Xtreme Behavior (Xtreme Ops Book 3)

by Em Petrova

  Now that she had quiet and the snoring of two dogs and deep breathing of a big man in the opposite bunk, everything rushed at her.

  Love. The L word. A forbidden thing between them. They worked together far too often to bring intimacy into the equation, yet they had.

  It started as too much tequila and one very hot kiss and now here she was wondering if she could have more with the man. Their encounter a week ago had left her burning and breathless—and so did the things she saw in the depths of his dark eyes.

  Passion was one thing. Lust another. They hadn’t even been friends in the beginning…but they were at this point.

  She didn’t have a mother or sister to speak with—not even a surrogate aunt since Geri was in prison. But if she had another female to talk to, she had an inkling that she’d inform Vivian that having passion and lust with your best friend made for a damn good relationship.

  She gulped, and Freedom woke from his snooze at the sound she made. She dangled her arm off the bunk to rest it on the dog’s side, and he settled at once.

  They were all exhausted. Maybe that was her reason for dwelling so much over Alix.

  Where was he? Somewhere within the over 663,000 square miles of rugged wilderness that made up Alaska, chasing some dangerous threat with his teammates.

  She’d lost her father to a risky job. Could she stand to lose a man she was in love with?

  A tear leaked from the corner of her eye. The damp trail startled her and left her aching to release more of the same. She wasn’t a crier by nature. She’d grown up with a hard-nosed dad who never kissed her booboos—he told her to walk it off. As a result, she often failed to acknowledge her emotions, but right now, right this minute…she wished Alix was here.

  She’d turn into his arms and hold him and smell his manly outdoorsy scent and listen to his voice as they discussed…well, everything.

  There was nothing she’d hold back with Alix, and that told her above the lust and passion and friendship that he’d become her man.

  Another tear dropped to the pillow beneath her head. Vivian knew loss and how quickly people could leave her life. Alix could be one, and she refused to allow more things to go unspoken between them.

  Would he even have his phone on him? As far as she knew, he wasn’t allowed. But she couldn’t rest until she let him know how she felt about him.

  She pulled her phone from her pocket and shot off a text to him. Or she started to, but realized how odd it was to share the bombshell that she was in love with him over a device.

  Quickly she erased what she’d written and typed: Thinking about you.

  She sent the message and waited for a response. But none came.

  “Weapons, crack, methamphetamines, cigarettes, humans for slavery, polar bears, fucking rhino tusks, pastries filled with rolled up hundred-dollar bills to launder…” Broshears stared at table after table of illegal items smuggled across the US waterways they’d recently confiscated. He shook his head and picked up a bear foot with the claws attached. “And this thing. What the hell are we doing here, Penn? Shouldn’t ICE and the ATF be handling this?”

  His captain cocked a brow at him as Broshears circled the tables full of contraband but he remained in his kicked-back position in a chair. “You know why we were sent here, Broshears. Sit down and have a damn beer.”

  He didn’t feel like having a beer. But a tequila with Vivian Valentine? That was entirely another story.

  Hepburn and Gasper eyed him as he passed. Of course they knew what his problem was—the whole Xtreme Ops team did. Hell, Broshears included.

  He was jonesing for Vivian.

  She was gone five days before he got called out on this mission, and he hadn’t heard a word from the woman. He didn’t know if she was dead, alive or had changed her mind about giving Hunt Cason a chance. The bastard had spent more consecutive days with her than Broshears had, and it was eating him alive.

  He continued stomping around the tables, his heavy boots thumping the cement floors. On the table, five hundred croissants were lined up in rows, filling an entire six-foot long table. All the tops were torn open, and what they estimated to be over a million dollars in bills were stuffed inside the baked goods.

  When he passed by the polar bear hides, he turned his face aside. Damn poachers and smugglers were the lowest of the human race. Especially those who took animals and people. They’d managed to rescue a dozen women from forced servitude and the sex trade and shipped them out to a facility to be looked after.

