Falling For Her Navy Seal…Again (3 page)

“You going to answer me?”

“What?”

“Your date. How was it?”

Boring. Long. Horrid. Pick one
. “Great. We’re going out again this weekend.”

He frowned. “I see. Doesn’t he know tweed jackets aren’t cool?”

“And leather jackets are?”

“More so than tweed ones. What are you doing tonight?”

A thrill rushed through her. His change of topic should have irritated her, but she asked, “Why?”

“Come help me set up the haunted house.”

She crossed her arms. “I’m busy.”

He closed the distance between them. “Come on, you love helping me set up. It’s not the same when you’re not there.”

Her insides turned to mush with the way he stared at her. Her knees weakened, but she stood firm. “I can’t. I have too many papers to grade and lesson plans to make out for next week.”

“Jenesi, I need your help.”

She stilled, detecting the hitch in his voice. Alarm raced through her. “What’s wrong?”

He faced the window, giving her his back. She watched as he rubbed his neck. “I got hurt.”

She rushed around him. “Where?” She looked him over, unable to spot anything but his broad shoulders and lean thighs in tight jeans. A tingly feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. “Matthew, tell me.”

He dropped his arms to his sides. “I got shot. That’s why I’m home for a while. I’m on leave until I’m totally healed.”

Tears sprang to her eyes. “Where? Where did you get shot?”

He took her hand as he lifted up his shirt and slid her fingers against his tight abs until they reached his chest. Her breath hitched. His heart thudded against her palm. She felt a round scar. The area dipped into a pucker, and she covered her mouth to stop the sob that rose in her throat.

“How did it happen?”

“I was careless and didn’t see the enemy overhead. He shot me. My team risked their lives bringing me to rescue. I was in the hospital for a few weeks, and then they finally let me out.” Matthew tugged her into his arms. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. I wasn’t trying to make you sad.”

She jerked her head back. “Why didn’t you call or tell me?”

He chuckled. “I was unconscious from all the pain meds for a while. By the time they let me out, I just decided to come here.”

She sniffled.

“Help me.”

She stared up at him, into his blue eyes. The drowning feeling overcame her again as it did every time she looked at him. Shaking her head, she cleared her throat. “What about all the people your father hired?”

“They’re busy taking care of the hay ride and the pumpkin patch and the farm itself. I don’t want to
not
help them when it’s their busiest time of the year. So, will you do it?”

Jenesi bit her lower lip. She wanted to say no. She should be mad at him. But had she ever really been able to deny him? He was alive and breathing and home. Nothing else should matter. “Yes, I’ll help you. I’ll come over after work.”

Matthew pressed a kiss to her forehead and released her. “Great. I’ll see you later, then. I’ll make sure there’s fresh apple cider.” His gaze trailed over her from head to toe. Her skin warmed under his inspection, and her fingers still tingled from touching his wound. “You should definitely change out of what you’re wearing. Don’t want you scratching up your delicate skin.”

“I know.” She glanced down at her sundress and pursed her lips. “This isn’t the first time I’ve helped you set up the haunted house.”

“I know,” he sassed, mimicking her tone. He threw her a grin and strolled down the hall, whistling.

Why did she feel like she’d just been had?

***

Jenesi held up Myrtle’s head and grimaced. White, stringy hair, bulging eyeballs, droopy gray skin, and blood trickling from the corner of her mouth—the house’s wall decor needed to be upgraded. “When did you get this?”

Matthew stood at the window, hanging cobwebs, since she’d given up on that task after decorating eleven other rooms with hem, along with spiders and nasty, squishy-looking bugs. He made a face when he noticed what she was holding. “I hate that thing. I think it was here even before Dad took over the farm. What are you going to do with it?”

She glanced around the room and stopped at Myrtle’s bloody body on the bed of white sheets. An axe protruded from her chest. The boys had thought it funny to add an axe to the dummy one year, and it’d become tradition since, but her head was placed in different spots every year. “Well, this is her bedroom…and her head was chopped off by that weapon. Maybe we should stick it in the closet again this year and when they open the door, it’ll scare them.”

He shrugged. “Go for it. The hook is probably still there, but make sure you turn her head on.”

