HOT SEAL Redemption

by Lynn Raye Harris

  “I can pay for my food. You don’t have to get everything.”

  “It’s okay, babe. You get the next one.”

  Babe. She liked that. Too much, if she was honest with herself. Everything just felt right with Alexei. Hanging out, taking care of Ana. Having sex.

  “I just don’t want you to think I expect you to pay for my stuff. You’ve already done so much.”

  “I only do what I want to, Bailey. Nobody forced me into this.”

  “I hope you find Dunn and Kayla soon.”

  “So you can go home?”

  He didn’t look at her. Her heart skipped. She didn’t want to go home. But she couldn’t say that to him. He’d made it clear that he wasn’t a relationship kind of guy, and even though she was afraid she was falling for him, she wasn’t going to tell him. Hell no. He’d have her shuffled off to a new location in an hour, one of his friends taking her in while they searched for Dunn.

  “Yes, of course. I’m ready to go,” she said, not looking at him.

  Did she imagine his hands tightening on the wheel out of the corner of her eye? Probably.

  “We’ll get him. Then you can move on with your life.”

  She’d said she wanted to go home, but as Alexei stroked into her later that night, hands entwined with hers, fists held above their heads, mouths fused and frantically pulling at each other, he had a burning need to make her want to stay.

  Why?

  He had no idea, but being inside her like this was heaven. His dick was on fire, his balls throbbing with impending release, every nerve ending in his body primed and ready to go. He held on as long as he could, waiting for her to come—and then she did, her body stiffening beneath his as he drank in her moans, her legs tightening around his waist, her hips arching up to meet him, her pussy grinding on his dick in short, sharp movements that he knew intensified the feeling for her.

  That was his moment to let go. He should probably pull out and jerk off in the condom, but it felt too good to stay inside her, to feel the rippling muscles of her vagina enhancing his own release. So he let go, trusting that her implant was up to the job. Praying it was. He tore his mouth from hers and did his own version of a silent scream into the pillow beside her head. They had to be quiet for the baby, who lay in her bassinet nearby.

  When he was done, he kissed her softly, sucked a nipple, then got up and went to dispose of the condom. If he wasn’t wearing it, he could have stayed inside her, stayed in bed with her wrapped around him. Maybe fucked her again without ever having to withdraw. How nice would that be?

  When he came back, she curled into him, arm and leg thrown across his body, soft breath against his neck. He drifted a hand down to her ass, played with her cheek as his other hand caressed her arm. He liked this. Liked it a lot. He imagined himself coming home from his next mission to find Bailey waiting for him. Naked. Wet and ready.

  Or not even that. Maybe just kissing him and holding him tight until he collapsed for some much-needed sleep. When he woke, she’d be there, happy to see him.

  “This is nice,” she said softly, so as not to wake Ana.

  He turned his head to her ear. “If you ask me, being quiet was sexy as hell. You wanted to scream.”

  “God yes. That was amazing. But Alexei…?”

  “Yeah, baby?”

  “I thought it was supposed to be one night.”

  He frowned. Yeah, he’d thought that too. His dick had other plans. “Is that what you want?”

  “Don’t you?”

  He heard the hesitation in her voice and knew it was because of him. Because of what he’d said. “I didn’t want to promise you anything I couldn’t deliver. And I still don’t. But I like what we’re doing. It feels good. You feel good.”

  Her fingers drifted across his chest, spread over his side. He liked her touch. His dick did too if the mild tingling in that region was any indication.

  “You feel good too.”

  “So we’ll keep doing it then. So long as it feels good and we’re both having fun.”

  “Yes, but…”

  “But what, baby?”

  “You’re the first guy I’ve been with in over a year. I know I work in a sketchy profession, but I’m not promiscuous or easy. I won’t be with anyone else while I’m with you. I’d appreciate the same consideration.”

