Those worries disappeared as he rounded the last corner and his headlights lit up the house. Anxiety twisted his stomach as he parked in front of the pitch black vacation home where he’d left Kellie two hours ago. Why hadn’t she turned on any lights? Had she gotten tired of waiting on him and decided to walk back? Slid off into a gully somewhere? Or worse—had Palazzi found her, unarmed and unprotected?
That would be damn near impossible. There was no way the Vegas mobster could have tracked them here, but that didn’t change the fact—MacGyver had been gone too long.
Grabbing his weapon and cell phone, he jumped from the vehicle, stopping for a moment to listen. In a heartbeat, he was drenched. He shook the water from his face and made his way quickly to the bottom of the stairs leading upward. Lightning danced across the sky, illuminating the yard and side of the house. When thunder began its roll toward crescendo, he took the steps at a jog.
His back against the wall beside the door, he again stopped and listened. No sounds came from within. Only the wind, the rain and creaking of tree trunks filled the silence. He tried the door. Unlocked. Seriously? Someone needed to have a talk with the woman about basic safety procedures. Turning the knob, he waited for a lull in the storm’s wrath before he pulled the door open and slipped inside.
He stood still, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the inky blackness. A flash of lightning outside the large picture window straight ahead lit up the room. To his right, a movement, gone before he could pinpoint the source. The room went dark again. Suddenly, something hit the back of his legs, and he went down, ass smacking the wooden floor hard. The gun slid out of his reach. He tucked his arm against his body and rolled away from his attacker, onto his knees, then his feet.
MacGyver saw—or maybe felt the fist zeroing in on the left side of his head and ducked. The blow swished empty air as he lunged forward, clamping arms around the shadow’s torso, and they both slammed into the wall. Breath whooshed from his adversary, who continued to thrash against the weight of MacGyver’s body. The scent of honeysuckle and spring rain permeated his senses.
Jesus! “Kellie?”
She stopped fighting. A choking sound came from her throat as she struggled to draw air into her lungs.
MacGyver stepped back, hands still gripping her waist to steady her. “What the hell was that? I told you I’d be back. Damn, Kellie. Are you all right?” He could have so easily hurt her—broken her back or cracked her skull. Cold sweat chilled his overheated skin.
“Peachy.” Her one stuttering word filled him with relief.
When he was sure she was really all right and standing on her own, he hurried to the door and flipped the light switch. Recessed bulbs turned dark into daylight.
“No! Turn it off!” She whispered…like they hadn’t just made enough noise to rival the rumbling thunder.
Confused, he stopped, one hand still hovering near the switch. When she signaled vehemently for him to cut the lights, he plunged the room back into darkness. “Okay, okay! Now tell me what the hell’s going on.”
Kellie’s silhouette glided toward the window, and she hugged the edge of the wall as she carefully peered through the glass.
MacGyver moved up behind her and looked over her shoulder. Just then, a bolt of lightning zigzagged across the heavens, and, for a fraction of a second, he saw the trees whipping in the wind and the rain lashing the driveway where he’d parked the SUV. Everything appeared exactly as it had when he arrived, but he’d been worried about Kellie then. He’d hopped from the vehicle and hurried up the stairs. Maybe he’d missed something.
He reached for her to draw her against him, but she whipped around, the intensity in her eyes making his skin prickle with unease.
“There was someone out there—a man.” Her words dropped like stones into a deep well. “I thought it was him sneaking in. I hid and…I’m sorry, MacGyver. Attacking you was unintentional and not very effective.” She hugged herself and dropped her forehead against his chest.
He chuckled as he leaned in and kissed her brow. Banding his arms around her, he examined the ground below the window and farther out to the tree line that formed a natural perimeter. Too damn dark to see anything from here.
He gripped her shoulders and pushed her away a step. “Think you could find me a flashlight?”
“Why? What are you going to do?”
He retraced his steps until he caught the glint of metal on the floor and knelt to pick up his weapon before turning back. “I’m going to have a look around.”
