“Yeah?” he shouts back from across the bar.
“What do they call me in the unit?” I yell back and his eyes go wide. I know why. It’s because it’s embarrassing as hell and he thinks that if I share that now it’s going to kill any game I had left with my pretty pilot. But I need to prove to her that I’m more than what she thinks I am.
“You really want all these people to know?” He laughs. “You must be desperate.”
“I am,” I call back. “Just say it!”
“Okay, Tarzan!” He cackles. “It’s your funeral.”
“Stop it.” She laughs. Tears of glee fill her eyes, because it really is an awful callsign, as they usually tend to be.
“You’re kidding me.” Cinco chuckles. “That’s terrible.”
“So what did you do to earn that?” Hooter asks me.
“Uhn uhh,” I say, shaking my head and looking at the blonde. “You first. A deal’s a deal.”
“You can call me Mack,” she says.
“What kind of callsign is that?” I ask.
“That’s not part of the deal,” she says. “My name is MacKenzie. I promised to tell you what you could call me and only my friends and family call me Mack. Besides, you already know what I do. So tell me, how did you get that God awful callsign?”
“All right, I’ll give you that play. I screamed like a girl the first time I jumped out of a plane.” Her companions both snicker, because that’s not exactly the hallmark of a SEAL. “They said I sounded just like Tarzan when he swings through the trees.”
“How long have you been a SEAL?” Hooter asks.
“About seven years,” I answer, and for the first time I realize how long I’ve been doing this. I’ve never put much thought into settling down before, finding something more stable. The idea pops up from time to time, usually when it’s time to renew my contract, but this time feels different. I’ve been at this game a long time. My body won’t hold out in this job for another decade, and there’s no guarantee I’ll live that long if I try.
“How long have you all been flying?”
“Five years,” both her friends answer, and I expect her answer to be the same, that they all went to flight school together or something like that, but what she says next surprises me.
“My whole life.”
Clearly, it surprises her companions as well, because they look as blindsided as I’m sure I do right now. They obviously didn’t think she would volunteer that information herself. So Mack, the pretty pilot, likes her life private. Good to know.
“How’s that?” I ask, my voice low and a little rough. I love the idea that she’s given me something. That this beautiful and intelligent woman will make me earn everything that she gives me and, yet, she’s just given me this. It’s mine and I’m keeping it.
“I flew pipeline spotter routes as a baby with my grandfather.”
“So you’re from a town with pipelines,” I say, hoping she’ll elaborate because I have no idea what that could mean. She’s clearly from the south, but other than that, I’ve got nothing.
“Yes,” she says with a small smile, knowing that I’m doing my best to dig out the information.
“And what kind of pipelines would those be?” I’m really grasping at straws here, and we all know it by the pained look on the guys’ faces. Mack, however, is enjoying every moment of my pain and suffering. She looks like she could happily bask in it all night.
“Oil,” she says, and her accent thickens around the word like the very substances she spoke of.
“And the town would be?”
“For fuck’s sake.” Hooter laughs. “Put the poor guy out of his misery already.”
“Right?” the other one adds with a grimace on his face. “This is painful to watch.”
“East Texas,” she says, answering my question before turning to her friend. “I was about to. I’m not a monster, you know.”
“I’m not so sure.” Cinco chuckles. “You’re pretty mean.”
“I am not!” She laughs at his insult. They’re clearly close and this kind of banter is totally normal for them.
“You really are,” he laughs.
“So where are you from?” she asks me, and I’m so surprised she’s engaging in conversation that I startle a bit.
“New Jersey.”
“I bet that’s cold,” she says.
“Shoveling snow isn’t a childhood pastime I’m eager to take up again,” I say, making her laugh.
“No, I don’t imagine it is.”
“Don’t you have snow in Texas?” I ask grasping onto anything that could link us, bridge the gap. Fuck, her friends are right, I’m pathetic but I also can’t bother to care.
“Some,” she answers. “But not enough to shovel. And if we did, I let my brother do it.”
“So you have a brother?” I watch the shutters come down over her eyes and her spine straighten. She didn’t mean to let anything that personal slip out and any detail about her brother is not welcome. I suppose they aren’t close anymore. Conversation that heavy isn’t something I want to ruin the easy banter we’ve been enjoying so I smooth it over and change the subject.
“It’s okay,” I say softly. She’s spooked, and I don’t want her to run. I’ve come this far. “No family talk. I get it. Let’s start over.”
“Again?” she asks, softening again. “How many times are we going to start over tonight?”
“As many as it takes.” My words are as honest as it gets, and I can see that register on her beautiful face. I want her badly enough that I will keep going again and again. I want to know her in a way that shows that I think she’s not only worth the effort, but I would also go to great lengths for the honor to do so. She’s different from other women I’ve met before and I can already tell that she’s special.
This is obviously the correct answer, because both of her friends give me appraising looks and, finally, they look like what they see is all right with them. It’s a small victory in the battle to win my Mack.
“Well,” Hooter says, “it looks like you’ve got everything handled here, and that redhead is calling my name.”
“Same,” Cinco adds as he pushes off his stool and heads to where Tube is standing in the middle of the group of girls.
