Joe (Delta Forces Book 4)

by Elizabeth Lennox

  Joe

  Delta Forces Series

  By Elizabeth Lennox

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  Copyright 2020

  ISBN13: 9781950451326

  All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Any duplication of this material, either electronic or any other format, either currently in use or a future invention, is strictly prohibited, unless you have the direct consent of the author.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Excerpt to The Sheik’s Scandal

  Chapter 1

  She hadn’t seen him coming. Sandy stared at the man stepping through the door, stunned by the raw power and lethal grace. The tray of glasses trembled as she stumbled slightly, which only made the situation worse. At the sound, his eyes scanned the room, narrowing on her.

  For a long moment, they simply stared at each other, the awareness arching between them like an electric current. She could feel the weight of his eyes on her, as intimate as any caress. Pulsing beats of power surged through the room and Sandy wondered how the others didn’t notice.

  Someone shrieked behind her and, thankfully, the spell was broken. She turned, searching for the source of the noise and realized that it was only Lexie Cain, Colonel Mike Cain’s wife, entering the room in search of the bride to be, Carrie Andrews, and her fiancé, Major Derick Matlock.

  Sandy looked around, realized that she was standing awkwardly in the pathway between the kitchen and the small dining room/living room. Others were trying to slip around her so she moved forward, delivering the drinks to the engagement party guests who were sitting in the living room.

  Taking a deep breath, she smiled and moved away, needing a moment. Just one small moment, to recharge and refocus. That look had been intense and Sandy didn’t need “intense” in her life right now. Or ever. She had her life in order and a distractingly gorgeous man was not on her agenda.

  Not anymore.

  At another time in her life, perhaps. Before she knew…well, she wasn’t that lively woman any more. And if she missed that person, missed the hopes and dreams that she once had, well, that was life. And sometimes, life sucked.

  A dog barked and Sandy glanced through the window towards her own house. Herbert and Roxy stood at the fence line, looking on as more people arrived for the engagement party. Smiling, her heart swelled with love for the canines that had been more than just companions. They were her babies.

  “Cute dogs,” a deep, male voice commented.

  Sandy turned, schooling her features as she did. “Thanks,” she said as she faced the man. “They have great personalities.”

  “I’m Joe,” he said, extending his hand. “And you’re Detective Sandy McLean, correct?”

  “That’s right. How did you…?”

  “I’ve heard the story about how you took down Carrie’s ex.” His lips curled upward and his hazel eyes sparkled with admiration. “I wish I could have been there.”

  She grinned, feeling triumph and victory, both powerful sensations. “It was pretty nice.”

  Joe’s deep laughter sent unappreciated tingles throughout her body. But she ignored them. They were pointless, anyway. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Joe.”

  She moved away, heading back towards the kitchen for the next tray of canapés. Derick’s kitchen was different from her own next door, but similar enough that she could figure out where most things were. And since Carrie and Derick were currently swamped with guests eager to offer their congratulations, Sandy had stepped up as hostess.

  That plan worked for the next couple of hours, but by nine o’clock, the party was still going strong and there was no more food to put out. As members of the elite Delta Force team stationed here in Alabama, the guys were all buff and arrogantly confident. Both traits held a potent allure for the local ladies as well as the female soldiers on base, so none of the men present were without a woman on his arm. Except for one, she thought, her eyes straying to the man across the room. He was leaning on the fireplace mantle, looking hot in a white cotton button down shirt and a pair of jeans that had been well-worn and were now soft and looked comfortable, fitting snuggly around his powerful legs.

  Unfortunately, as soon as she looked in his direction, he sensed her gaze. A pulse beat of awareness pounded between them before she regained control and looked away. Why did she keep looking at him? It seemed pointless and silly.

  Sandy wasn’t the girly kind. She was tough and responsible. She was a police detective! She didn’t have feminine wiles and wouldn’t know what to do with them even if she did!

