Match (Coronado Series Book 5)

by Hart, Lea

  Barking out a loud laugh, he leaned over and kissed her. “Honey, do you remember what happened three times before lunch? I don’t think that’s going to be a problem for us in thirty years. I think you’re all the Viagra I’m ever going to need.”

  “Derick, that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” Scooting closer, she leaned her head on his shoulder. “I think this is the best twenty-four hours of my life.”

  Tightening his hold, he kissed her head. “The first day of fifteen thousand together.”

  “Fifteen thousand what?”

  “Fifteen thousand days, which is roughly forty years. Actually, that’s not enough. It should be closer to twenty thousand days. That gives us more than fifty years, which should be relatively easy considering that we’ve covered a lot of ground in just one day.”

  “I guess you’re right. We’ve established the division of labor as it relates to household chores, we’ve discussed our political values, and now I’ve shared my support if you ever need medication to help you perform. I can’t think of anything else. Can you?”

  “Children, we haven’t talked about that yet.”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes, you want children?”

  “Yes, I want children, and I think you would be a good person to have them with. You have a deadly smile, a great sense of humor, big bulgy muscles, and a strong moral compass. The fact that you’ve served our country also speaks well of you. And that math trick with the years was very impressive. Math has never been my strong suit, so I hope the kids inherit that from you.”

  “I hope the kids get your good looks and smarts. I will be lucky to spend my days with a woman who lights up my word and gives me a reason to get up every day and do my best.”

  Patting his chest, she sighed. “What are we going to talk about tomorrow? I don’t think we have anything left to discuss.”

  “Maybe we’ll just let our bodies do the talking for a while then.”

  “Excellent strategy, Derick. I like the way you think.” Pulling him closer, she pressed her lips to his and melted into his embrace. Just as things were getting interesting, the door to his office opened, and she heard a man laughing. Mood killer. His hand slipped out of her bra and she mourned the loss of contact. Keeping her face buried in his neck, she tried to put off the inevitable embarrassment. “Who is it, Derick?”

  Pulling down Gracie’s T-shirt, he glanced over at Frank. “What the hell is wrong with you? Don’t you knock before you enter a room?”

  “Not usually at work. I wasn’t expecting to find you making out on your couch.” Frank snickered. “That’s usually what Max and Rory are doing in his office. Lock your door, man, if you don’t want to be interrupted.” Plunking down in a chair, he crossed his legs and waited to be introduced to the woman that had Derick’s feathers in a twist.

  Gracie sat up and adjusted her clothing and smiled at the tall drink of water sitting in the chair opposite her. “I’m Gracie Heller, and Derick is protecting me.”

  “Is that what they’re calling it these days?” Holding out his hand, he shook her tiny one and grinned. “I’m Frank, and I spoke with you on the phone.”

  “Wow, your voice matches your appearance. That doesn’t happen very often. You have a deep sexy voice, and you have deep sexy looks.” Grinning, she sat back and crossed her legs and waited to see what was going to happen next.

  “Honey, I’m sitting right here,” Derick fumed. “Maybe you could hold back on telling another man that he is deep and sexy until I leave.”

  “All right. But he has nothing on you. He isn’t even my type.” Turning to smile into his beautiful face, she sighed. “You’re my type. I’ve never seen a more handsome man in my life. It’s like the picture in my head came to life.” Holding his hand, she rubbed her fingers over his. “Plus, you’re amazing in bed. What you did this morning was the stuff that dreams are made of. I mean, you read about things like that, but you don’t actually expect them to happen in real life.” Running her hand down his face, she beamed. “You’re the one for me, Derick.”

  “So when are you two getting married?” Frank asked.

  “Soon. Real soon,” Derick answered. Holding her face, he proceeded to kiss her like he owned her or she owned him. Whatever…they owned one another. Just as he was getting into a groove, he heard Frank clear his throat.

  “Still here, guys. I think you can take a break if what Gracie said is actually true.” Derick lifted his hand and flipped him off. “Fine, I’ll come back later on.” Standing, he shook his head and then strolled out.

  “Is he gone?” Gracie asked.

  Lifting his head, he glanced around his office and confirmed they were alone. “Clear.”

  “I’m sorry that I said all of that in front of Frank. It was really inappropriate and not something that I would normally do.”

  “It’s okay, honey. It was kind of sexy the way you claimed me. Frank is like a brother, so it’s no big deal.”

  “I’m going to hell in a handbasket.”

  “Why do you keep saying that? This isn’t hell.”

  “What I mean is that I’m going off my rocker. First, I ask you to kiss me. Then I beg you to ravage me. Now I’m talking about what we did this morning with a perfect stranger. This is not typical behavior for me, and I blame you. I hold you responsible for the craziness that has overtaken my normally reserved personality. You have me nuts.”

  Chuckling, he took her hand in his. “I doubt this is your first bout of crazy, but if you want to blame me, then it’s fine. Just as long as you promise to stick close while it happens.”

  “Fine. Someone has to be available to drive me to the state hospital when I go off the rails.”

