Her Secret Pirate (4 page)

She couldn’t forget the violent fight. What was Zone doing now? How many more of that kind of fights had he been in?

The media had tried to get Rebecca to talk more about the rescue, especially about the SEALs they’d been informed were involved, but she’d kept most of the details out of her story.
It was just too personal. The ship’s crew had filled in the story, though, and many of them had gone on TV to give an account of the brave men who had snuck on board and took down the pirates.

In the weeks after that, s
he’d had a long talk with her father to clear the air about Zone and her. It had been a secret relationship but she didn’
t want that any more. She wished for
more and hopefully, Zone wanted the same too. His emails hadn’t been exactly communicative about his feelings. That man just wasn’t good with words and so she’d waited to see him in person.
She’d missed him so much, counting the days until he was on leave again.

The man climbing off the motorcycle to meet her was more of a fantasy, though. Her heart fluttered at the sight of his familiar figure in leather jacket and jeans. He took the jacket off, hooked it over his shoulder, and headed her way. He d
idn’t look as scary without the
camouflage
smears
and big weaponry
, but now she understood why she had be
en drawn to him when they
met. It wasn’t just the undercurrent of danger and the hint of darkness behind that devastating smile. It was the way he walked—was walking now—that sure confident stride tha
t never hesitated when he first
saw her.
He had headed straight to her and her heart had melted at the look in his eyes. He was giving her the same look now.

She smiled. The way those legs filled out the worn jeans wasn’t half bad either.

He stopped in front of her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, lifting her head for his kiss. Warm. Tender. A lover’s embrace.

It felt so wonderful to have him back where he belonged. She lost herself in the taste of him, the feel of his tongue sliding against her own, slow and possessive, instantly jacking up her heart rate and temperature.
He slanted his head and took the kiss deeper. She responded with equal fervor.

“Hey,” Zone said, when he finally broke the kiss. His voice was husky.

“Hey. Miss you.” And she didn’t just mean since the hijack at sea.

“I love your emails. Sorry I’m not good at writing back.”

“I didn’t expect you to reply all of them.” She figured a SEAL was busy all t
he time doing dangerous stuff.
They started walking towards her apartment building . “I’ve been reading a lot about what you guys do.”

“Is that right.” It was more a statement than a question.

“Yes. And Dad has been telling me all kinds of stories too. I think he’s afraid I’d get serious with you, and now that he knows you’re not just a self-defense instructor….” She trailed off, shrugging. She didn’t have to explain political life.

“He approve
s
now, huh?” Zone sounded amused. “Elite soldier much better sounding than part-time immigrant, right?”

She made a face. “You’re not going to argue with him about politics again, are you?”

“I’d rather do other stuff, actually.” He leaned closer. “Like play pirate. You gonna invite me in?”

She
flushed at the heat in his eyes
. She wanted him too. It had been too long. But things needed to be said and that was why she had
chosen to
me
e
t him down here and not up at her place, where it would be too easy to succumb to temptation.
Even right now, in the relative safety of traffic and boring asphalt, she was thinking of him pulling off his clothes in her room and Zone naked was a sight to behold. Nope,
conversation wouldn’t be first priority.

She cocked her head and looked up at him. “Why do I get the feeling we aren’t going to talk when we go up? You agreed to dinner, remember?”

He growled mockingly. “Me hungry,” he said, emphasizing his accent. “Very. Sweets, you look good enough to eat.” He held up a hand and added, “But if you want to talk, we will. I already emailed how I feel.”

She laughed as she pulled out the card to unlock the building front doors. “Oh. You mean, ‘everything is cool. I want to be with you’ is how you feel?”

“I’m not great with words, I know.” He shrugged. “The last time we discussed my job, when you found out what I do, we ended up arguing.”

And she still felt ashamed of her thoughtlessness. “I know and I’m…”

“Quit apologizing, Rebecca. I’d rather we argue than not talk at all. Just don’t give me the cold shoulder again. That’s the part I didn’t like.”

They went inside and were silent as they waited for the elevator. She studied him and he looked back solemnly, as if that was all that was on his mind. She wasn’t fooled at all.

When they were inside the elevator, she said, “It’s the political brat in me. I promise to curb her tongue from now on. Like I said, I’ve been reading up about the SEALs. I wanted to know what you are, what you do, and not be ignorant any more.”

He sighed. “But you know me. I’m Zone. I’m crazy about you. I enjoy apple pie and ice cream. I love watching soccer. And right now, all I want to do is spend the night with you, showing you what an absolutely normal male I am.”

His words warmed her insides. Sure, the man didn’t say much but he’d always been goo
d at showing her what he meant.

“I’m just a bit afraid, that’s all.”

“Of what?”

