Navy SEAL To The Rescue (Aegis Security Book 1)

by Tawny Weber

  Damn.

  Irritated despite himself, he glanced at Lila, still standing there, doing nothing but staring.

  “C’mon,” he ordered. “Clean house.”

  “Clean house? Just hang out here, where the bad guys know we’ll be, and tidy up?” Her eyes wide with dismay, Lila looked like she was biting back the urge to scream.

  Considering that he was going to have to pay out of pocket to replace every freaking thing in this place, Travis could sympathize.

  Still...

  “Don’t start overreacting,” he advised.

  “Overreacting? What, exactly, qualifies as overreacting?” She threw her hands high in the air. “They broke dishes. Food is everywhere. The couch cushions are shredded. How can I not react?”

  “Is it going to do any good? Will having a meltdown clean this up? No? Then save your energy.” He strode into the kitchen to toss her a roll of garbage bags. “If you want to help, throw the mess in here.”

  “All your stuff is ruined,” she said as she bent down to scoop broken crockery into a bag. “You must be upset, too.”

  “It’s not actually my stuff, it’s my friend’s stuff. So yeah, I’m pissed. I’ve spent most of my adult life living in shared quarters and rarely had possessions, let alone formed attachments to them. But this place, this stuff, it was in my care.”

  Which not only made this an invasion, it was a damned insult. One that made him so angry, he had to shove his fists into the pockets of his jeans to keep from punching a wall. Seeing the shocked look on Lila’s face, he covered the fury with a joking tone and smiled.

  “Don’t forget, replacing all this crap is going to seriously cut into my hammock time.”

  * * *

  Her laugh was barely a puff of air, but it got her moving.

  But even as she dived into the cleaning, Lila didn’t know how he did it. She could see the fury and hints of grief in Travis’s dark eyes, but he made jokes.

  All the guy had been doing was napping on the beach and now, thanks to her, he was in the middle of a nightmare. Yet he didn’t seem to blame her in the slightest.

  Why didn’t he blame her?

  More to the point, why had he kissed her?

  Memory of that kiss still tingled on her lips. She could taste him. Feel him pressed tight against her. God, the man could kiss.

  Forget it, she ordered herself. It’d been a great kiss, sure. But he obviously regretted it. And she had no business wanting another one. Not with a SEAL.

  In silence, the two of them moved through the handful of rooms, Lila surreptitiously studying him as they cleaned. By the time the trash was bagged, the irreparably broken furniture piled on the front porch, the clothes and towels stuffed in a laundry bag and foodstuff swept and washed away, she’d figured out one thing.

  And only one thing.

  She wanted him like crazy. In ways she’d never wanted another man—never even imagined wanting one.

  There was a grace to his movements. Oh, they had that economical precision she’d always associated with the military. But they flowed without hesitation.

  He made her smile; he made her think.

  He made her feel safe, as if she never had to worry if he was nearby. At the same time, she felt as if he thought there was nothing she couldn’t do.

  Talk about empowering.

  And, oh, that body.

  Sweeping up the piles of sugar and powdered energy drink, Lila turned the broom in the opposite direction so she could watch Travis bent over the recliner, straightening a metal bar with a hammer. The view of his bicep bulging and stretching with each swing was drool-worthy. But the real treat was the sweet curve of his butt encased in well-worn denim. She had the strongest urge to run her hands over his tee where it stretched across his shoulders.

  Nope.

  No touching, she warned herself, tucking the broom away in the closet, now tidy because it was empty.

  “So what do we do now?” she asked, more to distract herself from wanting Travis’s body than because she was ready to do anything.

  “We don’t do anything,” he said, straightening to kick the chair upright, then into recline, then upright again before facing her. “You stay here. I’m heading out to ask a few questions.”

  Out? “Why?”

  “Because answers probably aren’t going to saunter up to the door and hand themselves to me.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  “No. You won’t.”

  Lila scowled and grabbed herself a bottle of water. So much for being crazy about him.

  “I’m not under your command, Mr. Badass SEAL. You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

  “I’ve rescued you twice now, Blondie. And you said it yourself. Badass SEAL or Super SEAL. I’d say either one puts me in charge of this little situation we have here. Which means I do get to tell you what to do.”

  She wanted to tell him to shove his orders and his protocols and his hierarchy right up his butt. But she was afraid that the second she did, he’d shove her out the door and leave her to fend for herself.

  “They’ll come back,” she said, sure of it.

  “Not right away.”

  “Sooner or later, what difference does it make? I can’t stay here. Especially not alone. It’s not safe.” She shot him a narrow look and pointed in the general direction of his very flat, very toned, very amazing belly. “Besides, you have a gun. That means you’ve got the protection.”

  “You want me to leave it with you?”

  She could see it on his face, the condescending amusement at the idea of Lila willingly taking the gun, let alone wielding it with any efficiency.

  She wished so hard that she could prove him wrong.

  Instead, all she could do was cross her arms over her chest and give him a dirty look.

