“Are you okay?” Ethan asked.
She startled, looking over to him. “Yeah. Um. I’m fine. Just thinking.”
He looked like he didn’t believe her, but he didn’t ask anything further about it. They all walked to the building together, Hailey talking excitedly about life out here in San Diego. Grayson unlocked the door and gestured for the women to go in. Kim hesitated as they walked into the small living room. It was dark since the lights were turned off, and the blinds covering the sliding glass door had been shut.
“Sorry, it was really bright earlier,” Hailey said, pulling the cord to slant them open.
Kim jumped, blinking. Somehow the dark room with the bright light coming from the balcony doors made her feel like she was back in Afghanistan. She’d spent countless days and nights in the caves they stuck her in, the light from the opening nearly blinding her some days with the morning sun.
She began to tremble slightly, taking a step backward.
Hailey looked at her, puzzled. “Kim? Are you okay? I’ll close the blinds,” she said, worriedly looking toward Grayson.
Kim tried to take a breath, feeling her chest tightening. Her heart was racing, her palms sweating, and tears smarted her eyes as she stumbled backwards. “Hey, it’s all right,” Ethan said, wrapping a muscular arm around her and pulling her close. Without thinking, she buried her face in the crook of his neck, her hands sandwiched between them on his muscular chest.
Ethan’s large hand palmed the back of her head, and she realized she was shaking. “I can’t stay here,” she said. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t!”
She began to cry as Ethan held her, and she heard her friend talking to Grayson in the background. The tears just kept falling though, and Ethan holding her was the only thing keeping her standing. His strength was all that kept her from completely falling apart.
Hailey was already closing the blinds, but Ethan tightened his arms as she shook.
“We’ll go to my house,” Ethan assured her. “There’s more space, and you won’t feel so confined.”
“Oh my God,” she said, pulling away from him. “How am I supposed to go live back in my apartment in Arlington? I flipped out two seconds after walking in here. What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing’s wrong with you,” he assured her, pulling her back toward him. “You’ve been through hell, and you’re exhausted. Let’s go to my place. We’ll order some food, you can rest, and then you and Hailey can catch up tomorrow after a good night’s sleep. She can come visit you there where we’ll all have more space.”
“I’m sorry,” she whimpered.
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” he assured her.
“Kim, I’m so sorry,” Hailey said as she rushed over. Kim glanced at her friend, hating how upset she now looked. “I didn’t mean to do anything to upset you—I just wanted us to have some light—I didn’t realize—” She cut off again, and Kim felt horrible.
“I shouldn’t flip out when someone turns on a light or opens the blinds in a dark room,” Kim said, frustrated.
“It was just a flashback,” Ethan said soothingly. “It’s only been a week. It’s normal to feel that way.”
“I feel silly even asking this, but do you want me to come with you guys to Ethan’s? Are you comfortable staying with him?” Hailey asked.
Kim nodded, smiling at her friend. “I am. And that’s sweet of you for checking. I feel safe with him.”
Ethan didn’t say anything, just gently rubbed her back.
“Okay, I just felt like I should check. No offense or anything to you Ethan.”
“None taken. You’re a good friend to worry about her.”
Grayson still had her suitcase. “Want me to take this back to your SUV?”
“Yep. Let’s go, sweetheart. We’ll plan on seeing those two tomorrow, okay?” He guided her toward the door, where Grayson was standing. “Does that work for you guys? We can grill at my place if the weather is good.”
“Works for us,” Grayson said. He was looking at Kim in concern, and she began to feel flustered. They’d gone to all this trouble to pick her up, and she was flipping out over nothing.
“I’m sorry,” Kim said.
“Nothing to be sorry for,” Grayson said. “You get settled in at Ethan’s, and Hailey and I will come see you tomorrow. I know you both have a lot to catch up on, but get some rest tonight.”
