by Cat Johnson
While his unit had been in place and awaiting the order to move in, badly timed airstrikes aimed at their target by overzealous supporters of Brashar had sent Jihadi John into hiding. Now they had no idea where he was.
Thom couldn’t tell Ginny all that, but he’d be damned if he let her go on thinking he was lying about what he did and who he was.
He should be insulted she thought he was lying, though he couldn’t really blame her after the way he’d disappeared.
It was no wonder his marriage had imploded. Relationships were hard enough. The kind of life he lived made them nearly impossible.
Was he crazy for even thinking he could make a relationship work? And with a woman who lived thousands of miles away?
Was it worth even trying?
He glanced at her before pulling onto the main road. He saw the cute pout of her lips as she held firm to her doubt. He remembered the feel of those lips beneath his.
Yeah, it was worth it.
After all he’d been through in the divorce, he was nothing if not a realist. He knew it might not work, but he was sure gonna try. He was too stubborn not to.
His parents lived barely ten minutes away. That was a good thing since the ride over was silent. Ginny didn’t make conversation, so neither did he.
He only hoped his parents’ natural warmth would melt the icy barricade Ginny had erected.
Thom turned into the driveway and parked. “Here we are.”
She assessed the house before turning to him. “What are your parents going to think of you showing up with me?”
“I’m sure they’ll be surprised, especially since they’re not even expecting me.”
He reached for the door handle when her hand on his forearm stopped him. “You came to see me before your parents? And you didn’t tell them you were coming?”
“That’s right.” He nodded and opened his door.
After what had happened last time, and with Jihadi John still at large, Thom hadn’t wanted to get his parents’ hopes up, just in case he got called in again before he made it to their house.
He walked around and opened Ginny’s door. “One more thing. I didn’t tell them about my car accident. I didn’t want them to worry. So if you could avoid that topic, I’d appreciate it.”
“But wait, then how did we meet? What do I tell them?”
“We met the last time I was here to visit.”
She frowned. “I don’t want to lie.”
“It’s not a lie, is it?” He waited for her protest. None came, but he realized how bad it sounded.
Normal people didn’t understand the half-truths he was forced to tell on a daily basis.
“Look, Ginny, if you really want me to tell them that I drove nine hours in a snowstorm just to see them, totaled my car and hit my head so hard I had memory loss, before turning around and going back to base without even a whiff of the meal my mother had spent a week preparing for me, I will.”
She drew in a breath that lifted her breasts high and had him wrestling his mind off naughty thoughts. “Okay. Fine.”
“Thank you. Now, come on. They’re probably dying of curiosity.” He offered her his hand.
She hesitated. “This still feels weird.”
“Too bad. It’s necessary. I don’t want you to think I’m a liar.” When she made a face at his statement, he added, “I meant lying to you about my career. Lying to my parents is me being a good son. You’ve never lied to your parents?”
That question seemed to take the wind out of her sails. “Okay, fine. Let’s go inside before I lose my nerve.”
He grinned. Her walls were melting. He could feel it.
His mother had the door open before they’d reached the house. “Thom, you should have called. I would have made something special for dinner.”
“See,” Ginny hissed. “I told you that you should have called.”
He shushed Ginny before taking the two steps that would bring him to the door and hugging his mother. “Everything you cook is special. Mom, I want you to meet a friend of mine. This is Ginny. Ginny, this is my mom, Mary Grande.”
He realized he didn’t even know Ginny’s last name, but the way his mother looked, so happy just because he’d brought a girl home with him, he doubted she’d noticed.
“Nice to meet you, Ginny. Come in. It’s cold outside.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Grande. I’m so sorry to drop in unannounced like this.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m thrilled he brought a friend home with him. We see Thom so seldom any visit is like a celebration. The more the merrier.”
His father came into the room and the introductions began all over again.
It wasn’t lost on Thom that the last girl he’d brought home to meet his parents had been his ex. Back then she’d been his pregnant girlfriend and soon to be wife.
In hindsight, springing Ginny on his parents might have been a bit premature, but it was too late to second-guess his decision now.
After pulling Ginny into a hug that had her looking surprised, Thom’s father came to him. “Son. I’m glad you’re home.”
“Thanks, Dad. Me too.”
“However I do wish I’d seen some good news on the television, if you know what I mean.” His father’s hints about Thom’s last mission were about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the head.
“Yeah, I know. Me too.”
“You’ll get him next time.”
“I hope somebody does.” Thom couldn’t help but smile at his father’s enthusiasm.
Even if Thom hadn’t been in Iraq planning a mission to Syria a week ago, his father still would have thought he had been. Just like his father was still convinced he’d been part of the Bin Laden raid, which he hadn’t.
Sometimes it was just easier to agree with the man than fight it.
A whistling from the kitchen interrupted the conversation.
“I have the kettle on the stove. Would anyone like some hot tea?” Thom’s mother asked.
