by Susan Stoker, Cristin Harber, Cora Seton, Lynn Raye Harris, Kaylea Cross, Katie Reus, Tessa Layne
“Ooookay.”
“I think it’d do you both some good to talk.”
“You’re gonna have to give me more than that, Ghost. I’m not good with small talk. You can’t just shove some random woman at me and say ‘talk.’ It doesn’t work like that.”
Ghost pushed back from the table, gathered their plates and took them to the kitchen. He came back, sat down, and leaned on his elbows. “Do you trust me?”
Rayne nodded. Amazingly enough, even after all the lies he’d told her when they’d first met, she did. From the second she’d seen him in her prison in Egypt, she’d trusted him with her life. That hadn’t changed.
“Then go get some clothes on and we’ll go.”
Rayne just shook her head in exasperation. “Okay, give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready.”
An hour later, Rayne was sitting in a small conference room on the base, waiting to meet the mysterious Penelope. Ghost didn’t tell her anything more than he already had, just made small talk about nothing in particular on their way to Fort Hood.
After a few minutes, the door opened and a small blonde woman, maybe only a couple inches taller than five feet, walked in. Rayne had no idea why she looked familiar, she knew they’d never met, but she did.
“Ghost! It’s so good to see you!” Penelope exclaimed and came across the room and hugged Ghost tightly. “I know we’ve talked on and off in the last couple of months, but it’s so good to actually see you.”
“You too, Tiger. How are you?”
“Good.”
“Things back to normal at home?”
“As normal as they could be, I suppose. Cade’s still driving me crazy, being all overprotective and shit.”
“And the rest of the guys?”
“They’re figuring out that I’m still the same ol’ person I was before.”
“And Moose?”
Rayne watched as the young woman blushed.
“He’s being a bit more hardheaded, but he’ll figure it out eventually too.”
Ghost turned to Rayne and held out his hand. “I want you to meet Rayne. Rayne, this is Penelope Turner. She’s a firefighter down in San Antonio, and a former Army Reserve sergeant.”
Rayne held out her hand. “It’s good to meet you, Penelope.”
They shook hands and Penelope turned to Ghost. “You didn’t tell her, did you?”
Ghost shook his head. “Figured it was up to you to share what you wanted.”
“Fine, then scoot,” she said with a teasing smile.
Ghost turned to Rayne and hugged her tightly. “Don’t overdo it. If you get tired, let me know and we’ll go home.”
Rayne rolled her eyes. “What do you think we’ll be doing in here, Ghost? Running obstacles? Pushups? Cripes. I’m assuming we’ll just be talking. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“Oooh, I like her, Ghost. She doesn’t put up with your overbearing protective bullshit.”
“Shut it, Tiger.”
Penelope and Rayne grinned at each other, and Rayne felt at ease for the first time since arriving. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad trying to have a conversation with this stranger after all.
Ghost kissed Rayne on the lips; he’d been doing that a lot the last twenty-four hours after their talk on the couch and the tattoo show-and-tell. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
As soon as the door shut behind Ghost, Penelope sat and said, “So here’s the quick rundown. About nine months ago, I was kidnapped by ISIS over in Turkey. A SEAL team came over and stole me back, we got shot down, and Ghost and his crew came and got us all out. That’s how I know him. I never hooked up with him or anything.”
As Penelope spoke, Rayne realized why the woman looked so familiar. “Oh my God, I saw you on TV. You’re the Army Princess! I was so happy when I heard you were rescued!”
Penelope smiled. “You and me both.”
Rayne put two-and-two together. “You were rescued six months ago, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“That’s around when I met Ghost. He must’ve been on his way home from that mission.”
“He’ll probably never tell you for sure, but setting this up is his way of letting you know the stuff he can’t tell you. He knows I can tell you, but he can’t…and won’t.”
Rayne understood. “And you’re really okay? You were held a long time.”
“About three months.”
Rayne didn’t know what else to say. She wanted to ask so many questions, but didn’t want to be rude.
“I wasn’t raped.”
Jeez, Penelope didn’t pull any punches. She just laid it all out there.
