Navy SEAL to the Rescue

by Tawny Weber

  There, he decided. Her horror should do the trick.

  “You are kidding,” she said after a long moment, her relieved laugh belying the curious look in those mermaid eyes. “Right? That’s a joke?”

  Heat flared in him, tempting him to throw caution to the wind and show her just how serious he was.

  Under his protection, he reminded himself. For good measure, he repeated it a few more times in his head until he was sure he had temptation back under control. Still, pushing a few of her buttons couldn’t hurt.

  “You flirted your way into coming along,” he pointed out. “No worries, though. I’m not stressed.”

  “Well, that’s a relief,” she said, biting off the words and spitting them out.

  He leaned sideways, just enough so his arm brushed her shoulder, then he gave her a long, slow smile.

  “Tell you what. I get stressed, you’ll be the first to know. I promise.”

  He waited for that alarm to flash in her eyes again. He liked it. It was as effective as a shotgun-toting monk.

  Instead of alarmed, though, she looked interested. Those pretty eyes roamed his body before she offered a smile. The kind of smile that assured him she very much liked what she saw.

  Damn.

  Before he could decide just exactly what he wanted to do about it, the beach came into view. The rolling dunes and golden sand. The glittering waves of the ocean beyond.

  As always, the water called out, its siren song an enticing invitation.

  How the hell was he going to live without that? he wondered. Here he was, fooling himself into believing he was still qualified to lead a mission.

  To save a life.

  “Where is it that we’re going?” Lila asked hesitantly, whether because she was worried he’d mention sex again or if she simply sensed the emotional roller coaster riding through his system, he didn’t know.

  “First, we stash the food. Then we hit the restaurant.”

  “Casa de Rico?” Even over the ocean’s call and chatting shoppers, he could hear Lila swallow. “Okay. I’m ready.”

  He gave her a long, careful look to be sure. The mission didn’t depend on her. He would never charge a civilian with that much power. But she could seriously screw things up if she had a meltdown.

  She didn’t look like she’d freak out, but she didn’t look ready to kick butt, either. Still, he was glad to see the worry in her eyes. Worry would make her careful, and carefulness would help keep her alive.

  “Look, we can camp out at the bungalow, wait a few days until my contacts come through. Play it safe until you have ID. Then you can get out of here. No muss, no fuss.”

  “Do you think I’m that much of a wimp?”

  “I guess we’ll find out.”

  With that, he led her into Manny’s nephew’s surf shop. After pulling the dreadlocked man aside to ensure that Manny had been by, then he tucked the groceries, their hats and glasses behind the counter. Shrugging out of the long-sleeved cotton shirt he wore over his tee, Travis gestured for her to use the tiny backroom.

  “Change it up,” he instructed. “And make it fast.”

  An order he regretted five minutes later when Lila walked out looking like the sexy siren of earlier. She’d stripped off the jeans and loosened the neckline of the peasant blouse so it draped off one shoulder. Untucked, the shirt hit her midthigh, leaving the long length of her golden legs gleaming. She wore the belt again, angled so it lay on her hips while still emphasizing her slender waist.

  Damn.

  “Okay?” she asked, scooping her hands through her hair so it fell in a cloud of glinting curls over her shoulders, the long strands teasing the vividly embroidered flowers covering her breasts.

  “Yeah. Okay.” More than okay. And totally not okay. She was off-limits, he reminded himself. “You remember the plan, right?”

  “Follow your lead, keep my mouth shut. Study everyone in the restaurant, keep my mouth shut. Look for clues or hints or more dead bodies. And keep my mouth shut.” She gave him a stiff smile. “Did I miss anything?”

  “Maybe keep your mouth shut?”

  “Ha.” She clenched and unclenched her fists a few times. At his questioning look, she shrugged. “I feel a little naked without my cell phone or purse.”

