by Susan Stoker
“Oh. Uh…I don’t understand.”
Dane chuckled. “I’m teasing. He’s always been the guy in the group all the women hit on. His looks have continually been a thing with him. But he’s recently off the market. I didn’t think he’d agree to make the trip up.”
“Why not?”
“Because he recently got married…and his woman was literally stabbed twice in the back. She’s okay now,” Dane hurried to reassure her, “but she’s had a long recuperation.”
“That sucks. Hope they caught the guy who did it,” Bryn told him firmly.
“Oh, they did. And I made sure the asshole who was behind all of the shit Kassie went through will never hurt her again.”
Bryn put her hand on his thigh and merely nodded. “Good.”
“Okay, wrapping this up…Beatle and Blade are also here. They’re still single. And of course, Truck. I’ve told you about him. He’s also single, but not.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just that he’s got his eye on a woman back home. She likes him too, but she’s going through some health issues and doesn’t want to tie him down or some bullshit.”
“But she’s going to be okay?” Bryn asked.
“Can’t lie…I don’t know. She doesn’t talk about it and neither does Truck. But I know my friend. If there’s anything he can do to make her fight easier, he will.”
“I can’t wait to meet them,” Bryn said, shifting so her back was to the door on her side of the vehicle.
“They all can’t wait to meet you,” Dane told her.
“Can we give this a time limit?” Bryn asked, looking at her watch.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just…I really was in the middle of something. And if I know I only have to stay and try to make your friends like me for a certain amount of time, I’ll do better. Like, if I know it’s only two hours, then I can deal. But if it’s open ended, and I don’t know when I can go home and back to the math problem I was working on, it’ll just…it’ll be hard,” she finished lamely.
They’d reached his house, and Bryn bit her lip in agitation at seeing the three vehicles parked haphazardly around the driveway. Dane turned off the engine and reached for Bryn. “Come ’ere, Smalls.”
She scooted closer to him, and when he continued to urge her farther, she carefully swung a leg over his hips until she sat in his lap. He took her chin in his hand and held her still in front of him. The elbow of his other arm wrapped around her and rested in the small of her back.
“Bryn. They’re going to like you.”
“Okay.”
Dane studied her for a long moment, then said, “You need this, don’t you?”
She nodded jerkily and tried to explain. “I was twelve. I was invited to a party. I didn’t want to go, but my parents thought it’d be good for me. I went. It was awful. The girls all sat around and giggled and the boys were downright mean. I didn’t know when I could leave. I was stuck there. If I knew when my parents were coming back, it would’ve made it easier. I couldn’t tell myself…only two more hours, only one more hour because I didn’t know when my parents would be back for me. So I had to sit there and take it and the party lasted forever. I don’t like meeting people. If I know how long I have to stay, I’ll be better.”
“Okay, Smalls. No problem. How about this…we’ll say two hours. In two hours, I’ll check in with you and see how you’re feeling. If you want to go, I’ll take you.”
“Thank you, Dane,” Bryn said softly, looking down at her watch to mark the time. “I can do a hundred and twenty minutes. For you.”
“For me,” he echoed.
Bryn nodded.
“You ready?”
“No. But you said they wouldn’t make fun of me, and I trust you, so I guess I have to be ready. Besides, it’s only two hours. I can do anything for that length of time.”
Dane’s hand went from her chin to the back of her neck and pulled her into him and kissed her forehead. Then he tilted her head up and brushed his lips against hers.
Without thought, Bryn opened her mouth and invited him to deepen the kiss.
He lazily licked her bottom lip, then tilted his head, giving him better access to her mouth.
She felt him press into her back with his stump and she grabbed hold of the sides of his shirt and held on as she shyly mimicked the movements of his tongue. She tasted his lips, then sighed when his tongue swept into her mouth.
He took his time, learned what she liked and never got aggressive with the kiss. Bryn whimpered in her throat and tried to pull him harder into her. But Dane simply eased back, nipping at her lips teasingly as he did so.
