by Susan Stoker
He smiled. “So they do.”
“I can go change,” she said, her mind racing as to what else she could wear that would match her skirt.
“Why?” he asked, and reached for her hand. Twining his fingers with hers, he said, “I like it.”
“Is there anything you don’t like?” she asked, tilting her head.
He chuckled. “Lots. Assholes who prey on those weaker than them. Peas. Climate change. But us wearing the same color doesn’t even come close to fazing me.”
Caite smiled. “Okay.”
Rocco swiftly pulled her closer, and Caite stumbled and threw out her arm. Her fingers landed on the middle of his chest, but he caught her easily, steadying her. “Easy.”
“Sorry,” she apologized. “I’m so clumsy.”
He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have surprised you. Although I definitely don’t mind your hands on me. Ready to go?”
Caite’s head spun with the change of subject, but she nodded.
They headed for the door, and she took a moment to grab a smaller purse and transfer her wallet and phone to it before they left. He waited and didn’t rush her and stood patiently at her back as she locked her door. She put her keys inside the purse and turned to Rocco with a smile.
He returned it and they walked down the stairs to his car. He held open the door for her and, once she was inside, shut it carefully.
Caite took a deep breath and watched Rocco stride around the car to the driver’s side. He was one hell of a man, and she couldn’t believe she was on a date with him. She wasn’t anyone special, and had no idea what he saw in her. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t do everything she could to keep his interest. Because he was definitely the best thing to happen to her in a very long time.
He was brave, and honorable, and trustworthy…not to mention good-looking. Caite was a big believer in “things happen for a reason” and, at the moment, she couldn’t have been happier that she’d been fired. If she hadn’t, she’d still be in Bahrain working for her asshole boss, dreaming about the Navy SEAL she’d probably never see again.
Rocco couldn’t take his eyes off of Caite. She looked so fucking pretty, he was having a hard time not ravishing her. When he’d first gotten to her apartment and she’d opened the door, he’d immediately gotten hard. With her hair wet and down around her shoulders, all he could think about was seeing her that way after they’d showered together. It was a good thing she rushed back to her bedroom to finish getting ready, because otherwise she would’ve gotten an eyeful.
But after she’d dried her hair and put on a bit of makeup, he was completely blown away. She was so beautiful, he had no idea how she wasn’t already snatched up. But whatever the reason, she was with him now.
He’d taken her to a small family-owned seafood restaurant on the beach by the naval base. It wasn’t super fancy, but it wasn’t a shit hole either. He knew the owners, and they’d given him a table right by the beach.
They’d spent the last three hours laughing and getting to know each other.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said.
They’d watched the sun set and had been talking and sipping wine for the last hour. Rocco didn’t want the night to end, but unfortunately the place was closing soon. “My pleasure. You ready to go?”
She looked down at her empty glass for a moment, then back up at him. “Yes…and no.”
“Explain,” Rocco said.
“Yes, because we’re done eating and I’m exhausted from working all day and my feet hurt. But no, because I don’t really want the night to end.”
Her response totally summed up what he was thinking…other than his feet hurting. The waiter had returned his credit card an hour earlier, so Rocco just stood and held out his hand. “Come on, ma petite fée, let’s get you home before you turn into a pumpkin.”
Sighing, she took his hand and he helped her to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her lower back and led her out of the restaurant. He made sure to walk on the outside of the sidewalk as they made their way to the parking lot. Neither said anything as they walked, enjoying simply being with each other.
He stopped next to his car, Caite’s back to the door. She looked up at him, and he could see the anticipation and eagerness on her face. He supposed he probably looked the same way.
Putting a finger under her chin, he asked, “May I?”
Caite nodded. “Please.” Then she licked her lips.
Leaning down, Rocco covered her mouth with his own.
They made out for what could’ve been minutes or seconds. Not caring they were standing in public going at it like they were teenagers. It had been a long time since Rocco had kissed a woman for as long and as creatively as he did every time with Caite. Generally, kisses for him were a precursor to getting to the good stuff. But with Caite, they were the good stuff. He could taste the wine she’d been drinking and the combination with her natural taste was delicious.
Her hands roamed up and down his back, even dipping to his ass now and then. His did the same. Touching her generous curves did nothing to help control his hard-on. He pressed against her belly and groaned when she wiggled.
Eventually, Rocco pulled back. He had to stop things now or risk embarrassing himself. Besides, the last thing he wanted was to treat Caite as if she was easy, or make her think he didn’t treasure what she was giving him.
“We need to stop,” he said, his voice husky with desire.
“I know,” she said just as quietly.
Rocco drew her close, putting his arms around her and simply holding her to him. She lay her head on his shoulder and held on just as tightly. How long they stood there, Rocco wasn’t sure, but eventually a shout from the beach made it clear it was time to go. He didn’t want to put Caite in danger by being down here in the dark.
The voices seemed to break the spell for her too, as she pulled back and smiled up at him ruefully. Without a word, he opened the door and helped her in, then jogged around to the driver’s side. The second he pulled out of the parking lot, he reached over and took her hand in his.
