“I never got texts like this before. I mean, sure, I’ll have the stray spam message or something that everyone else gets, but nothing like this. It’s creepy.”
He nodded. “We want to get to the bottom of it. I can’t tell you about what we do on our missions, but you saw us there in Bagram.”
“You’re involved with the bombings,” she said. “Not responsible for them,” she hastily added. “Just there looking for the bad guys.”
Grayson pressed his lips together and nodded. It killed him that he couldn’t say much about it, especially given the fact that she was a DOD employee that had been working there. She had a clearance. But the investigators would probably bring her up to speed soon enough if necessary. And hell. He’d already told her they suspected it was someone in the general’s office given the things that had happened. She’d be asked about her colleagues soon enough.
“Well, enough depressing thoughts for the night,” she said. “We’ll meet with your teammates tomorrow.”
“Yes. And you’ll be fine here, in case you’re worried.”
“I trust you,” she said. “Why don’t we watch that movie. I’ll probably fall asleep or something, but we could start one at least.”
“It’s fine. Sleep, relax, whatever you want. I’m just still in disbelief that you’re here in my apartment after all those nights of talking on the phone. The last thing I expected when I got home from my mission was for you to already be in San Diego. I was looking forward to just hearing your voice, but to see you in person?” He smiled gently at her. “That was a hell of a surprise.”
“It’s been a crazy couple of weeks,” she admitted. “I wasn’t planning to come early, but I guess it worked out in a strange sort of way.” She yawned, and Grayson chuckled as she pulled a blanket up and over herself.
“You’re cute all cuddled up like that,” he teased.
“Just what all women want to be—cute,” she scoffed.
“Hell, sweetheart. You’re beautiful—injuries and all. But I like having you here.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and Hailey willingly relaxed into him. His dick twitched at her closeness, but he ignored it. Hailey was here. Safe. He loved how right it felt just to hold her. She was safe in his arms, and there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to keep her that way.
Chapter 13
HAILEY THRASHED AROUND, tossing and turning, as she tried to escape the heat and flames. Something was twisted around her legs, and it was so damn hot, she knew she needed to get out before her entire room burned down. The building was still on fire, the heat overwhelming, and she was trapped.
She cried out, kicking harder, before suddenly waking up and opening her eyes in the darkness. She was panting, her heart racing, but she wasn’t in the middle of a fire.
The room was dark. Quiet. There were no flames or smoke.
She was lying in bed, not back in Bagram.
The bedroom door opened and Grayson came rushing in, flipping on the light as he moved toward her. She pushed the confining blankets off her sweaty body, struggling to sit up in bed as she shook.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I just—it was just a bad dream.”
He eased down onto the bed beside her, his feet still on the floor. “You’re burning up,” he murmured, lightly resting his hand on her forehead. “I thought your fever broke earlier.”
“I guess not. I’m burning up.” She pulled off the sweatshirt she’d worn to bed, so that she was in nothing but a camisole and sleep shorts. Grayson’s gaze briefly dropped to her chest, and her body instantly responded. She didn’t have a bra on to sleep, obviously, and he could probably see her nipples through the thin cotton.
He didn’t comment though, just stood and said he’d get her some medicine.
Hailey reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a few tissues, blowing her nose as she tried to calm down.
She was sweaty and gross, although she felt slightly better now that she’d taken off Grayson’s sweatshirt. The cool air washed over her overheated skin. Glancing around his bedroom, she realized she didn’t remember walking in here earlier. “Did I fall asleep on the sofa?” she asked as he came back into the room.
He nodded, handing her a water bottle and some Tylenol. “I carried you back here then crashed on the sofa. We’ll have to finish the movie another night,” he added.
“Did you hear me just now?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yeah, I heard you yell and came running in. Did you have a nightmare?”
“I’ve been having them sometimes,” she admitted. “I dream that I’m trapped inside the building as it burns down, and I can’t get out.”
Tears smarted her eyes, and she blinked them away.
“Hailey,” he said softly, reaching a hand out to her as he sank down onto the bed once more. His hand landed on her bare leg and was meant to be comforting rather than sexual. She couldn’t help the shivers that raced up her spine though. She was literally in Grayson’s bed with him. His muscular hand was on her bare thigh. He was merely sitting there, being a perfect gentleman, and she felt like crap, but damn.
He had on a tee shirt and boxers, and despite how awful she felt, he still looked tempting as hell. Her gaze briefly slid over him, and she realized his legs were just as muscled as the rest of him. Not wanting to keep staring, she looked around the rest of his room, pretending she hadn’t just been checking him out.
“Do you want anything else to drink?” he asked.
“The water is fine.” She took another few gulps for good measure. Goodness. It was a little embarrassing that she’d fallen asleep during the movie. She’d fallen asleep on the sofa earlier, too, right after they’d gotten here. And now she’d woken him up with her cries.
She eased back and lay down in his bed again, looking up at him. It was intimate, but she didn’t feel uncomfortable. She felt safe when she was with Grayson. She didn’t need to worry about anything, because she knew he’d take care of it. It was a heady feeling. It had been a long time since anyone had cared about her the way he seemed to, her own family and best friends notwithstanding. But even so, the way he looked at her wasn’t the same. Not even close.
