Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Secrets (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Secrets & Seduction Book 4)

by MJ Nightingale

  He swallowed her cry of possession. It had been rough and she hadn’t been as ready as he thought. So, he gritted his teeth and stilled though he wanted nothing more than to plow in and out, ram her again and again until her cries turned to pleasure. But he could be patient, so he waited and kissed her for all he was worth.

  When Julie let him know she was ready by wiggling her bottom and clawing his back, he slowly withdrew and then easily glided back in. He felt her body relax, and then he began to move while he continued the kiss that had her panting for air. He broke free to claim one pebble-hard rosy nipple. He circled it with his teeth, bit down, and gently tugged.

  The sensation of his teeth on her sensitive nipple helped to bring her release closer as a band of electricity from her sensitive bud reached the core of her femininity. Patrick was so good about paying special attention to the bundle of nerves at her apex. He rubbed against it each time he thrust forward to give it the attention it so desperately craved. Soon Patrick was driving into her deeply, over and over, carrying her to dizzying heights of pleasure.

  “Oh, Patrick . . . Yes! More,” she murmured, her head tossing from side to side on the hard surface of the table. She was so close. She dug her nails into his back, her body strung tight on the precipice of her release.

  “Come for me, baby,” he ordered softly, watching her through her half closed eyes. God, she was a sexy sight when she came.

  It was his words that brought her to the brink and allowed her to fall over it. Him allowing her this pleasure, giving it to her, and then speaking in his deep sexy voice. She tightened around his shaft and allowed the waves of pleasure coursing through her body to concentrate in her core until she came undone. She threw her head back and let the pleasure over take her body as she convulsed around him.

  Patrick watched as his woman cried out her release. Enjoying the sight of her coming, he quickly followed her. Two more thrusts did it; he felt his balls tighten, and then he came in quick bursts. He shot his load while she continued to tremble around his softening cock.

  It was fucking good. Always good. She had been worth the wait. It hadn’t been easy trusting her in the beginning, but she had shared her darkest secrets, and he trusted her with his life. She held his heart in her hands, and he knew he couldn’t live without her. She was his soul mate and made his life complete.

  * * *

  Victor Ciccone had gone to eat at the mess hall with some of the guys, but he needed to get back and finish going over the new workout regimen for the older recruits. MacDill was implementing a new vigorous training program for all their service men and women, and Victor was in charge of overseeing the routines with the other trainers at his base, and acquiring any new equipment they may need for their SEAL teams and special ops groups. Commander Hurt began to get dressed. He needed to hurry.

  “Don’t forget about Ace’s tonight,” he reminded her.

  “I didn’t. Oh, and guess what happened to me this morning. I got a phone call from Congressman Percy Reynolds.”

  He’d met the congressman for the first time last night. “Really? What was that about?”

  “You remember, I told you he and daddy went way back. Well, they used to be college friends back in Massachusetts and daddy had invited him to our gala last night on a whim. But I guess they were talking about the clinic over golf this morning, so he mentioned to dad that he would like to help out. Daddy called me just before you walked in and asked if Fiona and I would meet him and Percy for lunch tomorrow.”

  There had been something about the congressman that struck him as odd last night, but Julie’s dad would be there. An old friend. “Oh. Well, okay. That sounds all right. If you can get our local congressman to support the clinic that’s a good thing.” He knew how much this project meant to his wife. She had failed to help one person in need and vowed to never let another woman battle this alone. He wanted it to be a success for her as much as for the women who would come to receive the services it offered. She, too, was still healing from her ordeal two years earlier.

  “Absolutely. I agree. I just hope . . . Fiona’s up for it. She was quiet last night.”

  Patrick heard the insecurity in his wife’s voice that always seemed to creep in when she mentioned Fiona. “I think she’s fine. Cookie says she’s doing great. She’s really committed to helping you out with this project, too.” Fiona was a sore spot for his wife. Julie still couldn’t get over the fact that she had let another woman down who had been so horribly brutalized. A lot of what she was doing for this clinic was for Fiona in a way. Her way of trying to make amends for the past. “Don’t let this stress you out, babe.”

  “I’ll try not to.” Julie was worried though. In the past few years, she had grown close to all the women married to the men who served under her husband. But with Fiona, it was different. There were scars that ran deep between the two of them and she didn’t know if they would ever heal. She knew it was her fault, too. But when Fiona had asked to be part of the Riverton Rape Crisis Clinic when she heard about it, Julie hoped it would be a start to creating a friendship. A way to mend fences. It was asking a lot. She knew. But having close friends was something she’d always yearned for growing up. Her father had been a career politician and her mom died when she was young. And other than a few friends from boarding school who she stayed in touch with from time to time, she didn’t have the type of friends she really wanted. She envied what Caroline, Alabama, Fiona, Jessyka, Summer, Cheyenne, and Melody had. A friendship that would last a life time. Through thick and thin.

  “I have to get going, babe,” he checked his watch, “but I’ll be back around six. We need to leave here about seven.”

  “Watches synchronized,” Julie stated, teasing her super punctual husband. He laughed at her joke but she saw his brow crinkle in worry.

