SEAL Protected

by Rosa Foxxe

  “I’ll have that, then,” he said. She nodded, took our menus, and disappeared again.

  “You’re not good at the social thing, are you?” I asked.

  A shrug. “I wasn’t trained to be social or friendly. I was trained to get information and find those who went missing.”

  “And you became a personal bodyguard? There are so many other kinds of bodyguards you could have been. Or even just other things,” I replied. Then feeling sneaky, I added, “Like a coat rack.”

  Tom chose to ignore that last part and replied, “There have been some ups and downs, but it isn’t all bad.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  “Yes.” He stared at his coffee, his hands flexing around the hot mug. I sipped my shake through the straw, twirling the whip cream around with one finger. “After all, I got to meet you.” That stopped my hand. I flushed, ducking my head to smile. Tom said nothing after his quiet confession, and I couldn’t blame him. That was quite the thing to say to someone you’d known for a month. Still, it was cute, and I had to agree.

  “I’m glad I met you, too,” I said.

  After that our conversation delved into less personal topics and we found we had a few similar tastes. He liked chocolate, though less so than my sort-of obsession. I liked motorcycles, though I wasn’t as familiar with them as he was. I was more familiar with the engineering program he was following that was working on large-scale applications of 3D printers. Frankly, I think that impressed him, but I was more interested in explaining it to him than gauging his reaction. We also found that we shared similar movie tastes. We liked mystery movies without jump scares and action movies. I learned that Tom hated action movies in which the family of the main character was used as leverage, and we both learned we really loved superheroes.

  It was on our walk back to my apartment that the last topic came up more. We ended up in a discussion about superheroes and what we’d like to be.

  “I would want to be someone who talks to animals,” I said. “That way I could just order mountain lions to slay my enemies.” I grinned and hopped up onto the ledge of a fountain as we walked by it. We were taking the long way home, despite the chilly air.

  “And you’d be a better vet,” added Tom.

  “That too,” I agreed. I spun on one foot to face him, wobbling. “What about you?”

  He thought about it for a minute, rolling the words over in his head. “Empathy.”

  “Why?”

  “I want to make people happy, and sometimes you can’t.” He smiled at me. “If I could just smile at a stranger and make them stay happy all day, I think that’d be easier.”

  “You probably do pretty well on your own.”

  “You think?”

  “Yeah.” I hoped off the fountain and stumbled into his chest. “You make me happy.” Tom smiled and wrapped an arm around my waist. Together, we walked back to my apartment.

  Chapter 8

  Several weeks passed in much the same fashion. Tom and I would go running in the mornings, watch the sun come up, and then run back in time for me to get ready to go to work. I worked, he worked, and we went out. We grew closer and closer as autumn gave way to winter. Snow blanketed the ground in mid-December, and it was when it finally got cold enough for the edge of the waterfront to start freezing that I dragged him out to a small pond at the edge of the city. My car was out of the shop by then, and I’d seen the way Tom had stared when I’d first shown him it.

  The pond at the edge of town was completely frozen over and I could tell that from the road. I slowed to a stop and grabbed my skates, dragging Tom off to the ice. He stared at the pond and at the skates in his hands like he’d never seen either before.

  “Put them on,” I said with a laugh. He shook his head, eyes wide. “Please, for me?”

  A sigh passed his lips and obediently he sat down on a log and pulled on his boots. Within the minute we were stepping out onto the ice. I glided across the smooth surface, reveling in the cold bite to the air, the bright sun above, and the smooth surface beneath my feet. I looked to Tom, who was wobbling at the edge of the ice, struggling to keep his balance. He had his arms straight out and he danced back and forth, his eyes wide and staring at his feet. I was growing used to Tom’s wide eyed look. It seemed to be one of Tom’s default expressions. That, and mild disdain. Though I was seeing his soft smiles and warm chuckles more and more when it was the two of us.

  I skated over to Tom and brushed a hand over his hair. “Come on,” I said. I took his hands and skated backward across the pond slowly, dragging him with me. Tom stared at his feet the whole time, his hands tight against mine. “Look at me, not your feet. Feel the ice but don’t stare at it,” I said. He nodded, but I could tell from the look in his eyes that he didn’t believe me. “Come on,” I said again. “Don’t think, just feel.”

  He snorted at that. “You remind me of my drill sergeants,” he said.

  “Training?” I guessed, and he nodded. I shook my head at him. “I should have figured; it makes sense. I suppose you were trained for all sorts of things.”

  “Not ice skating,” he said.

  I laughed. “Of course, not ice skating. Now, keep up with me and let’s see how you do.” I skated backwards, letting my feet glide across the ice and keeping an eye on Tom. He was looking at me now, instead of at his feet, and the intensity of his gaze sent pinpricks of electricity racing down my arms and legs. He had a knack for that, I’d noticed, and I liked it. I liked that he could make me feel so many things in just a look.

  “What are you smiling about?” he asked as I took him around a corner.

  “You,” I said. Tom frowned at me and I shook my head, easing him into another turn. “I’m not making fun of you, I swear. Just…,” I shook my head, “I don’t know. You’re a very strange man, Tom. You know all this stuff about the navy and the government and fighting, but you’ve missed out on a lot of fun things.”

