by Cassie Cole
“You and Carlos are special,” I said graciously. “It would be presumptuous to compare Karen’s crush to that.”
“So you admit there is something there.”
I winced. If this were a chess game, I would have been three moves behind. I lowered my voice and said, “I admit Karen seems to enjoy my company.”
“And you do not enjoy hers?” She arched an eyebrow, daring me to deny it. I couldn’t, not without making a very obvious lie.
I bent over my breakfast and focused on pulling apart one of the pastries, spilling the cream filling onto my plate. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sofia nod with satisfaction, like I’d surrendered the match.
“I’m surprised she’s not awake yet,” I said to make conversation. “She raved about the food yesterday.”
“Hmm,” Sofia hummed, with another judgmental look as if she knew the answer. As if she knew that it was my fault for fucking things up with the poor girl. It was tough for women to make the first move. Traditionally, the man was supposed to, and although that wasn’t the way things had to be anymore, it was tough to shake old habits.
Karen had shown initiative. She’d come on to me, making herself vulnerable while we danced last night. And I told her that I couldn’t, then ran to my bedroom like a petulant teenager.
She deserved an explanation. She may not like it, but I owed it to her. If I didn’t make things right, then the rest of our time hiding out here would be uncomfortable.
“Excuse me,” I said as I rose from the table. Sofia nodded with satisfaction.
I went upstairs and stood in front of her door, wondering what to say. It was ridiculous that my tongue was tied. I’d given orders to some of the most elite American soldiers to ever fight for our country, convincing them to perform incredible feats of bravery to complete our mission. Yet when it came to simply talking to a girl, a grad student at that, I struggled to find the words.
I knocked on the heavy wooden door. “Karen? You awake?” When there was no answer I said, “I… need to apologize to you. I was an asshole last night. I owe you an explanation. It, uh, would be easier if we talked face to face. If you don’t want me opening the door, better let me know.”
When no protest came, I turned the knob. Light filled her bedroom as the door swung open, revealing a swath of the bed.
An empty bed.
Karen was gone.
32
Karen
I stood at the port of Barcelona, savoring the cool morning breeze that filled my hair.
Last night I’d walked out the front door of Sofia’s palace, then down the mile-long driveway to the road. The guards at the gate gave me a funny look but must have only been instructed to keep people out, not keep people inside, so they let me pass without saying a word.
I walked for an hour before calling a taxi to take me back into the heart of the city. I got out at the cruise port, which turned out to be an unpleasant part of town in the middle of the night. A trio of women by the bus stop were almost certainly hookers, and they stared at me as if I were potentially trying to steal their customers. Fortunately, the Hotel Eurostars Grand Marina was attached to the port. I went into the lobby and found a chair that was out of sight from the front desk, large enough for me to curl up in like a stray cat, and nobody bothered me until the sun rose in the windows and the smell of fresh coffee filled the lobby.
So now I stood at the port of Barcelona, with the dark Mediterranean sprawling before me. I squinted and imagined that I could see the island of Mallorca in the distance, covered with warm beaches and bars that served fruity cocktails so delicious you couldn’t even taste the alcohol.
“What… Karen?” I heard Linda say. “Karen! It’s you!”
I grinned at my roommate as she got off the bus. She dropped her bag and sprinted toward me, hugging me like she thought she’d never see me again.
“What happened! A man came to our apartment and said everything was okay, but he took your phone and some clothes…”
“Everything’s okay,” I promised, squeezing her hands to let her know I meant it. “I’ll fill you in when we’re on the ferry. Preferably over a mimosa.”
Linda’s cheeks flared and she put a hand over her mouth. “I’m hungover from last night. I’m lucky I even made it in time.”
“You went partying without me?” I asked innocently.
“I went drinking because I thought my roommate might be dead!”
We giggled and boarded the ferry, then took the stairs to the highest deck, which gave us a gorgeous view of the city to our right and the sea to the left. Linda made a joke about hurling over the side, but overall she seemed fine.
“You don’t need to tell me what happened,” she said.
I gave a start. “Seriously?”
“Sure,” she said, bobbing her head up and down. “I already know exactly what happened: you hired an actor to pretend to kidnap you so you wouldn’t have to pack your stuff for home!”
I laughed, then gasped. “My stuff! The drop-off was yesterday.”
Linda glared at me. “I packed it for you. Don’t worry. That’s part of the reason I was out so late last night—I got a late start because I was shoving all your crap into boxes!”
I sighed and hugged her again. “You’re a good friend.”
“Uh huh. Sometimes I wish I weren’t.”
Police sirens drifted across the port as two cars with flashing lights drove up to the ferry loading area. Four uniformed officers got out and boarded the ferry below us.
We turned to each other. “Karen?”
“No,” I moaned. “There’s no way!”
We could hear a commotion in the deck below us as the police climbed the stairs. Had Logan or the others followed me? Or worse: the CLF? In a fit of paranoia I pulled out my phone and wondered if they were using GPS or something to track me. If I hurled it into the water…
The police arrived at the top of the stairs on our deck. They paused, gazed around, then came jogging in our direction.