Ginny glanced his direction before saying, “Actually, I’d love some, if it’s no trouble.”
His mother waved away Ginny’s concern. “No trouble at all.”
Ginny took a step forward. “Let me help—”
“Nope. You stay here. Sit. Get comfortable. I’ve got it. Thom? Tea? Or hot cocoa like you loved as a kid?”
He laughed. “Sure. Hot cocoa sounds good.”
By the time he’d finished talking to his mother, he noticed his father had pulled Ginny over to the wall of photos.
He’d always hated that wall. It felt too much like a shrine.
Today, he was grateful for every one of the pictures his mother had insisted on framing and hanging in the living room for all to see. They spanned from when he’d been eighteen in boot camp, right up to his most current official photo in full dress uniform.
His father pointed to one picture and moved to the side so Ginny could see. “This is my favorite. Thom was in BUD/S in Coronado. We were allowed to see him for the first time at the end of Hell Week. Look at him. He was exhausted and hurt and skinny, but I’ve never seen him happier because he knew the worst was over and he’d become what he’d always wanted to be—a SEAL.”
Ginny glanced at Thom before turning back to his father. “It’s a wonderful picture.”
His father nodded. “Little did we know he’d go even further. I mean, SEAL Team Six. They write books about those guys and now Thom is one of them.”
“Dad.” Thom tried to curtail his father’s gushing.
“Stop being modest. It’s true. I know, I know. You don’t call yourselves that.” His father turned to Ginny. “In the teams they call it DEVGRU but the media still says SEAL Team Six so that’s good enough for me.”
She smiled. “I agree. If you see it in the media, then it must be true.”
“Exactly.” The older man nodded.
His mother returned and carried a tray laden with four mugs to the coffee table. She turned to his father. “Honey, should you pu
t another log on the fire?”
Thom took that opportunity to move closer to Ginny. “Sorry about the photo tour of my life.”
“Don’t be. He’s proud of you, as well he should be.”
He raised a brow. “So does that mean you believe me?”
“Well, either it’s true or you’ve gone to a lot of trouble lying to your parents all these years. I’m not sure even you could pull that off.”
“Thanks, I think.” He laid his arm around her shoulders. “Come sit by the fire and drink your tea. My mother looks like she’s about to explode because I’m not sharing you with them.”
Ginny didn’t move toward the sofa. Instead she looked up at him. “It doesn’t feel fair to them. It’s obvious they think we’re dating.”
“Well, our dating is okay with me, if it’s okay with you.” Her eyes widened and he knew this was a conversation for later, in private. “Come on. I promise I’ll get us out of here right after tea. Then I’ll take you home and we can talk. Okay?”
“Okay.” She nodded, but he could see he’d definitely given her something to think about.
Exactly as he’d hoped.
CHAPTER 13
Ginny opened the front door of the house and flipped on the light inside. Thom hovered behind her on the porch.
“You can come in.”
He followed her inside and glanced toward the pile of wood next to the fireplace at the other end of the room. “Want me to make a fire?”
The image of that night flashed through her head. She should say no. If there was a fire, she’d be tempted. Make that more tempted than she already was.
“Okay. Thanks.” She knew he had to get back to his parents’ house soon, so maybe she’d be safe from temptation.
Then again, maybe she didn’t want to be safe. She watched him kneel on the hearth. Saw his dark head bent as he balled newspapers. Couldn’t help but notice the incredible view as he leaned low to blow on the flame.
Damn.
When the flame finally took hold, he stood and looked a little lost. She moved to the sofa and sat, patting the cushion. He came over and sat next to her.
“Did you mean what you said? About us dating?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yup.”
“How would that work with you in Virginia?”
“Phone. Email.” When she wrinkled her nose at that idea he added, “And, you know, there’s always phone sex.” She raised a brow and he laughed. “Just kidding.”
“Actually, that was the only part of this long distance relationship you’re proposing that sounded any good.”
He smiled. “Virginia’s not that far. I could visit you. You could visit me.”
She wobbled her head. “Better.”
“But not perfect. I know.” He sighed, released her hands and leaned back.
That was the opposite of what she wanted. “I didn’t say no. Just that it would be . . . a challenge.”
He nodded. “It would.”
“I’m willing to give it a try.”
Thom looked surprised. “You are?”
“Yes.”
“I’m really happy to hear that.” He took her hands in his again and her mind began to run wild.
She could do her job from anywhere, including Virginia . . . and even thinking that was really jumping the gun. She reeled her imagination back in.
For right now, she’d settle for having Thom’s lips on hers again. “Too bad you have to get back to your parents’ house soon or you could show me how happy you are.”
“Not that soon.” He leaned in and buried his hand in her hair. His mouth covered hers as he pushed her back onto the couch. She felt him working on the button of her jeans, before he broke the kiss to say, “Jeans are too hard. I like your pajamas better.”
A man who liked when she wore pajamas. That clinched it. Thom was the perfect man.