“Outside?”
“That’s where you saw someone, right?”
“Don’t patronize me. I know what I saw.” Abruptly, she wheeled around and strode toward the kitchen.
Soon he heard drawers and cupboards opening and closing. Then the noise stopped and she reappeared, walking purposefully toward him.
MacGyver grasped the flashlight she held out, then put his hand on her waist to stop her when she tried to sidestep him. “I believe you, Champ. Even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be foolish enough to patronize you.”
A moment of silence passed before she jabbed a sharp finger into his chest. “Smart move, Iverson.” He could hear the half-assed smile in her voice.
Pulling his cell phone from his rear pocket, he handed it to her. “Keep an eye out while I’m gone. If you see anything that doesn’t look right, or if I don’t come back in twenty minutes, call Travis. He’s number two in favorites.”
Kellie gave a snarky laugh. “Number two, huh? You need a life, MacGyver.”
She was only joking, but her cavalier suggestion irked him, probably because of the truth in her words. But that didn’t stop his irritation from escaping with a growl. “Had one once. They’re overrated.”
He hadn’t meant to be harsh, but she stiffened and drew back.
Way to go, Iverson.
It wasn’t her fault he still had a thin skin when it came to Shelby’s rejection. He was long since over any heartbreak she’d caused, but the thought of her still had the power to make him feel insignificant. Kellie didn’t deserve the blowback from his failed relationship. He turned away and strode toward the door. Yet, if she went looking for Travis’s number in his favorites, she’d no doubt see Shelby’s name in the top spot. At first, he’d left it there because he couldn’t wrap his head around the truth that it was over. Now, he allowed Shelby to occupy the number one spot so he’d see her name every day and be reminded why love and commitment weren’t for him.
“Stay here and use the damn dead bolt.” The words were unintentionally gruff, but he threw them over his shoulder anyway, then ripped the door open and stepped into the storm.
Chapter Twelve
Whatever Kellie had done to piss him off, she’d evidently excelled at the job. Men! When will I learn?
She crossed to the big picture window again in time to see MacGyver jump the side railing of the stairs, hesitate a second and disappear into the shadow of the SUV parked in front of the house. Narrowing in on the last place she’d seen him, she waited for a change in the dark outline of the vehicle that would tell her he was on the move. When the next bolt of lightning lit up the night, he was gone.
She’d heard tales of Navy SEALs’ exploits—how they could pile from their transport vehicle and, within a half dozen steps, disappear into the landscape without a trace. Seeing MacGyver do that very thing sent a chill rocketing through her. It was eerie and left in its wake another feeling that swelled within until it was hard to swallow. Pride in her country and the military, but mostly, pride in the man.
He was the real deal. Strong, courageous and steadfast—all crucial white-knight characteristics. More than that, he wore integrity as though it was a name tag. The fact he was easy on the eyes and built like her idea of a mythical god didn’t hurt either. Beneath his tough exterior, MacGyver was an all-around nice guy. It was what she liked most about h
im.
Aw…there was the problem. Damn it. She liked him—too much. Not only that, she’d compounded her mistake by letting him kiss her. Touch her…and keep touching until…
Oh God! Kellie swung around, her back against the wall beside the window, and scrunched her eyes shut. A groan escaped. Finding Anna should be her one and only priority. In a few hours or days, when the marshal took Kellie to where her sister was, there’d be no reason for MacGyver to hang around. That made everything she’d willingly participated in so far nothing but a weak, pathetic surrender to her animal instincts…or worse. What had she been thinking? And why the hell did the thought of him going back where he’d come from cause an ache of loneliness beneath her ribs?
A crack of thunder drew her focus back to the rain pelting the window. The storm seemed to let loose with renewed ferocity. Worry lanced through her. He was out in this deluge because of her, because he believed her. At one time, she’d had the trust of all her brothers-in-arms, but not anymore. Suddenly remembering MacGyver’s last words, she hurried to the door and turned the lock.
