Although there were certainly many women in the military, fewer than twenty percent made up each branch. And this woman was a civilian. The majority of people filling the loud cafeteria tonight were men, and Grayson instantly felt like he should look out for her. It was a strange feeling—she’d clearly been in country longer than him. They weren’t in some sort of immediate danger. He was here with his team for a few days, not stationed at Bagram. But something about her made him stand up and take notice.
Her green eyes met his, and he reluctantly released her hand, instantly disappointed at the loss of her touch. She barely came up to his shoulder, but when he looked down at her, he swore he could feel the sparks and chemistry between them. Her lips had parted slightly as they shook hands, and he kept his gaze on her face, not the tempting swells of her breasts.
She was slender and much smaller than him, but he could tell she was curvy in exactly the right places. And he detected the faintest vanilla scent as he stood close to her. It was arousing as hell, and a part of him wanted to duck down and see if it was her hair or some sort of lotion or perfume.
She was beautiful. Maybe a little bit flustered by his sudden attention, but damn. The last thing he expected today was to see a woman who sent his heart racing. He was on an op with his buddies for God’s sake. Yet here she was, in the middle of a base in Afghanistan. With her auburn hair and green eyes, she was a knock-out. And the way she flushed slightly at his attention was as appealing as hell.
“It’s nice to meet you, Hailey. That’s Blake right next to you, and Logan, Ethan, Troy, and Jackson,” he said, naming each member of his team. Why he felt the need to introduce her and make her feel more comfortable, he wasn’t quite sure.
She glanced back at the others, and they nodded hello but went about grabbing their food. Hailey looked back at him.
“I didn’t mean to surprise you, but I saw you standing behind Blake in line and wanted to come over and introduce myself.”
“I saw you guys earlier,” she said.
“Yep. I saw you, too.”
She flushed slightly, and he grinned. “You’re hard to miss around all the military guys here. And you were definitely the prettiest person in the general’s office.”
“There were only a few women in there,” she said wryly. “I work for the Defense Department.”
“I figured as much. You’re not in uniform.”
“Right,” she said lightly. The line moved forward, and Hailey reached for a plate of lasagna. He noticed a few bracelets dangling on her delicate wrist and wondered if she had any other jewelry on. He didn’t normally notice little details like that on a woman, but for some reason with her, he was fascinated.
As she brushed her hair back behind one ear, he smiled. She had two earrings—a modest diamond stud and another understated earring right above it. He liked that she was simple and relatively classic—the last woman he’d dated had been flashy and loved getting attention. It was fun for a few dates, but that had quickly fizzled out. She’d flaunted her body and loved male attention, but after they’d slept together a few times, that was it. All the excitement had worn off, and they didn’t have much in common.
Besides, Hailey was naturally beautiful. She didn’t need revealing clothes or tons of make-up like Shawna had. The camisole she had on beneath her shirt revealed just a hint of her creamy skin. Strangely enough, he was more intrigued by her than women who flaunted their bodies.
“Good choice,” he said as she set her plate of lasagna on her tray, not concerned in the slightest that she’d never really answered his question about what food he should order. “I’ll have that as well,” he told the young woman working there. She handed him a plate, and Grayson stuck it on his tray, keeping beside Hailey as they moved through the line.
“So, do you have a boyfriend?” he asked. “I figure I better ask before embarrassing myself further.”
Blake chuckled in front of her, turning around. “Subtle, he’s not. You need me to tell this guy to leave you alone?” He raised an eyebrow, and Hailey looked startled at the serious expression on his face.
“Thanks, but it’s fine.”
Blake nodded, glancing between the two of them. “Gray’s a good guy.”
With that he took his tray and followed the rest of his team over toward a table, leaving the two of them standing alone. There was a slight lull in the line, with another group just walking in the cafeteria doors. Grayson only had a moment or two. She was about to take her tray and walk off somewhere, and then he’d be stuck making googly eyes at her from across the cafeteria while his buddies ribbed him for getting shot down.
“How long are you here for?” he asked.
“Just until I finish my dinner,” she joked, and his lips quirked. “One more month. How about you?”
“Not sure. Probably no more than a week.” She nodded, some sort of understanding flashing in her eyes. Grayson wondered if she suspected he was Special Forces given that he wasn’t here long and had already met with the general. He could’ve been at Bagram for any number of reasons, but Grayson got the idea that she knew more than she let on. “I’d love to get to know you while I am here though. What do you say? Join me for dinner?”
She paused, and just as Grayson was ready to say something else to convince her, a siren suddenly sounded on base, and chaos erupted in the cafeteria.
“Incoming!” someone shouted. They heard an explosion outside, and Grayson instantly pushed Hailey to the ground, his large body covering hers. She cried out in surprise but didn’t fight him, just curled up beneath him while he shielded her with his body, their trays of food knocked to the floor.
Grayson glanced up as chaos erupted around them. Chairs were knocked over from where people had dove for cover, food and drinks were spilled on the floor. He noticed Blake and the other guys had taken cover with the group of female soldiers they’d spotted earlier, no doubt also trying to shield them from harm.
