Guarding Sky (NCIS Series Book 2)

by Zoe Dawson

  Amber smiled at her and said, “Hello, Dr. Baang. You looking for Agent Fitzgerald?”

  “Yes, where is he?”

  “He took personal leave.”

  Tears pressed on the backs of her eyes. “Please, Amber. Tell me where he went.”

  Amber studied her face, and then her eyes softened. She pulled a piece of paper off her notepad and wrote something down. She folded it and handed it to Sky.

  Sky clutched it in her fist and left the building. Out front she unfolded it and looked at what was written there. She smiled, and, for the first time in a week, she felt lighthearted.

  Vin sat back into the cushy chair of the conference room in downtown Boston. His sister sat next to him and his father and mother on the other side. His shoulder still ached a bit, and the two bullet wounds on his torso and the one on his shoulder were healing well. He’d gone home without Sky. The loss of her was almost more than he could bear. He’d come home to help his family. He’d assembled them to work out the future of the company and his future at NCIS.

  “Lilah, what’s really going on? I’ve gone through every piece of paper in this place, and it looks to me like you’ve been running the business for a long time.” He covered her hand. Lilah glanced at their father, and Vin saw his mouth tighten.

  “She’s been saving it for you, Vincent,” his father said.

  “No, Dad. I’ve told you so many times that I’m never running this company, but Lilah, who’s graduated with honors in business administration and then went on to get her law degree, has been dedicated and sacrificed so much to keep this place running. Why can’t you acknowledge that and just be proud of both of us?”

  “Yes, Dad, Vinny saves lives. He just saved a woman from being kidnapped and protected our national security. He’s a decorated Marine. Why can’t you just accept that it’s not what he wants? I’m so amazingly proud of him. I love him so much. That’s all that should matter.”

  His mother put her hand on his father’s arm. “Patrick, I don’t want Vin to come home during family crises. I want him to visit us when he wants to and not be guilt-tripped into doing something that doesn’t make him happy. Lilah’s right.” She looked at him with tears in her eyes. “I’m so proud of you, Vincent. I burst every time I think of your dedication and service to our country. Tell him, Patrick. Tell him now or I will never forgive you.”

  His father looked at him, and he cleared his throat. “Of course, both of you are totally right. I’m extremely proud of you, son. But I’ve never been dead set against Delilah taking over here. She’s an asset and would make an excellent CEO. But I wanted this company to benefit you both. It’s your legacy, too, Vincent. I couldn’t see any other way to get you involved than to insist that you take over. Perhaps there is some way you could be a consultant and be involved with the decisions that Delilah makes. Who knows? Maybe someday one of your children will be interested in the business.”

  Stunned, Vin sat there and stared at his father. It was a revelation to him that Sky was right. There was something to honoring his family, and the offer his father just made suited him just fine. Touched by his dad’s speech, he could only nod his head.

  Vin pulled into the driveway of his parents’ home. His side twinged as he got out of the car and headed for the front door. His father, mother and sister had gone out to lunch, but he was more interested in getting changed, packing his suitcase and going after Sky. It was a relief that his father had accepted his retirement. Vin wanted to talk to Sky in person and tell her that he understood what she was talking about. Maybe they could stop arguing and really talk about their differences and similarities. But if she wasn’t willing to change to accept him, he would have to figure out how he was going to live his life without her. His thoughts trailed off as he saw a woman standing at the front door with long, dark hair. His heart leaped in his chest. It couldn’t be…Sky.

  She turned and her gaze caught and held his. Her features softened and she smiled. His heart skipped a beat as he walked up the stairs.

  “I was just about to jump on a plane and fly back to DC to find you.”

  “You were? I came here hoping you’d tell me it’s not too late.” She stood there looking scared and hopeful at the same time.

  His voice wobbled a bit, his throat constricted and his chest tight. “Here I was trying to figure out how I was going to get through the rest of my life without you.”

  Her face crumpled and she lunged into his arms.

  He held her close. “I love you. But you have to explain to me what happened. What changed?”