  Joe watched the beautiful blonde woman, smiling to himself as she seemed to be mentally admonishing herself for staring at him. She was slim, but not in a soft way. Underneath that soft, pink sweater were tempting breasts that weren’t too big or too small. She had Goldilocks breasts, Joe thought with a mental chuckle. She might not like the branding, but her breasts were just right. A handful, but not overflowing.

  She must have sensed his gaze because her nipples peaked underneath the soft material, showing him that she was just as aware of him as he was of her, even if she was trying to pretend otherwise. Lifting his eyes, he couldn’t hide his triumph at her body’s reaction to him. Especially since he’d been fighting an almost painful need for her as well. Fair was fair, he thought.

  “You know that’s my neighbor, right?” Derick teased.

  Joe pulled his eyes back to his friend, his dark eyebrows lifting. “I’m sorry?”

  “Sandy? The woman you’ve glanced at maybe twenty times in the last ten minutes? She’s my neighbor. Stop mentally undressing my neighbor. She’s a nice, decent person.”

  “She’s beautiful,” Joe countered, looking at her again. But this time, the woman in question was talking with Lexie and Abby, Zeke’s wife. Zeke was another officer on the team and a good friend. The four of them, Colonel Mike Cain, Lieutenant Colonel Zeke Jeffers, Major Derick Matlock, and himself, were all leaders of the Delta Force unit. Their boss, General Jim Kelly, was a freaking genius at figuring out the tactical aspects of each mission. So far, the teams hadn’t lost a single man or woman during a mission. And Joe wanted to keep it that way. The four of them worked well together and he was proud of the work they did, although no one in the world would ever know about any of their missions. The Delta Force members kept their tasks on a top secret, need to know basis. There were times that Derick’s team went out on a mission, and Joe had no idea what was going on or even where they were in the world. Not even when they returned from a mission.

  Still, they were doing good things and resolving problems in the world. And Joe loved every minute. He knew that there would come a time when he’d get too old for the physical missions. But until that time, he was going to do his best to ensure that every mission was successful and everyone came home alive.

  And yet, he saw the way Mike looked at his wife Lexie. He also knew that the couple was pregnant with their second child, although they hadn’t announced it yet. Joe knew only because Lexie was gloriously happy…and she wasn’t drink
ing tonight, even though he knew she loved beer. Mike kept his arm around her waist, a big hand protectively covering his wife’s still-flat stomach.

  He turned to see Abby and Zeke getting ready to head out. It was only nine o’clock, but their infant daughter, Angela, was at home waiting for them. Probably asleep, but Zeke didn’t like leaving her with a babysitter. In his mind, no one could protect his child better than he could. Joe was happy for his friend. But damn it, when Zeke was stressed about things, he baked. During Abby’s pregnancy, the teams had enjoyed an ample supply of cookies and freshly baked breads. Now the man was stupidly happy and didn’t seem to have time to be stressed. He loved coming home to play with his daughter and be with his wife. Hence, no cookies or fresh bread lately. Dang.

  Then there was Derick. This shindig was for the benefit of Derick and his now-blonde fiancée, Carrie. When Joe had first met her, Carrie had introduced herself as “Jolene” and she’d dyed her hair a dark brown. The strawberry blonde suited her better. The chocolate eyes and the adorable freckles stood out more, made her…cuter.

  Again, his gaze returned to Sandy and her amazing figure. She was slender, in a firm, athletic sort of way. She carried herself with a confidence that made her seem taller than she was. Plus, he liked the way her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders. The hair went with her soft, amber eyes. But it was her lips that conjured up his fantasies. Her lips were like a ripe rosebud.

  Rumor was she was a damn good detective, too. And yet, he saw the smothered longing in her eyes as she looked at Lexie, Carrie, or Abby. The four had become fast friends after Sandy helped take down Carrie’s ex-boyfriend and bought Carrie’s newly renovated house. And yet, Joe saw the wistful vulnerability when she noticed Zeke and Abby sneaking away, eager to see their infant daughter.

  Joe wondered why she pushed men away when she obviously wanted a husband and family as well.

  For the first time in his life, Joe wondered if, perhaps, he wanted those things too.

