Code Name: Ghost
Page 7
Technically, Kayla and he did fall under the Commander’s command, but Captain Redding was her direct reporting officer. With him being a SEAL, and she working in another department, they weren’t breaking any rules. “Sir, again with all due respect, why do you care?”
The Commander had leniency, but an order was a different matter. “Because it’s not appropriate.”
Appropriate! What the fuck was going on here? “She doesn’t know anyone here, sir.”
“I’m sure she’ll make friends.”
“I never see her talking to anyone else. She comes, she works, she leaves.”
The Commander glared at him, working his cheek at the same time. “I’m sure you have plenty of other women to keep you company, Mace. Ms. Banks has enough on her plate right now. She doesn’t need you chasing her skirt.”
“Commander, she’s from another country.”
“Obviously.”
“She doesn’t have a family. I’m just trying to be a friend.” Okay, so maybe he wanted more than that and knew it was unlikely, but hell… “She’s got you glaring at her all the time like you hate her and want her to leave.”
His scowl disintegrated. “Did she say that?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Maybe.”
The Commander’s head swiveled toward the ops room, and his brows flexed with concern. “That’s not my intent.”
“Maybe not, sir, but that’s how it’s coming across.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“She’s not concerned. She says she’s survived far worse than you.”
A rare grin cracked the Commander’s expression. “Did she now?”
“We’re deploying in a few days, and Kayla doesn’t seem to take the threat of the Blood Shark seriously.”
The Commander sighed, palming the edge of the desk. “I know that, too, but I’m not sure why.”
“She’s right in the Shark’s zone.”
“I agree, she’s exactly what he’s hunting.”
His frustration stalled. “You mean brunette.” A thought stirred in the back of his mind, but he disregarded it instantly.
“That—yes, but her age and...” He cleared his throat. “Ms. Banks is an intelligent woman. She’ll take precautions.”
“Hasn’t so far, sir, that’s why I’m worried.” He watched the Commander, his expression unreadable.
“She hasn’t mentioned anything to you, has she?”
“About what, sir?”
The Commander gave a small shrug. “About her life before coming here.”
“Why, is there something wrong?”
Folding his hands together and with a quick narrowing of his eyes, he said, “She’s…” He cleared his throat again, “different than the other women I’ve seen come in here. Her work is exemplary.”
“I’m not suggesting how to command, sir, but maybe you should tell her that.”
“Red will give her an evaluation like everyone else, Mace.”
Typical Commander Austen, he didn’t compliment. You only knew when you screwed up, and in short order, otherwise you could take it for granted you were doing a descent job. He’d explained that to Kayla as well.
“Getting back to the point of this conversation, you don’t have to be concerned about her safety,” the Commander said, gazing through the window in her direction.
The Commander continually strategized. If he’d been watching her already, then he probably had a plan to keep her safe. He might not like her working in Base Command, but he wasn’t a heartless bastard either. “Sir?”
“Hmm, yes, Mace?” jerking his attention back to him. “Right—you can stand down. Nothing is going to happen to Snow White. I’ll have security escort her.”
Why did he feel like he was trying to play chess against the master? “I don’t mind escorting her.”
“Not necessary,” the Commander said sharply and rose from his desk.
This made no sense at all. “Are you giving me a direct order to stay away from her?” He shook his head. “I don’t get it.”
The Commander shot a warning look at him. “Do I have to?”
Mace chewed on his lip, and mustered a hefty set of balls. “I don’t think you can, sir. What we do in private isn’t the Navy’s business.” He was fuckin’ dead. “To be honest, she’s beautiful and she’s nice. Can you blame me?”
The Commander’s body stiffened and he took a deep breath. Strolling around his desk, he sat down, and lowered a look on him like a sailing ship lowers a boom. His lips twitched. “I suppose not.”
He took that as—what? He wasn’t sure.
“Ms. Banks is a—charming woman.”
A flicker in the Commander’s tightened jaw signified he was still pissed. They both looked through the window into the ops room as the rest of the team filtered out. “What little I know of her, and she doesn’t share much, I really like—a lot.”
“I can see that,” the Commander responded with a disapproving tone.
One of the guys knocked on the door, probably Tony. He wanted to stop by Breakers tonight and throw back a few.
The Commander’s head bobbed. “Your wingman needs you. I’d suggest you find some young thing at the bar to keep you occupied.”
How the fuck did he do that? It was like he could read minds, and he did it all the time. “Yeah, team’s hitting Breakers.”
“Do that.”
“I’ll be back at eleven to pick up Kayla.” He didn’t give a shit what the Commander wanted, although he couldn’t figure out why he was so against them spending time together.
“She’s my responsibility. You can focus on other things. Now get the hell outta here, and stop panting at her ankles. You haven’t got a hope in hell. You’re dismissed, Petty Officer Callahan.”
Chapter Six
“Ms. Banks, this is a fine neighborhood with schools—”
“I don’t have children,” she said, crossing her arms and getting the distinct feeling her choice of realtors was a poor one. With dark eyes and his hair overly coiffed, he looked too slick for her liking. Taking him up on his offer to show her some good bargains in real estate seemed like a good idea at the time. The expensive gold nugget rings on his fingers said he was either a crook or very good at his job. She was leaning toward crook.
