Delta Recon (SEAL Team Phantom Series, Book 2) (12 page)

“Don’t thank me just yet. I think we’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest, and when you do that, you’re liable to get stung as we’ve seen with what happened in Columbia to Jaqui. I don’t want to see her get hurt again. Nor civilians like her family. I’m hoping I’m wrong, but I’m not usually. Damn it.” He pounded his fist on his desk making several things bounce. “I should have anticipated this move from the cartel. They have her name and information. I just assumed they’d follow her here.”

Shrewd dark eyes met his and he realized the commander had hoped the Bloque Cartel would have come after Jaqui. Anger boiled in his veins that the leader of his branch of the Navy, hadn’t thought to include him on that little tidbit of knowledge. He wondered if Kai had been let in on it. The Bloque, or Block in English, Cartel weren’t known for their forgiving ways. To have a captive, a woman at that, escape right from under them, would be seen as a weakness. One they wouldn’t want the world to see, or they’d have others trying to move in on their territories.

“You knew they were looking for her and didn’t share that with our team?” Tay tried to keep the accusation out of his voice, failing if the narrowing of Lee’s eyes were to go by.

“Don’t take that tone with me, boy. I’m in charge of this operation and do what I think is best. Now, unless you don’t want to go with Wallace to visit her family...” his voice trailed off, clearly warning Tay he was on shaky ground.

His jaw ached from gritting his teeth, but he snapped his legs together and saluted the commander. “Sir, yes sir. We’ll be leaving just as soon as we can get a flight.”

“There’s a flight leaving in one hour.” Commander sat down in the chair, already dismissing him.

Tay nodded. “We’ll be on it. Thank you, sir.”

Commander Lee looked up, his lips tilted up in a slight grin. “That hurt a little, didn’t it?”

“Only a little,” he agreed.

“Go on then. You’re down to fifty-eight minutes.” Lee waved his hand and Tay saluted his commander before walking out.

He grabbed his cell and dialed Kai. As the phone rang, he thought of what he’d say if the leader of his SEAL team had known about the threat to Jaqui, and had kept him in the dark.

“Hey, Tay, what’s up?”

The sound of metal clanging let Tay know where Kai was. If he’d had more time, he’d go to the workout center on base and talk with him face-to-face. “Did you know about the cartel and Jaqui?” He kept his voice down as he passed several people in the hallway.

“What do you mean did I know about the cartel and Jaqui? I was there when we rescued her, jackhole.” A loud clang sounded at the end.

Tay filled him in on what he’d just found out from Commander Lee. Silence stretched with only the sound of a throbbing beat in his ear from whatever was playing in the gym.

“That’s fucking bullshit. How the hell are we supposed to protect one of our own if we aren’t informed? How am I supposed to lead a team if they don’t trust I have their back?” Each word was growled, his deep voice menacing.

Tension left his body. “I’m going home with her, but he said he’d have you and the other guys ready to ship out if needed.”

“Fuck that. We should go with you.”

An image of Kai pacing flashed in his mind. “You stay here and keep your ears to the ground and spend some time with Alexa. We may need you sooner, rather than later.” That was something he was sure was the truth, although he hoped like hell it wasn’t.

****

J
aqui stared at the clothes laying on the bed, unsure what to pack. Her mind and body felt numb. Coming home from a late dinner, her parents’ vehicle was hit in the middle of an intersection by a large pickup truck. Luckily for them a surgeon had been coming up behind and seen the accident and stopped to help. The other vehicle had fled the scene as he’d pulled up, leaving nothing but destruction to show he’d been there. Although she didn’t think their small town had cameras on the stop lights, her mind raced to whether the local businesses might have security cameras. With the accident occurring right in the middle of Main Street she hoped at least one of them had a camera she could hack into and get a glimpse of the vehicle, and maybe the driver.

“What are you plotting?” Tay asked leaning against the door frame.

She had no clue how long he’d been standing there, but could kick herself for not paying attention to her surroundings. Actions like that could get her dead real quick. “I was thinking about how I could track down the hit-and-run vehicle.”