  Chapter 2

  “What are you doing?” Sandy demanded, spinning around to confront the guy following her. Joe Hancock. Army Major and badass Delta Force team leader. Tall, muscular, and with a confidence that called to her.

  Good grief, the man was hot!

  “I’m walking out to my car,” he replied smoothly, but he was close. Too close!

  She looked around and, sure enough, his car was right behind her. “Oh. Right,” she replied.

  “Would you introduce me to your dogs?” he asked, nodding towards the pair of noses stuck through her fence.

  Sandy glanced over at Roxy and Herbert, her two mutts that were standing at the fence line, nearly dancing in anticipation of her arrival.

  Her pets never failed to brighten her mood and she smiled. “Sure,” she said, but only because her canines loved company. “Come on over.”

  Sandy loved her dogs and they loved her. Even better, they loved just about every human being with hands. Guard dogs, they were not!

  Joe laughed as he knelt down to allow the dogs to sniff his hands before petting them. “They are adorable, but clearly not guard dogs,” he commented.

  She laughed as well. “That’s Herbert. He’s got a lot of collie in him, and maybe some wolfhound, which would explain his size. And he’s super affectionate.”

  “He’s awesome,” Joe replied, rubbing the big dog behind the ears. The dog was very well behaved and didn’t try to jump on him. And he didn’t lick, which was also good. “Who is that?” he asked, tilting his head towards the dog that Sandy was petting.

  “This is Roxy. She’s a mutt too, but with so many breeds in her past, we’ll never really be able to sort them out.” Sandy looked into Roxy’s eyes. “But we don’t care, do we?” she said to the dog who wiggled with excitement. “She’s a loveable sweetheart.”

  Joe laughed, and nodded toward her house. “And the cats?”

  Startled, Sandy looked at him, then up in the direction of his gaze. Her two cats were sitting in opposite windows, glaring down at the love-fest. “Oh, the white one is Mittens and the tabby is Bear. They really don’t like the dogs, but Herbert absolutely adores Bear.”

  “I’m sure it makes for an interesting morning, getting them all fed and walked.”

  “Not really a problem,” she countered with a laugh as Herbert leaned into Joe, obviously in love. “The dogs come running with me in the morning and I wear them out early enough that they leave the felines alone for a few hours. Besides, they have a doggy door that lets them sneak out of the house to protect the chickens at night.”

  Joe stood and looked around in surprise. “Chickens?”

  “Sure,” she grinned. “I wanted fresh eggs, so I built a chicken coop in the back yard.”

  “Why would you need fresh eggs?”

  Sandy shrugged. “I don’t know,” she told him. Looking up at him, she wondered how tall he was. Well over six feet, she thought.

  “You just…like eggs?”

  She laughed. “Oh, you’d be surprised by how much better fresh eggs taste than the ones you’d buy at the store.”

  Was he closer now?

  “I’m sure that I’ll find out.”

  Sandy held her breath. Had there been something sexual in his comment?

  “Good night, Sandy,” Joe replied, his voice soft and sexy. Intimate. Then he did something surprising. He touched her cheek. It wasn’t a caress exactly. But it felt…like a promise.

  Before she could ask, he was gone, walking across the yard to his truck. And she couldn’t rip her eyes away until he was inside his truck and driving away.

  Herbert nudged her hand with his wet nose and she jerked out of her trance. Looking down at her friend, she sighed and rubbed his ears. “Sorry, dude. You’re still my favorite,” she whispered.

  In response, Roxy whined, lifting a paw before dropping it to the ground. Sandy bent and rubbed Roxy’s ears. “I’m just kidding! You’re my favorite too!”

  Turning, she walked into the house through the back door, calling out to her chickens, who were most likely asleep at this point. But she still liked to say goodnight. Silly, because the chickens probably didn’t care. As long as they were fed and protected from the wolves and foxes, they didn’t notice her comings and goings.

  Chapter 3

  The sound had to stop! Sandy wondered if it was illegal to shoot one’s own alarm clock. Groaning, she shoved the covers aside so she could slap the phone. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the beeping. It took several moments of concentration before she was able to slide her finger over the tiny button on her phone that shut off the alarm.

