Saved by a SEAL (Hot SEALs Book 2)

by Cat Johnson

  Though maybe the glaring difference in the way he treated her was exactly the point. He didn’t remember the name of the waitress he’d spent a summer pawing, but he’d remembered Missy had liked extra cherries in her Shirley Temples as a child.

  Sadly, cherries weren’t going to quench this adult thirst. Only a taste of Zane would do that.

  The trip took barely a few minutes and before she knew it, they were driving through the gates at the end of the driveway of her house. Soon, Zane was pulling up right to her parents’ front door.

  “So, you’re going to sleep at your parents’ house tonight?” she asked.

  “Yes, as long as I—”

  “Don’t get called back to base.” She finished the mantra she’d been hearing all day.

  It was strange, this new responsible Zane. A big change from the boy she’d known who’d been late for everything, if he bothered to show up at all.

  He smiled and nodded. “Exactly. But if I don’t get called in, do you want to do something tomorrow?”

  Another one-eighty from Zane had her head spinning. “Sure.”

  “All right. I’ll call you in the morning and we’ll decide what you want to do.”

  “Okay.” Missy hesitated, waiting.

  When she realized sitting there silently hoping he’d kiss her good night was ridiculous, she reached down to unlatch her seat belt. After she did, Zane covered her hand with his. He leaned in and her heart stopped, until he pressed his lips to her cheek.

  A kiss on the cheek like one gave a child. She sat perfectly still as her disappointment changed to something closer to anger.

  He didn’t pull back after the chaste kiss. He hovered so close it had Missy’s pulse pounding. She turned her head to look at him, to try and see his expression through the darkness lit by only the lights on either side of the front door. It was the slightest movement, but it put his mouth closer to hers, which is when he took advantage of the proximity and his lips covered hers.

  She drew in a sharp breath at the unexpected contact, which parted her lips ever so slightly beneath his. He responded by angling his mouth over hers and tangling his fingers in her hair to cup the back of her head.

  Zane drew in a deep breath and then pulled back. His gaze met hers from just inches away, before he turned away and opened his door.

  Before she knew what was happening, he’d run around the hood of the car and was opening her door for her. Stunned and honestly feeling a little wobbly, she took the hand he offered her and stood.

  He dropped his hold on her hand the moment she was out of the car. “Good night.”

  She listened, but his words had been devoid of emotion and held no clues to what he was feeling.

  “Good night, and thank you for everything today.”

  Zane dipped his head. “You’re welcome. I’m sorry I didn’t think to get the bags out of your car so you’d have everything you bought with you tonight. You know, in case you wanted to start to pack.”

  Packing was the last thing on her mind as her head spun with a kaleidoscope of thoughts and emotions. “That’s okay. I’ll probably just head to bed early.”

  “All right. Well, good night.” He didn’t kiss her again, although she hoped he would. Instead, he slammed her door, and then moved around to the driver’s side where he slid behind the wheel.

  He sat, watching her. She would have loved to think he was reluctant to leave her, but she realized he was waiting for her to get safely inside the house before he drove away. Zane might be the most frustrating man on earth, a paradox she couldn’t figure out, but he was the type of guy to make sure a woman was safe before he left her in the dark, just as how he was the kind of man who’d chosen the best knife for her to carry to Nigeria.

  He was also the type who kissed a woman breathless and left her alone and confused. With a sigh, she turned and made her way to the front door, digging for her key as she went.

  One sleepless night spent pondering Zane and this odd day definitely wouldn’t be long enough to figure out the mystery of the man, but it would be a start.

  CHAPTER 10

  “Please, tell me there’s some action on the horizon and I have to come in tonight.”

  If Jon said there was nothing, Zane was willing to beg the command to call him back for something. Anything. He’d even volunteer to do paperwork at this point.

  Jon laughed. “The parents driving you crazy?”

  “Um, yup.” Zane wished it were just his father that was the problem.

  Yes, he dreaded the inevitable conflict with his father as he drove at the actual speed limit—on purpose—just so he wouldn’t reach his parents’ house any sooner than he had to, but that wasn’t the reason he was ready to hightail it back to base. He still felt the real reason seared into his lips after that ill-advised good night kiss.

  Thank goodness they were both expected back at their parents’ houses tonight. That had been the one thing to save him. The night might have ended differently if he’d been alone with Missy. If, God forbid, he’d had to walk her to the door of her own apartment where they would have been alone and unsupervised by the parental units, things could have gotten out of hand.

  As it was he had to remind himself this was Missy. The girl who’d been like the annoying little sister he’d never had. The woman who his father was blackmailing him into dating—and into marrying, if Georgie had his way.

  And dammit, Zane really did like her. If he’d stumbled across Missy at a party or in a bar, if she’d been a stranger he hadn’t watched grow up, he’d have been all over her. Literally.

  “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but it’s looking pretty quiet around here. Did you sign the contract yet?”

  “No.” Zane sighed.

  Jon’s question reminded him of the reason he needed to stick this out. One million reasons, to be exact. “I’m going to pin the old man down now and see if we can get that taken care of tomorrow.”

