by Maddie Wade
The room was beautiful as Lacey had known it would be, but she’d stayed in hundred different rooms like it in her time, and as elegant as it was, she craved a home of her own. A place she could decorate and plant flowers and get a cat if she wanted. Roots. She wanted roots and a family, but for now, she’d settle for her own place.
Dumping her bags in the bedroom, she grabbed her purse and went down to the gift shop and picked out a red swimsuit with a cute little belt and added some personal items before paying. As she exited the shop, she realised her tiredness had disappeared, and she sighed knowing another night of insomnia was in her future unless she could tire herself out with swimming, and if not, there was always the hotel bar.
Quickly she changed and stowed her clothes and purse in the locker before wrapping her hair in a ponytail and walked into the almost empty pool area. Her breath left her in a sigh, and she wondered if she would ever get over her wariness of strangers. Yet, even as she thought it, she knew it wasn’t the strangers that had caused damage to her psyche but the man who was meant to have loved her.
Shaking off the heavyweight of melancholy that hit her, she replaced it with the kind eyes of the Viking warrior who’d saved her. She knew he wasn’t a Viking but with his long blond hair, blue eyes, and muscular build, he could’ve been. Especially with his sexy accent that hinted at a Swedish or Icelandic birth.
She knew from talking to Skye, Gunner was no longer working for Eidolon, but she didn’t know what the story was and had forced herself not to ask. Obsessing over a man she couldn’t have and shouldn’t be attracted to was utter stupidity. Gunner was too much man for her. She should’ve learned her lesson going for alpha males, it never worked out, and the last one had nearly killed her.
No, the only man in her future was her godson Noah, and maybe if she met a nice bookish professor, that could work. Placing her towel on a lounger, she walked to the edge and dove into the clear, cold water and began to swim laps. Her body and mind focused on each stroke as she swam lap after lap, not stopping to rest. Swimming was her relaxation, the way she kept her body toned and fit. Lacey hated to exercise, but she loved to swim, and if a modelling agency hadn’t picked her up, her coach said she could’ve gone to the Olympics. Lacey wasn’t sure about that, but she did love it, and it was a moot point now anyway.
After one hundred laps, she stopped to catch her breath and evaluate her muscles. They were aching, but she thought she could keep going, that was when she spotted a man watching her from the doorway. She couldn’t see his face, but she knew deep in her bones he was watching her, and it made the fine hairs on her neck stand on end in warning.
After what happened with her ex, when he’d kidnapped her at Nate and Skye’s wedding reception, she’d learned to listen to her gut, and it was telling her to leave this area and go someplace open.
Hauling herself from the pool, she grabbed her towel and quickly wrapped it around her body before walking into the ladies changing rooms. She smiled at two women who were chatting in German as they changed and slid into a private cubicle after retrieving her bag. In minutes she’d dressed and pulled her blonde hair into a ponytail high on her head to keep the wet strands off her neck.
Stepping from the beautifully decorated spa, she looked around the lobby of the hotel for anyone who might spark her fight or flight response and found nobody of interest. Shaking it off with a nervous laugh at her own paranoia, Lacey spotted the bar. That was what she needed—a drink to relax her and help her sleep.
With that decided she headed upstairs to drop off her bag, dismissing her earlier worries. As she took the elevator up, it stopped on the floor below her own and a man she didn’t know or recognise got in with a smile. He was handsome in a custom-fitted suit from one of her favourite designers. His eyes moved over her from head to toe in a silent invitation that made her body react but not in the way she’d expected. There was no desire, only the intrinsic need to run as she saw the cold in his eyes touch her.
Chapter 2
It was typical of his fucking luck for a storm to blow in now of all times and derail his plans to give Jack the answers he’d been holding back from him for over two years. Gunner looked in the mirror of his hotel bathroom and saw nothing of the man who’d signed on with Eidolon.
Hope was a fragile emotion that he should’ve known better than to feel. Yet he had, even after he vowed never to hope again after his sister was injured because of his own selfishness. He’d thought that joining the British Air Force and climbing his way into a good job, one that fed his injured soul enough that he could bury the bitter grief and guilt he still carried.
But even flying every aircraft known to man hadn’t extinguished the burn in the pit of his stomach every time he saw his sister in the facility he paid for. Her life had ended that day on the lake, in every way that mattered anyway. He’d been going through the motions until he met Jack, and he’d offered him the opportunity to do more.
Gunner had jumped at the chance and loved his place in Eidolon, genuinely feeling for the first time in his life like he belonged. The men he served with became the brothers he’d never had, giving him a family again.
Then it had all come to a screeching halt one day when he’d opened his door to a man who’d brought reality crashing in on him like a freight train. He’d had one choice to make, and as he looked at the haunted, dead eyes in the mirror, he knew it had been the wrong one.
He’d chosen to betray his friends to save his sister, to break a bond forged in blood because he could not face the way they would look at him when they found out what he’d done to Milla, and to protect the man who had offered him hope from the truth.
Now they knew about his sister anyway, and the ties that had almost dragged him free were now the same ones that would pull him under. The loss of his family at his own hand had shaped him into the man he was today, but the way he’d betrayed his friends was the legacy he now had to live with.
