Match (Coronado Series Book 5)

by Hart, Lea

  “Good thing, because we’re going to be doing it together for the rest of our lives.”

  “Before we start on the rest of our lives, I need some coffee and food.”

  “I made coffee, but I think it’s cold.” Sitting up, he picked up a cup and tasted it. “Yeah, it’s cold. I’ll go nuke it and be right back.”

  Sitting up next to him, she glanced around the room and then back at him. “How many times did we have sex?”

  Leaning over, he kissed her head and smiled. “We’ve made love four times.” Checking his watch, he calculated that still had twenty-four hours before he had to leave. “We still have plenty of time before I have to be at work, so we probably can do it several more times.”

  Pushing his chest, she giggled. “Ed, I will not be able to walk if you keep that up.”

  “Walking is overrated.” Grinning, he stood up and searched for his boxers. Slipping them on, he grabbed the coffee and winked. “Let me get you a hot cup of coffee, and then we can figure out where you want to go to breakfast.”

  “Coffee first, please.” Watching his fine behind step out of the room made her sigh in pleasure. What he did to her mind and body, and now her heart, was not something she was ever going to be able to live without.

  *******

  Ed held Amelia’s hand as they strolled down Harbor Drive. “Let’s walk over to the Navy Pier, and I’ll tell you the story of my first night dive.”

  Squeezing his hand, she grinned up at him. The sappy expression on her face was probably permanent, and she was working out how worried she should be. “Sounds good to me. I need to work off lunch. I can’t believe you let me eat all that ice cream.”

  “I plan on living a long and happy life with you, and I don’t see any reason to cut it short by getting between you and ice cream.”

  Shrugging, she stared out at the water. “Probably a good idea.” He kept saying things like that: “long and happy life,” and, “forever,” and, “the one.” Like it was normal to pepper a conversation with those phrases after only knowing each other for a month. Feeling his warm hand hold hers, she thought maybe it wasn’t so crazy. She couldn’t fathom him doing something that would make her ever want to stop. “Why did you want to join the navy?”

  “Because I was born with a genetic chip that compelled me to serve. I didn’t want to end up in a job I hated, doing something that bored me to death for no other purpose than to make money. I didn’t want to work for forty years and do basically the same thing every day and call it a life. I had no choice but to choose a career that required me to give everything I had every day, and then some. I think most men are the same, and it is only through our training and willingness to sacrifice that we differentiate ourselves from one another. Also, the company we keep helps us achieve our goals.

  “I was trained in the severest school, and it was up to me what I did with that training. Every brick they threw at me, I used to stand on. The same was true for every single one of my brothers. So, to answer your question…I joined the navy because I wanted to be part of a team. Be in a brotherhood of men with like minds and similar goals, and I was lucky enough to become a SEAL.”

  “If I asked my brother that question, I think his answer would be very similar to yours. Men and women who choose your line of work are a breed apart. And, I, for one, count myself lucky, because it is only through your efforts that I get to sleep safely in my bed at night, free from worry.”

  “But…?” Ed glanced over and noticed her face scrunched up as she walked next to him.

  “But…now I don’t want anything to happen to you. It’s so selfish that I’m ashamed to admit it. It’s like complaining about the health care system and then finding yourself in a situation where you don’t want the care of yourself or a loved one compromised. Fix the system, right after I get the best doctor at the best hospital for someone I love.” Shaking her head, she continued to study the ground as they moved along. “I want to ask you to never be in danger and let someone else to the hard stuff. I want to beg you to come every night safely so that I don’t have to worry about losing you. But I know that’s not how it works. My brother once said to me that warriors never retire. They just find a new gig to keep doing what they do. So I understand that I’m being ridiculous, but it doesn’t make the feelings go away.”

  “The fact that you’re having those feelings is freaking awesome. It means that you are not going to let go of me and that you’re attached.” Smiling like someone just gave him a present, he stopped and kissed her cheek. “You like me, and now you are stuck with me. My plan has worked.”

