Aine and Striker
“Why were you in such a hurry?” her mother asked. “We can’t check in for another three hours.”
“I got us an early check-in.”
Aine loved her mother and enjoyed spending time with her, particularly since she was sober and had stopped insisting that she and Ava call her “Peggy.” Right now, though, all Aine cared about was getting her situated in her room so she could get ready for Griffin’s arrival.
“You’re very anxious to get rid of me,” her mother said as Aine carried the bags to her room. They were staying on the Central Coast of California for a week, yet her mother had packed three heavy bags.
“What’s in here?” Aine asked, regretting it as soon as she had. She didn’t care if her mother brought boulders as long as she hurried up.
“I guess the tide has turned,” Peggy said with tears in her eyes.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“There was a time when I couldn’t wait to drop you and your sister off at boarding school.”
Aine took a deep breath. When had her mother ever dropped them off at school? From what she remembered, she got her and her twin as far as the train station before she wished them “bon voyage.”
“Mom, I—”
“It isn’t necessary to explain. I’m just thankful you and your sister want to spend any time at all with me.”
“Please don’t do this now,” Aine begged. “I’m sorry. It’s just that Griffin is…”
When her mother smiled, Aine lost her train of thought.
“I’m so happy for you, sweetheart,” Peggy said, cupping her face.
“I don’t want everyone making too much of this. I’m inviting him to join us for Thanksgiving dinner. That’s it.”
“If I’m not mistaken, today is Monday.”
Aine sighed. “And?”
“Thanksgiving isn’t for another four days.”
“Okay, he’s driving up today. He’s in Montecito, meeting with Doc and Merrigan, and it didn’t make sense for him to fly back to Virginia only to turn around and fly back here.”
“Mmm hmm.” Her mother’s smile widened.
“Mom! Seriously.”
Aine’s phone buzzed in her pocket, which did not go unnoticed by her mother.
“Answer it,” she said, pushing Aine out the door of the room.
“I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
Her mom smiled again and nodded before she closed the door in Aine’s face.
“Hi,” she said.
“You sound out of breath.”
“My mom…it’s a long story. Anyway, hi.”
“Hi. I miss you.”
Aine felt her cheeks flush. “I miss you too.”
“What’s the plan? Am I driving up to Cambria, or are you flying down to Santa Barbara?”
“You’re driving.”
“You’re sure about this.”
“Razor told me that Gunner said the more the merrier.”
“Did he realize I’m part of the more?”
“He knows that you are the more.”
“The man can’t stand me.”
“That’s what everyone says. I think that’s the way Gunner wants it. If you think he doesn’t like you, you’re less apt to try to start a conversation with him.”
Griffin laughed. “He’s an ornery bastard.”
“He seems a little happier now that he and Zary are together.”
“Zary. That’ll take some getting used to. I’ve only ever known her as Raketa.”
“Don’t call her that, especially in front of Gunner.”
Griffin laughed again. “What’s with everyone deciding they don’t want to be called by their code names anymore?”
“I call you Griffin. Would you rather I called you Striker?”
“Aine.” She could tell he was smiling. “I will answer to Rover if it’s from your lips.”
“Hmm. I kind of like that. Okay, Rover, when will you be here?”
“Two hours tops. Text me the address.”
—:—
Striker disconnected the call and threw the phone on the passenger seat of his rental car. He’d splurged and rented a convertible Mercedes, hoping he and Aine could take a drive up to Big Sur in it, maybe farther. He was thinking about asking her if she’d let him drive her home after the holiday. From the Central Coast to Yachats, Oregon, would be a breathtakingly beautiful drive, and it would give them more time alone together.
As for his splurge on the car, the money he was making as a K19 partner allowed him to have a little fun after getting by on CIA pay for so many years. It wasn’t that they didn’t pay well; it was just that the money he made with K19 was so much more than he’d ever dreamed possible.
He’d been considering putting his condo in McLean on the market. He wasn’t sure he’d be there that often anyway. With his new tax bracket, he could afford something new. Maybe something closer to Yachats—and Aine.
He scrubbed his face as traffic slowed to a crawl, trying not to overthink this thing with Aine or what kind of reception he was going to get from Gunner Godet.
The first time they met, Striker knew Gunner didn’t like him. Ever since, he’d worked hard to get the guy to give him an inch, to no avail. He’d even talked to Fatale about it.
“Can you put in a good word for me with Paps?” he’d asked.
“I can, but it won’t do any good,” she’d responded. “He doesn’t like anyone from what I can tell.”
“He likes you.”
“He tolerates me.”
“It’s worse with me. He hates me.”
Fatale’s advice had been to stay out of Gunner’s way, which hadn’t worked too well considering the last op they’d done was to rescue Zary, the woman Gunner was in love with. Hard to stay out of someone’s way when they want your help saving the love of their life.
Striker scanned the satellite radio stations and thought about Aine instead of the man who would likely never accept him into their small circle of friends.
