. You should probably get to the reception. They’ll be wondering.” She swung back to Eric, well aware that Trevor hadn’t so much as budged. “Vivian isn’t here.”

“I was at the church when the wedding party came out,” he said. “She wasn’t there. I thought I asked you to help me out, make sure she didn’t run.”

“No, you told me what I was supposed to do. Just like you told Vivian she was supposed to leave her friends and family, sell the house you’d just bought, give up her job and move halfway around the world because you thought you had an exciting job offer. No promise of stability, no thought of what she wanted or what was important to her. Oh nooo, you were Mr. Breadwinner. She trusted you to treat her as an equal, Eric, to love her and respect her as much as she did you. And you blew it. So you think you’d have learned by now that the world doesn’t revolve around what Eric wants.”

Eric swore, then raked a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t think it’s fair to put Christy in the middle of this,” Trevor offered, then rolled his eyes and backed off when they both glared at him. “Fine, fine. Just trying to help.”

“Yeah, and we all know how successful you are at helping,” Christy said.

Trevor smiled. “Okay, I deserved that. But believe it or not, I’ve actually run many successful operations in my career.”

“This isn’t a military operation, it’s a wedding.”

“Yes, and I’m learning that some of our military leaders might learn a thing or two about battle strategy from America’s brides.”

“Very funny.”

“I wasn’t kidding.”

Christy tried not to smile, really she did. But when he wasn’t dragging unsuspecting women from their beds, he could actually be somewhat charming.

And still dangerous. Because the instant she let her guard down, he was moving closer. And she was having a hard time remembering why that wasn’t a good thing. Charmed and dangerous, that was Trevor McQuillen.

He stood right in front of her, blocking her vision of everything but him. “I am sorry about this, Christy.”

“You said that already.”

“Maybe I can make it up to you. Somehow.”

Her heart sped up. “I—you’ll be leaving soon.”

He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Says who?”

She all but shuddered in pleasure as his fingertips grazed her cheek. “Your uniform. Your rental car.”

“I—”

“Listen, I just want to know where my wife is,” Eric said, stepping between them.

“Ex-wife,” Christy snapped at him, then stepped back herself. Her emotions were all in a whirl. She was too tired to deal with all this.

Trevor turned and subtly maneuvered Eric several steps away as he spoke. “Why don’t you follow me over to the reception? This is Kate’s and Mike’s day. I’m sure you can come to some solution with Vivian after this is over.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it,” Christy said mutinously.

Eric turned back to her, even as Trevor took his arm in a firm grip. “Where is she, Christy?” Eric begged. “I just want to talk to her. If she tells me to take a hike, I will.”

“Yeah, well, you’ll be making a long one if you want to see her again.”

Eric’s eyes lit up and Christy could have kicked herself for the slip.

“She’s gone to the lake, hasn’t she?”

Christy kept her lips firmly shut, but she knew it was too late. The only good thing was that Eric had never been to the cabin. It belonged to Vivian’s parents. They’d just finished building it right when Eric and Viv split up. Viv had gone up to the lake because she knew he couldn’t contact her there.

“Christy—”

“Eric, come on, man,” Trevor said, his tone genial enough, but his expression implacable. “Let’s go to the reception.”

Eric started to argue, then decided better of it. “Okay, okay.” He pulled his arm free. “You’re right.”

Christy was instantly suspicious. Eric was nothing if not determined. It was why he was so successful in his career—and why he’d failed so miserably in marriage. Some things can’t be achieved with bull determination.

“I’m sorry I involved you in this,” Eric told her. “But…I was desperate.”

He looked it, she had to admit. In fact, despite his perfect hair, perfect clothes and perfect face…there was no mistaking the misery in his eyes. She didn’t doubt he was sorry he’d lost Viv. It was the only thing he’d ever failed at and it was simply unacceptable for Eric Swenson to fail at anything.

“Please, when you talk to her, just tell her that all I want is the chance to talk, to explain. I’ve changed, Christy.”

“Not from where I’m standing,” she said, but with more sadness than anger. She felt bad for both of them, but she also knew her friend had been devastated by the failure of her marriage and she didn’t want to see Viv put through any more hell.

“Christy, I—”

“I think we’d better leave,” Trevor interjected.

Eric looked as if he was going to resist, but he sighed and nodded. “Okay. I’m sorry, Christy,” he said again and walked back toward his car.

She turned to Trevor. “Thank you.”

