HOT SEAL Devotion

by Lynn Raye Harris

  “Hang on while I lock up. I’ll follow you.”

  Once Zach had turned off the television and grabbed his keys, they left the house. He walked her to her car and held the door for her. It wasn’t a fancy car, but she’d bought it with her own money after she’d started working and saved up enough to put a down payment on it. Alexei had gone to the used car dealer with her and made sure she didn’t get fleeced. She was proud of the car because it represented hard work, even if it was old enough that it didn’t have bluetooth. Thankfully, Alexei had installed an aftermarket bluetooth device for her that meant she could use her phone handsfree.

  Zach leaned down as she started the car. “Don’t worry, Kayla, we’ll make this work. We’ll get Bailey through her wedding, if that’s what you want. But then she needs to know the truth.”

  She looked up at him, her heart flooding with gratitude. “Thank you. She deserves her happiness, and I want her to have the perfect wedding before subjecting her to my drama.”

  “It’s not your fault, beautiful.”

  “It feels like it is,” she said, her throat tight.

  He skimmed his fingers over her cheek and her skin tingled in response. “There are a lot of assholes in this world. You had the misfortune to get involved with a group of them. Doesn’t make what they do your fault. They’d be assholes regardless.” He straightened. “I’ll be right behind you, Kayla. All the way.”

  Neo followed Kayla back to her place, thinking about what it was he’d agreed to. Marriage.

  And not just marriage, but instant fatherhood. He knew how not to be a father, thanks to personal experience, but he wasn’t sure that meant he’d get it right. He hoped he did. He’d try like hell to get it right, that’s for sure. Ana deserved that. Every kid did.

  He thought of what Kayla had said about her caller threatening Ana, and a hot darkness filled him the same way it had when she’d first said it. He would kill anyone who tried to harm that little girl. Rip their fucking heart out and stomp on it without a shred of regret.

  He didn’t know what his teammates would think when they found out about his marriage, but he couldn’t say no to Kayla. Not when she’d stopped pretending it was all about his benefits and told him what was really happening. About the threats.

  He had the ability to protect her and Ana, and he was going to do it. It’s what any of his teammates would do. Hell, Cash “Money” McQuaid had married his wife to protect her—and look at them now. Married, happy, living the dream. Didn’t hurt that Ella was a real life princess with a fortune, but Neo was certain that Money didn’t care if she was rich or poor. When he’d married her, she had been poor. It was only later they’d learned she was the true heir to the throne of Capriolo.

  Neo wasn’t marrying Kayla for money or a throne. He was marrying her because she needed his protection.

  And yeah, it didn’t hurt that he still wanted her two months after their hot night together. That he still dreamed about her beneath him, panting for more. Begging him to make her come. He dreamed about her tight pussy, so fucking wet for him, and the smell of her skin, the taste and texture of her nipples, the way she shook apart when she finally tumbled over the edge. The way his name sounded on her lips.

  He hadn’t been with anyone since that night with her. He’d been lonely every night since. If he was hung up on anyone, it was her. Not that he intended to admit it to her since she clearly hadn’t had the same reaction that he’d had.

  The lights were on in the living room and kitchen of Camel’s house when they pulled in. Kayla’s suite was an addition, attached to the main house by a long hallway. She had a separate door, thankfully. He’d hate to have to walk through the house on the way to Kayla’s apartment.

  There was going to be a lot of explaining to do at some point, but first things first. Right now he needed to establish a presence in Kayla’s life. A definite presence, not the back and forth they’d done out of sight of prying eyes. Maybe he should have made her talk to him after that night together, but when he’d woken up alone, he’d figured she’d said it all by leaving. If she didn’t want to explain what that had been about, he wasn’t asking.

  Kayla was waiting for him when he parked behind her in the long driveway. She stood on the sidewalk that led to her door, her purse on her shoulder, her hands clasped around the strap like it was a lifeline. Not for the first time, he thought about how small she was, how delicate. And he wished he’d been the one to encounter James Dunn at the Kings of Doom compound several months ago instead of Camel.

  Camel hadn’t killed Dunn, but he’d wanted to. Neo had wanted to as well. The bastard had imprisoned Kayla long before he’d kidnapped Bailey. He’d tried to sell Ana to an adoption agency. And he’d probably been planning to put Kayla into the trade as a sex worker since that’s what the Kings did. Dunn deserved to die, but it hadn’t been in the cards that day.

  Kayla smiled at Neo’s approach. It was a nervous smile. He wasn’t sure why she was nervous, though maybe it was the thought of the task before them and convincing her sister she was in love. He wished she’d just tell Bailey the truth, but he understood why she wanted to wait.

  “I called Bailey on the way and asked if she could keep Ana for the night. She said she could,” Kayla told him.

  “Did she ask questions?”

  “No, she knows better. But I could tell she was curious.” Kayla glanced at the house. Then she snorted softly. “And she’s looking outside to see what’s going on. I saw the curtain twitch.”

  Camel would know at any minute. Neo didn’t think his teammate would come outside and demand to know what was going on, but it was very likely coming soon. Probably at work on Monday. It wasn’t that Camel felt proprietary toward Kayla, but she was for all intents and purposes his little sister. Bailey was protective, which meant Camel would be too.

