by Shauna Allen
Then I rode with him back to the beach house.
Alone.
For God knew how long.
Seven
Lucas
“I like your friends,” Grace said after several long minutes of silence as we drove back to the safehouse.
I glanced over. The sunlight painted her black hair with nearly purple-blue highlights. Her eyes were wide and honest, and I was finding it hard to keep finding reasons to distrust her. “They’re more like family,” I admitted.
She nodded, hugging the bag of food Rebekah had given her close to her chest.
“So, what’s in there anyway?” I asked. “Smells good.”
Her face softened in a smile and she peeked inside, rooting around, opening Styrofoam containers and smaller bags. “Looks like . . . fruit, cinnamon rolls, wraps for lunch . . .” She looked up with a grin. Maybe tears in her eyes.
“What?”
“Empanadas.”
“Empanadas?”
She gently closed the bag. “She also gave us empanadas and conchas.”
“Okay,” I said, not sure what else to say. I’d had both of those things at the café before and they were rad, but I wasn’t sure why Grace would get emotional about it.
I felt her eyes on my profile. I felt her smile fill the car. “She didn’t do that just for me to remind me of home, did she?”
I shot her a glance. “I’m not sure if there’s a right answer here.”
Her laugh bubbled up so sweet and airy, it was like cotton candy and I just wanted a taste.
We made it back to the house a few minutes before the rest of the guys, but her laugh was still echoing in my mind. All I wanted to do was find a way to make her laugh again, which was crazy, given our situation—given who she was, who I was. Still, I couldn’t seem to help myself.
Inside the house, she kicked off her shoes, pulled her long hair up into a messy bun, and made her way to the back door to watch the ocean tumble against the shore. She didn’t move from that spot as Tex and the team made their way inside and Tex set up his computer.
I watched her out of the corner of my eye as we began to talk initial strategy, at least what we could discuss with her around, but she seemed to be lost in her own little world, her focus on the waves outside.
“Grace,” Tex called.
She stiffened and turned around, her dark skin somehow paler.
“Can we go over your files now? Maybe we can find something to help us.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her dark eyes saying everything her words didn’t need to. She was frightened but trying to be strong. “Do they know where I am?”
“Not yet.” Tex didn’t bother trying to tell her they’d never find her. He knew better than to lie when we all knew they had El Lobo Blanco on their side and we couldn’t make any promises when their hacker had proven to be a match even for him.
She nodded once, seemingly content with that, and moved to sit next to him.
I had to admit I admired her backbone. As much as I didn’t want to be attracted to her, much less like and respect her, it was near impossible to deny her deep, unwavering inner strength. And that—that was probably the sexiest thing a woman could possess in my book, hands down.
While she and Tex put their heads together over the computer, I tilted my head toward the front porch, indicating for the rest of the team to follow me out to talk privately.
Tito, Maverick, Bubba, Kid, and Red piled out behind me, their faces serious. I knew their minds were already ticking through the possibilities of what all this could mean. Was the cartel onto us? Were our families in danger again? How safe was this safehouse?
Tito spoke first. “I updated the Commander on the way over here.”
“And?” I asked.
“And we’re to proceed as planned, but with extreme caution. He wants to be notified of any developments. He’s bringing the SEAL Commander up to speed.”
“When are Wolf and the guys expected back stateside?” Red asked.
“He wasn’t sure,” Tito answered. “Their mission seems to have hit a bit of an unexpected snag, but we don’t have any details.”
Nobody asked anything else. We understood the essence of special operations. We may never know what Wolf and his team were up to, we could only hope they got their asses safely home, and soon, because we could use the reinforcements if this damn cartel showed up on our doorstep.
“Any idea if the cartel has crossed into U.S. territory?” Maverick asked.
“Not sure.” Tito crossed his arms, his gaze tracking across the road as a neighbor started their car. “Tex gave us what he had, and satellites showed some movement near the border, then we lost them.”
I frowned. “They went underground.”
Our leader turned to me. “Looks like it.”
“So, we’ll just have to be ready for anything,” Kid added.
“True,” Tito agreed. “We can’t assume they know where this safehouse is, but we can’t assume they don’t either. Until we lock down their positions and eliminate the threat, we tuck in, take all precautions. We all know the drill. I don’t have to go over this, do I?”
“Nope,” I said, already going over strategies for exit from the house or tactics if we had to hunker down and defend ourselves.
The other guys agreed and moved the discussion on to other loose ends.
“Guys!” Tex hollered, bringing the conversation to a halt.
Without another word, we piled back inside. Grace lifted dark eyes to mine, her gaze seeming to need something from me, but I couldn’t tell exactly what. Whatever she’d shown Tex, it was big. I could feel it in the air.
We circled the table and I automatically stood beside her, my hand on the back of her chair.
“What’s up?” Tito asked, his eyes already riveted on the screen.
Tex leaned back in his seat and raked a hand over his head. “You’re not going to fucking believe this shit.”
“At this point, I think I’ll believe anything.”