  “Do you want to pick up a purse at one of the markets?” he offered, figuring she needed the distraction as he led her from the shop and through a side street, so they could approach the restaurant from the opposite direction.

  “You’re offering to take me shopping?” Before he could point out that he wouldn’t be doing it himself, she continued, “You’d have to go with me, since you’ve decided I’m not safe on my own. You’d have to lend me the money, since we both know I’m broke. What’s the—I mean, what would I even put in a purse? All of my purse-type stuff was stolen.”

  What was the catch? What kind of people was Lila used to dealing with that a simple offer like that would come with tight enough strings to make her hesitate?

  Something to add to his interrogation list of questions, he decided.

  “We’ll get you a cell phone,” he told her. “You can stick that in there, along with whatever else you women carry in those bags of yours.”

  “Chocolate,” she stated with a hesitant smile. “A hairbrush, techie toys, world secrets and a bottle of scotch.”

  “It’s tequila around here. If you’re willing to make that minor adjustment, I think we can handle the rest.”

  Her laughter wrapped around and tickled him as they walked into the bar. Over the course of his career, Travis had been in some tight situations. There was no counting the number of times he’d put his life on the line. Every single time he’d felt a small thrill deep inside.

  So he recognized that thrill now.

  His training—as extensive and exclusive as it was—had never covered defending against irrational thoughts or stealth emotions. But his training was solid enough to know better than to enter any battle without a winning plan.

  So instead of giving into the impulse to grab ahold of Lila, press her between his body and a wall and take her mouth in a hot, wet kiss that’d serve prelude to even hotter, wetter sex, he’d wait.

  And plan.

  The restaurant was hopping, so Travis did wrap Lila’s hand in his. But only to keep her close. A quick survey had him aiming for the bar. He waited for her to scoot onto a stool, making a show of checking out her legs as the filmy fabric offered teasing hints of smooth thighs.

  “Hey. It’s the Hawk,” the bartender greeted, her smile shifting to include Lila. “And a guest?”

  “Hey, Dory.” He nodded at the redhead. “Two beers and a table if you’ve got one open.”

  “It’s a little early in the day for date night, but I think we can accommodate you.” Her smile didn’t shift, but there was something in the narrow look she gave Lila that bothered him. “You want something in the bar or would you prefer the restaurant?”

  “In here’s good.” It’d throw off anyone watching for Lila to revisit the scene of the crime. And it’d give him a chance to watch the bartender a little longer.

  Maybe Montoya had just tipped her to watch them. Or maybe it was something more. He’d watch. He’d see.

  “Why are we here, exactly?” Lila asked quietly once they were seated at a rickety table with a bowl of roasted pepitas, warm tap water and menus.

  “We’re watching. We’re waiting.”

  “For what?”

  “For someone to get nervous.” Travis made a viable show of looking around the room, noting Dory whispering to one of the waiters. “Rodriguez was killed for a reason. From the intel I’ve gathered, he spent all his time here. So the reason is here.”

  He watched Dory for a few more seconds. Other than whispering and sending a couple of glances their way, she didn’t do anything sus
picious. Still, it might be worth doing a little digging.

  “I have two questions.” Propping her forearms on the table, Lila leaned closer and pulled his attention her way again. Especially when the move made the fabric of her blouse flutter, showing tempting hints of silky skin. “First, what intel?”

  Travis forced his gaze to stay on her face. But he had damned good peripheral vision, so her breasts were still a temptation.

  “I accessed covert informants, interrogating and extracting key details.” At her arch look, he shrugged. “I tapped a few gossips and asked the right questions.”

  There was that laugh again. It lit her face and reached in to wrap around his heart. Not wanting to analyze why, Travis gestured with one hand.

  “What’s the second question?”

  “How will our sitting here, eating pumpkin seeds and sipping what I hope will be bottled drinks, help us find the reason?”

  “First, in here they’re called pepitas,” he corrected. “It’s easier to blend in if you align yourself to the local customs and verbiage.”