Kim’s hand slipped into Ethan’s as they walked back out the door they’d just come through. Even thousands of miles away, nowhere near the terrorists who’d held her, she’d been terrified. And once again, he’d helped her. Even if nothing ever came from her relationship with Ethan—friendship, whatever they had—she’d be forever grateful to him.
His clean, masculine scent calmed her, as did the sound of his deep voice. He’d seen her at her absolute worst and still seemed to care for her. She didn’t know what would happen in the future; she just hoped it somehow involved him.
Chapter 16
Ethan nearly did a double-take thirty minutes later as they walked into his house together. The sight of Kimberly standing in his living room was so right, it almost hurt just to look at her. She was here, in his space. In his house. Under his protection.
Maybe there were no immediate threats to her—nothing like when he’d hustled her away in the darkness of night. But she’d been petrified at Ghost’s place. She’d had a flashback, and it had physically hurt to see her so frightened. He’d simply taken her into his arms and gotten her out of there as soon as he could.
Ethan was thankful his own house was sunny and open. He might’ve only been renting it, but it had enough room for the two of them. And it was bright and airy, unlike the smaller apartment Ghost had. He might not have had an ocean view like them, but Ethan had windows and light. A skylight in the living room, filling the entire area with warmth. A small backyard to relax in.
He’d never even brought a woman here before, he realized. Any woman he’d been with in the past year, he’d usually picked up for a date and then spent the night at her place. Or taken her straight home from the bar. He hadn’t been in a serious relationship in years. He supposed in his younger days he’d had women over to his apartment. But this house he’d rented for the past year?
Aside from the real estate agent who’d shown it to him, a woman had never even set foot inside.
“Here we go,” he said, setting Kimberly’s suitcase down. “Home sweet home.”
“Wow—it’s beautiful,” she said with a smile. She looked up at the skylight, smiling as the sun beamed down on her face. She closed her eyes, her dark hair shining in the light, and Ethan felt his chest tighten. He loved seeing her so happy.
He might not have had a place on the beach, but this house suited him just fine. He was tired of apartment life. He hadn’t had a roommate in years. Maybe he was just renting, but it made him feel more settled having a small house to spread out in and a backyard. Growing up in Florida, he’d spent time outside every day of the year. Now he had training and missions, but hell if he didn’t love having a house to come home to.
“It’s not beautiful,” he chuckled. “It looks like a bachelor pad—no paintings or decorations. No knick-knacks. No feminine touches anywhere.”
“But it’s sunny and open and beautiful,” she said, walking away from the skylight and over to the window. “You’ve got palm trees and a great yard. A nice little patio.”
“We can have Ghost and Hailey over tomorrow for dinner. I’ll grill some food, and we’ll just hang out and relax. Their place is closer to the beach, but we can drive to a different one that’s near my house if you want to go for a walk one day.”
“Yeah, I’d love to.” She turned to face him, looking up with worried blue eyes. “I know you weren’t expecting a houseguest until later in the week,” she hedged. “Are you sure this is okay?”
“Of course it’s okay,” he assured her. “I love that you feel safe enough to come stay with me.”
> She nodded, her eyes growing watery. “I’m sorry for freaking out back there. It’s just—somehow the darkness of the room and the light coming in when Hailey opened the blinds…. I thought for a second I was back in Afghanistan. It was so weird and real; I swore I could even smell the mountain air and smoke from the campfire. Everything came back in that instant.”
“You’re safe here,” he said, taking a step closer. The look of fear on her face slayed him. He knew she wasn’t afraid of him. It was her memories that terrified her. He wanted to kill all the bastards who’d taken her and caused her even a moment of harm.
“I know,” she reassured him. “The flashbacks just freak me out when they come out of nowhere.”
Ethan frowned.
“I’m okay,” she said, resting her delicate hand on his chest. He covered it with his own, feeling strangely protective of her. He wanted to haul her into his arms but also didn’t want to freak her out. Instead, he lightly caressed her hand with his thumb, holding it to his chest. “I feel safe with you, Ethan.”
