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

by Natasza Waters

  One of his brows arched. Dipping one shoulder the fabric slipped down to her waist. Thane’s jaws tensed. “I don’t think…”

  “What? We’re never having sex again?”

  He started to sputter instead of forming words. “Course not, but…”

  “Oh, God,” she said flopping back on her haunches. “You’re not one of those guys who gets all freaked out about sexual body parts and babies are you?”

  He broke into a laugh. “Kayla, I don’t want to hurt the baby.”

  “She’s just fine.”

  “How do you know?”

  “She’s not even the size of a pea. What do you think you can do?”

  His eyes darted to the wall. “I don’t know, but...Kayla keep that on.”

  Ignoring him, she stood up on the bed and wiggled a little, and the whole jumper slid to her shins.

  Thane’s head thrust back into the pillow. “Jesus, woman, will you ever listen to me?”

  She leaned over and yanked the sheets back. He was trying to do his damndest to ignore her, but when her lips nipped on the sinewy muscle between his hip and thigh, his body jumped. She waited and did it again. The result the same. Slithering up his muscular form, she held herself up with her hands, and looked down into the rugged features of his face. “How long do you think you can ignore me, Baby Daddy?” meanwhile gliding her folds up his stiff shaft.

  He chuckled and averted his gaze. “I have control,” he said weakly.

  “Do you?” she asked, nibbling the very edge of his jaw, and then the pulse in his neck. Slipping her moist channel over the crown of his head with a slow, sensual roll of her hips, a gust of air left his mouth, and she caught it in hers, milking him deep inside her. Desire took control, and with a slow upward stroke, he buried himself in her.

  “Baby, not too deep.”

  “Oh, for God’s sake, Thane.”

  She swayed her hips keeping him inside her, and his hands swept to her ass, his gaze boring into hers. “Kayla, I love you so much. Oh, God.”

  His lids clamped shut, and she gladly let him take command of their lovemaking, but she knew he was holding back a little.

  Light from the street filtered into the room. Something simmered in his eyes she’d never seen before. He pulled out, and gently rolled her onto her hands and knees. He entered her from behind, stroking her with shallow, slow plunges. A growl of pleasure escaped him, and he reached around to circle her wet skin. He sunk deep inside her, and she shook all over. Pausing, he kissed her back. “The haunted look in your eyes is gone, Kayla, tell me it’s faith, because I lied to you.”

  She stilled.

  “I don’t just want your trust. I want all of you.”

  She rested against his chest as he linked their fingers together. They stayed that way for a long moment, feeling each other’s warmth. His large palms caressed her belly, and slid up her ribs to cradle a breast in each hand. When he groaned with pleasure, her body tingled. She turned and lay on her back, opening her thighs to him. “You have me.”

  “Why can’t you look in my eyes when you say that?” He hovered above her, holding himself back.

  It took courage to do it, but her gaze slowly crawled up his molded chest until she reached his eyes. She didn’t expect to see worry clouding his expression. “Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?” she drawled.

  “I have,” he shot back. “I’m the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.” His jaw hardened, but his gaze warmed as he filled her with his shaft. “You’re mine. I know you don’t understand what that feels like to me, but don’t doubt me. It’s real.” His mouth trailed kisses to the edge of her lips. “I can’t explain it, but when you stand beside me, I’m a man again, not a warrior.”

  She didn’t understand, but she could see it meant something to him. Trailing her hands down his toned back, she palmed his ass, and lifted her hips.

  “Oh, yeah.” His expression melted with pleasure, and he sucked in a breath through his teeth.

  Their bodies shook with desire as his hips began to rock, taking them both to a place where all was forgotten, except their need. Her wet channel wrapped him in an erotic sheath of velvet. Curling his tongue around the tip, he suckled her breast, laving it. Words of truth scattered from her mouth. “I’m the lucky one, and you’re an idiot.” His body made hers unravel, as her orgasm paralyzed her.

  “Shit, I need you,” he growled into her mouth, his body stricken, his shaft pulsing and releasing inside her.