  “I stand corrected.”

  Those mermaid eyes shimmered with appreciation as she smiled. Travis couldn’t help but smile back. He leaned closer, as much to breathe in the scent of her hair as to keep his words just between the two of them.

  “Did Rodriguez give you anything? A message, some code, anything they might be looking for?”

  “Nothing,” she insisted. “Believe me, if I had anything, I’d have given it to that jerk, Montoya.”

  That’s what he’d figured.

  “Okay then. So, we know whoever shot Rodriguez realizes that you’re a witness. They grabbed you, they trashed my place, both in an attempt to scare you away.”

  “You think that abduction was an intimidation tactic?” she asked in a wondering tone that had him narrowing his eyes.

  “What did you think it was?”

  “I don’t know?”

  When Travis hardened his stare, she shrugged.

  “Kidnapping, maybe,” she muttered.

  From the disconcerted look on her face and the embarrassment in her tone, he knew he’d tapped into something major. The same something, he was pretty sure, that’d put that look in her eyes earlier. Not the time to look into that. Not here, not now. Instead, he’d use it to interrogate her later.

  “If we go with the belief that those were scare tactics, our being here sends a signal. That you’re not scared. That you’re watching. And that you’re not going to back down.”

  He waited for her protest over being murder bait. Instead, Lila gave an admiring nod.

  “So basically you want to make them nervous,” she said with dawning comprehension, looking around the bar with an evaluating stare.

  “Nerves are like a recognizable flare, signaling guilt. As soon as I see it, I’ll know where to push to get the answers you need.”

  “Then these are pumpkin seeds,” she said, popping a few into her mouth. “Because blending in would defeat that purpose.”

  Grinning, Travis leaned back in his chair and signaled for two beers. He’d never have pegged the woman he’d deemed a total pain in the butt to be so interesting.

  Oh, she was still a pain in the butt, he silently acknowledged. But she was also providing more fun than he’d ever had with a woman fully clothed.

  Something he’d be changing, he decided then and there.

  They’d finish this stakeout.

  They’d get somewhere safe.

  He’d get the answers he wanted from her.

  And then they’d get naked.

  * * *

  Lila wasn’t sure what to make of the look in Travis’s eyes. It sent a needy little tingle through her, yet made her nervous at the same time. It was as if he knew what she’d look like naked and had already figured out exactly where to touch to give her the most pleasure, but was holding out until he’d decided she was worthy.

  She hated that feeling.

  Oh, not the pleasure feeling. She was pretty sure she’d love that if he ever gave in and showed her what he was thinking.

  But the unworthy part? That made her want to scream. And not with pleasure.

  “Am I supposed to be doing anything?” she asked, more to say something to distract her thoughts than in search of instructions.

  “Look around. See if you recognize anyone. Even if you don’t, it wouldn’t hurt to hand out a few assessing stares. Pretend you recognize someone, then lean over and whisper to me.”

  “What should I whisper?”

  “Doesn’t matter. It’s just for show.”

  “Well, I want to make it good. You know, really make an impression.”

  Thinking fast, she put on her most sincere smile and gave him a wide-eyed look. She leaned in just a little and tiptoed her fingers up his bare arm, then slid them back down to caress the back of his hand.

  She only wished she could feel his pulse to better gauge his reaction. Since she couldn’t, she amped it up. Just in case.

  She wet her lips, waited for his eyes to lock on her mouth, then shifted even closer. She breathed in his scent—morning at the ocean—as her mouth brushed his ear.

  “Are you sure there isn’t something special you’d like to hear?” she whispered breathily. “Something specific? Or would you like me to just make it up as I go? I’m really, really good at making things up.”

  Lila waited a beat, just long enough for that to take hold of his imagination, before leaning back in her chair again. She watched Travis. The man was a SEAL, trained to hide his reactions, gifted at hiding emotions.

  But she was a woman.

