Chasing Fortune (Stealth Ops Book 8)

by Brittney Sahin

  The sight of her breasts rising, her creamy skin looking as though it might spill over the top of her white lacy bra when she drew in a deep breath reminded him of Friday when they were safe and sound in Virginia. That night he’d circled his tongue around each rosebud nipple.

  “We’re going to get through this,” she said, interrupting his thoughts of how responsive her body was to his touch, how easily he was able to throw her over the edge into bliss. “You know, I miss Bear already.” She removed the rest of her clothes, undressing in front of him to change into pajamas as if they were a normal couple going through the motions of getting ready for bed. He had no clothes in that room, so he stripped down to boxers. “And I miss what we had in Virginia.”

  “We still have it.” He approached and stopped behind where she stood in front of the vanity mirror in a thin, pale-pink nightgown that fell to her mid-thighs. He set a kiss to her shoulder and met her eyes in the mirror. “And I miss Bear, too.”

  “I so hate myself for being tired right now,” she said after a soft groan of regret. “Emotionally and physically drained.”

  “Yeah, we should sleep.” We can’t have sex for the first time here, under Carter’s roof. He swallowed. Probably not. That didn’t stop him from eying her nipples straining against the silk fabric or keep him from sliding his hand up her thigh as she brought her back flush to his chest.

  An achy need had his cock hard and tense against her, but no, they couldn’t, not now . . .

  “Let’s get you to bed,” he forced out before he allowed his hand to move any higher and slip beneath her panties because there would be no going back at that point.

  She let out a soft sigh of pained surrender. They both wanted each other. Needed each other. But the wait would be worth it.

  They climbed into the bed a few minutes later, and he wrapped his arms around her, tucking her frame tight to his body, feeling a semblance of normality despite their situation.

  Their first time in a bed together, and they were doing so under the “protection” of a criminal. Life was . . . strange, sometimes. Okay, in his life, a lot of the time.

  He had no idea when he dozed off because having her warm body in his arms had been bliss, but when he opened his eyes, morning was on the verge of arriving. It was the time of day when, during an operation, he and the boys had to make a quick infil and an even quicker exfil out of fear of daylight giving away their presence. The sun was about thirty minutes away from rising.

  It took Chris a moment to remember where he was and why he was there.

  At some point during the night, Rory wound up on her stomach with the covers shoved to the bottom of the bed. It looked like they both preferred to be cool.

  Her hands were now on each side of the pillow, and her face turned to the side. The material of her nightgown had shifted all the way up to show off her panties and perfect ass. Even though the room was still mostly dark, he didn’t need much light to make out the silhouette of her beautiful body.

  And damn if he was growing hard being so close to her. He’d been exhausted last night. Shipwrecked on a nearly deserted island and facing smugglers slash pirates before being “rescued” by Carter’s men had done a number on them. They’d needed a good night’s sleep, and now that they’d had one, all he wanted to do was hold her. Touch her. Be near her. But he didn’t want to wake her.

  He rolled to his back and propped one arm beneath his head, doing his best to be a good boy, but his cock was at attention and poking through the hole in his black boxer briefs. He adjusted himself and kept his gaze on Rory, wondering what life would be like with her. He could see them together in the future. And she wouldn’t run. She wasn’t his mom.

  My mom. He’d nearly forgotten about her voicemail last Thursday. It shouldn’t have been in his head even now, and her transgressions shouldn’t have been in his thoughts at the table last night, but she kept infiltrating his mind, and he hated it.

  “Please tell me we’re in your room in Virginia and not in Carter’s house,” Rory said, eyes still closed, but she shifted a palm to his pectoral muscle.

  He brought a hand over hers and united their fingers. “Unfortunately, we’re not at my home.”

  She kept her eyes closed and whispered, “Lie to me?”

  He moved to his side, holding her hand while slowly skirting his other palm up the small of her back. The scars were too faded with age to feel rough beneath his fingers, but he’d never forget they were there. He’d forever be able to trace their lines and regret she’d gone through that awful experience.

