Her Sensual Protector: A Navy SEAL Romance (Night Storm Book 5)

by Caitlyn O'Leary

  “Miss!” Abia came running up to her. “Miss! Where were you yesterday? Mama said you might have gone home. Back to that place called America. Did you go home and come back?” the little girl asked.

  “I told you,” Effie whispered.

  Daisy crouched down and smiled. Abia lifted her arms to be picked up.

  Leo crouched down beside Daisy. “Would you like to ride on my shoulders? Then you would be up really high.”

  “Are you really big?” Abia asked.

  Leo stood up to his full height. Abia clapped. “You are! Miss, can I ride his shoulders? Please.” Daisy knew what Leo was doing; he was trying to make it so that Daisy didn’t push herself. But since the little girl was so excited, she couldn’t be too mad.

  Leo grinned at Daisy, knowing he had won.

  “You’re a manipulator, you know that, don’t you?” she whispered to him.

  “I use my powers for good. You should know that,” he purred. Daisy blushed. Yes, his powers definitely were good. Hell, they’d spent hour after decadent hour in bed, only getting up to go to dinner.

  “Up!” Abia giggled. Her enthusiasm was contagious, causing all of the adults to smile. Leo carefully lifted her up onto his shoulders.

  He showed her where to place her hands so she wouldn’t fall down. He held her legs securely. They walked to her mother’s tent. When Maysa let them in, she was all-smiles. Daisy took her time introducing everybody. She had prepped Maysa that she would be bringing visitors, and the woman was ready. She had a little plate of food waiting for them. Daisy felt like a heel taking any kind of food from the little family, but she knew to decline would be a grave insult.

  “Thank you,” she said in Arabic. “I am honored.”

  All four of them sat down in the tent and tasted the little stuffed bread that she had prepared. She had carefully cut the bread into four pieces for them. Maysa meanwhile took another piece of malawah and cut it into nine pieces for all of the children in the room who were wide-eyed at the treat. She couldn’t help but notice that Maysa did not serve any to herself.

  Leo looked around the little tent and smiled. He had put Abia on the ground. “Ma’am, would you allow me to tighten some of the sides so they don’t wave as much?”

  “I don’t have tools or the proper stakes to push into the ground. But thank you for your concern,” she gave a wistful smile.

  Leo took off his backpack and pulled out stakes and a hammer. “If you would allow me?” His Arabic was very good.

  Daisy could see the woman tearing up. Meanwhile, Daisy grabbed her backpack and took out another gallon of water and more of the peanut butter packs. Effie took her backpack off and took out some flour, rice, beans, and butter. Maysa turned away quickly to put away the supplies, but Daisy knew it was so nobody would see her crying.

  When Maysa had gotten herself together, Effie and Daisy asked Maysa if they could discuss some ideas they had.

  “Of course,” Maysa said.

  “It is important that people understand what you are going through,” Effie explained kindly and Daisy translated. “My job is to get your story out to the world.”

  Maysa looked confused.

  “Our organization can’t help people without donations from businesses and individuals. We get those donations when we explain or show people just how badly someone like you or your children need them. Making a video of you helps to do that.”

  Maysa nodded. More people in the camp had phones than Daisy had expected. As people lined up for water, others would line up to use the generators to charge their cell phones. So Maysa might not get the concept of people across the world donating money because of what she would say on a video, but she certainly understood the idea of making a video.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Daisy could see Leo making the tent sturdier. Four of the boys who lived with Maysa were watching him, fascinated. He was something else; who else would have thought to do this? And how in the hell had he found the hammer and stakes?

  “Tell her, Daisy,” Effie said.

  “What? Oh yeah.” Thank God she could multi-task. “Besides being in your tent, it would be wonderful if you could show us how you have used the aid center that the Red Cross has set up as well. Would that be possible? If you could take one of your children with you, that would be helpful.”

  “Did you say Abia?” Effie asked. “I didn’t hear her name mentioned.”