He’d never forget the day he met her at a wedding he still wasn’t sure he’d been invited to, but had gone to anyway.
“This is a bad idea,” he said to Monk.
“You’re part of the team.”
“It isn’t official yet. And even if I am, that doesn’t mean Razor wants me at his wedding.”
Monk didn’t say anything else, which didn’t surprise Striker. The man said as few words as possible.
He was halfway down the steps to the beach, considering turning around and going back to his car, when he saw her.
He recognized the woman. She was Ava McNamara’s twin, Aine, and she took his breath away. With her tan skin, sandy blonde hair, and curves that made his mouth water, she looked like the quintessential California girl. He knew better, though; she’d been raised on the East Coast.
As he got closer and their eyes met, he saw that hers were deep blue, like the ocean.
The brief ceremony, during which her sister and Razor Sharp were married, became a blur. He hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off of Aine.
“Hi,” he said, intercepting her as she walked between clusters of people.
She put her hand on her heart.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, holding out his hand. “I’m Striker.”
“I’m Aine,” she said, putting her hand in his to shake. “It’s nice to meet you…uh…Striker.”
“Actually, it’s Griffin. Griffin Ellis.”
“Right,” she said, motioning toward Razor, Gunner, and some of the other guys. “You all have special names.”
“Code names, although I’m not sure there’s anything special about them.”
“I like Griffin.”
“Thanks. I like Aine.”
She smiled, her cheeks flushed, and she looked at her hand still clasped in his, but she didn’t try to pull away.
“Do you know if there will be dancing later?” God, had he really jus
t asked her that? There had to be fewer than thirty people standing on the sand, most barefooted. He wondered if they’d even have food.
“Actually, there will be.”
“Food?”
“No.” She laughed. “Dancing. Are you hungry?”
“Maybe a little. I can go grab something—”
“Come with me,” she said, pulling him by the hand that was still holding hers.
“Where are we going?”
“Kitchen. It’s this place where they have…food.”
Damn, she was even prettier when she smiled.
“What?” she asked when he didn’t move, but didn’t let go of her hand either.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, getting closer to her.
“Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.”
They’d made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that day, and then sat on the deck and chatted about what was happening on the beach below them.
Between then and now, he’d only seen her twice, but they talked every chance they got. With him traveling back and forth between the States and Azerbaijan, it hadn’t been easy to keep in touch, but now that the mission was over, he was looking forward to time off for the holidays. If she’d have him, Striker planned to spend every minute he could with Aine.
The traffic opened up, and he sped up the highway, wishing he’d taken a commuter jet instead. After waiting so long to see her, the last couple of hours were killer.
—:—
Aine changed her clothes three times, opened a bottle of wine, had a glass, and then changed her clothes again.
Today was the day she and Griffin would finally have more than a couple of stolen hours together. In fact, if things went as planned, they’d be together all week. She bit her lip, wondering if the attraction would be as strong once their time together was open-ended. It wasn’t like they were slowly easing into it; they were pulling the throttle wide open.
Seeing she had at least an hour before he arrived, Aine decided to take a walk on the beach. At least that would keep her from changing her clothes again.
The sun was shining, but it was still cold on the Central Coast. Oregon, where she and her mother had settled once Ava announced that she and Razor planned to live there full time, was just as cold, if not colder.
When she started out, she wondered if she’d be too warm in her flannel-lined jeans and Fair Isle turtleneck, but now she was glad she’d thought to grab her barn jacket too.
As she walked, the sun’s light would shine on small pieces of rock, making her shield her eyes from the glare. Aine knelt and picked up one of the smooth, round stones and studied it. She was mesmerized by what looked like billowy clouds of blue and white atop a moonlight sheen. Moonstones, obviously, she thought as she put several in her pocket along with blue and green sea glass, sand dollars, and shells so delicate it was hard to believe they’d stayed in one piece as the ocean washed them onshore.
With pockets almost full, Aine stood to walk back up the beach. She hadn’t seen a single person since she started out, but now she saw one—a man—walking toward her.
Aine picked up her pace when, as she got closer, she realized the man was Griffin. She kept herself from running toward him, until she saw him break into a jog.
When they came together, he picked her up and swung her in a circle.
“Do you know how happy I am to see you?” He rested his forehead against hers and set her back on her feet. “Can I kiss you?”
Instead of answering, Aine kissed him.
Griffin tightened his embrace and thrust his tongue inside her mouth when she opened to him. The intense passion of his kiss left her dizzy, and she clung to him.
“How did you know where to find me?” she asked, out of breath.
“You forget what I do for a living.”
“Seriously?” She pulled back from him.
“No. I asked your mom.”
Aine laughed. “Okay, I’ll bite. How did you find her?”
“She found me. I got the impression she was anticipating my arrival.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He rested his forehead against hers again. “Don’t be. I found you faster than I would’ve, which means I have more time for this.”
Griffin covered her mouth with his and held her so tight. With anyone else, she might’ve had a hard time breathing, but she’d waited so long to be in his arms that getting air into her lungs didn’t seem to matter much.
