“Baby, I’m gonna carry you back to the truck. We should get word on rescue by then. Come here.” I didn’t wait for her to move. Every time the word “baby” came out my mouth she flashed me a pained look. As if I only used it out of guilt or pity. She was wrong.
I lifted her up and cradled her as she wrapped her arms around my neck. Neither of us said another word as I trekked toward the truck. She was so light and looked frail, but underneath all that she was a fighter. I was carrying her the way a man carried his bride, a thought that flashed through my head when I peered down at her slumbering form. Her eyes remained closed as she nuzzled against me, like if she were home. As if she could see me as her man. And I didn’t know if I deserved that. But we were not on some tropical honeymoon—we were in the middle of a potential war zone. I remained in the middle, the guys and Cuervo surrounding me, and watched my surroundings.
We were almost back to the truck when Pat approached me from behind. “Good news. The other girls were found in different parts of a nearby village. They are all safe. And Maya and the rest of the Team were picked up as well. Transport will be here soon for all of us. Say goodbye to Sara while you still have time, man.”
I stared down at her with such regret. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet. I kept her tight in my arms, never wanting to let go. Let her sleep as I savored the brief moments I had left.
Once we arrived at the truck, I gave her some water and Vic checked her for injuries. I knew she said she was able to handle it, but I wasn’t taking any chances. She was dirty, sore, scratched, and bruised, but she was still as beautiful as ever.
Pat motioned to me and I knew I needed to talk to her before the helicopter approached and prevented us from having any sort of meaningful conversation.
“One helicopter will be sent for you and you will be taken to a hospital. Once you are safely aboard, another will come for us. I’m not going to be allowed to go with you to the hospital because I will need to be debriefed and available for another mission. But, Sara, I want you to know how sorry I am. I do want to be with you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I thought I knew best but then I almost lost you, and I’ve been kicking my own ass ever since.” A smirk appeared on her soft lips. “I’m going to get in touch with you as soon as I’m allowed to. It could be a while, but I need you to know that I’ll be thinking about you. And when I get back home to San Diego, I’m coming to find you. If you’ll have me.”
“I’d like that, Kyle. I’ll be waiting for you.”
I knew I shouldn’t be kissing a hostage, but I didn’t care. The air between us was liable to suffocate me if I didn’t kiss her. The rumble of the helicopter shook the earth and told me I only had minutes to say goodbye. My hand grasped the back of her head and I pulled her in for a long kiss. One that would have to last us till we were together again. As our lips met, I was so thankful for the opportunity to kiss her again. She kissed me back, and it felt like the best feeling in the world. She tasted incredible, like sweet freedom. Capturing her bottom lip, I sucked it gently and drew her near, our tongues stroking slow and seductive till her body melted onto mine. It was a crime to release her.
The helicopter hovered over us and I had to say goodbye. Fuck. I reluctantly pulled away and placed her in the arms of the Marine who’d been lowered down to grab her and take her safely inside. She gave a small wave and I winked at her. My baby. As Sara melted into the night, I vowed that I would do everything possible to attempt to start a real relationship with her. My fears be damned. I wanted her more. God brought us together for a reason. God spared her life. She was meant for me and I wasn’t going to squander another chance to be with her.
22
Sara
Six weeks later, San Diego
I stood in the dressing room at the stadium and took a final look in the long mirror. This was my final game of the season, my rookie season. My life had changed so much since the day I had auditioned a little over a year ago. I’d been kidnapped, held hostage in Afghanistan, risked my life, and been brutalized. And I’d survived. Not many could say that. Nothing about the past year had been easy. I was stronger now, more confident, and mostly not afraid of anything. It was strange how almost dying changed your perspective on things.
Our squad mourned the loss of our director. We’d wept at Denise’s funeral, and organized a big fundraiser for her family. I still couldn’t believe what had happened to any of us.
Luckily for me, my ankle had only been sprained and not broken, so after rest and physical therapy, I was dancing again. The organization had provided counseling, which helped a lot. It had done wonders for Maya, who still blamed herself for me getting hurt. Which couldn’t be farther from the truth.
