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Authors: Aliyah Burke

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BOOK: Intensity
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“Captain.”

She pivoted to face the man who strode through the
door. With a sharp nod, she grunted at him in return. “Admiral
Davies.”

The admiral still fit his uniform, unlike some who
grew when they received a desk duty. The salt-and-pepper hair added
to his distinguished appearance.

“You’re in your nation’s capital. Why the
frown?”

“Last time I was here, you tried to land me a desk
job.” She cocked her brow at him.

He shrugged without repentance. “I want you with
me.”

“I wasn’t made to ride a desk.” She frowned.
“Surely, you don’t think I went through all I did to be a glorified
secretary.”

His flashed smile set her at ease. “I can always
hope.”

“No way in hell.” She shoved her hands in her jeans
pockets. “Why am I here?”

“As much as I’d like to keep you here with me,
there’s a mission for you.” Excitement thrummed through her. He
chuckled with a shake of his head. “There’s the smile I was looking
for.”

“Where am I going?”

“You’re packed?” She did the eyebrow thing once
more. “Of course you are,” he said, dismissing his question with a
wave.

“I’m ready. What’s the mission?”

“You’ll be read in once you’re airborne.”

“Yes, sir. When am I departing and where from?”

“Helo pad.”

“Give me three minutes to grab my gear.”

He stopped her at the door. “Be careful, Sarah.”

“Always.” With a smile for him, she stepped into the
hall and hastened down to the front desk where she’d left her bag.
With a nod for the petty officer sitting there, she hoisted the sea
bag over one shoulder and beat feet to the helo pad.

The gleaming Blackhawk awaited her. Snow blew up
from the rotor wash, but she never hesitated, just hurried to the
open door and tossed her bag in before following into the
interior.

She’d not even taken her seat before the pilot
lifted off. She claimed one and drew on the headset.

“Glad to have you aboard, Captain.”

“Thanks.” She nodded at the other man in back with
her and stretched out her legs. “Glad to be aboard.”
Wherever
we’re going.

The co-pilot ducked back and handed her a file. She
took it with a head bob of thanks and settled back to read. She
continued to rest after changing from the chopper to a hop.

The majority of the inhabitants of the C-130 were
male, and they all stared at her. She met gazes as she walked to an
empty seat. The men on either side of her straightened up.

She secured herself, crossed booted ankles, and
closed her eyes. The flight to Germany was going to take a while,
and she planned on utilizing her time. They bounced and rattled as
the jet rumbled down the tarmac. The vibrations moved through her,
and she struggled not to smile.

How does he think I could ever work a desk? I love
this far too much.

Loud conversation floated around her. Occasional
laughter and profanity pierced the air.

“Ma’am.”

She cracked an eye to find the man on her left
offering her some of his peanut M&M’s. She allowed the smile to
takeover.

“Sure you want to share these? It’s a long
flight.”

He grinned. “I came prepared.”

“In that case.” She held out her hand to accept a
handful.

Sarah didn’t get a ton of sleep, but she enjoyed her
time with them. Her mood light, she disembarked and headed to the
waiting Jeep. The driver saluted her, and, as she returned it, she
noticed the men she was with watched with wide eyes.

She’d forgotten she was dressed in civvies, and so,
they wouldn’t have known. She also didn’t get a lot of salutes when
out in the field, for that would be potentially catastrophic to
tell your enemy who the officers were. “Let’s go, PFC.” She hopped
in the passenger seat.

They left the airfield and headed for housing. He
parked in front of a brick building, and she climbed out then
swiped her bag. “Thanks for the lift.” One more salute and she
strode over the cement walkway to the door. Following the orders
that had been in the file, she found the room and entered after a
brisk knock.

The men in there were familiar to her, and her grin
came with ease. “Aren’t y’all just an ugly bunch of bastards?” She
dropped her bag and stepped the closest man. “Damn, it’s good to
see y’all.”

Three men she’d bled, sweated, and shared tears with
were there. Windy, a medic from Kansas, had mousy brown hair and an
easy smile. Owl, a black man from the streets of LA, was her next
to hug. Then, it was on to Liver. The man was small and wiry, from
somewhere in the Northeast. His nickname stuck cause that’s what he
preferred to eat. Raw. Dried. He ate liver.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Liver said, breaking
away from their hug. “These two don’t do it for me.”

