Heat of the Knight

by Em Petrova

Sean couldn’t read her expression—she’d wiped away the soft looks of pleasure they’d shared the other night and replaced it with… well, nothing. Her face was blank.

  But then she glanced at Hawk, and a growl rose in Sean’s throat. He barely bit it back. He could stand here with Hawk and prove who was the better man for the job—and for Elise.

  A ripple in his ear brought his brother’s voice into his head. “Did Hawk show up yet?”

  “Excuse me for a minute. I have to check on something.” Sean strolled back to the airboat and squatted before the engine, turning his face away from view so he could respond to Dylan.

  “Yeah, why? Jackson sent him?”

  Dylan laughed. “Nah. We figured he acted immaturely the other day when he hit your elbow as you took that shot.”

  “You know he claims it was an accident.”

  “Do you think it was an accident?”

  Sean grunted.

  “It was Rocko’s idea that I get him here so you can show him you won’t be bested. You’re Knight Ops, man.”

  Sean worked over the opportunity in his mind, planning something simple and harmless that would hopefully get the guy off his back once and for all while still retaining his strict code of ethics and getting into the swamp with Dylan to find their guy.

  “Thanks,” Sean muttered and stood. As he headed back to meet Hawk and Elise, he jerked his jaw toward the path leading to the edge of the swamp and the half-ass airboat. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked Hawk.

  The man’s eyes were flat black as he stared back. “Fine.”

  They left Elise, and he knew if he glanced back at her, he’d find her gaping at them. He walked some distance down the path so they were out of sight, but he wouldn’t put it past her to follow. He had to act quick.

  Reaching into his back pocket, he located the zip-ties he favored. Sizing up the man in front of him, he considered the best angle to take him down, bind him and then tie him to the nearest tree so he could take the airboat—and Elise.

  Somehow, he needed to silence the fucker too, because any screaming would draw Elise’s attention, and she probably wouldn’t look kindly on Sean incapacitating her ex. Or friend. Whatever the hell she called Hawk.

  Sean wished she wasn’t associated with the jerkoff at all.

  “Look, if you’re going to harp on that wild shot you took the other night like an old woman, then—”

  Sean leaped forward, got Hawk in a chokehold and slammed him to the ground before he could finish the sentence. Good thing—what he’d say was gonna piss Sean off anyway. Why was Hawk goading him? It was almost as if he was putting him through some kind of test.

  In a flash, he had Hawk’s hands bound behind his back and a sweaty bandana stuffed in his mouth. The man’s eyes shot bullets as Sean zip-tied his ankles and feet, his soles of his boots together and a strap tightened across the toes so he couldn’t wiggle out easily.

  Then Sean dragged him a few feet to the nearest tree, around the bend and out of Elise’s sight, and used rope to truss him to the trunk.

  Perspiration poured down Sean’s forehead, and he backhanded it away as he examined his efforts. Hawk glared, his face purple with fury.

  “Elise and I will be back for you.”

  He made a noise but couldn’t get any words past the dirty bandanna stuffed in his mouth.

  Sean gave a nod and turned back down the path. To his relief, Elise stood in the same spot. Arms crossed, she looked angry—and adorable.

  Knowing he had some explaining to do about his disappearance from her bed, Sean approached with caution. She was trained to kill, after all.

  She glanced behind him. “Where’s Bo?”

  Her use of the nickname had Sean’s hackles up again. Trying for nonchalance, he said, “We talked it out and he agreed I should take this mission.” He looked into her eyes long and deep. “Will you join me? I’d like to talk to you.”

  She didn’t drop her folded arms, but he saw her relenting. Finally, she nodded.

  “Good. Are you armed?”

  She gave him the what-do-you-think-I-am look and he ducked to hide his grin. “Climb aboard then. I think I’ve got the engine running more smoothly.” Though to be abandoned in the swamp alone with a woman like Elise was an appealing idea.

  She moved into the craft, as comfortable in this situation as she was in a fancy car. Damn, there was a lot about this woman to admire. Her toughness for one—her vulnerability for another. He’d witnessed both now, and they were equally hot in his eyes. He couldn’t help but wonder if Hawk felt the same.

