“Better you didn’t.”
That much was true because Ryan would have beat the shit out of the man. Then he’d have been in a helluva lot of trouble with the commander. Maybe even lost his position on the team.
Lost his position in HOT.
It would have been worth it though. For Chloe. Because he never wanted to see that kind of fear in her eyes again. He’d do anything to prevent it. Including sacrifice himself if he had to.
“Look,” Neo said, “I gotta get out of here and let you rest. They’ll let you go in the morning. Chloe too, I’m sure. Just try to be a good boy tonight, okay? I don’t want anybody calling me in the middle of the night because you did something stupid.”
“Not doing anything stupid, Neo. Unless you don’t get the fuck out of here and then I’m going to ring the nurse and tell her you’re harassing me.”
Neo snorted. “You wish, asshole. See you in the morning.”
“Yeah. And thanks, dude. I wish I’d been there when you guys got Pruitt, but if I couldn’t be then I’m glad you were.”
“Copy that. Over and out, buddy.”
Neo went through the door and all was quiet. Ryan was in a private room because that’s all Riverstone had, but he wished he could be in a room with Chloe. Dammit, why hadn’t he asked Neo which room she was in? Because the dude had distracted him with Darrell Pruitt, that’s why.
Ryan swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. He was groggy from the meds they’d given him, and he had bandages on his back and shoulder where the birdshot had hit. They’d had to dig it all out, which had been uncomfortable, but now the wounds throbbed as he moved. Still, he wasn’t letting that stop him. He pushed upright and got to his feet. He had to clutch the damned hospital gown closed as he stalked to the door.
He peered out the window. It was bright in the hallway but he didn’t see anyone. He pushed the door open and hesitated.
“Honey, what are you doing?” It was a male voice. Ryan turned to see a man with a stethoscope around his neck.
“Uh, looking for somebody.”
“You found somebody, sugar.”
“You aren’t her.”
He smiled. “Well now, how do you know?”
“I know,” Ryan growled.
“All right, don’t get testy. I’m just teasing. What’s her name?”
“Chloe Cooper. Or Evans,” he added as he thought about Chloe’s driver’s license. She couldn’t change that.
“Chloe Evans is in Room 214.”
Ryan blinked. “Just like that?”
“Yep, just like that. You’re in 210, by the way. So trot on down the hall and say hello to your girl.”
His girl. He liked the sound of that. She was his girl. He had no doubts about that at all.
Now he just had to convince her that’s what she wanted to be.
Chloe ached. Everywhere. She hadn’t expected she’d have to stay the night in the hospital, but here she was. She didn’t have the kind of insurance that would cover a private facility like this one and she’d begged them to let her leave.
But the doctor told her not to worry, everything was taken care of. She still wasn’t sure she believed him, but she couldn’t exactly walk out once the drugs took hold. So she drifted between sleep and wakefulness, dreaming bad dreams about Travis and Darrell Pruitt and Ryan.
She’d been frantic once they’d taken Ryan away from her, but everyone assured her he was fine. And then Neo showed up and told her again that he was okay. Swore to her he was alive and well and recovering from having birdshot removed from his skin.
But she still hadn’t seen him, and it’d been over four hours since they’d arrived. What if everyone was lying to her? Trying to keep her in the dark? Keep her from falling apart?
Her door opened and she reached for the button to raise the bed, preparing to demand that somebody take her to Ryan so she could see with her own eyes that he was still alive.
“Ryan?” she said as he moved quietly across the floor. Her heart pounded. Was it really him or was she still dreaming? She’d dreamt before that he’d come into her room, but then he disappeared when she reached for him.
“Hey, baby,” he said softly as he came into view.
She reached up to touch his face. To reassure herself he was real. Her fingers skimmed over warm skin and rough stubble. He turned his mouth into her palm and kissed it.
She melted with relief. Sexual arousal appeared soon after. He was alive and she wanted to wrap herself around him and never let go. “I thought I was dreaming. But you’re really here.”
