by Karen Anders
He missed her like hell, but when he’d gotten back to San Diego and faced Tristan, his heart had felt like it had been ripped to shreds.
He’d told Tristan everything, and his best friend had not only thanked him, but gave him a tight hug that had them both pretending they had something in their eyes.
Tristan negated the guilt he’d felt betraying him when he’d told Rock to go after Neve. Tristan had said he couldn’t have wished for a better man for his sister.
Rock had only said that they wanted different things, but Tristan had only laughed at that. He’d told Rock to give her some time. That gave Rock hope, confidence that if Neve wanted him, she knew where she could find him. They hadn’t spoken about her since, but it was no secret that Rock was still deeply in love with her.
Dex dodged around the partition, and Rock gave Tristan an “I’ve got this” look. Tristan’s eyes twinkled.
Dex came back around and said, “She’s ready to go. She wanted to make sure you could handle being beaten by a girl.”
Damn, that sounded like something Neve would say.
He stepped up to the shelf and set his gun down, reloading it and getting it ready to fire. He looked over to the woman, only able to make out dark hair and a delicate jaw. He said, “Ladies first.”
She snorted, lifted her arm and sighted down the pistol. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. Six rounds into the target. She set her gun down, flicked the safety.
“Your turn,” Dex said.
Rock brought up his weapon and prepared to fire, his focus on the targets, when a movement caught his eye and he looked back over to his opponent. She’d taken off her goggles, pulling a holder out of her long, black hair.
His hand shook, and he depressed the trigger, emptying the gun. Without even caring how well he’d done, he set down the weapon, put on the safety and pulled off his own goggles.
Dex stepped out of the way, and she was standing there.
Neve.
Dex and Tristan melted away, and it was just the two of them. Rock set his hands on his hips, clenching his jaw, his throat thick. He heaved a breath, and Neve made a choked sound as he looked up. Her face twisted with emotion, and she slammed against him as he crushed her to him roughly, holding on to her as if she were his next breath. His chest expanded as he clutched her tighter, his voice raw and shaking. “Babe,” he whispered raggedly. “I’m never letting you go again.”
Burying her face against his neck, Neve clung to him just as tightly. “Sounds good to me.”
*
He wasn’t sure how they got out of there or how he’d gotten them to his house, but she was there, and he dragged her upstairs as they stripped until they fell together in a heated rush onto his bed.
Later, she sat on his mattress, looking mussed and thoroughly sated, her knees drawn up with her arms locked around them, watching him intently.
Amusement flickered through him. She looked like a pampered and lazy cat, sitting there with her chin propped on her upraised knees, her black hair a wild tangle around her face.
She didn’t say anything; she just gave him that drowsy smile. He reached for his shorts and got out of bed, throwing her his robe. It was way too big, but she looked adorable in it. He wondered if she knew how messy her hair was.
Her face went serious. “It’s time to talk now,” she said.
“Downstairs,” he said. “I can’t concentrate here.”
He sat on a stool as she ran her fingers along his kitchen counters, then looked at the fridge. She pulled down the colorful picture taped to it, and still he was afraid to speak. Afraid that she wasn’t staying, that this was goodbye instead of hello.
“Who did this?”
“I’m a Big Brother—the kid I’m mentoring did it.”
“Kid. Georgie, cute,” she said softly and then put the picture back on the fridge.
She walked out of the kitchen and out into the pool area. The sun was setting and night falling. He came up behind her and knew that it was now or never. He didn’t want casual sex with her. He wanted her. Time to lay it all on the line. “Neve, I love you.”
She whirled, and her face went soft and tender. She closed the distance between them and cupped his face in her hands. “I love you, too. I’ve always been afraid of that...love. I was a coward because it always scared me how deeply you can love someone and how fragile life is, how easily you could lose them. But with you I can’t be afraid anymore. I love you so much, and I’m willing to do anything to make this work between us.”
Her husky, heartfelt tone did him in. He closed his eyes and slid his hands down her arms to clasp her hands and bring them to his chest, a knot of emotion climbing into his throat. He waited for the aching contraction to ease, then said, “Do you know how much I love you?”
She smiled, her eyes full of joy, clearly transfixed by a host of emotions. Rock took her face between his hands this time, his expression strained as he held her gaze. “I want you to marry me, Neve. I want us to get married and have some kids and make a home.”
Neve stared at him, unmoving. The look in her eyes was open and certain. Tightening his hold on her face, he took a deep, unsteady breath and gave her a little shake, then said, his voice catching, “Marry me.”
She stared at him for an instant, then her eyes filled with tears and she hugged him like there was no tomorrow. His throat closed up completely, and Rock shut his eyes and turned his face against her, hugging her back. Maybe there was still room for miracles. Maybe.
