Bonaparte's Belle: A SEALs of Honor World Novel (Heroes for Hire Book 24)

by Dale Mayer

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a comedian.”

  “I can be,” he said. “But don’t forget that I’m also loyal and true and trustworthy.”

  “So are puppies.”

  At that, he burst out laughing too.

  By the time they made it to her place, she knew, by the way she was feeling, that she must look like death warmed over. When he pulled up to the front, she hopped out and immediately sagged.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked, as he raced around to her side.

  She shook her head. “No,” she said, “I’m just—”

  “Exhausted,” he said. “You’re physically and emotionally exhausted.” He led the way to the front door and took her inside, the dogs milling around them, subdued, as if worried about Angela too. Bonaparte motioned toward her bedroom. “Just go get some sleep.”

  “I should have a shower,” she said.

  “Okay, if you got the energy, then do it,” he said. “You’d probably sleep better. Just don’t let all those bodies and this day take over your mind,” he said, “because then you’ll never sleep.”

  “I know,” she whispered. “I was trying to hold all that back for now.”

  “You’ll have to deal with it, but, if you could get some rest first, it would be better,” he said. “No way you kill someone in the line of duty and walk away from that without feeling some reaction.”

  “We should feel a reaction,” she murmured.

  “Absolutely,” he said quietly. “That’s what makes us different from the bad guys, who feel nothing but maybe power and revenge. Come on. Let’s get you upstairs.” He helped her to her bedroom.

  “I’ll be fine from here,” she said.

  “Good,” he said. “If I don’t hear you moving around in the shower, I’m coming in after you.”

  She smiled. “That sounds like an excuse,” she teased.

  “I don’t need an excuse,” he said, “but, right now, if I were to take you to bed,” he said, “you might fall asleep on me, and my ego couldn’t handle that.”

  She broke out laughing again. “I don’t know what it is about you,” she said, “but, every time I’m around you, I end up smiling.”

  He grinned and said, “That’s a good thing.”

  “Maybe,” she said. “It seems like there hasn’t been a whole lot of laughter in my life for a while.”

  “We’ll change that now,” he said.

  She slowly made her way into the bedroom, closing the door between them. Stripped down, she headed for the shower. Once she was alone and under the hot water, she just leaned against the wall and let it pour all over her. When there was a knock on the bathroom door, she lifted her head and said, “I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She could hear the worry in his tone. She shut off the taps and poked her head around the corner of the shower curtain. “Really, I’m fine,” she said. “I’m just …”

  When she let her voice trail off, he poked his head around the door, nodded, and said, “As long as you’re okay.”

  She smiled. “I’ll be fine.”

  He closed the door and said, “I’m putting on coffee.”

  “That sounds good. Bring me a cup, if you don’t mind.”

  “Will do.”

  She got out, and, instead of getting dressed, she put on an oversized T-shirt and baby-blue underwear, then crawled into bed, a hairbrush in her hand. “What a day,” she whispered to herself. He knocked a few minutes later, and she called out, “It’s open.”

  The door moved jerkily open, as he had used his foot to prod it, and she noted he carried a tray. She smiled, as he brought in a cup of coffee. “Do you really think I need coffee?” she asked, leaning her head back.

  “You asked for it,” he said.

  She nodded. “I’m looking for the comfort of the hot drink, I suppose. And I highly doubt that the caffeine will stop me from sleeping tonight.” He placed the tray gently on her lap, and he’d made a simple sandwich for her as well. “And food,” she said. “Wow, you’re a keeper.”

  “I am, at that,” he said, with a smile.

  She lifted one half of the sandwich and chewed gently. “Gosh, I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” she muttered.

  “We haven’t had anything all day,” he said.

  She nodded tiredly and finished the sandwich in about eight bites. Picking up the coffee, she sat here, hugging the warm cup, sipping it, as she huddled under the blankets.

  “And now,” he said, as he removed the tray and put it on the floor, “you need to crash.”

  “I know,” she said. She put down her cup and shifted, so she was curled up under the covers, and pulled her pillow up under her neck. “You okay to stand watch?”

  He reached out a gentle finger across her cheek and whispered, “Over you? Always.”

  But she didn’t hear him. She was already out.

  *

  Bonaparte quickly took the tray downstairs and left the bedroom door open, so he could hear her. He wasn’t sure what she was like, but, for most people, after shootings and all the stress and adrenaline related to that, it was rare to sleep very deep. It wasn’t long before he heard her crying out, tossing and turning. He raced upstairs and soothed her, until she was calm and relaxed again.

  Leaving her for a few more minutes, he walked to his room and had a quick shower. With clean boxers and jeans on, he went to check on her. As he stepped inside her bedroom, she opened her eyes and stared at him, jolting awake.

  He winced. “Sorry, I was just checking to see if you’re okay,” he said.

  She looked at him in surprise and yawned. “I’m feeling much better.”

  “That’s good,” he said. “Go to sleep and really sleep this time.”

  “Working on it,” she said; then she rolled over. Before he stepped out, she asked him, “What are you doing?”

  “I just had a shower,” he said, “so I’ll try to get some rest too.”