They held hands all the way back to her apartment. Rocco helped her out of the car and walked her up to her door. After she’d unlocked it, he waited for her to turn around.
“Do you want to come in?” Caite asked shyly.
“You know I want to, but you’re tired,” he said gently. “I’m not saying anything would happen if I came in, but I think with how tonight went, we both know that’s where we’re headed. And I couldn’t be more thrilled about that. But I’m not some asshole who only took you out because he wanted to get in your pants. I like you, Caite. A hell of a lot. And I can see us being together for the long haul. But the first time we make love, I want you to be completely ready…and awake.” He smiled. “I don’t want you falling asleep in the middle of my seduction.”
He could see her blushing again, and loved that about her. “I wouldn’t fall asleep,” she protested.
Rocco reached out and palmed the back of her neck gently. “Sometimes anticipation makes everything more intense. Better.”
She frowned and dropped her gaze from his. He wasn’t sure what she was thinking until she said, “If you’re putting me off because you’re trying to be a nice guy and don’t want to tell me that you’re not interested, I’d rather you just say it.”
“Caite,” Rocco scolded gently, “have I given you any indication that I want to end things between us?”
She shook her head as best she could with him holding her neck.
“That’s because I don’t. I am trying to be a good guy here. I can tell how tired you are, and I’d rather you go inside and get a good night’s sleep than letting me come in and make you even more tired. Got it?”
“Yeah. I just…I like you, and I really want to see where things go between us too. I just panicked. Sorry.”
He relaxed. He knew her words were a knee-jerk reaction to try to protect herself. That alone pissed him off. Not because of wh
at she’d said, but because someone had to have treated her like shit for her to even think he was playing her. “You have to work tomorrow, right?” he asked gently.
She nodded.
“Right. I’m flattered that you don’t want me to go, ma petite fée, I am. And believe me, I want to see you naked under me more than I want my next breath, but there’s no rush. We’re gonna get there, I know it.”
“How’d I get so lucky?” Caite asked.
Rocco shook his head. “Nope. That’s my line,” he said with another smile. “How about a kiss for the road?”
Without words, Caite stepped toward him and went up on her tiptoes. Her arms went around his neck and she tipped her chin upward. Rocco held her steady with his hand on her neck, the other going to her ass and pressing her against him. The kiss they shared was hot and wet and full of anticipation.
Rocco nibbled on her lower lip before reluctantly releasing her.
“If anyone else put their hand on my neck, I’d be annoyed and probably accuse him of trying to control me. But when you do it, it makes me melt. Don’t hurt me, Rocco,” Caite said with a hint of desperation. “I’ve had a hard couple of weeks and it would kill me if you were playing me.”
“I’m not playing you,” Rocco told her. He couldn’t even be pissed that she’d had the thought. He understood trying to protect your heart. “I want everything from you, Caite. All your fears and hopes and dreams. I want to be the man you lean on when life gives you shit. I want to be the first person you think of talking to when you need to vent or to celebrate something. And I’d never hurt you. I might put my hands on you in a way you haven’t experienced before, but I will not do so in anger or in order to control you. Got it?”
“Got it,” she confirmed. Then she reached out and brushed her hand over his beard. “It’s really soft.”
“It’s gotten too long. I need to trim it down even more than I did tonight before our date.”
She brought shy eyes up to his. “Maybe not right now. I’ve never been with a man with a beard before.”
Her words brought more carnal images to mind, and Rocco forced them back. “I can’t wait,” he told her. He kissed her on the forehead, then made himself let go of her and step back. “I’ll text you tomorrow,” he said. “Be safe at work.”
“I will.”
“I had a good time tonight. Thank you.”
“Thank you,” she returned. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Yes, you will,” Rocco said. “Go inside and lock the door, Caite.”
She nodded, bit her lip, then backed up. She kept eye contact with him until the very last second when the door closed between them.
Rocco heard the locks engaging and nodded in satisfaction. Looking at his watch as he made his way back to his car, he realized that it really wasn’t that late. He had the momentary idea that he could go back up to Caite’s apartment, but nixed the thought. No. She needed her sleep. The first time he made love with her, he didn’t want to have to worry about either of them getting up early for work. He wanted to take his time and love her the way he was craving.
Driving back to his place, Rocco shook his head. He never imagined he’d be as crazy about a woman as he was for Caite. There was still a chance things between them wouldn’t work out. That she’d do something crazy, or she wouldn’t be able to handle the fact he was a SEAL. And there was an equal chance that he’d fuck up and say or do something she couldn’t forgive.
But for the first time in his life, he was excited about the prospect of getting into a long-term relationship with a woman. He didn’t dread it or worry that she’d have deeper feelings than him. If anything, he worried that he’d care a hell of a lot more for her than she did him.
Taking a deep breath, Rocco decided to take things one day at a time. As he’d told her, they had all the time in the world.
“Are you shitting me?” Captain Isaac Chambers bit out. He was standing in his underwear on the back patio of the house he shared with his wife and their three children. He’d told her that he needed to make a quick phone call, digging out the disposable phone and going outside so she wouldn’t overhear.
