The SEAL’s Instant Family

by Leslie North

  We will succeed in taking everyone you hold dear.

  The message, time-stamped twenty minutes earlier, needed no interpretation, but it sent a jolt to Kenton’s heart. When Mia and the girls had first been threatened, he’d had some distance and perspective. They were little more than strangers to him. After living with them and growing emotionally closer, he recognized that he did hold them dear. They were in his life temporarily, and neither he nor Mia expected more, but he’d be damned if they’d be harmed while he was protecting them.

  Controlling his anger, he logged into the secure system that allowed him to speak with his CO so he could explain what had happened that afternoon. Next, he forwarded the email to the Navy techs so they could attempt to trace it. He figured that was futile, but you never knew.

  Finally, he took another good, hard look at his home’s security system, assessing it for ways to beef it up. He adjusted camera angles and changed access codes. When he’d done everything he could think to do, he went in search of Mia and found her in the laundry room off the kitchen. The girls were in their high chairs a few feet away, eating dinner.

  “More laundry?” It seemed endless.

  “Accident,” she said, as she added fabric softener to the washer. “Both of them.”

  “What? No way.” He kept his tone low. “They were doing so well.” Could nothing go right today?

  “Today was traumatic.” Ava turned on the machine. “And I told you there were going to be accidents, and we have to be okay with that.”

  “No reason for it,” he insisted.

  Mia sighed. “Kenton, you can’t take such a hard line on potty training. It’ll happen when it happens.”

  That was her theory, but he’d proven pretty effectively that he’d been right about the timing. The girls had been ready, and they’d been great until today.

  He ran a hand through his hair. Maybe he shouldn’t be worrying about this now, when they had bigger problems. Mia was leaning against the dryer with her arms crossed, and he guessed she was thinking the same thing.

  “Did you learn anything new?” She looked tired and worried.

  “Not much new,” he said, opting to keep the email to himself. “It’s safe to assume that we’re being watched at all times.”

  “More than a tracker on your truck?” She had to know the answer to her own question.

  “Much more, I suspect,” he said. “We have to be careful, Mia. Very careful.”

  “Aunt Mia,” one of the girls called. “I want you in here.”

  “Be right there, sweetie,” Mia called as she pushed off the dryer.

  He caught her arm when she passed by him. “We’ll talk later.”

  “Sure,” she said, giving him a half-hearted smile.

  As soon as she walked away, his phone rang, and he checked the screen. His mother. He wasn’t in the mood, but she would just keep calling if he ignored her.

  “Hi, Mom,” he said.

  “Kenton. I’m glad I caught you,” she said. “Your father and I were thinking of stopping over to see you.”

  “It’s not a good time,” he responded. The last thing he wanted was to drag his parents into this mess. They had a good security system on their home, but he’d check with his CO about getting some protection assigned to them. If nothing else, the local PD might be willing to increase their patrols in his parents’ neighborhood. “I’m sorry, but things are complicated.”

  “How so?” Instant concern showed in her voice.

  “I’d prefer not to get into it.” He hoped that would be enough to put his mom off.

  “Are Mia and the girls still with you?”

  “Yes, they’re here, and they’re fine,” he said, anticipating her next question. “We’re just really busy at the moment trying to potty train the girls.” It was a half-truth, which was good enough in the current situation, he decided.

  “That can be a challenge,” his mother said sympathetically. “But I don’t see why—”

  “From what I’ve read, it’s best not to disrupt their schedules during the early phases.” He wasn’t lying; he had read that.

  “Sure, I can see that,” she agreed, “but we’d like to have you all over for dinner soon.”

  He wanted to say that he, Mia, and the girls were not a family unit, and he hoped his mother wasn’t thinking in that direction.

  “That sounds nice, Mom. I’ve got to go. Love to Dad,” he said and hung up. His mother was going to think he was acting abnormally, and she’d be right. But it was her doing that Mia and the kids were living in his house, after all. What his mother and her damned hospitality couldn’t have foreseen was the danger she had inadvertently put his guests in.

