The Original de Wolfe Pack Complete Set: Including Sons of de Wolfe

by Kathryn Le Veque

  “I only said I’d have dinner with you. I never said I’d spend the night with you.”

  He smiled at her but his expression turned hostile as his team members looked surprised.

  “Yes, I have a date. What a damn miracle,” he said belligerently. “And don’t look at her that way. I found her first.”

  A man who must have played football because his neck was as wide as his head looked at her with kind brown eyes.

  “Too bad,” he said. “Hell, if I’d known she was here, I’d have thrown myself into the hail of gunfire, too.”

  “Shut up, Kevin,” Wade muttered, glancing back over at Jeremy. “Do I really have to go?”

  “Yes, you do,” she said, although she didn’t want him to go, either. “Come on, now, and sit up. I shall go get a wheelchair.”

  She walked around the gurney as his team members heaved him up into a sitting position. The moment she left the room, Wade’s teammates bombarded him with questions about the gorgeous nurse. He put up his hand to shut them up, wincing.

  “God, you are making my head hurt. Not everybody all at once.”

  “So tell us about her,” Peter nudged him.

  Wade shrugged, desperately groggy. “Not much to tell,” he replied. “She sewed me up and I asked her out.”

  “How romantic,” Peter said drolly. “What a smoothie you are, Wade.”

  Wade looked at him. “Well, she’s going so I must not have done too badly.”

  Kevin, slightly behind him shook his head. “When did you last ask a woman out, Wade? Five, six years ago?”

  “Up yours, buddy,” Wade snarled, leaning back against Peter. “She’s not like any other woman I have met. She’s….different. I do not know, maybe she shot me full of a love potion instead of Demerol.”

  “You have known her for ten minutes and you already know she’s different?” Peter scoffed. “Guys, it must be love.”

  Wade frowned threateningly at him, lacking the strength or the coordination to do much else.

  “So why didn’t you introduce us?” Kevin wanted to know. “Are you afraid we’ll offend her and she won’t go out with you?”

  “Probably,” Wade nodded. His leg was throbbing and his head hurt and he didn’t want to do anything now but sleep, hoping if he gave them one-word answers they’d get the hint and leave well enough alone.

  Jeremy came back into the room then, pushing a wheelchair. Wade was sitting up, looking at her with a twinkle in his eye that she knew was brought on by the drug. Too bad, too; she would have sold her soul for the look to have been real.

  “I have just been tongue-lashed for being rude,” Wade said groggily, then gestured to the men standing around him. “Allow me to introduce you to these fools I work with. From my right, Peter, Kevin, Michael, Dennis, Jason and Mark. Gentlemen, meet my future wife, Nurse Jeremy.”

  He was drugged and teasing and she teased back. “In your dreams, buster,” she said, kicking the brake down on the wheelchair. “Come on, time to go home.”

  Peter and Michael, a man that was at least a half a head taller than the rest of the guys, helped him into the chair. Jeremy pulled two bottles out of her coat pocket and placed them in Wade’s hands.

  “In my dreams?” Wade repeated as he opened his palms. “That’s probably true. It’s the only place I’d ever get lucky with a woman like you.”

  Jeremy grinned, ignoring his comments. “This is the painkiller should your leg hurt a lot,” she tapped one bottle with a coral-colored fingernail. “And the other one is the antibiotic. The instructions are on the bottle, and you don’t have to start it until tomorrow, okay?”

  He looked at the bottles before turning his face up to her.

  “Okay,” he replied. “So where do I pick you up?”

  “When?”

  “Tomorrow for our dinner date. I only have forty-eight hours, remember?”

  She stood back, crossing her arms across her chest. “Are you sure? I mean, you may not be feeling so great by tomorrow.”

  He was looking at her but speaking to his men. “Go wait in the hall. This is a private conversation.”

  Snickering and grinning, the big men did as they were asked, leaving Wade and Jeremy alone. When they were gone, he lowered his voice.