  Daisy sighed. “My friend thinks that having Abia would be good, because of her smile.”

  At that, Maysa smiled too. “She is the song of my heart. But sometimes she can be full of mischief, that one.”

  Daisy laughed. She could see it. “We could come back tomorrow. Would that work?”

  Maysa nodded.

  “So tell me a little bit about your article,” Leo asked Rayi.

  “Yes, I’m interested as well,” Doug said.

  Leo had called Doug when they were in the car back from the camp. He knew he needed someone official from W.A.N.T. to back him while questioning Rayi, and Daisy wasn’t objective enough. That’s why Doug was lying in wait for Rayi and Leo when they came in through the lobby and had pulled them away from Effie and Daisy.

  “What do you want to know?” Rayi asked pleasantly. “Shall we sit down?” He indicated some seats in the lobby.

  “Let’s,” Leo said with a smile.

  “I want to know what kind of bullshit article you’re writing that people in Afghanistan would be interested in knowing about W.A.N.T.,” Doug said.

  “You underestimate the people of my country,” Rayi said. “Also, you underestimate me. My articles are often picked up internationally, and I feel comfortable that this one will be as well.”

  “When Daisy gave you such close access did she put up any parameters? Did she say that Effie would have to review the article?” Doug asked.

  Rayi’s smile got big. “No, she did not.”

  “Fuck,” Leo growled. “What the hell was she thinking? Scratch that. She hasn’t been thinking, she’s too tired.”

  “And she was too upset about her father,” Rayi nodded. “This is true.”

  “And you’re taking advantage of her?” Doug stood up and yelled down at Rayi. “What kind of man are you?”

  Rayi didn’t seem perturbed in the slightest. Leo started thinking of all the ways he would convince Rayi that he was not going to print this story.

  “I did not say that I wasn’t going to run the story past your public affairs department, I just said that Ms. Squires didn’t request that of me. I am very aware of her vulnerable state of mind right now. I also know that is not normally her, and I don’t intend to write her in that light. It would be a disservice to her and my readers.”

  Leo felt something ease off his chest. Maybe this Rayi guy wasn’t all that bad.

  “I don’t want Effie to read it, I want to read it too,” Doug said, still standing over Rayi.

  “That is fine with me. Now, are we finished here?”

  Leo and Doug both nodded.

  Leo.

  He’s coming to my room tonight, right?

  She swiped the razor against her right leg trying not to cut herself. That’s what she needed—to be a bloody mess as she tried to seduce the man again. For God’s sake, she’d attacked him last night.

  Okay, only one nick, now for the other leg. Maybe her hand would be less shaky.

  Don’t think of Leo. Don’t think of Leo.

  God, his chest. His lips. His eyes.

  It was his eyes that did it for her. He spoke with his eyes, and he seemed to be saying a lot of things. Things that she couldn’t bring herself to believe. He couldn’t be emotionally into her. She’d dated sometimes. There’d been that man—well, boy really—in Guatemala where they were both working on an assignment. He hadn’t really cared. The only thing she allowed herself to care about was W.A.N.T. and family. Not her father. Because people let you down.

  But Leo, he seemed to care, but she was just projecting her feel
ings onto him, wasn’t she?

  Ah fuck, I have feelings!

  “Ouch!”

  She looked down at the blood streaming down her leg.

  She felt frustrated tears welling up.

  No feelings. No feelings. No feelings.

  Feelings got you hurt. Expectations got you hurt. People always left you when you needed them the most.

  So I’m stupid to expect Leo to come to my room tonight. He’s seen who I am and changed his mind.

  “And I shouldn’t be shaving my legs!”

  She looked down at her half-shaved leg. Well, she couldn’t leave it like that, for God’s sake. She finished up and then got out of the shower. She slathered some ointment on the cuts and it stopped the bleeding.

  I’m going to read a book. I like books.

