“You wouldn’t?” she asked in surprise.
Ethan’s lips quirked. “Believe it or not, I don’t sit at the bedside of every woman I rescue.” Kimberly felt herself flushing under his gaze and felt silly. She wasn’t a teenager with a crush. She was a U.S. soldier. A defense contractor. She worked at the Pentagon for heaven’s sake and saw military men all the time.
Something about Ethan sent warmth coursing through her though. She was silly to act like anything would come of it, but at the moment, she’d enjoy his attention and companionship. Accept his protection. And then life would go on, just as it always had before.
Chapter 11
Ethan grumbled under his breath as he and Blake escorted Kimberly back to their building the following afternoon. They’d gotten a ride from the hospital and were about to get her settled in a room near them. They hadn’t gotten word on when they’d fly out since she still needed to meet with a few people on base. Normally his team bunked in the barracks to blend in, but they were in the housing for visiting dignitaries because Kim would be with them.
He saw a few people standing around the entrance to the building watching them. He knew they were curious, but this wasn’t the time for them to stand around staring. Privacy laws prevented the hospital from saying much about Kim’s condition, but everyone on base knew she’d been released. And her face had been blasted all over the news worldwide.
Ethan knew she had no interest in speaking to the media right now, but the reality was, once they got home, the press would be hounding her. The people gathered around the building right now unnerved him. Kimberly needed her space. And no one was supposed to know where she was staying.
“Word gets around,” Blake muttered, apparently thinking the same thing as Ethan.
“Yep. They could be happy for Kim without showing up to snoop though.”
Kimberly laughed, resting a hand on Ethan’s arm. “It’s okay. I’d be curious, too, to see a POW.”
“That doesn’t mean they should stand around gawking,” he growled. Blake exchanged a glance with Kimberly, and he tried to rein himself in. He might want to go all alpha male on everyone standing around, demanding that they leave, but Kim seemed less bothered about it than him. And he didn’t want to draw more attention to them.
“One of the women rustled up some clothing and personal items for you,” he said, trying to ignore the way his blood was boiling. “It’s all in your room waiting. Hopefully we won’t be staying here long.”
“Do you think we’ll fly out tonight?” Kim asked as they walked inside.
More people watched them, but Blake frowned, and they continued on with their own business. “We’re not sure,” Blake said. “I’m waiting on word from our CO. They want you to meet with the investigators.”
“I know. I hate having to do it, but I’ll give them a brief summary. No doubt they’ll be talking to me more when I’m back in the States. Right now, I just want to get out of here.”
“I’ll see what we can do,” Blake assured her.
“I need to call my parents again,” she said.
“You can,” Ethan said. “Why don’t you get showered and changed or whatever you want to do. I’ll speak with the investigators on what time they can meet with you.”
“And I’ll contact the commander,” Blake said.
The rest of the team was sitting around when they walked in. It was unusual to have any down time after a mission, but they weren’t flying out without Kimberly. “I grabbed some food from the mess hall,” Grayson said. “We can get something else for you later, but I figured you might be hungry and this was better than the MREs we have.”
“I don’t know,” she joked. “Those MREs might be better than the hospital food they gave me.”
Ethan’s lips quirked. Although she was still too thin and slightly pale, he liked hearing her make a joke every once in a while. And his chest swelled any time she smiled. She’d had a rough go of things—that was an understatement. She’d been through hell. Although he hadn’t known her before her kidnapping, every once in a while, he saw a glimmer of what he assumed was her former self. She’d crack a joke. Smile or laugh at something he said. It made him feel about ten feet tall to give her that.
“Hospital food is the worst,” Grayson agreed. “I felt bad when Hailey was in Landstuhl. I briefly stopped in to see her, but we couldn’t stay.”
“You flew to Germany to see her?” Kim asked, surprised.
“Well, technically we were flying home. But I talked the commander into delaying our departure time so I could visit her.”
“Damn,” she said, looking impressed, as the men chuckled.
