Fall for a SEAL (6 page)

“Where are we going?” Her voice cracked. “And yes, water or maybe Coke would be awesome.”

“I’ll raid the kitchen. Be right back.” He slipped away and returned with two of each. He cracked open his can of cola and she did the same. “We’re hitching a ride to New Orleans,
because that’s where this plane was already going. From there, we’ll fly to Miami if the pilot has time, or maybe rent a car if he doesn’t.”

She glanced around. They were alone on the plane, but she couldn’t bring herself to raise her voice above a whisper. “Whose plane is this?”

“It’s a charter. Rik knows the owner of the company.”

“I’m starting to think I’m going to owe this guy an awful
lot at the end of this adventure.”

Drew ducked his face, grabbing her gaze and holding it. “This is nothing for you to worry about. Rik doesn’t offer anything with strings attached. He’d move mountains for Kevin’s sister, you hear me?”

A sentiment that should make her feel better, but it didn’t.
 

There was no comfort in the sad reality of being an orphan. Having two real-life superheroes rescuing
her from the jaws of some unseen danger only underlined the fact that she didn’t have a big brother anymore. That her parents were gone and she was on her own when the chips were down.

She winced at herself for drifting into maudlin territory. Besides, she could handle—
 

“Hey, what’s that face all about?”

She blinked at him, embarrassed that her thoughts had played out so obviously. “Nothing.”

“Don’t buy that, sugar. No secrets, remember?”

Who was he to ask that of her?
She bristled. “No secrets about Kevin, or the mysterious phone call, sure. I really doubt you want me to unload my feelings on you.”

He lifted one eyebrow ever so slightly and quirked his lips. “Don’t be so sure.”

Maybe if his response wasn’t so cocky, so casual, she’d believe him. But his smirk left too much room
for him to walk away after she’d unburdened herself of her deepest, darkest fears. A harsh laugh burbled out. “You’re a grown man who plays video games and flicks away fuck buddies like they’re nothing. Now I’m supposed to believe you’re sensitive?”

She regretted the words as soon as they spilled out. Drew’s face closed up tight, and he took a long drag of cola before nodding. “Fair enough.”

“Drew—” But her apology was cut off by heavy footsteps on the stairs, and they were joined by a burly man in a suit carrying an overstuffed briefcase. He nodded to them, unperturbed by other passengers on his flight, and took a seat toward the back.

“We’ll be leaving soon, Annie. You should have a nap.” And with that, Drew Castle tipped his head back and closed his eyes.

— —
 

They stopped
briefly in New Orleans to drop off their travel companion, refueled, then took off again. Drew made a mental note to thank Rik for helping him avoid a ten hour car ride with the disapproving woman next to him. It was bound to happen, the crash of adrenaline and reality of what was happening to her setting in. But he didn’t think that was the real reason she was mad.

It was
him
. Annie didn’t want
him.

And he didn’t mean sexually, although he probably didn’t have a chance in hell of scoring with her, either, but she didn’t want
him
to be her hero in an emergency. He was a poor stand-in for Kevin. That he was a stand-in at all, that she didn’t have anyone else...he’d be pissed off in her shoes as well.

It wasn’t fair that she was all alone in this.
 

But life wasn’t fair. Drew had learned
that lesson early on, and as a result, committed himself to never needing anyone. Kevin had been the closest thing to family he had. His mother had left when he was seven. His dad drank himself to death sometime during Drew’s basic training. He’d been on his own for twenty years and he’d never minded the solitude. It made leaving easy, and he left all the time. His life was based in San Diego
but he lived around the world, in helicopters and sand pits. On constant stand-by.

Her crack about fuck buddies had landed with unnerving accuracy. He loved women, and he was clear on his limitations up front, but there was no denying that sex changed things. Added complications, even in the early stages of flirting. An uncommon feeling of guilt wormed its way into his head.
 

You’re not feeling
badly about Dana.

