SEALed With Love (DiCarlo Brides book 2) (The DiCarlo Brides)

by Heather Tullis

  “How about you?” he asked after a moment. “You never talk about old flames. You date anyone seriously?”

  She shook her head. “I dated guys on and off, no one for very long. I don’t get out much—never did, even when I wasn’t watching over my shoulder all of the time. I had fun with you and your friends at the bar, but it’s not normally my scene.”

  “No one? Not in all of these years?” He looked incredulous.

  Sage considered her history a little. “There was one guy I dated for a few months. We went out eight or ten times, lunch, dinner, a few free concerts in the park. He always wanted me to dress different, cut my hair, stop talking about my radical ways. I finally dropped him. No one is good enough of a kisser to outweigh that kind of attitude.”

  “I don’t think I want to hear about what a good kisser he or any other guy is.”

  She chuckled, deciding it was time to change the subject. “What kind of things did you do as a SEAL?” When wariness entered his gaze, she clarified. “Again, in general terms, I’m not asking you to break any laws or whatever.”

  It took him a moment to answer, and when he did, his words were deliberate, as though he didn’t want to reveal too much. “We trained for all kinds of scenarios. Parachute jumping, scuba diving, hand-to-hand combat, explosives, every kind of weapon available, and we worked as a team. Things worked when we counted on each other.

  “I guess it was the first time I had people I could count on to watch my back, to be in my corner. I never had that at home. Grams cared and she worked hard to provide for me, what little she could manage with no education, but I don’t know. If someone at school said I did something wrong, she believed them, even when it was a lie. If a neighbor accused me of stealing, she believed them, not me. My friends and I hung out, protected each other, but we protected ourselves first. I didn’t have anyone to count on before the SEALs. They were my brothers.”

  Sage felt tears rising in her eyes and fought to hold them back. He didn’t want her pity and it would be the worst things she could give him right now. She kept her face turned down so he wouldn’t be able to see her face while she worked on his feet. She swallowed hard, then tried to speak smoothly. “I can understand that, I guess. Everyone needs to feel like they belong. Why did you pick the Navy?”

  He hesitated, studying for long enough that she was starting to wonder if he would refuse to answer, but then he started talking again. “I got caught by the cops for shoplifting when I was almost eighteen. My parole officer suggested looking at the military—three squares, roof over my head, a paycheck and a chance to get some training to have a real future. I was almost out of high school, Grams was dead, I was drifting, getting into things that could have gotten me killed instead of just a few months in jail.” He paused again. “Homeless, crashing on friend’s couches at night to keep from the bad crap that happened out there at night. It sounded like a good idea. And I liked the idea of being a SEAL, so I went for it. It saved me.” His eyes were intent on her, willing her to understand.

  They stared at each other for a long moment, her hands gripping one of his feet as compassion swept through her. She blinked and realized her eyes were wet. “You’re amazing, you know that? I can’t imagine coming from almost nothing and managing to do so much with my life. You should have been a drug dealer on the corner or something. How did you become such an amazing man?”

  He allowed one of his infrequent smiles, relief pouring off of him. “You don’t see me the way I am. You need to get rid of those rose-colored glasses, baby.”

  “No glasses here. I have twenty-twenty vision.” She thought that he was the one who wasn’t seeing things right. How could he not realize how incredible his story was, that he had made himself the kind of man she could depend on and love.

  “I’ve killed people, Sage. I’m everything you hate.” His voice had gone low and husky. “I know how hard any kind of violence is on you. I’m not exactly level-headed.”

  “You killed in the line of duty, not out of malice. No, you’re not what I hate. You’re everything I admire.” She shook her head and looked at his feet again, rubbing in the massage lotion. “You’re strong. Inside, you’re strong. You’ve made something out of nothing. Me, I’m a wimp. I want to run away from the guy who’s chasing me. I had a stable home, parents who loved me, a brother I can count on and I’m just a wimp.”