  She patted the bed. “Just stretch out here then.”

  “Dangerous idea,” he murmured, but she waved her hand to that.

  “I’m too damn tired.”

  “What makes you think I am?”

  “I’m trusting you,” she said. “Besides, you want someone a little more with it. You said so yourself.”

  He smiled and said, “Absolutely,” then stretched out on top of the bed.

  “Don’t you want a blanket?” she asked.

  “I’m fine,” he said. “Just rest.”

  She yawned again and crashed. He waited until she’d fallen asleep; then he got up, checked outside to make sure it was all safe. He was operating on instincts at this point. When his phone buzzed, he found a text from Levi. Bonaparte called him back and quickly gave Levi the latest update, but it wasn’t long before Angela started whimpering again. Bonaparte finished the call, then went back and checked on her. Finally he decided to just lie down beside her and be a tortured soul for the night, pulling her into his arms. As soon as he had her up tight against him, she relaxed. He murmured, “Sleep now.

  “Bonaparte?”

  “Yep, it’s me.”

  She smiled and rubbed her cheek against his chest. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said. “Just sleep.”

  “It’s been a tough day,” she said, yawning.

  “It has,” he replied, then waited for her to drop back to sleep again.

  She did, but it didn’t last. She kept waking up, going under, and waking up. Finally she sat up and looked at him and said, “It’s a pretty rough night.”

  “That’s because you won’t quite go under,” he said.

  “I can’t,” she said. “I’m too restless.” She yawned and flattened out again on the bed.

  “Try to sleep,” he said.

  “No, you sleep.”

  He looked at her and started to chuckle. “What difference will that make?”

  “I won’t feel guilty.”

  He stared at her in s
urprise. “Why would you feel guilty?”

  “Because it’s always been me looking after everybody else,” she said quietly. “Now I feel like I can’t sleep because you’re here, looking after me.”

  He pulled her down, until she was half lying on top of him, and said, “How about we both sleep?”

  She looked up at him, smiled gently, and said, “I think I can handle that.” She dropped her head on his chest, and it wasn’t long before he heard a gentle rumbling, as her breathing moved in and out. He cuddled her close, wondering how he’d ended up in this situation. But, of course, it was all due to Levi.

  And thinking about all that Levi had said, Bonaparte realized he owed him a debt. He hadn’t expected to be here and wasn’t even sure where things would go in the future, but he knew he wanted to find out. Even if that meant he’d be commuting back and forth for a while, while they figured it out.

  Just when he thought she was sound asleep, she asked, “Will you commute back and forth?”

  He chuckled lightly.

  “We can’t have a relationship if you’re living several states away.”

  He nodded, completely stunned because she was mimicking his thoughts. “Is that what you want?”

  “Well, I want some time to see what we have,” she said.

  “Do we have something?”

  Immediately she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

  He stared into the deepest, darkest, bluest eyes he’d ever imagined.

  “Are you saying we don’t?”

  He reached up, stroked her lips, and said, “Well, I was hoping.”

  “You’re just a little gun-shy.”

  “No,” he said, “just had a bit of a bad experience and all that.”

  “Right,” she said, snuggling in again. “Gun-shy.”

  He let out a deep, long breath. “Not exactly.”

  “Good, then you’ll travel back and forth until you decide what you want.”

  “Why is it me traveling back and forth?” he teased, protesting.

  She opened her eyes, stared at him, and said, “Would you really ask me to leave this property?”

  He shook his head and whispered, “No, never.”

  She smiled, and it was breathtaking. “See?” she said. “So you’ll have to fly back and forth.”

  He burst out laughing. “What’s weird is that I was laying here, thinking just that.”

  She nodded and cuddled up closer. “We’re already thinking the same.”

  “We don’t really—” Then he stopped.

  “What? We don’t really know each other? We haven’t spent any time together? What were you going to say?”

  “I was about to say something along those lines, but then I stopped myself because it’s straight-out foolishness,” he said.

  “I know,” she said. “I don’t understand what we have here yet, but I thank Levi for sending you.”

  “Don’t you dare tell him that,” he said. “It will just make him arrogant.”

  “He already is,” she said, with a grin.

  “Well, that’s because he’s damn good at what he does.”

  Angela had never really believed in love at first sight, and she had to admit that Levi had sent a picture of Bonaparte earlier, like quite a bit earlier, and she’d been staring at it for a long time. She already felt like she knew a lot about him but didn’t want to say anything to him because it felt stalker creepy. But just having him here with her as they were, it felt so right in a way that she hadn’t felt in a very long time. “I know. But do you know they were trying to send you to me one year ago?”

  “Nope, I did not.”

  “Yeah, he told me about how he had his eye on you and how you were perfect for me.”

  “He what?” Bonaparte said in shock.

  “Yep, but you were being stubborn and not listening. I’m sure glad you’re not being stubborn anymore.”

  He didn’t know what else to do, so he laughed and laughed.

  Popping up, she sat on her knees and looked at him. “See? We laugh a lot.”

  “We do that,” he said, staring at her in amusement.

  “Now the question is,” she said, “will we decide to move forward.”