  “Christ.” He shoved his fingers through his hair and started past the polar bears on display.

  Lipton stuck out a leg into his path, stopping Broshears in his tracks. “What the hell’s going on with you?”

  “I don’t see why we haven’t left. Our job’s done here. There are more pressing issues going on.”

  “Like what?” Lipton used a big knife to clean under his nails.

  “What about the package bombs?”

  Penn’s deep voice came from across the warehouse. “Christopher’s transfer was delayed. Geri Anne Riser is awaiting trial with a hefty bail set. That last package she informed Homeland Security of was tracked through Canada, and a team intercepted and disarmed it. There’s nothing to do on that front, Broshears.”

  Fuck. He’d go mad waiting in this place.

  “Sit down and text Valentine.” Lipton nodded toward a vacant folding chair.

  He caught Hepburn’s shit-eating grin spreading across his ugly mug.

  “The hell are you grinnin’ at?” Broshears strode to the chair and dropped into it with so much force that the metal parts screeched as they grated on each other.

  “I love me a good romance, and I’ve had the pleasure of watching our beloved leader, Captain Penn Sullivan lose his shit with Cora. Then Lip here…” He twisted to stare at Lipton, who continued picking at his nails with the long knife blade. “Lip busted his ankle, but we all thought he busted his damn mind over Jenna.”

  Broshears grunted. “What’s your point?”

  Hepburn sliced another smile his way. “That we’re all enjoying the unraveling of your mind, Broshears.”

  “My mind’s fine,” he grated out.

  “So it isn’t the dog handler you’re flipping your lid over?”

  Lipton grinned, and across the warehouse came Penn’s low chuckle. Were they all making fun of him? That hardly made him feel any better.

  “There’s nothing going on with her. We’re not even allowed to have interpersonal relations with the other agencies we work with.”

  “Interpersonal relations.” Hep’s long, drawn-out drawl of the syllables made Broshears want to feed him his fist for a light snack and follow it up with a size twelve steel-toed boot.

  When he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, head in his hands, the chair squealed in protest again. He stared at a grease stain on the floor and what might be a spatter of blood.

  He fell into a sullen silence, his mind wandering between Vivian and Zack, and on to the dozens of calls he’d received before leaving her place concerning the interview he finally agreed to give.

  Penn dropped his legs to the floor with a thunk. They all looked up at their captain, who was staring at his phone. Then he stared straight at Broshears.

  His heart gave a sickening flip in his chest as a tight fist of fear clamped on it. Was it news of Vivian?

  “When were you gonna tell me, Broshears?” he demanded.

  He got to his feet. “What’s wrong? Is it Vivian?”

  A snicker came from Hep’s vicinity, but he ignored it.

  “No. I don’t have any word about your girlfriend. I’m talkin’ about the interview? Fucking NBC picked it up? The Today Show?”

  He shoved out a breath through his nostrils, trying not to puke at the extreme adrenaline rush surging through his veins at the fear that something happened to Vivian.

  “What the hell’s happening?” Lipton finally stowed his knife in his boot.

&n
bsp; “Our hero here’s giving an interview about the incident in North Korea involving him leading a mission that rescued thirteen Americans, a South American doctor and a platoon of American soldiers.”

  “Mannnn, why you gotta keep outshining us, Broshears?” Hep shook his head.

  “Seriously, first you identify that fucking smuggled sword as being from the Bronze Age, and now this?” Pax was a latecomer to the Xtreme Ops team, but the man knew how to keep them all laughing, and everyone chuckled at his words.

  “Knowing antique weapons is my hobby. And I have reasons for giving the interview.”

  “What about the book deal?” Penn asked.

  “A fucking book deal too? Damn,” Pax stated.

  Broshears shrugged, his shirt uncomfortably tight across his spine. “I didn’t agree to the book deal or movie.”

  “A fucking movie!”

