by J. M. Madden
Izzy grinned into the night again. She got the distinct impression he was trying to warn her off, kind of. But he was curious about her connections too. If he'd never been in a long-term relationship, then he had to be curious about the mechanics. Plus, he was in the middle of a wedding. In a situation like this it was natural to long for some kind of stability. Dylan and Kiko now had each other to lean upon, no matter how far apart they were. There really was something to be said for having a person in your corner always.
"I would like to be married some day," she admitted. "Have a couple kids to pass on the family genes and take care of me when I get old. And I'd like to be a part of a couple. I envy Kiko in that. She has someone to come home to every night. Well, at least for a while," she corrected. "Not sure when Dylan will next be deployed. I'd like to travel and see the world, but I've slowly come to realize it's just not as much fun if you're doing it alone."
"That's very true," he admitted. "We see a lot of amazing things when we're deployed, but we usually don't have the time to appreciate them. Someday I'd like to go back to these places when they're not in the middle of a war. The people themselves usually just want to live in peace and raise their families. It's the regimes around them causing the strife."
Izzy wondered if he realized how much longing she heard in his voice. She wanted to be the person he wanted to take there.
For some reason she was really feeling emotional, too. Whether because of the romance of the wedding, or what was going on between she and Drake. Maybe both. Her heart was telling her that there was a connection here that she'd never felt before.
"So, what or who do you consider home?" she asked finally.
For an incredible minute he wanted to say her.
They'd known each other mere hours, but his body had become attuned to hers on a harmonic he'd never felt with another person. Yeah, there was the subtle understanding you had with your teammates, but this was very different. For the first time ever, he wondered if this was the person he was supposed to be with. Was the big guy in the sky throwing him together with this girl for a reason? Or was it just happenstance?
He would like to think he had more control over his life than to be sucked into a relationship just because of proximity. No, that wasn't even right. Chemistry. It was chemistry pulling them together. But was it enough to keep them together?
Drake kind of didn't care. He liked Izzy, more than any other woman he'd ever met. She was the first one to make him really think about settling down.
There was a commotion on the dance floor, raised voices and shouts. Drake stilled, trying to decide if it was bad enough that he needed get up and check on things. If he ever did have kids, they would probably be a lot easier to control than the males in his team now. They were overgrown children who lived on adrenalin and had too much disposable income, as well as very few responsibilities.
When the shouts continued, he stood up to look on the patio. There was a cluster of men grouped not too far away, struggling. Two of the men he recognized from his own team. And the third… No way. Shit. Drake ran to the courtyard, leapt up the shallow steps and across the few feet to the group. For some reason, he wasn't surprised to see Izzy's wayward suitor in the middle of the group.
Brendon looked up at him and snarled. “Where is she? I demand to talk to her.”
With no hesitation Drake drew his arm back and drove a heavy fist into his jaw, knocking him unconscious. The man crumpled to the floor, unmoving. Blood flowed again from the nose he’d broken earlier.
"Damn, Zero. Overreact much?"
"Fuck!"
Drake didn't say anything as security was called to carry the man away. The rest of the guests were already dancing again, the altercation a minor blip on their radar, probably attributed to the champagne and open bar. Izzy held his arm as they followed the security guards from the scene.
Hank Patterson stood just inside the door of the resort. He caught Drake’s eye as they entered, glancing pointedly at their clasped hands. “Anything I need to know about, Zero?”
Drake shook his head but told Montana what was going on. Some of the tension eased in the other man’s eyes. “Thanks for filling me in. We’ve had some issues with kooks like him around here.”
That’s right. Sadie, his woman, once had a stalker follow her from LA.
“It’s nothing connected to Ms. McClain,” Izzy said. “This is a blind date I was set up on for this wedding.”
Drake looked at her sharply. That was news to him. Patterson seemed relieved that it wasn’t more drama for his pretty actress girlfriend. “Okay, Zero. If you need anything, most of my Protector team is out there. Just let us know.”
