Code Name: Kayla's Fire (A Warrior's Challenge)

by Natasza Waters

  “You will be.”

  “Captain?”

  “Hmm,” he nudged his nose against hers.

  “You stink.”

  He couldn’t argue with that. “Sweetheart, lay down.” He covered her, and tucked the sheets in. She needed sleep. He hid the deep wound her words gouged in him, when she begged Mace to offer her, like some sacrifice. He’d always seen the haunted look in her eyes, but he’d never heard her voice her demons. “I’m going to take a shower. I’ll be right back.”

  He wandered into the living room, hearing Nina and Mace. Nina shot to her feet. “How many of these episodes has she had?”

  “One is too many, but several in varying degrees.”

  Mace crossed his arms. “Actually four in the last few days. She had one last night, and the night before. She was sleeping, but it was just as violent. I didn’t know what to do, and you wouldn’t answer your damn phone,” he said angrily. “She scared the shit out of me.”

  Thane sat down on the couch and covered his face. “How long did it last?”

  “Not as long as tonight. She only woke up for a minute, and then she fell asleep again. Sir, she needs to see that doc.”

  Sitting up with a jolt, realizing yesterday was her appointment, he said, “Didn’t she go yesterday?”

  Mace shook his head. “She said she wasn’t feeling good, and then she slipped out. I found her downstairs by the pool.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the couch. “Want us to bring you back something? Fridge is a little bare.”

  After three days of drinking, and finally sobering up, the hangover was well on its way to remind him he needed a bottle of painkillers, not food. “No, thanks.”

  Nina pulled her cell, viewing the message.

  “Everything okay at home?” Mace asked, sitting down across from her. She held her phone up so he could read it. “Oh.”

  Nina thumbed a response to the text she’d received.

  “What is it Nina?” Thane asked, sensing her tenseness.

  “Nothing.”

  “Nina—”

  She bit her lip. “Just Greg, he’s at the hospital.”

  He darted a look at Mace.

  “I’m not taking the rap for that,” Mace said defensively.

  “How bad is it?” he asked, not really giving a shit.

  “Fractured jaw and broken nose,” Nina said, peering at Mace. She juggled the phone between her hands nervously.

  “There’s something else, isn’t there?” Thane asked.

  “Yes, but I don’t know what to do.” Her sharp brows scrunched together. “It’s Daniel. I didn’t want to tell Kayla in case it upset her.” She bowed her head. “Apparently he’s changed, from what I’ve heard.” She flashed a quick look his way, and paused for a moment. “Daniel told me he wants to see her.”

  “No,” he said sharply. He centered a no bullshit look on her. “Did he say what he wanted?”

  Nina’s cheeks puckered into an apologetic expression. “He said,” She shrugged. “Well, he said to tell Kayla he still loved her and wants to talk.”

  A groan worked its way up his throat. It was bad enough the brother wanted her, now the ex was sniffing around her ankles. He slapped his thighs, then rose to his feet. “Not going to happen.”

  “But—”

  “Nina, she is vulnerable right now. She needs to put her concentration on healing, not on being emotionally manipulated by her ex.”

  Scanning the room and settling on Mace, she asked, “Would you mind if we dropped by to see Greg?”

  Mace nodded.

  “You’re a sweetheart. Thank you.” She opened the door and waited for Mace. “Sir, Greg has always been there for Kayla. She hasn’t even been on a date in ten years. Any time some guy took interest, Greg always chased them away, but Kayla doesn’t know that. Thanks for not abandoning her like all the rest.”

  * * * *

  Thane let the shower run hot until it ran cold. For a SEAL, water, whether it was salt or fresh, was rejuvenating. The spray almost washed days of gut-wrenching emotions down the drain. Stepping out and grabbing the fresh towel he’d pulled from the closet, he turned, knocking something off the tiny vanity. He leaned over, and saw Mace’s shaver had landed in the garbage can.

