Waiting... On You (Force Recon Marines)

by S A Monk

  Her heart skipped several beats and a wave of lightheadedness swept over her. She stepped back, away from the doors, and grasped the corner of the wall, taking several long deep breaths.

  Every time she saw Nick Kelly, it was like this; her heartbeat quickened, her knees weakened, and her stomach summersaulted. Her entire body stirred with sweet excitement. She’d seen so little of him over the past twenty years, she was always overwhelmed by his reappearance. Managing the excitement racing through her, she returned to the doors and stared through the window at him, soaking up every single detail of him covertly.

  Six feet four inches and somewhere around two hundred and forty pounds of superb physical fitness were all packaged into the most handsome man she’d ever set eyes on. He was a big man, and he carried all that height and muscle on a frame that had been trained to be in the best shape a man could be in. He wasn’t ramrod postured, but he had the bearing of a military man, of a Marine, so straight and tall, so forceful.

  He was conversing with a few of the ER staff he’d gone to high school with. A petite, dark-haired, operating nurse, by the name of Ashley Davis, stood close to his side. She was an old flame of Nick’s from high school. Twenty years ago, Ashley had been head cheerleader and homecoming queen. Since then, she’d been married and divorced twice. At the moment, she was single and still very pretty, even at thirty-eight. She attracted men like a magnet.

  Hanna noted how blatantly she was flirting with Nick. She kept touching him as she talked to him, using the same routine on him she used on all the good-looking doctors in the hospital.

  Hanna wondered how some women did all that so easily. Were they born flirts? Or did they learn it? If they learned it, they must spend hours in front of a mirror perfecting those pouty, come-hither looks. Invariably, those women also knew how to walk. Hanna had always wondered how you got your hips to sway with the rhythm of your walk. How come she’d never been able to do that?

  When she reflected further on it, she figured she’d probably just look so stupid, she’d make herself and anyone looking at her laugh. She watched Ashley give Nick a long inviting look, then laugh at something he said like it was brilliantly funny. Maybe she should try a few of those provocative moves, especially if they would catch the interest of Nick Kelly.

  On impulse, Hanna went in search of the nearest mirror. She looked at herself critically and grimaced. After being on duty twelve hours, the makeup that she’d applied this morning was now long gone. She looked tired, and as usual, her braid was unraveling. She worked out on her days off, so she still had a slim figure, and her red dress outlined that nicely, but it was not voluptuous and sexy, like Ashley Davis’.

  Why had Nick shown up here, at the hospital, so late in the day anyway? This wasn’t how she had envisioned looking for him after three years. Well, damn! She was never going to be a femme fatale. Women like that didn’t wear thick-rimmed glasses or their hair in a braid at thirty-four because it was convenient. They weren’t socially inept or shy and ordinary, either. And if they had been as hopelessly attracted to a man as Hanna was to Nick Kelly, they would have known what to do about it.

  Sighing in resignation, Hanna put her glasses back on, squared her shoulders, and walked out to greet Nick. He was her friend, after all, and she knew he’d come here to see her. She wasn’t going to hide from him just because she didn’t look the way she wanted to for him.

  To her immense relief, he flashed her a smile the moment he saw her. It eased her anxiety and made her heart melt. The moment she walked up to him, he reached for her and seized her in a bone-crushing hug that completely enveloped her and thoroughly surprised her.

  It wasn’t the light friendly hug she had anticipated. It was an unexpected, precious moment stopped in time. She lingered in his powerful arms, and to her great joy, he held her there, against his big frame, for several long wonderful moments.

  When he finally put a little space between them, his smile was broad, displaying straight white teeth framed by a wide sensuous mouth that was endearingly tilted at one corner. Three years had put a few more wrinkles around his eyes. A few also bracketed the corners of his mouth.

  His jaw was square, and shadowed with a day’s growth of beard that darkened his cheeks. His chiseled facial features were just as striking as ever, but he looked a little older and a little more world-weary than Hanna remembered. He lived a hard life, most of it spent in harsh, austere, outdoor conditions, and it showed.

