She never was much for commiserating.
“Are you upset that she’s getting married, or that she’s marrying another military man?”
The hard set of his mouth told her she’d nailed it. “He’s not the right man for her.”
“Sounds like your mom disagrees.”
“Do you remember what we talked about the other night?” He stabbed his fork into the steak with more force than necessary, since she was sure the meat was tender enough to melt on her tongue.
To confirm, Brooke followed suit. As expected, her steak cut as easily as a hot knife through butter. “I remember your rant about SEALs and relationships. Or the impossibility of having a successful one.”
She slipped a piece of steak into her mouth and had to bite back a groan at the delicious, smoky flavor.
Asher stopped in the process of making another slice and raised the tip of the knife to point at her. “Don’t do that. Don’t discount how I feel about the situation. Don’t pretend you know anything about it. You don’t know what it’s like.”
The sharpness in his tone pierced her chest. She methodically set her silverware on the table, her appetite waning as her temper flared to life.
“You don’t think I know about loss? About how it feels to be left behind?” Damn it. Her eyes started to burn, a surefire signal that tears were on the way.
Her life wasn’t so bad. She had ups and downs like everyone else. She’d had some losses, sure. But she’d also had some wins. She would not cry over things she couldn’t change. Would not.
She smoothed the cloth napkin that covered her lap, giving herself a minute to prepare before she opened old wounds.
“Brooke,” Asher reached for her hand and Brooke jerked it back. If he touched her now she’d fall apart. He cursed softly. “I didn’t mean to—”
“My dad left when I was nine, Asher. Nine.” When she met his gaze, he leaned back as if stunned at what he saw there. She didn’t care. Let him see the pain he thought she didn’t understand.
“I haven’t seen or heard from him since. He might not have died a hero-in-battle as your father did. Hell, he might be alive and well for all I know. But, to me, he’s as gone as your father. Then there’s my mom…” She didn’t have time to even begin that story. “Let’s just say my mom lived her own life without any regard for her young daughter. Oh, did I forget to mention the fact that I was adopted? Which means my birth parents left me, too. And before you say something else idiotic about me pretending to know what it’s like, let me remind you that I do have firsthand knowledge about how it feels to lose a man to the military. I lost you.”
Brooke crumpled the napkin in her lap, gathering it in her hand. She stood and dropped the napkin on the table, aware Asher was watching her every move.
She couldn’t sit there and pretend her opinion of him hadn’t been altered. She thought he was strong and solid, when in fact, he was nothing more than a coward. Too afraid to put himself out there for fear of getting hurt. It was one thing for him to sabotage his own life, but to want the same fate for the mother who loved him? Asher was right about one thing. She most definitely didn’t understand that.
Brooke sensed the tears she could no longer hold back. She had ruined their dinner by not agreeing with him. While she was sorry for the dinner, she wasn’t sorry for the other. His mom deserved his support. He was a jerk for not having her back.
“I don’t regret one second of the time we spent together all those years ago,” she admitted softly. “We can say it was all about sex, but we both know it was more than that. I’ve often wondered if the reason you didn’t call was because you’d started to feel something for me.”
“Jesus. Brooke. I—”
“No, let me get this out. Being with you was worth the hurt that came later. For a brief moment in time, you made me happy. You made my life a better place. It seems that remains true, because here I am, armed with the knowledge that nothing has changed, that there will never be a future for us, and wanting you anyway.” She took a deep breath and brought her point home. “Maybe your mom believes her life was worth the pain, too.”
She walked away then, leaving a stunned, speechless Asher to figure out the rest on his own. He would come after her, she had no doubt. What she didn’t know was where they went from there.
She couldn’t deny anymore that she loved him. She’d always loved him. It made sense, considering her track record. She’d been going through the motions, subconsciously waiting for a man she could never have.
He’d chosen the Navy over her, without realizing he could have both. Could still have both, if he ever got his head out of his ass.
Brooke didn’t take the torch-lit path back to the golf cart. She headed down the beach. Other than herself, Asher, and a couple of waiters, the beach was deserted. She assumed that was because this side of the resort wasn’t open to the public yet, but she’d seen people on this section of beach during the day.
Brooke wandered toward the edge of the water. She sat down where the waves would just reach her toes and hugged her knees to her chest. She stared out at the ocean, finally letting the soft stream of tears have their way.
She didn’t know how long she sat there before she sensed she wasn’t alone. A soft rustling of footsteps on the sand was further proof.
Tears long dried, Brooke stood and straightened her skirt, brushing off the sand she could reach, not caring about the sand she couldn’t.
Not knowing what kind of mood Asher would be in, she steeled herself for the worst. When she turned around, the worst was what she found.
Brett, along with four of his friends she recognized from Cavalier’s, were fanned out around her.
“Well, well, well,” Brett said, his nasty grin slow to spread as he took a step toward her. “What have we here?”
10
Asher remembered a time during BUD/S when he’d been in the freezing-cold waters of the ocean for so long, his mind had detached from his body. Nothing worked properly. Not his limbs. Not his lungs. Nothing.
That was exactly how he felt as he watched Brooke walk away.