“You’ll always be safe with me.”
“I know I’m in the Army Reserves and should be able to protect myself but—”
“No buts,” he interrupted. “You did everything right. You were kidnapped from a goddamn secure military base. My team has rescued people from all over the world—men, women, children, fellow soldiers and SEALs. It doesn’t matter. Everyone needs help sometimes.”
“It’s hard to imagine someone like you needing help.”
Ethan chuckled, taking her hand from his chest and holding it as they crossed his living room. “Well, that’s where you’re wrong. The guys and I train together daily. I’m closer to them than anyone. I couldn’t just rush in somewhere alone. I trust them to have my back, and we work together. Always.”
“Yeah, I get it,” she mused. She kept hold of his hand, and Ethan resisted the urge to grin. It was nice to feel needed. He hated what she’d gone through, but knowing a woman like Kim put her trust in him made male pride swell within his chest.
“Come on. I’ll show you the rest of my place.” They walked into the kitchen, and he told her to help herself to anything if she got hungry.
“I know its early for dinner on west coast time, but I actually am kind of starving.”
“Then I want you to eat,” he said with a low laugh. “After not getting enough food for months, we’ll eat dinner twice if you want.”
She smiled, flushing. “I can have a snack if you’re not hungry yet.”
“Nope. Let’s eat dinner. What are you in the mood for? We can get carryout if that works. I’m guessing you might not feel up for going out.”
“Carryout sounds perfect. Italian?”
He grinned. “There’s an awesome Italian place near here. They actually deliver, so we can just relax and hang out after we order. It’s nice enough that we can eat on the patio if you want.”
She nodded, looking around as they walked back out into the living room. For the first time, he wished it were a little more inviting. Women always had blankets and pillows and shit. Ghost’s own apartment was nicer now that Hailey lived there. Ethan had a comfortable couch, but that was about it. The massive TV took up most of the room. Frowning, he remembered watching the news footage of Kimberly before their op. Now here she was, literally standing in his house in front of that same TV. It was weird how life worked sometimes. He never doubted they’d rescue her, but to have her in his home? To feel the strange mixture of possessiveness and protectiveness every time she was near?
That he hadn’t been expecting.
He cleared his throat. “There’s a guest room down the hall. I assume you’ll be more comfortable there. My bedroom is farther down,” he said, nodding his head in that direction. “I know you haven’t really been alone much yet, but I’ll be close by if you need something at night.”
“Okay. Geez. I just realized you have work Monday, right? You were expecting me later this week. I was planning to see Hailey for lunch on Monday, but she does have some big meeting bright and early that she couldn’t get out of.”
“I was planning to be on base, but it’s okay. I’ll talk to my commander. I was planning to take off Thursday and Friday, but I might be able to switch things around.”
“I don’t want to be a nuisance,” she said.
“You’re not a nuisance,” he assured her. “I’m thrilled that you’re here.”
“If you have to go into base Monday, it’s fine. I can hang out in the morning until Hailey is free. And if you have stuff to do tomorrow—”
“Nope. I was planning to crash whatever you guys were doing at Ghost’s place. But we’ll have them over here instead.”
“Okay,” she said, letting out a shaky breath. “Thanks for being so easygoing about everything. I still feel silly about what happened earlier. Let’s order the food, okay?”
He brushed a piece of her dark hair back from her face, his fingers skimming over her cheek. He loved how much smaller Kimberly was than him. And the way she reacted to his touch made his groin tighten. Nothing sexual was going to happen between them though. He loved just having the chance to be close to her. “There’s no reason to feel silly, sweetheart. I’m sorry you had a flashback, but I love that you’re here and I get to spend more time with you. And I’m more than okay with ordering the food now. I can always eat,” he added with a chuckle. “Let me grab a menu, and you can tell me what you like.”