“The area has some great parks and—”
“I kind of wanted something on the oceanfront. Maybe La Jolla,” she added. “I take the bus to work so it has to be close to a bus line.” She wasn’t quite sure where they were, but quite a few miles to the west by the looks of it. Surrounded by desolate beach and sparsely inhabited hillside, it just didn’t feel right.
“There are so many bus lines in San Diego you could throw a rock and hit one,” he stated, waving his hand through the air.
“Mr. Summers, maybe I should—”
“This is a very good area for singles as well,” he said.
If they didn’t stop interrupting each other’s sentences, they weren’t going to get anywhere. “I think maybe I should do a little more homework, then I can give you exactly the area I’m looking for.” They stood on a seawall winding its way along the shore. The waves rolled up the sand with a peaceful crawl, and the sun beat down on them, but something just wasn’t right.
“Real estate is pretty hot right now, Ms. Banks. You might like something I show you, but within a day it’ll be…” His eyes widened, and he took a disconcerted step backwards.
“Is something wrong?”
“I doubt that’s the case.” There was a pause and then the deep voice continued with a dangerous edge. “Chester, is it?”
She recognized the voice immediately and swung around. The Commander towered above her, his upper body glistening with sweat. The pecs on the man bulged and rolled into sexy rolls of rock-hard abs. His hands rested on his hips just above his jogging pants, appearing relaxed. So why the hell did she feel waves of power radiating from him like a nuclear reactor had gone off? “Ah, Commander Austen
, hello.”
“Ms. Banks.” His cool blue eyes burned with agitation as he looked over her head at Mr. Summers. The realtor backed up another step closer to his car with the big splashy logo that touted, Chester Summers a realtor you can rely on, and his face plastering most of the door.
“I thought I would show Ms. Banks some real estate options, since she’s new to the area.”
“Then why aren’t you?” he asked sharply. “She works on Coronado, what are doing in Oceanside? She takes the bus.”
“Yes, sir,” Summers said, uncomfortably “I just thought,” He paused. “Are you her—are you a friend? She hadn’t really indicated what it was she wanted, so I just went ahead and showed her some good opportuni—”
“I think—” the Commander began, putting up his hand for Summers to shut down his slimy excuses, and gazed into her eyes. “You should use a friend of mine. He’s a good realtor. He’ll show you what you want to see.”
She nodded. “Thank you for the offer, Commander.”
“Did you drive here or did Chester bring you?” he asked.
“Ah, well—he did.”
His chin shot up and he gave Summers another cool glance. “I’ll take you home. Thanks for your time—Chester.”
Walk away with a slimy realtor and get inundated with a guilt trip about how much time he’d spent with her thus far, showing her everything except what she wanted to see, or go with the Commander. Yeah, that choice took all of a second. Follow the panty-melting Adonis, tough one.
“Not the wisest choice of realtors,” the Commander noted as he steered her in the direction of a parking lot a couple hundred feet away.
“I know. I’d pretty much decided to deep-six him after today.” Sand rolled on for miles, but few people were enjoying it. “Do you live around here, sir?” she asked, keeping her eyes front instead of savoring his toned shape. Ogling one of her bosses was not professional, but the man was architecturally perfect in every biological sense.
“I have a place on Coronado. It’s really too big for me, but I like the area and it has what I need when I’m home.” He glanced along his molded shoulder at her. “You’ll have to excuse the uniform. I was out for a jog.”
She shook her head and kept her eyes on the scenery. The California hills grew like brown mounds from the rocky ground. Green foliage sprouted here and there where someone had taken the time to use their green thumb and a lot of water. Houses dotted the hillside and palm trees instead of tall Cedar trees like she was used to, sprung from backyards. What was he doing so far away from the base? There were miles of beach closer than this if he lived in one of the developments on the island. “This seems like a nice area, although a little quiet.”
“I don’t think you’d be comfortable here.” He stopped at a silver-green Aston Martin. Obviously, commanders made more money than she thought. Popping the trunk, he grabbed a towel and dried himself off. Seeing men sweat didn’t do a thing for her, at least until now, watching the cloth glide over his tanned, taut skin. She glanced away, but not before seeing the fine hair that drew a line from his sexy navel to below his waistline. A naughty pulse stabbed between her thighs. Merde. She hadn’t felt that part of her take a gasping breath for a long time.
Pulling a shirt over his head, it nestled against him like a second skin. It would take her a while to forget what lay under the fabric. He had to be in his thirties like her. A SEAL required strength and agility, and every ripped rolling muscle on his body confirmed it. A couch potato would never last a day as a SEAL.
The Commander glanced at his watch and crossed his arms on the roof of the car. “It’s almost dinner time,” he said.
“You can drop me off at a bus stop or point me in the right direction.” A couple with their arms entwined caught her attention. Young and obviously in love, she watched them. Noting the Commander’s silence, she looked over the car at him.
He offered a half-smile, “I’m taking you home at least.”