  “I think you should call Fiona, and ask her if she’s okay with the lunch thing tomorrow. I wouldn’t just bring it up tonight in front of everyone,” Patrick suggested warmly, seeing the worry on his wife’s face.

  She looked up at her incredibly tall husband, her eyes brightening. He thought of everything. It was why he was in command. He always thought of the possible outcomes and how to get to the one most desired. “True. She might feel obligated if I ask in front of everybody else.” Julie didn’t want to pressure Fiona into anything, or put her on the spot. She was taking it one day at a time with her and it was an excruciatingly long process. “Good idea, honey. I’ll do that.” Her husband knew her so well and had read between the lines on this project. And he was so good about helping her in any way he could despite his own hectic busy schedule as one of the commanders of several SEAL teams on base and in the field. With all he had to worry about, he still always thought of her.

  “I think she’s at Caroline’s today. Matthew mentioned they had a lot of donations and they were going to go through them before they dropped them off at the shop.”

  “Perfect. I’ll call her there. Plus I need to thank Caroline for last night. She was quite a help with overseeing the catering for me.”

  He nodded and kissed his wife quickly on the cheek and then began to step towards the door. He loved his wife dearly and didn’t want her to be disappointed if Fiona said no. As an afterthought on his way out the door, he added, “Maybe you might want to include Monica, too. Victor’s pretty busy during the day and maybe she’d enjoy it.” He also thought it might be easier for Fiona to have another woman there, and she’d be more likely to agree to the meeting with another female present, supporting her.

  “Another good idea, honey.” Julie stood up on her tiptoes to receive the kiss her husband was waiting to give her.

  She stood at the door wrapped tightly in her robe and watched him as he got into his military issued vehicle. She needed to hurry, too. But she couldn’t resist taking the extra minute in watching him leave. He always turned back and gave her that adorable crooked smile, and a wink. He was always so thoughtful. And he was the best thing that had ever hap
pened to her. She didn’t know what she would do if she didn’t have him in her life. He was her biggest supporter, her cheerleader, and her best friend. He made her heart burst with love.

  As Patrick pulled away from the little bungalow he and his wife shared on base, his thoughts returned to Congressman Reynolds. There was something there. Niggling away at him, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He’d only met him last night for the first time. The man was in his early fifties. A little younger than Julie’s father. In his expensive suit with his conservative demeanor, he seemed every bit the typical politician. Patrick found the man intelligent and witty. But there was something about him that struck a nerve. And it had been at the precise moment when Caroline and Fiona had joined them. He hadn’t liked the way he looked at Monica or Fiona, either. He wondered…was the man a lecher, or did he just appreciate the sight of a beautiful woman? Maybe he’d ask Tex to look into him. He wasn’t sure.

  The guy was a friend of his father-in-law’s and wondered if he should just ask him about Percy, but thought better of it. He didn’t want to ruffle the senator’s feathers and knew they had been college friends. So, he would ask Tex to look into him just to be on the safe side. Keep it on the down low for now. He just wanted to make sure his wife and his men’s wives were protected.

  The only stuff he knew about the guy was what his wife had told him when she mentioned he would be attending last night’s event. An old family friend. Never married. A career politician who had served on several committees with Senator Lytle in Washington over the past two decades. That wasn’t enough.

  People changed and it wasn’t as if they lived in the same town any longer. The senator couldn’t know everything there was to know about the guy. And Tex was good at uncovering what you didn’t want people to know. In the intelligence community he had been a whiz. Former FBI, retired SEAL, he had his own Intel thing going on, but always helped a former brother in arms when he was called on. The man was as solid and dependable as they came.

  So yes, he would have Tex dig into Congressman Reynolds’ past. If the man was going to become involved with his wife and Fiona, he wanted to know more. No. Needed to no more. And Tex was just the guy to find out if there was any more to this man’s story and see if he had secrets. It was a precaution only. He’d never put his woman in the line of fire; due diligence was in order.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Monica liked Ace’s the moment she walked in. It was a real honky tonk. A bar that served great bar food, and beer, and played music you could actually dance to. Pool tables took up one corner of the large establishment. There were dart boards along one wall, a juke box, a few TV’s over the bar, but what she liked best was the camaraderie. People came here to hang out and have fun. And they were doing just that as evidenced by the size of the crowd and the laughter.

  Victor had brought that into her life when she met him. FUN! She’d been a real loner before him, due to her rape. But being a lifer in the military, he’d shown her what true friendship was in his huge military family. These men and woman, who risked their lives for their country, loved hard. They were passionate and took nothing for granted. They put their lives on the line, so when it came to letting loose, they could do that with the best of them. She knew the moment she walked in that she was in for a fun night.

  Introductions were made again. Orders were taken and soon drinks arrived. After a while, Victor took his wife onto the dance floor. It brought back memories for Monica of the evening they met at that bar in Tampa her sister had dragged her to against her will. It was the Blue Martini. They danced that night. And that night sealed her fate. This was the man she was meant to be with.