Then he gathered her into his arms and hugged her.
Bryn melted into his chest, feeling her heart rate slow just by being close to him.
Their first kiss had been everything she’d dreamed about and more. He didn’t try to maul her. Didn’t shove his tongue into her mouth without thought as to what she might like. He took his time. Teased. Tasted. It was simply perfect.
After several moments, he said, “One hour and fifty-seven minutes, Smalls. Let’s do this.”
Bryn nodded and opened his door. She awkwardly climbed off his lap and, using his arm for leverage, hopped out. He followed her, pocketing his keys as he shut the door with his hip. He wrapped his left arm as far around her waist as he could get it and they started walking toward his house.
Bryn licked her lips, tasting Dane there, and glanced at her watch. One hour and fifty-six minutes. Piece of cake.
* * *
“I swear to God, I’ve never seen anything like it. There was Fish, with only one and a half arms, and Tex with only one and a half legs, and they kicked the shit out of that guy before he had any idea what was coming at him!” Kassie said enthusiastically.
Dane sat in his living room, with Bryn sitting on his lap, while Hollywood’s woman told Bryn all about how Emily and Fletch’s wedding reception had been robbed. Kassie hadn’t been there, but while she’d been recuperating from the stab wounds she’d gotten from her ex-boyfriend’s psycho minion, Emily had entertained her by bringing over the security tapes from the entire incident.
He’d been surprised to see Kassie at his house with Hollywood. They’d arrived, as planned, after he’d left to pick up Bryn. Apparently, Hollywood didn’t want to leave her at home, even for the short time he’d be visiting, and Kassie refused to stay back in Texas anyway.
It had been exactly what Bryn had needed though. She was nervous to hang out with him and all his guy friends, so having another woman had broken the ice. As he knew they would, they all loved Bryn. They’d been fascinated by how smart she was, and had given him the side eye several times. He knew what they were thinking. She’d be excellent to have as a researcher for their missions, but there was no way he was going down that road with Bryn. With her curiosity, she’d want to know more information, and he never wanted to put her in danger like that. Because he knew without a doubt Bryn wouldn’t be able to stop. It’d be up to him to shield her from herself, if necessary.
“I would’ve liked to have seen that,” Bryn said easily.
“I’ll totally get Em to send you a copy,” Kassie told her. Then she pushed away from Hollywood, who she was leaning against on the couch, and said, “I’ll be back.”
“Anything wrong?” Hollywood asked, immediately alert.
“No,” Kassie told him, rolling her eyes. “I just need to use the restroom.”
“I’ll show you where it is,” Bryn said, and struggled to get out of Dane’s lap.
“You good?” Dane asked her, helping her get her feet on the ground.
“Yeah. I’ll be right back,” she reassured him.
“It’s been three and a half hours, Smalls. You good?” he asked again. He’d taken her aside after two hours and loved that she’d been surprised at the amount of time that had passed. Her eyes had widened and she’d stared at her watch as if she couldn’t believe it. She’d
reassured him that she was okay and that she liked his friends. So she’d stayed.
“I’m good,” Bryn said. “I just need a break.”
“You got it,” Dane told her, not offended in the least. She’d taken a few breaks throughout the evening. Little walks to clear her mind. And when she’d returned, he’d seen that she seemed to be more relaxed. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be with him and his friends, she just needed time to recharge here and there.
He kept his gaze on her as she and Kassie disappeared around the corner.
“Like her, Fish,” Truck said as soon as they were out of hearing.
He smiled. “Thanks. Me too.”
“You said she was stalking you?” Blade asked, smirking. “Wish I could get a stalker like that.”
“Shut up,” Dane groused, throwing a balled-up napkin at the other man.
“You look better,” Ghost said easily. “More relaxed. Less keyed up.”
“Feel it,” Dane told him. “She sure keeps me on my toes. Her curiosity is worse than Annie’s.”
“Jesus, you’re doomed,” Fletch deadpanned.