  “Look, if you don’t want to go out with me, just say so,” Wade said, without malice. “I’d understand I mean, you must have a boyfriend….”

  She shook her head vigorously. “I don’t have a boyfriend and I said I’d go out with you. I just don’t want you to feel obligated to take me out because you asked me when your mind was clouded with drugs.”

  He frowned. “I may be feeling a little high, but I know what I am saying. I want to see you tomorrow night.”

  Jeremy felt her cheeks grow warm as they gazed at each other but she didn’t care; she was so caught up in him that she didn’t realize she was smiling. Wade felt the pull, too, as if there was a magnet between them. It was weird, wonderful, and completely unexplainable.

  “If you’re sure,” she said after a moment. “I get off a six. You can pick me up here.”

  He smiled. “Great. I am really looking forward to it, Jeremy.”

  “Me, too,” she smiled back. She was incredibly glad that he seemed interested in her because, damn, if she wasn’t tremendously attracted to him.

  Jeremy pushed him out into the hall and his team members were immediately at his side, grinning at their commander and at the nurse. Down the hall, the hordes of brass began to turn around, one by one, and Wade looked dubiously at them.

  “Damn,” he muttered.

  His men followed his gaze. “They’re going to be merciless,” Peter commented.

  Jeremy could see that the SEAL team was tired and exhausted and Wade certainly wasn’t up to interrogation by the brass. She had an idea.

  “Where are you guys staying?” she asked.

  “Base housing,” Wade replied. “Why?”

  She cocked a thoughtful brow. “Hold on a second.” She skipped down the hall and disappeared into a door, emerging mere seconds later. She took Wade’s hand and pressed something cold and hard into it. He looked down and saw it was a key.

  “It’s to my parent’s house on Coronado,” she told him with a grin. “If you stay here on base, they’ll never leave you alone. You need to get some rest tonight.”

  He returned her smile timidly. “Well… hell, okay. Where is it?”

  “Fifteen sixty-three Bay Park Avenue,” she told him, then glanced at the others. “There are three bedrooms and a den, enough room for all of you. You are welcome to it.”

  Peter took the key. “Cool,” he said sincerely. “Thanks.”

  Wade nodded. “Yeah, thanks,” he replied. “But where are you staying?”

  “At my apartment here on base,” she said with a primly cocked brow. She then turned to look down the hall thoughtfully. “Now, to get you out of here… wait here one more minute. I’ll be back.”

  Again, she moved rapidly down the hall and turned a corner. Not a minute later she returned pulling the young doctor who had originally examined Wade. Much to Wade’s surprise, he felt himself bristle with jealousy at the sight of Jeremy touching another man and just as quickly chased those feelings from his mind. Already, he was possessive, like she belonged to him.

  Jeremy took over. Directing his teammates to circle around him forming a protective shield, she and the doctor ran shotgun and parted the mass of officers with amazing effectiveness. Twice they were stopped by admirals demanding to speak with Wade, but the doctor insisted quite forcefully that the man was in no condition for questions and that they would have to wait.

  They broke through the lines and removed Wade through the ambulance entrance, racing him out into the parking lot where a large government-issue van waited for them. Racing against the officers that were starting to file out after them, and pressing to avoid the reporters that were at the other entrance, the team loaded Wade onto the van and bailed in after him.
<
br />   Jeremy ran around to the driver’s door where Peter sat behind the wheel. “Up over the green bridge,” she yelled over the roar of the engine. “Take a hard right to Bay Park Avenue.”

  He waved at her and she stood back, waiting for the van to take off. Peter turned his head and spoke with someone before hanging his head back out the window again. “Hey, doc! What’s your name?”

  The young doctor with the red-gold hair smiled. “Alan Longworth.”

  Peter nodded. “Thanks!” he looked at Jeremy. “Go around to the passenger side. The commander wants to tell you something.”

  Jeremy ran around and opened the door, aware that people were crossing the parking lot toward the van. She ripped open the front passenger door.