  His dark brownish-black hair was clipped to an inch in length on the sides and up the back. The line around his ears and neck was a bit ragged, as if it hadn’t been cut in a while. On top, it had been left longer, maybe a couple of inches, long enough to be tousled and wind-blown, so that a few spiky tendrils just barely fell onto his forehead. Hanna wanted to sweep her fingers through his dark hair and comb it back into place.

  Realizing she hadn’t said a word to him yet, that she was simply staring at him like an idiot, she settled for a smile that told him how much she had missed him. “It’s good to see you again, Nick. How was Afghanistan?”

  “Cold and miserable,” he laughed. “And damn, it’s so good to see you again, too, Hanna!”

  Now that his smile had faded to an impossibly sexy lopsided grin, she could see his beautiful, long-lashed, pale gray eyes better. She loved their color. Depending on his mood, they could be dark and smoky or pale and silver. They also tended to pick up bits of color from the shirts he wore, she had noticed long ago.

  As her eyes slid over every detail of his face, she noticed he had a scar through his left eyebrow. It interrupted the straight heavy slashes of his brows, giving him a rakish look. Hanna didn’t remember seeing it there the last time he’d been home. She couldn’t stop herself from tracing its length with the tip of her finger.

  “Were you injured?”

  The look he gave her made her breath catch. “Just a nick. Nothing really.”

  She doubted that. It looked like a knife wound, or maybe a close call with a bullet, but she didn’t pursue it. She suddenly realized that there were still other people around them, including Ashley Davis. In her preoccupation with Nick, she had completely forgotten about them. When she glanced over at Ashley, she noted how the nurse was watching both of them with a decidedly petulant expression. To Hanna’s stunned surprise, she realized that the woman was jealous. It was a revelation that delighted her. Moments ago, she never would have thought that she could make someone like Ashley jealous.

  The old acquaintances Nick had been passing the time with drifted away after a while. Finally, Ashley did the same. Hanna laughed to herself. She was their boss, and it was about time they all got back to work, not that any of them were intimidated by her. She was simply too courteous and quiet to intimidate anyone.

  As if reading her thoughts, Nick said, “So you’re the big boss around here now, huh, Doc? How long before you’re running the whole hospital?”

  Her smile widened. “I have no aspirations for that much responsibility, and as you can see, I don’t frighten anybody with my fierce leadership.”

  He took her hands in his. “I’ve missed you, Hanna! There’s just no one like you. No matter how smart and successful you are, you’re still so unpretentious.”

  She didn’t know quite what to make of that comment, so she replied, “Just the same old ordinary girl you’ve always known.”

  “No, not ordinary.”

  He wasn’t smiling. He was serious, and that mystified her, but it also felt wonderful.

  Finally releasing her hands, he stepped back enough so that she could look at him― from head to toe. He was wearing jeans, boots, a pale blue polo shirt that contoured his deeply muscled chest, and a soft brown leather bomber jacket that emphasized his broad linebacker shoulders. He took Hanna’s breath away, he was so incredibly good-looking. She was five foot eight inches in bare feet, taller in heels, and she still had to look up at him.

  She noticed he was studying her, too. Strangely, there was
an unmistakable look of male appreciation in his eyes, as if he liked what he saw. It bewildered her.

  “Are you off duty?”

  She glanced around her. “Yes, but I better get out of here before we have any more emergencies. I just got through sewing up a car accident victim, and on a Friday night, there’s usually more than one.”

  “You look like you’ve had a long day.”

  She winced because she knew exactly how she looked and wished it was otherwise. “It’s the end of a long week.”

  They started for the ER doors that led outside to the parking lot. “Mom said everyone’s getting together for dinner tomorrow evening. You’re all going to get me caught up to speed on everything that has happened. We’ll make some plans.” Hanna confirmed that with a nod as Nick held the door open for her. On the other side, he stopped her with a gentle hand on her forearm. “Hanna, I’m so damn sorry about Dylan. I wish I could have been here for his funeral.” His somber expression was full of deep regret and concern. “How are you holding up?”