I reached into my bag and found a heavy metal object on the side. The P226 pistol Logan had given me. As the police made their way in our direction I remembered how the CLF had impersonated Interpol. I couldn’t trust anyone who tried to arrest me. I wasn’t going to be taken to a warehouse and tortured again. Not this girl.
I tightened my fingers around the gun and disabled the safety, then moved my finger to the trigger. Logan had said never to put your finger against the trigger unless you’re ready to shoot, but I couldn’t help but prepare myself for the worst.
The crowd on the top deck parted for the officers. My heart stopped as they neared…
…and then rushed past.
“No,” said a woman in shorts and a tube top. I did a double-take when I realized it was one of the maybe-hookers I’d seen outside the port last night. “No soy yo, tengo un boleto…”
They apprehended her and escorted her off the ferry. I realized I was still gripping the gun in my bag. I turned the safety back on and let go, sighing as relief washed over me.
“Geez,” Linda said with a nervous laugh as she watched the police leave. “That would have been ridiculous.”
“No kidding,” I said.
As soon as the ferry launched, we went downstairs into the viewing deck. Wide windows curved all around the prow of the ferry, giving a 180 degree view of the Mediterranean Sea as we embarked on the seven hour trip.
“That’s better,” Linda said as I handed her a mimosa. “Now spill it, Karen. I want to hear every juicy detail about where you’ve been for the last 48 hours.”
Mimosa in hand, I told her, and this time I didn’t leave anything out.
*
It took almost a full hour to catch Linda up on everything that had happened, especially with all the follow-up questions she had about Infanta Sofia.
“Let me get this straight,” Linda said. “You were staying in a literal palace, with servants waiting on your every need, and you ditched them just t
o come hang out with me for a weekend?”
The three mimosas I’d already finished made me giggle harder than I otherwise would’ve. “When you say it like that it sounds stupid.”
“It would sound stupid no matter how you say it!” Linda shouted, drawing glances. “How about this. You continue on the trip to Mallorca, and I’ll go back and take your place.”
“Just think about what this says about our friendship,” I suggested. “That I’d rather be with you than in a palace.”
“I think we need to reevaluate our friendship, because if roles were reversed I would send you to Mallorca on your own!”
The trip went by faster than I expected. Drinking three mimosas was conducive to napping in a chair. Before I knew it we were pulling into the city of Palma on the southern side of the island. A shuttle waited to take us—and several other ferry passengers—to our resort, which was located right on a beach.
We grinned as we walked through the lobby. The resort was shaped like the letter U, with the ends facing the beach and with various pools, lounging areas, and outdoor bars in the middle. The sky and sea were matching shades of deep blue, with a warm breeze which fluttered the beach umbrellas and made the few clouds in the sky soar away.
A woman with a tray of drinks came by and handed us two glasses of white wine. I didn’t care for white, but when it was handed to me in the lobby of an all-inclusive resort, how could I say no?
There was an activity stand in the lobby to help register guests for the various activities at the resort. But Linda and I didn’t care about SCUBA diving, boat excursions, or sightseeing. We were here to relax. And to flirt with cute guys.
The only cute guys I want to flirt with are in SEAL Team 13.
We carried our bags to our rooms, which were on the side facing the sea. Linda held out her hand. “Give me one of your keys.”
“Why?”
“In case you get kidnapped by Interpol or the CLF or whoever,” she said. “That way I’ll at least be able to go inside and get your stuff.”
“I’d love to promise that won’t happen again, but…” I trailed off and handed her one of my keys. She gave me one of hers in exchange.
“Meet you back out here in 20?” Linda asked as she paused in front of her door.
“Make it an hour,” I said. “I want to shower, wash my hair, and shave my legs.”
“Ooo,” Linda squealed. “You’re over those SEALs already.”
“Sure am,” I said as I put my key in the door and went inside.
I froze as the door closed behind me. I wasn’t alone.
Waiting for me in the room was the last person I expected to see.
33
Karen
The door opened into a wide suite, with a couch and sitting area to the left and the bedroom on the right. The bedroom was attached to a raised platform of tile, which housed a jacuzzi tub which was exposed to the rest of the room and then a more complete bathroom beyond. Along the entire far wall of the suite was a balcony overlooking the splendor of the Mediterranean Sea.
But my eyes went straight to the man leaning against the door to the balcony. My bag dropped to the ground. I didn’t notice.
“Hello,” Logan said in the deep tone of an adult who had caught his teenager trying to sneak out. His thick arms were crossed over his muscular chest.
“I can explain,” I began.
“Oh?”
“I’ve given it some thought, and I’m safe here on Mallorca. Safer, even. I’m an easy target when I’m stomping around Barcelona, but would CLF terrorists really take a ferry ride to come find me?”
“They literally kidnapped you off a public beach,” Logan said, deadpan. “Somehow I doubt a ferry trip will deter them. Then again, what do I know? I’m just an O-4 Lieutenant Commander in the Navy.”
“They would have to find me to catch me,” I tried.