  She raised her head, her eyes warm and alive. “I went to my aunt, and she had all these letters from my father. You were right. I misinterpreted their meaning. They never wanted me to sacrifice anything. They wanted me to live, and all this time I haven’t. I’ve been marking time, just like you said. So, to fulfill my family’s honor, I must live. I choose to live with you. I love you, Vin.”

  He crushed her to him. “Then it’s time to live, Sky.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her face up to his. He dropped his mouth down on to hers, making a soft moan of relief as she kissed him back.

  When he broke the kiss, she said, “It is important to honor your family. The thing is, we all have to decide what that honoring consists of. I realized that I needed to trust your judgment about what was right for your family. It isn’t up to me to say how involved you should be. I misjudged my own father’s wishes, so I shouldn’t presume to know what you should do, either. I was wrong to insist that you follow my path, which ended up being so misguided. I don’t care what you do, Vin. NCIS agent, CEO, just as long as that is what makes you happy and fulfilled. You wanted acceptance. You have it unconditionally.”

  “I just needed you to let me in. We’ll do great together now. And, I’m going to be both NCIS agent and work for the family business when I can. My sister is now the CEO, and is going to run the company, but I’m going to be involved with major decision-making.”

  “Well, that’s good news because I have to let you know that I’m unemployed.”

  He tilted his head. “Are you? Well, then, that gives you a chance for a new beginning.”

  “Yeah, I could scope out suitable yoga studios by myself, but it wouldn’t be as much fun as having a friend and a lover along with me.”

  “Is that an invitation?”

  “Do you need it engraved?”

  He chuckled and opened the door, pulling her inside. “My parents aren’t going to be home for a while. They and my sister are having lunch.”

  “Oh, is that so? Then I guess we could get down to the business of living.”

  “I have some business I want to share with you.”

  He pulled her into his arms and picked her up. Heading for the stairs, he climbed them two at a time, their laughter echoing all the way to the ceiling.

  Epilogue

  Sky caught her breath as Vin kissed her neck. She cuddled up to him as the boat they were on traversed down the Donsol River, not far from the sleepy fishing village where her father had been born. It was stunning here, simply paradise. Located in the province of Sorsogon, the village was a place of pristine beaches, stunning waterfalls and unexplored caves; their days had been all about exploration and their nights had been more of the same, only on a much more intimate level—a level they wouldn’t have attempted in public. Well, except for his soft lips on her skin right now. Luckily, they were the only ones on this particular trip. She suspected that Vin had arranged it.

  The boat meandered as she took in the palm and mangrove trees. They stopped and the boat left them off.

  As it putted away, she looked at Vin.

  “Don’t worry. He’s coming back for us.”

  He bent down and lifted her foot to slip off her sandal, and she caught herself on his stooped shoulder, balancing on one foot, then the other. He slipped off his shoes and gathered both in his hands. He curled his free hand around hers, and they walked a
little way along the beach, the lazy waves lapping at her bare feet. She stopped when she spied the double-wide hammock, the table and chairs all set up in a copse of palms waiting for them.

  He pulled her toward it, festooned with bright pillows in hot tropical colors and a couple of comfortable throw blankets to match.

  He dropped their shoes and pulled her down on to the hammock with him.

  “What is this?” She met his twinkling eyes.

  He pressed his mouth down on hers, and she gave herself up to his kiss, making room for him between her thighs; she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “This is a secluded island that we have all day and all night. Just the two of us.”

  “We’re going to sleep outside under the stars?”

  “Yeah, how do you feel about that?”

  “Oh, my God, Vin, that’s so romantic and so spontaneous.”

  They sunned and swam in the warm water, then ate and dozed on the hammock. As the sun went down, Sky woke to a million sparkling fireflies lighting up the night sky.

  She reveled in the decadence of lying with Vin on the comfortable hammock as the soft ocean breeze blew across her bare skin. The day before they had swum with whale sharks, and the day before that, participated in catching shrimp in nets for their dinner.