He braced, wondering if there was another bomb or potential rocket attack. Had that been it, or was it a distraction from something else?
His large hand smoothed over Hailey’s hair, trying to soothe her. She was trembling beneath him, frightened, and he didn’t know if he should haul her out of there or get her under a table for more cover.
“You’re safe,” he said gruffly, inhaling a whiff of her vanilla scent as he covered her with his body.
She would be safe. No matter what the hell happened next, he’d protect her. Shield her with his body, carry her the hell out of there if she was injured. The problem was, they didn’t know what else was coming. His gaze swept the cafeteria, searching for any threats. The siren was still wailing outside, but a beat later, it abruptly stopped.
Just then, a soldier came running into the chow hall. “There was a suicide bomber at the checkpoint! Multiple injuries!”
“Shit,” Grayson muttered. He exchanged a glance with Blake across the cafeteria, wondering if his SEAL team leader was thinking the same thing. Sayed was probably close by. He wanted to see the carnage of his destruction. He’d abandoned the camp they’d been surveilling, perhaps, but he was probably hiding in the village like they’d suspected.
There’d been the seven servicemembers killed earlier in the week and now this. He was attacking them. Killing and injuring Americans. And this was just the type of fucking thing he’d pull.
Suddenly, the fire alarm sounded in the building, and Grayson stood, pulling Hailey to her feet. “Are you okay?” he asked, looking down at her as she wobbled slightly in his arms.
She nodded, but her voice shook. “Yeah, I’m fine. Wow.”
“We have to get out of here,” he said. “This is a large building and could be a potential target. They’ll lockdown the base after that explosion, but we don’t know what else is going on. Why don’t I get you back to your housing? You’ll be safer there than in here where it’s just a large open room.”
His SEAL team came moving toward them, all of their faces
tense. “I’m going to walk Hailey back,” Grayson told the others.
Blake nodded. “We’re going to see if we can assist at the gate. I have a feeling the general might want a word, too.” His gaze landed on Hailey, and Grayson knew he didn’t want to say too much in front of her. But if this was indeed Sayed’s work, it would make their op in the morning all the more important. They didn’t know if anyone had been killed in the explosion, aside from the suicide bomber, but there most certainly had been injuries.
“I’ll meet you there as soon as I escort Hailey back,” Grayson said.
“Let’s move out then,” Jackson said, his voice deadly.
“Are you sure we should go outside?” Hailey asked, looking worried. People were rushing by them, dinners long abandoned and forgotten. His SEAL team probably made an imposing sight standing there close to the doors. They might have been wearing the same camo as everyone else, but they were big. Muscular. Intimidating. And right now, each of the men looked like they’d harm anyone who got in their way.
Grayson’s gaze softened. “The patrols will be ramped up after this. The base is on complete lockdown. I know you’re scared, but you’re safe with me, sweetheart. Let me get you back to your room.”
Sweetheart.
He’d just met this woman moments ago.
Somehow it fit though. She was trembling slightly beside him, and he needed to get her somewhere safe before he got to work with his team. He wasn’t about to leave her standing alone here scared and frightened. For some reason he felt protective toward this woman. Responsible for her. It was strange as hell since he hadn’t even laid eyes on her before this afternoon, but something in his body responded to her on a primal level.
“Okay,” she said quietly, her voice barely audible above the fire alarm. But it was the look of trust in her eyes that slayed him. She was trusting him to get her out of there safely, to get her back to her own building. She didn’t know him either but apparently felt safe with him. Trusted him to protect her. Grayson felt male pride swell within his chest when she looked at him that way.
He rescued people all the damn time with his SEAL team, from situations far more precarious than this. It felt imperative that he get her back though, that he protect her from any other danger. He could handle anything that happened to himself, but knowing that she could be in danger?
There was no fucking way he’d leave her in here alone.
Dinner would have to wait until later tonight, too. First his team would help at the gate, possibly brief again with the general—and then it sounded like they’d be eating those damn MREs after all.
Chapter 2
HAILEY LOOKED AROUND in confusion at the chaos in the cafeteria. The fire alarm blaring was unnerving, even if they weren’t in immediate danger right here. People were standing back up, brushing the spilled food off themselves, and starting to move to the exits. She noticed one woman had a cut on her forehead and wondered if she’d somehow hit her head when ducking for cover.
Grayson stood at her side, his hand lightly on her shoulder as he readied to walk her back.
His touch was comforting, and she knew he didn’t want to lose her in the crowd of people. When she’d heard the siren earlier, she’d been terrified and frozen in place. Grayson had practically tackled her to the ground, somehow not injuring her in the process, and had shielded her with his body.
He was huge, at least a foot taller than her, and nothing but pure muscle. She’d felt his broad chest and strong arms as he’d covered her, and while she’d been terrified of the alarm, she’d felt safe with him. He hadn’t thought anything of shielding her with his body, and although she’d been scared out of her mind, he’d immediately sprang into action.