He hooked his foot onto a chair leg and tugged it over. Then he sat beside her and brushed her hair from her face. “I’m sorry I had to tackle you, Chloe. That’s what made you hurt.”
“I know. But you had no choice.”
“No, I didn’t.”
Her gaze sharpened as she looked at him. He was wearing a hospital gown. Like her. So they’d admitted him, too.
“Are you okay?” He must be if he was here.
“Yep. Birdshot, like I said. They picked it out and bandaged me up. I’ll be fine.”
Chloe shuddered. “Any closer…”
“We’re lucky he chose birdshot instead of buck. And yeah, if he’d been closer, it could have been a lot worse.”
“Neo was here. He said they caught him. Pruitt. And the man who was driving, Bob Roberts. He gave a statement to the police.”
He took her hand, brought it to his mouth and kissed it. “Darrell Pruitt has a history of violence, plus he was on parole. This will put him away for a good long while.”
“Thank God.” Knowing Travis was still out there was bad enough. She didn’t need another man stalking her. She squeezed Ryan’s hand. “You protected me. You took the shot for me.”
“I told you I would. I always will.”
Chaotic feelings swirled inside her, trying to break free. She couldn’t let them or she’d drown in emotion. “You don’t have to do that,” she whispered.
“I don’t have to. But I will. It’s my job.”
His job. Those were the words that gave her relief from the emotions threatening to batter all her defenses. He did it because it was his job.
“Look,” he said when she didn’t speak. “We’ll be out of here tomorrow. You’re going to want to go home, and I completely understand that. But I still want to spend time with you, Chloe. I want to build on this thing we’ve got going on between us.”
Her heart thumped. “Do we have a thing?”
“You know we do. Whenever I touch you—Jesus, I want you like I’ve wanted no one else. You make me think about things I never thought about before. Long term things. Life things.”
Fear sent icy tentacles crawling inside her. But happiness was there too, throwing heat on the tentacles before they could freeze everything they touched. “I like you, Ryan. A lot. I’m just… I’m scared.” She squeezed his fingers harder than before. Like wasn’t quite the word she wanted, but her mind shied away from the other L-word. Could you love someone so quickly? Or was it delusional to think so? “I think I need time.”
He smiled down at her, the sexiest, most confident smile she’d ever seen. Like he knew he was right about everything. Maybe he was.
“We’ve got time, babe. All the time you want. We can go at a snail’s pace if it suits you. If I don’t get to see you naked again for a year, I’ll survive. Two years. Whatever. You set the pace. I told you that before.”
He was too good to be true. And maybe she was too screwed up to deserve him. “I wouldn’t blame you if you change your mind.”
“Not changing my mind, Chloe. I know what I’m getting into.”
He said that now. But she wasn’t sure. Everything she’d known and loved had been ripped away from her piece by piece until she’d had nothing left. Until she’d had to come here to start over.
“I see the doubts in your eyes,” he told her. “And I intend to prove every one of them wrong.”
&nbs
p; She hoped he could.
21
“Girl, that man is so fine,” JoJo said. “And he threw himself in front of a bullet for you? Damn, you are lucky.”
“I kinda am, aren’t I?”
Chloe hugged herself, smiling. She couldn’t help it. It’d been nearly three weeks since the day Darrell Pruitt shot at them and sent them to Riverstone, and every day since had been better than the last. She sank into her chair and stared dreamily out the window at the man getting into his red truck. He was in uniform today. She loved when he wore his uniform. So damned sexy.
She thought maybe tonight was the night. It was time to jump him again. Time to give into this sexual heat between them. More than sexual heat, if she was honest with herself.
Ryan Callahan was the best man she’d ever met—aside from her daddy, of course. He’d been true to his word since they’d left the hospital. He’d never once tried to take it farther between them, even when they were kissing and got caught up in the ballet of lips and tongues and teeth. She’d been insanely wet more than once, sitting on his lap, her heart hammering, hoping he’d slide his fingers up her leg and beneath her shorts. But he didn’t do it, even when she could feel the hard press of his cock against her backside.