  Exclusivity. It wasn’t usually a conversation that came up. It wasn’t anything he’d ever participated in because he didn’t stick around long enough for it to happen. But now, lying here with Bailey, a sleeping baby in a bassinet beside the bed, his life felt very surreal. But not terrifying. Maybe because the baby wasn’t his and he had the power to get out of the situation when he liked.

  But the thought of doing that, of walking away and leaving Bailey and Ana to go about life on their own—well, there was an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach at the idea. He didn’t like it.

  So promising her to be exclusive, so long as this lasted, was easy.

  “I won’t be with anybody else, babe. I promise.”

  She sighed. “Thank you.”

  “You said it’s been over a year. Was the last guy a relationship?”

  “I thought so. I was wrong. He was a guy I knew back home and we dated off and on. But he was dating someone else at the same time. Sleeping with us both. I had to get tested when I found out, but I’m clean. We all were. The other girl… she was someone I knew. Someone I thought was a friend.” She hesitated. “That’s kind of what finally spurred me to make the move up here. I’d been thinking about it for a while. I knew someone who’d gone to work at the Pink Palace, and she kept calling me about it. So after I found out about Dave and had to get tested and everything, I packed up and moved. Kayla wanted to come too. I let her with the understanding she would not dance. She went to work at Buddy’s, thanks to some friends who helped her get the job.”

  “You must have come to Buddy’s sometimes,” he said, thinking that she might have been there at the same time he’d been. But they hadn’t met.

  “I did. I ate there sometimes when she was working.”

  “And our paths never crossed.”

  “I think I’d have remembered you if I’d seen you.”

  “I might have been on a mission when you were there.” He frowned. “I probably should tell you this just in case—my life is unpredictable as hell, Bailey. I can get called in tomorrow and be gone for weeks. When I’m gone, I can’t call. I can’t text or email. Sometimes we can, but not on any regular schedule. I need you to know that can happen, okay?”

  “Okay.” She nuzzled his neck. “Alexei, you’re talking like we might be dating. And I’m not saying we are, so don’t panic, but I want to be sure I understand you.”

  He squeezed her to him. Yeah, he was losing his goddamn mind, that’s for sure. He was talking like they were dating. And why not? He could date. It wasn’t a proposal. He prepared to fumble his way through an explanation.

  “I know this whole thing has been kinda fast, but we’ve spent a lot of time together before we got naked. I like you. Not just your body, which is banging, but your personality. I know life is crazy for you with a baby to take care of, but I like her too. I think I want to be there to help you for a while. So, yeah, I want to keep seeing you. If that’s cool with you.”

  “I want that too…”

  “But?” Because he heard it in her voice. Wasn’t he supposed to be the one with doubts?

  “I think my life is pretty unpredictable right now too. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Kayla and Ana. I know Kayla wants her baby. I know that she only left her to protect her—but what’s going to happen when she comes back? What happens if Dunn is still in the picture? Will we always be running away, trying to stay a step ahead of him?”

  Fresh anger surged through his veins. “Baby, trust me when I tell you that Dunn is not going to be an issue. I’m not going to let it happen.”

  He’d been on the phone with his guys daily, seeking news a
bout Dunn. They still had nothing, mostly because the dude wasn’t using credit cards or a registered cell phone. He knew how to move around undetected, but it was the kind of hiding a criminal did, not a trained military operator. He’d slip up eventually. They all did.

  Alexei’s phone lit up where it lay on the nightstand. It was early in the evening, just a little past nine, but he’d turned off the ringer because of Ana. He snatched it up, saw that it was Blade calling, and slid the button to answer.

  “Yeah, man, what’s up?”

  “I’m at the Pink Palace with Neo and Dirty. Dunn just walked in.”

  Chapter 20

  “What the fuck happened?” Alexei asked his teammates as he stepped from his truck in the parking lot of the Pink Palace. Blade, Neo, and Dirty stood with hands shoved in pockets, watching the blue lights of two police cars whirling steadily beside the building.

  “Someone called the cops when Dunn arrived. We didn’t know they were coming until it was too late. They busted in and took him into custody,” Blade said.