  Reaching down he plucked it up, and placed it on the counter, but he hovered, bent over the trash. He blinked, and then pinched the box it had landed on between his thumb and index finger, straightening up. The towel forgotten, it pooled around his feet. The small shake in his hand, shunted something inside the cardboard, and he slowly opened the end, tipping it up. A plastic rectangle dropped into his palm. Turning it over with one finger, he stared down at it. This didn’t belong to Mace, that was for sure. His world rocked as if he was staring at the Arc of the Covenant. Quickly, he flipped the box over, and had to draw it a little closer to read the tiny writing. What the hell did red mean? He scanned the instructions quickly until he got to the results.

  “Positive,” the hushed word escaped his lips. For the second time in his life, time stood still.

  He took a wobbly step back. The effects of the alcohol were gone, at least most of them. “Are you…kidding…me?” He flipped the box again. Ninety-nine percent accurate. Lightning bolts of realization struck him. “I’m a—” His legs gave out, and he landed lopsided on the toilet seat.

  He felt like he was going to explode with happiness, then panic, then he felt—how the hell did he feel? Unbelievable, un-fucking-believable. He felt like a goddamn king. “A baby.” The little words were like a miracle falling from his lips. “We’re—we’re going to have a baby.” His heart raced staring at the little window with the red stripe. Red didn’t mean death. It meant life.

  “Captain?” A tap on the door made him jump.

  What the hell should he do? He quickly slid the tester back into the box and buried it in the garbage can. Breathe, asshole. “Ahh.” He swept one look around to make sure all was in its place, and then opened the door, whisking the towel up.

  Kayla took a step inside and bumped into his chest. When he didn’t move, she craned her head up. “I have to go pee.”

  That face, her eyes, the swell of her mouth and doll-like features belonged to the only woman he’d ever loved, the most beautiful creature he’d ever known and...

  “Captain, I need to go,” she said ducking around him.

  “Sorry.” She didn’t wait till he vacated.

  “Something wrong?” she asked, blushing and avoiding his gaze.

  “No,” it came out more as a croak.

  What the hell should he do? Should he say something? Why hadn’t she told him? Could Lapierre be the father? No, his mind shot back immediately, not a chance. Kayla loved the guy, but she hadn’t crossed that line with him, at least not recently. Kayla was the mother of his child. He backed out of the bathroom not realizing he was doing it, and leaned against the wall because he needed to.

  Kayla flushed, washed her hands, and flicked off the light. When she came around the corner, she bumped into him in the dark hallway.

  “I’m going to bed.” She sounded exhausted.

  Of course she was exhausted. The last few weeks suddenly made sense. Her hunger, her tears, her emotions all over the place was because their baby was growing inside her. He wrapped his arm around her, guiding her to the bedroom. Climbing in beside her, he pulled her tight against him. His hand settled against her stomach, and he gently caressed her. They both needed sleep, but all he wanted to do was bang his chest, and tell the world. “I love you, Kayla,” he whispered in her ear, and kissed her shoulder.

  Her small hand slid over his, squeezing his fingers. It wasn’t until a glow of light on the horizon threatened night to take a step back, and give the day its turn, that his mind finally stopped whirling, and sleep took over.

  * * * *

  Kayla’s internal alarm buzzed, rousting her from sleep. Sunlight filled the bedroom making her eyes sting. Burying her head under the pillow was her first thought. Aft
er an episode like she’d had last night, a bulldozer running over her would be preferred. Sluggishly, she threw her legs over the side of the bed, and followed the sounds coming from the kitchen.

  Thane looked up and stilled. He stared at her like he’d never seen her before.

  “If you say I look like shit, you’re in for it,” she warned.

  A smile brightened his features as he maneuvered around the counter, and met her in the living room. “Not exactly what I was thinking.” One finger caressed the contours of her shoulder and trailed down her arm. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you how beautiful you are to me.”

  “Yes, you did. A long time ago, when you walked me to the bus stop on graduation night, and I didn’t believe you then either,” she said, pushing her fingers through mussed hair.

  Thane gripped her hips gently. “Why not? It’s the truth, and I’ll always tell you the truth.”

