FROST (The Trident Series Book 3)

by Jaime Lewis

  Another knock sounded, this time louder and more forceful. She walked to the door and opened it, not bothering to look through the peephole, knowing it was Mrs. Higdon being impatient. However, swinging the door open, she came face-to-face with Frost. Her mouth gaped open, and she felt her nipples harden. What in the hell was that all about? Her body betrayed her.

  ◆◆◆

  Frost was a bundle of nerves as he pulled into Autumn’s housing complex. Using the directions Alex gave him, he parked his Tahoe in the guest parking spot in front of Autumn’s duplex. As he got out, he scanned the area. It was a habit considering his line of work. Always know your surroundings. It was ingrained in his head during BUD/S training.

  Other than a lady who looked to be in her seventies standing outside of the house next door to Autumn’s, everything seemed calm and quiet. He wasn’t a fan of the complex she was living in, though. Everyone knew it was a known hangout for drug dealers and prostitutes. He bit the inside of his cheek at the thought.

  As he walked up to Autumn’s front door, he felt eyes on him. When he looked next door, the same lady was watching him intently. He nodded his head in her direction, and she gave him a faint smile. She seemed innocent, but there was something else he was feeling. His sixth sense was at work again. He scanned the area once more as he approached the door. Some people were hanging out in front of a house a few doors down, and the house across the street was dark, but he noticed the curtain in the front window moved. He turned around, chalking it up to neighbors just being nosy. If he lived in a complex like this, he would want to know who was coming and going, so he couldn’t really blame the person for looking.

  He knocked on the door and frowned. The damn door was the cheapest door made to man. That didn’t sit well with him, knowing the kind of activities taking place in this area. He’d have to rectify that quickly. As he waited, he thought to himself he probably should’ve called Autumn first before just showing up on her doorstep late at night. Then again, he didn’t want to allow her to reject him. Nope, surprising her is better.

  It seemed like a couple of minutes went by, so he knocked again, this time with a little more force behind. He saw a light flick on behind the blinds. He ran his sweaty palms down his cargo shorts. Fuck, he was nervous. He wasn’t sure how she was going to react to seeing him. He was getting ready to pull his phone out to call her when the door opened.

  His breath hitched in his throat. She stood there wearing what looked to be her pajamas, and he bit the inside of his cheek again. The thin material of her black t-shirt didn’t hide her hard nipples. Instantly, he felt his cock harden beneath his cargo shorts. His attraction to her was strong, and he wanted to ravish her body, but he knew he had a lot of making up to do. They needed to iron out a lot of details. And it started with him needing to apologize for being an ass.

  “Frost?”

  He nodded his head. “Hey, Autumn. May I come in?” He prayed she wouldn’t shut the door in his face. Not that he would blame her if she did because he totally deserved it.

  But she didn’t and nor did she say anything further. She just stepped back and opened the door wider and gestured with her hand for him to come in.

  Step one, conquered. He’d made it through the door with ease. The next step was to grovel.

  She shut the door behind him and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She didn’t make a move toward him. Her body language read she was being cautious. Shit, he’d feel that way too if the roles were reversed.

  He took the few seconds of silence to look around. There wasn’t much to the inside of the place. It was small. And by small, it was tiny—a small living room connected to a tiny kitchen. And a hallway that probably led to the bedrooms. Shit, the apartment he shared with Stitch was bigger than this place. She had it decorated nicely in a beachy theme. She also had pictures of her and Cody scattered around the room in frames. It felt homey considering the size.

  When his eyes landed back on his Irish beauty, she was still watching him cautiously. She was probably wondering if she should throw him out. Not that he would blame her. One of them needed to break the ice, so he decided it would be him. Clearing his throat, he asked her, “How is Cody?”

  Autumn didn’t answer, but her eyes grew wide. Dropping her arms to her side, she started walking toward the hallway quickly. Her quick actions had Frost moving in behind her. When he got to the hall, he realized he was right. There was a bathroom and a bedroom on each side of it. Again, the house was like a crackerjack box; it was so small.

