“Why would he tap you?”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Kell’s mouth twisted. “I was his son-in-law at the time.”
Blowing out a low whistle, he couldn’t hide his surprise. “Grayson’s daughter is your wife?”
“Was. Went on a spree of affairs while I was off on missions. Grayson knew, tried to get her into some kind of treatment program.”
“Alcohol, drugs?”
Kell shook his head. “Process addiction.”
“What the fuck is that?” Then Ghost remembered reading about it. “Sexual addiction.”
“Yeah. Seems she turned to other men for comfort while I was gone. Lots of other men,” he added. “Except me. She’d stay as far away from me as possible, wouldn’t talk about what bothered her. I didn’t know what the fuck was going on until Grayson called me into his office after one particularly difficult mission.”
“Damn,” Ghost breathed out.
“I stuck by her for another year, hoping the treatment would work, but it never did.” Kell met Ghost’s sympathetic gaze. “She didn’t want to give up other men. Although I hadn’t told her, I’d decided to file for divorce before I left on my last mission. The one where everything went to hell.” He snorted at the memory. “She never visited the hospital, didn’t consult with the docs. At this point, all I know about her comes through the admiral. As odd as it seems, he and I are still close.”
“Sorry, man. I remember you talking about your upcoming wedding. It was a few weeks before…” Ghost’s voice trailed off as he allowed himself a moment to recall his own tragedy.
“That’s why I wanted to talk with you.”
Jaw tensing, Ghost nodded. “Dani.”
“Look, I don’t understand all that happened in Liberty Lake, but enough to know you’re the man who hurt her.”
An icy ball of regret formed in his gut, his breath catching. “You and her?”
“No. She’s like a sister. One I care a great deal about.”
Ghost nodded in understanding. “You warning me off her?”
“Maybe. Don’t forget, I know what you went through after Kylie. The hell you put yourself through and the wall of indifference you’ve lived behind every day since. You treat each woman as if she’s the enemy and you’re the executioner. I won’t let you do the same to Dani twice.”
Eyes flaring, Ghost gripped the edge of the chair, understanding Kell’s meaning. She’d shared some of what he’d said when asking her to leave. His words and actions weren’t something he was proud to admit. Scrubbing a hand down his face, his haunted gaze met Kell’s.
“Letting her go was the worst mistake I ever made.”
“Are you saying you plan to stick this time?”
Ghost couldn’t hold his intense stare. “Wish I could make you a promise, but that isn’t possible right now. I will say Dani is important to me, Kell. Very important. Taking this day to day is all I can offer.”
“It’s not enough.”
“It’ll have to be. My intention is to never hurt her again, but with my past…” Shaking his head, Ghost stood. “Might be a futile point anyway. First, I have to convince Dani to give me a second chance.”
Standing, Kell shoved his chair away. “Under all the crap, I believe you’re a good man. The problem is Dani’s a prize. Any man lucky enough to win her love should cherish it, realize the type of woman she is and treasure every moment.”
Moving to the door, Ghost stopped, turning back to Kell. “Like I said, Dani has to give me a second chance first. Afterward…” He swallowed, remembering last night and wondering what it meant to her. If anything. “If I hurt her again, you have my permission to shoot me.”
“Don’t think I won’t.”
Chapter Seven
Gritting his teeth, Ghost refused to growl at the discomfort Dani’s touch caused. Not because it hurt. Her hands working his injured body felt much too good, and that was a problem.
“Your flexibility is increasing.”
Feeling sweat build on his forehead, Ghost didn’t respond. Instead, his gaze moved to the door. The private physical therapy rooms had locks, but she hadn’t used it. He’d have to rectify that before doing what he wanted. If she didn’t want the same, he’d deal.
“I’m real pleased with the progress you’ve made during the first week. So is Kell, and we’ve made sure Sully knows.” Dani let the quiet, unsolicited praise flow from her lips.