“Unfortunately, no. I tried, but there were witnesses. I had her in my sights. She was as good as roadkill under my tires, but some asshole went and warned her and she jumped out of the way at the last second.”
“Damn it! How could you fucking miss? It’s not like I gave you a hard job or something!”
“I was trying to make it look like an accident, man.”
“Why? Shit, you were leaving the scene anyway. Why didn’t you just fucking back up and go after her again?”
“Because there were people around,” the man on the other end of the phone bit out. “Look, five grand isn’t enough money for me to risk going to jail.”
“Then you should’ve fucking told me that before you took half the money for the job. Get your ass back out there and make sure she’s fucking dead this time!”
“I’m out,” the man said without any emotion in his voice.
“Oh, no, you are not. You took twenty-five hundred bucks and you’ll finish this!” Chambers ordered.
“Fuck off. I’m not one of your pansy navy boys you can order around. I’m out. You’re gonna have to find someone else to do your dirty work.”
Chambers ground his teeth together. “Then give me back my money.”
“No. Sue me, asshole,” the man said, then hung up.
The second the line was cut, Isaac Chambers threw the disposable phone as hard as he could against the side of his house. The phone smashed into a hundred pieces, and a chunk of plastic careened toward him and cut his face before he could move out of the way.
Swearing, he leaned over and braced his hands on his thighs and tried to control his temper. He was bleeding money faster than he was making it. His wife was constantly whining about needing cash to go fucking shopping, and he was always paying for some camp or something for his kids.
But that wasn’t the main problem. His reputation was taking a hit in the smuggling circles, and he needed to make sure these last few jobs were completed without any complications. He needed the finder’s fee he’d receive for getting the ancient artifacts out of Iraq and into the hands of serious collectors here in the States.
And if Caite McCallan remembered his name, his reputation would be fucked.
He’d already arranged for the Bitoo family to have a very unfortunate accident. He couldn’t take the chance that the cops would find them first. One of the brothers—he didn’t know which one, and he didn’t care—had been dumb enough to contact him, telling him everything that had happened in Bahrain, including the SEALs’ capture and escape. He’d called his contact on the naval base over there and had gotten copies of the report the SEALs had given Commander Horner.
They’d left out Caite McCallan’s role in everything, but when he’d read her resume, it hadn’t taken much to figure it out. The bitch spoke French. Fluently. The Bitoo brothers had already admitted they’d discussed at the conference where the SEALs were and what they were going to do to them, so it wasn’t a stretch to figure out she’d overheard them.
Chambers had to shell out way more cash than he’d wanted to make sure the Bitoos kept their mouths shut—permanently. He didn’t know where the bodies were or how they’d been killed. All he cared about was that his name was in the clear.
But now he needed Caite McCallan to die. Dead men—or women, in this case—told no tales. And he needed her to keep her mouth shut. It was simply a matter of time before she remembered his name. He had to act before she could.
Leaving the pieces of the phone where they lay, Isaac Chambers made his way back inside the house. He’d have to arrange for someone else to kill her. It shouldn’t be hard. There were always people lurking around who needed money. He just needed to find someone more desperate than the last person he’d hired…and pay them less.
He was out twenty-five hundred bucks, and he couldn’t affo
rd to make a mistake like that again. He’d find some drug addict and get them to knock her off for half the price.
Chapter Ten
“Good morning, ma petite fée,” Rocco said when Caite picked up the phone. It had been a few days since their date, and they’d spoken every day since. He’d been looking forward to seeing her again, but unfortunately, that was going to have to wait.
“Morning,” Caite replied huskily.
Rocco loved hearing her voice. “Sleep well?” he asked.
“Mmmm. How could I not after talking to you right before I went to bed?”
Rocco adjusted his hard cock and forced himself to concentrate on what he needed to tell her. “That’s sweet.”
“I’ve got this weekend off,” she said. “The schedule was in my email when I got up this morning.”
Rocco mentally swore. “That’s great. But unfortunately, I have bad news.”
“What?”
He hated what he was about to say. “Me and the guys are headed out of town this afternoon.”
There was silence on the other end of the line for a beat. Suddenly, Rocco wished he’d broken the news to her in person, especially this first time he had to head out on a mission with very little warning. “Caite?”
“I’m here. I’m assuming you can’t tell me anything about where you’re going or how long you’ll be gone?”
“I wish I could.”
“Okay. Please be safe.”
Shit. He totally should’ve told her in person. “I will. This is who I am,” he said gently. “It’s what I do. It sucks for others. I get it. And if you called me up and said you had to go out of town and couldn’t tell me where you were going or when you’d be back, I’d probably lose my mind. It’s not fair for me to do the same to you and expect you to be okay with it.”
“It’s not that I’m not okay with what you do,” Caite protested immediately. “I’m proud of you, Rocco. I admire you and your friends, and I know that we’re living the lives we are here in America because of you. It’s just different, now that I’ve gotten to know you.”