  “Like skating?” he guessed. I nodded. “I wouldn’t call this the most fun I’ve ever had. But… it’s nice, I suppose.”

  “All right. Let’s see how you do without me.” I released his hands and wheeled around, gliding off before he could make a grab for me. “Come on!”

  Halfway around the pond again I spun around and cocked an eyebrow at him, a challenge to see if he’d follow. Tom glided forward a few steps, wobbled, and then caught his balance just before he flipped over. I snickered, letting myself stand still on the ice. Inch by inch he came forward, then, just before he was within arms’ reach of me, he slipped and toppled backward.

  I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “You all right?”

  “Yeah,” he said, letting out a breath in a huff. “This is ridiculous.” I skated forward and held out a hand to him with a soft smile.

  “Let’s try again, shall we?”

  That wasn’t the only time we went skating over the winter, but it was the most memorable. Tom spent half the time falling on the ice and I spent half the time laughing at how cold he was getting. Not the nicest thing, but I enjoyed it.

  We skated a few more times, and before long I found it was Christmas Eve and I had managed to convince Tom to spend it with me.

  We sat on the couch, curled up together, and I cuddled into his side with a soft sigh. Christmas specials played out on the television on low volume, but neither of us was paying much attention to them. In the corner of my little living room was a Christmas tree, all done up in bright lights and shining ornaments. We’d put it up together a few days ago, though Tom had seem confused as to why I wanted him to help me with it.

  “Are you sure you do not wish to spend the evening with your father?” asked Tom for the second time that day. I rolled my eyes at his needlessly formal tone.

  “Yes, I am completely, one hundred percent sure that I don’t want my father to ruin my Christmas.” I cuddled closer to him. “Besides, I’ve got you, right? What more do I need to have a great Christmas?”

  He flushed. “You sh
ouldn’t put so much pressure on one person,” he said. “And I still don’t understand why you wanted me here.”

  “Because you’re important to me and you make me happy. That’s all there is to it. Frankly, I’m amazed you said yes.” Tom shifted against me uncomfortably and I became suddenly aware that, while he knew a great deal about my family due to necessity, I knew nothing about his own. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled, hoping he would not feel obligated to tell me anything that would hurt him.

  For a few minutes, there was nothing but the sound of our breathing and the gentle music from the television. I worried I’d crossed a line. Then, just when I thought Tom would leave, he said, “My brother and I were both SEALs. We both were deployed on the same mission. I came back. He didn’t.” In a very quiet voice, he added. “They blame me.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. What did you say to a man who told you he’d lost his brother in a mission? To a man who seemed to believe that his parents were right? I settled for cuddling closer to him and pressing my face into the crook of his neck.

  “I think you’re doing okay,” I mumbled, though I knew it wouldn’t help much. Tom’s arm around my waist tightened and he breathed deeply into my hair.

  “Thank you,” he said. For a long time, neither of us spoke. After a while I started to curl closer and closer into his lap, drawn by a hunger slowly building. I shouldn’t have. Tom was obviously enjoying the quiet night and he didn’t seem inclined to change the mood. In the midst of my wiggling, I remembered what had happened the first time we’d fallen into bed together, how Tom had asked me before he ever touched me. We were adults. I didn’t have to be sneaky around Tom, if I wanted something, I could ask.

  “Tom?” I asked. I bit my lower lip and toyed with it between my teeth.

  “Yes?” he asked into my hair. I looked up and saw that he was still enthralled with the television. I sighed and shook my head.

  “Never mind.”

  He looked at me. “No, what?” he asked, a smile playing at the edge of his lips. I leaned up and kissed him, starting slow but deepening the pressure as I went. He shifted his hold on my arms and tugged me into his lap. I grinned and pulled back from him, rolling my hips into his. Tom let out a low, guttural groan and tugged me closer to him.

  “Well, now this is interesting,” he said, nibbling at the shell of my ear. I hummed and wiggled closer, letting the heat of his body and the heat of my own mingle between us. He chuckled, a sound that was as familiar as it was enticing, and slipped a hand up my shirt. I was braless and he took advantage of that with a pinch to a nipple. A gasp escaped me in a shot of pleasure.

  “Bedroom,” I managed. He grinned and nibble at my ear again. His other hand caught the hem of my shirt and pulled it clean over my head. One hand encircled my breast, slowly massaging it as his fingers traced my nipples. I shivered with each brush. His mouth encircled the other, his lips sucking at the sensitive skin.

  “Tom, we need more space,” I said. Beneath me, I felt the hard bulge of his erection through his pants against my thigh. His hips were rolling up into mine. “We are not wrecking this couch.”

  He sighed, mouth pulling off me. “All right.” He said. And with that, he scooped me up and carried me to my room in both arms – both of us laughing the entire way.

  Chapter 9

  New Years’ Eve was anything but a small affair. My father had thrown an enormous party and every high roller in the city was there. From fellow senators to low-level local politicians to business owners, everyone had been packed into the large hall my father and his assistant had rented.

