by Ann, Natalie
Text Copyright 2015 Natalie Ann
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without a written consent.
Dedication: To Rachel. This one is for you! Thanks for all your help along the way.
Author’s Note
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Follow Natalie Ann on Twitter
Website http://www.natalieannbooks.com
The Road Series
Lucas and Brooke’s Story- Road to Recovery
Jack and Cori’s Story – Road to Redemption
Mac and Beth’s Story- Road to Reality
Ryan and Kaitlin’s Story- Road to Reason
The All Series
Ben and Presley’s Story – All or Nothing
Phil and Sophia’s Story – All of Me (coming fall of 2015)
Alec and Brynn’s Story – All the Way (coming winter of 2015)
Table of Contents
Prologue
Elvis
Safe
Traitor
Spill
Home
Focused
Style
Not Her
Blue
Unexpected
Don’t Ask
The Mind
Adventurous
Memories
Request
All
Gun
Second Dinner
Strong Word
Say It
Thanks
Exist
Hard to Share
Balance the Scales
Why Do You Do That
Tell Me
Guilt
Merry Christmas
Strength and Courage
Far Gone
Happy Family
Domestic
Stubborn
Going Down
Child
Baggage
Three Big Words
Needed
Ceremony
My Fault
Ring
Epilogue
More Books
Prologue
Ben Harper looked across the loading dock through his night vision goggles, content everything was going as planned. He’d hand-selected his team for this mission, like he always did. They’d been working night and day for months, gathering every bit of intelligence they could on the shipment of assault weapons being smuggled into the United States via the large vessel scheduled to port.
The final stage of their plan had been put into action days ago—faster than he’d originally suspected—after receiving a tip that the scheduled transport date had been pushed up. It seemed the cartel feared the authorities were on to them, and they were right. But Ben, as always, was one step ahead.
There was time yet before the action began, he thought, looking down at his watch. At least an hour to go, if not more, before the trade of guns for money was made.
He looked around the shipyard knowing exactly where every one of his men was stationed for this mission. It was his job to know, and his job to get them all out alive. He’d gotten out of a lot more stickier situations and from more difficult missions than this one. This mission would be pretty cut and dry, an easy day in the scheme of things.
There were five men on his team today. Each one had his own specialty, but Ben was the leader, having brought them all together. He was the brains, the guts, and the level head all wrapped into one. He knew when to act and when to wait and how to bring everyone back together as one unit.
The whole package, his commanding officer had told him years ago. It was a lot of responsibility and a lot of stress, but he thrived in that atmosphere and made his mark, moving up the ranks as fast as he could.
When he heard a noise to his right, he turned to see his best friend and fellow Navy SEAL, Trent Richards, shifting his position. The average person wouldn’t have heard Trent’s movement, but Ben heard everything. He was always on full alert. He had to be.
Trent looked up and grinned. Trent was always grinning, but then again, so was Ben. It was funny actually, Ben thought. In the midst of some of their deadliest missions, he and Trent always had a smile or a chuckle for each other. Almost like they could read each other’s minds. Twins of the soul, Trent jokingly called the two of them.
Ben knew something about twins. Having grown up with older twin brothers, and wondering at their unique bond of knowing what the other was thinking, Ben finally understood it all. Because he had that bond with Trent. They were two of a kind in more ways than one. Looking at them, people often thought they actually were brothers, not only by their looks, but also their mannerisms.
They’d done everything together from the moment they met, when Trent was assigned the bunk next to his. They went through basic training together, were stationed together in their first deployment, and graduated one-two as elite Navy SEALS. Of course Ben was number one, but Trent was only slightly behind him—as always. It never bothered Trent, though.
Matter of fact Trent had told him that if it hadn’t for Ben, he wouldn’t have done as well as he had in the Navy. Trent said Ben was the reason he was the man he was today. Ben was the reason Trent was a Navy SEAL and Ben was the reason Trent made something out of his life after his crazy upbringing.
That was a lot of weight to put on someone’s shoulders, telling them they were responsible for the man they had become. But Ben shouldered that responsibility well.
Shaking his head with a grin, and pushing the crazy thoughts of his and Trent’s relationship out of his mind, he went back to his surveillance. Trent knew what he was supposed to do. All his men did. Everyone had the game plan down pat and everyone knew what to do if there was a sudden change of plans.
Turning his head to the left, he heard the low whistle off in the distance—one of his men signaling some action. Adjusting his goggles a bit more, he took count of the number of men on the dock of the vessel pulling into port. It wasn’t as many as he’d thought, which would only make this mission much easier.
Immediately he discarded those thoughts. Never let your guard down was ingrained in his brain. More than likely there were extra men below deck, and he was prepared for that as well. He was prepared for everything, just like always.
Looking slightly to the right behind a storage unit, he took note of another one of his men moving in to get a closer look. When he heard another longer whistle through the air, his suspicions were confirmed. There were indeed more men on board, hiding off to the side.
