Smug

by Alana Albertson

  I loved my kids more than anything. But honestly, I barely knew them. I’d been deployed so much. I would definitely need help now that it looked like I’d have a chance to take custody of them, at least temporarily. I knew that Mia and some other Team wives would offer to watch them while I was at work if I could get permission to bring them back to San Diego. But if I had any hope of getting permanent custody of them, I needed to get my act together. Move to a bigger place in a good school district or maybe get base housing. I’d have to figure out the details later. For now, I just wanted to see my kids.

  The Vegas lights came into view from my tiny window, and my hands began to shake. I was never nervous—not even when I was about to kill a man. My muscles quivered. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was about to get involved in something bigger than a drug overdose.

  The plane touched down, and Ashley sat up straight in her chair.

  I checked my phone for texts from April’s family—no improvement. She was still in a medically induced coma. Fuck. I may hate her, but I didn’t want her to die. My kids loved her. They needed their mother.

  Ashley placed her hand on my thigh, sending a jolt to my cock. “Any news?”

  “Nothing has changed. April is still in a coma.” I paused, unsure if I should tell Ashley about my suspicions. But she was about to investigate every aspect of Paul’s life. Paul was dead, and my ex wasn’t capable of speaking. I had to know the truth. “She called me today. Completely upset.”

  Ashley’s eyebrow cocked. “Oh, really? Why? She’s friends with Dara, right?”

  “Yeah. Best friends. But April kept asking if I knew what happened to Paul. I’m not going to lie. My first thought was that she was fucking him.”

  Ash’s mouth flew open and then quickly closed. “Why did you think that? You knew Paul. You all used to hang out together with your wives. Did you ever see him flirting with your wife?”

  I shot her a cold stare. “Ex-wife. And no, at the time, I never thought they were involved. But April has always been a flirt. She was always trying to make me jealous.”

  Before Ashley could interrogate me more, we disembarked from the plane. A limo picked us up to take us to my kids.

  Ashley leaned in closer to me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, and she didn’t flinch at my touch. “Can I ask you why you got a divorce?”

  Fuck. I had walked into this line of questioning. But I wanted Ashley to know. If I had any shot with her, I had to tell her the truth.

  “We were young, had kids when we were kids ourselves. Being a SEAL certainly didn’t help. But I’m not going to blame the demise of the marriage on April. Hell, no. I’d fucked up, too. Yes, she cheated on me during my first deployment. I never forgave her, even though I tried. But then I cheated out of revenge. Once we started fighting all the time in front of the kids, I knew we had to end it. I was raised in a fucked-up household. I wasn’t going to do that to my kids.” I kept my next thought to myself. While I didn’t regret divorcing April, I sometimes thought that enduring all the drama would’ve been worth it because at least I would be able to see my kids every day that I was in-country.

  Ashley gave me a sympathetic nod. I wondered if she had immediately dismissed any chance of dating me now that I’d confessed to cheating on my ex. A woman like her wouldn’t want to waste her time on a divorced single dad SEAL. These days, women used me as much as I used them. I was nothing but a good time.

  But I craved something deeper.

  We were stuck in traffic, and I counted down the minutes until I could hug my kids again. My mind started churning, making a list of things I had to do. But Ashley interrupted my thoughts and cuddled closer to me and hugged me.

  I hugged her back, pressing her tight little body against mine. After a minute, she pulled away.

  “What was that for?”

  She smiled and squeezed my hand. “Even a big, badass Navy SEAL sometimes needs a hug.”

  The driver finally pulled up to the house across the street from April’s. I raced out of the car, not even waiting for Ashley, but she quickly followed. I was getting ready to knock when the door flew open.

  Sienna leaped into my arms with Samuel right behind her. I clung to my flesh and blood as if I were coming back from a long deployment. I’d missed them so fucking much that I vowed to turn my life around. Become the father they needed. April was clearly a mess right now. They needed a stable parent, and I was the only one available for the job.

  “Daddy! I can’t believe you’re here! I begged Mommy to let me come visit you, but she said no.” Then she hugged her teddy bear. “Is she going to be okay? Is she sick?”