  “And what exactly did your plan entail, Dr. Evil?”

  “My plan was for you to fall for me completely and absolutely. My strategy has included your complete reliance on me for any future happiness. I don’t want you to have a choice about it. I want you to be at the mercy of your heart and then trust me enough to care for it. I want to be the answer to most of the questions in your life.”

  Laughing, she threw her head back. “World domination, a small and worthy goal.”

  “No. I just need to know that you’re as helpless as me in the face of all of this. I feel like I’ve walked into a firefight with no body armor, no gun, no knife, and my hands tied behind my back. I’m completely at your mercy, because you fucking own my heart.”

  Turning into him, she placed her hand over his heart and then tipped her head against his chest. “I would like to sign a mutual no-destruction policy. Because I feel the same way about you. Except for the gun and knife part. I wouldn’t know what to do if I had those at my disposal. But please understand that you have the power to crush me, and I would really like it if you wouldn’t.”

  “Babe, I’m not going to crush you. I’m going to protect you with everything I have.”

  “All right. That sounds like a good plan. I’ll do the same with you.”

  Standing along the rail of Harbor Drive, Ed felt like all of his prayers were answered. The world had sent him someone to love and take care of. Evidently, old warriors were rewarded. Or at least he was, because he got exactly what he wanted. Lifting her face, he looked into eyes that matched his own and decided he was the luckiest son of a bitch in the world. “I’m going to keep you, Amelia. And I’m going to love you and take care of you.”

  “And not try to snatch my ice cream?”

  “I promise not to snatch your ice cream,” Ed responded.

  “A girl couldn’t ask for more than that.” Pulling him down, she kissed him gently. “I love you, Ed. I don’t know why or how, but I do.”

  “That works out, because I love you.”

  “You might not have been the only person with a plan. Maybe I slept with you to get you addicted to me. It’s possible that my plan was more devious than yours.”

  “Does your plan involve us being naked as often as possible?”

  “It might.”

  “I say we go with your plan. The benefits of us being naked all the time far outweigh anything I had going.”

  “That wasn’t part of your plan?”

  “I didn’t say that. I just think it’s important to remember that it was your idea first. That way I can’t be blamed for being an animal that wants nothing more than to have you naked and at my mercy.”

  “So it’s better if I’m the person with no self-control?”

  “Absolutely. I get to pretend to be a gentleman.”

  “Pretend being the operative word.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I’m okay with that.” Amelia smiled and started walking. If that was what this relationship required, then she was okay with it. As long as he came home every night, she would go along with pretty much anything. “So are you going to tell me about your first night dive?”

  “Yes. Right after I get some blood back in my brain. The picture of you naked with no self-control is playing across my mind. It might take a while.”

  “Okay. Let me know when you’re ready.”

  K
issing her, he calculated how long it would take them to get back to the car and to the bedroom at home. Shaking his head, he realized that it was going to not happen as fast as he would like. “My first night dive…”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “Hi, babe. I’m getting off the chopper. I’m safe and sound.”

  “That’s good.” Lifting a corner of the blind, she stared out the window and saw that her ex-boyfriend was still out there. “Do you remember when I told you that I had a crazy ex-boyfriend?”

  “Yes.”

  “It seems that he’s gone over the edge. He found out that I was dating someone and he’s lost what little was left of his mind. I’ve received fifty phone calls in the last two days, and Lilly almost took a bite out of him yesterday. You know, I regret not letting her do it.”

  “What do you mean by over the edge?”

  “To be specific, he’s pacing out in front of my studio and waving a gun. I think he also has a grenade in his hand. It’s weird because I didn’t think that’s something regular people could get their hands on. Not to say that is he regular, but you know what I mean. His crazy just went to a whole new level.”

  “What the fuck?” Ed yelled into the phone. “Did you call 911?”