“Oh, they beat the shit out of me, and I was scared for most of the time I was being held, but they didn’t rape me for whatever reason, thank God. Ghost tells me you were over in that thing in Egypt and that it was a close call for you.”
Rayne nodded.
“Sucks being a hostage, doesn’t it?”
Rayne smiled. Penelope summed it up nicely. It was refreshing to be around someone who didn’t sugarcoat things. “Yeah. It does.”
“Here’s the thing. I like Ghost. I like all the guys on the team. We aren’t buddy-buddy. I’m not their confidant or anything and we don’t go out for tea when I come up here. But Ghost obviously is into you, because he set this up. Guys like him…they aren’t the flowers-and-candy type. He probably won’t take you out to a romantic dinner. I don’t see him renting a plane and having it fly a banner declaring his love for you.”
Rayne giggled and nodded in agreement.
“But if you pay attention, you’ll see the signs that he cares. A hand against your back. Asking if you need anything. He’ll make sure you eat before him. He’ll walk on the outside of the sidewalk, making sure you’re away from traffic. The signs will be there, but they won’t ever be the big romantic gestures most women crave.”
“He wraps my wrists and ankles every morning. He took my nasty snot-filled tissues yesterday without making a big deal out of it. He let me have as much cream cheese on my bagel this morning as I wanted, even though it meant I used most of it and he only had a little bit.”
Penelope nodded. “Exactly. They’ll swear until they’re dead as a doornail that they aren’t romantic, when in reality, what we see in the movies and on TV as ‘romance’ is just smoke and mirrors. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather have their brand of romance than Hollywood’s.”
“He’s intense.”
“Yeah, they all are,” Penelope agreed.
“He’s bossy.”
Again, Penelope agreed. “I’m guessing if you think about it, he’s bossy when it comes to your well-being. Yeah?”
“Mostly.”
“And I might be overstepping, but I bet he’s bossy in bed too. And that might be a harder one to take, but again, I’ll repeat what I said before…he’s bossy when it comes to what you need…to your well-being.”
Rayne thought back to their night in London. Penelope was right. He’d been bossy, moving her this way and that, ordering her on her knees, but he’d taken care of her every time. He’d held off his own orgasm until he’d satisfied her.
“So while you might be unsure about him, and while he might seem too intense, remember what it is they do for a living. He flew into Iraq and he and his team snatched me and six SEALs out of the mountains as if they were going out for groceries. I’m assuming he strode into that fucking building in Egypt and plucked you out of whatever situation you were in and made it seem easy doing it. Am I right?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
Penelope leaned forward toward Rayne. “I come up to base every month or so for counseling. I might seem as though I’m tough, that I can deal with what happened to me, but I have my bad days. I saw some shit over there that I know I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. I’ve seen enough firefighters and soldiers try—and fail—to get through the shit they’ve experienced without help, and it doesn’t work.” Penelope cleared her throat, obviously pushing
through extreme emotion. “I haven’t met many people who have been held hostage like me, especially not by a foreign terrorist group. Us women have different things we have to be worried about than men do. I wouldn’t mind if, when I come up, we could…talk. That is, if you wanted to. If you felt comfortable.”
For the first time, Rayne saw a different side to the woman in front of her. Gone was the bold, brash firefighter who could obviously hold her own in a male-dominated field. Looking into her eyes, and seeing the vulnerability there, made Rayne realize how much she needed this woman. Mary might be her best friend, but she’d never understand what she’d been through. And as much as she loved her brother, he couldn’t relate to her either.
Somehow Ghost had known both she and Penelope needed each other. Damn, she was falling for him all over again.
“I’d like that. I hadn’t realized until just now that my friends, and even Ghost and his team, would never understand.”
Penelope nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it took me a while too. I was mad at everyone, and it didn’t help that the media wouldn’t stop hounding me for my story. But when I finally bit the bullet and came up here to talk to the counselor, she suggested that it might do me some good to find a support group, with other victims. While I did that, and it helped, none of them had been through exactly what I had. A lot of their experiences paralleled what we went through…the helplessness, the terror, the uncertainty, but it just wasn’t the same.”