He’d groaned plenty, told her she was killing him, but he’d never once tried to take it farther. “Waiting on you, Chloe,” he’d said after a particularly hot make out session on her couch a few nights ago. “When you tell me it’s time, then it’s time.”
She’d wanted to say it then, but something had stopped her. Some crazy voice in her head that said to wait, to make sure the time was right. But how would she know it was right?
Truthfully, she’d kept expecting him to seduce her into sex. So many times she would have given in if he had. But he never went back on his word to let her set the pace, which meant she had to acknowledge that he really was an amazing man.
As if she hadn’t already known it. He’d thrown himself in front of a bullet for her. Technically a shotgun shell, but whatever. Even if it was his job, it didn’t matter. He hadn’t hesitated when the time came.
Well, she was done waiting to have sex with him again. Done rubbing herself into orgasm when they went their separate ways at night. It was lonely in her bed without him. He was the first person she thought of when she woke and the last person she thought of at night. He always texted her before he went to sleep, and she texted him when she woke up. He’d usually been up for a couple of hours by then. He didn’t always answer right away, but she knew that his job sometimes meant he didn’t see her message for a few hours. Whenever he did, he sent a reply.
Today he’d surprised her and taken her to lunch. They didn’t go far, just to a little café nearby where she’d eaten a salad and he’d eaten a burger and they’d played footsie under the table. He’d fed her a couple of his fries, stared at her mouth so hard she’d thought he was going to kiss her, but he’d finally pulled back and shook his head. “Not allowed while in uniform,” he’d said, his voice all low and growly. Hitting inside her belly—and lower—and making heat dance inside.
“Too bad,” she’d whispered before biting her lower lip.
“Chloe—stop. You’re really killing me today.”
“Maybe I need a spanking,” she’d said.
His eyes had grown big. “I…” He’d put his forehead in his hands and shook his head. “I can’t get up from this table for an hour. I can’t believe you said that.”
She couldn’t believe it either. Even now. But that’s how much she trusted Ryan. How much she believed in him. He would never, ever hit her. Never abuse her. He wasn’t that kind of man. But a playful spanking, if she asked? He would do that. She wasn’t sure she’d even like it, but who knows? Maybe she would. Didn’t know until she tried, right?
Avery came in from the back. They didn’t have any clients right now, but the first one after lunch would arrive soon. She stopped and stared at Chloe. Then she looked at JoJo. “He took her to lunch again, didn’t he?”
“Yep. Swaggered in here forty-five minutes ago looking like a wet dream. Just dropped her off.”
“Well, hell. I had to run home and let the plumber in. Sorry I missed it.”
“Where’s Jimmy?” JoJo asked.
“Business trip,” Avery replied.
“He’s been on a lot of those lately. He get a promotion or something?”
Avery brushed off her dress. There wasn’t a spot on it. “Not yet. But he’s angling for one, so that’s why the extra business trips. If he gets the position, we can finally set a date.”
JoJo shot Chloe a look when Avery went over to the computer to check the day’s appointments. Chloe lifted an eyebrow. Neither one of them believed that Jimmy planned to set a date anytime soon. He liked things just the way they were. He had a decent job selling restaurant equipment, and he got to live rent-free in the house Avery had bought. Presumably he kicked in for the mortgage and stuff, but Chloe wouldn’t be surprised to hear that he didn’t kick in as much as Avery did.
“Well I hope he gets it,” Chloe said. “You both deserve good things.”
Avery’s smile was almost relieved. “Thank you, Chloe. I hope so too. Now tell me about Mr. Hunky SEAL. Where did he take you?”
“Mia’s. He couldn’t stay away from the base for long so we had to go somewhere close and fast.”
“Mia’s is good.”
“I like their chicken salad,” JoJo said.
“You should have told me. I’d have brought you a sandwich,” Chloe replied.