Her words touched him somewhere inside, somewhere he didn’t want to believe still existed. Hating the fact she’d already begun breaking through his defenses, he grunted a low, unintelligible response and closed his eyes.
Dani always ended her sessions with a brief rubdown to ease muscles tensed from the severe workout. Afterward, she’d place a warm blanket over him, giving him a few minutes alone to stretch and dress.
This time, when he felt the soft cover touch his back, Ghost whipped around, grabbing the blanket from her hands and tossing it aside. A surprised gasp left her lips when a strong arm wrapped around her waist, tugging her to him. She still hadn’t regained her composure when he shifted, lifting her so she straddled his thighs.
“Tucker…” It wasn’t a question or a command to stop.
The use of his given name caused his heart to stutter, more so when her palms moved over his taut chest. He wanted to hear his name on her lips often.
Reaching up, he cupped her face with his hands, drawing her down. Knowing they had little time, the long, heated kiss offered promises of what was to come when they were truly alone. Breaking the contact, he stared into glazed eyes, their breath coming in short gasps.
“Nice workout, Sullivan,” he whispered against her mouth.
Moving his hands to her waist, he lifted Dani, allowing her to swing a leg over him, then lowered her gently to the floor. Reaching out, he snagged a towel from a nearby chair, swiping it over his face.
“I need a shower. Then I’d like to take you to dinner.”
Her mouth parted at the invitation. The plan had been to turn the tables on him, make him realize what he’d been missing, then shove him aside as he’d done to her.
The sincere look in his eyes, the hesitancy in his voice, had Dani rethinking the plan. Being the cause of someone’s pain never came easy to her. She didn’t want it to. Still, not taking a strong stand would open her up to more of what he’d doled out in Liberty Lake. Ghost had no intention of making this more than a quick respite during his time at the center. When his training ended, so would they.
“Dinner sounds good.”
Dani may have imagined it, but she was certain his tense body relaxed a small amount.
“We’ll take my truck,” he said.
“No. I’ll meet you in town. Does the steakhouse sound all right?”
Sliding to the floor, he grabbed his pants from a hook on the wall. “Works for me.”
Slipping into them, he snagged her arm before she had a chance to leave. Pulling her to him, he captured her mouth for a quick, heated kiss before drawing away. “Six o’clock.”
Controlling the small knot of worry in her throat, she nodded. “Six o’clock.”
Abdul-Bari Zahir glared at the man across the table. Short, stocky, with a protruding belly and thinning hair, his thick, stubby fingers thrummed against the chipped Formica top.
He didn’t enjoy working with recruits. The arrogant pissant drinking one of those fancy coffees Zahir despised hadn’t been a part of the organization long. Another of the well-educated intellectuals he hated. They thought their backgrounds and idealism brought something useful to the cause. Give him a man who knew what it meant to fight for survival over one of these self-righteous idiots any day.
They needed people willing to sacrifice themselves for the cause. Even the moron casting a superior look his way. He couldn’t wait to send this one on his final mission. It couldn’t come soon enough.
“You installed the items?” He already knew the answer. They wouldn’t be sitting here if
he didn’t.
“Of course. I’m not an idiot.”
Abdul-Bari stifled a groan. A man who had to defend himself in such a manner truly was a fool. “You will be there to make certain nothing fails.”
“I don’t need to watch to make certain my work is perfect. Send one of the others. Someone you can afford to lose.”
Abdul-Bari wanted to reach across the short expanse of table to throttle the man known as Kamal Durrani Rasul. “All men are worthy of sacrifice. None more than you. Is that not true?”
Clearing his throat, Rasul glanced around, uneasy at the turn of their conversation. “I suppose you are right.”
“You see, this is why you must be the one to confirm your hard work is successful. Then you will receive Allah’s praise. Is this not what all men should want?”
Rasul inclined his head in submission.
“The time is as we discussed?” Abdul-Bari wondered if maybe this one would learn to accept his eventual fate. It was what all men must accept when choosing to follow Allah.