Dane smiled, then elaborated, “Not in a bad way. It’s cute as fuck, actually. I love how she can get lost in her research for hours at a time. But lately she’s been engrossed by the prepper lifestyle.”
“That’s dangerous,” Coach said.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Dane returned. “I don’t mind the preppers so much. They’re secretive and shit, but when push comes to shove, I don’t think they’d actually hurt her. It’s the others, the survivalist extremists, that I don’t like. I’m trying to steer Bryn away from the bunker-and-prepper thing, but once she gets her mind set on something…” He trailed off.
“You need us, you call,” Ghost ordered. “I don’t give a shit what it is. We can be here in two hours, tops.”
Dane looked down at his lap for a moment and fought for composure. He’d thought he’d lost this in the explosion that took his arm and his friends’ lives. They’d had each other’s backs. He’d more than once flown to help them out when it was needed. It wasn’t that he’d lost only his arm, he’d lost that connection. That sense of security that came from knowing he had a group of men who would drop everything just to be at his side if it was needed.
And now he had it back. This group of Deltas hadn’t known him before that fateful day in the desert, but they’d pulled him into their tight circle without blinking.
“After what you did for Kassie, hell, even before that, you should know we’ve got your back, man,” Hollywood said softly.
“Can’t repay you, Fish,” Fletch put in. “Emily hasn’t ever talked about it, but I know she was worried about the day that asshole would get out of prison. You takin’ that worry off our plates means the world.”
“You know I didn’t do it for repayment,” Dane growled.
“You got it anyway,” Fletch returned immediately.
“Whatever,” Dane said. “What else you guys been doing?” he asked, trying to change the subject.
“Things have been quiet, lately,” Beatle answered for the group.
Immediately, he was pelted by balled-up pieces of napkin, a pencil, and an empty plastic cup by the men sitting around the comfortable living room.
“I can’t believe you said that, you ass,” Blade told him. “What’s the first rule of the teams?”
“Never comment on how bored you are or how slow things are,” Ghost said unnecessarily.
“Exactly. Jesus, if we get sent to the Sandbox for six months, I’ll never forgive you,” Hollywood told his teammate.
“Something you want to tell us?” Truck asked, smirking.
“Yeah, Hollywood, you got something going on?” Ghost asked.
“Fuck off,” Hollywood mumbled.
“Oh now, see? Now we know you’ve got something you want to tell us. Go on. You might as well get it off your chest. You know we’ve got ways of making you talk,” Fletch chimed in.
Dane loved this. It reminded him all too well of his fallen friends. For once the memory didn’t hurt as badly.
“Remember that one time when we were on a mission and we heard Beatle scream? We all hotfooted it over to where he was, but he wouldn’t tell us what had made him make that girlie-ass sound?”
“Shut the fuck up,” Beatle told his friend.
Blade ignored him, and continued, “So we got him drunk, duct taped him to a tree, and threatened to leave him there overnight if he didn’t cave?”
“You didn’t see the size of that fucking bug!” Beatle griped. “It was huge. And had three-inch fangs!”
“It’s fucking hilarious that everyone thinks his nick is due to his last name being Lennon. But it’s really because he’s scared of bugs! Little teeny beetles make him lose his shit!”
Beatle didn’t continue to protest, he merely crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his friends.
“Oh, and when he heard my sister was an entomologist, he swore right then and there he never, ever wanted to meet her!” Blade cackled. “As if I’d let you anywhere near her anyway.”
“You don’t think I’m good enough for your sister?” Beatle asked.
“Oh, you’re good enough for her, but she wouldn’t have you in a million years,” Blade told his friend.
“Why not?”
“Because she loves bugs. Loves them. Has them in little containers all over her apartment. She never kills them, even flies. Catches them and lets them go. I think she even has a few hissing cockroaches she keeps as pets.”