  Broshears sent a look at Pax, and he shut his mouth but continued to grin. “I’m doing the interview to help inform the world that heroics don’t always pan out. Bad shit happens. I got lucky leading the team that managed to get them out. I might have just as easily failed and ended up held hostage with the rest.”

  Penn looked down at his phone again. “OFFAT is telling me that they’re getting requests from other government agencies to take you.”

  “Take me?” His brows creased.

  “Yeah, job offers. Undercover work. Says here a position’s been offered in the Secret Service.”

  “Fuck that shit. I’m not leaving the team. I’m stayin’ right here.” To prove his point, he dropped to the chair again, this time nearly buckling the metal leg. Hell, who would have thought agreeing to a stupid interview would result in all these other opportunities?

  To hell with his fifteen minutes of fame—he only wanted to get to Vivian.

  “Exactly when are we getting the fuck outta this warehouse, Penn? It’s depressing as hell looking at those polar bears. And I might eat a couple dozen of those croissants with money filling.” Hep’s humor grabbed Broshears and shook him from his despondent thoughts.

  “I’ll help you shove a few down your throat,” Broshears quipped.

  Hep gained his feet and stretched to his full height. “Like to see you try, you lovesick puppy.”

  Broshears took a step toward him, intending to flatten his teammate in a wrestling hold, but Penn’s voice boomed over the laughter. “They’re sending transport and a team to recover all the smuggled goods. We roll out in an hour, Xtreme Ops.”

  His heart gave a hard flutter, like wings beating the air in flight. Thank Christ—they were leaving and he could finally get back to Vivian. This time he wouldn’t be torn from her without telling her how he felt.

  Hunt pulled into the driveway behind a black SUV and threw his truck in park. “Someone’s here with Zack, I see.”

  “Yes. Cora’s been staying with him. I owe her a queen’s pamper package from the local day spa.” She threw Hunt a look. “Thanks for bringing me home. I can’t wait to get into my own bed.”

  He smiled at her. “You earned it.”

  “We both did.” She opened the passenger door and then reached into the back seat for her duffel. “You good to drive? You’re not too tired? You’re welcome to my couch if you need to crash before you go home.”

  They could bring Aries and Freedom inside to keep Zack company and receive some pampering of their own after the long-ass week they’d had.

  “I’m good, Valentine. I’ll see you soon, I’m sure.”

  “Let’s hope it’s a few days at least.” She grinned at Hunt and then shouldered her bag and shut the door. As she walked to her house, a warm fluttery feeling took root in her chest. Since she was home, Alix could get in touch with her the minute he got in.

  She drowned in hazy memories of him kissing her goodbye at the door and how impassioned their lovemaking had been that night before she left.

  And Zack—how she’d missed him. Working with Freedom was always a treat, and their bond had strengthened over the past twelve days together, but she still missed her good boy.

  As she unlocked the door and entered, Hunt honked the horn on the way past. She lifted a hand in a wave and then closed the door behind her. The scent of home hit her, and she started to call out to Cora and Zack, when she heard a deep male voice.

  She dropped her bag abruptly, heart leaping. She started across the living room, when she heard a female voice too.

  “Oh, Alix, you’re so funny. I don’t know how you haven’t been snatched up by some lucky woman yet.” A giggle followed.

  What the hell was going on?

  Vivian stormed into the kitchen to see Alix’s back to her. He sat at the kitchen table, with his tablet propped up on a milk jug. The woman on the screen had beautiful blonde hair cascading in waves over her shoulders and down to her breasts, which cut off at the cleavage by the bottom of the camera.

  “Well, you never know what will happen,” he intoned.

  Vivian wasn’t quiet as she leaped into his sight. His head snapped up, and his face transformed to an expression of sheer joy right before it fell at seeing her thunderous look.

  “Angela, I’ve gotta go. We’ll pick this up later.” Without another look at the screen, he ended the video call. He stood and faced her.

  She glared up at him and then waved a hand at the computer tablet. “What the hell was that? Who was she? Why are you in my house talking to another woman?”