Trying his damnedest to get rid of the big lump in his throat, he ran his hand up her spine. “You have to know I love you, Neve. I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you.”
She made a sound somewhere between laughter and tears, and she hugged him even harder. “I’ve missed you so much. So damned much.”
Wrapping his arms right around her torso, he totally enveloped her and turned his face against the soft skin of her neck. Feeling lighter than he could ever remember, he gave her a tight squeeze.
She whispered against his skin, “You’re going to forgive me for being an idiot? Just like that?”
“Yes, because I’m a nice guy.”
She moved her hips slowly and sensually against him. “Yes,” she whispered huskily. “You are.”
“Before you stir up something else here,” he added at her frown, squeezing her tighter, “maybe you’d better give me your answer. Tell me you love me. I need you to say the words again.”
“I love you and I will marry you. I know your concerns about children and my career. But I can’t jump out of helicopters forever, so if you’re willing to move around a little bit before the babies, I think we can come to a perfect agreement. After all, they also have to grow to school age.”
“I think we can negotiate that. I have stores I want to open up... Let’s see where that takes us.”
“Right now I’ll be in San Diego for another four years. I chose to stay here when they offered me my pick of locations.”
Hooking his knuckles under her chin, he lifted her face and coaxed her with a gentle smile, his touch slow and provoking. “Say it again,” he commanded softly.
Tears appeared and she looked at him, her heart in her eyes. She drew a shaky breath, then said, her gaze steady and unguarded, “I love you, Russell Kaczewski. You’re my Rock.” With tears glistening in her long lashes, she touched his face with infinite gentleness, then leaned forward and kissed him, whispering against his mouth, “I love you. I’ll marry you, and we’ll be together forever.”
His throat thick and his chest chock-full of emotion, Rock caught her by the back of the head, his fingers tangling in her hair as he opened his mouth to hers, taking all that she offered. She gave him what he wanted, then she pressed her hand against his face and eased away.
She pulled at the tie of the robe with a mischievous look on her face. “How about a quick swim?” The robe dropped into a pool of burnished satin at his feet. He laughed as she snapped the waistband of his shorts. �
��You won’t need these.”
She went outside and jumped into the water, and he removed his shorts and dived in, then swam up to her. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, her lips soft and wet. He got hot and bothered all over again. Pressing her back against the pool, he took her fast and hard.
A little while later, she stirred on the bed. “Now that you’ve taken care of one kind of hunger—twice...” she murmured, running her hand over his chest.
“You’re taking a lot for granted, aren’t you?”
She gave him a sugar-wouldn’t-melt-in-her-mouth smile. “What do you mean?”
“You expect me to feed you?”
She cocked her head and gave him a smile and a nod.
He watched her, liking the way she held his gaze, liking the intimacy in her eyes. “You’re a piece of work, you know that?” Rock said.
She watched him, that same sleepy, satisfied look on her face. He caught a glint of amusement in her eyes, and her mouth lifted a little. “You’re the coffee-cake king. So get your hard, gorgeous ass in the kitchen, Marine.”
“You expect me to do the cooking, don’t you?”
“Yes, in the bedroom and in the kitchen. Just make sure you’re barefoot...and naked.”
“Well, I think I’ve got the bedroom covered, but I’ll need an apron in the kitchen so that I don’t get stuff all over me.”
Her brow arched, and she gave him a cheeky grin. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll lick anything off.”
She gazed at him, her eyes dark and slumberous, her mouth still moist from his kisses, and Rock’s pulse skittered and caught. He wondered if he would ever get enough of her.
Hell no. But he didn’t have to worry about that now. He had her, and she was going to be his for the rest of his life. He could handle a little naked cooking now and again.
Epilogue
Two months later
Tristan and Amber’s wedding was in full swing, and Neve was getting a thrill out of showing everyone at the reception her ring, a huge diamond set in platinum with a spectacular sparkle and shine.
Then a guy walked in, and Neve recognized him immediately. The sniper. For most of the mission she’d thought the one shadowing them had been her brother Tristan. She broke away from her friends and family, putting herself right in his path.
“Hi, Neve Michaels.” She thrust out her hand.
He stopped and stared at her, and she realized he wasn’t going to say a word. She guessed he was probably former CIA. Those guys never owned up to anything.
“NCIS Special Agent Derrick Gunn,” he said, gripping her strongly and letting go.
“Been to the jungle lately?”
“What? Down to Central America? No way. I don’t like roughing it, and I hear it’s pretty dangerous down there.”
Yeah, for the bad guys and anyone who got into this guy’s scope.