Drake shook the proffered hand. “Will do. Thanks, Patterson.”
With a wink the other man returned to the party.
Once they were away from the noise of the gathering, Drake pulled her aside. “This asshole was a blind date? Are you serious? I thought he was just a date you brought.”
Izzy shrugged. “Kiko set us up. She knew him from a friend of a friend and thought we’d click. He picked me up at the airport last night and took me out for Mexican. He seemed like an okay guy. A little self-centered, but no more than most men. I told him I was tired after traveling all day and he dropped me off at the resort. Ginny had come out early for a last-minute dress fitting and she was waiting for me. After that I didn’t see Brendon until he came earlier this morning for the wedding.”
Drake snorted out a laugh. “A fucking blind date,” he murmured.
Izzy grinned at him. “I have to say this guy was pretty shitty.”
Drake chuckled with her, obviously remembering what she’d hit him with in the break room and took her hand to escort her into the resort. He filled the guards in on what had happened earlier. They seemed aggravated at not having been informed of the previous altercation. Drake shrugged in acknowledgement but not apology, and they moved on. Izzy was asked to fill out and sign a report, which she had no problem doing.
"What will you do with him?"
"The sheriff is on another call," the older guard told her, "but he'll be out as soon as he clears from it. Then he can take him in to sober him up. It seems like he's on something because he can’t be reasoned with at all."
Izzy winced, hoping Brendon would find a way to clean up after this. It had been a bad day for him.
Then she realized what she was thinking. Brendon had attacked her, as well as knifed the man she had connected with—her hero. Though he’d connected her with Drake, he deserved everything he got.
She looked at Drake now, standing against the wall with his massive arms crossed over his chest. He had dark eyebrows and she wondered for the first time what he looked like with hair.
Then she discarded the notion. He was too damn sexy...
They left the room and headed back to the party. There were a couple of men waiting for them, because as soon as they stepped out onto the paver stones they were converged upon.
One younger man with dirty blond hair and laughing blue eyes pounded Drake on the back. "You took that fucker out with one hit, Zero. Dayam..."
Drake didn't say anything, but he curled an arm around her shoulders to keep her from being jostled.
Another man, young but heavily bearded, grinned, his white teeth glinting through the hair. "I was trying to be nice to the poor, stupid bastard, then here comes Zero in to save the day, swooping in like Superman or some shit."
There was a round of laughter, and even Izzy found herself grinning. "You do have a bit of a hero complex, don't you? Have you now filled your quota for the night?"
He glanced down at her, his eyes narrowed with laughter. "More like for the year," he admitted.
The younger men wouldn't leave until they'd heard what other mischief he'd been in that night. Izzy reported what had happened, but left out the juiciest bits. The men seemed to understand that though too. Their eyes sparkled and they shared grins and shoulder bumps. It was obvious they knew the
ir mutual hero had gotten some other action tonight as well.
By the time they pulled away from his younger teammates, it was obvious Drake's reputation had grown. Within minutes, it seemed like a large portion of the reception guests had also heard. Kiko waved Izzy down at one point, pulling her into a semi-quiet corner.
"Are you okay?" she hissed. "What happened?"
Izzy winced. "Nothing you need to worry about right now. I was really trying not to disrupt your wedding."
"Well, it's done," Kiko told her, making a flat hand motion. "Now tell me so I know everything is good before I escape to the islands."
Izzy told her everything. Ginny joined them about halfway through, her mouth dropping open incredulously as she listened. "He was so nice at first. What happened?"
Izzy shrugged. "Drake and the security guards seem to think he's on something."
Ginny hummed in her throat. "That would make a lot more sense to me. He didn’t seem like an asshole at first."
All three nodded. They'd seen irrational behavior on drugs before, many, many times.
"And I don't know if it has any bearing on the situation," Kiko said thoughtfully, "but he was also in the Navy a few years. His family and mine were neighbors in LA."