  He started the airboat again and they shot off into the swamp. His orders were to find the fugitive who might lead to locating that third warhead. But he was also thrilled to have Elise alone, giving him time to make amends.

  And he’d shown Hawk never to underestimate a Knight Ops man.

  * * * * *

  After ten minutes of riding, Sean cut the engine. Letting them float in the silence of the bayou.

  Elise struggled with herself. The man seated by her was raising a need in her that was stronger than anything she’d experienced before. Too well she recalled their stolen moments at the inn.

  And how he hadn’t even left her a note or a text.

  She folded her arms and waited for him to speak first, not trusting her own voice. From the corner of her eye, she saw him staring at her.

  “Cher—”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  He closed his mouth with a snap and then pushed out a sigh. “Elise. I’m sorry for the way I left things.”

  “You didn’t leave things any way at all—you just left.”

  “I was called to duty.” He looked like he wanted to expand on that, but she knew whatever there was to be said about the mission was confidential. She’d been a Marine and married to Bo long enough to understand. She felt a little silly. She should have assumed Sean had left for a mission but when he hadn’t even said goodbye, she’d lumped him right into the commitment-phobe category.

  She wasn’t going to let Sean off the hook so easily. She met his gaze, challenging him with her eyes. “You could have woken me and told me that.”

  “I…” He jammed his fingers through his hair, leaving it in delicious little ruffles that made her close her fists on the urge to touch it. “You’re right. I could have woken you and told you I was going. I wasn’t thinking, and I guess I’m not used to being with a woman who’d understand.”

  She squeezed her middle tighter, resisting the urge to shove him overboard. “I’m not one of your one-night stands.”

  His eyes registered his shock. During, between and after their sex-athon, she’d made it a point to tell him over and over that they were just having one night of fun. Now she’d really shoved her foot in her mouth, and unfortunately, it was a heavy, steel-toed boot, too big to speak around.

  She avoided his gaze, but she didn’t need to look at Sean to feel him. Moving toward her, his body heat washing up her side and sending her nipples into tight puckers. Oh, they remembered him very, very well.

  “I know you’re not a one-night stand, Elise.”

  “Do we have a mission here or not?”

  “Look, I screwed up, and I’m sorry. I had the best night of my life with you, cher, and you clearly want to kick my ass.”

  She bit into her lower lip, chomping off the smile that wanted to form there.

  “We’ve got about thirty seconds before we catch up to my brother—”

  “Your brother?” she exclaimed.

  “Yeah, Dylan’s with me. Let’s use these seconds wisely.”

  He inched closer, bringing his manly scent. A ripple of want ran through her, and she hardened herself against him. But when he pinched her chin in his rough thumb and fingertip and forced her to meet his stare, a quiet noise broke from her.

  “Give me another chance.” His words—hot and slick—found their target.

  Between her legs.

  Dammit, now she was w
et and needy with the only man who’d made her come that way in the middle of the swamp and she wanted to forget all about locating the old Cajun fugitive and relive every lurid touch Sean had given her.

  Her breaths came unsteady, and he zeroed in on her mouth, drawing closer. Closer.

  “Hey, motherfucker! Thought you could best me?”

  They jerked apart, and she looked around at the sound of Bo’s voice.

  “Jeezussss,” Sean drawled, shaking his head at the sight of her ex standing on what appeared to be the only solid land, half-drenched and muddy.

  Her surprise was replaced with shock. “Bo didn’t leave the mission to you. What did you do to him?” She narrowed her eyes at Sean.

  Unfazed, he looked back at her. “Bo didn’t have this mission at all—Dylan tricked him in to get back at him for something he did to me last time. And I didn’t do anything to him. Does he look harmed to you?”

  “Well, no. But…” He did look pissed.

  “Don’t make me swim over to the boat and wring your neck, Knight,” Bo called. “Come get me.”

  Sean put his hand on the engine again to start it. But he didn’t make a move.