“You’re tired,” he said softly.
She nodded, and he reached out, running a hand lightly through her hair. It had dried sometime since she’d fallen asleep and was probably a mess, but the way he was looking at her right now let her know he didn’t care about any of that.
“Sorry I woke you up.”
“It’s fine. I’m just glad that you’re okay,” he said huskily. “I like having you here, sweetheart. I love having you in my bed, even though I know nothing is going to happen between us anytime soon. It’s sexy as hell knowing you’re sleeping here in my space.”
She flushed as she looked up at him, surprised by the intensity in his gaze.
“I like being here,” she admitted. “And I can’t wait until I’m feeling better and settled into my apartment, and we can actually go places together instead of just talking on the phone every night or having you take care of me while I’m sick.”
“Me either. I’ve waited a hell of a long time to find you, Hailey. I’m thirty-one years old and have dated my share of women over the years. I’ve never felt the way I do about you with any of them though. It’s intense, and it happened fast, but damn. I’d do just about anything for you. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I think rushing into a burning building to save me got that point across,” she said, trying to lighten the mood between them. “It’s weird, but with talking to you so much, I feel like I know you better than men I dated for months in the past.”
He nodded, gently taking her hand. “While I don’t like hearing about other men while you’re in my bed, I love that you feel the same way I do.”
She squeezed his hand, looking up at him.
“Get some sleep,” he said. “I’ll be right down the hall if you need me or have any other nightmares.”
&
nbsp; She nodded, hating to see him go, but knowing it was too soon for anything more. She wouldn’t mind curling up in his arms to fall asleep again, but that didn’t seem fair to him. Not when she knew she wasn’t ready for anything else to happen. Plus, she didn’t want him to catch whatever flu or virus she had. Grayson probably already had a decent chance of getting it with her staying at his place, but there was no reason to tempt fate.
“Thanks for coming to check on me. Goodnight,” she said softly.
“Goodnight.” His husky voice made her body painfully aware of his masculine physique, of how close they were to one another right now in his bed. The hair on his arm brushed against her bare leg as he stood, and it made her entire body light up with warmth. He turned toward her, and she averted her gaze when she realized her eyes were level with his cock. He was impressive, even if she didn’t think he was fully hard at the moment.
Geez.
Being with a guy like Grayson would be a fantasy come to life. And she had a feeling that he’d claim he was the lucky one.
He walked to the door of his bedroom, and she let her gaze rake over his broad shoulders, muscled back, and tight ass. His boxers didn’t conceal his muscular thighs, and she realized she was enjoying the view a little too much when he flipped off the lights.
“I’ll leave the door cracked open so I can hear you,” he said.
She sensed that he’d turned back around, and she was relieved he couldn’t see the blush spreading across her cheeks. Or that he hadn’t noticed her checking him out.
“Okay. Thanks Grayson.”
“Goodnight, sweetheart.”
“Goodnight,” she repeated softly.
THE NEXT MORNING, GRAYSON ran out to the store while Hailey stayed back at his apartment and rested. Her fever was finally gone, and after she’d showered and dressed, she felt a hundred times better than she had the day before.
She decided to sit out on his balcony until he returned, enjoying the ocean view. His teammate Ethan was sitting inside in the kitchen, on the phone with someone from base. Grayson had asked him to come over and wait with her, and she had to admit she felt safer than she would’ve if she’d been all alone.
The rest of the men on Grayson’s team would be there in an hour, and she wanted to hear what they thought about the unnerving texts she’d suddenly started receiving.
Checking her emails on her cell phone, she saw that she had one from her new office confirming the date and time to begin her training. Nothing confidential was disclosed since it was an unclassified email address. She typed a quick reply saying she’d be there on Wednesday morning. Although she’d originally planned to be there first thing Monday, given her illness, they’d suggested she wait a few days.
She adjusted her position in the chair, wincing as her ribs ached. She knew it would probably be a few more weeks before she felt one hundred percent better, but it was still a little frustrating to be in pain. Her phone buzzed with a text, and she saw Grayson’s name flash on the screen:
Doing okay, baby?
She smiled. He’d only been gone twenty minutes but was checking in on her. She quickly thumbed a response:
I’m fine, Just enjoying your ocean view. Ethan’s right inside on a call.
Her phone buzzed again:
Okay. See you soon. xoxo
Smiling, she closed her eyes and relaxed. The warm sunshine and salty air did wonders for her mood. She’d been a little depressed at her parents’ home last week—unsettled, maybe. She didn’t have her apartment, didn’t have most of her belongings, and she was unexpectedly sidelined before starting her new job. It wasn’t exactly how she’d planned to end things in Bagram, but she had to admit she was more than happy to have met Grayson during her last day there.
She wished she’d gotten to say goodbye to the men and women she worked with, and to the women she’d befriended in her building. Her breath caught as she thought of Kim. She had to hope for the best—that she was somehow recovering in the hospital and the paperwork had gotten messed up. Because to know she was missing?