  “Well, I am ready,” he said. “What will it take to make your decision?”

  “Ribs,” she said. He stared at her and blinked. “Your ribs,” she said. “It’ll all depend on your ribs.” He stared at her, afraid she was serious, and then she burst out laughing herself. “The look on your face,” she said, as she rolled over onto her back.

  Immediately he flipped over, so he was on top of her and said, “Yeah, what about the look on my face?” She looked up at him, and her breath caught in the back of her throat. He nodded. “Did you ever see that look from me earlier?”

  “No,” she said quietly. “That look was well hidden.”

  “That well-hidden look,” he said, “was because we were at work.”

  “And we’re not at work now,” she said, wiggling beneath him.

  This time his breath caught. “Exactly.”

  She smiled and wiggled again.

  “You are so asking for trouble.”

  “Nope,” she said, “I’m asking for loving. A good old-fashioned loving. Between two people who care about each other and maybe, just maybe, have something that they’re both prepared to work on.”

  “God,” he whispered fervently, “I really like the sound of that.” Lowering his head, he kissed her for the first time.

  Chapter 14

  When Bonaparte finally lifted his head from their first kiss, Angela was starved for air. But, at the same time, so much heat rumbled through her, as she whispered, “That was very nice. Really very nice.”

  “Nice?” he said in mock outrage. This time he delivered a passionate punch that had her gasping.

  She shuddered in his arms. “It won’t be just you that’s in a rush,” she muttered. “No way you can kiss me like that and leave me hanging.”

  Chuckling, he bent over and whispered, “I thought we had time though.”

  “Nope,” she said. “I’m tired.” He looked at her in surprise and asked, “So, do you want to wait?”

  “Hell no,” she said. “This is the best cure for sleeplessness ever.”

  “And yet you just said you’re tired.”

  “And you’ll make me supertired and relaxed,” she said, “and then I’ll sleep.” And she threw her arms around his neck and tugged him down to her. “But more than that,” she said, “we have something that I just don’t want to let go of.”

  She pulled him to her, and this time she kissed him back with all the passion she could feel being restrained inside. As tired as she was, there was just no energy to even try to block any of it. She felt herself letting go, like she hadn’t ever remembered letting go. Before she even had a chance to take note of it, she was stretched out on the bed, and her clothes were on the floor, along with his boxers and jeans. She scooted over, so there was more room for him, but he held out his hand, to stop her from moving, his gaze wandering all over her long, lean pink-toned skin.

  “Like what you see?” she asked, stretching her head up.

  “Jesus,” he said, “you’re stunning.”

  “No,” she said, “I’m not voluptuous. I’m long. I’m lean and a little sparse in spots,” she said.

  “You’re perfect,” he said, holding out a halting hand again. “Absolutely gorgeous.”

  Smiling, she dropped herself onto her back, opened up her arms, and said, “In that case, show me.” He lowered himself, and she was surprised at the gentleness of this giant, as he held her close in his arms. He just held her for a long moment, and, when she looked up and saw the emotions on his face, her heart was breaking. She reached up with a gentle finger. “You okay?”

  “I am,” he whispered. He stopped and then shrugged and said, “Just a little overcome at the moment.”

  “In that case,” she said, “I understand entirely.” He lowere
d his head once more, this time with a gentle tenderness, with a level of emotion she didn’t really understand. Almost as if she were being held, like a glass rose, and he was afraid she might break. But it wasn’t that physically he was holding back, more like he was handling the emotions rising in him. She wrapped her arms around him. “This is us,” she said. “This is what we make of it. So let’s make something good.”

  He bent to kiss her, and this time it was a ride that neither one of them could stop. Passion flowed freely, as heat built and surrounded them in a glorious aftermath. When he finally lay trembling in her arms, her body flushed and with a sureness she hadn’t expected to feel, she held him close and whispered, “Now get some rest.”

  “Only if you rest first.”

  She smiled, curled up in his arms, and said, “Absolutely.” And the two of them soon dropped off to sleep. When she woke the next morning, she was still in his arms, the way they had been as they fell asleep.

  He looked at her and asked, “You okay?”

  “Never better,” she whispered. She slowly sat up, looked around at the room, and said, “That was one of the best nights I’ve ever had,” she whispered, then leaned over and kissed him tenderly.

  He stroked a lazy hand up her back and asked, “Are you in a hurry?”

  “Well, I’m sure there’s a million messages, half a million reports, and a whole pile of other things that need my attention,” she said.

  “Maybe,” he said, “but something else does too.” He took her hand and slid it down across his body to the very large erection waiting for her.

  She burst out laughing and said, “By the way, there’s another thing I like to do on my acreage.”

  He looked at her and asked, “What?”

  “Later,” she said, while the two made love again. When they finished, the two of them were completely sated, each exhausted and panting on the bed.

  “That’s a hell of a way to wake up,” he said, groaning.

  “It is. And since you made coffee last night,” she said, “I’ll make coffee now.” She bounded out of bed and headed to the doorway.

  He called out, “Are you getting dressed?”

  She looked at him, shrugged, and said, “Actually I was thinking about a dip in the pool.”