  “I don’t think I should stay all night,” he said. “That would be overkill, especially since we didn’t spend much time together at the cookout today.”

  “Agreed.”

  “I’ll stay a couple of hours. Long enough to watch a movie.”

  “Do you want to watch a movie?”

  He shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

  It’d be a lot easier than halting conversation or awkward silence for two hours. There was still a lot they needed to talk about, but he wouldn’t push it. They’d put something on and see what happened.

  Kayla led the way to the door. There was a light on overhead. She unlocked the door and led him inside. There was a lamp burning in the small living room. He’d only been inside a couple of times before, and not for long, but she’d added some things since then. He took it all in, noting the feminine touches. Kayla liked flowery pillows and plants. The space was small but neat. The kitchen and living room were all one space, but there was a small hallway that led to the single bedroom and bath. The kid toys were minimal, and all collected in a basket beside the television. A high chair sat at one end of a small round table where Kayla went to put her keys and purse.

  “I’ve decorated a little since you were last here. Home sweet home.”

  “It’s nice. You won’t mind moving out?”

  She looked around the room, then back to him. “I like it, but no, I won’t mind. The furniture isn’t mine anyway. Just the pillows and some of the decor items.” She shrugged. “I’m used to moving around.”

  He knew she’d had a chaotic childhood and that she and Bailey had moved often. Until Bailey met Camel, she’d been living in a crappy apartment in a not so nice part of town.

  “I’ll apply for base housing once we’re married,” he told her. “It won’t happen right away because there’s a waiting list. We can live in my house until one comes available, if that works for you.”

  He hoped it did because he didn’t envision moving in steps away from Camel and Bailey. Plus he’d have to break his lease, which wouldn’t be ideal.

  “That would be great. I’ll love being across the street from Chloe.”
>
  “You two are close, huh?”

  “Closer than I would have expected, but we hit it off when I went to work at the salon.”

  She didn’t say anything more but he figured part of the reason they were close was the shared experience of having had men who’d tried to hurt them in their lives.

  “Do you want something to drink?” she asked. “I don’t have any beer, but I have some white wine.”

  “Thanks, but no. I’m fine.”

  “The remote is in that basket on the table. I’m going to change if you’d like to find something.”

  He went over and sat on the small couch, found the remote, and powered up the television. She had Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu. It was nearly fifteen minutes before she returned. He was beginning to wonder if she’d bailed on him, but she walked into the room wearing a pair of black yoga pants and a loose knit top. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun. She went over to the kitchen and got a glass of wine then came over and sat at the opposite end of the couch. She put a bottle of water on the coffee table and slid it toward him.

  “Just in case.”

  “Thanks.” He nodded at the screen. “What do you want to watch?”

  “Oh, I don’t care. Anything.”

  He grinned. “Looks like you watch a lot of home decorating shows.”

  She flashed him a smile. “I love how pretty everything is in the end. They take an old rundown house and before you know it, boom, gorgeous new space. Kinda reminds me that you can makeover the ugly parts of your life at any time if you’re determined enough and work hard enough.”

  He liked that thought. “You want to watch one now?”

  Because he’d watch whatever made her happy.

  “That’s okay. Let’s find something we both like.”

  In the end, they settled on Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Neo watched it with increasing amusement as the main character navigated the Special Ops world. It wasn’t that the show was bad or that the actor wasn’t good. He was good, and Neo enjoyed that part. But some of the stuff that went on….

  Neo shook his head. Those guys were practicing some very bad operational security at different points of the show.

  “Is that what you do?” Kayla asked at one point when the hero had single-handedly taken down a terrorist.

  “Not entirely, but it can get dicey sometimes. I have a team, though. We don’t typically go it alone.”

  She was looking at him with wide eyes. “That’s good. But how do you do it?”

  “Depends on the situation.”

  She shook her head. “No. How do you face that kind of thing and not get scared? I’d be paralyzed with fear.”

  “It’s not that we aren’t sensible enough to fear for our lives,” he said, thinking how best to phrase it. “But we don’t stop to think about it. Our training kicks in and we do what we’ve practiced thousands of times before.”

  She toyed with the edge of her knit top and didn’t look at him. “I could almost wish you were an accountant or something.”

  “If I were an accountant, I’d be pretty useless against the Kings of Doom MC.”

  She looked at him, her eyes shining. “I suppose so.”

  “And that’s not what you want, right?”

  “No.”

  He reached for her hand, wrapped it in his. She didn’t try to pull away. “Maybe we should turn it off, huh?”

  “Okay.”

  He exited the show and set the channel to one of her decorating shows. “We’ve still got some things to decide, beautiful,” he said as somebody on the television swung a sledge hammer at a wall.

  “I know.” She sighed. “I just—I don’t know what else to say yet. It’s happening fast, which is what I wanted. But there’s still so much to think about. We can apply for a license Monday, and we can get married as soon as we have it, so this week. And now I’ve got to convince Bailey I’m madly in love and this is the right thing to do.”