  Instead of giving her threatening pose any attention, Travis pulled a device out of his pocket and keyed in something with his thumbs. After a few minutes, she couldn’t stand it.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Mission report,” he said absently, his attention still focused on what he was doing. “We’re in a questionable situation with elements of danger. You’re stuck here with no documentation. And someone jacked up my friend’s place.”

  “So you’re, what do they call it? Calling for backup?”

  That got his attention and earned her a piercing stare that made her nervous enough to actually shuffle her feet.

  “What? Is that the wrong military term?”

  “No. It’s the wrong assumption. This is not a situation that calls for backup.”

  At her baffled look, he lifted one finger. “There’s nothing that’s happened that I can’t handle.”

  He lifted another finger.

  “In the event of any situation, reporting said situation to one’s superiors ensures that there is someone to take over if necessary.”

  Before Lila could ask what would make that necessary, the third finger went up.

  “You can have cash wired, but what are you going to do with it? Your chances of getting ID, or of leaving this country without a passport, are slim, none and zip. Once I clear up this mess, I’m going to want you out of my hair. That’ll be easier if I pull strings now and get the ball rolling to replace your documents. You can leave all the sooner.”

  Oh.

  Lila forced herself to ignore how much that hurt.

  “How long before you get a response? Can I leave tomorrow?”

  “Maybe the day after.” His lips quirked in a half smile. “If we nail Montoya and close down whatever the hell is going, of course.”

  “Of course.” Lila waited a beat. “And how were we doing that?”

  Impatience coated her hurt feelings, making Lila throw up her hands in the air.

  “Quit with the se
cret Super SEAL crap already. You’re trained to work with a team, to trust the people you’re in the trenches with. Well, here I am.” She swept her hands down the sides of her body. “Right next to you in the trench. So let’s work together.”

  “Sure. As soon as you can take a gun and cover my back, we’ll work together.”

  Uh-huh. Lila pressed her lips together.

  “What am I supposed to do while you’re gone?”

  “Keep the doors locked,” he suggested, paying more attention to the small tablet than her. “You’ll be fine.”

  She wanted to throw the water bottle at his head. But she’d already chugged all the liquid, and she had lousy aim so if she tried, the bottle would only fly a few inches and most likely in the wrong direction.

  Instead, she sucked in a deep enough breath to drown the frustration in air. When that didn’t work, she tried a couple more. The frustration was still there, but she was able to think clearly.

  She wasn’t proud, but dammit, she didn’t want to stay here alone.

  So she shifted her weight, thrusting one hip to the side and resting her hand on the other. A tiny tweak of her shoulders and a deep breath thrust her breasts high. She gave a little toss of her hair and smiled.

  A slow, sexy smile.

  “I’d rather not sit here. Alone. Waiting.” She fluttered her lashes. “I feel so much safer with you. You Super SEAL, you.”

  She could see the heat flare in his eyes and knew he was remembering their kiss. Gratitude surged. He’d dismissed that kiss so easily, she’d been afraid he hadn’t liked it. But now she could see that he’d liked it a whole lot.

  “Are you flirting with me?”

  Feeling power for the first time since she’d ran into him on the beach, Lila bit her bottom lip and gave him a teasing look through her lashes.

  “Would that work?”

  She held her breath, waiting for him to tell her to grab some pride and get over herself.

  Instead, he jerked his head toward her pile of suitcases.

  “Get casual. We leave in five.”

  Chapter 10

  “Keep that hat on,” Travis ordered the third time Lila tried to pull off the baseball cap he’d found in the pile of Paulo’s trashed laundry.

  It wasn’t much of a disguise, but paired with his baggy jeans, cuffed and cinched tight with a skinny leather belt and a flowing peasant-style blouse she claimed she’d bought as a gift, she wasn’t exactly a fashion plate.

  She was still gorgeous, which was a distraction.

  He could still taste her on his tongue, which was an irritation.

  But the hat helped. He just had to keep telling himself that.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, double stepping to keep up with his pace.

  “We’re up against an enemy combatant who knows the territory better than we do. They’ve already breached my quarters, so the first stage of this operation is alternate accommodations.”

  One hand on her arm to keep her by his side, Travis stepped up the pace. Weaving in and out of the sidewalk crowd, he kept a lookout for possible assailants. Or cops, which he now trusted just as much.

  He didn’t expect actual trouble on the street, but it paid to be cautious. He knew that he should have made Lila wait at the bungalow, but he could see her point. Sitting unprotected in a trashed house knowing bad guys were coming was hell on the nerves.

  And then there was the flirting.

  Every flutter of her lashes reminded him of that kiss and all it took was a saucy smile to get him hard.

  He was glad he had a solid poker face. Otherwise the woman would know just how much power she had over him.

  Mulling that, he stopped when they reached the small corner market. Still gripping her arm protectively, he pulled her down a side street lined with stores.

  “What are we doing here?”

  “You’re going to do some shopping while I have a chat with my friend, Manny.”