  I didn’t want to lie to her. I had no idea. “I don’t know, Princess. I hope she will be okay. Mommy loves you very much. I’m going to stay here with you guys until she’s better.”

  Sam threw his arms around me. “I love you, Daddy. Sienna said you were coming, but I didn’t believe her. I told her that you were too busy killing bad guys.”

  A lump grew in my throat. My boy was proud of his old man. But I needed to be his hero, not only by fighting bad guys but also by protecting him. “Well, buddy. I’m here now.”

  I stood up and thanked the neighbor who had watched them.

  “It was no problem,” she said. “They are good kids. I hope April is okay.”

  Ashley narrowed in on the lady. “Excuse me, may I ask you a few questions? My name is Ashley Pierce. I’m NCIS. Did you happen to see this man near this house anytime recently?” She reached into her purse and flashed a picture of Paul.

  Oh, hell no. My fucking cock had blinded me again. It had been a huge mistake to bring Ashley here. I didn’t give a fuck about Paul right now, or my ex-wife. I needed to get my kids to bed and make them feel safe. I would not let Ashley turn my reunion into an investigation.

  Before I could grab her wrist, Sienna spoke up. “Oh, Mr. Paul? He was here just last weekend. He brought me a present.”

  What. The. Fuck.

  Ashley crouched down in front of my daughter. “What kind of present?”

  I pulled Ash to her feet and whispered in her ear. “Knock it off, woman. What the fuck do you think you are doing? My kids have gone through enough tonight. Their mom is in the hospital. Drop it, now, or I’ll send you back to the airport in this limo.”

  Ashley’s eyes met mine with a stare that I had normally only seen in fellow SEALs. But she didn’t challenge me. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Let’s get a good night’s sleep.”

  We said goodbye to the neighbor. “Okay, guys. I got us a room at a hotel nearby. Let’s gather your stuff. It’s really late now.”

  My son’s lip quivered.

  I picked him up. “What’s wrong?”

  “What about Taco and Snowball?”

  Fuck. Their pets. “They will be fine. We can come back and check on them tomorrow.”

  Sienna shook her head. “No. We’re not going without them. Why can’t we stay in our house? I’m tired.”

  I did not want to stay in my ex-wife’s house. A house that I had purchased.

  “Don’t you want to stay in a hotel?”

  Both of my kids shook their heads.

  Fuck.

  “Okay, tonight only. Let’s go.” We walked across the street and opened the door, which was unlocked. Not that it mattered. I had a key. April and I had fought about that too, but I had insisted. Just in case of an emergency like this.

  The kids ran inside and vanished upstairs.

  I turned to Ashley. “You are welcome to stay. If you don’t feel comfortable, you can take the limo to the hotel room I booked. Sorry about this.”

  “Don’t apologize. I’d like to stay.” She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I placed my hand on the back of her head, pulling her into me. Our lips met, and despite this shitastic day, my heart soared. I wanted to explore her hot little mouth, throw her down on the floor and drown my sorrows in her pussy, fuck her until I could forget the pain that was my life.

&n
bsp; But my kids could interrupt us any second. I forced myself to pull away from her lips. I just held her body tightly against mine.

  She was right. Sometimes even a SEAL needed a hug.

  5

  Ashley

  The taste of Mitch still lingered in my mouth, and I felt like a giddy schoolgirl. That kiss was nothing like I had imagined our first kiss would be. I had pictured him slamming me up against a wall, our mouths exploding together in hunger, longing, and lust.

  But our first kiss had been more special. It was caring, comforting. Almost respectful.

  And now, my heart wouldn’t stop fluttering in anticipation of our next one.

  I had sworn up and down that I didn’t want even to consider dating Mitch. Why was I entertaining the possibility? Was it because I wanted to use him to crack this case? Was I that cold and calculating?

  Or, even worse, was I having actual feelings for him? God, I was such a mess.

  I couldn’t think about what my heart did or didn’t want right now. I had to focus on what the little girl with Mitch’s dark eyes and long brown wavy hair had said.