—:—
“Is there anything special you want to do tonight?” she asked as they walked back to the inn hand-in-hand.
There were many special things Striker wanted to do, but he refrained from listing them in detail. “Dinner?” he asked instead. “I heard that place is pretty good.” He pointed to a restaurant a few doors down from the inn.
“I love that place, and it shouldn’t be busy since it’s Monday.”
“I haven’t checked to see if the inn has any rooms available yet.”
Aine stopped walking momentarily. “Oh,” she said before continuing on.
“Hold on,” he said. “I didn’t want to assume.”
Aine’s cheeks flamed, and she tried to look away from him, but he held her chin with his hand.
“Are you inviting me to stay with you?”
“I…um…yeah. I guess so.”
“You guess so?” Striker smiled and then leaned forward to kiss her. “Maybe this will help convince you.”
Chapter 5
Mantis, Alegria, and Dutch
Mantis zipped up his bag and was about to hoist it over his shoulder when he heard a knock at the door. He peered out the window, saw who it was, and considered pretending he wasn’t home. However, both his motorcycle and car were parked on the street in front of the condo he’d rented in the same complex where, unbeknown to him at the time he’d signed the short-term lease, Dutch was also living temporarily.
“I know you’re in there. Open up,” shouted the man who, until recently, had been his best friend.
“Leave me the fuck alone,” he muttered before unlocking and opening the door.
“I heard that,” said Dutch, pushing his way inside and eyeing the duffel bag. “Where you headed?”
“Connecticut,” he lied.
“Seriously?”
“What do you want?” Mantis was in no mood for questioning from anyone, let alone Dutch.
“Alegria is getting out of the hospital today.”
“Glad to hear it.” Mantis had no intention of admitting to Dutch that he already knew she was.
“She’s doing a lot better.”
“I wish her all the best.”
“Look, what happened…”
“Is there another reason you stopped by?”
“Mantis, come on, we’re best friends.”
“Who aren’t seventeen anymore. We don’t hang out. What do you want, Dutch?”
“She told me it was over between the two of you.”
“What is this? Are you here to ask my forgiveness for being in a relationship with my ex-girlfriend? Or is it permission you’re after? Get over yourself, neither of you is that important.”
“You don’t have to be an asshole about it.”
Mantis shook his head. “Alegria and I had a thing. It’s over. Both of us have moved on. How does that make me an asshole?” He looked at his phone. “I need to get to the airfield. Was there anything else?”
Dutch looked out the window and then back at him. “Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Same to you. Now, if you don’t mind…”
Dutch walked out the door, leaving Mantis feeling exactly like the asshole his friend had accused him of being. Maybe he was, but why did Dutch have to get involved with the one woman Mantis knew would always own him? Weren’t there four billion other women in the world he could’ve chosen from?
Maybe he should take that into consideration himself. Given the astronomical number, surely he could find another woman to love heart and soul
.
He checked the time again. At Gunner’s request, he was piloting K19’s commuter jet up to San Luis Obispo from the airfield in Santa Barbara. The only reason time was an issue was because the private plane section of the regional airport was especially busy near the holidays. His flight plan was filed, and if he didn’t get there on time, it might be several hours before he could get another slot.
He was glad now that he’d called Gunner. He’d told the man he was calling to check on Raketa—who was going by Zary now—but was elated when Gunner asked what his plans were for Thanksgiving. It was precisely the reason he’d called.
“I’m a man without a mission,” Mantis had told him.
Gunner had laughed. “You’re welcome to come here. We’re opening a zoo, it appears. All the single animals will be here this week.”
“I appreciate the invitation.”
“By the way,” he’d said. “Striker will be here too.”
That made sense, he was one of the mateless animals. Unlike Dutch and Alegria.
Mantis had thanked him again and then booked a room at the inn Gunner recommended.
—:—
“If Alegria is able to ride in a car for a couple of hours, you’re both welcome to join us here. We’re in Cambria for Thanksgiving, not Oregon,” Razor told Dutch.
“I appreciate it.”
“No problem. You’re both K19 family. In fact, the two of you should stay here at the house. She’ll be more comfortable than she would be at the inn.”
Dutch thanked him again, hung up, and went into the guest bedroom to check on her. She’d been in relatively good spirits when they left the hospital, but once they got to the condo he’d rented, she told him she was exhausted and wanted to rest. That was six hours ago, and she was still asleep.
He wasn’t sure what he’d expected from Mantis when he stopped by before going to pick her up. Maybe he was looking for some sign that they were still friends. He sure didn’t feel like they were.
He’d had a flicker of hope that Mantis would be open to spending Thanksgiving with him and Alegria, but he should’ve known better. It would hurt far too much to spend the holiday with the woman he loved when he believed she was with another man. He knew firsthand; he’d spent many holidays with Alegria and Mantis when they were together.
Mistletoe (K19 Security Solutions Book 3) Page 3