Securing Caite

by Susan Stoker

  “My team?” Caite asked, liking the other woman more and more. There were a lot of details in what she’d just said, but that comment stuck out.

  “Yup. You might be with Rocco, but everyone on the team is ‘yours.’ They have his back, just as he has theirs. He’ll spend just as much time, if not more, with them as he does with you. So they’re yours as much as they’re his. And who knows,” Caroline said, her eyes going to Slade. “They might just save your life someday.”

  There was a lot more behind her words than Caite understood, but she could clearly see the respect and even love Caroline had not only for Wolf, but for the other SEAL standing with them.

  “I’d like that,” Caite told her.

  “Good. When Rocco gets done showing you off and you need a break from all the testosterone, come sit with us. It gets crazy with all the kids, but it’s a good crazy.”

  “Thanks. I will,” Caite told her, and she relaxed for the first time. Caroline was so welcoming and genuine in her invitation to talk, Caite knew she’d be silly to turn her down.

  “It was good to meet you,” Wolf told her.

  “Definitely,” Slade chimed in.

  “Talk to you later,” Caroline said as Wolf led her back to the group behind them.

  “I’m looking forward to getting to know you better,” Dakota said with a smile, before she too was led back to the other SEALs.

  “Feel better?” Rocco asked perceptively.

  Caite nodded. “They were nice.”

  “Did you expect them not to be?” he asked.

  “Well, no. But sometimes women aren’t as welcoming as you’d think. And you’re a guy, you probably have no idea how mean women can be to each other.”

  “Oh, I know,” Rocco said with a smile.

  “How?” she asked suspiciously.

  “I just do,” he said. “Come on, I want to introduce you to my commander.”

  Two men were walking toward them. They both had on shorts and T-shirts, but there was something about them that screamed “experience” and demanded respect.

  “Sir. Sir,” Rocco said as the men approached, and he nodded at each. He shook both men’s hands, then once more turned to introduce her. “I’d like you to meet my girlfriend. Caite McCallan. Caite, this is my commander, Storm North, and this is Commander Patrick Hurt. He was in charge of Wolf’s team, and is currently still commanding other SEAL units.”

  Storm reached out and shook her hand, then held on as he said, “Thank you.”

  Caite wrinkled her brow. “For what?”

  “For getting Rocco, Gumby, and Ace out of that cellar.”

  Caite immediately shook her head. “Oh no, they got themselves out,” she protested.

  “That’s not what the report said,” Commander North replied. “I read it, and had a long conversation with my men. If it wasn’t for you overhearing that conversation and taking the initiative to put yourself in danger by heading to an off-limits area of Manama, they wouldn’t be here today.”

  “I’m sure they would’ve figured something out,” Caite mumbled. She was embarrassed about being thanked so profusely. She never would’ve forgiven herself if she’d done nothing.

  “Maybe,” Commander North said, letting it drop after seeing her discomfort. “What do you think of our little party?”

  Caite smiled up at him. “Little?”

  All three men chuckled. “Actually, this one is a bit smaller than the last,” Commander Hurt said. Then he looked over her shoulder and said, “If you’ll excuse me, I see my wife gesturing for me. Looks like it’s my turn to be on kid duty. It was nice meeting you, Caite. I hope we’ll see more of you around.”

  “You will,” Rocco answered for her.

  Caite turned to watch Commander Hurt head toward a slender woman holding a toddler.

  Glancing around, she tuned out the conversation Rocco was having with his commander as they discussed the upcoming schedule for training and PT. Everywhere she looked were pockets of men, women, and kids having a good time. Some were swimming, some were building sand castles, others were eating. But the thing that struck her was how…normal everyone looked. When she thought about Navy SEALs, a picture of buff, macho men always came to mind.

  And while Rocco and his team were definitely buff, they were also decidedly normal. They liked to kick back, have a beer, and chill with their friends as much as the next guy. The fact that they could be headed to some far-off country to track down terrorists or smugglers tomorrow didn’t even seem to be a thought in their heads at the moment.