  Paul had been here.

  Mitch touched my hand. “I’m going to get them to bed. Make yourself at home, but don’t go snooping around without me. I’ll be down in a bit.”

  A rumble grew in my belly. Damn, we hadn’t even eaten dinner. “Sounds good. Are you hungry? Can I cook you something?” My cooking skills consisted of grilled cheese, spaghetti, and quesadillas, which ironically made me capable of making meals for Mitch’s kids.

  “Yup. That would be great.”

  He walked upstairs. A sad looking Chihuahua cowered in the corner. I bent over to pet him, and he snarled at me. “You must be Taco.” I opened the back door and let him out into the yard. Despite being way past midnight, a hot breeze blew in through the window. There were toys everywhere, dishes piled up, and unfolded laundry in baskets. I was standing inside Mitch’s ex-wife’s house, surrounded by her things. My life was so different than hers. I couldn’t even fathom being a parent. Not now, maybe not ever. But seeing Mitch as a father forced me to look at him in a new light. I could tell he loved his kids deeply. Maybe there was more to him than the cocky son of a bitch I had assumed him to be.

  I opened the refrigerator, surveying my options when something caught my eye. A Coronado Seacoast Pilsner craft beer and a handful of wine coolers.

  I thought back to a night when I had first been undercover as Autumn. I had sat at a table in The Pickled Frog and just studied the team guys. Mitch, April, Paul, and Dara had been there that night. I remembered noting in my phone that while Mitch had ordered whiskey, and Paul had ordered a craft beer in a bottle. It was a small detail, definitely nothing to make a big deal about, but combined with what Sienna had said and Mitch’s description of April’s reaction to Paul’s death made me certain that Paul and April were sleeping together.

  News flash. SEALs cheat. Hardly ground-breaking stuff.

  But Paul had been married to April’s best friend, Dara. Why had April overdosed tonight? Because she loved Paul and was devastated that he had died? Maybe he’d had plans to leave Dara for April. Entirely possible. But April had two beautiful kids. Why would she throw her life away over a dead lover?

  Unless she felt guilty. Deep guilt, not just about the fact that she was sleeping with her best friend’s husband. Maybe she knew that Paul had been in danger. I wasn’t sure about anything. But something wasn’t adding up.

  I texted Craig and told him that I was following up a lead in Vegas. Normally, he texted me back immediately. When I didn’t receive a response after a few minutes, I considered calling him. But it was late, so I decided to let it go. I grabbed some tortillas, chopped up some precooked chicken, and grabbed some shredded Mexican cheese. A lone, dirty nonstick pan beckoned me to the sink to wash it. After it was clean and dry, I tossed the tortillas in the pan and placed the ingredients inside them. Mitch finally walked downstairs. I flipped the quesadillas onto a plate and handed him one.

  “Sorry. I suck at cooking.” I let Taco back inside the house.

  Mitch didn’t say anything, just gobbled down the food. This was so awkward. I barely even knew this guy, and now I was playing house in his ex-wife’s kitchen.

  “Any update on April?”

  He shook his head. “No. Nothing. Her sister said they found some OxyContin near her. But she never did drugs. Never. I can’t believe she would do this while the kids were in the house. Did she want Sienna to find her dead in the morning?”

  Mitch was a street-smart SEAL, but he wasn’t an investigator. He was also clearly blind to how deep this whole situation could go.

  But I had already imagined all the possibilities.

  I hesitated before I blurted out my suspicions. “Maybe, someone forced her to take the pills.”

  He gritted his teeth. “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re a SEAL, right? So was Paul. So were his friends. Your friends. You have a key to this place. You don’t think someone could sneak in here?”

  “Of course, someone could. She was probably screwing my whole Team. I wouldn’t put it past her. But why would someone want her to overdose? That makes no sense.”

  I took his hand and was shocked he didn’t pull it away. “Is she a good mother?”

  He didn’t respond.

  “Mitch, come on. I know you guys didn’t get along. But is she a good mom?”

  “Yeah. She loves the kids. They are her life.”