Hailey squeezed her eyes tighter. She couldn’t stomach it.
Her phone buzzed on her lap, and she wondered what Grayson had to say now. Glancing down at the screen, she froze when she saw it was a text from another unknown number.
Watch your back.
She shivered, uneasily looking around. It was just a coincidence she’d gotten a text right after Grayson had sent her one. She’d hadn’t gotten any since last night. Shakily, she got to her feet, turning away from the gorgeous ocean view and opening the sliding glass door. Ethan looked up, catching the alarmed expression on her face, and immediately walked toward her.
“I’ll call you back,” he said to whoever he’d been talking to.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his brows creased. Ethan was a touch shorter than Grayson, with dark hair and brown eyes, but he still towered above her. He was even more muscular than Grayson, if that was possible, and she knew she was safe with him. He had been a bit flirtatious when he first came over, but she knew he hadn’t actually been hitting on her, just teasing her to mess with Grayson.
Ethan was all business now though, instantly alert when he’d seen that she was frightened. His gaze flicked toward the balcony, ensuring there were no threats outside, and then his deep brown eyes locked on her.
“I got another text,” she said quietly, holding out her phone to him.
He took it in his large hand, looking down at it as he clenched his jaw. Stubble coated it this morning, but she knew he usually shaved, unlike Grayson, who’d trimmed but otherwise kept his short beard. “Fuck,” he muttered. “Is this the first one today?”
She nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. If the other texts had been slightly innocuous, this one was threatening. She supposed it could be interpreted as a warning that someone else was after her, but she felt like it was a threat from the sender himself.
“Come sit down,” Ethan said, gently guiding her over to the sofa. It wasn’t the same as when Grayson was there, but she knew he was trying to comfort her. He pocketed her phone, frowning, and called Grayson on his own cell.
She was too freaked out by the text to even worry he’d taken her phone. Hailey knew all the men on the team were assertive, alpha males, used to taking command of a situation. The second she’d been scared, he was instantly on alert, ensuring her safety while Grayson was gone.
“Ghost, she just got another text,” Ethan said in a clipped tone over the phone. He turned away from her, talking in a low voice, and she couldn’t make out everything he was saying. It was clear he was agitated though—not toward her, but simply angry that someone was still harassing her.
He looked back at her a moment later. “Ghost is almost done at the store. He’ll be back in ten minutes, tops. You’re safe here, Hailey.”
She nodded uncertainly, watching as Ethan sat down on a chair across from her, folding his tall body into the small seat. She wished Grayson were here to snuggle up next to her on the sofa, but she was a grown woman. She’d be fine until he got back, and she knew Ethan was perfectly capable of protecting her if need be.
“Are you okay?” he asked, accurately assessing her mood.
“I’m fine, I just—it’s kind of freaking me out to be getting these texts.”
“Does anyone know you’re here?” he asked.
“At Grayson’s? Or out in California?”
“Either. Both.”
“Well, I’d told some people in Bagram I was coming to San Diego for my next assignment. I originally wasn’t coming for a couple more weeks though; the bombing ended up speeding things up in that sense.” He nodded, encouraging her to continue. “I met with some people at the Pentagon last week—HR, some investigators, that sort of thing. And I was able to email a few contacts from my old office using my DOD email address. I’ve been in contact with my new office of course, and that’s through open phone lines and my personal email.”
“It seems
like it can’t be a coincidence that you started getting these threatening texts as soon as you were in California.”
“I agree. Someone knows I’m here now. But what do they mean? I can’t imagine why anyone would target me. Grayson thought it had to do with my old job, but I really don’t know anything about the bombing.”
“I know you don’t, but they seem to think you do. Maybe you saw or heard something you didn’t realize. If there really were traitors there, maybe they think you can ID them.”
“Well I can’t,” she said helplessly.
“Don’t worry, Hailey. I promise we’ll figure it out and get to the bottom of this.”
“I’ll have to tell the security officer at my new job about the texts.”
“Absolutely. And I assume Grayson will be dropping you off? You probably shouldn’t be driving around alone.”
“I don’t have a car yet anyway, so yes, Grayson’s planning to drive me. Not that my ribs are fully healed either. Even if I did have a car, I’d probably just take a cab—I won’t,” she assured him, catching the expression on his face. “I just mean if none of this were happening, I’m not ready to drive just yet.”
Ethan nodded. “I’ll give you my number, too. I know Ghost can handle it, but just in case, I’d feel better if you had the numbers of the rest of the team.”
“Yeah, Grayson did mention that.”
“Tell me your cell number, and I’ll text you right now.”
He thumbed it into his phone, then grabbed hers and handed it back to her. It buzzed with his text, and she added him to her contacts. “If you need anything, I want you to call me,” Ethan said seriously. “If you can’t get a hold of Ghost for whatever reason, one of us will be there.”
“Okay. Are you guys all like this?” Hailey asked.
“Like what?”
“This intense,” she said with a small laugh.
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