  He followed on her heels to the bedroom on the right. His eyes wandered down to her ass as she walked in front of him. Yeah, bad timing, but he was a man, and the way her ass swayed as she walked in those lounge pants had him adjusting himself.

  Standing taller than Autumn, he was able to see over her head when they entered the room. The room, like the rest of the house, was tiny. It was painted in a light grey color and seemed like a typical ten-year-old boy’s room. However, this boy’s room was impeccably clean and organized. There were posters on the walls of sports teams and music groups—some military paraphernalia, presumably given to him by his dad. But what also caught his eye on a shelf above his desk and made him grin was the SEAL Team 2 cap he had given Cody. Next to it was a framed picture of Cody with him and the guys from that day.

  He watched as Autumn sat down on the bed with Cody and gently ran her fingers through his brown hair. She said something, but Frost couldn’t make out what it was because her voice was so low, but Cody began to shift his body, and then his eyes opened.

  “Mommy?” Frost could hear the pain and exhaustion in Cody’s sleepy voice. When Autumn shifted her body, Frost caught a glimpse of the side of Cody’s head. The skin by his temple was bruised and swollen. And the road rash along his cheekbone looked nasty.

  “Hey, sleepyhead. How ya doing? Not feeling sick or anything, are ya?” Her sweet voice loathed through the room.

  “No, just tired. Can I go back to sleep?”

  She laughed and leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Sure, honey. Do you need anything? Some water, maybe, or do you need to use the bathroom?”

  “No, I’m good,” he said as his eyes started drifting closed again.

  “Okay, sweetie. I’ll be back to check on you.”

  Frost watched silently from the doorway as Autumn tended and cared for her son. The gentle touches and the whispers she gave him reminded Frost of his mom. She cared for him and his brother the same way when they were younger when they were hurt or sick. It was apparent her son always came first, and Frost admired her for it.

  After giving Cody another kiss on the head, she got up and turned toward Frost, and his gut clenched, seeing the strain and exhaustion on her face. She was hanging on by a thread.

  She walked toward him, and he backed out into the small hallway. She shut the bedroom door and tried to move past him, but his body took up most of it, blocking her from moving by him. He reached out and grabbed her hand. “Autumn?” He spoke in a low tone as to not disturb Cody.

  She kept her head down, but he heard the deep unsteady breath she took. Taking his other hand, he touched her chin lightly, making her head tilt back, so she was looking at him. When her watery green eyes met his, he wasn’t surprised to see the tears silently rolling down her cheeks.

  “Aw, babe. Come here.” He pulled her into his chest, securing his arms around her as he leaned his back against the wall. Her slender arms went around his waist instantly, and her hands clutched the back of his t-shirt. She felt so petite in his arms. With her face tucked against the side of his neck, he could feel the wetness from her tears on his skin. She was breathing heavily, probably trying to keep from sobbing out loud. He placed a kiss on the side of her head, then scooped her up and carried her out to the kitchen.

  He set her feet down on the tiled floor. Keeping one arm around her waist, he pulled a paper towel from the holder on the counter and gently wiped the tears from her red, splotchy face. H
e laughed to himself. She was not a pretty crier, but most people weren’t. She tried to lower her head again, but he wasn’t having that. They were going to straighten a few things out.

  He made himself at home, not caring the least. He reached into the tiny refrigerator that wasn’t even full size and pulled out a bottle of water for her. What he didn’t like seeing were the bare shelves in the fridge. He would add that to his list of things to talk to her about, later. By the time he left her house, she was going to understand that they should give this thing a shot.

  He handed her the bottle of water and got himself one. Taking her hand, he brought her around the counter where the two bar stools were at the small breakfast bar. If you even wanted to call it that. Jesus, this house was like being inside a damn dollhouse. He felt like a giant in it.