  “Thank you!” she sighed.

  Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only alarm in her house. At the moment, there were five. And at the sound of the initial alarm from her cell phone, the four other alarms raced up the stairs. Two fluffy “alarms” jumped on top of her, Herbert nuzzling his wet nose into her armpit, which Sandy had stupidly left vulnerable. Roxy was less merciful and started washing Sandy’s face, eager to get out for their daily run.

  “Fine! I’m up!” she yelled. But her voice only increased their excitement. “I’m up,” she whispered, then pushed the covers all the way off. Both dogs sat down, pink tongues hanging out as they watched. Waiting.

  Since she was now sitting up, Sandy braced herself. It was now time to worry about Bear and Mittens. The little devils were sitting side by side on her dresser. Waiting. If Sandy didn’t move fast enough, they would…

  “No!” Sandy yelped. But it was too late. Mittens had found the hairbrush that she’d stupidly left on her dresser. With one black paw, she pushed it off the dresser while staring at Sandy. Waiting for attention.

  “You’re truly evil,” Sandy told the cat, padding barefoot over to the dresser. She stubbed her toe on the hairbrush, but reached out to pet the feline. In gratitude, Mittens purred, tilting her head backwards and closing her eyes with happiness. With Sandy’s other hand, she scratched Bear behind his ears, then smoothed her h
and down his back and scratched the base of his tail.

  “Happy now?” she asked.

  Their morning ritual finished, the cats moved off to the next place of attack. Which just happened to be the bathroom sink, high enough for the dogs not to be able to reach them, but still in the vicinity.

  “You just think you hate the dogs,” she told the cats as they raced ahead of her to the bathroom. “But in reality, I think you love the attention.”

  Bear’s only response was a disdainful flick of his tail.

  Sandy grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste, keeping her hands high so that Mittens didn’t swipe at the toothpaste, one of his favorite tricks. Meanwhile, Herbert paced the small bathroom, trying to calculate angles. While Sandy brushed her teeth, Herbert moved to stand between the toilet and the vanity, right behind where Bear was perched.

  While Sandy brushed, Herbert slowly got into position. This was Sandy’s favorite trick and she just waited. Slowly, Herbert put his paws on the vanity, then inched his big body higher and higher. Bear was oblivious, entranced by the toothbrush. It gave Herbert just enough time to…!

  Bear must have heard him coming because he whipped around and hissed at Herbert, then leapt off the vanity, racing out of the bathroom.

  Herbert, deprived of his torment, huffed as he settled back to the floor.

  Roxy leaned against the back of Sandy’s legs. For comfort? Possibly. Roxy was the most sensitive of the four. “I know,” she said, reaching down to rub Roxy’s head. “I need to stop thinking about him.” Sandy rinsed out her mouth and her toothbrush. “If he hadn’t touched me like that last night,” she muttered as she moved out of the bathroom, pulling off her tee shirt, “I might have gotten a better night’s sleep.”

  The dogs didn’t care and Mittens simply flicked her tail.

  “Okay, let me get dressed,” she called out when the dogs crowded her legs.

  She grabbed a pair of running leggings, tugged a sports bra over her head, then one of her tight running shirts. Once she was dressed, Sandy pulled her hair into a band. Socks. Shoes. Leashes. Dogs! And she was off! Slipping her headphones into her ears, she turned up the music and started down her driveway. Slow at first. But as her muscles warmed up, she picked up the pace. Herbert and Roxy loved these runs and today was no different. They walked alongside her, enjoying the cooler temperatures of the fall morning. As she gained speed, they did as well. After about six miles, Roxy had her tongue hanging out of her mouth, but Herbert was still going strong. To help them out, she reached down and released them from their leashes. There wasn’t anyone else out here, no cars or other pedestrians. Every once in a while, the dogs would discover the scent of an animal, but they never went very far and always returned when she whistled. But letting them off the leash allowed them to stop and sniff the ground and trees. She’d continue running along the side of the road, but the dogs could take a break when they needed to.