Tay straightened, coming to stand next to her. “We will track him. Together. Feel me?” He pulled her against him. “Where you go I go. Until this is over, you are not to go anywhere alone, Jaqui.”

A lump the size of a melon lodged in her throat. “You think someone tried to kill my parents, don’t you?”

“I think it’s a real possibility. They could have just been at the wrong place at the wrong time, or it could be Medellin and his men. Either way, you don’t need to be alone. You are my heart, Jaqui. When I saw that jaguar lying on you, even before I knew it was you, I made a promise that I plan to keep, and that was I wouldn’t fuck up again. If I have to super glue your ass to my side, I will do it.”

She smiled in spite of herself. “You’d look a little silly with me in your dress uniform.”

He gave her a little shake. “Don’t. Please, for all that I hold dear. Don’t. Fuck, woman. Don’t you understand how much you mean to me? Feel that.” He put her palm to his chest. “My heart belongs to you. If something happens to you, my heart may continue to beat, but I won’t continue to live. Sure, I may still breathe, eat, and sleep, but I’ll only be half a man because the other half of me is you. A man can’t really be whole without the love of his life, and that is you for me.”

“Taylor, you shit. I love you so damn much. You about killed me when you left and didn’t come back. For the past year and a half I swear I tried to hate you. God, I tried. Now, with those words, you hold the power to destroy me. If anything happens to you I won’t want to live. If you change your mind, I swear, I will hunt you down and...” she couldn’t continue as he pulled her into his arms and covered her lips with his. The usual all-consuming kiss that ended in their lovemaking was missing, replaced with a poignant one that meant even more. Love poured from him to her.

“If we had more time I’d show you how much I love you. But, we have,” he lifted his arm, looking at his watch. “Less than thirty-five minutes to pack and catch a flight. Commander Lee has us on the first one out.”

She hugged him one last time. “He cleared you to go with me?”

“Yeah.” He looked at the clothes lying on the bed. “You having issues deciding what to take?”

Knowing it was silly, she took a deep breath. “I’m nervous and being stupid. Both of which I’m not normally.” Snapping out of the stupor she’d been in since getting the text, she started rolling outfits into neat little rolls, filling the case on the bed.

“I’ll be ready in ten.”

True to his word, Tay had a suitcase packed and ready in less time than she, and was waiting for her in the kitchen.

They locked up the house, and with both their cases and laptops, were on their way to the airstrip at Barking Sands Missile Range. They’d be flying into Nellis Air Force Base, just twenty minutes away from Vegas. The closer they got, the more she felt on edge.

“If you don’t stop fidgeting you’re going to make the other passengers nervous.” Tay wrapped his fingers around her where they’d been twisting in the yellow fabric of the sundress she’d thrown on.

“I wish I could get an update on the flight.” She bit her lip.

He reached around the back of her neck, the warmth of his palm on her bare skin sent a tingle of awareness through her. “We could join the mile high club,” he suggested wickedly.

A laugh bubbled up. “Sure, could you imagine that getting reported back to our superiors?”

Tay sat in the center seat, with her near the window. He twisted a little blocking her from the view of those in the aisle. “You’re right. That would probably raise some eyebrows. But this,” he held her neck in one hand, while he trailed the other up her thigh under the hem of her dress. Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear. “You’ll need to be quiet, sunshine.”

She pressed her knees together, but the man’s fingers slipping between the V of her thighs, had her wanting more. The blunt feel of his fingernail scraping over her clit had her arching forward, spreading her thighs wider, and giving him better access.

“That’s it. Now, let’s see how good I can make you feel,” he growled too low for anyone else to hear.

He dragged his thumb back and forth, creating a hunger in her. When he reached for the edge of the lace and touched her bare folds, her hips jerked against his fingers and her breath hitched in her throat. Not compelled to stop there, he trailed his fingers through her wetness, then pushed two thick digits deep inside her and used his thumb to tease her clit in slow circles.

“Tay...” Her voice came out in a breathless whisper, conscious of others overhearing. Hunger pulsing through her veins and racing straight to the heart of her.

He bent and captured her next cry into his mouth, his fingers moving in and out of her faster, taking her up to a release that was both fast and hard.