“Nah, I had a microwave meal. I’m good. But thank you.”
“Next time then,” Chloe said. She glanced at her watch. “I better get in the back and mix up Kitty Standridge’s color. She’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“You pay attention to what you’re doing,” JoJo called. “No daydreaming about sex with that man and mixing up purple instead of blonde.”
Chloe laughed. “I think I can handle it,” she called out as she stepped into the hall connecting the salon with the stockroom. She’d just bent down to pull out the color mix when she heard the bell tinkle. There was a masculine voice, though it was muffled by the walls and she couldn’t make out what he said. Probably a husband or boyfriend come to wait while his wife got her hair done, or a man inquiring about getting a cut.
“Chloe,” JoJo said a few moments later. But she didn’t sound like herself. She sounded afraid.
Chloe shot a look over her shoulder, though she didn’t stand up. Her limbs turned to stone, making it impossible to move. Travis James had an arm looped casually around JoJo’s neck. The other held a pistol.
“Hi, Chloe Jean. Happy to see me?”
“Man, you slayed the course,” Neo said as Ryan stepped out of the hot zone and ejected his magazine so he could reload it. “I don’t think anybody moved faster than you did.”
Today they’d been doing a live fire exercise on a mocked up 767. Within seconds, they had to determine if a target was a civilian or a terrorist. Then they had to respond. Ryan had sped through the simulation with quick precision, shooting terrorists and leaving civilians unharmed. There was no margin of error in this exercise, but today was the fastest time he’d ever put up.
“Another day, another dollar,” he said with a laugh. Not that rescuing hostages was a laughing matter, but they joked about it because they had to. Gallows humor was a real thing, and it was a strong coping mechanism sometimes.
“Dude, you need to stay celibate. You’re on fire.”
Ryan frowned. “Not funny, Neo.”
Neo shrugged. “Sorry, but I know you aren’t getting laid. You’re home by ten-thirty every night. If you were getting busy with Chloe, you wouldn’t come home at all.”
Annoyance flashed through him. “You don’t have a clue what’s going on between us.”
“Yeah I do. Because if I were getting laid, I wouldn’t come home either.”
Ryan grabbed a box of 9mm rounds and started to reloa
d while Cowboy went into the next room to begin the simulation again. “So you aren’t banging Kayla?”
Neo went still. “Kayla is a mom. Don’t talk about her that way.”
“What, moms can’t get laid? You ever hear of MILFs?”
“Dude. Seriously.”
Ryan stopped pushing bullets into the magazine. “I won’t mention the word laid and Kayla in the same sentence if you do the same with Chloe. Deal?”
“Done.”
“Seriously though,” Ryan said, shoving more bullets in. “You aren’t seeing her?”
“No.”
“Neo, don’t take this the wrong way, but I think that’s a shame. You like her. She likes you. Seems like you ought to be able to go out together.”
“She needs a guy who can take care of her. Provide a stable home for Ana. She’s been through enough.”
Ryan set the magazine down and turned to his friend. “You’re kidding, right? Who can provide a better life than you? Military health care for her and the kid, housing allowances, cost of living allowances, and a nearly half-million dollar insurance policy if you don’t come home one day, God forbid. Just the health care alone would make a huge difference in her life, don’t you think? Babies need a lot of exams and shit.”
Neo dropped his gaze. Contemplating his combat boots, maybe. “Yeah, guess so. I didn’t think of that.”
“How could you not think of it? Dude, you’re a frigging catch. We all are.”
“Unless we don’t come back.”
Ryan swallowed. There was that. “It’s what we signed up for. And if we don’t, then we know our loved ones are taken care of.”
After a moment, he shook his head. “She’s not interested in me. We’re friends. Besides, she reminds me of my little sister.”
Only if Neo looked at his sister like he wanted to eat her up. Ryan wisely didn’t say that, however. But Neo was clearly in denial. “Yeah, fine. But maybe keep it in mind if she needs help.”
HOT SEAL Hero Page 18