Twice, the black, short-box pickup had driven by slowly. In the dark, watching the storm, Kellie had tensed each time the truck appeared. When it’d moved on, she relaxed. After all, there were hundreds of people, locals and vacationers alike, who had good reasons for traveling these roads.
The third time, the pickup had stopped at the edge of the driveway and cut the lights. She’d waited only long enough to see the driver’s door open and a large man dressed all in black step out before she’d found a hiding place next to a bookshelf near the door. Several minutes had passed while her stomach tightened and twisted like a rung-out mop.
Minutes that had evidently brought the lights of MacGyver’s vehicle breaking through the trees on his way to pick her up. Lights that the intruder must have seen far enough in advance to hightail it out of there before he’d been spotted. She knew that now, but she hadn’t known when she’d jerked the legs out from under MacGyver with the metal base of a floor lamp. In fact, she’d been so deep in warrior mode, she hadn’t realized who it was until he spoke her name.
Thank God it was MacGyver, because he’d been seriously kicking her ass. Kellie grimaced at the admission as she moved toward the window.
The rain was diminishing as the storm moved farther away, but still there was no sign of MacGyver. How long had it been? It must have been close to twenty minutes ago MacGyver left. She felt for the cell phone she’d stuffed in her back pocket to assure herself it was still there.
A loud clang from somewhere below made her jump and spin around.
The kitchen doorway loomed like a black hole across the room. She’d stumbled on the entrance concealing a set of stairs leading to the lower level when she’d been searching for the flashlight. The dense darkness obscuring the stairs from the second step down convinced her to close the door without investigating. Apparently, now she had no choice.
She straightened and willed her wildly beating heart to a more moderate rate. One step forward and she paused as a new sound filtered through the floorboards. Someone running? Or jumping? She inhaled sharply. Shit! Someone running up the stairs!
Cell phone in hand, she flipped to the favorites screen as she ran for the balcony exit. Number two—that’s what MacGyver said. Kellie pushed the button for Travis at the same time she jerked the door open.
Something banged hard against the wall in the kitchen. “Honey, I’m home!”
MacGyver’s teasing voice reached her just as Travis answered. “Hey, MacGyver. What’s up?”
“Um…hang on a minute, Travis.” The hand that held the phone dropped to her side, and she stared at the drenched man who stepped from the kitchen, drying his head with a towel as though he’d just gotten out of the shower. His shirt clung to his shoulders and chest like a second skin.
Judging by his cocky grin, his mood had improved while he was gone. “No one around but…” MacGyver’s grin slowly faded as he lowered the towel and saw her standing there, her mouth no doubt agape. “Hey. Something wrong, Champ? Who’s on the phone?”
Reminded that Travis was still holding on, Kellie strode toward MacGyver and pressed the phone into his rock-hard abs. “It’s Travis. I called him because you scared the shit out of me, banging around down there. I don’t suppose it occurred to you that I’d be expecting you to come back the same way you left?” Oh yeah, she’d gone from warrior mode to bitch mode in ten seconds flat.
“Oh hell.” He closed his eyes and dropped his chin. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I was trying to find the quickest way out of the rain, and I didn’t think about your reaction.”
When his repentant blue eyes found hers again, one corner of his mouth tipped upward in a hopeful grin as though he sought to charm his way out of trouble. Damn, he was good at it too. Without warning, desire ripped through her, pooling in her belly. Raw emotions, so strong they scared the snarky reply right off her tongue, pulled her to step closer. A sudden need to splay her hands over the muscled contours of his chest, spurred on by the lust darkening his eyes, nearly did her in.
No! Kellie spun and returned to the window, struggling to repair her walls as she swallowed the last of her irrational rant. She was still mad as hell but not at him. She had only herself to blame for the situation she was in. Sleep deprivation and stress had her teetering on the edge. She could feel her insides shaking like Jell-O. MacGyver’s unexpected entrance had merely tipped her into the chasm. Give the man a break, for God’s sake. And don’t make this any worse by falling for him.
