SEAL My Home: Bad Boys of SEAL Team 3, Book 2 (SEAL Brotherhood Series 9) (19 page)

M
egan was at
work when she got the call from Rory.

“Should I ask about your hip? Or is that off limits?”

“Healing. Had a recent training exercise and it’s hurting a little now, but I’m getting stronger every day.”

“That’s good. Everything else okay? Lindsay’s been freaked out about something, and I can’t get her to spill. She’s doing a good job covering it up, but I can tell something’s wrong. You wouldn’t know anything about that, now would you?”

“Nope. Couple problems, I’d say.”

She knew by the way he was answering he was lying. This was the part that bothered her the most. She decided to confront him with it.

“Rory, look. If you’re not going to be honest with me, why do you even call?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just wanted to see you again.”

“Coffee. Just coffee, Rory.”

“So we’re back to that are we?”

“Did we ever really go beyond that?”

He inhaled and whispered in the phone, “Honey, yes, we did. We did a lot more than sip coffee. You know it, too.”

She was biting her lip.
Damn.
He wasn’t giving her anything to go on, nothing to hang onto, to encourage her, except the honest fact that he wanted to see her again. She had a decision to make. She thought of Lindsay’s message to her a few days ago,
‘In the end, it’s worth it.’

Megan watched as
Rory hobbled into the coffee shop affixed to the bookstore. He took his place at the coffee bar, leaning his cane against his chair, and examined her over the glass partition as he sipped a cappuccino. She felt his eyes melt her straight spine, felt as her panties got wet just wondering what he was thinking. She was conscious of her hair, wondering if it was neat or if the clip had let down too much and looked sloppy. She wondered about her lipstick, worried about the old pair of shoes she wore just to be comfortable. Had she known she’d see him, she’d have worn a white lace top and some smooth, well-polished pumps.

She hid behind the big glasses she wore when she did fine catalog work. However, between rows of books she logged in and then shelved, she’d take off her glasses and would find him staring at her as if she’d removed her blouse.

He’d said it was just for coffee, but the way he watched her implied something else.

Like a bad penny, Grant entered the store and headed straight for her counter. She recalled the messages he’d been leaving, each one a little more irritated than the last. Now she wished she’d actually called him back because the fierce determination on his face scared her a little. His focused approach got Rory’s attention immediately. Megan braced for the worst and greeted Grant without a smile.

“I told you not to come here anymore. Do I have to call the police, Grant?”

“You don’t answer my calls.”

“And I’m obligated to do so?”

“You owe me some respect for what I did for you.”

“Please, spare me, Grant. Don’t you have someone else you can go prey on?”

She hadn’t noticed it, but Rory was suddenly standing right behind Grant. The SEAL’s large paw gripped her former lover’s shoulder so hard he crouched. Then Rory turned him around and stood face to face with him.

“Do we have a problem here?” Rory asked.

Slightly taller but not as muscular, Grant feigned bravado at first and then allowed his shoulders to round as he looked at his feet as if trying to find courage there. “No problem. I don’t think this concerns you.”

“Oh, it concerns me. Anything that has to do with Megan concerns me quite a bit.”

“Rory, it’s okay. He was just leaving. I don’t want a scene.” Megan inserted.

“Fine.” Rory stepped back and motioned with his right hand. “Please, allow me to show you to the door.”

“Who is this guy, Megs?” Grant’s smirk was bitter and dangerously explosive. She used to like being called Megs, the silly term of endearment, but it made Rory jerk his head and search her face.

“Megs?” he asked, wrinkling his nose.

She shrugged, checking her feet. Then, turning to Grant. “You’ve got to leave. This is harassment.” She addressed Rory. “I’ll take care of this.” She craned her neck up to see where the security guard was and found him not more than twenty feet away, posted at one entrance. “Security!” she called out.

Rory melted into the countertop, making small and leaning on his cane as the tall security guard came over, keys and equipment rattling from his leather belt and fanny pack.

“You have a problem, Megan?”

“I’m leaving.” Grant said. He turned to Rory, “New boyfriend? How nice for you, Megan. Rory, is it? You touch me again, and I’ll file assault charges against you.”

“That won’t be necessary as long as you stay away,” Rory said in that unflappable air she loved about him. “You’re not one-tenth the bad guy I’ve dealt with. You heard her. She wants you to stay away.”