Splashing cold water on his face, he watched the droplets slide down the stubble of his chin, exhaustion a constant companion these days. At least Milla was safe now, another debt he owed Eidolon and would never be able to repay.
Pulling his long hair back into a band at the back of his head, he walked from the bathroom and threw on a clean white t-shirt. He checked his phone and saw he had a message from Bás confirming the men he was meant to meet were also delayed, and the meeting would now take place in two days’ time.
Gunner wasn’t a fool, he knew the risks he took going to this meeting, but it was the least he owed Jack. To give them the truth and open up the lies and treason that was at the centre of everything. Handing Jack the truth was all he had left to give now, and if it cost him his life, he didn’t care. In fact, at this point, it would be favourable to the life he was forced to live now.
He was tired, so bone-tired of fighting, and he had so many regrets that he could hardly breathe from the weight of them. A vision popped into his head of Lacey Cannon, the woman they’d rescued from her psycho ex when he’d kidnapped her at Skye and Nate’s wedding. In another life, he would’ve asked her out, spent some time with her, maybe even fallen in love with the blonde beauty, but that wasn’t on the cards for him.
Needing to get out of this room before he went stir crazy, he grabbed his wallet, phone, and key card and headed for the elevator and the bar he’d spotted downstairs. A few drinks might help relax him enough to sleep, failing that, he’d drink until he passed out cold.
Hitting the button, he waited as he watched the numbers move before his impatience got the better of him, and he decided to take the stairs, his gun tucked into his leg holster out of sight. Never leaving the room unarmed was something Jack and Alex had drilled into them. The gun laws in the UK, of course, didn’t allow people to carry guns but they had a special licence, and although he no longer had that he still carried everywhere, he went. Especially as he had a target on his back now.
His long legs ate up the steps as he jogged downstai
rs and out into the foyer of the hotel. He walked past the lift and saw it was still stuck on the same floor, making him glad he’d walked.
The bar was more of a cocktail lounge with a piano in the corner that matched the one he’d seen in the lobby of the hotel. It had a certain nineteen forties vibe that he liked, and as he ordered himself a beer from the bartender with the handlebar moustache, his fingers itched to play.
Taking the beer, he pointed at the piano with a question, and the bartender nodded for him to go ahead. Gunner sat at the black grand piano and placed his drink on the floor beside him. It had been a long time since he’d played but his grandmother had insisted it was the one thing he kept up, even after Milla was injured. She’d said it nurtured his sensitive soul and the thought made him smile.
The time he’d spent with her practising was among only a handful of happy memories he had. His hand caressed the ivories with reverence, the feel of calm he always had when he played was the same as when he flew—pure peace. Everything else ceased to exist for him when he played. He began to play, and all the pain and tension left him as his fingers moved over the keys. ‘River Flows’ by Yiruma was one of his sister’s favourites, and he closed his eyes as the music washed over him.
He was halfway through the piece when he realised someone else was playing the same music as him from the piano in the lobby. He couldn’t see the person, but he heard the music and increased his tempo slightly, seeing if they would keep up and he was happy when they did. People began to drift toward him to watch as others moved to the lobby to see who played with him.
He should stop, he knew that his job was to be a ghost, but this was the first time in a long time he’d felt alive, and he didn’t want to give it up. So, he kept going, faster and faster they played until the culmination of the piece peaked and then slowed as the duet ended with the last haunting note.
Gunner was on his feet as soon as the last note played, his interest piqued as to the identity of his duet partner. He rounded the corner and came slap bang into the one woman he thought never to see again. A woman who’d played the lead in many a fantasy and it felt like fate that she’d be here now.
“Lacey?”
“Gunner?”
“What are you doing here?”
She moved closer, closing the gap between them and the scent of her hit him like a punch to the gut. She looked stunning, her eyes bright, skin flawless, the wounded look he’d last seen in her eyes after her kidnapping almost gone.
“I had a flight cancelled because of the storm.”
He stepped up beside her as they moved into the bar area. “Drink?”
“Yes, please. I was headed here when I heard someone playing and couldn’t resist joining in. It’s one of my favourite pieces.”
“No way, me too.”
Lacey cocked her head as she hitched up onto a barstool. “That was you?”
Gunner nodded. “Yep.”
“Wow, you are a dark horse. Are you here because of the storm too?”
Gunner asked for another beer and motioned for her to order what she wanted, not surprised when she got a Cosmo and added it to his tab.
“Yes, I have a meeting.”
He motioned to a table in the corner, wanting to spend this time with her, seizing it for what it was; a prize when he needed it most. He followed behind, his eyes falling to the sexy curves of her ass in the tight jeans she wore with sky-high heels. Her hair was wet and in a simple ponytail, and it made her look young, innocent, and fucking beautiful.
He dragged his eyes up as they sat down but knew he’d been caught checking her out as he sat and saw the raised eyebrow she gave him. Gunner grinned and shrugged. “Can’t blame me for looking.”
“I wasn’t. I just wondered if you’d give me the same chance.” Her flirty tone was one he remembered from the wedding before her attack. He smirked and lifted his drink with a wink that made her blush a pretty shade of pink.