  “Yes. Jeez…I’m not an idiot. Why would you ask me that? That’s so rude.” Shaking her head, she peeked out the window again. “They should be here any minute.”

  “I’m getting in my truck and coming your way. I want you to go in your office and lock the door. Where is Lilly?”

  “She’s at home. I didn’t want her to be stuck in the studio all day.” Hearing him let out a stream of curses wasn’t making her feel better. “Why are you cursing at me?”

  “I’m not cursing at you. I’m frustrated with the situation. You have a highly trained dog for a reason, and leaving the dog at home defeats the purpose.” Signaling to Chris, he watched his friend jog over. “Come with me. Amelia is in trouble.” They jumped into the truck, and Ed threw it into gear and peeled out of the parking lot.

  “Oh, thank you, Captain Obvious. I didn’t make that connection, but now that you’ve pointed it out to me, it’s clear.”

  “Having a bad attitude is not going to help the situation. Are you in your office yet?”

  “Yes, I am. And my attitude is just fine. There is a man waving a gun, and I think my attitude is perfectly appropriate.” Hearing the sound of shattering glass broke her last nerve. “I think he just shot out the front window.” Sitting under her desk, she started to shake. “My attitude is going to get a lot worse here in a second.”

  “Take a deep breath. I want you to focus and not faint. Keep your phone on, and stay as quiet as you can.” Driving through downtown, he felt adrenaline pump through his body. He should’ve insisted that she let him put in an alarm system. “Chris, call Robert and get a sit-rep. I want to know how far away the patrol guys are. Also, make sure that her brother knows what’s going on.” How could she be sitting in her studio so vulnerable? Her brother was on SWAT, her boyfriend worked for a top security firm, and she had a trained dog. “Babe, any more sounds?”

  “I hear yelling out front and maybe the faint sounds of sirens. I’m not sure if its wishful thinking, though.”

  “I’m two minutes from you.” Glancing at Chris, he overheard him talking to their contact at SDPD and getting the latest info. “Stay where you are.”

  Hearing another gunshot made her almost let out a scream. “I think he’s shooting at the door now. Hurry, please.”

  Taking a corner on two wheels, he gained control of the truck and floored it. “I’m almost there.”

  “I definitely hear sirens. I think the uniforms are getting closer.”

  Chris signaled to Ed. “Patrol cars are three minutes out. Swat has been notified, but her brother is out on a call. There’s a hostage situation up in Oceanside.”

  “Amelia, I want you to stay where you are. Chris and I may beat the patrol cars. We’ll come in the back door, and I want you to stay put until you hear my voice.”

  “Okay. It’s not like I’m going to go out there and ask him about his day.”

  “It’s good to know that you’re a smart ass in stressful situations. I have something to look forward to when the kids are driving you nuts.”

  “I’m a smart ass all the time. I’ve just been on my best behavior because I wanted you to like me. Unfortunately, what you’re seeing is the real me. So if you want to ditch me after you save me, I completely understand.”

  Careening around the last corner, he screeched to a halt two buildings down from her studio. It was located in an industrial complex, and her unit was the middle one. There was a large roll-up door, as well as a regular door, along the back. “Babe, I’m going to save you, so I can keep you and then marry you.”

  “That’s so sweet.” The echo of a gunshot filled the air, and Amelia let out a little cry. “Please tell me that you’re here.”

  “We’re on our way.” Chris and Ed ran down the back alley, still dressed from the op they just came off. They still had their kits strapped on and had pretty much whatever they would need to get Amelia out. The sound of their heavy boots hitting the ground mixed in with the sounds coming from the other businesses in the area. “We’re at the back door.”

  Chris pulled out a tool to breach the lock and found that the heavy door wasn’t giving in too easily. “I have some C4. I can give it a little blast, and we’ll be through in a second.”

  “C4 is not the answer to every breach question,” Ed stated.

  “C4 is the answer to a lot of things.” The heavy bar finally gave way. The door opened. They were inside. “Took me less than a minute. I guess I haven’t lost my touch,” Chris said.