He wanted to reach out, call to her, anything to get her to stay, stay, but her words had rendered him useless.
I lost you. Maybe your mom believes her life was worth the pain, too.
Is that what his mom believed? He didn’t know, because they never talked about his dad. Now, more than ever, Asher knew the convo with his mom needed to happen, sooner rather than later. But first, he needed to focus on making his legs work so he could go find Brooke.
God, the way she’d looked at him before she walked away gutted him. As though she’d peeled back his layers and didn’t like what she found. He’d never forget how heartbroken and fragile she looked, even as she was putting him in his place. His little firecracker.
His.
He didn’t know how to make things right between them, but he sure as shit wouldn’t figure it out sitting on his ass like a moron.
Asher pushed away from the table and stood, relieved that his legs supported his weight. He wiped his mouth with the napkin, then tossed it on the table. Not wanting to trek down the sand in his dress shoes, he kicked them off. His heart clenched as he set them on the sand next to Brooke’s. She was out there, alone, without her shoes.
Asher ducked under the rim of the canopy. It took his eyes a minute to adjust to the dimness of the night. From his higher elevation he could see the stretch of beach below. Off to the right, he noticed a shadowy group of people in the distance. They were walking toward the water. Normally, Asher wouldn’t think twice about people walking on the beach at night, but Brooke was out there and something in his gut turned over, his instincts screaming trouble.
He broke into a jog, keeping his eye on the group while frantically searching for any sign of Brooke. There. A slim figure sitting close to the water. Brooke. It seemed the group had seen her as well, because they were headed right for her.
Staying low, Asher slowe
d and focused on the group. With only the moonlight to help, he studied the shadows. There were four of them. They walked with the distinct gate of younger men who weren’t as cool as they thought they were.
Asher cursed. He had a pretty good idea who the men were, and if he was right, he wanted backup. Not to help him kick their asses, but to haul off their carcasses once he was finished.
Asher pulled out his cell phone as he moved quietly across the dunes of sand, heading for the beach below. He called the last person he wanted to talk to right now, but the only guy who could help.
“Asher?”
Asher stumbled over his own feet at the commander’s use of his given name. The guy had never called him Asher before. Only used his rank. Something akin to affection warmed Asher’s chest.
“Sir,” Asher said in a hushed tone. So far the men had been too focused on their target to notice him, but the longer he could keep his presence unknown, the better. “There’s about to be a potentially sticky situation on the beach. Could you grab hotel security and bring them down here, ASAP.”
“What’s the situation?” He could hear the commander shuffling around. The guy was already on the move. The warming thing going on in Asher’s chest spread out, filling tiny cracks inside him that he hadn’t known existed.
The late night pizzas, the advice, the encouragement throughout his career. This man had always had his back. Not as a superior officer, but as a … a father.
The realization hit him like a Mack truck going ninety, but his concern for Brooke over-rode the crash.
“It’s too dark. I’m too far away to know for sure, but I’m on the move. If I were to guess, it’s some guys looking for payback for an incident involving a woman a few days ago.” His gaze tracked to her. Brooke was still sitting, unaware she was being stalked.
Asher’s throat ached from holding in her name. He wanted to call to her, but alerting her to the potential danger would also alert the group homing in on her. Four against one odds would go better if he had the element of surprise on his side.
Asher heard a door creak, followed by the distinct sounds of footfalls making short work of a stairwell.
“Would this happen to be the same woman your mother mentioned jumped from a moving boat yesterday?” The commander’s voice echoed, accentuating his words with every step.
“Yes, sir.” Asher felt an inexplicable pride, as if his affirmative somehow staked his claim. “One and the same.”
“Is she with you?”
“She was.” Heart pounding, eyes glued to Brooke, and still moving toward her, Asher gave a quick rundown. “We had an argument and she took off. I shouldn’t have let her go alone, but I was giving us both time to cool off. I was on my way to find her when I noticed I wasn’t the only one.”
“How many?”
“Four, sir.”
“Roger, that. Give me your location.”
Asher rattled off an approximation. He had no doubt the commander would find him.
“I’m headed your way, and for God’s sake, Lieutenant, don’t kill any of them.”
Asher snorted and hung up without giving any assurances. He was close now. Close enough to see Brooke stand and brush the sand from her backside. The men had fanned out, most likely to prevent her escape. Brooke turned and Asher heard her gasp drift through the air.
Don’t worry, baby. I’m here. I’ve got you.
“Well, well, well. What have we here?”
As suspected, Asher recognized Brett’s voice. Brett reached for Brooke and she stumbled back, her feet splashing through the water.
Asher sprang into action. He only had one shot at the element of surprise and he didn’t waste it. He grabbed the guy closest to him from behind, wrapping his arm around his throat in a choke hold and dragging him backward. Within seconds the guy was out cold and Asher tossed him aside like a rag doll.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brooke, her hands locking around Brett’s wrists as the guy tried to grab hold.
Adrenaline pumping full steam now, Asher growled as the other two on the beach caught on and came for him. He threw out his arm at the last minute, clotheslining the first guy to reach him. The guy went down hard, clutching his throat.