  “Fuck.” He would have liked for HOT to get the dude first. They could have gotten information on the Kings of Doom’s criminal operations and put a stop to the trafficking before they turned him over. The police weren’t going to get that done, at least not on a national scale. They didn’t have the resources for an operation like that. They’d get Dunn off the street for a bit, maybe a year or two if the charges were really good and the trial went their way, but he’d be back.

  “The good news is, he won’t be bothering Bailey or Ana for a while,” Neo said. “No judge is going to let him post bail. She can go home again, and you can get back to being a grumpy bastard all by yourself.”

  “Ha ha,” he said dryly. “Fuck you.”

  Neo laughed. “See? Grumpy as hell.”

  “It’s not me, it’s you,” Alexei said. “We need some time apart, man.”

  “You got it, homey. You tell that cute babe that when she gets tired of your shit, she can come stay with me. I’ll treat her like a princess.”

  “Not happening, dude. Bailey is mine.”

  That perked his teammates up. “Really? Yours, huh?” Blade asked. “You’re banging her already. You don’t waste any time, dude.”

  Alexei held up a hand in the universal shut your trap signal. “No way. No talking about my personal life. Bailey is off-limits to you jerks, got it?”

  They shot each other a look. “I think Camel has it bad,” Neo said. “Maybe we need to lay off.”

  “Yep, looks that way,” Blade replied, still grinning.

  Dirty was grinning like an idiot too.

  Alexei wanted to punch them all. And bear-hug them. Being part of a SEAL team was a lot like having brothers. You punched and hugged and teased and laughed on a regular basis. He wouldn’t trade that kind of camaraderie for anything. Even if he sometimes wanted to knock their heads together.

  “Thanks for keeping an eye out,” he said. “I really appreciate the help.”

  Blade shrugged. “You’ve saved my ass on more than one occasion. Think you have the right to ask for help.”

  “Yep,” Neo said. “That sniper in Kabul would’ve taken my head off if not for you.”

  “Don’t forget the insurgents in Damascus,” Dirty added. “That coulda been ugly for us all.”

  “I’m still checking phone records and stuff, looking for Kayla Jones,” Blade said. “I’ll call you if I have anything. I’ll also call my buddy at the PD and find out what’s going on with Dunn.”

  They talked a little while more, then Alexei climbed back in his truck and headed for home. He’d told Bailey not to open the door to anyone and to call him if she needed anything. He hadn’t told her he was going after Dunn because he hadn’t wanted her to worry.

  But now Dunn was in custody, unlikely to be freed anytime soon considering the charges against him, and there was no real reason for Bailey and Ana to stay. They could go home, settle into a routine. Maybe Kayla would come out of hiding now. That would make Bailey happy.

  But Alexei didn’t like the thought of Bailey and Ana leaving. He wasn’t ready for it. Even with the pip-squeak creating havoc in his life these days, he wasn’t prepared for that level of quiet just yet. He also needed more of Bailey in his bed. Beneath him, over him, surrounding him.

  For a guy who didn’t want to commit, he sure was thinking an awful lot about one particular woman. But spending time together wasn’t the same as getting married and having a shitload of kids right away. There was time to get to know each other, find out if they wanted to date for a while or if a few days of sex was enough.

  Except, hell, he knew it wasn’t going to be enough. Not a few days. Maybe not even a few weeks. He liked Bailey more than he’d liked anyone in a long time. He wasn’t sure why, considering they hadn’t known each other for very long. There was just something about her, something that made him feel good when he was with her. He liked that feeling.

  When he reached his house, the lights were blazing inside. He wasn’t used to that because he didn’t typically leave them on. But it made him feel warm. Happy. She was in there, waiting for him. He liked it.

  He turned the key in the lock, opened the door. Bailey looked up from where she sat on the couch with Ana, feeding her a bottle. She had a leg propped on the coffee table and an infant cradled in her arms. She smiled at him, and his world shifted on its axis again.