The security guard added, “Why don’t I escort you out? Consider yourself unwelcome at this establishment from now on.”

She could tell Grant was angry and feeling outmatched, which she knew was a lethal combination. But despite his efforts to shrug off the grip the security guard had on his elbow, he was escorted unceremoniously out the door into the afternoon.

As the security guard returned, Megan looked at Rory’s determined face and knew he had questions.

“Old boyfriend. Married. Doesn’t know the meaning of the word no.”

He seemed to accept it.

“You gonna be okay, Miss Palmer?” the guard asked.

“I’m fine. I think I’ll ask for a break.”

“If you want an escort home, I can arrange that.”

“No. Really. He’s not that way. I think he’ll stay away now.” To Rory, she said, “Let me see if I can take a break.”

“Fair enough. I’ll order you a cappuccino?”

“Thanks. That would be nice.” She watched as he walked back to the shop. His gait looked painful.

Megan’s supervisor approved the early break, and she found herself on a stool, holding a warm cappuccino in a brown ceramic cup between her fingers. The creamy foam was delicious.

“Sorry if I inserted myself in there, but we’re being extra careful these days,” Rory began.

“I don’t feel you’re butting in where you don’t belong. It’s not like we’re strangers.” She felt her cheeks flush. Just looking at him made her heart race in spite of everything she was trying to tell herself. She couldn’t tell him she liked that he cared enough about her to barge in.

“I’m going to level with you a little about Lindsay’s fears. I’m glad she didn’t reveal anything, but I think it’s time you knew a little about what’s going on in the community.”

“Okay.” She knew it was going to be bad news, but she was thrilled he wanted to tell her anyway. It was significant to her that he wanted her to be part of their community news and knew this wasn’t done without a great deal of thought.

“We’re all being extra vigilant. Not sure if you’ve seen the news, but the guy that caused my accident was kidnapped and forced to pay some ransom.”

“But what could that possibly have to do with you?” Megan wrinkled her brow.

“Well, he might be my dad.” Rory couldn’t figure out any other way to say it.

“That was your dad?”

Rory nodded. “Not verified, but maybe. At least the kidnappers found out Corrigan believed he’s my dad, and they didn’t think to question the information.”

“Rory, they said he was a billionaire. Big guy from New York. He’s your dad?”

“Well, we’re working on that. But possibly so. For now, he’s safe, and that’s all we know at this point. But the guys who did this are still out there.”

“Oh, my God. Rory, you should have told me.”

“Been a little busy.”

“As in you were involved in the rescue?”

“No comment. Not allowed. But here’s what you need to know. We have to, all of us, be careful. You aren’t to tell anyone about this, okay? We don’t know who we can trust. Somehow, they got to him at the hospital. But I was there too. They got to him and got the information to contact me with the ransom demand, so it’s only a matter of time before they get to me as well.”

“That’s awful. You must be so stressed.”

Rory looked directly into her eyes. “No, Megan. I’m built for this. They can’t take anything away from me more than I’m willing to give. If I died tomorrow, it would not be a problem. I’m going to defend our way of life and the brothers on my team, no questions. No hesitation.”

“Why do I get the impression there’s a ‘but’ in there?”

“Our families might be in danger. That’s the long and the short of it. We’re leaving town for a few days. But you might be in trouble for associating with me. And I just couldn’t live with myself if that happened.”

“Okay. What does that mean?”

“I came to say goodbye for a few days. Don’t want you to worry, but I want you to be extra careful. You call me if something strange happens, you got it?”

Megan’s heart sank.

“How long will you be gone?”

“I can’t say. More than a couple days. But we don’t really know.”

“So if you guys are gone, who’s going after the bad guys?”

“We have to rely on the locals, in coordination with the Feds. But we’re strictly low profile, off the grid as it were. We don’t want to get involved in any of that. Up to them to do what they’re trained to do. As far as we know, none of us has ever met any of these guys. It’s probably a homegrown terrorist cell working independently and just mucking around. They got some money, but they didn’t get the big trophy kill. We think they’ll be looking for that, or at least that’s what our Chief has said.”

“Do you think they know about the families?”

“No. We don’t. If we did, we wouldn’t be leaving. But I’m telling you as a precaution.”