I felt Grace lean back as if to draw strength from me, though it may have just been a trick of my imagination.
Maverick, ever true to his name, sat and leaned his chair back on two legs. “Lay it on us, brother.”
“The cartel is selling arms . . .” He looked around. “Lots of arms . . . big ones . . . to some pretty shady assholes . . .” He paused for effect, meeting each of us in the eye. “Including Shadeek.”
Maverick’s chair slammed down to four legs. “Come again.”
“Shadeek?” Red echoed.
“Sha-motherfucking-deek,” Tex confirmed.
“You know we chased that douche around Syria for the better part of six months before he slipped right through our fingers?” Bubba tossed out as he paced to stare out the window. “Nearly got Red killed in an ambush in Damascus.”
“I heard about that,” Tex said. “That’s some fucked up shit.”
Kid, ever the quiet and thoughtful one, leaned forward, his elbows to his thighs. “And you knew about this, Miss Grace?”
“No.” She glanced up at me, as if my opinion mattered somehow, before facing Kid again. “I mean, I knew about the weapons. I helped with some of the technical details as far as keeping everything online and undetected by the government, but I swear I never knew who they were selling to. I never got customer names or even information about where the weapons were being shipped. They would never have trusted me with that information. What I have here is all I know.”
“Is there anything in that to help us find Shadeek’s location?” Tito asked.
“I doubt it,” Tex said, clicking a few more keys and scrolling down. “This isn’t recent, and like she said, there’s nothing here about location. Even if there was, I’m sure he’s moved on by now. But I’ll keep looking, see if there’s anything else.”
“Roger that. Thanks a lot, man,” Tito said.
We wrapped things up, went over the interim plans one more time, then every
one headed out. The guys would take turns making rounds every night, but for now, I was good here while they went home to take care of business.
Alone, the house felt different. I couldn’t say I trusted Grace just yet, but a seed had been planted the moment she’d trusted me with her life and she’d been watering it ever since, and I was hard-pressed to ignore it, try as I might.
“So, what are you going to do to keep yourself busy if you’re stuck here with me all day every day?” she asked.
“I could ask the same of you.” I strolled over, spun a chair and sat in it backwards so we faced each other.
“I’m not sure. I’ve never been a woman of leisure.”
“No, I suppose not.”
“Lucky?”
“Hmm?”
“I was wondering if you’d tell me your real name?”
My mouth lifted in a wry grin. “Why do you want to know?”
“If we’re going to be spending this much time together, I’d like to at least know your name. Maybe even something about you.”
“You do know something about me.”
“No, I don’t.” She frowned, her dark eyes confused.
“You know I loved my grandpa and I always eat Fritos and drink Tab in his honor. That’s something.”
“True. But I’d like to know something more.”
“Like what?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. What makes you tick.”
“My job.”
Her gaze seemed to see right through to my soul. “There has to be more to it than that.”
“My brothers in arms and my job.”
“No woman?”
“No woman.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why no woman?”
The air in the room grew warm as we stared at each other. “Do you have a man?” I asked instead of answering her.
She shook her head.
“Why not?”
“Everyone in my town knows my ties to the cartel. No men dare to come near me unless they’re a part of the business. They’re all too afraid. But I don’t want those men. I don’t want that life. I’ve never wanted that.” Her voice became breathy. “Your turn. Why no woman? Surely, you could have your choice.”
“Maybe. But I choose to have none until I can have the right one.”
~ ~
We spent the day dancing around each other, but I could feel the sexual tension reaching maximum capacity. Especially once Melody brought her some girly personal items and clothes that actually fit her, and she showered and came out smelling like heaven and looking like something that would get me sent straight to hell. All curves and legs and dark, luscious eyes, she was temptation in the flesh, and every bit of my body was ready to sin with hers, right there in the moonlight.
I stood there staring like a dummy, so she spoke first. “I was thinking . . . if you have a computer I can use, maybe I can help Tex keep looking for leads to find Brianne?”
I swallowed. “Um, sure. There’s an extra laptop you can use.”
“Thank you.” She tilted her head. “Why do you stare at me like that?”
“Like what?”
She wouldn’t say, but I could hear her words as clearly as if she had. I was staring at her as if she were spectacularly beautiful, because she was. I was staring at her as if I couldn’t decipher my emotions where she was concerned, because I couldn’t. I was staring at her with a smoldering, suffocating desire as if I wanted her, because I did. Badly.
I took a step in her direction.
Her eyes fluttered up to mine. The pulse beat steadily in her throat.
Another step.
Her chest expanded as she inhaled, showing off her ample breasts beneath the form-fitting yellow T-shirt she wore.
One more step and I was within arm’s reach of her. I could smell the floral scent of her body wash and the desire that simmered beneath.
My body quaked with the raw lust I held in check.
Gently, achingly slowly, I reached out and brushed a strand of midnight hair back from her shoulder, letting my fingertips caress her exposed neck.
She didn’t pull away from me. Instead, she seemed to sway ever so slightly in my direction, giving me a rush.