I spritzed some hairspray into my new bob, courtesy of the shearing of my hair at the hands of Crazy Eyes. When I’d come home, I’d considered having new extensions being placed in, but I realized I wasn’t defined by a haircut and decided to proudly rock my short hair. I didn’t want to hide behind my hair anymore. It didn’t make me who I was, or special. I knew what I was worth, and I finally wanted to go after what I wanted.
And what I wanted was Kyle. He was the calming to the storm of emotions I held inside.
He’d done his best to remain in contact with me, but he had been right, communication was hard with a deployed SEAL. There were a few broken satellite calls with the sounds of mortars going off in the background. But despite him calling me baby and making promises when he had rescued me, I hadn’t seen him yet, though he had explained to me that he wasn’t allowed to tell me when we would return. Operational security. “Soon” was the best I could get out of him. He had sent a dozen roses to my hospital room in Germany and flowers to my home. But I didn’t want flowers, I wanted him. Until I saw him again, the possibility of a relationship with him wouldn’t seem real to me. Had he just been caught up in the heat of the moment? So thrilled that he had found me? Claimed his prize? Or did he really want a relationship with me? Time would tell.
Insecurity crept up. Maybe he was back stateside and hadn’t bothered to contact me. I needed to give him the benefit of the doubt for a little while longer. There was the distinct possibility he was still deployed. I understood and valued his occupation more than ever now. So I’d give him a chance when he returned. One chance, but that was it. If he’d changed his mind or hid his feelings from me, I was through. I couldn’t keep doing that to myself.
I straightened in front of the mirror. I didn’t have time to stress about him now. Today was Military Appreciation Day, and all the cheerleaders were assigned special uniforms to honor our troops. I’d been assigned Air Force but swapped with Maya and wore the Navy uniform, just in case Kyle was somewhere watching. Old habits were hard to break. And even when I tried not to, he was always heavily on my mind. I missed him.
I pulled up my white boy shorts and tied the top into my bra, heading out to the passageway connecting to the field, poms in hand.
Today we were playing our biggest rival, the Oakland Marauders, which also just happened to be Kyle’s former team. When I closed my eyes, I could feel him next to me. Dropping my poms, I stood in line and held a animated expression until Maya whispered, “Thinking about a certain someone, buttercup?” Kyle, Kyle, Kyle, why was he on my mind so much? I chastised myself, letting out a slow breath, and prepared myself for the real possibility time didn’t in fact heal all things and he had simply moved on. The quiet was deafening. I’d come so far and yet through the silence my feelings hadn’t faded, if anything they had intensified. It was true when people said silence was the most powerful scream.
Jan, our interim director, grabbed the megaphone so she could be heard at the end of the line. “All right, ladies. We’re on Monday Night Football. Millions of people are watching you. Big smiles.”
My mood momentarily changed. I was all smiles. I couldn’t believe how blessed I was to be alive. And I couldn’t wait to cheer and celebrate the great men and women who served us. I grabbed my p
oms off the floor and sashayed out to the field and basked in the warmth of the cheering fans.
We lined the entrance as the players ran out and then took our positions around the field in four separate groups. Poms in the air above my head, I fed off of the crowd, riding their energy. Our rescue had been all over the media and though we had been forbidden by the Wildfire organization to do any interviews, the details of our rescue had somehow been leaked to the press.
I smiled at a “Run, Sara, Run!” sign. And while it was sweet, my short time with Kyle taught me one thing—the reward was saving Maya and myself. Kyle didn’t advertise his job, and he saved people every day. Despite the reputation of recent SEALs bragging about their kills and raids, Kyle was the ultimate silent operator.
Just as the singer finished her last note, we turned toward the sky. I was eager to see the Blue Angels flyover. I stared toward the sun as the six planes flew in precision formation. I’d always loved seeing them, but today witnessing our nation’s military made me so grateful to be an American. The crowd roared in heavy cheering.
“And now, a special treat. The Navy Leapfrogs.”
A helicopter hovered overhead, and for a brief moment I flashed back to being rescued, and Kyle holding me in his arms and handing me off to a Marine. Like angels from the sky, two black and yellow parachutes opened and two men came floating down carrying Navy flags. The audience roared as they executed a perfect landing.