“They’re going to make fun of your callsign over there,” she says when we’re finally alone.
“I know,” I say with a smile.
“And you’re okay with that?” Mack asks, eyeing me as if she’s weighing the veracity of my statement.
“Of course,” I reply. “I can’t change other people, only my reaction to them, and really a little teasing isn’t a big deal. I can take it. Besides, I’m here with a beautiful woman. Do you see me complaining?”
“No, I guess I don’t,” she replies thoughtfully, and she looks like she’s just now seeing me for the first time. The attraction snaps and crackles between us again like dry lightning.
“Can I get you another beer or something else?” I ask, even though the bottle is still more than halfway full and sweating all over the tabletop. I don’t want her to drink warm beer on account of my inattentiveness. This woman deserves more than that. She deserves a lot more than that.
“Lone Star,” she blurts out, and her bright green eyes widen in surprise. They’re bigger than most and definitely a prominent feature of hers, but now they look huge.
“What?” I ask, not sure what her comment has to do with anything or why she looks so startled by the information that she’s freely given. But I do know that now I want to know more than ever.
“My callsign,” she replies quietly. “It’s Lone Star.”
“You’re lucky.” I laugh. “You could be saddled with Tarzan.”
“This is true.” She laughs, and I watch as some of the tension seeps out of her body.
“So, would you like something else to drink?”
“No, I think I’d like to get out of here,” she says quietly as she stands. “Are you coming?”
<
br /> “Yes,” I say immediately. I’m surprised. She didn’t seem like she would give me a chance to redeem myself after my blunder about being a pilot, and yet, here we are. She also doesn’t seem like the type to take a man home from a bar either, but I can’t help being more than glad she’s decided to take a walk on the wild side tonight.
I look over my shoulder, put my fingers to my mouth, and whistle when I spot Sean in a sea of people. He has his arm around a dark-haired woman, and I have a feeling he’s good for the night, but still, I should make sure he’s not going to end up in a bathtub full of ice and missing a kidney.
He waves me off. “I’m good,” he shouts as he spots Mack beside me. “Make good choices!”
I flip him off but smile doing it, because he’s an asshole but also my best friend.
Mack’s two friends look our way and offer chin lifts. I still can’t get a read on them, but they seem okay. And besides, I’ll probably never see them again. It’s not often that my buddies and I end up this far north, and we’re frequently gone on a mission, so my time is limited.
I turn back to Mack, but she’s already making her way through the bar toward the heavy front door. Her round ass sways ever so slightly with each step she takes on long, slim legs that seem to go on for miles encased in her well-washed denim.
I don’t waste a second more getting to her. I know that Sean will give me shit later tomorrow about how I ran panting from a bar after a good-looking woman, but with the promise of a night with her looming in front of me, I just don’t care. It’ll be totally worth it.
I catch up to her just in time to reach around her slim body and pull the heavy door open for her. She looks back at me, surprise flitting across her face for a moment, and then it’s gone. Almost like she didn’t think I would really follow her out of the bar. She has to know she’s beautiful, right? And smart and witty. It all adds up to one hell of a package that I can’t resist. One that I don’t want to resist.
“Thank you,” she drawls in her low, husky voice. Her Texas twang is thick and sweet like honey, and as I look into her green eyes, I know without a doubt I’ll get her to say my name just like that while I’m buried deep inside her. Or I’ll die trying.
She passes under my arm, and she’s just tall enough that she has to duck a little to get by. I follow her outside and let the door swing closed behind us, muting the noise from the bar. She starts off toward the north end of the parking lot, but I grab her slim hand in mine and turn her in the direction of the south end.
“My truck’s this way,” I explain when she gives me a confused look.
“How do I know you’re not a serial killer?” she asks.
“You don’t.” I wink at her. “You’re just going to have to trust me.”
“Give me your ID card,” she says as she stops in her tracks and holds out her hand.
“What?” I ask. She’s surprised me. I’ve never had anyone ask me to prove who I am before.
“Give me your ID card,” she repeats, and I grab my wallet from my back pocket and flip it open. I slide my CAC—or common access card—from its slot and hand it to her. She pulls her cell phone from her slim purse and slides her finger across the screen, snapping a quick picture of my face and name on the front of my card before handing it back to me. I watch as her fingers fly over the face of the screen before locking it down and dropping it back in her bag. “Okay. We can go now.”
She grabs my hand again like nothing happened.
“What was that?” I ask.
“I sent your info to Hooter,” she says, cool as you please. “So if you kill me, he will know who to send the cops after.”
“That is terrifying,” I reply with wide eyes.
“Hey, us single ladies can’t be too careful,” she says.
“True enough,” I agree. The thought of something happening to my sister back in New Jersey tears through my gut. I wonder if she takes similar precautions.
I lead the way to my truck and pull the passenger door open for her. Her eyes flare; with what, I’m not sure yet, but I do know I’ve surprised her again. Hopefully in a good way.
“My place is on the beach,” she says quietly, like she’s suddenly shy with me. “And I… uhh… live alone.”
“Lead the way.”