“There are groups?”
Penelope reached a hand out, and Rayne put hers in it without hesitation. The connection felt right.
“Yeah, there are. Down in San Antonio, I met the most amazing woman. Her name is Beth. She moved out here from California after a horrible experience. She was kidnapped and tortured by a serial killer, but managed to survive. We’ve connected in a way that we hadn’t been able to with others, simply because we’d both been held hostage. I’m sorry to say I can’t help her with dealing with being violated, since I wasn’t, but I’d love to introduce you guys if you’re ever down my way.”
Rayne nodded. “I don’t think I’m quite ready for that yet…but if you give me time…”
“No pressure. Seriously. It took me quite a while before I was ready to talk to anyone about what happened.” Penelope sat back and smirked. “So…is Ghost as good in bed as it seems he’d be?”
Rayne blushed and said nothing.
“Ha! I knew it. Those guys are so fucking beautiful it should be illegal. Oh, don’t worry. I’m not jonesing for your man or any of the guys on his team. I’ve got my own guy I have my eye on back home, but you have to admit they’re some awesome eye-candy.”
Rayne laughed and agreed. “Yeah, I swear sometimes I feel as if I’ll have to get out a stick and beat the women off when we’re out and about.”
“He’s got eyes only for you, woman. Never doubt it. When guys like him fall, they fall hard. They’re exclusive and would kill anyone for even thinking about putting their hand on you.”
“I’m beginning to see that.”
There was a knock on the door and both women turned as it opened and Ghost stuck his head in. “All good?”
“We’re fine, get your ass in here and take care of your woman. I have an appointment to make.” The bold and brash Penelope was back, any sign of the vulnerable woman underneath the harsh façade gone.
Ghost strode in and leaned down and kissed Rayne. He put his hand on her shoulder. “You girls have a nice visit?”
Penelope rolled her eyes. “Oh good Lord, Ghost. Yes, it was fine. We chatted, Rayne understands that you’re a Neanderthal, but one that has her best interests at heart. She knows who I am, and we’ve made plans to meet again. That answer all your questions?”
“Yup. You’re the best, Tiger.”
“Whatever. Come on, give me a hug and let me get out of here. I’ll see you next time I’m up.”
Ghost gave the slight woman a huge bear hug, lifting her feet up off the floor in the process. Rayne watched, loving seeing this side of Ghost…the protective-older-brother side of him.
“Don’t be a stranger. I’ll get the team together next time and we’ll do lunch or something.”
“Sounds like a plan. See you later, Rayne. Remember what I said.”
Rayne pushed her chair back and stood. “I will. It was nice meeting you.”
“You too. Glad you’re safe.”
Rayne looked up at Ghost after Penelope had left the room. “Thank you.”
He didn’t even pretend to not know what she was talking about. “You’re welcome.”
“I don’t know how you knew I needed that when I didn’t know I needed it myself, but thank you. She’s amazing.”
“So are you, Princess.”
“I was only held about a week. I can’t imagine what she went through.”
“Don’t compare yourself to her or anyone else. You went through your own nightmare. It wasn’t any less horrible than what she went through. Give yourself some credit. You’re one hell of a woman. Got it?”
Rayne smiled, thinking about what Penelope had said about bossy men. “Got it.”
“Come on, let’s get you to the doctor and see what he says about those stitches. Then we’ll go back home and I’ll make you some lunch and we can watch a movie.”
“The Notebook?”
“Fuck no. I’ve seen you cry enough for one week.”
Rayne smiled, having known he’d veto it. “Okay, Ghost. Whatever you want to watch.”
“Come on, woman. I’m feeling the need to spoil you.”
“Far be it from me to protest that.”
Rayne smiled as Ghost put his arm around her waist and walked with her out the door and into the hot Texas morning.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Rayne woke with a cry and shoved at the arms holding her down. Moshe was there and wanted to be a man, but she’d be damned if it would be with her.