Izzy frowned. Was it a stretch to wonder if being around Navy SEALs would set him off?
"I'll let Drake know. It sounds a little far fetched. I mean, Kiko set this date up a few days ago and everything seemed fine. He was personable on the phone. I met him last night when he picked me up at the airport and took me out to dinner. We had a decent time. He's a little intense, but not too bad."
Kiko nodded. "Yes, he was always like that. I thought the two of you would get along well though."
Izzy shrugged. "Oh, well."
The wedding planner called Kiko's name and she glanced over her shoulder at her with a bright smile. "This woman is driving me nuts," she murmured out of the side of her mouth. "I'm so glad the wedding is over."
Laughing, Izzy pulled her in for a hug. "Glad we're not the only ones who hate her."
Kiko squeezed her hard. "I think we're going to make our escape soon. I love you girls. Keep things under control till I get back in a couple weeks."
They nodded, and Izzy was struck with the sweetness of the moment. "You're married now. What the hell? Things are going to change."
Kiko winced, brushing Izzy's hair from her cheek. "Not if I can help it," she promised. "We'll talk more when I get home."
With final hugs and kisses, the three friends parted.
"She's going to leave us," Ginny whispered.
Izzy thought so too, but she wouldn't vocalize it just yet. There was a chance the three of them would stay together at Ft. Carson. It just wasn't great.
Chapter Six
Drake watched the three women together. It was obvious they had been friends for a very long time. He could almost hear Izzy's words in his mind as she explained the situation to the bride. He expected anger from Kiko, but he didn't see it. She nodded her head and frowned, and at one point her mouth fell open, but she didn't appear aggravated, like he would have been.
No, she seemed to take everything in stride, even reaching out to comfort Izzy. She could have been a real bitch about everything. Drake appreciated that her light was too bright to dim today.
Dylan stood hipshot across the courtyard with a group of buddies, but the entire time he watched Kiko. There was an emotion in his eyes that spoke of heat and need. He seemed to be biding his time until he could steal Kiko away, nodding absently to those talking around him.
If he were newly married, Drake supposed that he should be entranced by his new wife as well.
He turned to look for Izzy. The three friends were hugging and separating. All three were beautiful in their own way, but Izzy drew his attention like no other woman. She was a few inches taller than the other women and more fairly complected, and that hair...
It struck him that he was looking at Izzy with almost the same intensity Dylan was looking at Kiko.
Drake swallowed, wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into. He didn't plan on finding someone who worked his emotions like this. Yeah, he'd thought in the back of his mind about maybe hooking up with a lonely divorcee who needed a good screwing, but he never planned on being emotionally compromised.
Fuck…
For the first time in his life, he felt true, nauseating fear. The thought of walking away and never seeing Izzy again flooded him with anxiety.
Pushing up from the table, he turned looking for an escape, but there were people crowded around him. Panic clawed at his throat as he shuffled side to side, looking for an out. Finally, one opened up and he all but bolted from the courtyard. A hand grabbed at him but he whipped away.
Without thought, he headed toward the balcony where he'd hidden out before, weaving up the stairway and through the curtains beyond. His bottle of Woodford was exactly where he'd left it, but he didn't reach for the glass. He sat down in the chair and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, breathing hard. Then he scrubbed his head with his hands, aggravated at having left that way. His guys would be worried about him, and he had no excuse for his behavior.
Back and forth he ran his hand over his head, taking comfort in the repetition. He knew he was far enough back into the shadows that no one could see him here. But that evidently didn't mean people couldn't find him. When he felt the touch on his shoulder, he didn't jerk, just looked up into bright green eyes smiling gently down into his.
Drake wasn't sure if it was a good idea to see her again. He had a feeling it was going to hurt when they parted, but he gave her a small smile anyway.
"I was worried about you when you left."