  “What?” she demanded breathlessly.

  Wade smiled at her, a smile that made her go weak in the knees. Just as she started to smile back, he reached out and grabbed her gently around the back of the neck and pulled her to him, depositing a kiss so sweet on her lips that she nearly swooned. It was achingly tender and oddly, faintly, familiar.

  “Thank you,” he whispered.

  She was forgetting to breathe. The naval personnel were rapidly closing the gap and as much as she wanted to stare into his eyes forever, she forced herself to pull away and slammed the door.

  “Go!” she yelled.

  Wade waved at her the entire way out of the parking lot and Jeremy stood there a long time after the van had disappeared from view, oblivious to the officers and news people who were shouting and trying to get her attention.

  She would see him again tomorrow night. The Wolf himself. Above her head, the sky was a bright summer blue and birds were singing loudly in the palm tree in front of her. She could hardly believe the feelings she was experiencing, a peculiar but wonderful myriad of emotions that filled her so completely.

  Why had he affected her so? She shook her head in amazement as Alan put a protective arm around her and pulled her through the swarm of people. She wasn’t even paying attention and suddenly she was back through the ambulance doors and Alan had left her.

  She retreated back into the examining room to finish Wade’s chart and collect the other paperwork, stealing one last glance at the gurney with Wade’s blood on it, oblivious to the orderly cleaning the room. Why had she reacted to him so recklessly? She had had other men pursue her, handsome men, rich men, but she hadn’t responded to any of them. Then why the naval commander with the superhero reputation?

  The orderly stripped off the sheet and the blood was gone. Yet she continued to stare at the gurney when, suddenly, it hit her.

  She had been about twelve or thirteen years old. She’d had a dream one night after watching some sort of medieval romance movie, a film about a knight rescuing a damsel in distress. In her dream, a knight swinging the biggest sword she ever saw filled her mind, tall and handsome and huge. She remembered vividly the look he gave her, a look of such love and tenderness that she had awoken in a cold sweat. Even at her young age, she knew true love when she saw it, and that man had loved her. A dream, of course, but she had remembered it all these years.

  And then her knees began to shake… oh, my God…. She sagged against the counter, realizing in the deepest part of her that the knight in her dream had possessed Wade’s face. It had been Wade’s face.

  Impossible! Jeremy pushed herself off the counter, her brisk movements masking her quaking nerves. She had never seen him before the very moment she had entered the examination room. How in the hell could she have dreamed about him fourteen years ago? It was stupid. Crazy! A coincidence!

  Jeremy was off at nine that night. Once in her car, she found herself driving for Coronado Island. It was as if she was possessed; she had no control over herself as she sped toward the little vacation island off San Diego. Why she had to see Wade was unknown; all she knew was that she had to. Ever since she realized she had dreamt about him, she was seized with the urge to see him again. And it could not wait until tomorrow night. The drive, the sensation, was too overwhelming for words.

  Jeremy was speeding and she knew it. Crossing the big green bridge and entering the little city, she made a hard right and went down two streets to Bay Park. As soon as she turned the corner, she spied the ugly government van in the driveway.

  She was in such a blind rush that she didn’t even set the parking brake. The night was balmy and dark as she crossed the front yard and took the steps up onto the front porch. She fumbled for her spare key, remembering very well she had told the guys inside she wasn’t coming here tonight. She hoped they didn’t freak out and shoot first, ask questions later.

  “You lied,” came a voice out of the darkness.

  Jeremy jumped at the sound, her heart pounding in her ears and her keys falling to the wood porch. Wade sat over in one of the plastic patio chairs, half-shrouded in the darkness.

  “Jesus Christ!” she gasped, reaching down to pick up her keys. “You scared the crap out of me.”

  “You didn’t see me?”

  “No!” she exclaimed, catching her breath. “What are you doing out here?”

  “I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “What are you doing here? You said you weren’t coming.”

  She stood there looking at him for a moment. Now that her eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness, she could see that he had cleaned up and was dressed in nothing but a pair of shorts. The sight of his bare chest was enough to make her hyperventilate.