My poms were still in the air when I noticed that one of the Leapfrogs was heading right toward my section.
My breath hitched. And I brought a hand to my chest as tears started to form.
It was Kyle.
My chest rose and fell, my breathing galloping like a wild horse, and I broke my formation, not caring whether or not I would get in trouble, and ran toward him. He sprinted across the field and before I knew it, he had scooped me up into his arms. Our lips met and the electricity exploded between us. Or maybe those bright flashes were the cameras goin
“I can’t believe you’re here! That was quite an entrance.”
“I had to pull some strings to swap with the guy who normally does this. But seeing you was worth it.” He smirked. “Baby. Let me look at you.” He pulled back, his teeth digging into his button lip. “Wow. You look amazing. I just wanted to see you in that Navy pinup uniform. I had a feeling you’d be wearing it. Of course, it will look better on my floor.” My cheeks flushed bright pink. He was what I thought about when I was alone. “I missed you, babe. I’m back. And I can’t wait to see you do your thing. I’m gonna watch you dance for me up in the box with some of my old teammates. But when this game is over, I’m taking you home. In fact, you’re never going home alone again.”
23
Kyle
It was good to be back home. We’d returned a week ago but I had been so busy debriefing my commander and readjusting to civilian life, I was anxious. I needed to be with my girl. But I didn’t want to see Sara until I could make her my top priority. My only priority. Until the only thing I saw, breathed, and tasted was her.
Plus I wanted to arrive in style. I was bringing the romance. She deserved it.
I relaxed in the box seat and for a moment, I was back in my old life. A baller. Surrounded by my former football friends. I dined on catered lobster and sipped Cristal. And while I appreciated the finer things in life, it didn’t have the same effect. Don’t get me wrong, it was great. Just different.
My old buddy, JaMarcus King, eased up next to me. Always good to see one of my boys. “Hey, T.K. Man, good to see you.”
“You too, man. How you been?”
JaMarcus pointed to his knee. “Good, bro. Good. My knee is busted but doc says I should be able to play next season. How ‘bout you? Ever think of coming back?”
I shook my head. “Nope. Not for me.”
He bit his lip and leaned in close. “Hey, you never told me. Why did you leave? I mean the truth.”
I exhaled. I had held this truth to my chest for years. My fellow frogmen didn’t even know the reason. But after vowing to start new with Sara, I decided to break my silence. JaMarcus had always been a good friend. A true friend. “Remember that night? In Dallas? With those girls?”
He nodded. “How could I forget? Damn those bitches.”
Damn those bitches indeed. JaMarcus knew exactly what I meant. I didn’t need to go into the details. But I planned to bare my soul to Sara.
But for now, I would enjoy a vacation to my past. I stared down at the field and watched my girl light up the field. She was on fire, completely magnetic. When the cameras focused on her smile and she lit up the 160-foot screen, I knew I was the luckiest man alive.
24
Sara
I changed out of my uniform. My nerves rattled. I’d been anticipating my reunion with Kyle for well over six weeks. But I hadn’t been prepared to see him today. On any given day, the time sped by or moved slower than molasses. I was ready then I wasn’t. I just wanted everything to be perfect. Finally enjoy this. Enjoy us.
Maya spritzed me with perfume. “Look, I want you to be happy. Maybe I was wrong about Kyle. Just make sure he treats you right or he’ll have me to deal with me.” There was the Maya I knew.
“Maybe?”
I laughed and she hugged me. “Okay, I couldn’t have been more wrong. I love you, Sara. You saved my life. You’re my family. I want to see you happy. You deserve it.”
Her eyes watered and I pulled back. “Don’t make me cry. I just touched up my makeup. Horror show is not exactly the look I’m going for.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “I love you. Take care of yourself.” Bringing her hand to her chin in fake wonderment, she added, “See you in what? A week? I’ll know it’s you by the penguin waddle.”
“Oh my god. Stop.” She winked at me before walking backward in the opposite direction, heading to meet up with the other girls. As we separated, I walked out of the locker room and made a beeline to my right. I didn’t make it far. Kyle was standing there across the hall in the corner holding a dozen roses. He had shed his parachute gear and uniform and looked so handsome in a fitted designer suit. Too handsome. He took my breath away.