  “I will drive you anywhere. But I don’t think that a mental facility is going to be where we go. This is just the beginning of our lives, and that can be unsettling. Amazingly, fantastically unsettling.”

  “All right, if you say so. Your theory is a lot better than mine.”

  “Stick with me, Gracie. I’ve got a hundred more.” A knock on his door interrupted him, and he called, “Come in,” to whoever was on the other side. In walked his friend and the company’s contact from SDPD. “Hey, Robert. Thanks for coming down.”

  “Hi, guys.”

  Standing, Gracie walked over and gave the detective a hug. “It’s so nice to see you. It’s been ages.”

  “How do you two know one another?” Derick asked.

  “Relax, man.” Robert glanced at his buddy and noticed the possessive note in his voice. “I used to work with Gracie when she was in the DA’s office. We did a couple of cases together.”

  “Robert and I successfully prosecuted several scumbags. We were a good team.” Smiling, she felt Derick’s arm wrap possessively around her waist. “Are you jealous?”

  Snorting, he shook his head. “No. That’s ridiculous.”

  Shrugging, she laughed. “That’s too bad. It was kind of sexy how you got all possessive.”

  Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, “I will be showing you possessive later on when we get home.”

  Shivering at his words, she tried to maintain a blank expression, but failed miserably when a big smile lit up her face. “So, let’s get the update. Derick and I have to get home and work out a plan.” She didn’t say what plan they needed to work on, but Robert could probably figure it out.

  “I guess I won’t ask if you have a protection plan in place,” Robert asked. Looking between the two of them, he could see that they were crazy about one another and were counting the minutes until they could get out of here.

  “She’s fully protected. I will not let her out of my sight.”

  “That’s what I thought. Well, let’s get started then, because it seems that Gracie has some ideas for you.” Watching her face turn red was pretty funny. Though she was embarrassed, she didn’t deny it. Good for them. They would probably make a great team. Derick was calm, easy-going, and rational. Gracie was not any of thos
e things. She was incredibly smart and an accomplished lawyer, but she was a little zany. She tried to behave, but some of the wackiness always seemed to leak out. “Here is the information that we have so far on what happened yesterday.” Looking down at his tablet, he read from his notes. “The man who shot up the courtroom used to work for the company that was contracted for the courthouse’s cleaning services. That’s how he got into the courtroom with a gun. Apparently, they have been short-staffed, and they called him to fill in temporarily. He planted the gun in one of the cleaning carts that the company uses. His grandfather died, and the family blames the drug that your client’s company produces.”

  “So, what was his end goal? Did he want to kill someone, make a point, or just get noticed?” Derick asked.

  “We haven’t determined that yet,” Robert answered. “The man is still in the hospital, and he has an attorney, so we’re not going to get all the answers we want for some time. The good news is that we think he was working alone. There is nothing to suggest that incident should be tied to the other threats that the CEO or Gracie have received. I have a couple of guys reviewing the cases to see how and if they are linked.”

  “So, it’s not done yet?” Gracie asked.

  “Not even close,” Robert answered. “There are a lot of people pissed off at the company for a lot of different reasons. So narrowing down the threats isn’t going to be easy.”

  “I knew that this wasn’t going to be a simple case when I took it, because all of the negative publicity surrounding the company. But I didn’t think that I would be included in the threats.”

  Derick held her hand and shook his head. “Unfortunately, many people see you as part of the company because you’re representing them in court. So, until the case is over, we’re going to have to be vigilant with your safety.”

  Pulling out a folder, Robert handed it to Derick. “Here are all of the threats that have been reported to us. I figured you and Laird could take a look at them and see if the programs you guys run come up with any connections that we may have missed. I know all of you retired Special Forces guys have that secret network that gives you access to all kinds of fun toys.”

  Taking the folder, he smiled and remained quiet. “I’ll let you know what we come up with.”

  “Thanks. I think that’s all I have for now. The threat was not specifically against Gracie, and we haven’t determined if the guy wanted the CEO dead or just wanted to bring attention to the case and the company. The fact that he never said anything during the shooting and never pointed his gun directly at anyone leads us to believe that he had no specific target in mind. But, as I said earlier, we don’t have the full story yet.”

  Standing, Derick put his hand out. “Thanks for coming down, and I will let you know if we come up with any links.”

  Nodding, he gave them both a smile. “Good to see you, Gracie.”

  “You, too, Robert. Hopefully, this case will move quickly, and we won’t see any more guns in the courtroom.”

  “Agreed.”

  After Robert left his office, Derick turned to Gracie and gave her a grim smile. “We’re stuck together until this thing is done.”

  “I figured that you would say that. I just wonder if we are not overreacting to the possible dangers. I mean it’s not like anyone has specifically said that they want me dead or harmed.”

  “Honey, I’m not going to wait until someone specifically spells out their intentions to harm you before I take this thing seriously. That’s not how I operate.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  Gathering her in his arms, he hugged her. “Just think of how well we are going to know one another after we spend all of this time together.”

  “I just hope you still like me after the case is over. You may find that my particular brand of crazy is not what you had in mind.”