Seeing two of his buddies on the ground, the third guy drew up. The guy held out his palms, as if that would stop Asher.
“I didn’t touch her, man.”
Asher raised his palms, mirroring the guy, but his feet never stopped moving. When he got close enough he did a fast pivot and with a surge of violent strength, slammed his fist into the guy’s face. Before he could recover, Asher straight-armed the guy’s chest, shoving him back. Asher hit him again, twice in rapid succession and the guy went down like a pump handle.
“Asher!”
Brooke’s scream broke something open inside him. Hot, liquid heat filled his veins. Blood rushed through his ears and the world turned red.
Chest heaving, Asher spun toward the sound of her voice in time to see Brett tackle her on the hard sand. She landed on her stomach with Brett falling on top of her.
Asher took off toward them at a dead run, Brett’s drunken laughter mixed with Brooke’s cries as she struggled to get free. Brett reached for the zipper on the back of Brooke’s dress. Snarling, Asher lunged, hooking Brett around the waist and hauling him away from Brooke.
When they hit the ground, Asher shoved his feet into the sand, keeping Brett under him. Brett threw his elbow back, catching Asher in the jaw. Asher grabbed the guy’s wrist and wrenched it up between his shoulder blades. With his other hand, he palmed the kid’s skull and shoved his cheek hard against the sand. With the guy subdued, Asher shifted his body weight. He drove his knee into Brett’s back and leaned down, putting his mouth close to the kid’s ear.
His whole body vibrated with unspent rage. The piece of shit thought he could put his hands on Brooke?
“I warned you what would happen if you touched my girl again, motherfucker. Since I can’t make you limp from this position, I’ll have to find another way to make my point.” Asher jerked the guy’s arm higher.
Brett cried out. The guy reeked of smoke and alcohol. “No, no. Please, man. You’re gonna break my arm!”
“Oh, now you realize the meaning of the word no? How about I teach you what it feels like when that word is ignored.”
“Lieutenant!”
The commander’s voice barely registered, Asher’s sole focus on making the motherfucker under him hurt. Asher increased the pressure on Brett’s arm. “I hope you’re a lefty.”
“Lieutenant! That’s enough.”
“Asher. Please. Let him go.”
Brooke’s voice was the only sound that had the strength to penetrate his anger. Asher’s gaze snapped up. He searched, searched, and finally, he found her. She was close by, standing next to a man wearing a security uniform. Her dress was wrinkled and, for some reason, wet. Her hair was a mess, her cheeks tear-stained, her eyes puffy and red. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
Brett shifted under him, apparently too high, drunk, and stupid to stay still. He tried to jerk his arm free. Before Asher could release him, a satisfying snap met his ears and Brett howled in pain.
Asher let go of Brett’s arm, knowing the dislocated shoulder would hurt like a bitch when he did. He might’ve also used the guy’s back as leverage to get to his feet.
“You all right?” the commander asked from somewhere on his left, but Asher only had eyes for Brooke.
“Fine.” He took a step toward her. “Where are the other three?”
“We’ve got ’em.”
Another step. Close enough to see her entire body trembled, and it flayed him wide open.
“Make sure they’re escorted off this island, pronto. I need to…” Asher let his words die off as he walked away. For the first time in his life he didn’t care about honor or duty or the fact that he’d just issued an order to his commanding officer.
The only thing he cared about was
Brooke.
Brooke had never seen anything more violent in her life. Or more beautiful.
She managed to see most of the action while she evaded Brett’s drunken, sloppy attempts to grab her. Watching Asher fight was like watching fluid art, every move sleek and efficient and utterly arousing. She’d been distracted long enough by the display to give Brett the upper hand.
A shuddered racked Brooke’s body. She could still feel Brett’s weight on top of her. Could feel the cool night air against her backside, indicating her dress had ridden up enough to expose her panties.
The next thing she’d known, she was free. Like a wild predator, Asher charged in, latched onto his prey, and saved her from a horrible fate.
Asher had singlehandedly taken down four men. He’d broken a bone. For her.
“You’ve got to stop running away from me, sassy girl.” He marched toward her, a man on a mission.
“You, first,” she whispered, her throat raw and aching.
Asher’s clothes were covered with sand. His knuckles looked red and angry. His jaw had started to swell on one side. But his eyes … his eyes were shimmering bright with a mixture of sorrow, heat, and concern unlike any she’d seen before.
“I’m okay,” she assured him. She was safe. He had come for her, as she’d known he would, because that’s who he was. Whether he would admit it or not, he cared about her. She knew he did.
“I’m okay,” she repeated as a sob broke through her lips. Seeing him there, whole and relatively unharmed, Brooke suddenly felt drained and weak. Her legs wobbled as though they were clocking out for the night. Before her knees could hit the sand, Asher was there, pulling her against him. His knees were the ones to hit the sand as she wrapped herself around him and buried her face against the side of his neck.
“Shh. Sweetheart. Don’t cry.” His warm, masculine scent filled her, calmed her, made everything seem all right again.
Hot SEAL, Bourbon Neat (SEALs in Paradise) Page 10