“I’m going to show Kim her room,” Ethan said.
“We’re glad you’ve been released,” Jackson said. “We’ll all be around, so let us know if you need anything.”
“Or if you get tired of Ethan,” Logan joked.
Kim laughed at the look Ethan shot Logan. “I don’t remember you bringing me cheese pizza in the hospital,” she teased. “I might just keep him around.”
Ethan placed his hand on her back, guiding her toward her room and ignoring the laughter of his teammates. She didn’t shy away from his touch, and it felt like he was staking his claim. Not that he was planning to date her or something, but he wasn’t about to let the other guys flirt with her either.
“Oh my God, I have my own bathroom?” she asked excitedly as she walked into her room.
He chuckled. “Yep. This building is for visiting dignitaries. It’s a hell of a lot nicer than where we usually bunk, but we’re not complaining. We’ll be close by, and one of us will keep watch outside of your room if we need to stay overnight.”
“Wow. Okay. I wish I could say that was unnecessary, but….”
“It’s necessary,” he said, his voice gruff.
His gaze swept the room as they both stepped inside. It felt oddly intimate to be in here with her. Her hospital room had been clinical. Utilitarian. She might’ve been in bed then, but she was in a hospital gown and hooked up to an IV. Doctors and nurses were coming and going. In here, clothes were stacked neatly on the dresser. Toiletries were on the counter in the bathroom. Even though they weren’t her personal items, just things hastily scrounged up for her, knowing she’d be using them made his pulse pound.
She’d be standing in the shower, washing her hair and skin. She’d be walking around naked in here, before dressing in the borrowed clothing.
Ethan could feel his groin tightening and knew he needed to get his mind back on track. He wasn’t here to imagine her naked. He shouldn’t be thinking of her showering in the bathroom. He was here to protect her and make her feel safe.
“You have everything you need?” he asked.
“I think so. They only gave me a sponge bath in the hospital,” she said, her cheeks pinkening. Her hand went to her hair. “I’ve been dreaming of a hot shower for months.”
“It’s not the Ritz,” he said, his lips quirking, “but it’ll have to do for now.”
“It’s perfect.”
Ethan nodded to the door. “I’ll be in the hallway right outside your room. The guys are in rooms on both sides of you. Just holler if you need anything.” He turned and walked toward her door, letting it close behind him as he stepped out into the hallway. A beat passed, and he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. It felt weird to leave her in there alone, but she was a grown woman. She’d been released from the hospital and cleared to fly home. She’d get checked out again at Walter Reed, but it’s not like she was incapable of caring for herself.
“Ethan!” she yelled.
He was instantly back inside, his gaze sweeping the room. “What’s wrong?”
Kimberly was standing in the doorway to the bathroom, looking slightly panicked. “Can you wait inside the room while I shower and change? I’ll close the bathroom door, obviously, but I haven’t been alone since…and—” She cut off, looking nervous.
“Of course I’ll wait in h
ere. Take as long as you need.”
She nodded uncertainly.
“I’m serious, sweetheart. I don’t mind. It’s just as easy to hang out here as in the hall. More comfortable, actually.”
“Okay. Thanks. I know it’s silly, but I haven’t been by myself in so long. When you closed the door, I kind of freaked out and panicked.”
She looked over his shoulder in the open doorway, and he glanced back to see Jackson and Grayson standing there. He knew his teammates had come rushing over when she’d shouted his name, but he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it and make her uncomfortable. “I’m going to wait in here.”
They grunted in affirmation and went back to their rooms.
“God, how embarrassing,” Kimberly said, raising one hand to her cheek.
Ethan stepped fully into her room, letting her door close. “Cut yourself some slack. None of us have been held in captivity. They just wanted to make sure you were okay. That’s why we’re here.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said, looking flustered. “I just don’t want anyone to think less of me. I know you guys are highly trained Special Forces operatives, but geez. I can’t be jumping at my own shadow.”