  She knew Thane was still awake as she lay on her side looking out the window. They were both deep in thought. Nina never tapped on their door, and they weren’t going to interrupt what they both knew was happening in the next room. In a way, she was jealous. Nina and Mace didn’t have demons to conquer. They were younger, and could make a beautiful future together. She had no doubt Gabby, Nina’s daughter, would love Mace, and he would feel the same way.

  Thane’s warm hand curled around her hip, and his large palm covered her stomach. He must have put his hand there at least three dozen times since he found out she was pregnant. As if he were trying to connect with their baby already. It wasn’t something she expected from this rugged man with so many hard edges.

  “I love you, Kayla.” He kissed her shoulder and drew her into his massive chest. “Get some sleep.”

  “I wish I could have made out his face.”

  Thane’s hand stopped moving. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

  She nodded. “I know him. Something familiar, I just can’t quite…”

  “Don’t drive it, pull back, let it come on its own.”

  “I suppose.” He kissed her again, and rolled her over so her cheek lay against his heart. “Why don’t you have a tattoo? All the guys have at least one. I never thought about it before until you mentioned getting my face tattooed on your heart, which you’re not going to do.”

  “Am.”

  “Not.”

  “Fine, how about your name on my ass?”

  “If you say because I’m a pain there already, you’re sleeping with Mace.”

  The chuckle caught in his throat. “Hmm,” he growled playfully.

  She pushed herself to her elbow, and cocked her head looking down at him.

  “I already have a reminder of the SEAL life. I didn’t need to add more.” He brushed a wave of hair across her shoulders.

  She ran her finger against the scar. It had to have been a terrible wound with the scar still so distinctive. It wasn’t ugly, just predominant, a single tear from the top of his cheekbone into the hollow of his cheek, and ending at his jaw. “We all have scars, but yours makes you look even sexier.” She felt her cheeks heat, and it got worse when a warm grin creased his lips.

  “Do you realize that’s the first true compliment you’ve ever given me?” He rolled, resting his head in his upper arm, and gazed at her reflectively. His other hand snaked around her waist and brushed against her back. “I’ve seen every beautiful part of you, but you’ve never let me see your back in the light of day, and I know you’ve done it on purpose.”

  “Believe me, it’s not sexy.”

  The tips of his fingers swirled against her rear end. “Absolutely everything about the mother of our daughter is sexy,” he admitted, leaning in and landing a kiss on her lips. “Absolutely—everything.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Vehicles packed to the hilt with kids, lawn chairs and sleeping bags drove into the backcountry of San Diego. Trailers and campers followed in convoy as the two lane deserted highway leading to Marg and Pat Cobbs’ ranch, gained altitude.

  Thane looked in his rear view mirror and grinned. Nina and Mace had plenty of room in the backseat of the SUV he rented, but nothing thicker than a slip of paper would fit between them. Kayla caught his look. She didn’t turn, but her lips puckered with amusement. He grasped her hand linking their fingers together on the console. With a tilt of his body, he nudged her shoulder. “I love you, Kayla,” he whispered, and brushed
a kiss against her cheek.

  “Told yaaaa,” came a bleating tease from the back seat.

  “Shut it, Nina,” Kayla barked.

  “Yes, boss.”

  Both he and Mace chuckled. These two were a lot like him and Mace. They bickered good-naturedly and analyzed every topic.

  “Wow, look at that,” Nina gushed as they pulled into the expansive approach to the ranch. “This isn’t a ranch, it’s a mountain estate.”

  The sprawling, two-story structure with an enormous wraparound patio boasted twenty bedrooms and a vast great room. Marg’s grandparents had used it as a summer retreat for family and friends. The property sprawled over one hundred and fifty acres, encompassing forest, rugged, dry hillsides and one very precious lake, a welcome sight in the heat of summer. Being the end of February, the water was chilly, but the brave could still swim in it with the southern California sun beating down on the arid terrain.

  “Not a bad spread, huh?” Thane said, throwing the vehicle into park.

  Nina flipped a hand over the front seat. “How often do you come up here?” she asked Mace.

  He shrugged. “Not often, but I think this time might be different,” his voice turning gravelly with want.