  There was something very odd about him this morning. His voice was strange, softer, far more so than his normally strong timbre. “Captain, are you still drunk?”

  A soft chuckle brushed against her ear as he ran the tip of his tongue around her sensitive skin. “You can go back to bed if you want.”

  She covered a yawn, and shook her head. “I’ve got to grab a shower and get to work.”

  He bit his lip. “Not today.”

  “Huh,” her gaze shot to his. She pulled up the schedule in her mind. “No, I’m on days today. I’m sure of it.”

  He rubbed his neck and nodded. “You’re on special projects.”

  Had she missed something? “What special project?” she asked, her brows pulling together.

  Sliding his hand into hers, he led her to the couch and helped her sit. “We should discuss the plan for the Shark.”

  “You explained the plan,” she said, laying back on the pillow. Reaching for the blanket, she pulled it haphazardly over her. The softness of the blanket made her languid. It wouldn’t take a minute to fall back to sleep.

  Tucking the blanket around her, Thane used it as a good excuse to kiss her instead of explaining. He crouched in front of her. Gentle, caressing touches of his lips made her even more sleepy. His gaze flitted across hers. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You always say that.” His hand swept down her arm, coming to rest on her stomach. “I’m sorry for what I said. I thought I was doing the right thing by stepping aside, but I can’t. I’m crazy in love with you.”

  Whoa, she blinked with all these confessions pouring out of his mouth, and she didn’t really know what to do with them before her first cup of coffee. “Greg told me what he’d said to you in the restaurant. I couldn’t let that untruth breathe any more air.”

  “I don’t think I could have lasted another day anyway. Even if you did decide to leave, I wanted you to know everything. I don’t want us to keep things from each other.”

  She twisted her hands together, and he covered them.

  “Everything,” he said again.

  “So, what’s for breakfast?” She jostled her way from under the blanket, and jumped up. She shouldn’t have done it because the world swayed to catch up, and her stomach rolled.

  Thane steadied her, and watched her carefully as if waiting for something. With a slow hand, he slid from her hip to her stomach, and caressed it again. What the hell? There was no way in the world he could know. She’d only found out herself yesterday morning.

  She’d been pregnant so many times, she should have recognized all the signs, but with the melodrama of the Shark and Greg taking a hundred percent of her attention, she’d missed it. It wasn’t until she was walking by the pregnancy tests in the pharmacy on her way to pick up some toothpaste that the piano fell from a second story window onto her head.

  Instead of freaking out, like she expected, her world became amazingly tranquil. Maybe it was because this child was in no immediate danger like all the others she’d lost over the years. She swallowed deeply, caught in Thane’s gaze. “Can I help with breakfast?”

  “Kayla? You have something to tell me,” he stated carefully.

  “No, I don’t.” She stepped away, her hands clasped and raised to her mouth. Holy shit! She hadn’t decided whether she was going to tell him or not.

  Thane’s face broke into a brilliant smile, and a chuckle bubbled out of him. “You are the most incredible woman I have ever known.” He nodded, the smile broadening. “The most stubborn. The most beautiful. The strongest willed, but you are the worst,”—he said laughing—“at lying.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Kayla.” His eyes softened, and he looked all gooey and weird. “Are you going to make me the happiest man on earth today?”

  “You snooped in my garbage can?” she shouted at him.

  Both hands shot up to ward her off. “I didn’t snoop. Honest.”

  “Thane Herbert,” she choked on a laugh, and shook her head to rid herself of it, “Austen.” His arm swept her tight to his chest.

  “Kayla, are we going to have a baby?” he asked, pinning her cheeks with his large palms.

  Her eyes darted back and forth. His doing the same, but the expectation and hope surprised her. She nodded.

  “Oh, God, yes!” he shouted, and swung her into his arms, twirling her around the room, which didn’t do a thing for her dizziness.

  “Stop,” she ordered.

  “Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry.”

  He stopped immediately, but he didn’t lower her to the floor, instead sitting her on the kitchen counter, keeping her pinned between his arms. A waterfall of tingles consumed her. He kissed her, and kissed her, and kept kissing her, until she had to push on his chest to get some air. “Why aren’t you pissed? You’re supposed to be all defensive and upset.”