No. Maybe he should, but he hadn’t been lying the night before. Dana had only reacted badly because she thought Annie was competition. The prize could have been anyone, and he wouldn’t be surprised to find out she’d found another bed to warm.

But Annie...Jesus, he shouldn’t have suggested they pretend to be lovers in the cab. What the fuck had that been? There was no need,
except his desperate desire to hold her against his body, feel the lean stretch of her in his arms and smell the sweet scent of her skin as she pressed her lips to his. And now he was paying the price. Guilt, desire and confusion warred inside him for the first leg of their trip, and he couldn’t work out why.

What did he care?

When it came to affection, Drew could take it or leave it. He wasn’t
dead inside—he enjoyed an evening spent with a woman as much as the next man. More than most when everything clicked. But despite what Annie thought of him, it wasn’t an everyday occurrence.

And he was fine with weeks, even months, of solitude. Would trade that for any inkling of possession or emotional entanglement, because he couldn’t return it in kind. Particularly in the last six months.
Since Kevin’s death, he’d been adrift, but not once had he thought the solution lay in the arms of a woman. Dana had helped him scratch an itch, and he’d returned the favour, but she didn’t smooth over the ache in his heart. Nothing could.

Except the last fourteen hours, he hadn’t felt alone, not once. Not even with Annie closed off and grumpy beside him on the plane, unable to say anything further
because of their companion three rows back. The truth was, he’d spent the flight worrying about how to reconnect with her rather than how to escape her needy clutches.

And Kevin had been completely silent, which unsettled him more than he’d like to admit.

He needed that voice of conscience telling him to back off, or he might not.

Who was he kidding? They were heading to paradise with nothing
to do but fight and make up. Over and over again. There would be no backing off, not until it was too late. And for the first time ever, Drew was walking straight into an entanglement with eyes wide open.
 

“What are you thinking about?” Annie muttered under her breath.

“Your brother.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

“I miss him,” she sighed. “I listened to the message over and over again on the drive
to your place, even though I knew it wasn’t real.”

“I hear his voice all the time,” he admitted. “He’s become my...moral compass.”

She laughed. “I’d love that...for a day or two. I can’t imagine it’s easy to constantly have another opinion rattling around in your head.”

Especially when your thoughts are running dirty with regard to his sister
. “It’s unusual for me, that’s for sure. Took some
getting used to.”
 

“And then I leap into your life...Martins making you crazy all over the place, huh?” She twisted slightly in her seat and glanced toward him under her lashes. Shy and brave at the same time. “I’m sorry about what I said earlier. It’s none of my business.”

His response stuck on the first try, and he cleared his throat. “I told you last night. It played out in front of you,
it’s your business. But for what it’s worth, the video games...yeah, that’s me. The girl in the trench coat is a bit more unusual.”

“Okay.” Her tone sounded like she still wasn’t sure of that, but then it softened. “I wasn’t judging, I just didn’t want to talk about...” Her jaw clenched as she swallowed back the rest of the sentence, and he couldn’t resist turning fully toward her and stroking
that spot of tension on her face. Her lips parted ever so slightly, and he slowly drifted his thumb to the corner of her mouth.

“I’m sorry I asked. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Her skin was soft to the touch, and he wanted his turn to press kisses there. Taste her as she’d tasted him, however briefly.
 

“Not uncomfortable. Weak.” Her voice wafted between them on a thready whisper,
and he shook his head.

“You’re so strong, Annie. More than most, I promise you.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re saddled with me until this gets resolved.”

He jerked his head back. Had he really given her that impression? “Hell no. The thought of you being yanked between power players, not knowing what’s going on, maybe getting hurt...sugar, that kills me.” He stroked his palm down
her neck and along her arm, finding her fingers. “We’re in this together, got it?”

She glanced down at their entwined hands, then back up at him, the shock on her face feeling very familiar. “Together?”

One word, loaded with meaning.
 

A word he’d always avoided in the past, but this was different. And it wasn’t because he wanted her, although he did, something fierce. This was different. They
were bonded together, he and Annie, and she wasn’t a burden. Her problems were his problems, no questions asked.