  She put on a denim skirt and a yellow scoop neck T-shirt, then sat down on the bed and picked up her e-reader. She wasn’t going to call him. He could call. He was good at calling. I’m not projecting feelings, and I didn’t see feelings in his eyes. There are no feelings. No such thing as feelings.

  She went through her list of books, looking for one that she could cry to, and found To Kill a Mockingbird.

  21

  If he spent one more second in his head wondering why she hadn’t called, he’d call Cullen for dating advice. Yep, that would be the kind of punishment he’d deserve for being so goddamned wishy-washy. But seriously, he’d followed her halfway around the world, followed her around the camp, come to her hotel door yesterday, and they’d made love all day and night. Not once had she made one call or come his way. Was he kidding himself?

  “Fuck this noise. I’m not going to call Cullen. I’m taking a page out of Nic’s playbook. He’s all about assuming the win. God, twenty-four is so damn young. But I’m assuming the win.”

  He looked at his bare feet, then looked at his boots.

  Fuck it. Assume the win. Taking off my boots just takes more time.

  He left his room and ignored the couple who stared at his feet the entire time he was in the elevator.

  He knocked on her door. It seemed like forever until she opened it.

  “Please, for the love of God, say you used the peephole before you opened up the door wearing just a T-shirt.”

  “Of course I did. Where are your shoes?”

  He squinted down at her. “Hey, wait a minute, that’s my T-shirt.”

  “Possession is ninth-tenths of the law.”

  “Are you going to let me in? Or are we going to talk in the hallway?”

  She backed up and he walked in. The bed wasn’t made. As a matter of fact, she’d been in it, and he could see she had been reading on her e-reader.

  “What are you reading?”

  “I’m pretending I’m back in high school and reading To Kill a Mockingbird,” she said.

  “Harper Lee, damn good author. That book makes me tear up every time I read it.”

  “You re-read books?”

  “My favorites, yes. I usually take a book with me each mission. Last time it was one of Mark Twain’s.”

  “Reading gets me through the tough times,” Daisy admitted to him.

  Leo reached out, then drew back his hand. “This has been some of the toughest for you, hasn’t it?”

  “Full disclosure?” she asked quietly.

  He nodded.

  “Absolutely some of the toughest. But some of the best too. But I just don’t believe in good like this. You know?”

  Leo frowned and this time he did touch her cheek. “No. Explain it to me.” He guided her to the bed, wishing there was a damned chair or something in the room. But nope, just the bed. He sat down beside her.

  She nuzzled her cheek into the palm of his hand. “This isn’t real.”

  “Yesterday afternoon and last night sure as hell felt real to me. Hell, even this morning when you woke up in my arms felt pretty damn real to me.”

  “Was it? Or is it just when we’re in desperate times? How do I know this is real?”

  Leo dropped his forehead so that it rested lightly on hers. “Is that how it feels to you? That our only connection is when emotions are high because of outside events, and it has nothing to do with you and me?” I sure as hell hope not.

  He watched as Daisy processed his question. Her brain was such a turn-on, even when it went a little sideways, like now. He’d bet his bottom dollar that she didn’t have much relationship experience to draw on, so this was tough for her.

  “Let me ask this question another way; could you picture yourself having been comforted by someone else that day in Afghanistan? Ending up in another man’s arms? Kissing another man? Taking another man into your body that afternoon?”

  “God no,” she gasped.

  “Well then?”

  Daisy cupped his cheeks and tried to kiss him.

  “No, none of that. We did that yesterday and you ended up confused. We’re getting this straightened out right now.”

  “But it was so good,” she murmured.

  “Absolutely it was. But I want to know that this has legs. Are you going to go sideways again and think this is only for hotel rooms in foreign countries? Because if you are, I’m opting out.”

  Shit, did I just say that?

  She pulled back and looked at him. “Leo, I’m not using you for a booty call. I heard you when you were ‘teasing, not teasing’ yesterday. You said girlfriend, right?”