  “Victory!” Kenton declared when he came down the steps after putting the twins to bed.

  “How so? Are they already asleep?” Mia struggled up from the couch where she’d dropped in exhaustion after finishing the laundry and cleaning up from dinner. The day had been emotionally draining, and she could barely keep her eyes open.

  “Not quite, but Emma pooped in the potty.” He sounded very pleased with himself.

  “That’s good,” she said, pretending enthusiasm. It was impossible to be excited about anything when she thought back over the day. She had almost lost Ava. What if she never saw her shy, sweet niece again? Mia shuddered. She’d lost so many family members. Her parents, her sister, and her brother-in-law. The thought of something happening to one of the twins made her insides quake.

  “It’s fantastic,” he said, apparently not picking up on her mood. “We’re almost there.”

  “Kenton,” she said, bringing him back down. “I’m happy about it, too, but… today.” She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to negate the sick fear that swamped her.

  “I know, sweetheart, but Ava’s okay.”

  “For today.” She opened her eyes and focused on him. “For tonight, maybe. But what about tomorrow? Do you know who is after us, and why? Where is this going to end?”

  He sat down next to her, his greater weight making her lean toward him on the couch, but she pulled back when he tried to put his arm around her shoulders. Several beats of silence passed before he spoke. “Mercenaries have been hired to come after us.”

  Mercenaries? Didn’t that sort of thing only happen in movies? “Us? The girls and I have nothing to do with—”

  “I know, but you live in my house, and we’ve been watched,” he said. She could see by the way his jaw tightened that he hated to admit that. “They’ve seen the two of us together and me with the girls and have drawn conclusions. I had a threat via email today when we got home.”

  “Oh, god,” she whispered, putting her hands over her face. “I thought it was bad, but…” She knew her words were muffled, but she didn’t want him to see the tears in her eyes.

  “Hey, I’m as worried as you are,” he said softly, pulling her hands from her face, “but we’ll get through this together.”

  She blinked back the tears. “You think so?”

  “I do. Patrick and Anderson are going to be guarding the exterior in shifts. That gives us another layer of protection. I know it feels awful to be just sitting around, but trust me, we’ll be okay.”

  Mia gulped in air, trying to calm her nerves. She knew she had to trust him to be right in this situation, since she was way out of her league, but it was tough to depend on him. That wasn’t who she was. She figured things out as she went—and on her own, generally. But she had him now, even if it was temporary.

  Kenton was watching her closely. When she met his eyes, he lifted her hands to his lips and kissed her palms. His small action sent a wave of desire through her.

  “Come to bed with me,” he said. “We’ll do things that will take your worries away.”

  Despite her fears, she laughed. They had that between them. The physical side of things was good. Maybe she could forget about the day, just for a little while, if they made love.

  “Okay,” she said, starting to rise.


  “Wait. Change of plans.” He pulled her back down. “Here seems like a good place.”

  “In the living room?” That surprised her. He had definite ideas about things. Sex on the sofa didn’t fit in with what she knew about him.

  “On the floor. I want you now.” He hadn’t needed to say the words, since his face was flushed and the bulge in his sweatpants was growing larger. “Stand up and strip.”

  “Is that an order?” She raised her eyebrows in question, pretending to be shocked, but desire formed low in her belly.

  “Yes.” He rose and shucked out of his clothes with amazing speed.

  So that was how this was going to be, she thought. Two could play this game. She, too, yanked off her clothes and put her hands on her hips, eyeing him. He was definitely ready. His arousal thrust out toward her. “Now what?”

  “Take me in your mouth.” His gaze challenged her. He had to know that she wouldn’t deny him, and she knew what he liked. They’d had a few nearly sleepless nights during which she’d figured that out, but those had been in bed… except the memorable episode in the shower. He wanted something a little different from her this time.