“Hey, beautiful.”
“Hi. I still can’t believe you’re here,” I intoned softly, inching closer to him.
He put his arm around me and led me outside. Even though it was January, San Diego was still warm in the evening. A stretch limo awaited us and suddenly I became overcome with emotions. It was foreign to see him go all out.
He kissed the side of my neck, causing goose bumps to travel across my skin, then opened the door, stretching out his hand so I’d go in first. The limo driver promptly set off and Kyle and I wasted no time and necked like two teenagers. I’d never get enough of him. His scent. His touch. They intoxicated me.
“I don’t roll like this anymore. But tonight is a special occasion.”
“Oh really? What is that?” I teased. All I really needed was him.
“Our first date.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. We’d had sex twice, once was a hot one-night stand, next time was on a war bunker. We were kind of doing this backward. Then he’d saved me from terrorists. Yep. Most definitely backward.
But that didn’t change the fact that we didn’t really know each other at all. I had strong feelings for a man I knew only on the surface. We were bound together by these incredible experiences, but did we have enough in common to build a future?
I’d find out tonight.
25
Kyle
I never got nervous, never. Not before a mission, not before a football game, not even during drown proofing at BUD/S. But I had to admit, Sara made me nervous.
Tonight, I would spoil her. The limo dropped us off at the Grand Del Mar hotel and we walked into the upscale French restaurant, Addison. I was more of a steak and potatoes guy, but this place was supposedly the best and Sara deserved the best.
Well, at least this place
was romantic. The lighting was dim, and we were escorted to a huge private booth near the blazing fire. I hadn’t done this romance stuff in so long, my hands grew clammy as we sat. I wiped them on my pants. We ordered the chef’s twelve-course tasting menu and a sommelier picked our wine pairings.
As we indulged in oysters and champagne, I took Sara’s hand. If I was going to be honest, now was as good a time as any.
“Look, I wanted to tell you something. Something I never tell anyone.”
Her eyes brightened. “What?”
“Why I stopped playing ball.”
“I’m dying to know. But you don’t have to tell me, Kyle. It’s apparent it’s hard for you to talk about it if you’ve kept it to yourself for this long.”
She stared at me through long, fluttering lashes. I exhaled. The words that I’d held back. I was going to speak my truth. She squeezed my hands, signaling it was all going to be okay. And I cleared my throat.
“After playing for a few years, I was getting tired of the scene. But, I’ll be honest, I was addicted to the lifestyle. When I told my then girlfriend I was considering leaving football, she dumped me. She wanted to be a football wife.”
Sara squeezed my hand again and I couldn’t help staring at the way the candlelight illuminated her chest. Every time she took a breath it rose like what I said hung on a knife’s edge. “That’s horrible, Kyle. She obviously wasn’t right for you.”
“No, she wasn’t. I see that now. But, it really got to me then. I felt that everyone around me was just after my money. No one liked me, the true me. But, for a while, I was just pissed and started acting out. It all blew up one night. My buddy JaMarcus and I had only one night left in Dallas. After a year on the road, it had turned into the same thing every night. Different state, different girl. We’d met two girls in the bar that night. They didn’t seem like typical groupies, not that we would’ve cared if they were. So we took them up to our suite. I started to kiss one of the girls and she was super aggressive and handed me a condom. Now, I always had my own stash, but she insisted. She was hot and I was drunk so I tossed caution to the wind and rolled the condom on, and there at the tip was a hole. A fucking hole. She had poked a hole in the condom. How sick is that? I pulled up my pants and told her to get out. To say I was mad was an understatement. But I had a revelation that night. I was on the wrong path. I used people just as much as they used me. I was a damn opportunist with a god complex. I didn’t even recognize myself anymore. When I did, I felt alone. People’s loyalty ended the minute the benefits stopped. The sex wasn’t the only thing that was dirty. And I should have known better. That’s the thing about being shallow—it doesn’t take long to be emptied and sink to the bottom. So I chose to walk away and find my own peace. Because that person, yeah, that person wasn’t me.”
TRITON: A Navy SEAL Romance (Heroes Ever After Book 2) Page 39