Lowering his goggles, he reached for his gun, ready to make sure everything was set. A twig snapped behind him a split second before he felt the gun pointed at the back of his head.
Elvis
19 months later
Lifting a beer to his lips, Ben looked around the bar. He’d found this little hole-in-the-wall over a month ago. Back then, he’d wanted a night alone but hadn’t wanted to spend it in his house. So he found himself driving around town and stopping in front of this run-down bar.
To his astonishment it was actually nice inside and boasted several pool tables. Though it wasn’t the type of bar his brothers or friends frequented, it suited his mood. Actually, it was nicer than some of the bars he’d patronized when he was in different ports.
Seated at the end of the bar, his back to the wall and his eyes on the entrance, he relaxed, enjoying his solitude. There were easily twenty people milling around playing pool, sitting at the tables and the bar. All in all, it was better than sitting home alone.<
br />
He’d been having a bad day and needed to unwind. His day hadn’t actually started out bad, just the opposite, really. His job as the Director of Security at Albany Medical Center was pretty tame for him. Some could almost consider it boring after what he was used to as a Navy SEAL.
Those days as a SEAL were long gone, though. It was time to move on. He couldn’t have stayed even if he’d wanted to. With Trent gone, the Navy seemed empty to him.
He shook those thoughts from his mind, knowing if he continued to think about his days as a SEAL his mood would go from bad to worse in no time. But that wasn’t what had put him in a bad mood.
No, what had put him in a sour mood was being stopped by the third person today asking if it was true, if his sister was really engaged to Ryan Mathews.
It still irked him that Ryan had proposed to his sister Kaitlin three days ago. He liked Ryan, he really did, even hung around with him for years when he was home on leave. As well as when they were growing up and running wild on the lake where they all lived. Though Ryan had always been close to Ben’s older twin brothers, Alec and Phil, Ben had still wiggled his way into the group when he was older.
Ryan was what everyone in the Capital Region called a playboy. As a good-looking, wealthy, high-profile defense attorney, he could have any woman he wanted. And Ryan had plenty. Unfortunately, Ben knew all about them, and what Ryan did with them. In the bedroom, no less.
Not that Ryan was one to kiss and tell, just the opposite, but the women he’d been with, they did plenty of talking. More like bragging. Not to mention all the times he went out with him on the weekends and watched the women swarm to Ryan’s side.
Now Ben was somehow going to have to get all of those thoughts out of his head, knowing that Ryan was most likely doing those things with his baby sister.
He grimaced and grabbed his beer for another long drink. Setting the empty bottle down, he got up to leave. He only ever allowed himself two beers at the most if he was driving. Tonight he didn’t seem to have it in him for more than one beer.
Stepping off the bar stool, he surveyed the area one more time before he left. Some habits were just too hard to break. When you’d lived the way he had, and put your life on the line daily, you learned to be cautious.
It was no different than the gun strapped to his ankle. He never went anywhere without at least one gun on him. Always be prepared—another thing that had been drilled into his head by his commanding officer, and it was how he lived and breathed, even to this day.
His eyes landed on a very nice rear end pointed right in his direction, attached to a pair of equally nice legs. He’d always been a sucker for a lovely behind, and the one in front of him was fine indeed.
The two women had been there playing pool since before he came in, just chatting and having a good time. He’d seen a man at the bar eying them, but the two girls did their best to ignore the leering drunk.
As Ben watched that fine rear end move with a cock of her hip, he decided to sit back down and have his second beer. He turned to the bartender and held his hand up, then tossed some bills on the bar preparing to enjoy the show in front of him. The night might actually improve.
In no time the girl’s game was over and Ben heard the shorter of the two girls saying, “I need to get up early. Let’s go.”
The taller one—with the perfect behind—shook her head. “No, Lucy, you go. I’ll just call a cab.”
“Suit yourself,” the shorter one said, shrugging her shoulders.
Ben watched that nice behind as she bent over and gathered the balls, racked them up, then walk to the opposite end of the table to play a solitary game.
Or what Ben thought might be a solitary game. Unfortunately, the man at the bar—who’d been drinking more than he should—decided to strike up a conversation with the leggy woman.
Ben sat back and decided to keep an eye on the situation.
Surprisingly, the woman seemed to have sensed the man’s approach, straightening up fast and turning to face the stranger with a warning look.
She was beautiful. Rich auburn hair, dark eyes—the lighting wasn’t good enough in the bar for him to make out the color, but he saw the intensity in them. And the fire. No doubt she was preparing to make a stand.
“I’ll play a game with you, baby,” the drunk said loudly.
She shook her head once and took a few steps away, seemingly ignoring the man. But he didn’t get the hint, flashing a cheesy grin her way and trying again. Stupidly, the man reached out and grabbed her arm, and that’s when Ben stood up. Nothing he hated more than a man laying a hand on a woman.
