Special Forces Rendezvous (19 page)

“Not gonna happen,” Sebastian cut in. “I need to rejoin my men as soon as possible. I’ll discuss it with them, but I suspect they’ll want to avoid the States until we know for sure who murdered the rest of our unit.”

“I promise I will do everything in my power to figure that out,” Brent answered. “I’m certain that once we discover who authorized the creation of the Meridian virus in the first place, we’ll find that the same person was the one responsible for the deaths of your men. A task force is already being assembled, and an internal investigation of every government agency and every government worker, as high up as the White House, will be conducted. Finding the person responsible for Meridian is now a matter of national security.”

“Good,” Sebastian said. “But until you find that person, I can’t stick around.”

“Me neither,” Julia spoke up.

He glanced over in surprise. They hadn’t discussed what her plans were, but he was happy to hear she wasn’t foolishly insisting on returning to Boston or sticking around in D.C. He knew exactly where he wanted her to go, but that required the long, mushy discussion he wasn’t sure he was ready for.

“For now, Julia stays with me,” he said, hoping he wasn’t overstepping his bounds.

But she didn’t seem at all bothered by the declaration. “If I decide to accept your protection, I’ll let you know,” she told Brent.

The older man sighed. “Well, short of placing you in protective custody against your will, I can’t force either of you to stay. But you will need to come back at some point if your testimony is ever required.”

“We’ll see,” Sebastian said, his tone intentionally vague.

Brent chuckled. “Uh-huh. I know what
that
means.” He rose from the desk and stuck out his hand. “It was good to see you, Stone. Do me a favor and leave me a number where I can contact you?”

He offered a gracious nod. “That I can do.”

The two men shook hands, and then Brent gave Julia’s arm a gentle squeeze before walking them both out. “The country owes a great debt to you both,” Brent said seriously. “The CDC is already working on developing an antidote based on the sample and notes you gave us, and Escobar won’t be releasing a damn thing into any water supply thanks to you, Sebastian.”

When they stepped into the hall, they bumped into Brent’s aide, Paul, who gestured to Sebastian’s combat uniform. “You’ll need to stop at the equipment locker before you leave the premises, Sergeant. I can take you there.”

“Thanks, Paul.”

He took Julia’s hand, and the two of them followed the blond man down the corridor. As they waited for the elevator, Julia dropped her water bottle in a nearby trash can before walking back and bringing her lips close to Sebastian’s ear. “Thanks for not getting blown up, Seb.”

A smile tickled his lips. “You’re very welcome, Doc.”

* * *

Rather than return to their motel room, Sebastian and Julia checked in to a hotel on the other side of the city using Sebastian’s false identity. The only available room ended up being a suite with a huge Jacuzzi tub that brought a delighted grin to Julia’s face.

Sebastian loved seeing her so happy. She’d had a spring to her step ever since they’d left the Pentagon, and she was much cuddlier than usual. Linking arms when they walked, snuggling close during the car ride, planting a spontaneous and unbelievably passionate kiss on his lips in the hotel elevator. That kiss had succeeded in getting him harder than concrete, but neither of them had been in the mood for sex as they got settled in the suite.

They hadn’t slept for twenty-four hours, which was probably why they collapsed on the huge bed the moment they got to the hotel.

When Sebastian’s eyes opened hours later to find that it was pitch-black beyond the floor-to-ceiling window, he groaned with unhappiness.

Julia stirred beside him, her warm ass wiggling into his groin. “What’s wrong?” she asked sleepily.

“We’ve been sleeping for sixteen hours.”

“You’re lying.” She gave a loud yawn. “What time is it?”

“Eleven.”

“That’s not too bad. We checked in only at six.”

“Eleven at night, Doc.”

That got her attention. Propping herself up on one elbow, she twisted around and stared at him in horror. “We wasted the entire day and night?”

“I wouldn’t call it a waste,” he pointed out. “We did need the rest.”

“Yeah, but...”

He cocked a brow. “But what?”

Julia’s cheeks went pink. “I was looking forward to spending all those hours in bed with you.”

“Technically, we
were
in bed.”

“You know what I mean.”