  She respected them even more right then than she had before.

  “Any luck on the investigation?” Rocco asked quietly. It was the way his voice had lowered that made Caite pay more attention.

  “Unfortunately, no, but we’re getting close,” Commander North said. “NCIS is following a lead, and they think they’ll have tracked down the culprit in a few days. The smuggling trail definitely leads to our base, which pisses me off. I can’t believe one of my fellow officers is neck deep in this shit.” He turned to Caite. “I’m sorry you seem to be in the middle of it. Please believe me when I say that we’re doing all we can to flush out the guilty party so you can be free to live your life without having to look over your shoulder. Stick close to this guy and you’ll be fine,” he said, gesturing to Rocco with his head.

  “You’ll let me know if you hear anything?” Rocco asked.

  “Of course. Now, go and enjoy yourselves. Try not to worry about anything today. The beach is filled with Navy SEALs. You’re safe here.”

  “Thanks,” Caite said with a small smile. She felt safe, but not because of the occupations of the men gathered here. Because she was with Rocco.

  As they walked toward his team, Rocco asked, “You good?”

  “I’m good,” she reassured him.

  “Sure?”

  “Positive.” She loved that he wanted to make sure she was at ease around his friends. She wished she had closer friends like this who she could introduce him to, but the more she was around the people Rocco hung out with, the more comfortable she felt.

  Mentally reviewing the things she wanted to ask Caroline and her friends later, Caite let Rocco lead them back to their chairs. He set them up and made sure she was settled and comfortable before sitting himself. Then he reached out and took hold of her hand as they chatted with the rest of the men on his team.

  Caite closed her eyes and tilted her head back, enjoying the breeze from the ocean, the salty air, the sun on her face, and the company of good friends.

  Rocco talked with his friends and watched Caite out of the corner of his eye. She seemed relaxed, which was a huge relief. He knew she’d been nervous about coming today, but from what he could see, she’d needed this. Needed to get out of the apartment and not think about job hunting or who might be after her.

  More importantly, it got her to stop obsessing over trying to remember the name of the man the Bitoo brothers had mentioned in passing.

  He ran his fingers over hers where her hand was resting on his thigh. She smiled, but kept her eyes shut. Their intimacy felt easy. He loved making love with her, but more than that, he enjoyed holding her hand and sitting with her like this. He enjoyed when they sat on the couch and watched the news, her feet in his lap. It felt good. Normal.

  They’d been talking for about half an hour when Caite stirred.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah. But I think I need to get out of the sun for a bit.” She looked over to where Caroline was sitting. “Do you think she’d mind if I wandered over there and chatted for a bit?”

  “Absolutely not. One thing about Caroline, she doesn’t say anything she doesn’t mean.”

  “You boys going to be all right without me for a while?” she teased.

  Rocco loved seeing the casual way she bantered with his friends. Something he’d never considered when thinking about settling down was the need for his woman to be tight with his team, but now that he saw it hap
pening right in front of his eyes, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought about it before. His friends liking his woman should’ve been one of his main requirements, considering how tight he was with the team. Luckily, things seemed to be working out…thank God.

  “I don’t know,” Gumby replied. “We might need some tips on how to apply eye makeup, and who will help us if you aren’t here?”

  “Yeah, or maybe we’ll need to ask you what romance books we should read,” Ace chimed in.

  Caite rolled her eyes. “Don’t knock them until you try them. I mean, think about it. Most are written by women. They write their fantasies, or at least what they’re looking for in a man. You might get some insights into the female brain by reading them. Yeah?”

  The others looked stunned for a moment before loudly proclaiming themselves experts in the female mind already. Rocco leaned over while the rest of the guys were busy reasserting their manhood, bragging about how they didn’t need to read books to know how to treat women, and whispered in Caite’s ear. “We can finish reading that sex scene tonight when we get home. Then I’ll do my best to relive it for you.”