He frowned, a little shocked at her words. He'd been alone so long he couldn't even imagine who had last worried about him. His mother, before she'd died? That had been when he'd still been in elementary school. It certainly hadn't been his dad. He'd washed his hands of his wayward, too-adventurous son long ago.
"I'm fine. Sometimes the crowds get to me. I had to get out of there and be alone to breathe."
"Oh," she drew back her hand. "Okay. I'll leave you alone then."
She'd started to turn, but he grabbed her hand. "No, I don't mind you being here."
Strangely, that was the truth. He didn't mind her being here at all. Normally the mere presence of other people aggravated the crap out of him, but not her.
That broad smile spread her lips again. "Okay, if you're sure."
She looked around for a chair, but the one he sat in was the only one out here. With a tug, he pulled her down onto his lap. For the slightest moment she stiffened, but then she relaxed into his hold, curling up against his chest. She fit amazingly well.
"I have to be honest, Drake," she murmured. "You're very easy to be with like this."
He sighed beneath her, swinging her legs up across the arm of the chair. "You know this can't go anywhere, right Izzy? I like being with you too, but there's no way this will work. No matter how much we're drawn to each other, we’re a country—no, a world apart."
Drake was glad that her head was nestled beneath his chin, because he didn't have to look into her eyes as he delivered that blow. But he could feel the tears landing on his chest. She didn't say anything for a long time, and he worried that she wouldn't talk to him anymore, but she stayed in his arms, gently rubbing her hand over his chest.
"I think," she said finally, sitting up in his lap and looking him in the eye, "that if we wanted something to work, we could do it."
Drake frowned. "I'm stateside less than half the year, and during the time that I’m stateside, I'm in Virginia. I have to be ready to be in the air within a couple hours of notification. That's no joke."
She nodded. "I know you do and I'm fine with that. I would never ask you to change anything you do. But I want you to think about something. Next time you have a long weekend or break, only if you want, maybe I can fly out to see you. I have no prob
lem traveling."
That damn tightness in his throat was back again and he had to look away from her to get a grip.
"I'm not ready for anything too involved either," she continued, "but the thought of not seeing you again makes my heart hurt. I've only known you for a few hours, but I feel like I've been with you for a long time. And I know I want to see you again."
Drake blinked at her, wondering if she was crazy, or if he was. Maybe they both were to even think about trying to swing a relationship like this. Instead of answering her, he pulled him toward her for a kiss. Izzy met him eagerly and he could tell she was smiling against his mouth. For some reason that was especially sexy and he pulled back to look at her.
Her eyes were clear and there was an excitement in her expression that spurred his own. "You know, I think I might take you up on that. I'll warn you now, though, I'm not much of a relationship guy. Contact may be hard, especially if I'm out of the country."
She nodded, looping her arms around his neck. "I understand that. And I'm not going to wait by the phone for you to call. I'm not much of one for relationships either, but I feel like we click. And not just in the sack," she laughed, obviously feeling his arousal pressed against her.
Drake grinned, loving that she could tease him like this. "Let's make sure we still click in the sack," he said, pushing her back.
Izzy laughed and pulled away as a voice began to echo below them. "Not yet. Dylan and Kiko are about to leave and I want to see them off."
Giving in good-naturedly, he followed her from the balcony. All his anxiety had vanished. When she reached for his hand as they reentered the courtyard, he allowed her to take it. Most of the people were moving through a trellised arch at the far end of the patio, obviously being directed by the wedding planner and her assistants, but there was a bottleneck. Struck with inspiration, Drake tugged on Izzy's hand, pulling her back into the resort. With sure, quick steps he led her through the monstrous hotel and out a side door. He'd scouted all this last night before the guests started arriving.
They beat the crowd and came in from the opposite side of the gathering. The laughing revelers were forming an aisle way down the shallow fieldstone steps leading to the limo that was going to take the newlyweds to the airport. Izzy had said that there was a private plane ready to fly them south.