Before she could blink, he flipped her onto her back and slipped his hand underneath her T-shirt and inside her bra. When he found her nipple poking straight up, he groaned in approval. “I know exactly what you mean, baby.”

She let out a little laugh before squirming and shifting out from under him. “Well, now you can wait a bit longer. I’m hungry. Let’s order some room service. Oh, and I feel super-grimy and I kind of want to try out that Jacuzzi.”

He injected a seductive note into his voice. “How about we try out that Jacuzzi together, and we’ll peruse the room service menu while we do it?”

“Oooh, sounds like a plan.”

Five minutes later, they were doing precisely that. The tub was big enough for them to stretch out at opposite ends, but now Sebastian was the one feeling cuddly. Leaning against the porcelain tub, he opened his legs and pulled Julia into the cradle of his thighs, so that her back rested against his chest, her round bottom pressed into his groin and her legs tangled with his.

After they studied the menu, Sebastian set the plastic sheet on the edge of the sink and began running his hands over Julia’s slippery body. The jet directly behind him placed steady pulsing pressure against his back muscles. A naughty idea involving positioning one of those jets between Julia’s legs sent all the blood in his body down to his groin, a transformation that didn’t escape the woman in his lap.

Rubbing her butt on his growing erection, she let out a throaty laugh that echoed in the bathroom. “Food first,” she chided.

“Fine. Then at least let me get out so I can place our order.”

Her hands latched onto his thighs before he could move. “No way. I’m nice and comfy. We’ll order when we get out.”

She let her head fall back against his chest and sighed with pure and utter contentment. Sebastian rested his hands on her flat belly and let out a sigh of his own. The hot water felt incredible as it lapped over their naked bodies, and Julia’s loose hair floated around like strands of silk, tickling his shoulders and collarbone.

“I could stay like this forever,” she said happily.

His throat tightened. “Me, too.”

Christ. He really
could
stay with this woman forever. And maybe, just maybe, that was actually possible.

All the thoughts he’d put out of his mind before the takedown now came rushing back.

You’re the reason I’m alive.

It was true, wasn’t it? He’d been protecting Julia from the moment he’d heard the general say her name in Esperanza. Every dangerous situation they’d encountered, she’d come out of alive. And here she was, still safe. The woman he loved was safe in his arms, and for the first time in his life, he truly believed it could stay that way.

“Will you come back to Ecuador with me?” His gruff voice hung in the hot, moist air rising from the Jacuzzi.

“Yes.”

No hesitation. That one syllable left her mouth swiftly and without an ounce of uncertainty.

Sebastian had to smile. “You will?”

“Of course I will.” A note of sarcasm crept in. “Where else would I go?”

That gave him pause. “Wait—are you coming with me because you think you have nowhere else to go?”

“No, I’m coming with you because I can’t bear the thought of being
away
from you, dummy.”

A laugh popped out of his mouth. “You’re really mean sometimes, you know that?”

“I am not. I’m just honest.” She changed positions, turning around to straddle his lap, while those hazel eyes bore into his face, unwavering. “And because I’m being honest, I might as well tell you that this is about more than just sex for me. It stopped being about that a long time ago.”

The joy that streaked through his chest caught him by surprise, but once it registered, he realized he couldn’t deny it. Julia’s declaration made him happy.

Because he felt the same damn way.

“I understand why you’re scared of commitment,” she went on, her voice gentle, “but you need to know that you’re
not
cursed. You’re not the only one who’s lost people, Sebastian. I lost the two people I loved most in the world, and I’m sure if I try hard enough, I could link their deaths to something I’d said or done. Like Mia went to South Africa because of that one time I had PMS and told her she’d never cut it as a travel writer—” her expression grew pained “—which I totally regret saying, by the way, because she was an
amazing
writer. And I could easily say I’m to blame for my dad’s death because the night before his heart attack, we were at a restaurant for dinner and I talked him into ordering a sixteen-ounce steak, even though he was on a strict no-red-meat diet.”

Sebastian exhaled in a weary rush. Christ. It did sound ridiculous when she put it that way. And yet...yet he wasn’t ready to let go of that guilt. Wasn’t ready to admit that the burden of responsibility might fall elsewhere—or nowhere.