The handsome man snorted. “If I could find you after a quick call to the local resorts, then so can the Red Bitch.” He shook his head. “You left in the middle of the night, Karen.”
My name sounded painful on his tongue. “I did.”
His nostrils flared angrily. “You just walked right out the door. Didn’t even bother telling me.” He licked his lips. “You didn’t even say goodbye.”
I blinked. He sounded more personally hurt than angry. Like he was more upset about me betraying his trust than about me risking the mission. “What do you want, Logan?”
He took a moment to collect himself. As if he was fighting his internal feelings. “It doesn’t matter what either of us wants, Karen. It’s about our responsibilities.”
“My responsibilities involve finishing my graduate degree back home in Wilmington,” I said angrily. “I spent an entire semester focused on that. I deserve this vacation!”
Logan’s steely gaze wavered. “We deserve a lot of things we can’t have.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded. I was raising my voice, and wondered if Linda would hear us through the walls. “Tell me what you want, Logan! Spit it out!”
“I want you… to be safe,” he said. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I want what’s best for you.”
“No.” I stood in front of him and crossed my arms. “What do you want?”
“Nothing.”
“Tell me!”
“It doesn’t matter what I want!” he suddenly shouted. “I can’t have it. I don’t even know why I’m here.”
Why I’m here.
I remembered what Sofia had told me last night: that Logan would not come to me, even he desperately wanted to.
Yet here he was.
“Here you are,” I said.
He grunted. “What?”
“You came for me,” I whispered, looking up at him with wide eyes.
“I came to get you, because you’re our responsibility,” he said slowly. The sunlight streaming through the balcony windows played shadows across his body, accentuating the lines of hard muscle. The tendon in his neck flexed as he set his jaw.
“No,” I said, putting a hand on his chest. He tried to back away but he was already against the window. “You came to get me.”
I kissed him. He resisted for a moment, leaning away from me, then surrendered into my lips and kissing me back. His hand slid up my arm, and then he pushed me away.
“No,” he breathed. “I can’t.”
“Can’t? Or won’t?”
“Karen…” he growled.
I kissed him again, this time with my entire body, pressing my breasts against his hard chest. He grabbed my arms as if he intended to throw me off him, but instead held on for dear life. He smelled the same as he had last night in Sofia’s palace, an aftershave of oak and roses.
Finally he did what he intended: he shoved me away like I was an attacker. Not enough force to be violent, but with a clear message: enough. His wide chest heaved as he breathed and stared back at me with eyes like flawless emeralds.
He wanted me badly. Painfully so—it was obvious from the look in his eyes and the bulge in his cargo pants. But he’d restrained himself. Resisted what he wanted so fervently.
And then, like a bomb going off, he gave in.
“Is this what you want?” he said in a deep voice as he closed the distance between us, the worlds between us, to cup my face and kiss me. His spare hand grabbed my ass like it was a life preserver and pulled me into him, and I moaned as his tongue finally swirled in my mouth the way it was meant to.
“More,” I moaned into his delicious mouth. “I want more.”
The button of my jeans popped as he practically tore them from my body, stomping on them when they were around my ankles so I could step out of them. He pulled his tight shirt over his head, giving me a view of his magnificent body: the smooth pecs, bulging shoulders, and dinner-roll abs leading down to his happy trail, where a few strands of black hair gave a preview of what was underneath.
But he was scarred, too. There was a constellation of w
hite spots across his side, each the size of a quarter. Bullet wounds that looked like three pale hickies. A long knife scar ran from his right nipple to his neck, the skin pulled tight and pinched like it was newer. Another scar like a crescent moon circled his waist. And of course, the biggest one of all: there was a bruise over his right pectoral muscle the size of a dinner plate, black and purple. The bruise from getting shot in the bulletproof vest while leaving Jack’s apartment.
I reached out to touch his scars, to feel them under my fingertips, but he snatched my arm and pulled me into a kiss again that said no, I’m in charge, you don’t get to touch me unless I say you can.
The way he took charge left me breathless and sopping wet.
“You want more?” he said, voice both a whisper and a boom.
Rather than waiting for me to respond, he grabbed the waistband of my panties and yanked, tearing them away like they were made of paper. I gasped at the force of it, and at the sudden cool air on my sex. Did this guy just rip my panties off? Before I could respond, Logan planted a hand on my chest and pushed me back to the wide bed on the other side of the suite, backing me up like a predator stalking its prey into a corner, and when my legs hit the edge of the bed I fell onto the mattress, bouncing as if on a cloud.
He unzipped, but left the button clasped to keep his pants on. The cock he pulled out of the zipper was long and thick and hard, hard as a rod of steel, and I yearned to touch it but didn’t dare as my powerful SEAL approached.
Logan grabbed my legs and pulled me back to the edge of the bed, holding my feet out to the side so that I was spread wide for him. He thrust forward, huge cock missing my wet slit and sliding across my clit and mound of pubic hair, sending shivers of anticipation up my body.
“Is this what you want?” he rumbled, eyes raking my half-nude body as he pulled back. The tip of his cock slid down past my sensitive bean and lingered against my labia.