Flicking the switch in Myrtle’s neck, Jenesi strode to the closet. She whipped the door open and dropped the detached head. Myrtle’s cry of horror went off along with her own scream.

Matthew rushed over to her. “What is it?”

She pointed to Peter’s charred body, the skull showing through the skin of his face in the closet, and held a hand to her chest. “Peter’s not supposed to be here.” Laughter sounded behind her. She spun around to see Matthew holding his stomach. “It’s not funny.”

“You should have seen your face.” He picked up Myrtle. “Let’s leave Peter in there. I’ll check his wiring later. Maybe we should hang Myrtle near the vanity table.”

Jenesi drew in a deep breath. “You do it. I think I’m done for today. Had enough scares for one night.”

“You’re weak sauce, woman.”

She pressed her hands to her chest and fluttered her lashes. “And you’re my hero,” she said in a squeaky voice then dropped her arms to her sides to take note of all they’d accomplished in the past four hours. After she’d made sure her last student had boarded the school bus, she’d rushed home to change into jeans and a flannel before driving over to Hunt Farm. She’d visited Mr. Hunt a few times when Matthew was away, but she’d never dared take liberties to explore the land and its bounty without her brother or Matthew.

“You’re a brat.”

“And you’re so perfect.”

“I know.”

Jenesi spun around. “Wow. That bullet wound must have addled your brain and turned you even cockier than before.”

Matthew laughed as he hung up Myrtle’s head. “I’m just happy you’re here talking to me.”

Her heart fluttered. What was wrong with her? She couldn’t understand his light mood. They’d been bickering and laughing more than they ever had in the past, and she’d concluded nothing would ever happen between them again. So why was she letting him get to her? She mentally kicked her own ass. “It’s probably getting late. I need to work tomorrow.”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“No.” Ironically, her stomach gurgled. Loudly. She coughed to hide the sound, but Matthew heard it.

“Let’s go make a sandwich or something. A beer sounds good, too.”

She glanced out the window toward the house. “Your dad is probably sleeping. I don’t want to wake him.”

“He’ll be fine. He’s probably passed out in front of the TV like always. Besides, it’s not very often I get to sneak a girl into the house.”

“What are you? Twelve?”

Matthew dusted his hands. “If
you’re
twelve, then that only makes me sixteen. Both still not legal to engage in any consensual acts.”

She gasped. “You’re crazy.”

“Probably.” He grinned, and her stomach gurgled again. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

He ushered her out of the room and down the stairs. Once they got outside, they met a cool breeze. Jenesi sneezed. Without a word, Matthew wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she made no move to push away. They walked side by side. Comfort and warmth enveloped her. His musky cologne filled her senses. She’d always loved how he smelled.

She hadn’t realized she’d spoken her thoughts out loud until she heard his reply.

“You smell nice, too.”

When she tried to step away, he drew her closer. The Hunt house came into view as they followed the trail. “Have you talked to Jared?”

“Not recently. He’s been surfing a lot, from what I hear. So I’m guessing he likes it out there.”

“I wouldn’t blame him. All that sunlight and those white, sandy beaches. I’d love to go out there to visit him someday. Maybe when school is out for summer.”

“By yourself or with your boss?”

Regret pierced her. She’d forgotten to answer Bart’s texts. Like a giddy schoolgirl, she’d come rushing over to Hunt Farm because Matthew had asked. Jenesi ducked his arm and put some distance between them. “We’re dating. Nothing serious.”

“Why are you dating him? He doesn’t even seem like your type.”

“Oh, and you know what my type is?”

“Yeah. Me.”

She stopped. A tweak of pain stung her chest as she recalled his hurtful rejection. “Aren’t you just taking some things for granted?”

Matthew spun around. “Like what?”

“Like me?”

He shoved his hand through his hair. “Jenesi.” A shiver snaked down her spine at his husky voice. “Trust me. After what happened between us last time, I would never take you for granted.”

She eyed him warily. Why was he really home? To torture her? Did he feel remorse? Guilt? “You tricked me today, didn’t you? Is your wound really bothering you?”

“Yes, it still bothers me. And yes, I may have misled you to get you to help me. But more than anything, I wanted to spend time with you.”