Megan moved her hand over Rory’s and was warmed as he clutched her fingers between his and kissed her knuckles. His eyes scanned her lips, sending a smile to his. She didn’t want him to go.

“You leave today?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Then we have tonight?”

“Not wise, Megan.” His grin belied his true feelings.

“So the others aren’t with their families tonight?”

“No, they are. But we’re, I mean—”

“You got to say goodbye. I want to say goodbye in my own way,” she said as her pulse quickened. The electric charge between them was undeniable. She moved her knees so they clutched his left knee, entwining her ankle around his. “Please, Rory.”

“You work until five?”

“I just got sick.”

Rory smiled. “You look pretty damned good for sick.”

“I dare you to kiss me.”

“Honey, I intend to, but somewhere I won’t get you fired.”

Megan’s supervisor released her for the day, while giving a stern look at the two of them. Rory followed her to the parking lot and followed behind as she began the trip home.

Her emotions were swimming. The closer she got to her bungalow, the more her heightened libido turned all the colors of the traffic, the passing scenery and the sounds of the late afternoon into a cacophony that overwhelmed her. Her heart was pounding in her ears, her panties became wet as her cheeks flushed. Her throat was parched and her breathing deliciously strained. Her mind played visions of their lovemaking in the past, the way his hands and his body played hers. She’d forgotten how much she needed this communion.

She led him to her front door, inserted her key, ready to open it. He stood so close that as she brushed by him she felt his hardness. His soft groan made her giggle. He pulled her arm back, laced his hand through the back of her head and pulled her to him, kissing her hard, demanding she yield to him. His hands roamed over her ass and up under her shirt. He deftly undid her bra and she felt her breasts release to his palm.

“We shouldn’t do this here,” she whispered and was thrilled it made not one bit of difference to him. “Rory, don’t undress me here. I want privacy.”

He stopped and smiled, their foreheads pressing against each other. “And I want you.”

Before the door slammed shut behind them he had her top off and had begun working on her slacks. She stepped out of her shoes as he bent her over and slid her pants down her thighs, pulling her back against him, rubbing the cleft in her rear against his erection.

Naked, she turned and began unsnapping the blue denim shirt he wore, one snap at a time, kissing his chest after each new tiny reveal. He lowered his head to her breasts and bit her nipples, and then squeezed them. After toeing out of his shoes, she undid his button fly and he stepped out of his jeans.

Her fingers found his warm arousal in his boxers. She squeezed his balls and slid the elastic waistband down his hips. His body against hers, his shirt open but still on, he picked her up and carried her to the bed.

Their hands mated on the pillow at the sides of her head, pinning her down. “God, how I’ve thought about doing this over and over again, Megan.”

He arched up, pressing his upper torso into her breasts, still holding her wrists together and slipped his knees under her thighs. With one arm underneath her waist, he raised her pelvis, positioning himself for a full entry.

She’d been watching the way his arms rippled, the sinews of his massive shoulders, and the veins extending down his inner arm, past his elbow to his forearms. She wanted to touch him, but his restraint heightened her pleasure as she struggled against him and he held firm. His kisses to her neck and the heavy groan in her ear brought her passion to a full boil.

“I want to touch you,” she whispered, her eyes closed. She could feel the head of his penis at her opening.

“Megan, look at me.”

When she did, he plunged in, sliding fully inside her to the hilt. She gasped as his girth split her in two. He angled and rocked back slow at first, then increased speed until he was pounding her into the bed. If she looked away, he turned her head so they were staring into each other’s eyes as he plunged in repeatedly. Her cries were muffled as he pressed his lips over hers and drank from her scream. He began a slow rhythmic motion, building and playing to the orgasm now building, overtaking her.

He suddenly stopped, her sex quivering with need. He continued to hold her down, kissing her chest and her neck. His powerful hands then gripped her hips, grinding her up and down on his shaft as she bent back like a bow. He rocked her pelvis back and forth, rooting deep, thrusting upwards. Her orgasm triggered fully, exploding into waves of pleasure. Megan’s internal muscles held and milked him as he undulated his hips, stopping once with a wince. She waited a few delicious seconds before he resumed, clutching at her flesh with his fingers, forcing himself inside her and pressing her down on him until they were both spent.