“Hey, Travis. Sorry, man…No, everything’s fine…Yeah, Kellie saw someone earlier, and it kind of spooked her, so I went on a little walk-about. I told her to call you if she saw anything unusual while I was gone…She heard something, but it turned out to be me, being an inconsiderate ass…ha, ha, very funny…No, I didn’t see anyone, but there were some recent tire tracks in the mud…Yeah, it won’t hurt to keep an eye out…We’re going to have some of your chili, and we’ll head back when the storm dies down. Is Charlie okay? Thanks. I’ll tell her.”
Silence descended as MacGyver’s one-sided conversation ended. God! She’d panicked, calling Travis for no reason. Humiliation heated her cheeks. No doubt the marshal and Pop were sharing a good laugh with him about now. Kellie rubbed her temples and then covered her eyes. Her world had slipped out of control. Hell, it was in free-fall.
“Travis said you can call him any time. He’d rather talk to you than me anyway.”
She almost smiled, until MacGyver snaked his arms around her waist from behind and pulled her into his chest. Again with the sneaking up on her. First chance she got, she was going to buy him squeaky shoes.
His wet clothes chilled her through her shirt, but, in seconds, the heat of his body raised the temperature. Her heart, pounding at time and a half, sapped the rest of her strength, and she leaned back. One arm tightened around her stomach, and his other hand moved upward to push the hair off her neck. When he brushed his lips over the pulse at the base of her throat, a shiver nearly collapsed her legs.
MacGyver chuckled. “Mmm…I like it when you do that.” He nuzzled her ear.
“Do what?”
“Respond to my touch as though you enjoy it—as though you can’t get enough.” His nose teased her earlobe, and then he sucked it into his mouth and bit down. When his tongue soothed the bite, she clamped her mouth closed on a moan.
She couldn’t argue with him. His strong hands touching her—his mouth on her skin, her lips—she wanted more. She wanted all of him, but acting on her desires would no doubt make a mess of her heart. “Is that what you think? That I enjoy being pawed and slobbered over?” Kellie molded her body to his, feeling every hard inch of him. “Think again, sailor.”
He raised his head, and she could almost feel his careful consideration. Finally, he laughed, his soft exhale stirring the hair at her neck. “
Your heart is racing. Your breathing has kicked up a notch. That’s your luscious body calling you a liar, Kellie. And I can prove it.”
MacGyver lowered his hands to her hips and jerked her against him. His thick, rigid arousal pressed against her ass. She squirmed, smiling when she heard air hiss through his teeth.
Abruptly, he flipped her jeans’ button open, unzipped them and slipped his hand between her legs. A groan rumbled from his chest. “Yeah, just like I thought. Are you always this wet? Or is that for me, Kellie? Tell me again how you don’t enjoy it when I touch you.”
Well, hell. Busted. The man had an effect on her like no one else ever had, but it was merely a physical attraction. And maybe a little physical interaction was just what they needed.
She stepped backward, forcing him to move with her, giving her enough room to swivel in his arms. “Let’s just say, for the sake of argument, it is for you. What are you going to do about it?”
Surprise registered in MacGyver’s eyes right before his grin spread wide. With lightning speed, he stooped and swept her up in his arms. “I checked the doors and windows downstairs. Did you throw the dead bolt like I suggested?”
Kellie nodded as she grabbed his shoulders.
“Good. Damn, I like when you do what I say, too.” He looked around and then caught her eye. “Bedroom?”
His cheesy smirk told her the chauvinistic remark was intended to elicit a snarky comment.
She ignored it. “There’s a perfectly good couch right over there.” She jerked her thumb toward the opposite wall.
His grin took on a suggestive tinge. “That won’t do. I need a big bed…and maybe a bathtub if they have one.”
“Are you planning to drown me?” Kellie laughed, but now he had her curious.
He kissed her roughly. “Only if you can’t control that smart mouth of yours.”
Honor Among SEALs Page 16