She tipped her head back, feelings tripping across her face as she processed her thoughts. He waited, letting her have a moment. The tug of arousal was hard to ignore, but she had to want it too. Her clear gaze when she faced him again, promising a matching response if he did something,
decimated any lingering restraint. He reached between them and unbuckled her seat belt, the rub of his knuckles against her abdomen eliciting a hungry noise he wanted to hear again and again. “You and me, sugar,” he whispered as he elbowed the armrest between them out of the way and hauled her into his lap.

— FIVE —

“What are you doing?” A stupid question, given the glassy look in Drew’s eyes as he stared at her mouth. She should know better than to like it.
Should
. Totally didn’t. At his touch, her heart leapt into her throat, and instead of worrying about who he’d touched before, and when the affection would be taken away again, she just wanted to revel in it. Let the thrill of being wanted
wash away the fear.
   

“You kissed me earlier.” The rough need in his voice worked its way into her chest and blossomed into an itchy heat.
 

“You told me to,” she whispered, not trusting her voice to hold.
 
“And then you laughed.”

“You took me by surprise.” His unexpected admission made her squirm. “I’m happy to clarify my position on you kissing me. I’m a fan.”
 

“And what if I don’t plan
to kiss you again?”

His heavy-lidded gaze jerked up, finding her eyes. Searching for permission, which, damn him, she’d give. Soon. “Then I’d want to kiss you.”

“And you think I’d let you?” Like the fact she was vibrating against him wasn’t proof of that.

“You shouldn’t.”
 

“Maybe I won’t.” Their faces were close enough now that her breath puffed off his skin, warming the small space left between
them.

Instead of closing the gap and taking her mouth, he wove his hand deeper into her hair and tugged gently. “This isn’t the time or place, is it?”

Confusion and sadness traced through her veins and landed heavy in her chest. She contemplated throwing good sense out the window and pushing herself on him, but if he didn’t want her... “Probably not.”

His other hand crossed her lap and squeezed
her hip. “I’m not sure what’s going to happen when we land.”
 

“I’ll be cool,” she promised with what felt like an unconvincing nod.
 

“Just follow my lead, okay?” That she could agree to with more assuredness. They were in this together.

That word again.
Together
. It was for the best if they didn’t entertain the new spark of attraction between them. Barely a taste and she was ascribing feelings
and values to it that didn’t belong. She nodded one last time, with firm resolution, and shifted her legs to get off his lap. His grip on her hip tightened and the fingers in her hair slowly pulsed against her scalp.
 

“Annie...” Her name dripped like honey off his tongue, the single word warming her from the inside out. “If things were different...”

She smiled weakly, willing herself to look
cool and unaffected. “We probably would have never met. It’s fine, Drew, don’t worry about it.”

A moment later the pilot’s voice crackled over the intercom, advising them they would soon begin their descent, and she scrambled into her seat.
 

Drew watched her buckle up, then stood and grabbed his backpack before sitting again.
 

“Give me that shopping bag,” he muttered gruffly, and consolidated
the results of her discount shopping spree into his bag. He paused almost imperceptibly when he reached the three-pack of black bikini panties, and she willed herself not to blush.
Everyone wears underwear
. Which of course sent her thoughts in the direction of wondering what Drew looked like without his cargo pants.
Maybe not everyone.
A girl could dream.

The pressure change in the cabin as the
plane dipped back toward earth snapped her back to reality. As far as she knew, there was no record of their cross-country adventure, but she was quickly learning that ordinary people were incredibly transparent to those keeping an eye on the unsuspecting population. A shiver wracked her as she once again considered the horrifying invasion of privacy—someone had hacked her phone. Watched her through
it as she drove to San Diego, listening to the fake Kevin message over and over again. As she told Drew what she knew and then slept in his bed. Bile rose in her throat, not for the first time, as she processed just how stupid she’d been.

Until Drew took over. Now she wasn’t with an ordinary person, and once they got wherever the hell they were going, she’d be able to get some answers.