  Joel leaned forward and caught one of her hands, pulling her up and onto his lap, only wincing a little when she bumped his bad knee. “Don’t ever say that you’re a wimp because you want to get away from the man stalking you. That doesn’t make you a wimp, it makes you smart.” He caught her chin and lifted her face to his. “You’re a miracle to me, you know that? My burst of sunlight. And you’re stronger than you think.”

  His lips covered hers and she wound her arms around his neck, snuggling against his chest. He held her tightly to him, his mouth traveling along her jaw line and down the length of her neck. She shivered and cocked her head to the side, allowing him better access. “I guess your foot rub is done,” she teased.

  “For now anyway.” He touched her cheek, turning her face back toward his and took her mouth again.

  “If you weren’t so impossible to please, you wouldn’t need another employee already.”

  Sage would recognize her brother’s voice anywhere, and she wasn’t terribly surprised to hear Rosemary’s yelling back at him.

  “If you could get me applicants who were qualified, I wouldn’t have to fire them. Besides, the previous one quit because she got a job closer to home. It’s not like I can control that.”

  Though she thought about knocking, Sage figured there was no way they’d hear her, so she just walked into Harrison’s office. He sat behind his desk, leaning forward with his fingertips on the top, staring Rosemary down. She had her arms crossed over her chest and was working her neck like the D.C. homegirl she was, her blond hair swaying as she flicked it over her shoulder.

  “What do you want?” Harrison spat when the door opened. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out when he saw Sage. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bark at you.”

  “You two could at least try to keep the arguing quiet enough that people outside your office can’t hear,” Sage suggested mildly. It wouldn’t do any good, but it didn’t hurt to remind them they were supposed to be good examples for the others.

  “If he weren’t being impossible, I wouldn’t talk so loudly,” Rosemary insisted.

  “Well if you weren’t...” Harrison stopped himself. “You’re right, Sage. We should be able to be more professional than this.” His eyes returned to Rosemary. “I’ll get the job posted and let you know when the applications come in.”

  “Fine.” Rosemary whirled toward the door, pausing only half a heartbeat when she got to Sage. “At least your family has one reasonable person in it.” Then she slammed the door behind her.

  Harrison closed his eyes and slumped in his chair. “I don’t know why I let her get to me like that. She just drives me crazy. I keep thinking next time I’ll stay calm and she’ll stay calm and we’ll have a real conversation, but every time one of us opens our mouths the other one gets offended, whether it was intended or not.”

  “Hang on, give it time.” Discretion being the better part of valor, Sage opted to pretend she hadn’t just broken up a major fight. Eventually they would work things out. Until then, she wasn’t getting involved. “I thought maybe we could grab lunch. You could probably use some heavy grease to shoot your blood pressure the rest of the way through the roof right about now.”

  “I’d love to do lunch.” He stood from his desk. “I guess I’ve been a little on edge since I found out about your stalker.”

  She shook her head. “Oh, no you don’t. You can’t use me as an excuse for you bad behavior. What would Mom say about that?” Sage enjoyed pulling out the bossy sister card and gave him a scathing look.

  “Bad Karma. Right, well having to work with Rosemary is about all the b
ad Karma I can stand right now. Do you think you could send me some good stuff?”

  Sage let out a sigh of resignation. “You’re completely hopeless, you know that? I like her—she’s sassy.”

  He rolled his eyes. “At the very least. But does sassy mean she has to be so abrasive? She’s a good manager when she keeps her temper in check.”

  “Come on, let’s go clog your arteries some more.” Sage wanted to tell her brother there was much more to Rosemary than the outside appearance, but it wouldn’t make a difference, not until he got over the past, and Rosemary wouldn’t appreciate it if Sage talked to him about her. Sage couldn’t tell him any firm details anyway, the D.C. native always kept the important things close to her chest---much like Joel—but Sage could see behind the exterior to the pain and loss the woman dealt with every day. She’d caught a few glimpses, but they weren’t clear enough to draw any definite conclusions.