“Why?” Fear thudded in her chest. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if his reason for seeking her out was due to his conscience.

“I wasn’t lying when I said I missed you. And I don’t appreciate you telling me to go home when I purposely came over to apologize.”

A million thoughts rushed through her mind. She’d already forgiven him. Sort of. “I think we’ve established that it wasn’t going to work between us…sexually. I’m okay with being friends.”

“What if…?” He let out a ragged breath. “I don’t want to be friends. I don’t want you dating your nerdy boss, either.”

Anger clouted her. Digging her nails into her palm, she waved a fist at him. “And what right do you have—?”

He pulled her into his arms and covered her lips with his. Her protest dissolved into his kiss. A heady rush tore through her as the sensations in the pit of her stomach grew. Her fingers gripped his shirt as heat expanded through her body and her legs turned to mush. She recalled Bart’s kiss after he’d dropped her off from their date over the weekend and she’d felt nothing, just disappointment. She wanted passion, excitement. Just some sort of pizazz when Bart touched her, but no one had ever made her feel that way. Except Matthew.

She whimpered. His arms tightened around her. He nipped her lower lip, and then teased her with his tongue. His palm trailed down her spine and cupped her butt, drawing her against him. His hardness pressed deliciously against her, and she wanted nothing more than to rip his shirt off and stroke every inch of his skin.

He lifted his head and stared down at her. Paralyzed, she did nothing but stare back. His eyes softened, and he caressed her cheek. “You were saying?”

She couldn’t remember. “I….”

Matthew chuckled and kissed her again. With a sigh, she circled her arms around his neck and lifted up to get closer. He groaned. She latched onto his hair and mimicked his tongue’s movements, teasing him back, drawing in his taste, his masculinity.

But then her stomach gurgled.

They sprang apart at the noise, and she sheepishly settled her palm against her belly.

With a laugh, Matthew clasped her hand, and they started walking again. “Let’s feed you. You have to work tomorrow, so you probably need to get some rest.”

She trailed behind, her body tingling, wanting. Confusion hung in the air. She didn’t know what to make of him. Matthew kept glancing at her as they moved along the path but said nothing. In a daze, she focused on her footsteps.

Where did this lead them?

Matt watched Jenesi polish off her turkey sandwich. He’d already eaten two, but who knew there could be such joy in watching a woman eat? “Want another?”

She shook her head and took a sip of her beer. “One is good. Thank you.”

All the months away from her made him realize how much he needed her in his life. Every time he’d come home, he was sure she would be here, in the wings, waiting for him. It hadn’t been until last time when she’d tried to seduce him that he’d run scared, only to fear she wasn’t going to be here when he returned. His feelings worried him.

He’d never cared for relationships or any sort of commitments, but after getting shot—from thinking about Jenesi—he wasn’t going to rest until he had her.

“How’s teaching?” he asked.

“Not bad. The kids are fun. I love my class this year.” She picked up the pickle off her plate and polished it off.

The action made him want to lean over and brush his lips across hers. When her tongue slipped out and licked the corner of her mouth, he almost groaned aloud. “Crazy to think that you’ve been teaching for five years.”

“Hey, it’s taken me a while to get my very own classroom and now that I have it, it’s going to stay mine.”

“And I’m sure you deserve it. I remember those nights you stayed up cutting out crafts for projects, planning games for the kids, and spending hours doing plans for lessons that only lasted fifteen minutes.”

She stared at him as if taken aback. “I’m surprised you remember, considering you were usually in and out for work. And the times we hung out, you never really asked much about my work.”

“Honey, trust me. I notice more than you think I do.”

Her cheeks tinged pink. “Oh yeah, and what else do you notice?”

He leaned in closer until his nose touched hers. “When you’re concentrating, you scrunch your little nose up, you smile whenever you talk about your students, you laugh whenever Jared and I argue, and most of all, I remember how you felt in my arms that one night.”

“About that night….” She glanced at the door to the living room. He could hear the television through the panel; no doubt his dad had fallen asleep watching the news. “I’m really glad you’re home and you’re okay. I’m sorry you got shot. But…why are you doing this?”