“It might take some time to feel comfortable alone again, but for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing amazing. Now go on. Shower. Change. Do whatever girly stuff you need to. I’ll just hang out in your room and see if I can get an update on the investigation.”
“Okay. Thanks Ethan.”
His blood heated at the sound of her voice saying his name. It was innocent and somehow arousing all the same. He knew he felt that way because they were literally standing in her bedroom. But that didn’t mean he didn’t like his name on her lips.
She turned and closed the bathroom door, and he scrubbed a hand over his face. He had no business being attracted to her. She’d been through a lot and needed a friend right now. That didn’t stop his pulse from pounding when she was close though.
He sank down into a chair, ready to wait however long she needed. He’d protect her. And he’d just have to try to ignore the chemistry he felt whenever they were in the same room.
Chapter 12
Kimberly nervously turned on the shower in the bathroom. She couldn’t believe she’d asked Ethan to wait in her bedroom, but the instant he’d closed the door, she’d panicked. Logically, she knew she was safe here. Bagram Airfield was heavily fortified. She was in a secure building. She had a team of Navy SEALs outside her door.
That hadn’t stopped her heart from racing the moment Ethan had left. Irrational as though it was, she hadn’t been alone since the bombing. And the last time she had been alone—outside her building, albeit in the midst of people—she’d been grabbed.
Would she ever feel safe again? Her apartment back in Arlington was in a good area. She worked in the Pentagon for goodness sakes. The plane crashing into the building on 9/11 notwithstanding, it was one of the most secure buildings in the world. And she’d have to be alone at some point.
Glancing back to make sure she’d locked the bathroom door, she stripped out of the borrowed uniform. Her wrists were still raw, but the doctor had said it was okay to bathe like normal. Thank goodness, because she wouldn’t be able to resist stepping under the spray of the shower. She grabbed the travel sized toiletries and soap and then stood under the running water, letting it wash over her hair and body.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she shook as sobs wracked her body. She didn’t think she’d ever feel this again—the hot water pouring down over her head, the steam rising around her. She didn’t think she’d ever escape those damn caves they kept moving her to. She leaned her head against the wall, bracing herself, and simply cried and stood there as the water washed over her.
She wondered if Ethan could hear her tears but decided she didn’t really care. She’d been helpless for so long that it was no wonder she had a bunch of pent-up emotions. She had still felt a bit dazed in the hospital, like none of it was real.
But this?
Standing under the pouring water?
She felt raw and exposed yet thankful. She was alive. She was free and hopefully going home within the next twenty-four hours.
She grabbed the bottle of shampoo and washed her hair, then rinsed it and immediately washed it again, scrubbing the dirt away. Although she’d rinsed her hair in the river a couple of times, it never felt clean. She didn’t have soap or shampoo when she’d been in captivity.
Kimberly washed her hair a third time, not caring that she’d wasted almost all of the travel-sized bottle. Her hair was even longer than when she’d been kidnapped, and she’d have to get it cut when she returned home.
She didn’t have any conditioner, but she didn’t care. She’d comb out her hair as best she could when she got out of the shower. Grabbing the plain soap, she washed her body, tearfully watching the suds wash down the drain. She didn’t know which woman had gotten things for her, but they’d even gotten her a razor and shaving cream. It was white and unscented, not the feminine, floral kind she usually used, but she was thankful as anything to shave her legs. After feeling grungy for several months, she finally felt clean.
Kim knew some people assumed a woman in the military might not be feminine, but she loved girly products. She might not wear a face full of makeup every day, but she enjoyed dressing up and going all out on occasion. And after two months of being held against her will, she wanted to stand under the hot shower spray for as long as possible, washing every memory along with the dirt and dust down the drain.
When her skin had finally begun to wrinkle from staying in the shower so long, she turned it off, grabbing a towel. Her cheeks flushed as she dried herself off and thought about Ethan on the other side of the bathroom door. He was being a perfect gentleman, but the thought of only the door separating him from her made her skin heat.