  He smiled when she blushed. He’d been surprised by how much he’d enjoyed the first book he’d read at her urging. He’d thought it would be mostly mushy, over-the-top dialogue and sex scenes, but there was actually an intriguing story that quickly sucked him in.

  He kissed her goodbye and watched as she headed toward Wolf’s group.

  “I like her,” Gumby stated when she was out of earshot.

  Rocco rolled his eyes.

  “Seriously,” Gumby said. “I know we give you some crap about being whipped, but she’s easy to be around.”

  “I hate that we can’t figure out who’s trying to kill her for what she overheard,” Bubba added.

  “Whoever it is will wish he’d left it alone,” Phantom promised.

  “Exactly. No one threatens one of our own and lives to talk about it,” Rex threw in.

  Rocco’s chest felt tight. These men were like his brothers. Having their approval and seeing them embrace Caite as they had was a huge relief. He didn’t know what he’d do if they didn’t like her.

  “Thanks, guys. She’s pretty amazing,” Rocco told his friends, forcing himself to not stare after Caite like a lovesick cow.

  “What’s the plan for the next week?” Bubba asked, changing the subject.

  Even as they talked about what missions might be on the horizon for them, Rocco couldn’t help but think about Caite…and hope that whatever the other women were telling her wouldn’t scare her away.

  “Don’t be afraid to ask for help,” Fiona said. “It’s important to rely on your friends. They’re your lifelines.”

  “I know you don’t have kids yet, but trust me, saving a few bucks on formula—or anything else—isn’t worth facing the crowds at the base exchange when they have their annual sale,” Jessyka informed her. “Order stuff online and have it delivered and suck up the extra expense.”

  “Don’t speed on base either,” Cheyenne warned. “Although dealing with the ‘punishment’ after admitting it to your man when you get home might be worth it.”

  All the women giggled at that.

  Caite’s head was spinning with all the advice she’d received over the last half hour. Every single one of the women had been welcoming and happy to hear that her relationship with Rocco was going well. They were full of advice, not only about being with a Navy SEAL, but about life in general.

  “Don’t let the assholes get you down,” Caroline said. “Seriously. Before I met Matthew, I always felt ignored. I’m not super beautiful, or skinny, or super anything really. But meeting him, and having him really see me, made me realize that it’s okay not to be ‘seen’ by everyone. I think famous people get really sick of constantly being in the spotlight. I’m perfectly happy being the center of Matthew’s world and having other people forget to hold doors open for me and stuff.”

  “How does he feel about that?” Caite asked.

  “It pisses him off,” Caroline said immediately. “But that’s because he can’t imagine that anyone doesn’t see how beautiful and perfect I am.” She chuckled. “I’m definitely not, but there’s no way I’ll ever convince Matthew of that, and I’m okay with it.”

  “Why do you call him Matthew when everyone else calls him Wolf?” Caite asked.

  Caroline shrugged. “Wolf is his nickname. The name all of his buddies use. But when we met, he introduced himself as Matthew, and I really can’t think of him any other way. Do you call Rocco by his real name?”

  Caite shook her head. “Should I?”

  “I think if he doesn’t care, you shouldn’t either,” Caroline told her.

  Jessyka leaned forward and said quietly, “Although, if you use his real name during…um…intimate times, it can really make the moment more personal.”

  Everyone nodded their heads and agreed. Caite hadn’t thought of Rocco as Blake since she’d met him, but she had to agree that using his given name when he was deep inside her might be special.

  “So, how’d he get his nickname?” Alabama asked.

  Caite had noticed the woman was quieter than the others, but she didn’t like her any less as a result.

  “Yeah, we’ve wondered about it for a while now, but I always forget to ask Hunter,” Fiona chimed in.

  Caite shrugged. “I’ve never asked.”

  “You haven’t asked?” Summer echoed, eyes wide.

  Feeling awkward now, Caite replied, “Should I have?”

  “Well, it’s kind of a big thing with them,” Caroline explained. “I mean, you should’ve seen how hard we tried to get the reason behind Benny’s nickname out of him.”