  “Upset?” he crowed. “I couldn’t sleep a wink all night. I wanted to phone the entire team and tell them. I had to stop myself from throwing open the window and shouting it out to anyone who was walking by.”

  The front door opened, and Nina came through with Mace on her tail. “Morning,” they both greeted.

  “Where were you all night?” she said, piercing Mace with a look and then Nina.

  Mace took on a “hand in the cookie jar” expression, tossing the question to Nina to answer.

  She blushed, and shrugged her shoulders. “Beach.”

  “Beach,” Kayla echoed, walking toward her, and they hugged each other. “You spent the night on the beach? All night?”

  “You guys feel like breakfast?” Mace asked, leaning against the fridge.

  “We’re celebrating,” Thane jumped in.

  “Thane,” she said sharply, but the five-point smile on his face blinded everyone in the room.

  Both Nina and Mace stared at him with wrinkled brows.

  “Sir, you’re kind of freaking me out with that smile. Is—is Lapierre okay?”

  Kayla gasped when he picked her up with a sneak attack from the rear, and twirled her once before she could get away. “Don’t know, but this woman in my arms is the most beautiful creature in the world.”

  Mace cocked his head and looked to Nina for help. “Captain?”

  He gently slid her down his body, then jerked around. “Where’s my phone?”

  She grabbed his arm. “What are you doing, Thane?”

  “Sweetheart, you need to sit down.”

  A laugh launched from her, seeing he was totally serious. “I’m allowed to stand up, Captain.”

  “I think you should sit.”

  She panned a look at Mace and Nina. Her alpha warrior was going to be a pain in the ass.

  “Why is he acting weird?” Mace asked warily. “Did they catch the Shark?”

  “We’re celebrating,” Thane announced.

  “Yeah, you said that already,” Mace shrugged at Nina. “Are you still drunk?”

  Kayla knew what he was about to divulge, and slapped her hand over his mouth, but he slipped it away. “I’m going to be a father. Me.
She. We. We’re pregnant.”

  Mace’s mouth dropped open. “You guys? Get real. Holy shit.”

  Nina’s expression streaked through shock, astonishment, and settled on joy.

  “Kayla!” She swooped her into a big hug. “Oh, my God. Oh, my God,” she squealed, crushing her. When she finally let go, Nina was talking a mile a minute. “I’ve got a zillion books I can give you. And I’ve kept all of Gabby’s clothes. I’ll have mom and dad send them.” She stopped and took a breath. “It’s a girl. I know it’s going to be a girl.”

  “A girl? Hell yeah, we want a daughter. Then her little brother can drive her mental,” Thane exclaimed. He couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice or a future that had hardly taken its first step. Who was this man?

  Mace’s grin broadened. “Good idea, then you’ll have someone else to pick on instead of me.”

  Kayla stepped back with her hand in the air. “Listen up.” She turned to him. “Captain—and you two.” She paused, gnawing her lower lip. “You’re not going to tell anyone. Do you understand? You have to remember what…” she stalled, “what happened to me in the past.” She plunked herself on the couch, a wave of nausea whirling through her. Thane crouched down beside her. “Thane, I shouldn’t have said anything. You don’t understand. The baby is fine now, but it won’t live.”

  Her words took a little wind out of his sails. “Kayla,” he curled her in his arms. “Our little piece of heaven is going to breathe air, and live a long wonderful life, and so are we. I love you, and nothing is going to stop us from having her.” His lips quirked. “…and her little brother.”

  He couldn’t stop smiling. Mace was right. It was weird.

  “I’d climb to the top of Everest ten times over to keep that look in your eyes. You have to eat. We’re going out for brunch,” Thane declared.

  “Hell, yes,” Nina trilled.

  “You’re paying,” Mace said, taking a tentative step toward her. “I get to be the godfather, right?”

  Although she was trying to keep her news low key, she smiled at him. “We’ll see.”

  “I’m starving,” Nina reminded everyone.