  Okay, she could do different. She grabbed a sofa pillow and tossed it to the floor at his feet before dropping to her knees. Placing her fingers at his ankles, she slowly worked her hands up his legs, feeling his muscle and strength. He stood motionless, but when she glanced up, his eyes were focused on her every move.

  Her hands went to his butt, fingers gripping tightly. Only then did she touch her lips to his dick. He moaned but remained still as she swirled her tongue around the tip. She took more of him in her mouth, savoring his hard length and listening for any sounds he made. He was being stoic, confining himself to just that one moan, but she wanted to make him give more. She sucked hard, taking him in deep, and felt elated when he gasped and pushed against her. Oh, yeah. She was having an effect on him. If he wanted physical, she could give him that. She repeated the action, this time scraping her teeth lightly along his dick.

  “Jesus,” he muttered. “A man can’t take much of that.”

  “Giving up so soon?” She smiled up at him and languidly stretched out on the floor at his feet. His eyes were on her, making heat rise inside her. “Are you just going to look, or…” She touched her own nipple as she spoke, knowing that was a turn-on for him. He was on the floor with her instantly, his mouth going to where her fingers had been.

  “I want you so much,” he said as he moved to her other breast. His hands were roaming over her stomach and the tops of her thighs, pulling sensation and desire from every inch of her. And she wanted him too, more than she should.

  It wasn’t long before he’d slipped on a condom and was straddling her, separating her legs with his own. He paused then, seeming to take in every inch of her, almost as though he were trying to memorize her body. She couldn’t quite read his mood, and the moment was gone too quickly for her to understand what he was feeling.

  And then he was inside her, moving with a pounding rhythm that drove them up and up. She tightened her legs around him and tilted her body up while her hands dug into the muscles of his back. The most intense orgasm of her life rocked through her. She cried out his name before his mouth covered hers in a searing kiss as his abdominal muscles contracted and she felt the magnitude of his release.

  He rolled off and lay next to her, his body not quite touching hers as their breathing returned to normal. She wanted to be held, to curl into him, but that didn’t feel right, so she stayed where she was, unsure of what was happening between them.

  Suddenly, he pushed to his feet and reached for his pants. “I need to check the security system. I’ll see you upstairs, okay?”

  He didn’t wait for an answer before leaving the room. As she struggled to a sitting position and found her shirt, she wanted to say that it wasn’t okay. She wasn’t okay. Sure, she was satisfied six ways to Sunday, but she also felt like she’d been thrust aside.

  Her connection with Kenton seemed more tenuous, not stronger like it should after such an intimate encounter.

  14

  Two mornings later, when Mia’s alarm sounded, Kenton’s arm came across her body. He was sleepy and warm, softer than he often was, and she liked that. In bed, at least, he was focused entirely on her. Other times, his attention was distracted by their situation, which she found frustrating, even dismissive.

  “No need to go,” he said in her ear.

  “Work,” she whispered back groggily. “Doughnuts don’t make themselves.”

  The truth was that she was looking forward to getting out of the house for her shift, hoping the normalcy of work would reduce her stress levels. The entire household had spent the day before on high alert, with Kenton getting edgy each time she or one of the girls even approached a window or door. It was no way to live.

  “They do today.” He tightened his hold on her. “You’re not going.”

  “Who’s going to stop me? You?” She smacked him lightly on the shoulder, thinking he was kidding.

  “Mia,” he said, his tone serious. “I talked to your boss last night. You’re on a leave of absence.”

  “Excuse me?” She rolled away from him and turned on a bedside light.

  “It’s not safe for you to go to the bakery,” he explained, make that decreed, “and I can’t be there to protect you and here for the girls.”

  “So you made the decision for me.” A flicker of guilt passed over his expression, but it didn’t last. He didn’t feel bad about this. Not really. “I can’t believe you did that. I like working at the bakery.”