  “We’re on my bed back in Virginia. I bought a new one. Much more comfortable since you’ll be sleeping with me every night,” he said, his tone low and deep.

  “Every night, huh?” Her words came out like a soft purr filled with desire and the promise of sex.

  He cupped her bottom, then slid a finger beneath the panty line to find her center. She arched her back in response, allowing him greater access to dip inside. To stroke her sensitive flesh.

  “Keep lying to me,” she urged. Her Southern accent was sweet and feminine, but when her tone dipped to a husky rasp, an extra shot of desire coursed through him. Chris eased his body closer to hers, his cock thick against her leg.

  He released her hand to prop up his head with two pillows so he could watch her come undone with his hand on her wet pussy.

  “It wasn’t a lie when I said we’ll be sleeping together every night from here on out,” he murmured. Her eyelids slowly parted to peer at him. For a moment, he wondered if she was still not quite awake. But when her mouth rounded with a quiet gasp as he nudged her legs farther apart with his hand and peeled her panties down to her thighs, dragging his knuckles over her ass, there was no mistaking Rory was wide awake and drunk with pleasure.

  She remained on her stomach as he touched her, as he witnessed her gorgeous face tighten with every movement of his fingers beneath the curve of her ass as he accessed her clit.

  “We’ll have breakfast. Followed by sex. And then maybe more food. And more sex,” he kept up with the beautiful lie he wished was reality. “And then we’ll train Bear. He’ll probably steal another one of my shoes and dart over the obstacle course with it hanging from his mouth like a tease.” His hand slowed as he envisioned the day. As he thought of their life together.

  Rory shifted to her side, and he repositioned his hand and swept small circles over her sex, teasing her.

  She reached for his face and traced his jawline with her thumb. “You know you’re amazing, right?”

  He responded by thrusting two fingers deep inside her, and she bucked against the palm of his hand and rubbed harder, adding friction, chasing her own release.

  She was close.

  Really fucking close.

  When she came, she drew her lip between her teeth as she stifled a cry. He worked his hand beneath her nightgown, over her abdomen, and up to feel the swell of her breast in his palm. “You’re the amazing one,” he remarked. “And so much more.” He wanted to give her every part of him—every piece he’d ever held back in the past. He wanted to share it all with her.

  She leaned forward and joined their lips in a hot kiss, one that had him actually believing they were safe and back in Virginia.

  “The door,” she said against his mouth a moment later. “Someone is coming in.”

  Shit, he’d been too swept up in the moment to hear the sounds, but she was right.

  He eased away from her, grabbed the bedspread, and tossed it on top of them to cover up, and just in time since the door opened a second later.

  “Good. You’re up. I need your help,” Carter said, wearing only black sweatpants. His hair still messy from sleep.

  “What’s wrong?” Chris dropped his feet to the floor but kept the cover over his lap.

  “Unless you want my men to shoot your friends, you need to come with me. They’re preparing to breach the property.”

  What? Chris hopped out of bed and snatched his jea
ns off the floor. He turned to Rory and leaned down over her. “Stay here.” He didn’t need her getting caught in the crossfire.

  “Be safe,” she whispered before he left the room, and one of Carter’s men remained outside the bedroom door.

  “I don’t know how they found us,” Carter said as he motioned for Chris to follow him down the hall and toward the garden, “but they did.”

  Chris hadn’t doubted his people would find them. He just didn’t expect them there so fast. “I’m more surprised you knew they were on the verge of breaching.”

  “Yeah, well, they’ve got us surrounded.” Carter stopped in front of the patio door and faced him. “If any of my men get hurt—”

  “You should’ve listened when we asked to reach out to my people last night,” Chris interrupted, setting a hand to Carter’s chest. “Let’s be clear. If something happens to my men, I’ll end you here and now. You got me?”

  Carter inched his face closer. “I guess there is something we have in common. We care about our people.”