  I was there, of course, and playing the role of the perfect daughter in my favorite navy blue dress – backless and knee-length, just how I liked them. Tom stood guard as always, dressed in a nice suit with a dark turtleneck instead of a collared shirt. No one would ever have suspected what was going on behind closed doors.

  “You look lovely tonight,” Tom murmured near my ear. We stood at the edge of the dance floor. It was loud enough to speak, but Tom was cautious nonetheless. I smiled and nodded to him.

  “You too,” I replied, more than a little pleased. Part of me wanted to reach out and drag Tom onto the dance floor. But we both knew it was far too dangerous. My father would have Tom’s head if he ever learned we were in a relationship. The word made me smile – relationship. The giddy feeling it gave me made me feel like a little girl with her first crush. I caught Tom raising an eyebrow at me and realized I was grinning. I ducked my head and returned to my wine.

  The evening was great fun, despite not being able to dance with Tom. My father seemed keen on making me dance with every other man in the building. After a while, I found I didn’t mind too much. Most of them were stuffy old men, but there were a few that were decent dancers. One of them was my last dance partner of the night before the drop – an elderly doctor with a knack for ballroom dancing. He had taken to twirling me around and around the dance floor as I laughed with delight.

  “This is so much fun,” I said to the doctor as he pulled me into another spin.

  “I’m glad I could help you enjoy your evening,” he said. He dipped me, and as he pulled me back up the music faded and was replaced by another song. The doctor released me and stepped back, giving a sweeping bow. “Adieu, milady.”

  I giggled again and curtsied in return. “Adieu, good sir.” Dropping a kiss to my hand the doctor straightened and walked off. I shook my head and drifted back to Tom. He was watching me with a raised eyebrow and a straight mouth.

  “What?” I asked him, but he only smirked – a slight twitch of the lips that didn’t match his warm eyes. “He was a good dancer.”

  “Seemed like you were enjoying yourself.” I studied Tom, trying to figure out what the tone behind his voice was. Thankfully for him, my father stepped up onto the stairs then and addressed the crowd.

  “Good evening everyone.” His loud voice boomed across the hall. Everyone turned to face him and the band stopped playing. “Thank you all for coming on this wonderful New Years’ Eve. I am Senator Hoff and I wanted to call you all here tonight for more than celebrating the New Year.” I smiled and stood taller. As much as my father and I fought, I couldn’t help but be proud of him. “As some of you are aware, this year I’ll be entering my second term as senator and I couldn’t be prouder. And before we begin our countdown, I’d like to thank a few people.”

  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a man with an angry expression slowly nudging his way through the crowd. His hands were twitching around his waist and I frowned. It reminded me of the way my father’s guards moved. I caught Tom’s arm and tugged him down to my level. “You see him?” I hissed in his ear. Tom’s gaze followed me and he nodded. “Do something.” Tom nodded and slipped away from me and into the crowd. Within seconds I lost sight of both him and the man as they moved.

  “-And I’d, of course, like to thank my lovely daughter, Michelle,” my father continued. I managed a plastered on smile and gave a little wave to the crowd. “Michelle, why don’t you join me up here?” Obediently, I skirted the edge of the crowd and walked up to stand beside my father. My gaze found his guards, but none of them seemed to notice that something was off about myself or the crowd. Standing next to my father I couldn’t see Tom or the man in the midst of the other guests. I tried not to let my worry show through.

  “Now if only she listened that well all the time,” said my father. The audience laughed and I held my plastered smile on my face with a great deal of effort. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tom. He was standing at the edge of the stairs with a tight frown. I wanted to signal him, but I didn’t know how in front of the crowd.

  From the audience there came a sudden gasp. I jerked around to face the people just as the angry man stepped out of the crowd. He had a gun.

  Everything then seemed to go into slow motion.

  “Michelle, get down,” shouted my father. His guards moved, but it wasn’t fast enough. The gun went off, but it wasn�
��t my father it hit. It was Tom. He had jumped in front of the gun. Tom hit the ground. People screamed and my father’s guards rushed forward. They were shouting. Two more gunshots went off. The crowd scattered. The angry man dropped, blood dripping from a head wound.

  The world went muted as I ran to Tom, my hands shaking. Blood poured from the wound on his shoulder. It stained his jacket and blood pooled on the floor beneath him. I dropped to my knees and stared for a second.

  “Oh God, Tom,” I croaked as it sank in. I unwound the fancy scarf around my neck and used it to block the flow of blood. Tom hissed as I bore down on the wound – blood seeped up and stained my hands and my dress. My vision was blurred from tears which ran hot and fast down my face. Make-up stung my eyes and made them tear up farther. I could barely see. It didn’t matter. I knew I had to keep the pressure going.

  “Someone call an ambulance,” I screamed into the scattered and panicked crowd. My voice cracked, scattering high-pitched shards into the air above me. The people around me did not listen. They did not care about anything but themselves. I pressed harder against Tom’s bullet wound as the blood seeped between my fingers. I gasped for air as broken sobs left my throat. His eyes were fluttering. He would lose consciousness soon. I could not – would not – let him die.