“Well, the first time we really talked about what you really do, we went off on a tangent and started arguing about politics. No, don’t interrupt, I’m not apologizing any more, I swear. I just wanted to say I spouted off on things I know very little about and should have tried to see it from your point of view. I’m just afraid it’ll happen again and—”

“Difference in opinion is okay, babe. It’s healthy. As long as you don’t hold a grudge and make it all about the relationship, you know?”

She frowned. “I did that, didn’t I?”

“Yeah. I felt bad because I didn’t know how to get to you, make you understand. It’s not a glamorous way of life, like being an ambassador or his aid
e
, so I kind of feel there’s no comparison with anything you do or see everyday. That’s why I didn’t want to talk about it. Or argue.”

They reached her floor and the door opened.
Rebecca ignored it. This was the longest Zone had ever talked about his feeli
ngs and she wasn’t going to let this
pass.

“Until now,” she said, “I not only have an idea now. I’ve seen you in action up close.”

He cocked his head. Reached out and pressed the button to keep the door from closing “Yeah.”

“You put yourself in danger for others.”

“It’s my job. Not much different from being a fireman.”

She smiled. “A fireman?”

He shrugged. “I wanted to be a fireman when I was a kid.”

“So you just like to save people, is that it?”

He laughed. “I wish I have a simple answer, Rebecca.
It’s what I’m good at. Risky, yes, but somebody has to do the job and why not me, one of the best?

He said it without arrogance. And why should he when he was exactly that? A SEAL
was
the best of those who went through the rigorous BUD/S training. Rebecca shook her head and exited. He followed.

“Rebecca?”

She turned and saw he didn’t understand her reaction. She touched his arm. “I was just amused at your matter-of-factness. But it’s so a part of you too—always to the point. That’s why we started arguing, I
think. I was being idealistic
and you were being
realistic.”

He captured her hand in his “I’
m being both about us, you know.
”

“How so?”

He kissed her fingertips. “Idealistically speaking, I would like our relationship to be realistic.”

She laughed again. “And here I thought you were going to
be
a romantic and make me all soft and gooey with love words.”

He leaned closer. “Babe.”

It was all he said. The man could make one word sound like the sexiest paragraph eve
r. She tugged at his hand
and he followed willingly.
Okay, one last try at being realistic because once they were inside her apartment….

“Zone, we’re talking about a long-distance relationship. With my dad’s new appointment, I’ll be traveling a lot the next year or so. It’s going to be tough for us.”

They paused outside her door. He turned. Tipped her chin up with his forefinger. “It’s tough to be in any relationship. Ours will be challenging. All along, I’ve been wi
lling to give it all I got, even
with your dad’s disapproval. The most important thing I want to know now is, are you tough enough to be with me?”

She met his eyes squarely. “Hey, you saw me knock down a bad guy twice my size. You think I’m not tough enough?”

His smile was slow. “Remembering you moving like that made all those
hours on the floor mat
worth it. Let’s try it in bed.
You can hold me down and have your way with me.
And then I’ll—a
re we throug
h talking yet? ’C
ause I’m
very
hungry.”

She opened the door. “Welcome home, sailor.”

“Arrrrr.” In one smooth move, he threw her over one shoulder and strode in, one foot kicking the door shut behind him.

Rebecca
smiled as she reached down to smack the very sexy butt below
. Her very own secret pirate. Not many women could boast that.

The End

Dear Reader,

Thank you for buying my short story. If you’re interested in the rest of the SEAL series, here are the titles:

The Crossfire SEAL series

PROTECTOR

HUNTER

SLEEPER

(My Secret) PIRATE (short story, originally part of the anthology SEAL of my Dreams)

About the Author

Gennita Low
writes sexy military and techno spy-fi romance. She also co-owns a roof construction business and knows 600 ways to kill with roofing tools as well as yell at her workers in five languages. A three-time Golden Heart finalist, her first book, Into Danger, about a SEAL out-of-water, won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best Romantic Intrigue. Besides her love for SEALs, she works with an Airborne Ranger who taught her all about mental toughness and physical endurance. Gennita lives in
Florida
with her mutant poms and one chubby squirrel.

To learn more about Gennita, visit
www.Gennita-Low.com
,
www.rooferauthor.blogspot.com
and
www.facebook.com/gennita

Other Books by Gennita Low

BIG BAD WOLF

~ ~ Crossfire Series ~ ~

PROTECTOR

HUNTER

SLEEPER

HER SECRET PIRATE (short story in SEAL of my Dreams)

~ ~ Secret Assassins (S.A.S.S.)
~ ~

INTO DANGER

FACING FEAR

TEMPTING TROUBLE

~.~.Super Soldier Spy ~ ~

VIRTUALLY HIS

VIRTUALLY HERS

~ ~ Children’s books as “Gennita” ~ ~

A SQUIRREL CAME TO STAY