***
An hour later, they were sitting out on Ethan’s patio, an Italian feast spread out before them. Kim had trouble deciding what to pick since she hadn’t eaten Italian in so long, save for the pizza they’d grabbed, so he ordered extra entrees, much to her protest. He’d assured her they could have some for lunch the next several days or even freeze the extras.
“Oh my God,” she moaned, taking a bite of her eggplant parmesan. “This is amazing. God. The cheese and the pasta and—” she cut off, smiling.
“It’s good to see you smile.”
“Well, I barely ate anything decent for months. I don’t mean to keep bringing it up, but it’s true. I was craving just about everything by the time you guys rescued me.”
“I hate that all of that happened to you.”
“Well, yeah. Me too, obviously. But if it hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here with you right now.”
“Never say never. Hailey and Ghost live together. Maybe we would’ve met at their future wedding.” She laughed, realizing that with her gone, Hailey might’ve told Grayson that she was pregnant. Although her friend had confided that they’d looked at rings already, Ethan seemed to realize they’d be getting married one day, too. Holy crap. It was hard to imagine her friend being a mom. Not that she’d be bad at it or anything, but Kim was used to going out to dinner and for drinks with her single girlfriends, not talking about pregnancy and babies. Marriage and motherhood seemed so far in the distant future.
“Do you know something I don’t?” she joked.
“I think we all realize it’s inevitable. Blake and Clarissa are engaged. Jackson just moved in with Taryn. Hell, half the team is now in a serious relationship.”
Kim shrugged. “It happens. People get older and settle down. How did you end up renting an entire house just for yourself?”
“I got sick of apartment living,” he admitted. “I’m twenty-nine. I joined the military right out of high school, so after a decade of living with a bunch of guys, first in the barracks and then in apartments, it got old. I wanted my own space.”
“I understand. I rent an apartment but live alone. I always thought I was done with roommates, but I have to admit, after my kidnapping, I’d probably feel better with someone else there.”
“Well, Hailey ended up moving out here and right in with Ghost.”
“I still never talked with Hailey about what happened to her. You said she was kidnapped as well?”
Ethan nodded. “She was. Oddly enough it related back to everything at Bagr
am. There was a traitor in the general’s office who thought she could ID him. They had someone out here go after her.”
“Holy crap. But that doesn’t relate to my kidnapping, does it?”
“They seem to be separate incidents. The traitor was feeding intelligence to the enemy for money. They still don’t know who took you.”
“Jesus,” Kim groaned, setting her fork down. “I can’t believe both Hailey and I got caught up in all that insanity. After I met with the investigators, they basically said they’d be in touch. What if I’m somehow still in danger?”
“You’re not,” Ethan assured her. “That guy who was after Hailey was arrested and is in jail. The terrorist assholes who took you are in the mountains of Afghanistan.”
“But whoever kidnapped me—what if it’s someone on base with connections? I mean, they kidnapped me from a secure military base. That never should’ve happened.”
“It shouldn’t have,” he agreed. “Personally, I think one of the insurgents snuck in after the suicide bombing at the gate. There were multiple attacks in the area prior to that incident, as I’m sure you’re aware. The Afghanis who work on base are thoroughly vetted.”
“I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head. “I know there were many other incidents with servicemembers killed, but I feel like there’s more that I can’t remember.”
“From when you were kidnapped?” Ethan asked, raising his eyebrows. Kim saw the spark of anger in his eyes. She knew his team had been there a couple of times dealing with the terror cells in the area. With his high-level clearance, he probably knew more than her. At least with regard to the terror cells operating in the region.
“Yeah. The kidnapping itself is all kind of a blur. I don’t remember being taken—just waking up tied up. There were men there talking in Farsi and the one guy who…hurt me.”
“Shit,” Ethan said, reaching across the table as she sniffled. He took her hand in his, running his thumb soothingly over her skin. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want.”
SEAL's Revenge (Alpha SEALs Coronado Book 4) Page 13