And she does.
Chapter Four
MacKenzie
Sweaty palms
I can’t believe I’m doing this. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. This isn’t me, but I also know without a doubt that this attraction isn’t something to ignore. Life has taught me to take risks, when to push the throttle and when to pull back, and there is something about this enigmatic man that has me ready to take a risk.
It’s just one night, after all. I can let go of my control for one night.
Besides, I texted a picture of his ID card to Hooter like a good little girl scout, so if my body washes ashore a week from now, he’ll know who to point the fingers at—one Kyle Garrett. Or more likely, if I don’t show up to the ready room Monday morning for the day's briefings, Cinco and Hooter will lose their minds.
I’m lucky to have them. It’s not easy being a woman in a man’s world. Fortunately, the men of this squadron are all pure class. Not one of them has treated me differently just because I have a pair of boobs. I know that’s not always the case, but these guys are special. We’re a team, a family, and I know I can trust everyone in this family to have my back, on mission or off. That’s just what we do.
I discreetly wipe my sweaty palms down the thighs of my jeans and tell Kyle, “Turn left here.”
He flips the signal and turns onto my street. Condos line the left side of the road, and the beach is to the right. I couldn’t believe my luck when this unit became available. I don’t know how long I’ll be with this squadron before Uncle Sam sends me on to my next station, but until then, I’m loving the peace the ocean brings me. Kind of funny for a girl from a small, landlocked town in Texas. I think I’ll hold on to this place if I can when I move on. I’ll rent it out if I have to, but I think I’d like to be able to come back here when I retire. There’s something about this one spot on the beach that makes me feel like I’m home.
“Street parking is hard to find,” I tell him. “You can park in my spot behind the building.” I direct him around back.
Each condo is a tall, skinny building attached to several more just like it in the row. Made up of cream and salmon stucco with terracotta tile roofs, the buildings stand three stories high with balconies off the master bedrooms at the top and glass sided decks off the second and first floors. It’s a beautiful design. A little beachy and a little modern all rolled into one. It’s very San Diego.
He pulls into the space next to my garage and shuts off the truck. The air crackles between us like a live wire when he turns to me. His hazel eyes flash golden, but I can tell he’s banking all of that intensity in case I want to back out. That small show of care tells me everything I need to know—at least for now. Kyle Garrett is not a man to dismiss. He’s powerful and sexy, sure, but I get the feeling that he’s also kind. It’s an unexpected surprise. One I really like uncovering.
I unbuckle my seatbelt and step out of the truck. I pull my keys from my purse and let us in through the door off the kitchen, just past a small stucco and terracotta tile outdoor shower at the back of the house.
I toss my keys and purse on the small island in the kitchen before turning back to him. “Well, this is it.”
He watches me for a moment, his dark, hungry eyes appraising every inch of me from head to toe, and I feel my cheeks heat and my nipples tighten underneath my layered tank tops. His eyes home in on my chest, and I know he can see what he’s doing to me by just standing there. It’s unreal the way that he makes me feel.
His eyes flash back to mine, and I watch the previously banked heat flare, before he says, “Come here.”
It’s as if I have no control over my feet. One minute, I’m across the kitchen, and the next, I’
m in his arms, and he takes my mouth in a savage kiss. It’s hard and hungry and everything I feel for him in this moment. I’m going to let myself be free to do and to feel, to touch and to taste, to take and to give, and then I’m going to watch him walk away. So for now, I’ll take every bit of it that I can.
Kyle grabs my ass in his hands and wraps my legs around his waist. I take hold of his shoulders for balance and barely hold back the moan that wants to slip past my lips when I feel his hard length press against my center. Even through our clothes, I can feel how hot and hard he is.
“Where’s your room?” he asks when he tears his mouth away from mine leaving me breathless.
“Upstairs,” I pant. “Third floor.”
And then I let out a little yelp, because he runs up the stairs with me in his arms. He’s big and brawny and carries me like I weigh nothing at all. While we’re all required to stay in shape, I’m no wilting violet. I’m a strong woman. I’m a marine.
But he makes me feel delicate, fragile, special even. And it’s sexy as hell. But I’m not ready to just roll over and let him have his way either. Kyle Garrett is going to have to work for it. He has to earn the right to possess me.
“At the end of the hall,” I tell him in a breathy whisper.
His eyes hold mine hostage as he slowly slides me down his body, lowering me to stand barefoot before him on the carpet. My sneakers must have fallen off somewhere between the kitchen and here.
“Take off your shirt,” he softly commands after he steps back to watch me. He has another think coming if he thinks I’m just going to do his bidding.
“You first,” I counter. I want to push him like he’s pushing me. I don’t want him to think that I’m the kind of woman who’s a little plaything he can order around. I’ll order him around right back.
“That’s not what I asked for.”
“Then make me.” The challenge passes through my lips before I can stop it. His eyes flare and sparkle with the challenge, and the corner of his lush mouth curls up in a knowing smirk.
“Be careful what you wish for,” he replies as he eyes me like a tiger would a gazelle. It makes my breath catch in my lungs.
Trap: A Salvation Society Novel Page 3