  She hoped they’d work it out before they killed each other.

  She looped her arm through Harrison’s. “So, you find anyone around here to play some one-on-one?”

  “I’ve shot hoops with Vince a couple of times, but he’s working about eighty-hour weeks between snow removal and his nursery recently and spending the rest of his time with Cami. I was thinking about hitting up Joel, until he got hurt.”

  Sage chuckled at the thought. Harrison was good, but he wasn’t half the athlete Joel was, and he was several inches shorter. Still, it could make for an interesting match. Maybe Joel couldn’t make a basket to save his life. “You’ll have to see if he’s interested. I might pull up a chair and watch.”

  “Are you insinuating that Joel will beat me? Even with his injured knee?”

  “I was thinking when he was healed, but it’d be funny if he beat you, anyway.” She couldn’t hold back a laugh when he scowled.

  “I found you another security guy,” Harrison said, dropping an application on Joel’s desk. “I checked his credentials. He looks legit.”

  Joel barely glanced at Harrison before picking up the papers and checking them out. “I’ll set up an interview. Thanks.” He returned his gaze to Harrison’s face and leaned back in his chair. “You look angry. Anything I can do for you?”

  Harrison folded his arms over his chest. “Are you taking advantage of my sister? I hear she’s living with you. You know she’s vulnerable right now.”

  Though he wanted to tell Harrison in minute detail exactly where he could toss his big-brother attitude, Joel relaxed his arms on the chair rests. “I thought you trusted me with Sage.”

  Harrison’s expression was implacable, and he stood taller, as if trying to be intimidating. “Let’s face it, you’re not exactly the boy next door. You’re a soldier, through and through, and while I trust you to protect her from the psycho, I’m not sure I trust you to protect her from yourself.”

  Joel met Harrison’ hard gaze, pausing for a long moment to gain control of his rising anger. When he spoke, his voice was even, “Your sister’s welfare is my first priority above everything and everyone else. I don’t pretend to believe that she’s going to want me when this is all over, but I’m not going to break her heart. And what we do, or do not do, together is none of your business.”

  “The hell it’s not.”

  “She’s a big girl, Harrison, and she’s capable of making her own decisions. Don’t get in the way.”

  Harrison gestured with his hands, pointing to his chest. “I have a right to stand up for her and protect her. I’m her brother.”

  Joel crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at Harrison. “Yeah, and where were you in California when she was being harassed by her stalker? Where were you at three a.m. when she woke from dream-induced panic attacks and paced her apartment until dawn?” Joel paused for effect, letting that sink in. “Were you there for her? No, you were snug in your bed thinking all was well while I was there to calm her and protect her. She’s a smart, independent, capable woman and she can make her own decisions. She’ll send me packing when she’s ready, but until then, I’m not going anywhere. And I won’t hurt her.” He leaned forward, set his arms on the desk in front of him, and let his gaze turn frigid. “Don’t push me on this.”

  Harrison stood for a long moment, his face hard and angry. “I know you’re stronger than I am, and you have a lot of guns, but don’t think I won’t come after you if you hurt her.”

  Joel nodded his understanding. He respected Harrison more now for taking a stand, even if the idiot had no idea what he was dealing with.

  Harrison turned and walked out.

  Joel fought back his irritation and flipped the monitor on to the spa again, catching Mick flirting with Sage and Wendy. He’d been down there for half an hour. He spent far too much time chatting up Sage instead of doing his job and she didn’t seem the least discouraging.

  Joel opened his folder on Mick’s background again and studied the employment information there. Mick had worked for a firm in Bakersfield California before moving to Colorado that summer. It was nearly two hours’ drive to Sage’s place from there, which hadn’t made Joel wonder before, but now he was looking closer. He did an internet search for Mick and found one with his name in Rosamond. The age was right, but the address listed on the job application said Lamont—not much further away from LA than Rosamond. If he actually lived in Rosamond, that wouldn’t be too far to stalk Sage.