“So, tell me about you. How have you been? What’s the gossip?”
Gunner sputtered. “Gossip? Do I look like a man who gossips?”
“No, men are useless at gossip, but it was worth a try. I hear you left Eidolon.”
Gunner felt his body go rigid. “Who told you that?”
He saw Lacey rear back at the sharp snap of his tone and regretted it instantly.
“Nate said you weren’t there anymore, but that’s all he said. Look, Gunner, if you’d rather not talk about it, then that’s fine. I’m the Queen of self-denial and know better than anyone about privacy and how sacred it is.”
Her response and understanding had him wanting to kick his own ass. “I’m sorry. I was a dick. Forgive me?”
“Fine, so let’s talk about something else. Who taught you to play like that?”
Gunner felt himself relax in the easy way she acquiesced to his request. “My grandmother, she made me practise every day from the time I was six until the day I left home to join the military.”
“Same, but for me, it was my mother. I’m actually glad she did, the piano is such a relaxing thing to play. Other than swimming, it’s one of my favourite things to do.”
“You like to swim?”
“Yep, I nearly went pro, but then I got scouted, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
“Flying is like that for me, all the shit in your head is silent. I love it. The freedom, the quiet, you can hear yourself think.” He looked away when he saw her looking at him and realised he’d given away more than he wanted. “So, what has you heading to the UK? Are you headed to visit Skye and Nate?”
Lacey held his gaze as she sipped her drink. “Actually, I’m relocating to Hereford.”
“Wow really? That’s great, good for you.”
“Yeah, I’m excited. I get to be close to my best friend and my godchildren, and I have contacts there and a few friends too.”
“That’s wonderful, Lacey. I’m pleased for you.”
He watched her run her finger over the condensation on her glass, her movements lazy, unhurried, and he wondered what she would do if he leaned in and did that to her neck with his tongue. Probably slap him across the face. “What about you, will you be there?”
Chapter 3
Regret was a bitter taste in his mouth as he focused on her question and realised he would likely be dead before too long, and for the first time in a long while he wished things were different. “No, I won’t be there. My life is on a different path now.” He didn’t say anything else, and she didn’t ask.
“Hey, do you want to play a drinking game?” She grinned, and the sudden way she changed direction on him had laughter bubbling up in his belly.
“Sure, why not? We’re not going anywhere for a bit.”
“Okay, let’s play never have I ever. I’ll say something I’ve never done, and if you’ve done it, you take a drink, and we take it in turns. Okay?”
“Yep, all set. Let’s get some shots and make this interesting.” He called the waitress over and ordered another round of beers and cosmos and some tequila shots. When they had their drinks, he lifted his pint glass for her to go.
“Never have I ever jumped out of a plane.”
Gunner took a drink. “That’s cheating. You know what I do for a job.”
“I don’t make the rules, Viking.”
He chuckled at her calling him Viking, remembering she had at the wedding too and he’d liked it then as much as he did now, even after explaining Vikings came from Norway, not Iceland.
“Never have I ever walked a catwalk.”
Lacey took a drink and her turn. “Never have I ever sung karaoke.”
Gunner shook his head.
“Never have I ever been to the hairdressers.”
He saw her surprised look as she drank again and he had a feeling he might win this game but after a few more rounds where she drank twice what he did, she changed things up.
“Never have I ever swum naked in the sea.”
Gunner felt his balls tighten
at the thought of Lacey naked. He saw the challenge in her blue eyes that had gone lazy with desire. He took a large drink to give his brain time to calm down and erase the image of her lush body dripping wet as she stood in the sea like a siren.
“Never have I ever watched Fifty Shades of Grey.”
He grinned as she drank.
“Never have I ever sent a naked selfie to someone.”
He shrugged and didn’t drink. He wasn’t a fool, but his dick was definitely interested in this game and the thought of her taking naked selfies.
“Never have I ever had phone sex.”
His eyes brows shot up when she threw back a shot, and he had to adjust his jeans as his dick went from slightly keen to straining against his zipper.
“Never have I ever been tied up in bed.”
Jesus fucking Christ she was going to kill him. He’d never been tied up so didn’t drink.
“Never have I ever said I love you.”
Lacey drank as he’d known she would, and he saw her leaning sideways on her chair. He was almost double her weight, so was always going to win this game, but he had to admit it was the most fun he’d had in a very long time. He couldn’t deny that the thought she’d said I love you to someone made him feel all kinds of jealous which was crazy considering they were nothing to each other and never would be now.
“Never have I ever brought myself to climax in front of someone.”
Gunner almost choked and took a drink to clear his throat and then realised it looked like he’d done it when he hadn’t.
“I never have, but fuck, woman, the images you’re putting in my head are dangerous.”
“Yeah.” Her words were slurring as she closed an eye to try and focus. This evening was coming to an end, and he didn’t want it to.
“Think perhaps we should get you back to your room?” He stood and made his way around the table to Lacey, who was wavering back and forth in her chair. He hooked her under her arms, and she leaned on him; her breast brushed his arm, and he tried not to groan out loud.