  He took a seat on one of the stools and pulled her in-between his splayed thighs. Her body felt so good pressed against him. He nudged her chin up, and the sad look she had in her eyes made him feel like a big pile of shit. Knowing he was partially responsible for it hit him deep inside. She needed him, and he needed her.

  “Frost…”

  “Jack,” he barked, interrupting her.

  “Huh?”

  He grinned, holding onto her waist. “My name is Jack. I want you to call me Jack.”

  “Oh….O-okay, Jack.” She smiled. “I like Jack.”

  He laughed. “Well, that’s good because I’d hate to have to change it because I hear the process is a royal pain in the ass.”

  She slapped his chest playfully and smiled, which was what Frost was hoping for, to make her smile. He didn’t like seeing her upset and crying. “You know what I meant….Jack.” She said his name, emphasizing it, but he had to admit, he loved hearing his name roll off her lips. Lips that he couldn’t wait to kiss.

  He grabbed her hand before she could pull it away and held it to his chest. The warmth from her palm seeped through his shirt and into his skin. He took his other arm and wrapped it around her waist and pulled her even closer to him. With her body wedged in-between his thighs, his heart beat rapidly at the feel of her body pressed against his. She brought her free hand up to his chest, where her other hand rested and looked up at him. Even sitting on the stool, he was still slightly taller than her.

  “I owe you an apology for the other night.” Her voice sounded shaky and nervous.

  He released her hand and put his index finger over her pink lips. God, he wanted to nibble and taste those lips. “Shhh…If anyone needs to apologize; it’s me.”

  He could tell he shocked her by the way she scrunched her eyebrows together. “Why would you owe me an apology? I’m the one who led you to believe there was something between Nathan and me, though that wasn’t my intention at all. Nathan showed up out of the blue that morning, wanting to surprise Cody and me, and he asked if he could take us to dinner. Then when I saw you and saw your expression when you saw Nathan and me together I knew you felt betrayed. But to tell you the truth, I panicked. I didn’t want Nathan to know about you. At least not yet. I mean, gosh, what are we?” She asked him as her green eyes focused on him. She rambled on and was starting to get herself worked up again. She probably hadn’t even realized she was fisting his t-shirt, and she was staring at the stove.

  “Autumn…” He said in a deep, commanding voice.

  She snapped her shamrock green eyes back to Frost, and he had to bite his lip. Christ, what he would do to have her on her knees, looking up at him like she was right at this moment with her lips wrapped around his cock.

  Not the time, asshole. You’re here to apologize and make things right. Not scare her off.

  He closed his eyes for a quick second and released a small groan.

  “Are you okay?” She asked, running her hands up and down his chest. Her touch sent a fire through his veins. He grabbed her hands to stop her movement before she could do any more damage to him.

  She gave him a look, then tried to pull her hands away, but he gripped them tighter, holding them still against his chest.

  Shit! Now she thinks I insulted her and didn’t want her touching me.

  He grinned. “Sorry, sugar, but I’m trying really hard here to be a gentleman like my mother taught me to be and take things slow, but the feel of your hands touching me right now is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. You don’t know how much the alpha male in me wants to throw you over my shoulder right now and march you into your bedroom, spread your body out on your bed and ravish it from head to toe. But I won’t because I know you need things to go slow. Plus, I’d never have sex with you, knowing Cody is practically right next door. I’d never disrespect him or you for that matter like that. Like I’ve told you before, I want to know everything about you. I want to know everything that makes you function.” He lowered his head, so they were eye level, and he looked into her eyes.

  “And to answer your question about what we are. You. Are. Mine. Let’s call the other night a failure in communication on both sides. Tell me you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you, Autumn. Agree to go out on a ‘real’ date with me this weekend. Just you and I. I’ll come and pick you up, and we’ll go someplace nice for dinner, and maybe if it’s nice outside, we can go for a walk on the beach. What do you say? Please just put me out of my misery and be with me.”