“Jesus, Rayne. It’s me. It’s Ghost. I’ve got you, you’re okay.”
The words barely penetrated her sleep-fogged mind, her only thought was escape. “No! Get off me. No!”
“Rayne!” Ghost’s voice was harsh, and just what she needed to realize she wasn’t in Egypt. She wasn’t being held captive, and it wasn’t Moshe with his arms around her, it was Ghost.
Rayne looked up at Ghost and swallowed hard. “Sorry, I’m okay. I’m okay.”
“Christ, Princess. I wanted to help you by introducing you to Penelope, not make you regress. I’m so sorry.”
Rayne buried her face into Ghost’s chest and let him move them so they were once again situated on the couch, where they’d been earlier that evening while watching Under Siege. The doctor had said her wounds were looking good and he’d gone ahead and taken out the stitches. He’d given her a mild painkiller and they’d come back to Ghost’s house and he’d put in the movie.
Obviously her talk with Penelope and dealing with the stitches had brought the memories of her captivity to the forefront of her mind.
“It’s fine, Ghost. I’m okay, I just…I need to deal with it, and not thinking about it isn’t working. Will you just…will you hold me?”
“All fucking night, Rayne. Just relax. I got you.”
“Can I sleep with you?” Rayne felt Ghost’s muscles tighten under her. “I mean,” she tried to backpedal, “it’s not a big deal, I can—”
“Yes. I want you with me. I was waiting for you to give me a sign you wanted to. You have no idea how much I wanted to go into your room and carry you to my bed.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because I wanted you to be there because you wanted to be there. Not because I coerced you into it.”
“I want to be there. I haven’t slept that great since the hospital, when you were there with me.”
Ghost carefully squeezed Rayne against his body. Christ.
Later, he carried her to his room, and after she got ready in the bathroom, helped her to the bed.
“W
ow, this is quite a bit bigger than the hospital’s, isn’t it?” Rayne tried to joke.
“It might be bigger, but we won’t be taking up any more space than we did in that tiny bed,” Ghost returned, settling Rayne on her side and pulling her against him. He wrapped himself around her as he’d done in the past, and as he’d thought about doing the last few nights. Ghost buried his nose in her hair and inhaled her scent. He’d missed it. He’d missed her.
“Go to sleep, Princess. I’ve got you. I’ll be here when you wake up. Promise.”
He felt her nod against him. He lay there holding her tight long after she’d drifted into a comfortable sleep. Thanking God again for putting her in his path and giving him one more chance to do the right thing. To do what they both needed.
The next morning, Rayne shifted, feeling better than she had in a long time. She froze when she felt Ghost’s calloused hands on her back. She was lying on her belly, head turned to the right, arms at her side. Ghost was kneeling next to her, massaging her lower back. She raised her head and turned so she could see him. “What—”
“I wanted to see it fully.”
Rayne realized he was looking at her tattoo. Half the time she honestly forgot it was there. She blushed. Even knowing he’d already seen the additions to it, it was still a little embarrassing. She nodded and relaxed in his hold.
Ghost tugged Rayne’s shirt up, and helped her raise her arms until he could remove it. Before she’d even settled back down, he’d straddled her hips and had both hands on her tattoo. He traced the words “Quiet Professionalism” with his fingertip, the touch light and almost ticklish against her back.
“Why two-thirty?” Ghost asked in a reverent tone.
“It’s the last time I remember looking at the clock that morning.”
“That last time. When I took you from behind,” Ghost said with certainty.
Rayne nodded but didn’t speak. She felt him lean down and brush his lips over the ghost. She’d thought it appropriate to have it hovering around the iconic clock since he’d told her he’d once climbed the stairs all the way to the top.
“It’s absolutely beautiful, Princess. And knowing our time together meant as much to you as it did to me is priceless. You have no idea what you’ve given me with this. It’s better than anything you could ever say to me, or buy for me. Swear to Christ, I’ll do everything in my power to treasure you. To treat you right. I can’t promise I won’t fuck up because, well, I’m a guy and I’m not used to this. But know that I’ll never do anything on purpose to hurt you.”