“Late tonight, after all have fallen asleep.” Rasul squirmed in his seat, ignoring the burning sense of unease. He’d done all he could. Checked his work three times.
“And there will be casualties?”
“Yes,” he affirmed, then amended the answer. “Although you know there may be few working at the time you require.”
“There are always some who work all night.”
“True.” Rasul refused to argue the point. The bombs were placed and couldn’t be changed. If the attack didn’t happen tonight, he had no doubt they’d be discovered the following morning.
A slow grin formed on Abdul-Bari’s face. “Then you have done all you can. By morning, I will report your success.” He didn’t care whether Rasul lived through the destruction or not. As long as the target was destroyed, his work was a triumph.
Dani didn’t know how she ended up pinned between Ghost and the wall. She’d meant for him to sit across from her in the booth.
She didn’t want to feel his thigh rubbing against hers or his hand resting on her knee. The contact yanked at her heart, reminding Dani of the short amount of time they’d have together. Somehow, the two had formed a tenuous truth built on nothing more than the desire for sex. She’d be foolish to think the outcome would be any different than before.
“You’re still angry with me?”
Ghost’s question jolted her. “Angry? No. I don’t trust you. The truth is I don’t even know if I like you.”
Barking out a laugh, he clamped his fingers over her thigh, squeezing. “I think you like me a great deal, Dani.” Sobering, he lowered his voice. “I understand your lack of trust. If I could take back every damn word the day you left, I would. You didn’t deserve any of it.”
Shoving his hand off her leg, Dani turned toward him. “Not quite enough and a lot too late. I no longer have any emotions where you’re concerned, so I hope that isn’t what you want this time around. I’ve got nothing to offer except a few more days of training followed by hot sex. If that’s agreeable, then game on. If not, we’ll head back to the center and forget the other night ever happened.”
The punch to his gut shouldn’t have been so lethal. Ghost knew winning back her trust wouldn’t be easy. He’d never expected the undercurrent of bitter steel behind her words. Being the good SEAL he was, Ghost would take the sex, confident he’d win back her trust later. Flashing an arrogant grin, he grabbed her hand, threading his fingers through hers.
“If a good time is all you’ve got to offer, I’m your man.” Bringing their joined hands to his lips, he kissed her knuckles before tugging her out of the booth.
Allowing herself to be led to the parking lot, she let out a relieved breath. Driving in separate vehicles would give her time to regroup. Sex with Ghost had never been without meaning. At least not for Dani. His confirmation he wanted nothing more pierced her heart while steeling her resolve.
She could offer several nights of hot sex, shoving him from her life when the week ended. Dani refused to fantasize about her desire for more. She’d take what he offered and move on. The same as him.
If all went according to plan, Ghost’s last day would be Friday. Dani doubted he’d waste a minute packing his gear and heading out.
At least she had the forethought to line up a date for Saturday. There’d be no sex, maybe not even an after dinner kiss. Still, it would give her time to deal with his departure without sitting in her cabin alone, trying to forget an unattainable man.
Ghost stopped at her Jeep, pulling Dani out of her thoughts and to him for a lingering kiss. Lifting his head, he stared down, grinning at her dazed expression.
“I’ll see you back at the center.” Brushing another brief kiss across her lips, Ghost released his hold, leaving without a backward glance.
“Arrogant bastard.” Dani whispered the words so low even she could barely hear them.
Climbing into her Jeep, she headed back to the center, refusing to think about the way he affected her with the slightest touch. There’d be time for recriminations later.
Parking beside her cabin, Dani had scarcely unlocked the front door when Ghost stepped up behind her. Scooping her into his arms, he stepped over the threshold. A swift kick slammed the door shut. Setting her on the floor, he pinned her against the wall, wrists manacled above her head in one of his large, calloused hands.
The intended protest died when his mouth covered hers. Dipping his tongue inside, his other hand moved down the front of her blouse, unbuttoning and shoving the fabric aside.