  “That would be good. I’m afraid to let myself celebrate. Not until I see it in black and white.”

  That was probably a smart thing, particularly in dealings with the infamous George Alexander. Zane didn’t trust him as far as he could throw him.

  “All right. I’ll call you tomorrow. Bye.” He drew in a breath and disconnected.

  Maybe he should have spent the night somewhere with Missy, to make Georgie extra happy. Then again, knowing how warped his father could be when it came to getting what he wanted, next the man would be suggesting Zane get Missy pregnant so she’d have to marry him. As fucked up as it sounded, Zane wouldn’t put it past his father to think that might be a good idea.

  Shit. His father scared the hell out of him sometimes . . . and he was about to walk right into the snake’s den and willingly spend the night.

  The house loomed before him. Zane stopped the car and stared at the silhouette against the night sky. The rooms were dark except for two, one at each end of the house. His father’s study and his mother’s bedroom.

  That’s probably how she stood being married to him for so long—his mother kept a whole house in between them, not to mention them sleeping in separate bedrooms for as long as he could remember. That was, supposedly, because his father snored.

  It was no wonder Zane had never had a serious relationship. What role models for a healthy long-term relationship did he have? Certainly not his parents. And if his father had his way, he’d push Zane into a loveless marriage of convenience simply to benefit his business dealings.

  It didn’t matter that Zane did have a good time with Missy today. He wasn’t marrying anyone simply to please his father.

  It wasn’t lost on him what a hypocrite he was being. Zane was in fact dating her to please his father, which brought him back to the need to talk with Georgie. Zane had to cement the man’s commitment to invest. Like Jon, Zane wanted that written down in black and white and signed on the dotted line.

  To do that, he’d have to go inside.

  He hit the but
ton on the dash and the roof mechanism creaked and rose above him. He locked the roof in place and pulled the keys out of the ignition.

  Grabbing his bags from the trunk, Zane headed for the door, wondering if his key would even work. Not that he needed a key. Most buildings he entered in his line of work he wasn’t a key holder for.

  That might be fun, actually. Picking the lock. Disabling the alarm, should it be set. Using every bit of stealth he’d honed for a decade to sneak up on the old man. It would prove to him how skilled Zane was.

  It would also probably give Georgie a heart attack. Zane didn’t feel as worried about that possibility as he probably should.

  Flaunting his burglar skills might not be the best way for Zane to prove his worth and the value of his training to his father, anyway.

  Amazingly, his old key still fit the front door lock. Wonders never ceased. Then again, what hadn’t changed in his old home and with his parents far outweighed what had. As he turned the key in the lock, Zane knew from his earlier visit that the same table was right inside the front door, just as the same shrubs were still planted on either side of the front door, perfectly cropped so they’d barely grown over the years.

  The small light fixture above the oil painting in the front foyer illuminated his entry. Zane set his bags on the floor. He laid his keys on the table. He didn’t need to turn on the lights to navigate his way through the home he’d run through and played in for more than half his life. He walked the familiar path to his father’s office.

  The heavy wood paneled door was ajar. Silently, Zane pressed one palm to it and pushed. Standing in the shadows, he saw the older man’s head bent as he read the stack of papers on his desk.

  How lucky would it be if those were the papers for good old George’s investment in GAPS? Zane hated to even hope. “Father.”

  Georgie startled at the sound of his name. “Jesus, Zane. Make some noise next time.”

  “I’ll try.” Admittedly, Zane felt a sense of satisfaction in seeing his father jump. He moved into the room and glanced at the papers on the desk. “That the contract for GAPS?”

  His father lifted his brow. “No. I do have a few other things going on, you know.”

  Zane set his jaw. “I know. So do I, which is why I wanted to get this taken care of.”

  Georgie leaned back in his chair. “You and Missy looked cozy tonight at dinner.”

  Zane waited a beat to see if there was a point to his father’s statement. When none seemed forthcoming, he asked, “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  “Not quite.”

  “You said to ask her out as a show of good faith. I’ve done that.”

  “You neglected to tell me she’d be away in Africa for the next three months.”

  “Because I didn’t know. Just as I wasn’t aware of her father making a bid for the presidential nomination.”

  “Do you plan to secure your relationship before she leaves?” Georgie asked, ignoring the second half of Zane’s prior statement.

  “She leaves in a few days.”

  “And?”

  “What do you propose I do in four days time after not having seen her in a decade?”

  “That’s your problem, not mine.”

  The reality of this situation was beginning to become clear and Zane didn’t like it. “When will the contracts be ready?”

  “I’m not sure. A week, maybe. Perhaps longer.” Georgie shrugged.

  His bastard of a father was going to hold the contracts until Zane had, as he’d put it, secured the relationship.

  Anger rose fast and powerful within him. Georgie wanted to play God with the lives of those around him. He assumed he could because he had something Zane needed.

  Fuck that. The cost was too high. The collateral damage too vast. It included Missy and Zane’s own integrity. Not to mention getting Jon’s hopes up while George strung them all along like puppets.