I ran a knuckle lightly down her arm until I reached her hand. I paused. Met her gaze. Waited. Wondered.
She flipped her hand and laced her fingers with mine and took her own step in my direction, until we were nearly pressed together. She lifted her eyes to mine, searching, almost daring me to jump off the cliff and trust her.
Fuck it.
I might not know the truth, but I’d be damned if I didn’t taste her at least once.
I dipped my head and brushed my lips across hers in a caress. A temptation. An idea not yet formed.
But she was having none of that.
All fire and spice, she dove in for the kill, grabbing my head and forcing me to give her all of myself or die trying. Our lips clashed in a kiss to end all kisses, our tongues tangled, our moans floating across each other’s.
She pushed my chest, backing me up against a wall.
I spun us until I had her pinned and forked my fingers through her long hair. I ran a hand down her ribs, up her side. I cupped one perfect breast, ran my thumb over her tight nipple, making her groan loudly and buck against me. I ground my erection into her belly. I wished for a bedroom. I was about one second away from taking her right then and there as she snaked a hand into the back waistband of my jeans.
We were wild.
We were free.
For a moment, time was suspended, and we unleashed every single thing we’d bottled up these past days.
Then someone pounded on the front door with three swift bangs. “Yo! I’m here!” Maverick hollered, effectively killing the moment and making me want to fucking murder his ass.
I drew back and rested my forehead against hers as we caught our breath.
Dazed eyes eventually lifted to mine, though her hands never left my waist. The air cooled to a dull simmer and a small smile curled her utterly kissable lips. “So, now will you tell me your name?”
All I could do was laugh.
Eight
Grace
Lucas.
He’d finally told me his name.
Corporal Lucas Moore, United States Marine. And one hell of a kisser.
He left me to go talk to his friend outside, but I was already wondering when I’d get to kiss him again. If I’d get to kiss him again. If I’d get to do more than kiss him.
Yes, I barely knew him, but he was unlike any man I’d ever met, and I was intrigued. I was also an intuitive girl, and my instincts had never led me astray before—and right now, they were screaming at me that Lucas was someone special.
Still, I had to admit, we were in a very unique situation, and once this was over and things were resolved, he may very well never want to see me again, and I’d have to respect that.
I decided to busy myself inside and cook us some dinner. I rifled around the kitchen and found the ingredients for a passable attempt at chile rellenos. I grimaced at the jarred salsa, but since they didn’t have everything I needed for that, I decided to make do.
The air was scented nicely with cheese and spices, and I was cutting up fresh fruit for dessert, when Lucas (I refused to think of him as Lucky now that I’d tasted his lips so intimately) came sauntering in about an hour later.
He didn’t say a word, but I felt his presence as sure as the sunshine. I continued cooking, basking in his glow. Or was that me?
“Hungry?” I asked, sliding a look over my shoulder.
He was leaning against the doorframe, arms folded across his broad chest, watching me with a predatory gaze that made my toes curl. “Starved.”
I turned to him fully with a flirty smile. “You know what they say about the way to a man’s heart.”
One brow lifted in challenge. “You think I’m that easy?”
“I’d be disappo
inted if you were.”
“And yet, here you are cooking for me.”
“We can’t all live on Fritos and soda, Lucas.”
His eyes flared at my use of his given name. “So, what is the way to your heart, Grace?”
“What makes you so sure I have one?” I countered, my heart pounding entirely too hard as he stared me down, his hazel eyes boring into mine like laser beams. It became clear to me then why he did what he did for a living. He could probably intimidate the worst of humanity with one look and never even flinch.
“Oh, you have one, Grace. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t.” And, right there, he laid my soul bare. He’d exposed my Achilles Heel. The very thing that brought us together.
Brianne.
I spun away and blinked hard, fighting to hold it together as every bit of emotion of the past days crashed down on me like a gale force wind. What if something happened to the one truly good person in my life? What if it was all my fault?
His big, warm hand landed on my shoulder. “It’s all right, Grace. We’ll find a way to get her back and keep you both safe. Trust me.”
“I do.” I turned back toward him and was met by something that startled me in his expression. Fear. It was just a flicker, and maybe it was just a figment of my imagination, but I was sure I saw something like fright pass through his eyes as he studied my face. But whether he was afraid of me, this situation, or perhaps his feelings for me, I would never know.
The timer on the stove chimed, succinctly ending the moment.
Before we sat to eat, I glanced toward the windows. “Is Tanner still outside?”
“Who?” He froze, eyeballs on the food.
“Your friend?”
His brows curled down. “Maverick?”
“Yes. Tanner.”
“How do you know his name?”
Now I smiled. The women had spilled all the men’s names. Except for Lucas’s. They thought it would be fun to make me get it from him myself. They were right. “Does it matter? Is he outside?”
He shrugged and sat. “Yeah. So?”
I sighed and scooped him a plate. “Because. I won’t have him going hungry while he’s working to protect me.”