  “All right, Sniper, why don’t you guys go find a room, if there’s one left.”

  Kayla swatted him. “Don’t be crude,” she chided.

  Her eyes widened when he swept in to take a long hard kiss from her. He just couldn’t stop himself. The floodgates were open now, and all his wants and wishes were like a flash flood barreling down on her—the mother of his child. “Our room’s on the top floor, last one on the right. Think we should check it out.” He leaned back, then realized how wan she looked, and his desire evaporated. “Are you okay, Kayla?”

  “Course.” She patted his hand, and reached for the door handle.

  Nina and Mace had already exited, headed for the house. “Hey.” He stopped her from getting out with a gentle hand on her arm. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Do you need to lie down? Should we go to the doctor? Talk to me.”

  “Thane,” she sighed, “It’s fine, really.”

  “You say that way too much. You’re not fine.” He brushed a curl of hair from her cheek. She was too warm. “Sweetheart, I need to know if you’re not feeling well. You have a bad habit of keeping everything inside. I don’t want you to do that any more.”

  “I’m concerned about you,” she said, offering a reason.

  “Why?”

  “How dangerous is this mission?” she asked flatly, rubbing her stomach.

  He slid her hand aside and took over the duty, warming her stomach and massaging it gently. “Kayla, you know there’s a percentage of risk with all our missions. Why are you asking me this?”

  “Because we’re here, and….” She paused clutching her hands together. “Captain Redding told me when Marg throws one of these weekends it has meaning.” She lifted her gaze to his.

  “If I go.” She opened her mouth to argue and he took possession of her lips and kissed them quiet. “If I go, and I haven’t decided yet, you need to believe nothing will stop me from coming home to you and my little girl. I don’t want you to worry, all right?”

  Kayla was the least emotional woman he’d ever known. Until recently, but the changing hormones in her body were playing with her. She didn’t talk about her thoughts or feelings. She didn’t want to know his. He couldn’t argue when she’d claimed they really knew very little about each other. That would change. He just had to be patient, but one day he’d have enough nerve to ask her about her past. He’d listen to every word, even though it was going to rip him to pieces.

  * * * *

  A couple hours after arriving, and the melee of settling in for the weekend calmed down, the guys gathered for beers, finding shade under a tall pine. The wives and girlfriends busied themselves in the massive kitchen, equipped with twenty-foot long counters, sky-high cabinets and two industrial-sized ovens with a couple gas stovetops to feed everyone.

  The fire pit, located behind the ranch house, sprawled fifteen feet across, and was piled high with wood, ready to set ablaze when the night sky took over. Kids ran like packs of wild coyotes, howling their lungs out, and playing games. Many of them went to school together or knew each other from these gatherings. Even Cindy and Rayanne—Cobbs’ girls, had come to be with the children they’d grown up with.

  The real meaning behind these weekends was never forgotten, but the focus remained on enjoying the kinship of the SEALs and their families. This weekend was to celebrate life, and he had two lives to celebrate, his beautiful Kayla and their baby. God, he was still riding a mile high on the thought.

  “Where’s Kayla and Nina?” Mace asked, shoving a beer into his hand.

  “Thanks. Probably in the kitchen. Marg is like a drill sergeant. Unless you want to be conscripted, stay clear.”

  Mace nodded and scanned the crowd. “Good showing.” Cobbs strode up to them. “Need a hand with something?” Mace asked.

  “Yeah, I need my hand around an ice cold one.” Mace accommodated. “So, that Nina is a pretty nice lookin’ woman, hey, Mace?” Cobbs noted, tipping the head of the bottle at him.

  Mace’s eyes shot to the ground. “She’s ah—different.”

  Cobbs chuckled. “What the hell’s with you?” he asked, turning on his heel toward Thane.

  “What?” A long pull on his beer kept him from grinning—almost.

  “Is it just my imagination or are you smiling all the time? It’s kinda freaking me out, actually.”

  “Just enjoying the weekend.”

  Cobbs eyed him suspiciously. “Spill it. For the last week you were a mass of fucked-up frog, now you’re grinning like a wolf with a full belly.”