He licked at her bottom lip, and muttered. “Let go, sunshine. I got you.” The words and his actions had her falling into a kaleidoscope of colors.

Her breath came out in a shuddering gasp, and she wrapped one hand around his bicep, the other she pushed harder against the hand working in and out of her, holding him firmly in place as she came.

“Damn, I can feel your tight little pussy squeezing my fingers with every pulse of your heart. I can’t wait to have my cock in here so you can clasp every inch of me. I’m going to fuck you so deep, and hard, you and I will be lost to everything and everyone for that moment in time.”

****

T
ay shook with the need to replace his fingers with his dick. Jesus, he could stare into her cornflower blue eyes forever, but especially when she came. The savage need he had for this woman took pleasure to a whole new level, making it so damn fierce, he literally shook with the restraint it took to pull his fingers out of her pussy, and not jerk her on top of him.

He took his fingers that were coated in her juices, and let her watch as he sucked them clean. Heat flared in her face, a rosy hue covered her skin. One he knew would cover her from head to toe.

“You are a dirty man, Taylor Rouland,” she said huskily.

A laugh broke free from him. “You say that like it’s new news to you, sunshine.”

She ran her hand over his jaw. “I wish I could repay you. Thank you seems lame.”

He adjusted the visible bulge in his jeans. “You can take your turn later.”

“That’s a promise. For now, I need to go to the ladies’ room.” She looked up at the front of the plane. “How much longer do you think we have before we land?”

Looking at his watch he was surprised to see they were close. “If you need to go, you better do it now. I’d say within the next half hour we should start our descent.”

Tender emotion for his woman hit him again as they stood, and he watched her walk toward the front. He looked around him, checking out the other passengers and noticed several watched the sexy sway of Jaqui’s hips as she passed. None were close enough to have seen or overheard him pleasuring her, but if they looked close enough they’d see a satisfied woman. And she was his. He didn’t care that he was being possessive. He sat back down and waited, keeping his eye trained to the front. He’d lived a shallow life before her. Not that his life as a SEAL was anything other than fulfilling. Pride for what he did filled him. Sensing her approach, he looked up and smiled, his heart literally squeezed in his chest at the answering smile. She was so damned sexy, her yellow flirty dress fit her like a glove across the chest all the way down to her hips, flaring out to just above her knees. The wedge shoes she put on gave her an extra couple inches, and added to her sleek frame. He’d prefer her out of the clothes, but given their current circumstances, he’d appreciate the way she looked, knowing he’d have her later.

“Feel better?” He stood for her to slide in, setting aside his dirty thoughts for the time.

She settled onto the seat beside him, picking up her bag from under the seat in front of them. He watched as she applied lotion on her hands. “I swear the soap in the bathrooms are designed to rub the skin off your hands.”

Tay had to agree, shaking his head when she offered him some of her sweet smelling lotion. She rolled her eyes, which made him smile. He enjoyed their light easy banter, something he’d only ever had with his SEAL team members. The flight attendant announced they were beginning their descent, so he and Jaqui sat in comfortable silence. When they landed, he stood and grabbed both their bags from the overhead compartment, then waited for Jaqui to grab her bag, shrugging his backpack with his laptop in it on his back, he offered to take hers as well.

“I’ve got this.” She tapped her messenger bag shaped like a large leather book.

Slipping a hand around her neck, he tipped her head back toward his. “Of course you do,” he murmured, loving the shock on her face as he sealed his lips over hers, kissing her. Slowly, thoroughly. Leaving no part of her lips and mouth unclaimed.

She shivered, her hip rubbing against his dick, her tongue tangled seductively with his until they were both breathless and aroused. He could easily picture stripping the clothes off her and having his way with her on the nearest flat surface here and now. But they’d come to Vegas for a purpose. And he needed to get his body under control or he’d be giving all the people in the terminal an eyeful.

“They’re moving.” He indicated with a nod of his head toward the aisle.

She straightened her shoulders, determination in every line. “I want to go directly to the hospital.”

He had figured as much. Would have wanted to do the same thing. “We’ll rent a car and make that our first stop. You want to call your aunt now, or wait until we get to the rental place?”