She deliberated for a second, and then opened the door. They drove the highway running along the ocean, and she settled back in the comfortable seat to watch the sun begin its afternoon arc. The traffic wasn’t very heavy and the Commander kept a light foot on the accelerator.
He cleared his throat and looked over at her. “There must be a lot of waterfront property where you come from?”
Tucking her elbow on the top of the door and propping her head in her palm, she said, “Not unless you want to live in a tent by a tree, otherwise the price is a little prohibitive.”
“What Chester the sleazebag said, isn’t exactly true. Real estate is in a slump right now. You’re probably going to get a great deal with some patience.”
“I hope so. Patience I have. Things are a little different here than in Canada, but I’ve been approved for a mortgage, and I think I can get what I want. I can’t wait to wake up in the morning and have coffee on my balcony, looking out over the ocean.” Just the thought brought a huge smile to her lips.
“I can see that,” he said, changing lanes and overtaking a slow poke ahead of them.
She hadn’t learned her way around yet, but a large green sign and a small strip mall cued her to the fact they’d just roared past her street. “Um, I think you just missed my turnoff.”
Another grin crossed his lips. That was two in the span of thirty minutes. Now she wished he’d go back to his steely expression, because the smile made him look like a totally different man. A very sexy, warm-hearted one—double shit!
“I just made a command decision.”
She raised a brow at him. “Dinner in La Jolla?” she asked.
He cocked his head without looking at her. “Dinner, yes, La Jolla—no.”
* * * *
People swarmed the sidewalks in front of little shops filled with bikinis and T-shirts, knickknack stores and an ice cream shop. “I love this place,” she said, turning on the sidewalk to see it all. It was so quaint, the red peaked roofs reminding her of a scene from the Nantucket coast.
Offering another rare smile, he said, “I thought you might.” He placed a guiding but gentle hand on her back, and steered her toward a restaurant, where he asked for a table overlooking the ocean.
Red and white checkered cloths adorned each table, and a glass wall hindered the wind, but not the view. They followed the host, who seated them at the last available table closest to the water. Fun energy pulsated in the little tourist area known as Ferry Landing. A warm and friendly atmosphere with a mix of people from old timers to young couples strolled by. “This would be perfect. What do you think the chances are of a condo being available around here?”
“Let’s find out.” He pulled his cell and sat back in his chair. “Hey, Don. Yeah, all’s well, how’s Casey and the girls?” He paused. “She’s walking? Ah, that’s great, man. That’s good to hear. Listen I have a…a woman I know who’s transferred here. She’s lookin’ for a place, and she likes the Landing.” He paused again. “Uh-huh. She’s in the market for a condo, maybe two bedrooms, oceanfront for certain, big balcony,” he explained, giving her a wink. “Sure, I don’t think she’d mind that at all, we’ll be done in an hour. We’re at the Italian place in the Landing. All right, see ya then.” He laid the phone down on the table.
A wink? He’d just winked at her. Maybe this was Commander Austen’s twin brother with a soul, because the one she’d known up until now certainly wasn’t this human. All he’d ever offered her was a critical eye. “He’s coming now, seriously?”
“Don’s an old friend. We’ve known each other since grade school. He did okay becoming a realtor,” he said, picking up his fork. “He usually caters to the higher end of the food chain, but he thinks he has something you’ll like.”
She wanted to lunge across the table and she practically did, but stopped herself, remembering who she was with. “That’s incredible, thank you so much.”
He cleared his throat and gazed at her with those unbelievable eyes. “You’re welcome.”
“Don’t know, could be tonight,” he said, as he sawed a piece off his steak. “We always have to be ready.”
“You’re always anticipating. How do the men ever relax?”
“They have their moments, but it isn’t easy on any relationship.”
Whoa, he’d jumped a large crevasse from the men’s downtime to challenges of being involved with a SEAL. That’s not what she was intimating, and she hoped he hadn’t taken it that way. Wanting to steer clear of the topic, she looked around for something to focus on, but what she noticed was who focused on them—or him would be more to the point. Women, plenty of them, either darted glances their way or simply gawked at the Commander. She darted a look herself and her heart stopped mid-beat.
“Is there something wrong, Ms. Banks?” The Commander’s eyes fixed on her. She gripped the collar of her light sweater and covered the low-cut tank top she’d chosen for the warm day. “No, sir.”
* * * *
Watching her lips slide over the fork dazed him. How the hell could eating spun pasta look so damn erotic? Concentrate on the conversation, SEAL. She peppered him with questions about the base and SPECWAROPS, and he answered without holding back a thing. He could never do that with another woman, always coming up with some bullshit lie about what he did for a living. It was common stock to do as a SEAL—company policy. Maybe it was because she was one of them—kind of, but she was still a mystery to him.
Kayla had proven herself in the short time he’d been home. Both her work ethic and knowledge of special tactical ops were above average, obviously her experience played into that. The better he knew his men and now woman, the more he could rely on them…her. The excuse forged a slippery hold in his mind. He needed something, because every time his mind wandered, it wandered to the woman sitting across from him. He couldn’t believe she was here—with him.