“Let’s talk tomorrow, okay? I’m feeling sleepy, Mac.”
He was quiet for a long moment and then he said, “All right, we’ll talk tomorrow. Go to sleep.”
Teri closed her eyes, appreciating her husband’s body keeping her warm.
Eight
Mac woke up the next morning and immediately noticed two things. First and foremost, his wife was sleeping soundly in his arms and her too-tempting body was pressed close to him. Second, the level of oxygen in the air had changed. He didn’t need a barometer to detect that. The pressure wasn’t at an alarming level; it was even one he’d expected, but he was fully aware of the change. In fact, he had even predicted the level to be lower than what it was. That meant air was seeping into the mine from somewhere, and he was determined to find where.
He figured his teammates had heard he was missing about now and would be looking for them. He believed that. He had to believe that.
He glanced down at Teri. Why did he have a feeling there was something she wasn’t telling him, something she was stalling? He wouldn’t bring it up again but would let her decide when the best time would be. Hopefully, they would talk this morning as she’d said they would do. But now, while she slept, he would explore the mine without her. When he’d walked yesterday to where all that straw had been, he had felt moisture in the air. Today he would investigate where it was coming from.
Untangling their limbs, he eased from Teri’s side, immediately missing the feel of her body. But separating himself from her was a good idea, especially since he’d maintained an erection all night. It wouldn’t have taken much for him to break down and try coaxing her into making love with him. They’d taken a few chances already and she could very well be carrying his child.
Stretching the kinks out of his body he glanced back down at Teri again before moving away to explore the mine without her. It didn’t take long for him to come to the area where they’d found all that hay. He kept moving. The deeper he went into the mineshaft, the more the air changed, and he could feel moisture, to the degree that the rock walls around him were damp in some places.
He smiled when he came across the small pool of crystal clear water. Nature never ceased to amaze him. He figured the water was a spill-off from that lake a few miles back. From the steam it generated he knew it was connected to some kind of underground heated spring.
He couldn’t wait to bring Teri here. With that thought in mind, he headed back.
* * *
Laramie Cooper observed from beneath hooded lashes the man, a first responder, who was talking to Bane, Viper and Flipper. Coop had decided to hang back and check out their surroundings. He was certain that before the tornado had hit, this had been a pretty nice area. It reminded him of his spread in Texas. Now all he saw was devastation for miles. The majority of the trees were down and those left standing were barely doing so.
He suddenly turned his full concentration to the man because he’d offered his condolences, saying there was a chance Mac and Teri had not survived. The cabin where they’d been staying, as well as many others in the vicinity, had been flattened. A number of bodies had already been recovered, but not the McRoys’.
“And you won’t recover them,” Coop decided to say. “Thurston McRoy isn’t dead.”
The first responder, with an overly tired look, was about to reply to what Coop said when an approaching voice stopped the man. “I’ll take over here, Floyd.”
The man glanced over his shoulder, and then nodded. “Okay, Sheriff.” He then walked off, his exhaustion apparent. The newcomer, who looked a little older but just as tired, faced them now and Coop quickly assessed him and concluded he was ex-military. It was his stance even under extreme fatigue. Before the man began speaking, Coop asked, “What branch of the military?”
The man turned his gaze to Coop, who’d moved to stand beside Bane, Viper and Flipper. As if he’d sized them up, he said, “I’m Sheriff Derwin Corilla, former marine.” He then asked, “And you guys?”
It was Flipper who answered. “SEALs.”
The man nodded, smiling. “I should have figured as much.”
No one asked why. There had always been this rivalry between the navy and the marines but when it came to a mission and they were called to work together, they did. Most military men respected anyone who was willing to serve their country, no matter the branch.
Introductions were made, and Viper spoke up. “We share Coop’s sentiments, Sheriff Corilla. Mac isn’t dead.”
Coop expected the man to ask why they were so certain. Instead he said, “I’m not going to go so far and say he isn’t dead, but I don’t think he or his wife were in that cabin when it came down.”
“And why do you think that?” Bane asked.
Sheriff Corilla shifted his gaze to Bane. “Because we used the dogs and they didn’t sniff out any bodies at the cabin. Then yesterday the two horses assigned to them to ride while they were here were found wandering the range, after having found refuge somewhere during the storm.”
“They were saddled?” Viper asked.
“No, but one of my men, who is a trained horseman, checked them over and it looked as if they’d been ridden. I believe the McRoys had been out riding somewhere when the tornado hit. They must’ve set the horses free and hopefully found cover somewhere.”
He paused and then said, “That tornado hit a vast area and we’re still looking for survivors. I’m not giving up on anyone.”
Coop nodded. “Not enough manpower.” It was a statement and not a question.
Sheriff Corilla shook his head. “Is there ever? Right now, we’re forming a search party to look for a seven-year-old kid who survived but somehow got away from his parents. So far we haven’t found him.”
“We’re here to find Mac, but we’ll be glad to help your guys out any way we can.”