“He seems pretty sincere. Are you sure—?” He broke off when Christy folded her arms and glared at him. “Right, right. I think I’ve butted in enough for one day.” He laughed. “Civilian life was supposed to be easier.”

“You’re out of the military now?”

He nodded. “The uniform is for the wedding only. I’m starting my own defensive training facility just north of here.”

“Here?” He wasn’t leaving. He was going to be…around. Christy wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Her body, however, knew exactly how it felt.

“I used to live here.” He looked around and sighed. “Feels like a million years ago.”

Christy was undeniably intrigued. He couldn’t be much past thirty, if that, and yet he spoke like a man who’d done and seen more things than a man twice his age. She rubbed her arms. Looking at him right now, she believed he had.

The sound of Eric’s car starting got Trevor’s attention. “I guess I’d better be going.”

“I guess you’d better.” She smiled, then saluted him.

He grinned and shot her one back, then opened the car door…but didn’t seem to be in any hurry to get in.

“Oh, Viv’s dress!” Christy really wasn’t making up excuses for him to stay. Really she wasn’t.

Trevor scooped them up and handed them over. “I am—”

“I know. You’re formally excused from groveling. You’d better go before Eric implodes.”

“Yeah,” he said quietly, baby blues piercing like lasers.

Eric backed out and tapped his horn.

Christy glanced over at him, thinking again that he was giving up too easily. Then she realized why. Dammit. Eric might not know how to get to the lake house, but…

“What’s wrong?”

“Eric. He doesn’t give up easily. Not when he wants something. And he wants Viv.” She debated running in the house and changing and going with Trevor to the reception. But she was the walking dead at this point. Then she eyed Trevor. Hmm. He did owe her one. A giant one. “If you want to repay me for this morning, do me a favor and don’t let Kate tell him how to get to the lake house.”

“Do you think she’ll tell him after everything that’s happened?”

Christy just looked at him.

“Right. What was I thinking? I only just met the woman, but I have a feeling Mike’s life will never be boring.”

Christy more than agreed. “Promise me you won’t let him go up there.”

“I’ll do my best.” He climbed in the car, then leaned out the window. “Maybe you should call her anyway. Just in case he finds out from someone else.”

There wasn’t anyone else who knew—not that Christy was aware of anyway. Viv worked with Christy in ICU and their grueling shift schedule had made it easier to head up to the cabin during the week, making it almost impossible for her other friends to come up. As far she knew, Kate had been the only other one.

“I can’t call her,” Christy said. “No phones up there yet. Just cell phones, and the service is spotty at best. She probably turned hers off anyway. But I’ll try.”

“Okay.” But he didn’t move. And neither did she.

Eric tapped his horn again and Christy narrowed her gaze at him, knowing his impatience did not stem from a strong desire for wedding cake. He wanted to get to Kate.

“Keep an eye on him.”

He merely grinned and gave her a final salute.

Christy was still clutching the sequin dress and robe to her chest when Trevor pulled out. She watched until the car disappeared, then realized she was actually weaving on her feet she was so tired.

It was only when she went up the porch steps that she realized she had no purse. Which meant she also did not have Viv’s spare key. And Mr. Military had surely locked the back door.

Perfect. Just perfect. She was too exhausted to work up a good panic. She rooted around the door and porch, but found nothing. Too tired to cry, she simply dumped the dress and shoes on the porch rocker and curled up in the padded porch swing. She’d deal with this much better after she’d had some sleep.

She would have sworn she’d just closed her eyes when someone—gently this time—tried to wake her up.

“Christy, I really hate to do this.”

“Then don’t,” she growled. Her bed was swaying. Why was her bed swaying? She was hallucinating, that was it. It was a dream brought on by an overload of stress and sleep deprivation. She tried to snuggle more deeply under her covers…then realized vaguely that there didn’t seem to be any covers. No pillows, either.

“Christy. It’s Eric. He’s gone. And I don’t think it’s to the airport.”

On the best of days it took at least three of her six alarm clocks to wake her up. Right now it would take an atomic bomb. “Go ’way.”

He was shaking her shoulder again. “I know you’re going to kill me for this and I deserve a full court-martial. I don’t know how Eric found out. I stuck by Kate until she and Mike left for their honeymoon. But one of the bridesmaids said she saw him leave in a hurry. I’m betting he’s headed for the lake house.”

That penetrated the fog. “Wha? Lake house? Eric?” She sat bolt upright, then groaned and held her head as the swing rocked. “Someone just shoot me now.”

Then there were strong arms around her and she simply didn’t have it in her to fight.

“Come on. I’m taking you inside.”

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