“Tucker,” she gasped when his mouth lifted from hers to cover her breast through the thin, lace bra.
The assault happened so fast she couldn’t draw a breath. Arching into him, she whimpered when he flipped the front clasp open to reveal each pink, taut bud. There was nothing soft or tentative about the attention he applied to her heated skin. Moving his mouth to her other breast, his hand moved lower to unbutton her jeans. The slow rasp of the zipper had her panting, begging him not to stop.
“I need you naked, Dani.”
His unsteady growl triggered an uncontrollable need, the ache between her legs increasing with each heated breath over her skin. Releasing her wrists, he shoved the jeans down, taking the deep red bikini panties with it.
Placing his hands on her waist to steady them both, his gaze wandered up, then down. “You’re so damn beautiful. Better each time I see you.”
In a swift, fluid move, Ghost lifted her into his arms, his mouth crushing hers as he walked the short distance to her bedroom. Placing her in the center of the bed, he reached behind him to tear off his t-shirt.
“Everything, Tucker.”
Chuckling, his gaze bored into hers. It took seconds for him to toe off his boots and remove condoms from a pocket. Dropping his jeans and briefs, he grinned at the spark in her eyes, the appreciative moan of anticipation. Stretching out beside her, his mouth possessed hers again before trailing down her neck, over her breasts to her stomach. The scorching kisses ignited her at the same time his fingers brushed over the soft hairs of her mound.
When one finger dipped into the damp folds, followed by another, he returned his mouth to hers, the arousing kisses causing her to arch into him, silently begging for more. Feeling her budded clit with his thumb, he rubbed it gently, then faster. A few more strokes of his fingers and thumb and she exploded, trembling in his arms, chanting his name as she climaxed.
Giving her no time to recover, he tore open a packet, rolled on the condom, and moved over her, his mouth inches from her lips. “I need to be inside you.”
“Yes…” Her hot breath brushed over him an instant before he seized her mouth with his, taking control, taking everything as he eased inside her.
Her muscles tensed around him, causing her to cry out as he thrust in and out, increasing the pace as groans of pleasure tore from their lips. Her body began to tremble as his strokes became more frantic, more demanding.
“
Please, Tucker…”
Surging forward, feeling her body stiffen in release, his head flew back, jaw tightened. A primal growl ripped from his throat as his own climax crashed through him.
Chapter Eight
Tightening his hold around Dani, Ghost rolled to his back, taking her with him, fighting for control. Never had he felt anything so right, so perfect, yet so fragile.
“Tucker,” she breathed against his neck, the heat of their bodies pouring off them in aching waves of completed pleasure and continued need.
“Shhh, sweetheart,” he murmured against her ear, his mind reeling.
Ever since losing Kylie, he’d shut his feelings down, never allowed anything to penetrate the thick walls of self-preservation. It was why he’d shoved Dani from his life. Ruthlessly, cruelly. Somehow, the petite, sexually enticing imp had burrowed under his skin. She’d made him laugh, think, relish life in a way he hadn’t during long years of emotional isolation. Dani scared him more than facing enemy combatants during a full firestorm, yet he couldn’t stay away.
Back in Liberty Lake, Ghost had done his best to get over the unwanted anxiety, refusing to let her go. One morning, he’d woken well before dawn, drenched in sweat, Dani inches away. Unaware of his growing agitation, she’d reached for him. The thought of her wanting him, needing him, looking at him with eyes blazing with desire, and the hope for more, had sickened him.
Instead of remembering the pleasure, the progress she’d unwittingly helped him achieve, all he could see was a woman clawing for another piece of a soul, which didn’t exist. His internal rage had been absolute, almost uncontrollable. He’d been the worst kind of bastard, treating her as if their time together had meant nothing. In fact, it had meant everything.
Tonight, he felt none of the bitterness of loss. He sensed something else. Hope. Hope for a possible future with Dani.
Feeling her squirm against him, he grinned, kissing her hair.
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