  Chris tipped his head to the side, reminding him of the fact they were out of time. They were approaching daylight, which meant his teammates would be moving in any second if they weren’t already on the grounds.

  “Go.” Carter opened the door and stepped back.

  Chris hurried through the door with palms up so that his people didn’t mistake him for a bad guy. “It’s Echo Three,” he called out as he started for the perimeter of the estate, which was surrounded by a tall, stone wall. Easily scalable for his men. “I’m going to the gate,” he announced.

  Nothing.

  Shit, where were they?

  They wouldn’t HALO in. No chopper in sight for a fast-rope approach.

  “Hunter?” A voice called out as Chris neared the guarded gate where two of Carter’s men were waiting with rifles. From what Chris could tell, the voice belonged to Luke.

  Only Luke would call Chris by his nickname from the SEALs, which also happened to be his last name. But shit, Luke? He and Eva had just had their son last month. He should have been home with his family.

  Chris flicked his wrist, motioning for Carter’s men to lower their weapons. “Skywalker, it’s me,” he returned with Luke’s old call sign from the Navy to let Luke know for sure it was him. “I’m opening up to let you in.”

  One of the men unlocked the gate, removed a secondary barrier that blocked the doors, then stepped back as the gates electronically swung inward.

  Chris set his hands on his hips as he impatiently waited for the doors to part, his heart in his throat. Nervous at how close his people had come to dealing with Carter’s private militia that was most likely hidden around the rest of the property waiting for the breach.

  Luke, Asher, and A.J. were the first of his teammates he spotted. They were in the dark green camo they used for their jungle ops. Green and black face paint. Rifles in hand and sidearms strapped to their thighs. Prepared for battle. This was the first time Chris had ever been on the other side. Witnessed firsthand what it’d be like to see his team from the other point of view.

  Luke allowed his sling to catch his rifle, and he moved with hesitant steps through the gate, eyes swinging from left to right. “Rory, Roman, Harper?”

  Chris met Luke halfway and jerked a thumb toward the home behind him. No time for hugs or a thank-you because he had no idea of Carter’s next moves. “I need a piece.” He reached out, eyes connecting with A.J. in the process as Luke handed over his 9mm. “Stay here. Do not fire, though, or these fuckers will fire back. I’d guess they have rifles pointed at us right now.” Chris switched his focus to Asher, then to A.J. “One sec.”

  His heartbeat thundered with every step he took. Louder and more intense as he walked back through the garden and to where Carter stood near the entrance of the home, a phone to his ear.

  Chris immediately lifted his arm and pointed the 9mm at Carter’s head. “No more locking us up, understood?”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “A.J.!” Rory hurried outside toward A.J., sunlight cutting through the haze of the early morning hour. “You’re here.” Oh my God, they found us!

  A.J. encircled her with his big, strong arms and hugged her tight. That familiar feeling of Alabama’s small-town comfort filled her with A.J. there. “You okay? You hurt? Anyone?”

  “I’m okay. And no, I didn’t get hurt. Roman did, but he’s okay.” She eased out of his arms and released a grateful breath. “I can’t believe you found us or that you’re here.”

  And also, the man looked intimidating. As did all of his friends crowding the backyard.

  They’d come prepared for battle—military fatigues, black and green face paint, camo ball caps on, and weapons strapped to their bodies.

  A.J. tipped his head, gaze pointed about twenty feet away from where Chris stood alongside Wyatt and Luke as they faced Carter. A heated exchange, but no guns were drawn.

  It was Rory’s first time officially meeting Luke Scott, the team leader, since he hadn’t been at the party at Liam’s home last week. Luke was tall, broad-shouldered with a deep voice, and came across as a total badass. Basically, like all of the guys at Chris’s company.

  “My family, are they okay?” They were why she’d left the life, and she couldn’t handle anything happening to them.

  A.J. returned his focus to her, a tight grit to his jawline. “We’ve got everyone covered. We weren’t sure if the abduction was connected to you, or my people somehow.”

  Kind of both. It was complicated.