  Exactly. My adrenaline raced. What did April know? I had to tread lightly with Mitch, or he could shut down and kick me out.

  “So, she wouldn’t overdose with them in your home.” He pursed his lips, and I knew he was deep in thought. Good. “Now will you let me look around? With your permission?”

  His pensive look turned into a scowl. “Fuck. Are you serious? It was an overdose. Stop it, Ash. Not everything is like the Joaquín Cruz case. This isn’t a conspiracy. Someone shot Paul because he’s a dick. Probably was double-dipping or going to ruin someone’s career. He had dirt on everyone, including me. He covered my ass a few times when I would’ve tested high.”

  Yes. Yes. Yes. This was the information I needed. “So, that’s it. Who else did he do that for? What other shady things did he cover up? If you would only tell me, then I could help.”

  He clenched his fists. “Are you serious? I’m not going to tell you anything. This is not about you, Ashley. It’s about my kids.”

  Dammit. He was right. I was insensitive. I hated how my tunnel vision sometimes consumed me, but I couldn’t control myself.

  But I also couldn’t stop myself. For all I knew his kids could be in danger. I had to make Mitch see my point.

  “I’m sorry. You’re right. But listen to me. We can’t just dismiss this. We don’t know why April overdosed.”

  “I’ll tell you why she overdosed. My whore of an ex-wife was fucking Paul. She felt guilty for fucking her best friend’s husband, so she took too many pills. Maybe Dara found out and was going to tell everyone. The only reason we are here is because of my kids. I’m not going to have you interrogating them and planting crazy ideas in their heads. Got it, cupcake?”

  I needed to back off. I needed to back off now. “Yup. Forget I brought it up. I’m sorry, Mitch.” I didn’t need Mitch to believe me. I needed him to trust me so I could crack this case.

  We finished our food in silence. Mitch showed me to the downstairs guest bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Night, Mitch.”

  “Night.” He shut the door.

  So much for my second kiss. He probably regretted ever bringing me here.

  God, what was I doing? These poor kids. I remembered waking up in the middle of the night screaming for my mommy. She was usually too drunk to take care of me. I would sleep wrapped around my teddy bear, praying all night that the boogie man wouldn’t take me the way he took my sister.

  I finally removed my dress and bra and climbe
d under the covers wearing nothing but my panties. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I closed my eyes, trying to remember every interaction I had ever had with Paul. What he had said, what was in his file, who he had talked to, what everyone had said about him.

  Just when my mind couldn’t take another moment of overdrive, it drifted to another subject. Mitch. He was sleeping somewhere in this house. What was this tortured man hiding from me? What did he know about Paul’s shady dealings?

  I tried to focus on Mitch’s involvement in the case, but my thoughts became distracted as I relived the way his lips felt against mine. The way his huge hand had gripped my ass. The way I’d felt completely safe in his embrace. I closed my eyes and could almost feel his hard cock pressed against my panties. I was desperate to feel him inside of me, despite the rational reasons why fucking Mitch was a supremely bad idea. I always denied myself pleasure. Every move I made was to advance my career. Didn’t I deserve a mind-blowing orgasm from a fine-as-sin man?

  His kids were surely sound asleep. I crept out of the bed put my bra back and slipped my feet into my heels.

  I quietly opened the bedroom door. Mitch was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking that beer I’d found in the fridge. The second his eyes caught a glimpse of me in nothing but my bra, panties, and heels, he raced to the door, which he shut behind us, then scooped me up in his arms and threw me down on the bed.

  With one hand, he held my wrists behind my head. His lips crashed on mine as I writhed under his muscular body, feeling his massive cock tease me. Years of pent-up frustration and lust exploded inside me as I kissed him back and my hands explored his incredible body.

  “Ash, you’re so fucking sexy. I’m gonna tear you up.”

  I couldn’t wait.

  6

  Mitch

  I attacked Ashley’s greedy little mouth, giving her a glimpse of what I had in store for her. How hard I was going to fuck her, how deep I was going to pound her, how much I couldn’t wait to lick her until she could do nothing but come and come and come for me.