“Well,” she said, sitting on the desk. “Glad I could
fly halfway around the world to star in your fantasies.”

The door opened, again, admitting a man shorter than
them all. Cooler’s shaved head gleamed beneath the fluorescent
lights humming overhead.

“Took you long enough, Bug. Decide to walk?”

“Yep.” She swung her legs back and forth. “Any new
developments I should know about?”

He crossed beefy arms. “We’re not going in
alone.”

She narrowed her eyes and gripped the edge of the
desk, stopping her legs. “We’re not?”

“No.” He held up a hand. “I’m not happy about it,
either. This just came down the pipe. The top brass wants a man he
trusts in this.”

“Like that’s not fucking insulting. As much as we’ve
done, he don’t trust us.” The others echoed her sentiment.

“We were brought in by the Dem. This new one is a
Rep with his own. While they can’t deny what we’ve done or how
well, he’s within his right to send someone.”

“Bull-fucking-shit,” she snapped, shoving to her
feet. “We work together. He doesn’t trust us, tell him to send in
his own team. Not send along a spy in our group. We’ve been
together and know how we operate.”

Cooler gave them all a look. “I agree. So much so
that’s what I told him.”

“And?”

“He said he only needed you. I refused to send you
without some you know to watch your back. I got them.”

Anger burned in her gut. That explained why the
others weren’t there. She mimicked his action and crossed her arms.
“Why me?”

Cooler raised his brows. “You’re a rarity. Woman
who’s completed Recon training. Hell, fucking excelled in it. He
has access to your—part of—record.”

“Okay,” she said. “So, he’s read my file, or what he
can. Whoop-dee-fucking-do. So, we go in, do what we do and kickass,
like usual. No big.”

“Ooh-rah,” the others said as they fist bumped.

“Who are we taking with?” she asked. “Air
jockeys?”

He shook his head. “Not quite.”

“Rangers? More Recon? What?”

The door opened, and one man filled the doorway then
stepped through.

“SEALs.”

No way. No fucking way.
Even as she prayed it
wasn’t so, she knew there was no hope.

Cooler continued talking, but his words went
unregistered as her gaze collided with the aquamarine one across
the room. Grey Sorenson. He’d locked onto her, as well, with the
unerring directness of a cruise missile with its target lock
implemented.

Infusing steel into her spine, she arched an eyebrow
and ran her gaze over him dismissively. Then, with very deliberate
action, she turned back to Cooler.
I should have fucking
known.

“So, going in as your husband is Grey Sorenson,
Commander, United States Navy SEAL.”

Only years of practice allowed her to control her
facial expression. The rest of her guys looked at Grey. She had no
need. Sarah was more than aware of his stats. She’d spent time of
her own exploring the muscle-packed body, broad shoulders, hair
that hung to those very shoulders. She knew precisely how she fit
against him. How the blue in his eyes deepened when he was aroused
and the green glinted when angry.

“Why?” She put the question to Cooler.

“Because, Bug, those are the orders. You go in—why
the fuck am I telling you this? Read the file.”

“I read where my expertise was needed. Not where I
fly halfway around the world to be stuck as some SEAL’s wife for a
babysitting gig.”

“I just follow orders, Bug.”

She held his gaze and tamped back her agitation that
grew with each heartbeat. “You’re right, Cooler. Orders are
orders.” She sucked on her teeth. “For the record, I’m doing this
because
you
said. Not this other guy.”

He nodded. “I know.”

“Just so long as we’re clear.”

“I have a room for us,” Grey said, speaking for the
first time. “At our destination.”

“Don’t forget you’ll need rings, as well,” Cooler
added.

She ground her jaw. “Let’s get this
job
over
with.” She cracked her neck, emotions once again under lock and
key. With a nod to her guys, she shouldered her bag and left the
room.

Sarah held her peace as they were driven from the
base to a private jet then on to their hotel. Even in the elevator,
she kept her comments brief and professional. All of that dropped
the moment they were alone in the hotel room.