  She looked at him, unable to stop the tears that suddenly filled her eyes. Mentioning her brother still produced them. “I know you couldn’t get out of Afghanistan sooner. I’m just glad you’re here now. Your poor mom is beside herself worrying about Lance. Your being here will help her a lot.”

  “I’m going to find out what happened to both Lance and Dylan.”

  Hanna’s mouth quirked in a grimace of frustration. “I’ve had zero luck. I’m taking two weeks’ vacation in a week. Maybe with more time, I’ll be able to find out something.”

  “We’ll look together.”

  “I wanted to start my vacation sooner, but we have too many staff out this week and next.”

  She reached her car, and noticed the big shiny black motorcycle parked next to it. It was a brand new Harley. She’d never seen one close up before. It looked huge.

  Nick laughed at her awed expression. “It’s a beauty, isn’t it? A present to myself for making Lieutenant Colonel and hitting my twenty-year mark.”

  “You got the promotion?”

  “Yeah.” He was obviously elated about his new rank. “My commander confirmed it right before I left.”

  “Congratulations!” In spite of what she knew it meant, she was genuinely pleased for him. “ Do you have your next orders yet?”

  “No, not yet.”

  Relief flooded her. “This bike is a nice present to yourself, although, as a doctor, I wish you would have bought something safer, like an SUV or maybe a mini tank.”

  Nick laughed. “I’ve always had motorcycles. They’re easier to store when I go overseas. This is a special limited edition.” He stroked it lovingly, his long fingers gliding over the custom paint job, the long gooseneck handlebars, and the fancy, thickly cushioned leather seat. “They’ve only made a few thousand models. I was lucky to get one. When I saw it online, I fell in love with it. It’s fuel-injected with a big bore engine that hits 3500RPM’s, chrome slotted wheels, a custom black leather low profile seat, and a security system that’s state of the art.”

  “Oh,” was all Hanna could say. “It sounds impressive,” She didn’t understand any of the mechanical stuff he’d told her, but she could see that he loved his new Harley. The shiny chrome pipes on the sides looked like intestines in the overhead light.

  Watching him, she was envious of the way his long tanned fingers kept stroking his machine. She still remembered what those hands looked like against her pale skin, only with him now standing right next to her, the memory was more vivid than it had been in three years. “Why did you come by the hospital? You’ve been home to see your mom, haven’t you?”

  “I got in this afternoon. The dealer I bought my bike from online didn’t have it ready until two days ago. It held me up, or I would have been home sooner.”

  He was standing very close to her, close enough for her to catch the scent of his cologne. It was as exotic and disarming as the man.

  “I came over to follow you home,” he told her. “As of now, you don’t go home by yourself anymore. I heard what happened last week to you. Have you had any more incidents?”

  “I’m not sure,” she evaded, avoiding his intense stare.

  “Dammit, Hanna!”

  “Don’t worry about it,” she tried to reassure him. “I can take care of myself. I’m a big girl now.”

  “While I’m here, and until we get to the bottom of all this, you’re going to and from work with me every day.” He looked very determined, very tough, and very unmovable.

  “Nick ….” she started to protest.

  “Forget arguing, Hanna. I’m going to protect you and the rest of our families. No one else is going to get hurt now that I’m home. And I’m not leaving until all this is resolved and you are all safe. My commander released me from duty for as long as I need.”

  For the second time that evening, he pulled her into his arms. His embrace was fierce. The top of her head was tucked firmly under his chin, held there by his big, long-fingered hand.

  Hanna didn’t know what to make of his unexpected behavior. Was he just profoundly concerned for them all, her included? Whatever the reason, she savored every second of being held so tightly in his arms. His embrace made her feel safe and secure, in a way she hadn’t felt in weeks. It chased away some of the grief and loneliness she’d been living with. But it also filled her with hope she probably shouldn’t indulge in.

  When he released her, he stepped back to give her an intensely serious look. “I’ll be right behind you all the way home.” Once she unlocked it, he opened her car door for her and took her elbow to help her slide inside. “Don’t lose me.”