She was shocked at her line of thinking. But she could still find him attractive without anything coming from it, she rationalized. She obviously wasn’t going to date any of her rescuers, Ethan included. She probably wouldn’t date anyone for a long time. She needed to get home and get back to work. Push through it so she didn’t have to think about her kidnapping anymore.
She wrapped the towel around herself and then ran her fingers through her long hair. It was a tangled mess, and although she missed the floral scent of her own shampoo, her hair felt cleaner than it had in months. Kim quickly dressed in the borrowed uniform, wishing her own things hadn’t been ruined in the fire. Her time in Bagram had basically gone from bad to worse. The suicide bombing at the gate. The explosion at her building. And then it had all culminated with being kidnapped.
She paused to look in the mirror and tried not to immediately turn away. It was a bit shocking at how much she’d changed. She had dark circles under her eyes. She’d lost weight. Even her hair just dangled like a wet mop on top of her head.
Sighing, she opened the bathroom door. Ethan immediately stood up, his gaze raking over her. It didn’t make her uncomfortable, just very aware of him in her bedroom. He was tall and muscular. Confident. She felt weak, disheveled, and even a bit disoriented in comparison. Nothing about this situation felt real. She’d always considered herself a capable woman, but at the moment, she felt like she needed step-by-step instructions as to how to move on with her life.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yeah.” A beat passed while she simply looked at him. Of course she wasn’t all right. She probably wouldn’t be for a while. But she was functioning. She’d showered and dressed. She was going through all the necessary motions to go about her day. “Sorry I took so long.”
“It’s no problem,” he assured her. His dark gaze searched hers—looking for what, she wasn’t certain. Was he trying to make sure she was really okay? He’d probably heard her crying, but all her tears were gone now. She just felt a bit sad. Empty.
“So, do we have any updates?” she asked, crossing the room and fiddling with the
clothes on her dresser. It felt so strange to have nothing of hers. No personal items. Not even her own underwear and bras. Everything had been ruined in the fire.
“Yep. We’ll head over to meet with the investigators in half an hour. A couple of the guys and I will go with you. It won’t take too long. You’ll just give a brief statement, and then they’ll be in touch. When you get back to Arlington, you’ll be interviewed further at the Pentagon. A full debrief and all that.”
“Okay,” she said, letting out a breath. “I can handle that. I’ll tell them what happened, and then we’ll go?”
He nodded. “Our plane departs tonight. We’ll fly straight through to Andrews. Your family will be able to meet you there, and you’ll probably go straight to Walter Reed, from my understanding.”
“Yeah, I figured. But I really am fine. They already checked me out here.”
“There will probably be media attention surrounding your return home,” he said. Ethan frowned as she let her displeasure show on her face. “I know we didn’t really discuss it yet, but the videos they took of you were broadcast worldwide.”
“Shit. I assumed they were, but it was hard to care when I was in captivity. I just wanted to be rescued. But now? It kind of freaks me out knowing my face was blasted on the nightly news.”
“We’ll do what we can to help you. The team and I won’t say anything, of course. That won’t stop others from wanting to tell what they know.”
“I wish people would just mind their own business,” she muttered.
“I’m afraid that seems unlikely.” He cocked his head toward her door. “Ready to head out? We’ll take you to the meeting and then come back here before we fly out. If you want food or anything, we’ll get it. I know it sucks to be confined here—”
“It doesn’t,” she interrupted. “I’d rather eat in my room than have everyone stare at me. I just really want to get home.”
“I know. And we’ll get you there,” he said, looking down at her intently. She knew he was waiting for her, so she crossed her bedroom to the door, Ethan right at her back. They were both in uniform, but somehow, she still felt feminine and fragile beside him. Normally she was okay and could hold her own around the men she worked with, but right now, she appreciated his support more than he’d know.
SEAL's Revenge (Alpha SEALs Coronado Book 4) Page 9