  Moving down the back hall silently, Ed checked the front and saw that the front window had been shattered. Sliding around the corner, he saw that Chris was on point as he called to Amelia. “Babe, it’s me. I’m coming through the door.” Sliding his tool through the lock, he opened it and saw Amelia sitting under her desk shaking. Two long strides and he was at her side. Scooping her up in his arms, he embraced her and felt her tremble against him. “I’m glad I made it back in time to be your knight in shining armor.”

  Laughing and crying at once, she squeezed him tightly. “Me, too. I guess I should’ve been worried about what was going to happen at home and not on your op.”

  “A lot is going to change around here after the dust settles.” Keeping an arm around her, he checked the hall and nodded to Chris.

  “Clear. The uniforms are out front dealing with the perp. I let Robert know that we were inside and taking your girl out the back.”

  “Thanks, brother.” Leading Amelia down the hall, they walked toward the exit. Chris covered their six as they cleared the door, closing it behind them. Then they escorted Amelia to the truck. Opening the door, he guided her to the seat and made sure that she sat down before she fell down. “How are you feeling?”

  “I don’t know,” Amelia stammered.

  “That’s normal. You’re going to have an adrenaline dump in a few minutes, and after that passes, you’ll probably be really tired.” Squeezing her hand, he watched a little color come back into her cheeks. Definitely an improvement. “Babe, this is my friend and team mate Chris.”

  She shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Chris. Thank you for coming today and helping Ed. I’m sure you have plenty of other things that you’d rather be doing.”

  “No, ma’am. This is what we do. Happy to help out.”

  “I should get you home,” Ed stated.

  “I can’t leave. I have to find out what happened to my ex and also get new locks put on. I have a lot of expensive equipment in there, and I can’t leave the place open.”

  Pulling out his phone, Chris nodded to Ed. “I’ll call the office and have a couple of guys come down and secure the place.” His phone buzzed and he answered. “It’s Robert.” Listening carefully, he studied the surrounding area. “Thanks, man.” Sha
king his head, he rubbed his temple. “Apparently he’s resisting arrest and waving his gun around. They don’t have cuffs on him yet, so they want us to clear the area back here.”

  Ed was about to get in the truck when a loud explosion filled the air. Spinning toward Chris, he gave him a quizzical look. “I guess Amelia was right; he did have a frag. What an idiot.”

  Chris shook his head. “The ex must’ve wanted to make a statement about something. That’s not a weapon that most people have handy, so he clearly planned this.”

  The adrenaline dump that Ed had spoken about had started to happen, and Amelia began shaking. “Ed…could you hold me for a while? I don’t feel so good.”

  “I’m right here.” Encasing her in his arms, he held her against his side. With his kit strapped on, it made it almost impossible to hug her.

  Clearing his throat, Chris stepped away. “I’m going to go around front and get a sit-rep. Be back in a bit.”

  Ed watched his good friend walk away and then kissed Amelia’s head. “Sorry about your lousy day.”

  Through chattering teeth, she replied, “Could’ve been much worse. I’m glad that Birdie set me up with a hero. It seems that it’s going to be handy having my own personal Superman around.”

  Letting out a chuckle, he looked down at the woman he loved. “Are you being a smart ass or sincere?”

  “I guess you have to stick around long enough so that you can figure out the difference.”

  “I guess I do.” Tipping her head up, he pressed his mouth against hers and felt his nerves settle. Having the woman he loved in danger wasn’t something he ever wanted to experience again. “I just came in the back door and escorted you out of the office. It doesn’t qualify me to join a superhero team.”

  “I know. But knowing you were out there and coming to get me made all the difference in the world.”

  “I will always come and get you. And after I’m done with this place, it’s going to be as secure as Fort Knox.” She stared up at him with love in her eyes, and that made him invincible. He could do anything, as long as they were together.