  He looked at the video monitor of Mick laughing with the ladies again and slapped the file shut. Gritting his teeth and still spitting mad from his encounter with Harrison, Joel pulled out his radio. “Mick, are you on break?”

  He watched Mick pull out his radio. “No, sir.”

  “Can you meet me in my office?” Joel hooked the radio back on his belt and watched the man say goodbye to the ladies. Joel had reached the end of his rope. The fact that Mick may have been living less than thirty minutes away from Sage prior to moving to Juniper Ridge, plus the extra attention he paid her were reason enough for letting him go—even if he weren’t terminally lazy. He wouldn’t take any risks with her safety. Having him in the hotel with access to every corner of the building was a bad idea if there was a chance he could be her stalker.

  When Mick arrived in his office, Joel was standing. “Shut the door, Mick.”

  “Is something wrong, boss?” Mick’s brows pinched together so it looked like one long eyebrow and he hooked his thumb in the pocket of his jeans.

  Joel fought for control and faced Mick calmly. “I don’t think this is working out for us. There have been a number of days that you’ve been late for work, I catch you sitting up here a lot, and you seem to spend a lot of your shift hanging out in the spa instead of taking care of the things I’ve told you to do. I think it would be better if you found another job that fits your needs more than this one.” Joel didn’t say that job would be along the lines of Walmart greeter since Mick wasn’t capable of anything more demanding.

  Mick blinked in surprise. “You’re firing me? But I need this job.”

  “This is not the first time we’ve discussed my dissatisfaction with your work, Mick. I really think it would be better if you left. I’ll need your employee key card.” He held out his hand.

  Mick’s face turned red and he fumbled as he removed the card, slapping it onto the desk. “You’re going to be sorry about this.”

  Joel watched him turn and storm out of the office, then followed him, limping through the hall, into the foyer and out the front doors. He waited while he watched Mick get into his car and drive away. Mick was angry and not likely to be reasonable and Joel wanted to make sure he didn’t cause any trouble on his way out.

  When he was sure Mick was off the premises, Joel went to Cami’s office. “You have a second?” he asked, standing in her doorway.

  She looked up from her computer in surprise. “Yes. What are you doing hobbling around? You’re supposed to be in your office. Sit.”

  He had to hold in a smile. Cami and Sage were more alike t
han they’d ever admit. “I’m going to head back to my office in a second. Could you let your people know that Mick is no longer working with us and I’d like to be notified if he returns?”

  “Of course.” Cami’s face clouded and her response came out uncertainly. “Is everything okay?”

  “Just fine. I appreciate your help.” He returned to his office, pulled up the work schedule and made a couple of tweaks to it. Then he looked over the application Harrison had brought him and made another phone call. He would double-check Mick’s references before he went home. If Mick was the stalker, Joel intended to prove it.

  The transplant fundraiser hoe down and silent auction was packed with people. Sage snuggled closer to Joel as they swayed together through the slow dance—the only kind he could manage at the moment. “This is nice. We should go dancing more often,” she said, enjoying the chance to be in his arms.

  He chuckled low in her ear. “I have to warn you, I’m not really a great dancer. This is completely my speed, even when my legs work right.”

  She ran her hands up the back of his neck, for once wishing he didn’t shave all of his hair. She would really enjoy running her fingers through the soft hairs of his nape. “Someone as agile and coordinated as you ought to be a natural.”

  “You keep telling yourself that.”

  The music came to an end and Sage pulled back to look in his eyes. “You’re exhausted. Maybe we should head home.”

  “No arguments here.” Joel took her hand and led her back to the corner her sisters had staked out earlier in the evening.

  A glance showed that a few bodies were missing and Sage looked out to find Delphi whirling to the music with Harrison, and Vince and Cami talking with his family down the room a short distance. They stopped alongside Blake. “Fun party.”

  “Yeah, and a good turnout, surprisingly good, considering,” Lana said, looking around her.