  He nodded.

  “I’m not good at relationships, though. I work all the time, and I don’t have balance or anything normal. Somebody thought I should have a cat once, and Effie thought we should start with a plant. It ended up dying.”

  He touched her hair. “It was from over-watering, right?”

  It was her turn to nod.

  “See, you don’t neglect things, you just haven’t figured out how to handle some aspects of life. Number one rule, respond to my damned texts.”

  She puffed out a laugh.

  “Do you know what the number two rule is?”

  “Answer your calls?”

  “The girl gets an ‘A’. Now tell me why you didn’t.”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “I have three sisters, of course it’s complicated.”

  “I was kind of scared. You know, about it being too good and not real. I was afraid if I picked up you wouldn’t be as good as I remembered, and then the good memory would go away. And Leo?” She grabbed his face again like she really wanted him to listen. “That was the best memory ever. I couldn’t afford for it to go away.”

  If he’d been standing his knees would have gone weak. Her answer couldn’t have been more perfect.

  “And now?”

  “I’m still scared,” she breathed out. “Scared you’ll still change your mind and leave for good.”

  He pulled her into his arms and she gave a small moan of pleasure.

  “I’m here, I’m not going anywhere, and this will last,” he whispered into her ear.

  He felt her shaking her head.

  “Okay, I’m here and we’re going to make beautiful memories, moment, by moment, by moment, by moment. How about that?”

  She nuzzled his neck.

  “Yes, please. That I can believe in.”

  At the camp the next day, Daisy was trying to keep Maysa calm. She couldn’t blame her for being nervous. Effie had outdone herself. Somehow, she had managed to scrounge up two cameramen with actual shoulder-mounted camcorders, with lights. She’d also found someone who could operate a drone to take aerial footage of the camp. The children were fascinated, but Maysa was nervous as hell.

  “How did she find these people?” Leo asked Daisy.

  “She’s magic. Just like you found the hammer and the stakes.”

  “That was small potatoes. This is amazing.” Leo took Daisy’s empty water bottle and replaced it with a full one.

  “Maysa, Effie has hired these gentlemen to help you tell your story. Their cameras are just like what is on a phone, onl
y bigger.”

  Maysa shook her head in disbelief.

  “Effie, can you get them to show her?”

  “It’s better if you do, Daisy. They’re here because of you.”

  “What do you mean, me?”

  “I used your name. They heard that you head W.A.N.T. and that you are trying to get money for women in the camps. They wanted to help.”

  “But I don’t understand, how did they hear about me?”

  Effie turned to the first cameraman who was closest to them. It was clear he was trying to keep track of their conversation. “Daisy, this is Tahir.”

  “Hello, ma’am,” he said in heavily accented English. “The other ma’am is correct. You are known.”

  “Talk to him in Arabic,” Effie suggested. “He’ll be able to explain better how he knows about you.”

  “It is an honor to meet you, Tahir,” Daisy said. “How do you know of me?”

  He smiled broadly. “My wife’s second cousin spoke of you. Her friend is in the camp. You’ve spoken to her. You are trying to make her life better. You run a charity to get them help, so I want to help.” He slapped his chest.

  “As do I,” the second cameraman piped up.

  Daisy was stunned that word had gotten out about what she was doing.

  “Miss!”

  Everyone turned to see Abia running up toward Daisy with her arms up. Before Leo could intercept, Daisy was picking up the little girl.

  “I missed you,” Abia said as she smiled brightly.

  “I missed you too,” Daisy grinned.

  “Who are they?” she pointed to the cameramen.

  Tahir explained they were going to take pictures. Then, God bless him, he took a quick video of Effie and then replayed it for Maysa and Abia to see. Watching, Maysa nodded her head.

  “Can we go over to your tent and take some video of you, your children, nieces and nephews? Then I’d like to ask you some questions. Would that be okay?”

  Maysa nodded.