“Why would you do that when you could be sipping drinks with umbrellas in them on a white, sandy beach?”
“Exactly.” He flashed her a devastating grin, and she suspected that there were many women who would easily sink under his don’t-mess-with-me-if-you-want-to-stay-safe charm. But she was immune. She had Rock.
“Can I have this dance?” she asked and he obliged her, moving smoothly onto the dance floor, as suave as 007. He looked the part in that tux, one that wasn’t off the rack. They danced for a few minutes, making idle small talk.
When the music ended, Neve snagged and squeezed his forearm, gratitude in her eyes. “Thank you.”
“For the dance?”
“Yeah, right, for the dance.”
As Rock approached, he nodded to her big, beautiful fiancé. “Glad to have been of service,” he said, then disappeared into the crowd.
After acknowledging Derrick one warrior to another, Rock slipped his arm around her and dragged her close. “Your brother looks so happy. I can’t wait until our wedding day.”
She looked over at Tristan, who was dancing with a beaming Amber. “He is happy and we will be, too.”
She turned into his arms. “You look pretty good in this tux, and I’d say you were the best man here.”
He smirked. “I saw what you did there. Yeah, I clean up good.”
“I do have to say that I kind of enjoyed our decadent jungle sex.”
Stroking the wisps of hair at her temple with his thumb, he gazed at her, a heart-stopping smile in his eyes, then he lowered his head and kissed her. “We can be just as free and unrestrained here.”
His eyes held the kind of glint only Rock could give her. She remembered every moment of their time together in the wilds of the Darién. “Oh, you were pretty amazing in every way.”
“Damn straight.” His eyes really started to dance.
She laughed softly.
He slipped his arm around her waist and looked toward the door. “Wanna see some more of my moves right now?”
“You are so bad,” She gave him a little push, and he caught her to him, pulling her closer.
“One hundred percent pure marine badass to the bone,” he agreed, kissing her. “I’m bulletproof, babe. Nothing beats Rock.”
She couldn’t argue with that.
*
Keep reading for an excerpt from
THE KILLER YOU KNOW by Kimberly Van Meter
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The Killer You Know
by Kimberly Van Meter
Chapter 1
Special Agent Silas Kelly opened the door to the Chicago Bureau office, the biting cold in the air nipping at his freshly shaven jaw. He’d been in Chicago for five years but he still hadn’t gotten used to the wind chill of his new city.
A summons to the director’s office never boded well. He was still dealing with the aftermath of his latest case—one that he hadn’t been able to solve in time, and a kid had died.
As a member of the Child Abduction Unit, it was his job to save kids.
They’d managed to catch the perp but not before the man had slit the boy’s throat.
Thomas Fielding, age six, snatched from the park when the babysitter wasn’t looking.
Now Thomas’s parents were making funeral arrangements.
Maybe that was what the director wanted to talk about, to go over where they’d failed young Thomas so that, hopefully, next time, the news they brought to frightened parents was good.
Silas walked into Director Beatrice Oppenshaw’s office and closed the door for privacy. She gestured for him to take a seat.
“I’ll get straight to the point,” she said, clasping her hands together. “There’s been a homicide in Port Orion,
Washington, that might catch your attention. I want you to ignore the urge to follow up.”
Port Orion, his hometown. Usually the location of his nightmares.
“The body of a sixteen-year-old girl was dumped in Seminole Creek. Based on the marks on her neck, the preliminary cause of death is strangulation, pending the autopsy results.”
A shock wave rippled across his body. Seminole Creek.
Flashes of his childhood followed an echo of his little brother’s voice.
“There’s no reason for the FBI to get involved. Local jurisdiction will handle the case,” Oppenshaw said when she saw Silas gearing up to object. “Trust me, I’m doing you a favor.”
Silas knew why she was warning him to keep his distance. This new case hit too many triggers. Oppenshaw knew how Silas’s little brother Spencer had died.
How his body had been found in that same creek.
And how Spencer’s killer had never been found.
“What if there are similarities to my brother’s cold case?” he asked, using reason to win his boss over. “This could be a break in a twenty-year-old case.”
“A case that just happens to be your youngest brother’s,” Oppenshaw replied, shaking her head. “It’s a conflict of interest. Out of deference to you, if you think there might be some leads, I will send another agent up there to check things out but I don’t want you near that case.”
“Port Orion is a small town. They won’t talk to a stranger. I have an advantage—”
“And a handicap,” Oppenshaw countered firmly. “You know you’re too emotionally invested to be unbiased. The answer is no.”
But Silas’s mind was already moving. Oppenshaw could forbid him to go on federal time but she couldn’t control his vacation choices.