  Don’t lose him? She’d keep him forever if she could. “I’ll keep your headlights in my rearview mirror all the way,” she promised through her open window, internally dazed and completely nonplussed by his unexpected ardent attention.

  CHAPTER 4

  POSED IN FRONT OF THE FULL-LENGTH MIRROR in her room later that evening, Hanna assessed her good and bad points. She tried to see herself as Nick might. She was thirty-four. She wasn’t getting any younger, but she didn’t have any wrinkles yet, and her skin was unblemished and smooth.

  The shape of her face was a softly contoured oval, no sharp angles. She had good cheekbones. Her mouth was bow shaped with a full bottom lip. The corners tilted upwards, and when she smiled, there was a hint of the dimples she’d had as a child.

  Her eyes were probably her best feature. They were large, deeply green, and framed by thick curly black lashes, below a slightly arched set of dark blonde eyebrows. She had a nondescript nose, which turned up just enough to make her look cute. Overall, she had no features that were unattractive, but she was no great beauty, either. As a small child, she’d been cute. As a teen, she’d been awkward and gangly and definitely geeky. As an adult, she was just ordinary, average, unexceptional. But for Nick she wanted to be beautiful, sexy, gorgeous.

  He’d said she wasn’t ordinary, but she was sure he’d been talking about her mind. Everyone knew her mind wasn’t ordinary. But it wasn’t her IQ that she wanted to impress Nick with. No matter how much men protested it, looks were what really caught their attention, not brains. Looks like Ashley Davis possessed.

  She’d taken a shower and washed her hair rather than soak in a bathtub when she’d gotten home. Her hair was loose and dry now. It fell to her shoulders. The lighter blonde color of her youth had changed to a dark, honey blonde. She thought the color was drab and lifeless. The braid was convenient, but it probably didn’t do much to enhance her facial features.

  “Hey, Hanna, I didn’t hear you come home? Have you eaten? Colleen made some great chicken fettuccini tonight. There’s some left.”

  Hanna turned to her sister-in-law, Dylan’s widow. Christine had just turned thirty a month ago. She was dark-haired, small, and beautiful. Hanna liked her immensely. Normally, she was outgoing, full of fun and laughter. And she was a great mother to Hanna’s niece, Katie, who was five
months old.

  The day after Dylan’s death Christine and Katie had moved in with Hanna and Colleen. Dylan and Christine, with Lance’s help, had just finished building a brand new house not too far away. Dylan had been so proud of it, but Christine had been too devastated by her husband’s sudden death to stay in their new home.

  Sometimes life was so unfair, it broke your heart. Christine and Dylan had been so perfect for one another; so much in love. Her brother had waited a long time for the right woman. He’d been thirty-five when he had finally chosen Christine to marry. They’d only had two years together— just enough time to begin to build a future together and to create a beautiful daughter.

  “I ate already, thank you, Christine,” she replied. “I was just standing here in front of the mirror wondering what to do with my hair. I think I’m getting too old to wear it in a braid. And the color.... It seems so mousy.”

  Christine came up to stand beside her. She looked at her sister-in-law’s reflection thoughtfully for a few moments. “I don’t think you’re too old to wear it in a braid. I guess it could use some highlights, though.” She paused for further reflection. “On second thought, how about a haircut?” She pulled Hanna’s hair up until it fell to her jaw line. “Oh, that’s nice! It frames and flatters the shape of your face. I’ll be right back.” She hurried out of the bedroom. When she came back she was carrying a magazine. She flipped through the pages until she found a photograph of a young model. “Look at this hairstyle and color.” She held the magazine open for Hanna. “I think it would look great on you. What do you think?”

  Hanna studied the picture and tried to imagine herself with the particular style of cut and hair color. “Yeah, I guess so. I do like the color. It looks sun-streaked.”

  “Let’s have it done, then,” Christine suggested enthusiastically. “I could use a day at the salon, too; that and maybe a little shopping. It might lift our spirits a little.”

  “When? I have to work all next week.”