She briefly glanced up at him, taking in his chiseled features. He had light brown hair and hazel eyes, and a shortly trimmed beard, similar to many of the other men here. She knew men grew out their facial hair to blend in more in the Middle East. She’d never dated a guy with a beard before, and somehow it looked rugged and sexy on him. She wondered if he was clean shaven back home or if he preferred this.
Although she hadn’t asked, she assumed he and his teammates were probably some sort of Special Forces team. The Army and Navy both wore the same desert camo on base, so she wasn’t sure what branch of the military he was with. A Navy SEAL? Delta Force? They hadn’t had any special identifying insignia.
Groups of men had frequently come in to meet the general during her tenure here, and as an administrative assistant, she saw it all. The meetings were all above her clearance level, and she of course knew not to ask any details. The fact that his teammates were all ready to spring into action spoke volumes though. And while some units here were rather large, the fact that there were now six imposing-looking men standing around her said something.
They were clearly a tight-knit, specialized team.
She probably should’ve felt alarmed that a man she didn’t even know would be walking her back to her housing, but at the moment, she was rattled over the suicide bomber. She’d been briefed on security when she’d arrived in country, but Bagram Airfield itself was heavily fortified and relatively low risk as far as dangerous places in the world.
Of course the military men and women were in danger when they patrolled or conducted their missions, but she sat at a desk all day. Her building housed the general. If she was working in the middle of a war zone, this was as safe as you could get.
Had someone else snuck into base during the chaos? It was possible there was another suicide bomber in their midst. Would the enemy shoot RPGs at them? Attack while confusion was ensuing? The base might indeed be heavily fortified, but the incident tonight had just proved that anything could happen.
She shivered slightly, stepping closer to Grayson without even thinking about it. His hand tightened on her shoulder, but he wasn’t hurting her. He was reassuring her that he was there.
Grayson briefly conferred with his team, and then they were moving to the door. “We never did get to have dinner together,” he quipped, clearly trying to get her mind off of the bombing.
“Yeah. Maybe another time,” she said.
“I’m going to hold you to that,” he joked, holding the door for her with one hand and moving his other to her back as he guided her out. Maybe she should’ve been annoyed at the way he was practically manhandling her as he ushered her out the door, but he was so large, he kept her from otherwise being jostled in the crowd.
And at the moment, she was terrified out of her mind.
There were shouts all around them as they moved out into the night, including sirens and trucks zipping around. “This is crazy,” she murmured, more to herself than anything.
“It’s not good,” he agreed. “I’m going to head to the front gate with my team to see if we can help.”
“You guys are Special Forces, aren’t you?”
He met her gaze, looking surprised, but didn’t say anything. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. I know you can’t tell me. I just get used to seeing groups of guys coming and going for meetings in my building. They’re only here for a week or two, then leave.”
He didn’t answer, just guided her toward the housing where the women were. Grayson kept his hand on her back, and she moved closer to him without thought. It was crazy out here. People were shouting, running to help. She’d totally lost her appetite after everything that had happened. At the moment, she wanted to curl up with a hot cup of tea in her bed and soothe her frayed nerves.
Grayson would be going right to the bomb scene though. She stiffened slightly, not liking the idea that he could be in danger.
“Are you okay? I hope I didn’t hurt you when I pushed you down, but I didn’t know if there’d be another bomb.”
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “Honestly, I was too scared to even move. I’m glad you were there.”
“Me too. And hey, I was serious about dinner,” Grayson continued. “I’m going to be busy tomorrow, but maybe one night t
his week?”
She huffed out a laugh. It felt like the world was falling apart around them, and he was asking her out. Sort of. Because they were still in the middle of Afghanistan, stuck on a military base, not back home. It’s not like he’d pick her up in his car and drive her to a fancy restaurant. She didn’t even know where Grayson was stationed back home. They could live on opposite sides of the U.S. for all that she knew. “Look, that’s nice of you to ask, but you’re leaving in a few days. And I’m sure you’re busy with whatever mission or business you’re here for.”
“I never even got to ask where you were from,” he said, ignoring her answer.
“DC. Arlington, actually. But after my year is up here, I’ve accepted a position in California. Most of my things are in storage back home because I’ll be moving out there.”
He chuckled quietly.
“What’s so funny about that?” she asked, looking up at him.
His green eyes twinkled as he looked down at her. “My team is based out of San Diego, sweetheart.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh. I am leaving soon, but it sounds like you will be in a month, too. And it wouldn’t hurt to know someone out on the west coast, right? Are you moving to San Diego?”
“Yeah, I actually am.”
“So it’s fate.”
She flushed slightly as he flashed her a smile. Goodness he was persistent. Attractive as hell, too, if she admitted it to herself. Well, she could probably have dinner with him this week. It’s not like she had any other amazing plans. And he’d be leaving in a matter of days. They could eat, get to know each other...and then he’d fly home, and move on to the next attractive woman he met.
Grayson seemed genuine, but he was a handsome man. She was sure he had no trouble meeting women back in California. And she was around military men all the time. She’d been asked out, and although most of the guys acted like gentlemen, some came on a bit too strong for her liking. There was certainly no shortage of testosterone around here.
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