  Elise widened her eyes at him. “You can’t just leave him there.”

  “Sure I can.”

  She raised her brows.

  “Fine,” he practically growled.

  He started the engine and motored over to where Bo stood calf-deep in water. Spanish moss clung to his clothing. Elise stood and reached out a hand for Bo to take, ignoring another primal noise from Sean.

  Whatever was going on between these men was plain old stupid. Whether it was about her or their positions within OFFSUS was anybody’s guess. If it was about her, she wasn’t some prize to be won, and besides, if Bo had wanted her, he would have kept her. But they’d both been in agreement that a relationship wasn’t for them. With the way he was acting, she had to keep reminding herself of this.

  As for Sean… her slip of the tongue about the one-night stand was simply that—a slip. She didn’t want more with him than what they’d shared.

  Even if it had blown her mind and still made her body tingle from the aftershocks of orgasms given days before.

  Bo took a seat next to her, and Sean’s gaze riveted on the small crack of space between her and Bo’s legs.

  “Isn’t this a pleasant day for a ride?” Bo’s sarcasm earned him a glare from Sean.

  She did her best to ignore their caveman antics and nodded toward the waterway. “Let’s wrap this up so I can get away from both of you.”

  That statement had both Bo and Sean tossing her worried looks, but she ignored them completely. Sean got the boat up to speed again, and they navigated deep into the swamp. An occasional abandoned shack popped up here and there, and soon Sean stopped at one.

  When Sean stood, Bo did too.

  She started to get up, but Bo waved her back down. “We’ll just scope this out. You get ready in case someone tries to escape.”

  She nodded and settled again, hand on her weapon.

  They got out of the airboat, leaving it rocking gently as they disappeared into the shack. Water lapped at the sides of the boat and the spindly supports holding the structure out of the water. It looked about to collapse any moment, and she started to worry that it was too rotten to support two big men inside, when Bo returned.

  He hopped into the boat and gunned the engine.

  Elise cried out and when he didn’t stop, just continued to hit the waterway at top speed, she punched him in the shoulder. Which was a mistake, because it was like striking concrete.

  “Ow! Dammit, stop! What did you do to Sean?”

  “He’ll find his way back. Or he won’t,” he muttered under his breath and the roar of the airboat engine, but she heard. Bo was a true swamp rat, and he could play dirty.

  She punched him again, aiming for his jaw this time, but he dodged her blow. “He’ll prove what he’s made of. I can’t let you be with a guy who isn’t worthy, can I? Now I know about Dylan’s role in this too.”

  She glared at him. “Don’t you dare bring him into your childish—”

  He cut her off. “I was going to find him and follow our orders. Be nice see the face of any other Knight than Sean.”

  Elise fumed. This was going too far, and she was trapped firmly in the middle of their antics. She had half a mind to march into Colonel Jackson’s office and demand they both be shot. Hell, she’d even waste the ammo on them.

  Bo’s grin didn’t fade even after they’d located Dylan and then the Cajun and found him too drunk to be any good to them. But they did walk away with a couple names that had fallen in slurs from his slack lips right before he passed out.

  Elise glanced back at the swamp, but there was no sign of Sean. Part of her thought about taking the boat back and finding him. But Bo was right—she couldn’t go rescuing him. She needed a man who was stronger than that.

  I guess he’ll show me if I’m worth fighting for.

  She raised her fist to her lips, hiding her smile. Sean had asked for another chance. Whether or not she was willing to give that to him hovered on his return. She had no doubt a man like Sean could get out of any situation, but whether or not he wanted to deal with her dirty-player, guard-dog ex-husband was another story.

  After a long drive back to her apartment, Bo cut the engine and looked at her warily. “Look, about Knight—”

  She held up a hand, silencing him. “What I do with Sean Knight is none of your business.”

  He stared at her for a long moment. “Seriously, Elise? You’re more to me than a friend. Hell, you’re family. Always have been.”

  Touched and irritated at the same time, she shook him off. “If I want to sleep with the entire Knight Ops team, I can. You’re not my keeper, and you can’t just make love interests disappear, Bo.”