  “Shopping?” Insult rang out, crystal clear. “Is that all you think I’m good at? Buying things? Spending money? Wasting it, more likely.”

  Before she could finish what was probably going to be quite an informative rant, Travis cut her off. They were too close to the market to do otherwise.

  “Get food for two—no, three—days’ camping. Stuff that can be eaten raw or cooked over a campfire.”

  He didn’t wait for another protest, or more likely, for her to say she had no idea what to get. Instead, he pulled Lila into the small, open-front market and, making as if giving her a one-armed hug, he slipped some cash into her hand.

  “I’ll be right there—” he gestured with a jerk of his chin “—talking to that skinny guy wearing the bird shirt.”

  Before she could ask questions, Travis headed over to where Manny was arranging towers of plantains.

  “Yo, Manny.”

  “Yo, it’s the Hawk. You in disguise with that hat and sunglasses?”

  “The sun is bright out there,” was all Travis said.

  “Dude, you be hungry?” Manny left the plantains half-stacked and looked around for his wife. Frowning when he saw her helping a line of customers. “Glory is busy, but she can make you a plate soon.”

  “I’m good.” He and Lila had grabbed a few tacos from a cart on their way here. “But I have a favor.”

  “From me?” Manny’s eyes looked like headlights. Round and shining bright. “You want my help? Is it SEAL business? No, no. You can’t tell me. Still, anything you want, Hawk. I can get it for you.”

  Travis let him wind down, then outlined his plan. He had to grab the skinny man’s arm to keep him from running off to get started before Travis had finished his instructions.

  “You got all that?” he asked when he’d gone over it all twice.

  “Got it,” Manny promised, lifting one hand as if to swear to it. “I’ll go now. I have brothers, cousins, they’ll help. I’ll take care of everything.”

  “Keep it on the down low,” Travis reminded him. “Nobody knows why, nobody knows I’m involved. Right?”

  “Right,” Manny agreed, the word pretty much an echo since he was running as he said it.

  Mission accomplished?

  He watched his ace in the hole disappear around the corner of the shop as fast as his sandaled feet could carry him. He narrowly missed mowing down three pedestrians on his way and yelled a totally nonsubtle goodbye to his wife.

  Travis rubbed two fingers between his brows and sighed. Damn, he missed his team.

  A flash of blond hair caught his eye. He turned in time to see Lila tuck the hat into her back pocket, the move making the baggy jeans snuggle against her curves. Chatting easily with Manny’s wife, Glory, she filled the mesh shopping bag slung over her arm with such impressive speed he could barely make out exactly what she was buying.

  Her easy laughter filled the small market, garnering enough interested looks to tempt him to go over there and shove that hat back on her head himself.

  Incognito, he thought, gritting his teeth. She was supposed to be incognito, dammit.

  As if hearing his thoughts, Lila looked over. Her brilliant smile faded fast at the look on his face. At his arched brow, she combed her fingers through her hair as if in question. When Travis inclined his head, she shot him a guilty look, bundled her hair back under the hat and pulled the brim low.

  Yeah. He missed his team, and he missed real missions.

  It was pointless to regret things he had no control over. So he took that undeniable regret outside, as planned, leaning against the lamppost to wait for Lila to finish her shopping.

  “I hate hats,” was the first thing she said when she joined him. Hers was still firmly in place, as was the look of defiance on her pretty face.

  “I hate people trashing other people’s stuff. We’re both going to have to ge
t over it.” He shrugged, heading down the wooden sidewalk toward the beach.

  “Do you really think a hat is an effective disguise?”

  Hell, no. But it, along with the baggy, nondescript outfit, wouldn’t garner any extra attention, either. He was on keeping his eye out for Montoya or his men. It’d be easy enough to tuck Lila out of sight if a cop came into view, but that didn’t stop the random shopkeeper or tourist from reporting their movements to the police.

  But he didn’t figure knowing that would help her fade into the woodwork.

  “What’d you get?” he asked instead, gesturing to the pair of mesh bags hanging off her arm.

  “Yogurt, bagels, diet soda and rice cakes.”

  She burst into laughter when Travis stopped midstep and stared in horror.

  To hell with being discreet. He wasn’t eating that crap.

  “I’m kidding,” she said, still laughing.

  Thank God. Part of his instructions to Manny included food, but a man never relied on someone else for the basic necessities.

  “I actually got fruit, veggies, bread, meat, chocolate and fresh-pressed juice.” At his look, she shrugged. “Fresh pressed is healthier.”

  “And the chocolate?”

  “Considering the amount of stress I’m under, you’re lucky these bags are filled with only chocolate.”

  “Some go for chocolate to relieve stress. Some go for sex.”

  “What?” She stumbled, stepping on her own feet, then righting herself before he could grab her. “You want sex?”

  Hell, yeah. Especially with her. Lila was turning out to be everything he hadn’t realized he wanted in a woman, wrapped in everything he knew he desired.

  But he’d learned the hard way that he didn’t get everything he desired. Which meant sex and Lila were off the table. He just had to remind them both of that.