  Pushing down his rising emotions, Zane channeled his anger into determination. He’d find a way, but it wouldn’t be Georgie’s. “Goodbye, Father.”

  “Goodnight.” George went back to studying the papers on his desk.

  Zane let out a short bitter laugh. “No, not goodnight. I’m saying goodbye to Mother and then I’m heading back to base.”

  “You got recalled? I told you to take time off—”

  “I haven’t been recalled. I’m choosing to leave.” Zane still had free choice. It was hard to remember that sometimes around a force such as his father.

  A deep crease formed across Georgie’s forehead. “How are you going to make progress with Missy if you’re not here?”

  “I’m not.” Not as long as she was part of his father’s bullshit conditions. She didn’t deserve that. Zane turned and strode through the door.

  “Zane.” The sound of his father’s voice followed him. “This little act of rebellion of yours is going to cost you a lot of money.”

  Doing what Georgie wanted carried a cost far greater than money. Zane kept climbing the staircase to the second floor and the bedrooms. He drew in a bracing breath and hid the anger that his father deserved but his mother did not.

  Lifting a fist, he knocked on the door. “Mom?”

  “Come in.” When he pushed the door open, she smiled. “Hello, sweetie. How was your date?”

  “Very nice, thank you.” Zane moved to perch next to where she sat on the small loveseat, the book she’d been reading still open in her lap. He reached out and covered her hand with his. “I have to leave.”

  “So soon? You only just got here.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s all right. I understand how demanding your job is.”

  The job he’d likely be keeping since GAPS had gone from viable to a pipedream thanks to his inability to buckle under to his father. Dammit, he’d let his friends down.

  “Thank you. Anyway, I wanted to say goodbye before I left.”

  “Do you know when you’ll be back again? For a longer visit next time, I hope.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not sure.”

  “I know you’ll do your best. You always do.”

  What could he say to that? The truth was he hadn’t done his best.

  Tonight, he was a quitter. That he was giving up and walking away without a contract and without a million dollars was proof of that. But leading Missy on, using her for his purposes, would have been far worse.

  Zane squeezed his mother’s fingers. “I better go. It’s getting late.”

  “I do wish you’d leave in the morning so you don’t have to drive in the dark.”

  Little did his mother know that ninety-nine percent of his missions occurred in the dark. “It’s all right. I’ve got Granddaddy’s excellent eyesight.”

  “He would have been so proud of you.”

  Zane believed that was true. His maternal grandfather would have been proud of him for standing up for what he believed in, for taking a stand against Georgie in spite of the consequences.

  Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to her warm cheek. “It’ll be too late when I get home tonight to call, but I’ll phone you in the morning and let you know I made it safely.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart.”

  Funny that he was in deadly situations daily—from missions to live fire exercises—yet he knew his mother worried most when he was doing something as simple as driving on the highway at night.

  Zane said his final goodbye and ran down the stairs. Scooping up his keys and his bags, he headed out the front door and into the night without looking back. He didn’t expect his father to come after him or try to stop him from leaving, and Zane was correct in his prediction. If Georgie had heard him coming down the stairs or closing the front door, he didn’t do anything about it.

  He tossed the bags in the trunk and put the roof down. He’d need the cold night air to clear his head.

  Once he’d put some miles between him and his childhood home, not to mention his father’s smothering presence,
Zane’s mind turned to the mess he’d managed to create in the past twelve hours, as well as all that had been affected. Jon. GAPS. Missy.

  Pulling the car to a stop on the shoulder, Zane flipped on his hazard lights. He unhooked his safety belt and struggled to get his cell phone out of his pocket as he sat. He found Jon’s number and hit to make the call.

  Jon answered on the first ring. “Dude, there’s still no action.”

  Zane wished that was the reason he was calling. He heard voices in the background. “Who’s with you?”

  “Rick and Chris are here.”

  Probably celebrating because Zane had made the mistake of telling Jon he had the money before he actually had it. Crap. He had to tell them. “Where are you?”

  “At my place. Why?”

  Because he was about to crush their dreams on frigging speakerphone, that’s why. He’d prefer if he didn’t do it while they were at the bar or someplace else public. “Put me on speaker.”

  “All right.” Zane heard the change in the call’s sound even before Jon said, “You’re on speaker.”

  “Hey, brother. I heard you had a productive trip,” Rick said.

  “Productive is right. A million freaking dollars worth of productive. You are the man.” Chris’s drawled compliment had Zane’s spirits sinking even lower.

  “There’s something I have to tell you all.”

  “Listen up, guys. Let him talk.” Jon obviously had guessed something was wrong.

  If the other guys weren’t so busy celebrating, likely with a few drinks, they might have heard the doom behind the tone of Zane’s voice too.

  “I’m pretty sure the deal’s off.” It was off if his father’s parting words of warning were any indication.

  The three were silent until Jon finally asked, “What happened?”

  Zane’s father had happened. “I honestly don’t believe he ever intended to give us the money. I know him and how he operates. He would drag it out forever to get what he wanted out of me.”

  “But I thought what he wanted was you out of the military.”