The man lifted a brow. “All four of you?”
Flipper grinned. “For now. To help find Mac we’ve called in the cavalry. A former teammate who now works for Homeland Security is on his way here, and then my four brothers who are SEALs are coming, as well. Mac’s kind of special to all of us.”
“Even when we have to do our best to tolerate him,” Viper added, grinning, as well.
“We’ll be glad to help look for that kid,” Bane offered.
Corilla looked at Bane oddly, but he didn’t question what he said, evidently accepting the SEALs had the rescue of the McRoys well under control. “In that case, thanks for the offer and I’ll take any extra help we can get.”
Viper nodded. “Then you got it.”
Sheriff Corilla walked off.
Coop, Bane, Viper and Flipper glanced at each other. From their last phone conversation with Mac, they concluded that as usual, he was in need of an attitude adjustment when it came to Teri. Maybe with them stranded together they could use that time to hash out a few issues plaguing their marriage.
Nick had been monitoring Mac’s brain waves via the tracker and at present, there was no reason to think he was in immediate danger. When Nick arrived later that day, he would be able to pinpoint Mac and Teri’s exact location.
In the meantime, they would join that search party.
* * *
Teri woke up to the sounds of Mac and glanced around to focus directly on him. The flashlight from his cell phone illuminated the area. He was shirtless, down to his briefs and exercising. Running in place. As she watched him her blood began running in place, as well, rushing like crazy through her veins.
Although the air was cool, he’d worked himself into a hefty amount of sweat. It covered his chest and drenched his hair. She had a workout routine, as well, but her regimen was definitely not as intense as his. She would join him sometimes when he was home and knew to stick to her own pace and not try to keep up with him. That attempt would be impossible.
As she lay there, sh
e recalled she had slept in his arms and they hadn’t made love. That was a miracle in itself since she and Mac were two people with high sexual energy. But that meant he’d accepted what she’d told him. Not only did they have issues to resolve, there was a chance those issues were now compounded by a possible pregnancy.
Mac finished his sets of running in place and bent over to draw in deep breaths. She loved watching him do that, as well. She pulled herself up. “Good morning, Mac.”
He glanced over at her and when he did so, those dark, piercing eyes captivated her. As usual. “Good morning, Mrs. McRoy.”
Teri smiled at him. She loved it when he called her that. It was a reminder that he’d chosen her, had given her that name to wear proudly and that made her his to claim. And she liked whenever he claimed her.
“Isn’t exercising wasting air that we need?”
“Air has the ability to get in and out of places where people can’t. I’ve noticed a fluctuation in oxygen levels in here, but never anything to be concerned about. It appears higher now than when I woke this morning, so I decided to take advantage of it and work out.”
“I would join you, but I don’t want to get all sweaty.”
He chuckled. “A little sweat never hurt anyone.”
“In my case it wouldn’t be a little sweat. Whenever I work out with you, I tend to sweat a lot.”
He chuckled. “That’s what you get for trying to keep up with me.”
“Trust me, Mac. I don’t try keeping up with you. I’d be crazy to try, believe me. I work at my own pace.”
He gave her an admiring nod and a sensuous smile that caught her low in her stomach. “In that case, you do a pretty good job of holding your own.”
“I try.”
“Then come try with me. You’ll be glad to know you don’t have to worry about the sweat. I’ll wash it off you.”
She lifted a brow. “Do we have that much water to waste?”
“Yes. I found a pool of clear water on the west end of this mineshaft.”
Excitement filled her. “You did?”
The corners of his mouth lifted in another smile. “I did. Come join me.”
She hesitated for a minute, remembering other times they’d exercised together and how they would shower together afterward. That always led to other things. Things they were better off not doing. He knew that, yet he was inviting her to work out with him anyway, with the promise of a shower afterward. He evidently had more willpower than she did. But then, she knew he honestly did.
“Okay. My muscles are kind of sore after a few days of riding Amsterdam.”
He crossed the floor and offered her his hand to help her up from the bed of hay. “You sure it’s Amsterdam that has you sore and not me?”
She couldn’t help the blush that spread across her features. She’d been married to this man for over ten years, yet he could still do this to her. “Now that you mention it...”
He pulled her to him when she was on her feet and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her chest was pressed against his solid one, which was drenched in perspiration. “I hope you weren’t teasing about finding that pool of water.”
He held her gaze. “I kid you not. When was the last time we went swimming together alone?”
“In case you’ve forgotten, I believe that’s how I got pregnant with Tatum.” She studied his features to see if her reminder would squash the desire she saw in his eyes. It didn’t. In fact, she could feel the lower part of his body harden.
To further confuse her, he smiled. “I remember now. The folks kept Tia so you could join me that time in Germany.”
So, he had remembered his R and R time, when he’d rented a house with a pool. She had stayed two weeks. When she’d left, she was pregnant. They had hoped for that, thinking it was time for Tia to have a sibling.
“Now we work out,” she said, trying to ease from his arms.
