Tacker (Arizona Vengeance #5)(39)

That is something that can’t be denied and should be celebrated.

“I’ve never met anyone like her,” I tell my teammates, and they all go still… eyes glued to me in shock that I’d make such a candid and personal statement. Their wide, unblinking eyes make me laugh. “What… too much sharing?”

Bishop shakes his head. “No way, dude. You can tell us anything.”

My gaze moves from player to player, hitting on Blue, who gives me an encouraging smile. Back to Bishop, I say, “You, Erik, and Blue weren’t sitting at the table with us out at the ranch when we were eating, but I’d told the rest of the gang something I’d learned about Nora. I didn’t tell them everything, though, as I didn’t want to divulge any secrets she had, but she told me I could share it.”

Most frown in confusion, and I know I sound about as clear as mud.

“I wouldn’t be sitting here with you guys right now if Nora hadn’t lent her strength to me by sharing a personal trauma she had suffered.”

The table is quiet, all attention focused intently on me.

And so I share with them what Nora went through. I tell them every detail she told me. I don’t embellish, but I don’t hold back. I told them how her life was destroyed in an instant, yet how she managed to not only heal, but also to flourish.

“Jesus,” Erik mutters, looking at Blue. She has tears in her eyes, and he puts an arm around her.

“How crazy is it that Willow is there right now?” Dax murmurs softly. “For that same exact war that tore Nora’s family apart.”

“I’m sure they probably would have a lot to talk about at some point,” I surmise. “Nora doesn’t hold back on that part of her life. She doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff.”

“Hell of a woman,” Aaron says with a shake of his head.

“The point of me telling you that is so you can hold me accountable,” I tell the group—my friends.

“How so?” Bishop asks, his head tilted and eyebrows furrowed.

“Because Nora is sort of the standard for me now,” I say. I’d been thinking about this a lot, and I do best when I have goals to accomplish. “I’ve seen what she’s done with her life, and it’s admirable. She’s told me I can flourish, and I want that. But I also know it’s not just going to happen because I want it to. It’s going to take work and continued effort from me to push for those things. I’m asking you—my first line and the closest allies I have—don’t let me fall off task. Don’t let me get scared. Push me if you have to. Don’t walk on eggshells around me.”

It’s a huge request and a monstrous burden I just put on my teammates, but I wouldn’t have asked it if I didn’t think they could deliver. I get smiles, some nods, and someone mutters, “We got your back, man.”

Blue pushes out of her chair, rounds the table, and comes up to my chair to bend over and give me a hug.

“We’ll help you in any way you need,” she says, and I pat her forearm awkwardly before giving a harsh glance around the table.

“For the record, no one is allowed to hug me but your female counterparts,” I warn my friends. And then I add for clarification, glaring over at my best friend. “Except your women, Aaron. You’re not discriminating enough.”

The entire table bursts into laughter, and it’s infectious.

My mind flits to MJ, and I often like to think she’s in a place where she can overlook things from time to time if she so desires. I’d like to think she’s watching right now and happy to see what has occurred here.





CHAPTER 17




Tacker


I come awake slowly, my heart pounding and my skin sweaty. One might think it was a nightmare producing those aftereffects, but it wasn’t.

It was a damn sex dream about Nora.

I can’t remember exact details, so I close my eyes, struggling to go back to where I just was, not wanting to leave the feelings behind.

I get only flashes… pieces of a story.

Nora under me, our bodies totally melded and writhing. Just a tangle of arms and legs and her breathing… I can clearly remember the way she pants.

Clearer than the actual picture of what we were doing are the feelings it produced. Like I was an empty well and with every stroke inside of her, I was filling up. I can’t see her face. Don’t know the details of her body, but I do know it was Nora.

And that she made me feel so many things. As the well filled up, I was scared and yet excited. Fucking almost giddy, but totally overwhelmed. With her, I felt calm and complete and yet ready to break apart at any moment.

But even the feelings are starting to dull as I become more awake and it’s harder to hold on to it. The feelings eventually fade to black, and I’m left with an empty sensation.

The one thing I have apparently brought forth from the dream that doesn’t seem to be dwindling is another hard-on.

With a sigh, I turn my head on the pillow. I can see my roommate, Bishop, is still sound asleep. The team plane doesn’t board until midmorning, and we were out super late last night at Flemings. Both of us had intended to sleep in a bit.

I roll out of bed, pad across the thick carpet, and head into the bathroom.

The last time I dreamed about Nora, I’d also awoken with an erection. Last time, I’d stepped into a cold shower and got rid of my body’s betrayal.