  “We put security on all of our families, including yours. My brother is also helping out back home to keep Jesse from searching for you himself.”

  A.J.’s brother was the sheriff in their hometown in Alabama, but she wasn’t sure if even Beckett could keep Jesse in line. He was stubbornly overprotective. “Chris knows about the scars on my back as well as what you and Jesse did nine years ago.” She shut her eyes. “I had to tell him. I thought you should have a heads-up because I have a feeling he’ll bring it up.”

  “Don’t apologize. I have no regrets about what I did.” He set a hand to her shoulder, and she opened her eyes and took a steadying breath.

  “Does Ella know I was taken?” Rory needed to talk to her. Let her best friend know she was safe. Not to worry. But she wasn’t prepared to explain the choices she’d made over the last three years that had basically come back to haunt her. At least, not quite yet.

  “Jesse was afraid to tell her. He didn’t let your parents know, either.”

  A sigh of relief slipped free. “Good call.” She didn’t know if Ella or her parents would be able to handle the news. She’d rather face them once the main threat was gone. “Carter said he has men in Alabama watching over my family, too.” If he wasn’t lying, that is. But now that A.J. and the others had arrived, Carter wouldn’t need to provide proof her family was okay.

  A.J.’s brows tightened in confusion, and she quickly explained what Carter had told her about pretty much everything. Well, the abridged version. She didn’t have time to get into too many details right now.

  “Where’s Bear?”

  “He’s with Jessica about a mile away waiting for us to let her know if it’s safe to approach,” A.J. replied, his tone a bit hollow as if trying to shake off the shock of what she’d told him. “We weren’t sure if we’d need Bear’s super sniffer nose to find y’all. I’m not sure how much training he’s got so far, but we didn’t want to leave anyone behind who might help. Not even Bear.”

  “And how’d you find us?” She glanced at the rest of his team standing not too far away deep in conversation with Harper and Roman, who were probably filling them in on some of the “highlights” of the weekend as well.

  Holy cow, Knox Bennett, the son of the President of the United States, is here. It was, well, a bit strange and surreal. Every moment since Friday had been crazy, though.

  “Elaina insisted she had to see Bear bright and early Saturday morning. She was ac
tually beside herself with worry, so Liam and I took her over to Chris’s place when neither of you picked up our calls. When no one answered the door—and with Bear barking up a storm—we realized something was wrong. And then we discovered Roman and Harper were also MIA.” He shook his head as though it was his fault he hadn’t known they’d been kidnapped. “Jessica used our facial recognition software to track y’all down. She realized some men dressed as firefighters had taken y’all out of the hotel Friday night.”

  Rory still couldn’t quite wrap her head around how they found them at Carter’s estate in Puerto Rico of all places, but it was damn impressive. “I’m so sorry about all of this. I never thought . . . I mean, I did think it was possible, but, damn it.”

  “You’re safe now. All of you. That’s what matters.”

  But we’re not. Not with The Italian out there.

  “Looks like they’re done arguing.” A.J. pointed to Chris heading their way.

  “What’s going on?” Rory asked Chris. “What’d you talk about?”

  Chris was still shirtless, wearing only the jeans he had on from dinner last night and no shoes. He’d left the room in a hurry, not even ten minutes ago. It all happened so fast. And thankfully, not a single shot had been fired.

  “Carter has no choice but to let us go. He doesn’t want a war, and he wasn’t counting on my people showing up,” Chris quickly explained.

  “So, we’re not going to work with him?” And why did that have her feeling panicky?

  “I didn’t say that, but you don’t want to stay here, right?” Chris’s brows tightened.

  “I, um.” She turned, eyes falling to the lush grass beneath her sandals. Chills scattered over her skin. Chris’s hand on her shoulder urged her to turn back around, but she couldn’t face him. Not until she figured out what to say.

  “You think we should stay?” His warm breath feathered over her shoulder. She’d quickly changed into jeans and a tank top before one of Carter’s men had retrieved her from her room.