He didn’t need to worry though, the leggy woman with the lovely rear end could handle her own. She had positioned the pool stick in front of her and Ben clearly heard her say, “If you don’t let go of my arm right now I’m going to shove this stick in a place even your mother would be embarrassed about.”
Ben held back his smile. What a woman. But he decided to intervene anyway, just in case.
It was good thing he did. The drunk seemed to take it as a challenge and reached for her again, this time sidestepping and spilling half of his drink down her shirt. He wouldn’t be surprised if that move was on purpose. Because now the woman’s shirt was wet and clinging to her body, showcasing that the upper part of her was just as fine as the back.
She was livid. The fire that was in her eyes turned into full-blown flames. He wasn’t sure what she was about to do, but he didn’t give her a chance. Moving fast, he had the drunk up against the wall, the man’s face plastered tight against the wood paneling. Ben leaned in and quietly said, “I believe the lady said no.”
The man wasn’t too drunk, or he wasn’t as stupid as Ben pegged him as, because he was quickly apologizing to the lady. “Sorry. I thought you were playing hard to get.”
She snorted and all but rolled her eyes. Other than that, she made no comment.
Ben released the drunk from the wall and sent him a hard glare that had the man running out the door fast. He seemed more nervous about Ben’s glare than he was when Ben had him against the wall.
Then Ben chuckled. Sometimes he just found the whole thing funny. The only people who had never backed down from him were his family. No, they held their own, even Kaitlin, all five foot two inches of her. She could hold his stare more than anyone, and he always ended up putty in her hands. It drove him insane that she knew that, too. The only other people beside his family that had never backed down from him were Kaitlin’s fiancé, Ryan, and Trent.
He shook his head when thoughts of Trent entered his mind. Turning his attention back to the woman, he said, “You did good there. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have needed my help.”
She laughed at him. “No, I didn’t need your help. I could have handled him just fine.” She stopped and looked down at her wet shirt, drawing Ben’s eyes there too. “Guess it’s time for me to call my cab. My night is over.”
Ben unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off, leaving him in a T-shirt. Then he handed the shirt to her to cover up. He didn’t know what possessed him, but he said, “Do you live around here? Can I give you a lift home?” She raised her eyebrow at him in a way that had him explaining. “You don’t have to worry. I think you can take me if I make the wrong move,” he said with a big smile. “I’m Ben Harper, by the way. And you are?”
She eyed him with a funny look and then hesitated just enough that Ben shifted, forcing a relaxed pose and wondering if maybe he was making her nervous. “Listen, I’m pretty well known in these parts. At least my family is. I can assure you I’m not a threat. If you’re uncomfortable, that’s fine. I’ll just call you a cab and wait with you until it gets here.”
He saw the tug at her lips and wondered what the cause was. But then she said, “No, I’m not uneasy. Anyway, I’m Presley James. And a ride would be great… then I can return your shirt to you.”
Ben grinned, humor filling his dark eyes, and accepted the hand she held out to him. “Like Elvi
s? Guess your mom liked the King of Rock and Roll.”
Presley’s eyes flashed daggers at him, the same look she had sent the drunk minutes earlier. “No,” she all but growled. “As it happens my mother didn’t care for Elvis at all.”
Ben held his hands up in surrender and flashed another smile. “Sorry. It was a joke.”
She sighed. “No, I’m sorry. It’s just that’s what everyone assumes. Presley was my mother’s maiden name.”
“Well, now I know.”
“Yes, now you do,” she said with finality.
***
“I can’t believe he didn’t know who you were, Presley,” Lucy said into the phone the next morning. Presley had just finished telling Lucy what had happened last night after she left.
“Really, Luce, did you think he would have recognized us? You know how many people work at the hospital. We’re just faces in the crowd to him. Besides, it’s not like he knows everyone who works there. I’m sure without us dressed in scrubs he wouldn’t have looked twice. Just like everyone at the hospital, I’m another nurse walking the halls.”
“So what happened last night? Give me all the details. I mean I can’t believe it. Did he really bring you home? What’s he like?” Lucy asked excitedly, content to ramble on.
Presley sat down on the couch in her living room to get comfortable. She still had a few hours before her shift began at two thirty. Lucy was calling from work on her break, having started at the hospital hours earlier for the mandatory overtime added to her second shift in the Intensive Care Unit. “Yes, he brought me home. He was just as mysterious as he is at work. He’s such a contradiction.”
“How so?”
“Well, for one, he was dead serious when he had that drunk against the wall. But then he was all smiles after that. Almost boyish. He was funny and sweet and considerate, all mixed in together. Except deep down I just knew he was hiding something. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but my gut is telling me Ben Harper is full of secrets that probably no one knows or would want to know. It’s kind of sexy, in a dangerous type of way.”