  “I…I wanted to see how you were doing,” she stammered. Hell, why had she come? She didn’t even know. “Your leg was pretty nasty.”

  He put his hand on his thigh. “This is nothing. I can hardly feel it.”

  She approached him. “You sound better. I take it the Demerol has worn off.”

  He nodded. “A little while ago. By the way, this is a really nice place. Are you sure your dad doesn’t mind if we’re here?”

  She shook her head. “Of course not,” she said, eyeing him in the darkness just as he was eyeing her. She had stated her reason for coming and now seeing that he was all right, she suddenly felt uncertain and embarrassed. She knew she should go to save her pride.

  “Do you always make house calls?” he asked after a moment.

  She felt like a fool. “Not usually,” she said. “But I sort of feel responsible for you since you are staying here.” Nice recovery, she thought.

  Wade stood up and Jeremy’s eyes widened; she’d never seen him on his feet and he was several inches over six feet. He was absolutely enormous. She took a step back, down the stairs.

  “Where are you going?” he asked, his voice full of that husky, rich quality that made her feel warm.

  She cleared her throat. “Back to base,” she said, struggling not to stammer. “I’ve been on since six o’clock this morning and I am exhausted. You know, you really shouldn’t be standing on that leg. At least until tomorrow.”

  He walked slowly toward her without as much as a limp. “The leg is fine,” he repeated. “Why do you have to go?”

  She began to feel all quivery and warm and weak inside. She took another protective step back as he approached.

  “I told you, because I am tired,” she insisted, extending her foot off the stairs and onto the walkway. “I just came out here to make sure you are okay.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “I know.”

  She suddenly forgot how to take a step and ended up tripping. Wade reached out and grabbed her to keep her from falling to the concrete.

  “Steady, there,” he said. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, pulling out of his grip. “I’m fine,” she said quickly, wondering if this night could get any more embarrassing. “I’m just going to head on back to base now… well, now that I know you’re okay. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

  She turned quickly and was taking rapid steps toward her car when she heard his voice behind her. It stopped her cold.

  “Jeremy,” he called softly.

  She paused, h
eart thumping against her ribs, before turning to him. The moment their eyes met, she felt a jolt. She couldn’t describe it any other way.

  “What?” she replied softly.

  Wade stepped off the porch and she watched, entranced, as his tall, broad body came toward her. When he was within a few feet of her he stopped.

  “I have to be honest with you,” he said quietly. “Ever since I saw you this afternoon, I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. I was sitting out here tonight because every time I closed my eyes, I saw you. You seem so uncomfortable around me and I am sorry if I give you the willies. I know that all I’ve done is stare at you since we met but I’m not trying to be creepy, I swear. I just feel so drawn to you. I’m not sure I can explain it any more than that.”

  Jeremy felt wildly happy, as if his admission somehow validated her own feelings. To know that he felt something, too, was overwhelming and she wasn’t so nervous anymore.

  “You don’t give me the willies,” she smiled at him, lifting her hand in a helpless gesture. “I don’t know why I came out here tonight. I knew you were all right, but I still came. I guess I am pretty weird.”

  “Pretty, yes. Weird, no,” he said, returning her smile and she could see the deep dimples in his cheeks. “In fact, I’d say you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I couldn’t believe it when you said you’d go out with me.”

  She stepped closer to him, her face upturned. “And I could not believe you asked me. How’d I get to be so lucky?”

  He laughed softly, studying her face. He knew at that very moment he would never let this woman go, ever. Jeremy watched his eyes, feeling so incredibly excited that her entire body was aching to touch him. She’d never had that sort of reaction to anybody. She wanted to stay there forever, staring up into his handsome and powerful face.

  For decency’s sake, she knew should really leave. After all, the surrounding houses were her father’s neighbors and she would hate the word to get back to him that his daughter had been hanging out in the front yard with a strange man in the middle of the night.