  His brows shot up. “Love interest? The entire Knight Ops team? Jesus, Elise. Tell me you’re kidding.”

  She leveled a stare at him that had him backpedaling. “I know you’re not going to have a Knights orgy. But dammit, Sean? That little prick—”

  Her warning groan cut him off. “I’m going inside and change so I can go for a run and try to work out some of this anger, Bo.”

  “You still want to grab dinner?”

  She pressed her lips together.

  “Okay, I get it. I’ll text you later?”

  “Fine.” She got out of the vehicle. If she was lucky, she’d showed both men in her life how they needed to operate around her and that changes needed to be made.

  Chapter Six

  “What… the… fuck?”

  “Lexi Knight! Just because you have Marines for brothers doesn’t mean you have to talk like one of them.” Their maman’s shrill cry came from the front of the house as Sean sneaked in the back door and past Lexi.

  He held a finger to his lips and pointed toward the upstairs.

  “What happened to you?” Lexi whispered.

  “Got caught in the swamp. Walked most of the day to get back.” He was filthy and smelly—and he wanted nothing more than to get even with Hawk. Right after he paid Elise a visit and showed her exactly what he wanted from her.

  Which was everything.

  The slow, soft caresses and deep kisses. Pinning her to a wall and giving her the hard fucking she needed. And the talking—God, he loved talking to that woman. Her mind was an oyster opening to reveal a pearl, and he was damn well going to learn everything there was to know about her.

  Their maman’s footsteps sounded, and Lexi shoved him toward the stairs. “Go!”

  He managed to reach the top floor and the bathroom he’d shared with his brothers growing up without explaining his appearance to his mother. After a hot shower and a good scrubbing, he felt semi-human. A clean set of clothes and he was ready to face anything, even on an empty stomach.

  Though the fragrances of gumbo wafted upstairs and had his stomach twisting into a knot. Maybe he could spare a few minutes to g
rab a bowl of his maman’s specialty.

  By the time he hit the kitchen, Lexi, his parents and several of his brothers were just filling their bowls.

  His mother’s eyes widened. “Sean, I didn’t know you were here. When did you come?”

  “About the same time Lexi said what the fuck.”

  Their father arched a brow at his sister and she gave Sean a flat, I’m-going-to-murder-you look.

  Maman started to get up to fetch him a bowl, but he waved her back down. “I got it.” He grabbed the bowl from the cupboard and took a seat around the table with his family. Chaz was sporting a new cut on his cheek. Sean didn’t recall him having any injuries after their last operation.

  Scooping some gumbo into his bowl, Sean said, “How’d you get that cut?”

  Chaz shook his head, but Dylan spoke up. “Three little letters, bro. DEA.”

  Sean sat back in his seat and eyed Chaz. “She’s a hellion, is she?”

  “Only when pissed off.” Chaz shot him a look but then added, “We’re through. Too clingy for my tastes. Besides, I think she’s secretly jealous that I have a dick.”

  “Chaz!” Maman covered her mouth with a hand as Lexi’s giggles filled the room. Their father hid his grin in his gumbo.

  “I’ll have to tell Tyler about this,” Lexi said.

  “That’s the last thing we need.” Chaz glanced around the table as if just realizing their youngest sister wasn’t present. “Where is Miss Wildcat anyway?”

  Lexi fixed her attention on her gumbo, and Sean knew something was up, but he wasn’t about to probe into that snake pit that made up their sisterhood. For years the twins had been plotting against him and the rest of their brothers, and Sean was in too good of a mood to get bitten.

  He filled his mouth with a spoonful of rich gumbo and groaned. The shrimp was perfectly cooked, and the spices were Mardi Gras in his mouth. “This is excellent, Maman.”

  She dropped her hand from her mouth where it was still planted in shock from Chaz’s revelation. “Thank you. But can we please refrain from bad language around the table? This should be a sacred spot.”

  Properly contrite, Chaz nodded, but his lips twitched. “Maybe we should discuss Sean’s girlfriend.”