  “I know, and you can go back as soon as this mess is cleared up. I had the owner’s word on it.” He tried to reach for her, but she evaded him and got out of bed. Unwilling to fight with him while naked, she grabbed her robe and cinched it tightly around her.

  “You could have told me this last night. Why didn’t you?” she demanded. His lips pinched together, and he looked away. Ha! He hadn’t wanted her to be upset with him. Well, too bad. “I’m taking a shower, and I’m locking the bathroom door.”

  She stormed into the bathroom and took a long, hot shower, letting the streams of water absorb her tears of frustration. Oh, she understood why she couldn’t go to work. She wasn’t foolish. Anyone could walk in the back door of the bakery at any time. But did Kenton have to be so dictatorial about it? Couldn’t they have had a conversation at some other time than four in the morning?

  When she went back in the bedroom, he was gone, so she sat down on the edge of the bed. She was going to have to play by the rules he established until the situation was over, and then… she couldn’t think about that just yet.

  She went to the kitchen, started a pot of coffee, and began pulling ingredients from cabinets. If she couldn’t bake at work, she could do it here. By the time Kenton brought the twins to breakfast, she had chocolate chunk and lemon poppyseed muffins ready for them and had baked herself into a better frame of mind.

  While she cut muffins into quarters and buttered them, Kenton settled the girls in their chairs and got them cups of milk.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked him. He was sweaty, so she assumed he’d worked out in the basement, where he had a home gym.

  “If you have extra.” He was feeling out her mood.

  She gestured to the muffins cooling on the counter. “Help yourself.”

  “Mia, I’m really sorry, but…”

  “I know.” She held up a hand. “It was the only option. But please don’t forget that I’m an adult, too, and deserve to be consulted.” Those were the words that had stayed with her while baking the muffins. Now that they were out, her anger diminished.

  “Won’t happen again,” he said, as he grabbed three muffins from the counter and put them on a plate.

  She didn’t see how it could happen again, but she accepted his apology for what it was. If she wasn’t working, she was going to have to keep herself very busy around the house, and that mea
nt more time in the kitchen. “I bake when I’m stressed. What’s your favorite dessert?”

  He hesitated, no doubt unsure of the sincerity of her offer. “Always been a fan of a good pie.”

  “All right. A pie it is. I have some cherries in the freezer. What else is in the plans for the day?” She was hoping he’d spend some time with the girls. The day before, he’d been absorbed in meetings and whatnot and had only seen them briefly. In the short time they’d all lived together, the twins had grown used to having his attention, which meant they asked for him often. She’d had to make excuses for him yesterday.

  “I have a meeting with my team in an hour,” he said, “and when the kids are down for their nap, I want to show you some defensive moves.”

  She squinted at him. Did he honestly expect her to need those? Apparently he did. His face was deadly serious and his jaw set. Well, okay, it wouldn’t hurt her to know something about self-defense. She’d taken a course years ago, so a refresher was probably a good idea. She nodded her agreement and turned her attention to the girls. When she glanced back, he was gone.

  Throughout the morning, she loosely followed the schedule that Kenton had established for the twins, turning baking the pie into a morning lesson for the girls on how to measure ingredients. She had to admit following a plan did make the day go more smoothly. Not that she was dismissing her free-range parenting ideas altogether. Kids needed choice. She simply adjusted what they had choices over. By afternoon, the girls were tired and happy to take their afternoon naps. Once they were down, she sought out Kenton in his office.

  “I’m ready for training,” she announced as she entered. His laptop was open, showing small images of several security cameras in various rooms of the house. “I didn’t know you had all that.” She’d known there was a system but hadn’t realized the extent.

  “I’ve expanded it,” he said. “Added sensors to all doors and windows and changed the settings so the footage records.”

  “Very sophisticated,” she commented, thinking that sometimes she forgot to lock her car. What would he think of that? “I’m sure it will keep us safe.”