  “I’m not worried about it, and neither should you.”

  Resting her head against his chest, she hoped he was right. Because it would be a shame if she didn’t get to spend more time with him after this was all over. Forget shame; it would be a tragedy.

  CHAPTER SIX

  One week later

  Every day for the last week, Derick had discovered something new and interesting about Gracie. Right now, for example, he learned that she like to lie in bed with her iPad, binge watching shows on Netflix. She was into a show called “Jane the Virgin.” It was a romantic comedy that made her laugh out loud. “Hi, honey. I’m back from my run.” She waved her hand at him and never lifted her eyes. “Do I need to feed you?” Again, the hand lifted, and she pointed to an empty plate beside her. “I’m going to get in the shower.” Waving again, she gave him a thumbs-up. He kissed her head and finally got her attention as she looked up at him and smiled briefly. That lasted five seconds before she returned her attention to the show.

  Dumping his sweaty clothes on the floor, he turned the water on and stepped in. He didn’t mind that she was zoning out on a Saturday. She deserved it. No one knew better than him, because he’d watched her in court all week. She gave the trial everything she had and had reviewed her strategy every night when they got home. She was working her buns off to make sure that she was providing the best defense she could, and he was very proud of her. Hearing the door open, he turned and watched Gracie step into the shower.

  “The episode finished, so I thought I would come in and see if you need help scrubbing your back.” Taking the soap out of his hand, she turned him around and started rubbing her hands all over his skin. “You’ve taken care of me all week, and now I want to take care of you.”

  A deep rumble escaped his chest as he laughed. “I’ll never say no to your hands on me, Gracie. God, that feels good.” He felt her hands roam around the front of his body as she made sure another part of him was getting clean. “Did you come in here to make sure that I was clean or to get lucky?”

  “Both.”

  He spun around and lifted her in his arms, pressing her against the wall of the shower. Taking possession of her mouth, he pressed his hips into her heat. “I’m the lucky one.”

  “It was a good thing that I was almost done with my show when you came in because I would’ve hated to miss this.”

  Moving his hands between their bodies, he made sure that she was ready for what was about to happen. “I couldn’t agree more.” Tilting his hips, he entered her in one strong thrust and heard her moan in acquiescence. Showering was turning out to be one of his favorite things about his day.

  ********

  Gracie stood at the sink, rinsing the dishes from dinner. As she gazed out the window, she noticed a man standing across the street in the shadows. Leaning forward, she tried to determine if he was a neighbor. Without her glasses on, she couldn’t see his features. Derick walked in with the last of the plates and stood next to her. “Do you see that man standing next to the blue car? I wonder what he’s doing?”

  Turning off the water, he nudged her aside with his hip. “Move away from the window, Gracie.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I said so.” Pulling out his phone, he speed-dialed his friend Chris. He lived closest to Gracie and could get there quickly. They worked together at SAI and had been on a lot of ops when they were on the Teams. “Chris, can you do a drive-by of Gracie’s house? There’s a guy standing across the street staring into the house. Thanks, man. See you in a few.”

  “Who did you call?”

  “Chris, he’s going to come by and tell me what he sees. I want you to go into the bedroom and stay there until I check things out.”

  “I think you’re being paranoid.”

  “I know I’m being paranoid. It’s what I do, and it’s what keeps people alive and well.”

  “Let me do something. I can’t just go sit in the bedroom and wait. Give me something to do.”

  “You can fold the laundry. I washed it, and it’s waiting for you.”

  “Whaaaaat? That is the most sexist thing I’ve ever heard. You
go out and face danger while I fold your boxers. I have never heard of anything so insulting in my life.”

  Keeping an eye trained on the window, he watched the man move down the sidewalk. It didn’t mean that danger had passed; it just meant that it was changing directions. “You agreed to fold if I did the washing. If you want to change jobs, that’s fine with me. You told me that you didn’t mind folding. As for the facing danger part, that’s what I’m trained for. Last time I checked, I’m the SEAL and you’re the lawyer. It has nothing to do with gender roles.”

  Letting a breath out, she replied. “You’re right. I just lost my mind for a minute. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. But next time give me the benefit of the doubt.”

  “Of course.”

  Derick’s phone rang, and he answered the call. “Sit-rep?”

  “He’s walking around the block slowly. I don’t like the way he’s looking in each window as he passes. This could have nothing to do with the case. This guy could be a creep or a criminal casing the neighborhood. I’m parked around the corner, and I’ve got him in my sights. Come on out and join me, and we can have a chat with him.”

  “Thanks, man. I’m going to secure Gracie, and I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”

  Holding up her hands in surrender, she smiled at him. “I’m going to go and fold laundry while you go out and see what’s going on.”

  “Thank you. I’m turning on the alarm, so don’t answer the door under any circumstance.”

  “Roger that, Captain.”

  “Lieutenant. That was my rank when I retired.”

  “That’s kind of sexy.” She turned and walked toward the bedroom. “Maybe you can command me later on after you’re done making the streets safe.”

  “Oh, I plan on it.”