Beatle shuddered but Blade continued. “I would take you as a brother-in-law in a second, Beatle, but unfortunately, you’d never make it with her. Casey is a die-hard bug lover. You’d be like oil and water. In fact, she’s currently down in Costa Rica with three of her students from the university she works at. They’re studying ants. Don’t ask me what kind, ’cause I don’t know, but they’re spending every day in the jungle looking for, collecting, and cataloging fucking creepy-crawly ants. We’ve spent our share of time in the jungle, but you’d never spend time there voluntarily. I know you.”
“Whatever. It’s not like I’d ever even meet your sister anyway. But can we get back to the question at hand?” Beatle asked, pinning Hollywood with his gaze. “What secret is Hollywood keeping and how do we get it out of him?”
Dane laughed along with the others. It was obvious Beatle was desperately trying to change the subject.
Hollywood glared at his friends for a moment, then his lips twitched and he said matter-of-factly. “I don’t want to get sent to the Sandbox or the fucking jungle for six weeks because Kassie is pregnant.”
There was silence around the room for a half second before everyone spoke at once.
“Fuck yeah!”
“Hooah!”
“Way to go, stud!”
“Congrats!”
Hollywood held up his hand to quiet everyone down. He looked nervously at the hallway, where his wife and Bryn had disappeared. When he had their attention, he told them, “But you can’t say anything to her, or your women,” he looked at Ghost, Fletch, and Coach as he said it. “Or anyone else. We aren’t announcing it officially until she’s hit the twelve-week mark. That’s another month or so. I told her that I’d keep it a secret.”
Everyone laughed.
Hollywood shook his head. “Yeah, she even believed me when I told her that, since we were one of the most clandestine government agencies, we could keep secrets better than the average person.”
Once again, all his friends laughed. It was an inside joke. There were things they’d done that they’d take to the grave with them and never tell a soul, but when it came to everyday things and their personal lives, no one had any problem sharing. It came with the job. When you’d literally lain in shit together, or killed another human with your bare hands so your buddy could live, secrets in everyday life meant jack squat.
They all knew that anything they shared with the group
would stay with the group. Period. No questions.
“Congrats, man,” Fletch told him. “I’m doing the best I can with Emily, but she hasn’t conceived yet. But it’s a fuck of a lot of fun trying.”
The guys all grinned at each other before going back to the earlier topic…making fun of Beatle for his hatred and fear of creepy-crawlies.
Bryn and Kassie came back into the room and joined in the good-natured haranguing. But what Dane loved best was the fact that Bryn had come straight to him and crawled back into his lap, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He loved holding her. Loved listening to her inform Beatle that the cockroach was the most fascinating of all creepy-crawlies, and that the biggest ever was the rhinoceros cockroaches from Queensland, Australia. They were apparently more than three inches long and could weigh up to half a pound.
As the lively discussion continued around him, Dane kissed the side of Bryn’s head and relaxed into the chair when she wrapped her hand around his stump, her finger absently rubbing back and forth, while she continued bantering with the people who meant the most in the world to him.
* * *
Later that night, after Dane had returned from taking Bryn home, Truck met him in the kitchen. Everyone else had settled in for the night. Hollywood and Kassie were in one guest room and Fletch had taken the other. The rest of the guys were sleeping wherever there was room…they were used to bunking in all kinds of conditions, so the floor or couch at Dane’s house was almost luxurious compared to, say, the jungle floor.
Everything was quiet and still when Dane returned.
“She get in all right?” Truck asked.
“Yeah. She’s good,” Dane told him.
“I like her.”
“Good.”
“No, Fish. I like her,” Truck reiterated.
“What the fuck, man?” Dane asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “Don’t you have enough on your plate with Mary?”
Truck didn’t get offended, instead he chuckled. “I don’t mean I want her for myself. I only meant that I think she’s absolutely perfect for you.”
“How do you figure?”
“She’ll keep you on your toes. You are not a man who does well with being bored. I mean, you’re living in the middle of nowhere Idaho with nothing to do. You’re used to being in the thick of things. I’ve been worried about you wallowing and sinking deeper into your head. She won’t let you do that.”