“Not yet. I haven’t kissed you good-morning yet. Do you have any idea how often I wake up whenever I’m on an operation, wishing it was your face I was waking up to see, and not my teammates’. I would give anything to be able to kiss you when it’s a real kiss and not a dream. So, Teri McRoy, I hope you don’t mind indulging me right now.”
She swallowed while gazing up at him. They were supposed to talk this morning. She knew that. But a kiss, exercise and a swim sounded a whole lot better.
For now.
“Not at all, Mac, as long as you promise that’s all it will be, a kiss.”
As he lowered his head to her lips, he whispered, “I promise.”
Nine
Mac was convinced he could stand there and kiss his wife forever since he enjoyed doing it just that much. He intended to make sure she enjoyed it, as well, and from the way she was kissing him back, she was.
It was times like these when he missed her the most. Times like these when he regretted being away from her and the girls as much and as often as he was. Losing the baby had been hard on her, and he of all people knew it. A part of him knew she was still going through a grieving period, a period he’d yet to share with her.
Yet, he grieved regardless. For the son he’d lost and for the wife a part of him felt he was losing.
His concentration was pulled back to her when she began wiggling her tongue all around in his mouth, something he had taught her to do years ago. It was during those times when pleasuring him was the only thing she wanted to do, and he’d been all in.
But not now. Although it might kill him, he would keep his promise. If nothing else, he now understood what she needed and he knew what he needed. There were a number of issues on the table. First and foremost, he needed to prove to his wife that she mattered. If he had made the mistake of taking her for granted, taking their marriage for granted, it was time he shaped up or shipped out. Mac had no intentions of calling it quits where his wife and family were concerned. He needed them as much as he wanted them to need him.
He reluctantly broke off the kiss and pulled his mouth back. He had to take control, both mentally and physically...especially physically. He couldn’t take care of the latter until they wrapped themselves around the problems that could eventually destroy their marriage if they went unchecked.
His wife could be pregnant. He knew how she felt about that possibility because he’d asked, and she’d had no problem telling him. The one thing she hadn’t asked was how he felt about it. Why? Did she think he wouldn’t feel the same way?
He knew they had a lot of emotions to deal with. They were emotions he had conditioned himself not to feel.
But not anymore.
“Come on, time to join me and work out.”
* * *
“You did good, kiddo.”
Totally out of breath and bending over with hands resting on her knees, Teri glanced up at Mac. “Thanks. Glad you approve.” She’d worked out in moderation. It was too early to tell if she was pregnant but just in case, she’d decided not to overdo anything. “I’m ready for my swim now.”
“Then come with me.” He took her hand in his and she tried not to think about how good it felt whenever he did that.
They didn’t say anything and she wondered what he was thinking. He hadn’t put his jeans and shirt back on but seemed perfectly at ease to walk through the mineshaft in just his briefs and carrying his clothes in one hand while holding her hand with the other.
Glancing down, he asked, “How did you sleep last night?”
She smiled up at him. “Great. You kept me warm and I appreciated that. You took good care of me, Mac.”
“And I always will.”
For some reason his words touched her. Now if she could only get him to believe in her. But then, was she being fair wanting him to do that when she hadn’t been totally forthcoming with him about what she’d done? She still had the issue of her buying the ranch betwee
n them. She still intended to tell him about it today like she had promised. But she wanted to find the right time to do so.
“So what do you think?”
She glanced up and saw the inlet, a small pool of crystal clear water. This was better than she expected. “How is this possible?” she turned to asked him.
“I figure it’s part of that lake we saw a mile or so back and is a spill-off running underground. Because the water is warm, it must be connected to a hot spring, as well. I checked it out to make sure it’s not a whirlpool. It doesn’t look deep. You can swim, so you’ll be fine.”
Yes, she could swim. There had been a number of swimming holes on her grandparents’ ranch. “Are you swimming, as well?” she asked, unbuttoning her shirt. She paused and glanced over at him upon realizing what she was doing. She was about to strip in front of him. He was her husband, so honestly, there shouldn’t be an issue in her doing that. But there was. Could she honestly expect him not to touch her if he saw her naked? She’d never placed restrictions or limitations on their lovemaking before.
She looked over at him. “Mac?”
“Go ahead and take off your clothes, Teri. I understood what you said about us not making love until we get some issues in our marriage resolved. I won’t touch you, no matter what. I do have control, you know.”
Yes, she knew about his control, but he’d never had to exercise restraint when it came to her. She nodded and then, while he watched, she stripped down to her bra and panties.
She glanced over at him, saw the heat in his gaze. He gave her one of his sexy smiles and said, “Maybe I shouldn’t have encouraged you to remove your clothes after all.”
She returned his smile. “Too late to call it back now.”
He shrugged massive shoulders before shoving away from the wall to move toward her. “I guess so. Come on, let’s swim.”
When they got close to the water, they dived in.
His To Claim (The Westmoreland Legacy Book 4) Page 9