  And she knew when she’d turned a guy on.

  Resisting the urge to pump one fist in the air, she gave him an easy smile instead.

  “So?” she asked innocently. “How was that?”

  “Good.” He cleared his throat, then tried again. “That was just fine.”

  “I’m so glad,” she purred. “I want to make sure I do it just right. You know, for the strongest impact. Get the most bang for your buck, and all that.”

  She added a flutter of her lashes for good measure.

  And was furiously pleased to see his eyes blur.

  Riding on triumph, Lila shifted to give the waitress room to set down a pair of coasters and their beers. She kept that flirty little smile in place and her eyes locked on Travis’s the whole time.

  Unworthy, her ass.

  Chapter 11

  “So this is interesting.”

  Lila’s expressions was as doubtful as her tone as she looked around the cabin cruiser. She’d started the day in a decrepit excuse for a boat, and it looked like she was ending her day in the same.

  “Smarter to mix up our locale instead of sitting in the same place,” Travis explained offhandedly, his attention on motoring the boat away from the small dock hiding in the weeds behind a two-story adobe house he claimed belonged to the second cousin of his friend Manny’s wife.

  “Other than keeping the bad guys away and enjoying these luxury sleeping arrangements, is there a reason we’re on this boat? Heading out to sea. At night?”

  She clutched the single tote bag Travis had allowed her against her chest, wondering if she should have skipped the hydrating facial mask and laptop, and packed a flotation device, instead. But when Travis said to grab what she needed for the night, she’d figured on a nice hotel room.

  Not a hotel room, like the two of them rolling around naked on a rented bed, exploring each other’s bodies and moaning with pleasure. No, she hadn’t thought that’s what Travis meant. Not at all.

  But she hadn’t thought he meant they’d be spending the night camped out on a smelly, dilapidated boat with no running water and, most likely, no sheets.

  “You should sit, get comfortable. We won’t be stopping for a while.�
�

  “Where, exactly, are we going?” she asked, gingerly sitting on a bench, shifting when the ripped plastic scratched her thigh through her baggy jeans.

  When the coordinates he reeled off meant nothing to her, Lila asked again, “Where are we going?”

  “A cove I know. It’s secluded enough that we can rest comfortably. Nobody is following us, nobody will find us.”

  Catching her nervous look at the big black emptiness that was the sea at night, Travis reached into his pocket, pulled out a small device and handed it to her.

  “A cell phone?” Lila said, turning it over in her hand.

  He’d gotten her a cell phone. Why did that make her feel like her heart was in danger?

  “Something to put in your purse,” Travis said, flashing her a smile before turning his attention back to the ocean so black that it was impossible to tell where the water ended and the night sky began. “There’s no international calling. But my number is programmed in, as is the policía’s, for all the good it’ll do. Use it if something goes bad.”

  Lila pressed her lips together to resist asking for examples. Instead, she looked out over the water. It was so dark, it looked like it could swallow them whole. She shivered.

  “There’s a cabin below. Why don’t you stow your bag, wrap yourself in a jacket or something?” With a flip of a switch, he turned on a dim, sad lightbulb that barely lit the way belowdecks. “It’s a chilly night, you’re bound to be cold.”

  Yeah. Cold was good. Cold sounded way better than scared. She didn’t want Travis thinking she couldn’t handle things.

  “The steps are solid, but the lighting is crap. Better for stealth, so that’s good. But take it easy going down. No point losing your footing and smashing that pretty face up.”

  He thought she was pretty.

  Hugging that to her as tightly as her tote bag, she picked her way down the steps. Unlike the last boat she’d been on, this one held no hint of mustiness. Just the fresh scent of the sea.

  Belowdecks consisted of a two-burner stove and compact refrigerator, which she supposed was the galley. The bathroom was so small, if she lifted both arms she’d bump her elbows from any angle. The rest was what she supposed was the bedroom, or cabin, since this was a boat.