  “I can’t believe my father would have ever wanted to leave here,” she said as she smoothed her hand over Vin’s bare chest. “Thank you for this. For coming with me to the Philippines, to this village where my father was born.”

  “It is beautiful, but he must have had ambition. Wanted to be a mechanical engineer and not a fisherman.”

  She was content to nod. She’d started up her yoga studio and named it Espiritu like her company name. It fit so well, Espiritu was Tagalog for soul—mind, feeling, body. She loved teaching yoga and doing several consulting projects when the mood struck her.

  She loved loving Vin every day and night while he saved the world. The Navy had nominated her for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Before they had left on the trip, she’d been notified she would receive it and the President of the United States was going to present it to her. Vin had been so proud of her and she already knew her parents would have been so proud of her. Vin would receive the Office of the Secretary of the Defense Medal for Valor for his part in keeping Stingray out of enemy hands and a Defense of Freedom Medal for injuries sustained as a result of hostile actions. Vin’s mom, dad and sister were coming to the ceremony and Sky knew how much it meant to him to have them there. While his dad would have rather had him running the family business full time, even he had to admit Vin’s service to his country was commendable.

  Vin turned toward her, propping his head with his hand, giving her a sultry look, and then glanced down to where her hands were playing with the ridges of his abdomen. “You going to keep that up?”

  She grinned at him. “Why, you got somewhere to be?”

  He chuckled. “Um…no…could you do it a little lower?”

  “I could.” She slipped her fingers between his waistband and his hard-muscled waist, teasing his skin, and then she slipped her hand into his swim trunks to wrap around him. His eyes drifted closed on a groan. Then he kissed her and moved his hips forward, thrusting into her hand.

  “Sky,” he murmured between kisses on her mouth, and her cheek, and her ear, and that very sensitive spot on the side of her neck, “we met under the craziest of circumstances.”

  “We sure did, and you saved my life in more ways than one.” She was melting under all those kisses and the very gentle exploration he was making with his fingers between her legs. Then, with two pulls he had her bikini bottom off.

  Her body overloaded with wonderful sensations. “So, what are we going to do for excitement without bullets flying and adrenaline rushing?” she whispered, running her hand over his chest, all the way to the hardest part of him.

  He kissed her, a sweet, stunning kiss that had her melting all over again.

  “How about this for starters?” He pulled something out of his pocket, and her breath caught when he held it up to the torchlight. A ring box right in the middle of making love. A very spontaneous marriage proposal.

  “Will you marry me?” he asked his voice rough-edged with emotion.

  She rolled to face him, and he lifted his head to meet her gaze. Her hands went over the scar on his shoulder and the two on his side. He shucked his shorts and slid all that sun-warmed muscle over her, the hot and welcome pressure of his body seeking entrance into hers. She could see it in the darkening of his eyes and in the not-so-innocent curve of his smile.

  He opened the box, and her breath caught at the beautiful, square-cut sparkler inside as the shine of it vied with the moonlight.

  She lifted her head and whispered in his ear, and he shivered. When she lowered her head and met his eyes, she plucked the ring out of the box, handing it to him. Then she offered up the ring finger of her left hand. “It’s yes to infinity, and I can tell you how long that is.”

  “Oh, you can?” he said, his eyes moist and so, so green as he slid the ring all the way to her knuckle. “How long?”

  “Oh, Vin, my gorgeous love.” She lifted her hips and accepted him deep inside. “That’s easy. Forever.”

  About the Author

  Zoe Dawson lives in North Carolina, one of the friendliest states in the US. She discovered romance in her teens and has been spinning stories in her head ever since. Her heroes are sexy males with a disregard for danger and whether reluctant, gung-ho, or caught up in the action, show their hearts of gold.

  Her imagination runs wild with romances from sensual to scorching including romantic comedy, new adult, romantic suspense, small town, and urban fantasy. Look below to explore the many avenues to her writing. She believes it’s all about the happily ever afters and always will.

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