Dan crushed graham crackers over his ice cream. The crumbs showered down the chocolate syrup, nudging Oreo cookie crumbs farther down the slope.
"Chocolate or butterscotch chips?" Leigh held out the two bags.
He weighed his choices, eyeing her concoction for ideas. She had a can of whipped cream at the ready to top off the treat. "Both," he decided. "I'll let you do the honors while I slice that banana."
"Good, and then I think that'll just about do it." She sprinkled the chips in the peanut butter base around the edge of the bowl. "I have to admit you have me curious." Leigh placed the banana as he sliced it. "If you're with NCIS, you already have a degree-"
"I do and will be starting on my masters soon." He got up to throw the banana peel in the trash and put what little remained of the ice cream into the freezer. It felt good, them like this, so easy with each other. He wore his boxers, and Leigh had on a threadbare green velour robe that had clearly seen better days and looked comfy as hell.
"Then why are you taking an English comp course from a community college?" A spoonful of ice cream was halfway to her mouth when she suddenly put it down. "Please tell me it's not undercover work and I'm collateral damage."
He lifted her chin on the pads of his fingers. "It's not, and you definitely aren't. You are like the bonus prize for me actually having the courage to take the course." He kissed her, then licked his lips. "Sweet…someone's been nibbling."
"So has someone else." A smile lit her eyes. "Courage?" She took up her spoon and then rolled her eyes closed with the first delectable mouthful.
"Don't laugh." Dan scooped up a healthy taste for himself.
"I won't," she said around her ice cream.
He knew she wouldn't, but he'd never told a soul. It'd been his little secret, nothing more than a fledgling dream. "I got an idea about a story. It just wouldn't go away, so I decided to write it. Only once I got started, I realized I needed a refresher on fictional composition. I couldn't believe how little I remembered. I've been doing reports and technical information all these years, but writing fiction is another thing entirely. So I finally decided if I was going to write, I needed to brush up."
"You write very well, by the way." She blushed and ducked her gaze. "Tell me about your story."
Dan wasn't going to, but the words poured out on their own. She listened with rapt attention, asking questions, helping him pull out threads and plot on details. By the time he'd finally shut up, the ice cream was gone and he was washing the bowls at the stainless steel sink, while Leigh put a pot of coffee on the timer for morning.
"I love it," she said, taking his hand. "Let's go sit on the sofa. You can tell me more while our dessert settles."
He let her lead the way. "I don't know if there's much more to say. I'm surprised it's taken hold of me the way it has. Now I have other ideas trying to nudge their way in." They sank onto the dark red sofa and stretched out, each taking an armrest so their legs draped over one another. "Another reason to take the course."
Leigh twirled a tendril of blonde hair around her finger. Her gaze focused outward. Dan knew that feeling well. He often zoned out when he was thinking about his crazy story.
"I wish I could say you were going to get some benefit out of Hilary's class," she said. "Her curriculum isn't exactly designed to nurture creativity. She's very methodical and by the book."
"Unfortunately for me, the cool teacher appears to be off limits." Dan kneaded her foot.
Leigh smiled and flexed her toes for more. "I would consider tutoring you privately."
"Would you now?" He winked.
She gave him a nod. "I'd consider it a pleasure."
"Honestly, so would I…and not in the context of bed and ice cream. You challenged your class to explore their minds and put those thoughts into form. Hilary…well, made me want to-"
"Cut your eyes out with a spoon?"
He laughed. "Yeah."
"Drop the class," she said, lifting her other foot. "You don't need her; you have me."
Did he? Dan liked to think so, in every context.
"So, why NCIS? I knew you'd probably wind up in law enforcement since you'd mentioned that before, but I figured you'd be local."
"One of those paths we take, I suppose." He moved up to her calf, working the muscles there. She had strong legs. "I was on the fence between joining the military or applying for NCIS. I felt the need to be somewhat out in the world, away from any home field advantage."
"If you hadn't, we might never have met now." That faraway look was in her eyes again.
"I like to think Fate may have found a way." Dan slid up next to her. She wiggled around until he was behind and she lying in front. "So how did you wind up living out here in the desert? Granted, it's not far from San Diego, but it is a world of difference."
She hugged his arms around her. "It's that difference that appealed to me. I came out here to explore the National Park. Once I saw the wide-open space, dark skies with stars so close you could touch them…" She shrugged. "I don't know. It was peace. I knew I'd found home. So I moved. I've been living here for about ten years. I finally found the perfect home out a ways on five acres. It's a fixer-upper, and I know it'll need work, but I've decided it's got my name written all over it. I put in an offer and am now holding my breath."
It sounded wonderful. "I've been known to be pretty good with a hammer and screwdriver. I'd loved to see the place."
"I'd show it to you, but the current lack of transportation…"
"There's always tomorrow." He pulled in a breath, hoping she wouldn't think what he was about to say was bullshit. "You know, this is my second time here. This was where I had my first assignment. I loved it here. I loved being able to hike in the National Park, to know I could easily go anywhere else I might want in under three hours. I loved the stars, the smell of the desert-"
"After the rain," they said together.
"I spent time in Iraq and then Afghanistan and needed a place to readjust, for lack of a better explanation." Leigh didn't need to hear about the horrors and fears of being in a war zone. One day, yes, but not now. "I asked to come back here. I've been back for about six months. And, believe it or not, I live about six blocks away."
That pulled her up. "Seriously?"
"Yep, it's what I mean when I talk about Fate. All the time we were both in the same place, a relatively small community, and yet our paths didn't cross until now."
"I wonder why." She settled back in his arms.
Eyes closed, Dan inhaled the scent of her hair. "Because, sweet Leigh, we were meant to be." How could he make her understand he meant that with all his heart, that he'd loved her for so long and hadn't even realized that himself until a few years ago? It sounded crazy, impossible…
Leigh rolled over. The edges of her robe fell open, pressing them skin-to-skin. Heat flared instantly. His cock swelled down the leg of his boxers. He cupped her head with one hand and her ass with the other. She kissed him without hesitation, dancing with her tongue, meshing the cacophony of flavors from the ice cream. She raked short nails up his stomach, setting off goose bumps. Then she swallowed his gasp when she pinched his nipples.
Deepening the kiss, she straddled his hips and yanked the boxers down. His cock blessed the freedom and starting looking for a new home. Dan lifted her away before things went too far. He wanted inside her too much and his condoms were in the other room.
"It's time, sweetheart."
A deep flush covered her face and spread down her neck. He lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, praying he hadn't misjudged what he presumed she wanted.
"Go into the bedroom and get what you need for tonight, what you want." He stripped the robe down her body. "I'll be less than a minute behind you. And trust me, it's going to kill me to wait that long."
She swallowed, nodded, and stood. Her body quivered with every move. Dan hoped it was with anticipation and not dread, even while he admired her sweet ass as she walked away.