  He took one step up to her, grabbed her by the elbows and lifted her onto tiptoe. “I’m happy to see you too, honey.” He slammed his lips over hers.

  For a moment, she struggled against the sheer force of the kiss, and then she struggled at the amazing feel of it. Her insides heated, and her pussy clenched at the feel of Alix.

  The pressure of the kiss stole her wits, and she battled to reclaim them as she pushed against his chest.

  He trapped her hands in his and locked them behind her. The move brought her breasts jutting forward to brush his steely chest. Wanting blossomed low in her belly and flowed downward to grip her pussy with dark desire.

  She tore her face aside, and he followed her, biting into her lower lip and tugging her back to the kiss. She gave in for a mind-blowing second and then bodily tore away.

  Pacing several steps, she crossed her arms and glared at him. “What do you have to say to my questions?”

  “I say it was an interview. And that woman is nothing but a reporter. This is the first time I’ve ever spoken to her.”

  “She was flirting with you!”

  “And? Cason flirts with you all the time. C’mere, honey, and let me show you how damn much I’ve wanted you—nothing but you—ever since you walked out that door twelve days ago.”

  A hiccup of shock bubbled up her throat, overtaking any words trapped there. She gaped at him. Every line of his handsome face told her he was being serious.

  Before she could say anything, something furry brushed her leg, and she realized she’d forgotten to pay attention to Zack.

  “Oh my boy!” She dropped to her knees and hugged him, kissed him and stroked his ears. “How are you feeling? You look so good!” He slicked out his long tongue and lashed it over her chin and jaw. She pressed kisses to his muzzle in return and put her arms around him.

  While the reunion took place, she grew aware once more of Alix standing there watching them.

  And how he’d kissed her.

  How she wanted him to kiss her again.

  Would that wanting ever end? It didn’t feel possible.

  He leaned against the table, long, powerful legs clad in worn denim. She’d never seen Alix in anything but military gear, a black T-shirt and black cargo pants…or in the buff.

  God, a naked Alix was enough to make her insides clench and her nipples harden.

  She managed to escape Zack’s happy kisses for a moment and looked up at Alix. Their gazes locked, and her heart gave a flip too strong to be anything less than what she’d suspected all these
days away from him.

  She was in love with him.

  Being with him again confirmed it and brought it home in one big wallop. If she weren’t already kneeling, it would knock her flat.

  The serious expression in his eyes had her pulse pounding. “I missed the hell outta you, Vivian.”

  She gulped the lump thickening her throat. How to respond to that? I missed you too—more than you can ever imagine?

  For the first time in her life, she played it safe.

  “Looks like Zack did too,” she sidestepped Alix’s statement.

  He lowered his eyes, allowing them to linger on the dog as if composing himself. Then he looked at her again. “You’re okay?”

  She nodded.

  “I heard some of what your team was doing. So many avalanches.”

  “Yes.”

  “Not many found alive either.”

  “No… On the way home, I had to ask myself if this job is worth all the pain. Then I remembered how Freedom and I felt finding those victims.”

  He nodded. Of all people, Alix understood. Could she ever be in a relationship with a man who had a normal job? She couldn’t imagine discussing the horrors of her day in the K-9 unit with a plumber or truck driver.

  But Alix knew her far better than she sometimes even knew herself.

  “Why don’t I start the shower for you. Then you can crawl into bed.”

  The two things she wanted most—well, almost as much as she wanted him. When he took care of her this way, wasn’t it the equivalent of saying ‘I love you?’

  She nodded, hugged Zack and then stood. Alix pulled away from the table and extended a hand to her.

  She stared at his callused fingers that felt like heaven and the torment of hell all at once when he touched her. After a heartbeat, she reached out and clasped his hand.

  He twined their fingers and led her out of the kitchen. Zack followed, his four feet pattering on the floors.

  “He’s so much better.”

  “It’s amazing what a little rest will do. C’mon. It’s your turn.” At the bathroom door, he released her hand to turn on the shower. While the water heated up, he slowly turned to her again.