The suite was good sized, and her eyes danced toward
the dominating, king-sized bed on a pedestal. Backing from the
bedroom, she shut the door and turned to find Grey staring hungrily
at her.

“What the hell are you doing here, Grey?”

He shrugged out of his leather jacket, tossing it to
a nearby chair. “Following orders.”

“Bullshit.” Her nipples tightened as she recalled
how his hands felt skimming along her skin. Her pussy clenched with
a raw need. “There are any number of SEALs who could be here. Hell,
the guys I work with, for that matter, could pull off being my
husband.”

Green took precedent in his eyes as he strolled
toward her. Large. Predatory. Dangerous.

“So, you think I wouldn’t step in the role of
playing your husband?” His southern accent took over, making her
knees weak. Man could talk her out of her clothing with that
accent; in fact, he had many a time.

“I don’t think anything.”

“It’s not like it’s a farce, Sarah.” He moved even
closer, until the scent that screamed Grey surrounded her. “Or have
you forgotten?”

Her mind rebelled from the most basic of functions.
Breathing became a chore. All she wanted to do was touch. Get naked
and touch him, because she damn sure well knew how that would play
out.

“Well, have you, Sarah? Have you conveniently put it
out of your mind that I’m still legally your husband?”

 

Grey stared at the woman he’d exchanged vows with,
torn between turning her over his knee and kissing her. He locked
his stance.
If I touch her, then all bets are off.

He hadn’t seen her in nearly a year. And he missed
her. All the time, he fucking missed her. He’d had the brief
sighting of her in Cottonwood Falls but it had been way to
short.

“No, despite my best attempts, I can’t forget.”

Her words held the cutting edge he’d come to expect.
The edge didn’t bother him as much as the words themselves. Grey
crossed his arms.

“No kiss for your husband?”

She mimicked his action, her hair up in a ponytail,
eyes sharp with alertness, despite having just crossed the globe.
“Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?” He was going to make her be very
blunt.

“Fighting the divorce.”

He shrugged. “I’m willing to go to court, but I’m
not about to sign papers and act like I’m a goddamn fucking
secret.” He grinned, aware it wasn’t a nice one. “So, you’ll have
to let it be known about us.”

“This is pointless,” she argued. “Just sign.”

“Baby, I’m contesting this all the way.”

“Argh!” She threw her hands up and whirled into the
bedroom suite. “We were fucking drunk, for Christ’s sake.”

He trailed her into the room, eyes raking over her
as she yanked a pillow and blanket off the bed.

“Doesn’t matter. We took vows, Sarah. That’s not
something I take lightly.” He cocked his head to the side. “Why are
you pushing so hard for a divorce?”

“Why are
you
fighting it?”

“Seems foolish to give up on it when it’s never been
given a fair shake.”

“So, that’s it, then.”

“What, you have a man on the hook somewhere?” Even
the casual mention pumped anger through him.

“What the fuck for? I can’t get rid of the one I
have. I sure as fuck don’t need another.”

She moved in his direction, blanket and pillow in
hand, elegant yet purposeful.

“I’m sleeping in bed.”

“Enjoy.”

He pivoted to see her vault the couch, swiftly set
it up, and disappear from view as she lay on the cushions. Grey bit
his words back, conceding this round to her and deciding to allow
her to get some rest.

He went back to the main room and sat in the padded
chair. From here, he had an easy view of the woman slumbering on
the couch. She was out, but he knew it wasn’t a deep sleep. She
wouldn’t allow herself that luxury.

While he understood, part of him was pissed she
didn’t trust him enough to fully relax.
That will change.
He
stretched out his legs and waited.

Sure enough, within the hours, pounding on the door
had him rising to answer it. After checking the peephole, he let in
her CO. The man barely gave him a glance before striding into the
room.

“Bug.”

Grey bit back a snarl as he entered the room,
finding the other man standing there staring at Sarah while she
still lay out on the couch. She was awake and slowly sitting up. In
a matter of tics, her gaze went from the man she called Cooler to
Grey and back to the bald man.

“What’s up, Cooler?” Her voice all sexy and
sleepy.

BOOK: Intensity
9.26Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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