  He sat there as she stared back into his eyes. It was like she was trying to see past all of the negatives. Then he saw her eyes soften, and she swallowed hard, then whispered so softly, her voice was full of emotion.

  “I want to be with you too. And, yes, I would love to go on a ‘real’ date with you.”

  “Good. Now even though I said sex is off the table, at least for tonight, that is,” he smiled and winked, causing her fair skin cheeks to turn crimson. “There is one thing that’s been driving me crazy since the moment you walked into my hospital room weeks ago.”

  She pulled away and gave him a questionable look. “And what would that be?”

  He widened his legs further and pulled her even closer, making her tilt her head way back to look up at him. One arm held her around the waist while his other hand cupped her chin. He ran this thumb over her bottom lip as he looked her in the eyes. “I’ve been dying to taste you.” He didn’t wait for a response before pressing his lips gently against hers. He started out slow, but when he felt her kissing him back, he ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, testing the waters further. She parted her lips, inviting him in, and he felt her silky tongue meet his as her arms went around his neck. His hand at her waist slid down over her ass and squeezed it. The move made her moan, causing his cock to beg for release from the confinement of his shorts. She ran her hands through his short hair. Her nails scraped lightly against his scalp, sending vibrations through his body. He was so turned on right now. He needed to put the brakes on before he went against what he promised her he wouldn’t do.

  He pulled back from the kiss and looked her over. She was panting and looked flushed. Her lips were swollen and red. He cupped the back of her neck and pressed his forehead against hers and gazed into her lust-filled eyes. “What have you done to me, woman?” She smiled, and he kissed her nose.

  “Taking things slow is going to be fucking torture.”

  He slid his sleek body off the stool but not letting go of her hand. If he could have his way, he’d find a way to attach himself to her permanently. He guided her the few feet to the small periwinkle colored sofa. He sat down and pulled her down next to him. The house was quiet except for the slight hum of the window air conditioning unit.

  She laid her head on his shoulder and looked up at him. “Jack, what are you doing?”

  He leaned forward, pulled over the little ottoman that matched the sofa, and propped his feet up, getting himself comfortable. Taking his arm closest to her, he wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled her towards him, until she was once again resting her head on his shoulder and snuggled up against him.

  He looked down into her in
quisitive green eyes. “You said you had to wake Cody every thirty minutes. I’m going to sit with you, so you’re not alone.” There was no way in hell he was going to sit by and let her burn herself out. Now that he was involved in their lives, he would do his damnedest to take some of the burden off her starting now.

  “Thank you, Jack,” she whispered as she pulled her legs and feet up onto the sofa and tucked them under her.

  He kissed the top of her head. The smell of her fruity shampoo infiltrated his nose. “I’d do anything for you, Autumn,” he whispered back as he held her.

  They sat there for a while, neither one of them said a word. Frost actually had thought she had fallen asleep until she spoke.

  “I’m scared, Jack.” She kept her head against his chest, and he rubbed her back.

  “What are you afraid, sugar? My job?”

  Rubbing her nose against his shirt, she answered. “Yes. I already lost one person I loved to a war. I don’t know if my heart could take it if I gave it to another man, and history repeats itself.”

  Frost could understand where she was coming from, but he needed to make her understand that nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.

  “You can’t think about it that way, babe. You can’t predict the future. Hell, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow just walking down the street.”

  “Don’t say that.” She lifted her head and glared at him. He used his hand to move her hair out of her face.

  “I’m just trying to make you see that not all bad things that happen to military personnel are the result of the war. Take my leg injury, for example.”

  “You were shot. You were injured in battle. I don’t know what the circumstances surrounding it, as I’m sure it is classified.”

  He took her face into her hands and looked deeply into her eyes. “You see, that’s where you’re wrong. I wasn’t deployed when I was shot, nor was I involved in any type of training mission. I wasn’t even on the job when this occurred.”

  “You weren’t?” She asked, looking confused, although Frost thought she looked adorable with her forehead scrunched up.