She smiled. “I can ditch my jeans if you ditch yours.”
“It’s a deal.” He ran his hands up her sides and groaned. “Maybe I’ll call and tell my parents I’m going to be late for dinner.”
“Or you could wait for them to go to sleep and sneak back over here.”
“God, I love the way you think.” He cupped her face and took possession of her lips and Ginny realized her happy ending had just written itself.
If you enjoyed SEALed at Midnight, please leave a review. And look for Jon’s story, Night with a SEAL, Zane’s story, Saved by a SEAL, and Chris’s story, Kissed by a SEAL, in the Hot SEALs series.
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Next in the Hot SEALs series . . .
Kissed by a SEAL
Retired Navy SEAL Chris Cassidy knows the bro code—no messing around with teammates’ sisters. But Chris never was one for following rules. Besides, Rick’s sister Darci is worth breaking the rules for.
Darci Mann is tired of being alone. Since Zane, the bad boy she formerly had a crush on, fell in love with someone else and her best friend Ali found her own happy ending, Darci’s feeling her single status extra keenly. Though she suspects her brother’s buddy Chris would be willing to change that . . . if she decides to let him.
When a routine assignment turns deadly and Chris switches from charming joker to capable trained warrior willing to kill or die to save Darci’s life, she might have to reevaluate her feelings about the perpetual bachelor and her own future.
Don’t Miss the Rest of the HOT SEALs Series
Available now in paperback, eBook and audiobook
Night with a SEAL
Ten years of dedication to the Navy taught SEAL Jon Rudnick one thing—he’s not afraid to risk life and limb for his country. But when navigating military red tape begins to present more challenges than the enemy it makes Jon question his future. So does Alison Cressly, the woman who doesn’t do one-night stands or SEALs but who broke both rules with Jon the eve of his deployment to Afghanistan. He can’t get her out of his head—not while away and not now that he’s back.
When Ali’s life is threatened and military rules won’t allow him to intervene, Jon decides it’s time to take back control. The question is what would a SEAL do as a civilian? Jon’s got skills, drive and an idea, as well as a few teammates willing to cover his six. And he’s got the hope of more with Ali.
A team of sexy SEALs, a terrorist threat, and an attraction that can’t be denied . . . it all comes together in the launch title of the Hot SEALs series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author Cat Johnson.
Saved by a SEAL
a USA Today bestseller
Zane Alexander was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but the rebellious bad boy traded it, along with his family fortune, for a Navy SEAL trident and freedom from his controlling father.
Ten years later, Zane’s teammates are depending on him to secure the startup capital they need to open their security company and he’s gambling on his skills at covert operations to get it. For a million dollars he’ll fake interest in Missy Greenwood, the Senator’s daughter his father wants him to date in exchange for the investment.
When Missy is kidnapped and Zane and his team are sent to Nigeria to rescue her, there’s no more faking it when the danger and the emotions turn very real.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to all of the many supporters who helped me write this one.
Some say, “write what you know.” I’ll add to that by saying, “write what someone you know knows!” In light of that, my undying gratitude goes to my two Black Hawk guys, Michael Cummings and Sean Fitzgerald, for giving me the experience of flying inside one, though once removed.
My thanks to all of the usual suspects who support me daily in this crazy business we call publishing—fellow writers, cheerleaders, industry, and family.
Most of all, I thank you, the reader. You make it all worth it.
If you liked this story, please consider leaving a review at the vendor site where you purchased it. Authors love
you for it, believe me!
AUTHOR’S NOTE
As I type this, the real life Jihadi John is still at large. There was a very long hiatus when it seemed the coalition air strikes had done enough damage to the ISIS infrastructure that the grim tally of four US/UK hostage beheadings would be the end total. It was then that I began this story. I am saddened to say yesterday I had to go into chapter one and edit that number from four to five.
To the surviving friends and families of these brave men I send my thoughts, prayers, respect, sympathies and yes anger at the egregious acts performed, unpunished, by ISIS.
My hope is that by the time this story reaches readers’ hands the remaining hostages will be home safe and the ongoing threat will be dealt with, finally and appropriately according to the laws of God or man, and that no other family has to live through that horror.
Cat Johnson
ABOUT CAT JOHNSON
Cat Johnson is a New York Times bestseller and the author of the USA Today bestselling titles Saved by a SEAL (Hot SEALs) and One Night with a Cowboy (Oklahoma Nights). She writes contemporary romance featuring sexy alpha heroes. Known for her unique marketing and research practices, she has sponsored pro bull riders, owns a collection of camouflage and western wear for book signings, and a fair number of her friends/book consultants wear combat or cowboy boots for a living. She writes both full length and shorter works and is contracted with publishers Kensington and Samhain.
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For more visit CatJohnson.net
ALSO BY CAT JOHNSON
Hot SEALs Series
Night with a SEAL
Saved by a SEAL
SEALed at Midnight
Kissed by a SEAL
Red, Hot & Blue Series
Trey