  Victor’s hand strayed to her waist and then lower. Monica danced close as the dance floor crowded. Not far away, Julie and Patrick moved in time to the music together. Other couples soon joined them. Victor lowered his head to Monica’s ear. “Do you have them in?” he asked. His voice was sexy as hell when he spoke that way.

  “Yes,” she purred back.

  He knew she had them in, and was asking to tease her further, torment her. He had ordered her some new Ben Wa balls. Small silver marbles attached to a chain. With each gyration of her hips, she could feel them moving. It was pure pleasure and had her feeling wanton. Only the two of them knew she had them inside of her. It left her feeling excited and full of anticipation of what would come later that evening. He had ordered other toys that would be waiting for them in their room tonight to make her pleasure last. It’s what he liked to do. It was the anticipation that would make her release, when it finally came, exceed her wildest imagination.

  “I wish it were me inside of you right now, Monica.” The words he whispered in her ear further excited her. His eyes were alight with a fire that burned for her. He truly was a master at playing these games.

  After one more dance, he led her back to the table where several of the couples were seated. When she scooted on the bench to allow Victor to sit next to her, Julie was already there.

  “I’m so glad we got to shop a little bit this afternoon and I have to thank you again for agreeing to come out to lunch with me tomorrow.”

  “Not a problem. I also loved your little shop, Sister’s Keeper. What a great place! And for such a worthy cause,” Monica replied, laughing and trying to stay focused despite her husband’s hand creeping up her thigh under the table. He was stroking it until his hand settled between her legs and he found the chain. He gave it a little tug and she had to bite her lip in order not to let out a small exhalation of pleasure. “And Fiona’s coming, too?” she asked, trying to keep her mind off of her husband’s sweet torture.

  Julie nodded. “Yes. She agreed to come. It would be wonderful if we could get Congressman Reynolds on board. We have enough donations to run the center for a year, but fundraising is a constant process. I’m always on the lookout for new sources of revenue.”

  “I get that,” Monica replied. In her years of teaching school, she had to participate in many fundraising endeavors for the children she taught. State cutbacks had whittled away at a lot of the programs that used to be part of the school budget. It was a never ending battle. Her explanation was met by nods across the table. And to her relief, Victor got pulled into a conversation with a SEAL named Dude of all things. She was now more able to concentrate on what the others were saying.

  “It is also a problem for a lot of the schools in California. It’s definitely a national problem,” Caroline reiterated.

  When Fiona and Cookie joined them a little bit later, the crowd at their table was still growing. And the beers were being refilled by Jessyka’s staff as quickly as they drank them. She owned the place and was also married to a SEAL on Matthew’s team. The evening passed all too quickly, but Victor kept reminding her of what was to come with an occasional tug.

  Alabama and her husband were the first to leave. They had three children at home and then Benny and Jessyka left.

  It was about 10 PM when Victor finally suggested they head to their suite. Cookie offered them a ride as he hadn’t been drinking much that evening and they accepted in lieu of the cab they had planned to take. They hadn’t brought the rental because both had decided to enjoy a few drinks. She and Victor made their goodbyes to Caroline and Matthew and Julie and Patrick, and the others who remained.

  Monica enjoyed the short drive from Ace’s to her suite at the Hilton Garden Inn in Riverton. It was just four short blocks from the pier and shared the same view as the bar they just left, but it gave her an opportunity to get to know Cookie and Fiona a little better.

  “Are you enjoying our town?” asked Fiona politely from the front seat.

  Monica looked at the stunning woman who was about her own age. “I am. Julie has been showing me around and it reminds me of home a little bit. If you guys are ever in Tampa, you’ll have to look us up.”

  “I have heard great things about Tampa from Wolf.” Wolf was Matthew Steele’s nickname to his team. “He was there last year when
one of our friends was honored in a ceremony for Fight for the Fallen.” Cookie wished he could have been at the event honoring Tex.

  Victor spoke up suddenly. “Really? My cousin’s wife does the fundraising for that on the base? Her name is Katarina Marino.”

  “Whoa. Really? What a small world! She’s the woman who honored our friend, Tex.”

  Fiona spoke again and reiterated her husband’s words. “Matthew told us all about that event and what a beautiful ceremony it was. It seems your Katarina and our Tex go way back. He rescued her when she was still just a teenager.”

  Cookie was thrilled to know Victor and his wife, Monica, were connected to the Marino family. He had heard all about them from Caroline and Matthew. There was a lot of respect for that family across the country. All former boys in blue who operated their own Bail Bonds and Bounty service. The more he got to know Victor, the more he liked him. He was Army and a career military man. He respected that choice. Hell, he had made a similar decision. A lot of the guys he knew did their time and got out, but not him. Not Victor, and not his brothers in arms on his SEAL team.

  Cookie pulled up in front of the Hilton and got out of the car to shake Victor’s hand. Fiona got out, too, and gave Monica a quick hug promising her she would see her tomorrow for lunch. Monica really liked Fiona and she reminded her a lot of herself. There was an air of fragility about her, but she knew inside there was also an inner strength to have survived what she had gone through. She’d heard a little bit about her story from Julie, but not too much, because as Julie had said while shopping this afternoon, and she agreed, it was not her story to tell. She hoped she got a chance to hear it.