  Rayanne and Cindy broke into the circle. “Dad, we’re heading out to the lake,” Cindy said, standing next to her sister, both of them with their swimsuits on and low-slung cutoffs that barely covered their bottoms. The girls were lookers, being a healthy half-and-half mix of mom and dad. Cindy had already started to dabble with modeling, much to Cobbs’ chagrin. He didn’t want anyone ogling his little girl and undressing her with their eyes, he’d grouched.

  “I wanna go, Daddy,” Kelsey said petulantly, pushing between his and Mace’s knees. She stopped in the center of the circle, amid the rugged, muscle-bound hard-asses that they were, looking up at her father with an angry scowl, similar to her mother’s. The little pipsqueak wasn’t intimidated at all. Thane could already see she was going to have Cobbs tearing his hair out one day. She was only five, but she had her mother’s tenacious personality and her father’s courage.

  Cobbs picked up Kelsey and arched a brow at Cindy. A look he’d perfected long ago, with a jaw and chin shaped like an arrowhead.

  “No way, Dad. We’re not taking her with us,” Rayanne spouted.

  “Who you going to the lake with?” Cobbs broke into concerned father mode.

  “Dad…” Cindy crowed.

  “Who?” he said, his gray eyes sharpening.

  Rayanne cut in. “Dad, remember that little talk we had about growing up?”

  Cobbs rolled his eyes and folded a free arm around her shoulder, still holding Kelsey in the other. “Yup, and remember what I said.” Now, the girls rolled their eyes. “I’m still your father. I’ll always be your father, and I’m always going to ask questions.”

  “Daddy, I wanna go with them,” Kelsey said, trying tears out for size.

  “Not this time, baby girl. You stay here with Daddy, okay?”

  Kelsey plopped her chin on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him, a head of dark curls coiling around his cheek. “Noooo.”

  “Who’s going?” he asked again, and this time he wanted an answer.

  “Richie, Dan, and some of the other guys. Why?” Cindy asked, winding her beach towel around a tender young neck.

  Cobbs peered at the four young guys standing not more than twenty feet away. “Richie, Dan front and center.”


  The young men looked at each other nervously. Richie and Dan were signing up to join the Navy in September, doing some time, and then applying for the BUD/S program. Looking guilty as shit, they stepped toward Cobbs like a couple of ten-year-olds.

  Don and Thomas took a step back, and looked relieved as hell they weren’t summoned. They were older than the other two, and had joined the Navy last year. Both strapping young sons of Todd Richardson in Team Seven. With cocky attitudes, they’d already tried for the teams, but rang the bell ending their chances at serving as a SEAL.

  “Dad…” Cindy warned with a growl that sounded just like her father’s.

  This was amusing as hell and good practice, Thane thought.

  Cobbs ignored her. “Heard you boys were joining up this fall.”

  “Yes, sir,” Richie said, inspecting his feet instead of looking at Cobbs.

  “Got something you don’t want me to see in your eyes, son?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Then head up.”

  Richie’s head snapped like a yoyo on a string.

  “Takes a lot of strength to become a SEAL. Restraint, willpower too.”

  Grins cracked on the squads’ faces seeing where this was going.

  “Yes, sir,” Richie answered.

  “Think you got what it takes?”

  Thane chuckled, seeing the two young men had fallen well into the trap.

  “Yes, sir,” both Richie and Dan piped up.

  “Good. You can start showing some now, with my daughters. Get what I’m saying?”

  “Oh, God, Dad,” Rayanne groaned.

  Ritchie and Dan darted looks at each other and then at the girls. “Yes, sir,” Dan said, being the brighter of the two and realizing he was cornered.

  “Got to have a tongue to be a SEAL, Richie.” Cobbs laid on one of his scarier scowls.

  “Yes, sir, willpower.”

  With a grunt of assent from Cobbs, the guys hightailed it out in a hot extraction for the lake.

  That would be him in a few short years, and he knew he was going to have a gun handy. No fucking guy was going to get within ten feet of his daughter until she was twenty, nope thirty. Heaven help any SEAL or wannabe who showed up at his door.