  “Or you could tell her we’re doing it for your protection. It wouldn’t be the first time someone on the team got married to protect his wife. Camel will understand that logic, believe me. And he’ll convince her.”

  She shook her head. “No, I can’t. It’s four weeks to her wedding. I won’t spoil her plans or her big day.”

  “Okay, beautiful. We’ll do it your way. I won’t lie to my team, though. If they need to know the truth, I have to tell them.”

  “I know.” She kept toying with the shirt and he let go of her hand and stood.

  She tipped her head back to gaze up at him, a question in her eyes.

  “It’s been two hours. I should probably get going.” He held out a hand. She took it and he lifted her to her feet. “Walk me to the door.”

  The apartment was small so it was only a couple of steps away. He slipped an arm around her waist and tugged her in close. She came freely, putting her hands on his chest and resting them there. She was small, but she fitted against him in all the right places. It’d been a long time since he’d held her, and he’d missed it.

  “Are you going to kiss me goodnight?” she asked.

  “Do you want me to?”

  “I think it’d be nice.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “Nice? The last time we kissed, things got a little out of control. It was a lot more than nice.”

  Her skin colored and she dropped her gaze. He tipped her chin up with this fingers, forcing her to look at him. “Now’s not the time, but I think we’re going to have to talk about that too. Don’t you?”

  She nodded.

  “Goodnight, Kayla,” he murmured.

  Her eyes closed before he dropped his head toward hers. He studied her for a second. She was more innocent than she should be considering what she’d been through, but he knew she was damaged as well. That she trusted him enough to close her eyes and wait for his kiss moved him more than he could say.

  Why had she run out on him after their night together? He intended to find out now that he planned to marry her.

  He kissed her softly, a press of his lips to hers, and then lifted his mouth away. She opened her eyes, gazing up at him with a question in them. He kissed her forehead and let her go.

  “Thanks for a nice evening.”

  “Will you text me when you get home?”

  “Sure. Night, Kayla.”

  “Night, Zach.”

  Neo got in the car, started the engine, and put it in reverse. When he backed onto the street and shifted into drive, a figure appeared in front of him, cross-armed, spread-legged, and glaring.

  “Fuck,” he groaned. Just what he needed right now.

  Neo rolled down the window as the figure stalked forward.

  “Hey, Camel. What’s up?”

  Chapter Five

  There was a knock on the door that connected the in-law apartment to the hall leading to Bailey and Camel’s. Kayla sighed as she went over and opened it up. Bailey stood there with a concerned look on her face. She was holding a baby monitor, but Kayla was certain the look had nothing to do with Ana and everything to do with Kayla’s visitor.

  “Hey, Bale. Do you want me to come get Ana?”

  Bailey still frowned. “No, she’s completely passed out. No need to wake her.”

  “Do you want some wine?” Kayla asked as she stepped back to let Bailey in. Bailey didn’t drink often, but Kayla asked anyway.

  “No, I’m good.” Bailey walked inside, taking in the couch, Kayla’s glass, Zach’s empty water bottle, before she turned to face Kayla again. “Was that Zach here with you?”

  Kayla folded her arms. “You know it was.”

  She thought she still heard the rumble of Zach’s car outside. She went over to peer out the window. Sure enough, his car was idling beside the curb and he was standing next to it, talking to someone.

  Not someone. Alexei.

  She dropped the curtain and turned, anger flaring deep. “Y’all know it’s none of your business, right?”

  Bailey’s eyebrows c
limbed her forehead. Kayla cursed inwardly as she watched the play of emotions on her sister’s face—disbelief, defensiveness, protectiveness, and anger—before Bailey got control of herself.

  For heaven’s sake, why had she gone all defensive like that? She wanted Bailey to be happy, not upset.

  Stress, that’s what it was.

  “We’re concerned about you. That’s all,” Bailey said more than a touch defensively.

  Kayla waved a hand. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s been a long day and I’m tired.”

  Bailey looked wary. “Is everything okay? You and Zach seemed to be interested in each other once before, but then nothing happened. I worry about you.”

  Kayla impulsively gave her sister a hug. Bailey smelled like vanilla and chocolate chip cookies. She’d been baking again, practicing her newfound cooking skills. When they’d been kids, the only thing Bailey knew how to cook was macaroni and cheese, and ramen. That was more than Kayla had known. They’d subsisted on those things quite often.

  “I know, sweetie. I’m fine. Zach and I are seeing each other. I’m fine and I’m happy.”

  Bailey hugged her back. “Okay. I just want you to be careful, that’s all. Zach is a good guy, but he leads a dangerous life.”

  As if she didn’t know that.

  “So does Alexei, honey.”

  “Well, yes. And that scares the shit out of me. If you don’t have to go through that, then don’t.”

  Too late.

  “There’s more to both of them than danger.”

  “I know.”

  Kayla sighed. “Do you want to text Alexei and tell him to let Zach go home?”

  She hoped Zach and Alexei weren’t having a deep heart to heart about her situation, but there was no way of knowing that. She could only pray that Alexei would see her side of things if so.

  Bailey’s cheeks were a touch pink as she took her phone from her pocket. She typed out a message and hit send. “Done.”

  “Thank you.”