  “Benny isn’t his real name?” Caite asked.

  Jessyka shook her head. “Nope. It’s Kason.”

  “Dare I ask?” Caite asked the other woman.

  She grinned. “I think we’ll let you stew for a bit, just as we had to,” Jessyka told her with a smile.

  “So I guess that means I should ask Rocco how he got his name then, huh?” Caite asked the group.

  Everyone nodded and answered affirmatively.

  “And then make sure you remember to tell us,” Cheyenne begged. “I find it so interesting how these nicknames come about.”

  “I will,” Caite told her new friends. It felt good to have female friends. People who were nice to her simply because they liked her, and not because they had to be or because she worked with them. “Thanks for giving me your numbers. It makes me feel better to know I have someone to talk to,” she said.

  “And we expect you to call anytime,” Caroline told her. “Most of the others have kids, so there might be times they can’t meet with you or whatever, but I can. I’ll be upset if something happens while Rocco is deployed and you don’t call.”

  Caite knew she’d still feel weird about calling the other woman, but she said, “I will.”

  “Like, if you get shot in a robbery and Rocco’s gone, I expect you to call,” Caroline emphasized.

  Knowing she was blushing, Caite merely nodded.

  Caroline moved closer and put her arm around Caite’s shoulders. “I know you just met us, but believe me when I tell you that we know how you feel. We’ve all been through hell, and are now living the good life. No matter what, you can count on us. Okay?”

  Caite wanted to ask about what they’d been through, but instead nodded. She’d ask Rocco later. “Okay.”

  “Good. Now, Rocco can’t keep his eyes off of you. Why don’t you go back over there and put him out of his misery,” Caroline joked.

  Caite turned to look across the sand and saw that Rocco was indeed looking their way.

  “He’s a good man,” Alabama said.

  “I know,” Caite said. “Thanks again for the conversation,” she told everyone.

  “Don’t forget to let us know about his nickname!” Jessyka called out when Caite started walking back across the sand.

  “I
will!” Caite replied, and then headed back to Rocco with a huge smile on her face.

  When she got close, Gumby asked, “What are you so smiley about? Sometimes I don’t trust those women.”

  It was obvious he was kidding, so Caite didn’t take offense. When she got near, Rocco reached out and pulled her onto his lap. Letting out a screech of surprise, Caite giggled when she realized she wasn’t going to end up lying in the sand. “Um, is this chair going to hold us both?” she asked as she wrapped her arms around Rocco’s neck.

  “Don’t care. Things go okay over there?”

  Feeling warm inside that he was checking to make sure she was good, Caite nodded. “Great, actually.”

  “Good.”

  “Come on, Caite, what’cha smilin’ about?” Gumby asked again.

  “The others told me I’ve been remiss in not asking Rocco how he got his nickname,” she told Gumby, not taking her eyes from Rocco’s. “If it’s something you’d rather not talk about, it’s okay,” she said when he didn’t immediately start explaining.

  Ace burst out laughing. “It’s something he’d rather not remember, you mean.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Caite apologized. “I didn’t mean to bring up hard memories.”

  “They’re hard all right,” Rex joked.

  “Cut it out, guys,” Rocco grumbled. “You’re worrying Caite.” He met her gaze and said, “It’s nothing sensitive, ma petite fée. When we were going through SEAL training, I had a hard time keeping my mouth shut when the instructors were grilling us. I always wanted to know why we were doing what we were doing and if there was a purpose. Of course, many of the things we had to do didn’t have any purpose, other than to tire us out and make sure we could follow orders. One of their favorite punishments was to make recruits carry around a large rock. I had the privilege of carrying that damn thing more than most because I couldn’t seem to shut up.”

  Bubba laughed and took up the story. “I swear to God, that rock was like his baby. He had to take it everywhere.”

  “Lunch, dinner, and even during PT, he had to lug that thing around,” Rex said, joining the story. “He even had to sleep with it in his bunk a few times.”