“We can take it slow,” she said, her hazel eyes shining with what he could only describe as faith. Faith in him. Faith in
them.
“No promises, no weddings. We’ll just see what happens. How does that sound?”

It was damn difficult speaking through the monstrous lump in his throat. “It sounds perfect.”

With a smile, Julia leaned in and brushed a fleeting kiss on his mouth. “Good. Now let’s get out of this tub and order some food. I’m ready to pass out if I don’t put something in my stomach.”

They stepped out of the Jacuzzi and dried off, slipping into a pair of complimentary terry cloth robes rather than getting dressed. Sebastian was all over the robe situation—he didn’t plan on letting Julia wear a stitch of clothing for the rest of the night. Or maybe ever again.

They both ended up ordering cheeseburgers and fries, along with a plate of onion rings to share. Probably wasn’t smart to eat such a heavy meal at midnight, but they were both starving, and Sebastian was just happy to see Julia eating. She’d filled out since he’d met her, which was ironic considering they’d been doing nothing but traveling and hiding out in motel rooms. Still, no matter where they’d been, he’d encouraged her to stuff her face, and his efforts showed in the rounding of her cheeks and the fact that he was no longer able to count each of her ribs.

“When you get a new assignment with the foundation, you’re not allowed to overwork yourself anymore,” he announced as he watched her munch on a French fry.

She raised her eyebrows. “Oh, really? Who’s gonna stop me?”

“I will.” He shot her a mocking look. “I won’t be in hiding forever. Sooner or later, me and Tate and Nick will figure out who killed our unit and attempted to kill
us,
and once we find those bastards, I’ll be free to travel the world with you, Doc.”

The moment he said it, he realized just how much he wanted to do that.

Julia looked as surprised as he felt. “You really want to follow me all over the globe while I work for Doctors International?”

“Why not?” he said with a shrug. “I’ve never wanted a boring old nine-to-five job. My only ambition was to join the military, but I’m a tad soured by the United States Armed Forces at the moment. My military career is over, which means I’m free to do whatever the hell I want. And I told you, I’ve got a case of wanderlust.”

She tilted her head, intrigued. “But what would you do when I’m at the clinic?”

“Anything. Everything. Take pictures. Explore. Pick up odd jobs here and there if we run out of money.”

After a beat of silence, Julia’s beautiful face broke out in a smile. “I kind of like the sound of that.”

So did he. In fact, he couldn’t wait to start a life with this woman. Julia Davenport was the smartest, sexiest, kindest, sassiest woman he’d ever known. She’d fascinated him from the second he’d met her in Valero, and during their time together, she’d managed to breach his defenses. Make him yearn for something he hadn’t yearned for in years. Companionship. Laughter. Love.

As a wave of emotion swelled in his gut, he helped Julia gather up their empty plates, then dropped them on the room service cart and rolled it out to the hall.

He returned to the suite to find Julia lying in the center of the bed—and she wasn’t wearing her robe.

This time, as he made love to her, he didn’t hold back or fight those intense emotions. He opened his heart and welcomed all those feelings in. He thrust into Julia’s tight heat with long, languid strokes, gripping her upper thigh to prop her knee up so he could drive deeper. She moaned, and the glazed look in her eyes told him she was close.

Capturing her mouth, he gave her a long, reckless, tongue-tangling kiss that made her gasp, then quickened his pace and sent her flying over the edge. As she came apart beneath him, he threw himself over that same cliff, pleasure seizing his lower body before shooting out in all directions, until he was gasping, too.

Afterward, they lay tangled in each other’s arms. Sebastian didn’t remember falling asleep, but when his eyes blinked open, it was suddenly morning again. Sunlight streamed into the room, blinding him, bringing a sharp ache to his head.

With a groan, he rubbed his temples, hoping the massage would soothe his headache.

“You’re like a furnace,” Julia mumbled.

Yeah, he did feel hot. And slightly lethargic, too, as he climbed out of bed so he wouldn’t disturb Julia. The clock on the night table read 7:39 a.m. Last time he remembered checking the clock it had been 3:00 a.m., which was probably why he was so exhausted. Sixteen hours of sleep the night before, then four and a half hours the next night. Clearly his REM cycle was all screwed up.