  “Everything okay?” she asked as he shut the door behind him and locked it.

  “Yeah, everything’s fine.” He walked over and sat down beside her, leaning back and sighing as he stared up at the ceiling. “I didn’t go to my HQ,” he said. “My guys were at the Pink Palace. Dunn was there.”

  “What? And you didn’t tell me?”

  He looked at her. “Nope. You’d have wanted to go with me, and I didn’t want to take you.”

  She looked militant. “Damn straight. I’d have wanted to ask him what the hell he did to my sister to scare her so badly. Then I’d have wanted to kick him in the balls. What happened? Where is he now?”

  “The police picked him up before we could get him. Outstanding warrants. He’ll be arraigned and held without bond most likely.”

  Her amber gaze searched his. “So he’s not getting out anytime soon.”

  “No. We’ll know more in a couple of days.”

  “I can go home then?”

  “Yeah, you can go home.”

  She blew out a breath and turned her attention to the baby in her arms. Alexei skimmed his gaze over her purple hair, the curve of her cheek, her pretty pink mouth. She was a lovely sight with Ana in her arms. He could imagine her with a baby of her own someday. Maybe.

  But who would be the father? That thought opened a hole in his gut.

  “I need to text Kayla,” she said. “Maybe she’ll come home if she knows he’s been arrested.”

  “I hope she does.”

  “I hope so too.” She looked down at the baby in her arms. “I’m getting better at doing this baby stuff thanks to you, but Ana needs her mother. I know what it’s like to grow up without a mom and so does Kayla. I don’t think she wants to do that to Ana.”

  “I’m still trying to find her for you. She can’t hide forever.”

  “I appreciate that, though part of me really wants her to come back on her own. Because she wants to. Because she wants her baby.”

  “Here, give me the pip-squeak. You text your sister and tell her Dunn’s in custody. Maybe she’ll reply.”

  He took Ana very carefully, arranging her in his arms. Bailey picked up her phone and started typing. A few seconds later, she sent the text.

  By the time they got Ana down for the night and fell into bed together, there was still no reply.

  Bailey woke from a restless sleep to the sound of a ding. It took her a minute to blink herself awake and process what she’d heard. Beside her, Alexei lay with an arm over his head, his eyes closed. She shifted away from him so she could grab her phone. He f
elt her move and reached for her, his hand sliding over her waist, her hip.

  The phone dinged again and she snatched it. Alexei came awake almost immediately, sitting up with a suddenness that made her squeak.

  “What’s going on?” he whispered.

  She held up the phone. “Text.”

  Kayla: He’s in jail? Are you sure?

  Bailey: Yes, I’m sure. He’s in jail and he’s going to stay there for a while. Where are you?

  Kayla: Virginia.

  Bailey sucked in a breath. She could be anywhere in Virginia, or she could be within a couple of hours’ drive.

  Bailey: Why are we doing this through text? Call me.

  Kayla: I don’t want to. You’ll yell at me.

  Bailey: I won’t yell.

  Kayla: You will. You’re always trying to run my life, Bale. Always scolding me. I just can’t handle it right now.

  Bailey blinked as a shard of pain pricked her heart. Did she try to run Kayla’s life? Yeah, probably. But she was older. She had more experience. She started to type that but stopped. Shame flooded her. Was that a good enough excuse? Could she have tried harder to let Kayla make her own decisions?

  She looked up at Alexei. He was watching her silently.

  “Did you read the conversation?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She’s right. I do run her life. But I’m trying to protect her. Isn’t that a good reason?” She was asking him because of what he did for a living. His job was all about protecting people. Saving people.

  “Bailey. Baby.” He shook his head. “You’re gonna get pissed at me, but here’s the deal. When I told you I wasn’t going to let you go to work because it was dangerous, what did you do? You got pissed. And you did what you wanted to do.”

  “It was the right thing to do. It wasn’t immediately dangerous. I wouldn’t have gone if it had been.”